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
A90119	A sermon preach't at a publick ordination in a country congregation, on Acts XIII. 2, 3. Together with an exhortation to the minister and people, / by another brother.	Offley, William, 1659 or 60-1724.	1697 (1697)	Wing O159C; ESTC R19633	32,388	32

vivere Live as becomes the Gospel which you Preach to others Augustin saith Operum copia egregia est fandi copia praeturbeat aliis exemplum sit ejus quasi copia dicendi forma vivendi He Preacheth best who lives best and exemplifies his Doctrine in his Life and Preaches that as profitably in his Conversation as in the Pulpit Be a daily Preacher having your Life a standing Reproof of sin and an Argument of Piety Luke 24.19 We well approve of what you have told us that your ends in the Ministry are to exalt the Glorious Name of your God in the Conversion Edification and Salvation of Souls that you seek not your Peoples goods but good not your own profit but the profit of many that they might be saved and we hope pray for and shall rejoyce in your success Let the Lord pour out a double portion of his Spirit upon you and by his Blessing so prosper your Studies that you may be an able Minister of the New Testament not of the flesh but of the spirit a Workman that needs not to be asham'd rightly dividing the word of Truth Yet if in the discharge of your duty your Labour should be unfruitful Mourn in secret for it water the Word with your Tears So did Christ Luke 19.41 And Peter wept himself before he converted others Pray much for success the Praying Ministers saith Augustine is more successful than the Eloquent Orator Reform your self perhaps your sin may hinder the efficacy of the Word the Seed may not prosper because sown with a Leprous hand Luke 22.32 By no means give over you are not exempted from yours because the People neglect their duty Be not discourag'd your word may thrive afterwards you are not to limit God but do your duty Better be unsuccessful then disobedient The Husbandman doth not Sow and Reap in a day God even your God will however accept the sincerity of your obedience and endeavour the will for the deed and tho' you may seem to labour in vain as to the efficacy yet you shall not as to the reward of your Ministry which is secured by him who rewards not only Success but Faithfulness Isa 49.4 5. If you have Success set the Grown of Glory on God's Head alone Know you are but the Instrument He is the principal Agent you are but the Pipe He is the Spring whence the Water of Life flows You do but Sow the Seed God gives the Success Rebecca Cooks the Meat but Isaac gives the Blessing Moses hews the Tables but God writes the Law Man carries the Bottle but God gives the Wine Man may speak words but God gives Grace In coelo Cathedram habet qui corda movet Si non sit intus qui docet inanis strepitus noster Vestrum est docere dare operam Dei flectare dare operationem Paul can but Plant Apollos Waters it is God that gives the Increase In a word take heed to your self to your Doctrine to your Life Be watchful in all things endure Affliction make full proof of your Ministry do the Work of a Faithful Pastor and the God of all Grace fill you with the Fruits of his Spirit that you may feed this People with Knowledge and Understanding this Flock of which you have taken the over-sight or Episcopacy So shall you receive from the chief Sheepherd when he comes to Judgment a full Reward even a never-fading Crown of Glory 1 Pet. 5.2 c. I close with that strict Command and earnest Adjunction of the Great Apostle 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall Judge the Quick and the Dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the Word be instant in season out of season Reprove rebuke exhort with all Long-suffering and Doctrine Exhortation to the People HAving told your Minister his Duty perhaps you may say What is this to you Therefore to make you amends I shall address my self to you who by holding up your Hands have declared your Consent and Willingness to receive and acknowledge this our Brother whom we have ordained as a Minister of Christ As he is to Preach you are to Hear his Preaching and your Hearing are Relatives there is a Necessity on him to Preach and on you to Hear Christ hath ordained him by us to Preach and we in Christ's Name command you to Hear Therefore in the Name and Fear of God I exhort you to attend on this Ordinance of God as such not as an Ordinance of Man but an Ordinance of God Go to the Word as the Word and for the Word so you may comfortably assure your selves of God's Blessing God hath given Preaching and Hearing a special Efficacy as the ordinary means of Knowledge Grace and Salvation come then to the Word as a means of Salvation be throughly convinced that your Salvation is concerned in the Word think with your selves every Sermon you come to near that you come to further your Salvation that your Souls are concerned in this Ordinance Isa 55.3 Your Minister is confined to one Subject Christ and the Gospel of Christ he must not know any thing else among you and you are not to desire to know or hear any thing else from him He is to give attendance to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrine 1 Tim. 4.13 and you are to be very attentive to hear him Luke 19. ult Acts 8.6 To lay aside not only Worldly Imployments but Earthly Desires yea roving Thoughts gating Eyes and unfixed Ears He is to propound right ends in his Preaching and you also to your selves in your Hearing even those Ends for which God hath appointed his Word to be Preached as the Inlightning Convincing Quickning Strengthning and Comforting of Souls Come habitually and actually prepared and disposed with Prayer and Meditation considering into whose Presence and Service you come put off your Carnal Affections purge out your Sins and Corruptions and compose your outward Man to a decent Becomingness and holy Reverence when you Pray Sing or hear Come in Faith to the Word with an historical Faith believing the Word of God to be the Word of God and closing with the Truth of it in your Assent and Judgment with a particular applying Faith Have I an Interest in this Promise Doth this Threatning belong to me Doth my Assent incline me to Practise Your Minister is to Pray in Private and Secret for you and so are you for him He for your Spiritual Advantage as Paul bowed his Knees to God for his Ephesians Eph. 3.14 He is to be your Solicitor at the Throne of Grace before an Orator in the Pulpit and first to breath the Longings of his Soul in Prayer to God before he vents the Meditations of it to you 1 Sam. 12.28 You are to Pray for him to beg a Door of utterance for him which Prayer is a Key to open and reveal the Secret Cabinet of God's Will and Word Knock then by Prayer at the

were thrown down not by golden Trumpets but Rams-horns Moses's Brazen Serpent cured when Aaron's golden Calf brought Death Stars give Light when Clouds darken Plate and Silver Spoons in a Country Fair are only gazed on and scarce cheapen'd when wooden Spoons are bought That Glass is best not which is curiously wrought but shews the truest Face Good Corn is more eligible than gay Weeds Naked Truth is most beautiful she needs not outward adorning to make her amiable and if she appears in finer Cloaths it is more for Modesty than Gaudiness Mingle not your Water with God's Wine stuff not the Sincere Milk with the Mocks and Hairs of your Fancy Those Flowers are best and sweetest that grow in the Garden not in the Wilderness Christ taught his Disciples as they were able to hear and bear Drive according to the Pace of your People It is the greatest Art to make dark things plain Study rather 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to approve your self a Divine than an Artist Soar not aloft to work a vain Admiration in the ignorant Hearers Prefer a careless Plainness before an elaborate affected Quaintness Yet let not your Expressions be undecent unseemly or undigested Est aliqua frondium Gloria the Leaves give some beauty to the Trees Aaron's Bells were golden sounding pleasantly A nasty Candlestick is unsuitable to a bright Taper and unhandsome Cloaths do not become a fair Body Truth loves to be plain but not Sluttish Neither would I have your Sermons to be like empty Tracts that have a Flood of Words and a Drop of Matter Multa loquantur nihil dicunt Some speak much and say nothing because little or nothing to the purpose I am against the Abuse not the use of Humane Authors Tongues Arts and Sciences these are Keys to unlock the Scriptures Competent Learning is requisite in a Minister a blind Seer is a Solecism A Minister ought to have Skill in the Originals that he may not see only with other Mens Eyes nor take all upon report and trust John 4.42 yet Tongues without Arts and Sciences are but empty Vessels mere sounds But especially a Minister should be mighty in the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3.15 16. these are the Fountains and the Foundation you must build upon There is more Light in the Sun than in the Stars more Water in the Fountain than in the Streams more Honey in a Barrel of Honey than in a few scatter'd Flowers and it is good digging for Gold in the Mines of Gold In Preaching deliver the whole revealed Will of God Acts 20.27 and nothing but his Will 1 Cor. 11.23 receive what you deliver and deliver what you receive especially concerning the Way and Means of Salvation by Christ and Christ alone 1 Tim. 6.3 2 Tim. 1.13 Tit. 2.7 8. Affect not Novelty too many False Opinions have insinuated themselves by the use of Suspitious Phrases and the Affectation of new Light and new Language hath in these days greatly destroy'd Practical Godliness and the Power of Religion Some render 1 Tim. 6 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Be Affectionate and Cordial let the Truths you deliver proceed from an Heart experimentally acquainted with them That Sermon which is feelingly Preach'd is most likely to be effectual Quod procedit a corde redit in Cor. When you have once affected your self you are in a fair way to affect others Be you as John Baptist a Burning and Shining Light first burn inwardly then shine outwardly in your Doctrine and so yon you 'll speak in the Evidence and Demonstration of the Spirit and Power Be faithful Jer. 23.28 Call not evil good nor good evil neither make the heart of the righteous sad nor strengthen the hands of the wicked Suppress not omit not any needful truths or reproofs out of fear or favour Preach not pleasing things out of flattery or desire to get favour This undoes the Souls of people especially at their Deaths and this sin will lye heavy on the Minister's Conscience when he lies a dying Speak the word with boldness Acts 4.29 Be zealous with intention of affection and speech Cry aloud spare not c. save them with fear pull them out of the fire Fire sate upon the Tongues of the Disciples when the Holy Ghost came upon them And Isaiah's Tongue touch'd by an Angel was not dipt in water but tipt with fire and fire came out of the Mouths of the Two Witnesses Be not the Sugar and Honey but Salt of the Word There is need of this Fire to heat of this Hammar to break of this Sword to fetch blood considering the coldness stoniness and hardness of peoples hearts He is the best Chyrurgion or Physitian not that puts his Patient to least pain but that cures and heals Yet zeal and love may stand together for zeal is the blood and spirits of love Mingle not your own passions with your zeal vent them not to disgrace others or ease your own Stomach Mingle not strange fire with God's fire That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complained of James 3.14 becomes not a Minister who should be gentle among his People 1 Thes 2.7 11. Come with love in your heart and use expressions of love in your specches The Bee carries Honey in her mouth as well as a sting about her Passion may raise the blood but compassion will turn the bowels Pills wrapt in Sugar go the better down and Nailes dipt in Oyl drive the easier Luke 19.41 42. Weeping tears are the blood and spirits of Love and those having glazed his eyes the bowels of Compassions that lay at his heart affected with their misery were seen as in so many Looking-glasses Every Dish is sprinkled with Salt yet something else besides Salt is set upon the Table Wisely put a difference between persons and persons in your Reproofs as also between sinners and sinners such as sin of weakness restore with a spirit of meekness and such as sin of wilfulness rebuke sharply 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cuttingly secret sins reprove secretly and more open rebuke more openly yet so as if you can to hide the Person and discover only his sin aiming not at his Defamation but Reformation reprove sin in all but personate none shew your zeal against the sin yet manifest your love to the Person In Preaching aim not only at your own glory applause or credit as you are a friend of so you must sue for the Bridegroom not your self 2 Cor. 4.5 John 3.29 30. Pride is a sin that sticks close to the best A Vessel is easily emptied of Water but not of Aire the better parts and gifts are and performances come off the more subject to be proud of them The finest Cloth is most subject to Moths and with sweetest Flowers Men are soonest Perfum'd Remember that Honey tho' sweet was not offer'd in Sacrifice because it would bubble up The better your Sermons are and the more pains you take if you are proud of them