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	ground_n	word_n	2,026	5	4.4905	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49262	The zealovs Christian taking heaven by holy violence in severall sermons, tending to direct men how to hear with zeal, [how] to pray with importunity / preached by ... Mr. Christopher Love ...	Love, Christopher, 1618-1651.	1653 (1653)	Wing L3185; ESTC R31563	89,088	190

harmony among Ministers now that was formerly John preached what the Prophets taught and Christ trod in Johns steps and the Apostles exactly agreed with and continued in the doctrine of their predecessours But now in our time Ministers are divided one preacheth one thing another preacheth another thing and this doth very much trouble the mindes of people and makes many stumble at the word and so the Gospel proves unsuccessefull 2 This comes to passe from the people and that for four reasons 1 People do more question the office and calling of the Ministery now then they did question Johns Matth. 21. 26. All men hold John as a Prophet The reason why Pauls Ministery was ineffectuall to many Corinihians was this because they questioned his calling and therefore he labours to vindicate his Apostolicall authority all along the Epistle This doth take off that awe and majesty that should be in men to the Word As on the contrary the reason why the Ministery of Paul was so effectuall to the Thessalonians was this Because when they received the Word of God they received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth as the Word of God which effectually worketh in them that believe 1 Thess 2. 13. I know that some question the lawfulnesse of our Ministery upon this ground because miracles do not attend our preaching as they did at the first promulgation of the Gospel But this is no just reason and that I may remove this obstacle of the successe of the Gospel I shall by the way briefly disprove it 1 John had his calling from heaven Mat. 21. 25 26. and yet John did no miracle John 10. 41. 2 Miracles are not necessary now as they were at the first planting of the Gospel There was more need of miracles then that the people might give attendance to the Ministery in those days The Jews require a signe 1 Cor. 1. 22. 1 Cor. 14. 22. Tongues are for a signe not to them that believe but to them that believe not but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not but for them which believe 3 Miracles were signes of the Apostleship but not of the Ministery 2 or 12. 12. The signes of an Apostle were wrought among you in signes and wonders and mighty deeds Timothy and Titus could work no miracles yet no man doubts of their authority So that want of miracles doth not at all invalidate the authority of the Ministery So I have removed the first impediment of the successe of the Gospel in our dayes That is the first reason Reson 2 The long continuance of the Word makes it unsuccessefull such is the corruption of mens hearts The nature of man is for new things and in tract of time the love of men to the Word is eaten out whereas at the first people flocked to the Gospel as Doves to the windowes yet afterward they grew carelesse and negligent in Gods Ordinances Manna at first was loved but afterwards it cloyed the Israelites and they loathed it Many men are Christ and Gospel glutted Reson 3 Another reason is because Discipline is not joyned with Doctrine The Church is the garden of God the Doctrine is the flowers of this garden Discipline is the hedge Neither Christ nor John the Baptist by their comming would destroy the government of the Church among the Jews and when that was taken down Christ set up another in its stead Now look as it is in a State the intervals of government breed many State-heresies if I may so call them mutinies factions and parties among the people interrupting the peace of the land So it is in the Church when the reines of government are let loose in-come errours and disorders and the good seed is choaked by that meanes Reson 4 4 This comes to passe from the dis-use of family-duties The reason why the reformation succeeded so well in Germany was because the peoples catechizing went along with Luthers preaching It was laid as a charge upon masters of families that they should catechize their children Deut. 6. 6 7. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house c. People do not back the Ministers preaching of the Word with this duty of prayer that God would sanctifie the word preached to their souls and make it successefull It is an observable passage which you finde Mark 4. 24. Take heed what you hear for with what measure you were it shall be measured to you and unto you that hear shall more be given Sometimes this expression is referred to rash judgement as Matth. 7. 2. sometimes to works of mercy but here it is used as an argument to stir up people to prepare their hearts for the hearing of the Word with care and conscience For if it be your care to fit your selves for the Word and to settle it in your hearts and practise it in your lives God will then measure the same back unto you by his blessing of the Word to the salvation and edification of your souls whereas the neglect of this duty is a great cause why the word is not so successfull now as it was formerly MATTHEW 11. 12. And from the dayes of John the Baptist untill now the Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force THe doctrinall part being finished I now come to application And this doctrine may be usefull in five respects 1 For reproof 2 For comfort 3 For instruction 4 For caution 5 To stirre up our lamentation Use 1 1 This will reprove severall sorts of persons Out of this Quiver I may draw ten arrowes of reproof that may pierce into the hearts of ten severall sorts of men Reproof 1 1 It reproves those who are violent in the wayes of sin that put forth themselves to the utmost and draw out their strength in wayes of wickednesse that like those in Jerem. 8. 6. that turn to their course as the herse rusheth into the battel as an horse that is so fierce in the war that he rusheth into it without fear of danger So the Spirit of God setteth forth the wickednesse of mens hearts by nature they rush into sin not considering what they do as the horse See what Job saith concerning the horse Job 39. 19. Hast thou given the horse strength hast thou cloathed his neck with thunder 20. Caust thou make him afraid as a grasse-hopper the glory of his nostrils is terrible 21. He paweth in the valley and rojoyceth in his strength he goeth on to meet the armed men 22. He mocketh at fear and is not affrighted neither turneth he back from the sword Verse 25. He saith among the trumpets Aha Aha and he smelleth the battel afar off the thunder of the captains and shooting Even in this manner do wicked men rush into wickednesse no

willing people in the day of thy power And this was to be when God should send forth the rod of his power out of Sion as it is vers 2 You know what Hushai said of David 2 Samuel 17. 8. He and his men were mighty men and chased in their mindes as a Beare robbed of her whelps in the field And yet he that is feeble shall be as David Deodate referres this promise to the beginning of the Gospel and so Cartwright That is the second reason Reson 3 3 The Lord did this to put a greater glory upon the Gospel and to raise the estimation of it in the hearts of men for had the Gospel had but a few converts and had it had but a little successe at the first promulgation of it the people would not so much have taken notice of it neither would they so much have admired it nor so highly esteemed of it as they did Reson 4 4 This comes to passe because of the perspicuity of the doctrine of the Gospel above that of the law The Gospel came now to be preached to the peoples capacity more then it was in the time of the law Though it is true that pure Gospel for the substance of it was preached in the time of the Law yet not so plainly as in the time of the Gospel For the law is nothing else but a dark Gospel and the Gospel nothing else but a clear law The law was hid and vailed under dark shadowes and ceremonies But the Gospel was clear and evident This you have fully set forth 2 Cor 3. 15. When Moses was read there was a vail upon their hearts v. 6. and when they turn to the Lord the vail shall be taken away And vers 18. But we all with open face behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord c. This is also foretold Isa 30. 26. at the promulgation of the Gospel The light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the ligho of the Sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven dayes c. Reson 5 5 Because of that great and glorious liberty which the Gospel instated them in above the law I do not mean sensuall but a Christian and holy a Gospel-liberty Thus Baptisme was appointed in the room of Circumcision Our Saviour made this proffer Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Matth. 11. 28. Which place is not onely to be understood of labouring under the burden of sin but also under the bondage and yoke of the Ceremoniall law under all those costly painfull and toilsome rites imposed upon them which were a yoke that neither they nor their fathers were able to bear as Peter speaks of Circumcision Acts 15. 10. And so you have the reasons for the Gospels successe in the dayes of John And thus much for the first question The second question is this How comes it to passe that the Ministery of the Word is not so successefull now as it was in the dayes of the first preaching of it I anwer many reasons may be given Some from the Minister some from the people 1 In regard of the Minister and they are five Reson 1 Because Ministers are not so powerfull in preaching and exemplary in life as John was Joh. 5. 35. He was a burning and a shining light There was his zeal in preaching there was the holinesse of his conversation Luke 1. 16. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God and he shall go before them in the spirit and power of E lias to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdome of the just c. Nazianzen said of Basil that he thundred in his doctrine and lightened in his life Reson 2 Ministers preach not the Gospel so purely and perfectly as John did Mark 1. 1. John preached the Gaspel of Jesus Christ Verse 3. He preached repentance and remission of sins Although John did bring in the Gospel yet withall he preached up duties and not cried down duties he pressed on duties and did not cast them off he did earnestly presse on the duties of the morall law he preached repentance whereas many Ministers now a dayes account this but a legall and servile work not fit for Christians under the Gospel to be employed about not fit for Ministers to preach or people to hear And this is one great reason why men take up such sinfull liberty to follow their own wayes and lusts and by which meanes the Gospel comes to be the lesse successefull But this you see was far from Johns minde and temper for said he Repent for the Kingdome of heaven is at hand Matth. 3. 2. Oh generation of vipers how can ye escape the damnation of hell was our Saviours language Matth 22. 33. Jerem. 23. 22. But if they had stood in my counsell and had caused my people to hear my words then they should have turned them from their evill way and from the evill of their doings and 32. Behold I am against them that prophesie false dreams saith the Lord and do tell them and cause my people to erre by their lies and by their lightnesse yet I sent them not nor commanded them therefore they shall not profit this people at all saith the Lord. 2 Cor. 4. But we have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in crastinesse nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God It doth enervate and emasculate the power of the Word to have it mixed with falshoods Much truth is preached in the Church of Rome yet conversion is not ordinarily amongst them because they adulterate the truth by many errours The Scribes did little good by their preaching because they did mingle so many ungrounded traditions which they taught without any authority Matth. 7. 29. Christ taught as one having authority and not as the Scribes Reson 3 3 Because Ministers preach not so plainly as John did either in matter method or manner of expression 1 Cor. 14. part of the 5 verse Greater is he that prophesieth then he that speaketh with tongues except he interpret that the Church may receive edifying Many Preachers are like Heraclitus who was called the dark Doctour they affect sublime notions obscure expressions uncouth phrases not making difficult truths plain but plain truths difficult They darken counsell by words without knowledge Job 38. 2. Reson 4 4 Because Ministers preach not so methodically as John did Matth. 3. 2. John preached saying Repent for the Kingdome of heaven is at band Mark saith the Gospel begun with Johns Ministery Mark 1. 1. and his doctrine began with repentance Men take up other methods now adayes and so prove unsuccessefull Reson 5 5 Because there is not that