Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A60357
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Vincentius redivivus, a funeral sermon preached Octob. 27, 1678 upon the occasion of the much bewailed death of that reverend and eminent servant of Christ, Mr. Thomas Vincent ... / by Samuel Slater.
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Slater, Samuel, d. 1704.
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1679
(1679)
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Wing S3979; ESTC R23647
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37,199
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50
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a gloe-worm or the blaze of a candle who do injoy the help of Scripture that hath brought life and immortality to light who do through the riches of mercy injoy the gracious beams the warming and quickning influences of the eternal Son of Righteousness Let us not disparage the God of Israel by repairing to the forges of the Philistines or borrowing their weapons for our spiritual warfare none like to the sword of the spirit the Word of God which is mighty through God We need not go to those puddles since the Lord hath been pleased to open to us the Wells of salvation out of which we may with joy draw living waters for the refreshing of thirsty and reviving of fainting souls Those Ministers are to be remembred who bring not their own idle dreams but Gods Truths not the Precepts of men but the Doctrine of Jesus who have determined as Paul did to know nothing among you but Iesus Christ and him crucified Those Pastors which like the woman spoken of Revel 12. 1. were cloathed with the Sun and had upon their heads a crown of twelve stars The Truth of Christ and the Doctrine of the Apostles in short men sound in judgment 2. They are such as did believe what they Preached therefore you have mention made of their faith Whose faith follow Oh that I could say all Preachers are Believers But I cannot but tell you though I desire to be very charitable I have not faith enough for that all ages having sadly proved the contrary The woful defections and apostacâ—es of many in the Pagan Arrian and Antichristian Persecutions are undeniable demonstrations of the contrary God forbid I should take upon me to judg any particulars much less whole Parties that very word Party is exceeding bitter and unsavoury to me I heartily wish there were no such name or thing and oh for that day when will that day come the God of love and peace hasten it in which his people shall serve him with one shoulder and with one consent in the beauties of holiness In the mean time I am firmly perswaded that there are those who fear God and work righteousness and study to approve themselves by a sincere desire and care of walking up to Scripture-rules and the dictates of their consciences among all those Parties in England which hold the Head and have not drunk in damnable heresies as the Apostle calls them yet yet I fear there are also those that have not faith Rest they do in floating notions take things upon trust are beholding meerly to education or the profession of the Countrey where they live for their being Protestants or Christians And I also tremble to think how many would be found stark rotten if they should be shaken by a temptation found dross if they should be cast into the furnace Those deserve to be remembred who are rooted and grounded in the faith who can say Lo this we have searched this we have experienced so it is Those that see the truth in its own evidence that have found it mighty in operation upon their own souls those that have held the mystery of faith in a pure conscience and would not let it go upon any terms or in any times but chuse rather to venture all to part with all to throw all over-board than to make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience 3. They are sâ—ch as practic'd what they Preach'd and lived their own Sermons such as exprest the virtues of him who had called them out of darkness into his marvellous light and advanced them to be lights unto others Such Masters of the Assemblies as did drive home and fasten the nails of serious wholesome counsels aâ—d exhortations with the forcible hammer of a spotless gracious and heavenly deportmeâ—t in the world such as preached Christ and lived him too such as received him and walked in him such as did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 foot it right and could boldly say to their flock Walk so as ye have me for an example Such as did not mind earthly things nor hunt after the world as if it had been their god did not sinfully serve the times nor turn into all shapes and wound their souls to save their skins did not prodigally spend their precious hours nor unchristianly smite their fellow-servants nor eat and drink with the drunken but were the companions of them that fear the Lord and placed their highest delight next to God in the Saints those excellent ones of the earth and did shew out of a good conversation their works with meekness of wisdom making it their inward desire great care and utmost endeavour in all things to adorn the Gospel Holy men of God who were good in the Pulpit and in the House too and in all places in all companies against whom there could be no exception save in the matter of their God abating them for those natural humane infirmities which are inseperable from the most holy persons whilest on this side of perfection tabernacling in houses of Clay The good Lord increase the number of such Pastors in England yea all the world over in all places where he hath caused his holy Name to dwell and unto them mine honour be thou united unto them shall my soul adhere in sincere and most intire affection whatever smaller and circumstantial differences are or may be between us May so much suffice to be spoken concerning the object about which the following Acts are to be exercised unto which I now come Quest. Next then What is to be done by that people whom God did bless with such Pastors Answ. Two things Remember them follow their faith Of which in order Remember them Your memories are precious Cabinets too good for dung and trifles lay up nothing in them but what is excellent there is enough of that Remember your Creator in the days of your youth yea and in the days of your age so shall you be satisfied as with marrow and fatness Remember your dear Saviour his love his life his death attend upon Ordinances and receive the Sacrament in remembrance of him remember his love more than wine Remember the mercies you have received so as to be thankful the promises you have made so as to be faithful the sins you have committed so as to be humble the experiences you have had so as to be encouraged Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them them that are in straits and necessities so as to be compassionate and liberal to them Remember your latter end so as to be diligent and quicken your pace and withal remember your deceased Pastors who obtained mercy to be found faithful They they are some of Gods Jewels allow them therefore a choice room in these Cabinets Quest. You will ask me howâ—they are to be remembred Answ. I Answer in these following particulars 1. Remember them so as to bless God for them Have not you had great benefit soul-advantages by them Oh! let God have
and do not offer the sacrifice of fools Consider the Worship you perform whether the word will warrant it and God accept it many things that are very pretty in the account of men are very ugly in the sight of God Consider the opinions you take up the Doctrines you believe whether they be truths of God what foundation they have in the Scripture with what evidence they come upon your minds and what work they have made within I might multiply particulars to this purpose but shall forbear The Text directs you to a very proper Object Consider your Pastors in the end of their conversation King Solomon was a very wise man and very considerate he went too far in his trial and search for an happiness under the sun and being out of his way he was often in the ditch yet wheresoever he was he took consideration with him You find him one while returning and considering oppression Eccles. 4. 1. another time you find him returning and beholding vanity under the sun Eccles. 4. 7. and at another time he is busily taken up in the sluggards field Prov. 24. 30 He went by the field of the slothful he saw and consider'd it well and lookt upon it What did he observe there Two things The posture of the field and the issue of the Owner The field lay over-grown with thorns covered with nettles having its stone-wall broken down and as for the end of its Owner that was beggary he had not so many rags to his back as he had nettles in his ground Poverty and want came upon him as an armed man King Solomon consider'd all this and receiv'd instruction He was the better for it while he liv'd If we would be wise we might get good out of nettles turn every thing we see into spiritual advantage Honey is by the industrious Bee suckt out of nettles and weeds But I am calling you to turn not into the Field of the heavy and lazie drone but into the Field of the diligent and laborious Husbandman And do you consider it well observe how it is watched and manur'd and kept how curiously it lies and how fertil it is what pains the industrious owner took in sowing and what comfort he hath in reaping observe his harvest joy when he goes home at night carrying his sheaves with him We will consider here two things 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Conversation 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the end of their Conversation 1. Consider their Conversation all the windings and turnings of their lives take special notice of the whole and of each particular Consider them in all their Capacities Private and Publick as Men Christians Ecclesiastick Governours In all their Relations as Neighbours Friends Masters Parents Husbands Ministers In all times serene and cloudy halcion and tempestuous In all conditiâ—ns high and low prosperous and adverse in Honour and disgrace In all these consider the evenness of their spirits the stedfastness of their faith the holiness of their walking their industry and patience their self-denial and submission their meekness and contentation their purity and zeal Consider how in Simplicity and godly Sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God they have had their Conversation in the World 2 Cor. 1. 12. 2. Consider the end of their Conversation A two-fold end which I shall give you up in these termes since better do not occur at present 1. The end of their desires 2. The end of their days 1. Consider the end of their desires what they propound to themselves and aim at in all they do and which indeed their hearts are very much upon Would you know what it is I answer negatively Not a name among men to be carried aloft by the â—ading breath of popular applause Alas that is a vain thing that will please and satisfy none but a light and empty Spirit With them it was a very light thing to be judged by mans judgment 1 Cor. 3. 3. That wind continueth not long in one corner Our dearest Lord Jesus spake and lived as never man did he excelled and outshined all that ever the world could glory in the brightest stars were darkned by that beautiful Sun yet he even he met with a crucifie him after an Hosannah in the highest Again their end was not worldly riches and sâ—cular advantages not vast and swoln estates on which the greater part of the Sons of men dote yea too many professors these did flie an higher pitch A liberal maintenance was their due the communication of their spirituals did richly deserve a return of your temporals which to make is not your charity but duty yet this was not their end I could tell you of some who for your sakes have greatly deny'd themselves Others have laboured hard and chearfully in the midst of hardship and want They have hugg'd opportunities of bringing to hungry souls bread from Heaven clusters from the Land of promise when they themselves have as to their outward condition been in a dry and barren wilderness but affirmatively thus the end at which they aimed did consist of these three things which were worthy most worthy of such truly noble souls 1. The glory of the ever blessed God which is his own supreme and ultimate end in all he doth and indeed nothing below the glory of God is fit to be advanced to the honour of such an end Now this was the end of those holy men To me to live is Christ said Paul Phil. 1. 21. He was the Author preserver and comfort he was the pattern and end of Paul's life the advancing of his name the setting forth of his excellencieâ— the inlarging of his territories and increasing the number of his subjects was the scope the white at which he levell'd all his actions and this also was principally designed by your gracious and faithful Pastors Christ they loved and Preached and exalted for him they contended for him they suffered for him they were ready to have died for the proclaiming of his Righteâ—usness yea his only and for the maintaining of his Authority as Head of the Church and Zion's King against the bold and God-daring invasions of the grand Roman-Impostor and Usurper with his Adherents Doubâ—less nothing was so sweet to them as serviceableness to this purpose Contributions hereunto did not only reconcile them to their own â—â—â—lipses reproaches losses and sufferings but also put a pleasantness into them Iohn the Baptist speaking of this blessed Bridegroom could say in the uprightness of his heart Ioh. 3. 29. 30. This my joy is fulfilled he must increase but I must decrease And you find Act. 5. 40 41. when the Apostles had been bcatâ—â— for Preaching up Jesus they departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name Now my Brethren this is such a pitch as the most raised Heathen and sublimated carnal man never yet soared their principles are too low and sordid their wings