Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	believe_v	faith_n	word_n	14,132	5	4.8692	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A59660	The church-membership of children, and their right to baptisme according to that holy and everlasting covenant of God, established between Himself and the faithfull ... cleared up in a letter, sent unto a worthy friend of the author ... / by Thomas Shepard ...	Shepard, Thomas, 1605-1649.	1663 (1663)	Wing S3108; ESTC R14745	40,639	50

c 4. Hereby they may not only hope and Pray but are incouraged to Believe concerning their Children and the rest of those who are in Covenant among them that God will do them good as they conclude mercy to the remnant forgivness of their sins with faith upon this ground thou wilt remember the Truth to Iacob and thy Mercy to Abraham sworn unto our Fathers in dayes of old Micah 7.18 20. This indeed is the childrens faith for themselves and their children but so it may be a ground of Parents faith And if we pray for our children why should we doubt leaving only secrets to God if we see them dy before they reject the Gospel positively I see no reason for any man to doubt of the salvation of his child if he dyes or that God will not do good to his child in time if he lives 5. This stirrs up their hearts to be the more sincerely holy and keep in with God because of their children and to educate them with more care and watchfullness because they are the Lord's Children as well as theirs they are not common but holy vessels and therfore let them see that they be not defiled and hence we find that when God exhort's to any duty of holiness in Scripture he oft makes this the ground of it I am your God and hence God aggravates their sin in offering their children to Molech Ezek. 16. because they were his children that should have been better used 3. In respect of themselves the good is very great 1. It is a special meanes to prevent sin Deut. 29. I make this Covenant not only with him that is present but with your seed also who are not here verse 15 Lest there should be among you man or woman family or tribe whose heart turnes away from God and lest there should be a root of gall and wormwood and indeed it mightily workes on the heart to think shall I whom God hath chosen to be his be my own or be the Divels or be my lusts c 2. 'T is a strong motive engagement upon them to forsake sin even the uncircumcision and sin of their hearts as is evident Deut. 10.15 16. The Lord had a delight to choose the seed of your fathers even you to be his people as it is this day what follow 's Therefore Circumcise the foreskin of your hearts and be no more stiff-necked 3. 'T is a special help as to avert their hearts from sin so to convert turn them to God to make them look toward God that he would turn them when perhaps they are without any hope in other respects of mercy or of being able by any meanes they can use to turn themselves this is evident Acts 3.19 with verse 25. Repent and be converted for you are the children of the Covenant which God made with our fathers this drawes their hearts when they see how God call's them to return Ier. 3.22 Come unto me ye back sliding children c we c●me unto thee for thou art the Lord our God When backsliding Ephraim could not convert himselfe he cryes unto God oh turn me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Ier. 31.18 which places cannot be meant of being their God only by internal Covenant in giving to them the special benefits of the Covenant for then they should be in Covenant with God and have remission of all their sins c before they were turned or before faith and therefore it 's meant of being a God in outward and external church-Covenant which is no smal motive and loadst one to Believe And although many do not believe and will not be turned yet this Covenant is an high priviledge and great favour fitt in it self to draw to God though many believe not and hence the Apostle saith that the priviledge of the Iew is great in having God's Oracles which contain God's Covenant committed to them though some believe no● which unbelief make's not he saith the faith of God i. e. God's promise or Covenant of none effect or an uneffectual and fruitless Covenant for this word of God's Covenant shall take some effect among some such as are in it which therfore is a priviledge though many perish as is evident Rom. 9.4 6. 4. 'T is a special meanes of binding them fast to God when they are turned Ier. 13.11 as the girdle cleaveth unto a man so have I caused the whole house of Israel to cleave unto me that they may be for a name and glory Deut. 30.20 thou shalt cleave unto him because he is thy life and the length of thy dayes he was not their life spiritually and savingly for many thus exhorted were dead and in their sins but federally or in outward Covenant 5. If they shall forsake and break loose from God and from the bond of his Covenant and have as much as in them lies cast themselves out of Covenant by their own perfidiousness breach of Covenant that one would think now there is no more hope yet it is a special meanes to encourage their hearts to return again even when they seem to be utterly cast off and therefore it 's said Ier. 3 1. though thou hast committed whoredome with many lovers wherby the covenant was broken yet return unto me so Deut. 4. If when you are scattered among the nations and shall serve wood stone and be in great tribulation if from thence thou seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him he will not forsake thee and what is the reason of it viz. his remembrance of the Covenant with their fathers for so 't is Deut. 4.27 28 29 30 31. But I forbear to name more such things as these which come by outward Covenant to Inchurched Members 4. In respect of others their good is very great for 1. now they may enjoy the special watch and care of the whole Church which otherwise they must want 2. They hereby have the more fervent Prayers of others for their good and hence Rom. 9.1 2 3. we see how Paul upon this ground had great zeal in his prayers for the Jews not only because his countrymen but especially because to them did belong the Adoption and Covenants they had gracious Fathers c. so Psal 89.49 Lord remember thy former loving kindnesses which are sworn to David in truth And hence we see Moses oft pleads and prevailes with God in prayer for the sinning Israelites viz. oh Remember Abraham Isaac and Iaco● Now I pray you lay all these things together and then see whether you have any cause to say What profit is there by Covenant and Church-membership of persons not yet able to profess the faith of Jesus Christ Quest. 2. You say when families were Churches all of the family were of the Church and when a Nation was a Church all that were of that nation were of that Church But now Believers being matter of the Church what if none were admitted till

of them and such As do their interest in him grutch Crispus with Gaius Stephanas With others were not all through Grace Baptis'd that of their Houshold were And Children who will doubt were there Then let us not to them deny Nor seem as if we did envy The priviledge which God from heaven Hath through his grace and favour given Nor let us limit his good Spirit In applycation of Christ's merrit Whose bloud was shed for them as well As those who them in age excell If such be taught of God who dare Deny they his Disciples are III. THOMAS SHEPARD Anagr More hath po●s'd MOre from this holy pen d●th ●ast'd The Baptisme to defend 〈◊〉 Infants 〈◊〉 at Church members are If well you do attend Then any Anti-baptists can with solidness confute I wish with all my heart that God will grant these labours fruit As good or better then the paines by other Godly taken That thereby all his precious Saints be would please to awaken That none may any more oppose with Zeal preposterous The Truth which Gods most holy word commendeth unto us That who were less convinced by this holy Shepards voice Yet in his Letter left behind they may ●●e more rejoyce He was a shining Light indeed few other such are left The Lord vouchsafe we be not by our Sinns of them bereft And poure down of his Spirit more upon his Sons surviving That will be more and more unto Truth 's lovers a reviving IIII. THOMAS SHEPARD Anagr Arm'd as the Shop ARm'd at the shop of God's good word ●oth weapons unto him afford ●●●●nd's the right of little ones Whom God in the Church Covenant ownes The Child●e● of ●is Church among To whom 〈◊〉 Kingdome doth belong And there withall the Seal thereof Through his free Mercy Grace and Love Yet are there some which them forbid As once his weak Disciples did To come to Christ and ●cruple make Whether therof they should partake But Christ was very angry for it As for such Zeale he did abhor it Oh come said he and welcom'd such With tokens of affection much As if that they and scarcely ●hy But such as they might chalenge any Or part or portion in his grace So did his favour th●m embrace His Babes his Lambs his little creatures He call's them As for such d●features Christ they defeat as well as them Whom they presume so to contemn This holy Shepard is like David From Ly●●s mouth and Beare 's who saved That Little Kid whom God did crown With great and singular renown And so this Shepard hath no doubt A glorious crown his head about For all his lab●urs and for this In high and everlasting bli●s And as the Lord doth honour him For Christ his sake so his esteem Both is and ought to be most rare 'Mongst them who Christ hi● followers are And oh how should we bless his Name That o●●is Son he pour's the same Good Spirit that was in the Father Or doubles it upon him rather LORD these Epistles do thou bless And as thy Truth they do confess So make them precious in the eyes Of all that do thy Gospel prize Amen IOHN WILSON Senior THE CHURCH-MEMBERSHIP OF CHILDREN CLEARED VP IN A LETTER IN ANSWER To the Doubts of a Friend WHen we say That Children are Members by their Parents Covenant I would premise three things for Explication 1. That Children of Godly Parents come to the fruition of their Membership by their Parents Covenant but that which give 's them their right and interest in this Membership is Gods Covenant whereby he engageth himselfe equally to be a God to them and to their Seed This I suppose is clear 2. That according to the double Seed viz. 1. Elect Seed 2. Church-Seed So there is a double Covenant 1. Exernal and outward 2. Internall and inward And because the Covenant makes the Church hence there is an inward and outward Membership and Church estate there is an outward Iew an inward Iew Rom. 2.28 29. All are not Israel i. e. the elect Seed that are of Israel i. e. the Church-Seed of in outward Covenant to whom the Apostle saith belong's the Adoption the Covenants and the promises that is the externall Adoption whereby God account's them his Children or the Children of his house and family the Children of the Church and accordingly have the promises belonging to them in respect of outward dispensation although they be not Children by internall Adoption to whom belongs the promises by effectuall and speciall communication of saving Grace It is clearer then the day that many who are inwardly or in respect of inward Covenant the Children of the Devil are outwardly or in respect of outward Covenant the Children of God Isay. 1.2 I have brought up Children and yet Rebellions and in the next verse they are called my People i. e. by outward Covenant and yet worse then the Ox or Asse Deut. 32.19 20. they are called Sons and yet provokeing God to revengefull Wrath and Children and yet without Faith And look as some may be externally Dogs and yet internally Believers as the woman of Canaan whom in respect of outward Covenant Christ calls a Dog and the Iewes who yet rejected him Children Mat. 15.26 so many may be externally Children in respect of external Covenant and yet internally Dogs and evil men and we see that the purest Churches of Christ are called Saints and faithful Children of God and yet many among them Hypocrites and unbelievers because they that in respect of Church estate and outward Covenant and profession are outwardly or federally Saints are many times inwardly and really unsound Hence therefore it is that when we say that Children are in Covenant and so Church-Members the meaning is not that they are alwaies in inward Covenant and inward Church-Members who enjoy the inward and saveing benefits of the Covenant but that they are in external and outward Covenant and therefore outwardly Church Members to whom belongs some outward priviledges of the Covenant for their inward and eternall good These things being clear I the rather make mention of them to undermine divers usual objections againts the Membership and Covenant-Interest of Children as that they have no saving Grace many times and that they make no actuall profession of any grace and that many of them degenerate and prove corrupt and wicked c. for suppose all these yet God may take them into outward Covenant which is sufficient to make them the Church-Seed or Members of the Church although he doth not receive them into inward Covenant in bestowing upon them saving Grace or Power to profess it nay though they degenerate and grow very corrupt afterward 3. Because you may question what this outward Covenant is to which the seales are annexed and under which we shall prove Children are comprehended and because the Knowledg of it is exceeding usefull and very pleasant I shall therefore give a short taste of it as a light to