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	know_v	receive_v	2,838	5	4.8154	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75990	A sermon preached Decemb. 16. 1654. At the funerall of Mr Andrevv Pern, preacher of the Word of God at Wilby in Northampton-shire. By Samuel Ainsworth rector of Kelmarsh.	Ainsworth, Samuel.	1655 (1655)	Wing A817; Thomason E487_3; ESTC R205454	34,106	48

in the gap to keep off judgements from breaking in upon them had it not been for the prayers and teares of their faithfull Pastor divine vengeance might have ceased upon them long before now how many times hath God been ready to draw his sword to cut them off to lay his axe to the root of them and to chop them down when their watchfull and compassionate overseer hath interceded for them and held Gods hands from destroying them Jeremies prayers for the Jews did prevaile with God for a season to spare them and when God was fully determined to ruine them he bids Jeremy not to pray for them Chap. 14.11 Psal 106.23 Ezek. 22.30 31. Luke 13.5 6 7. Thirdly The godly where such a Minister did live have cause to mourne when he is taken away for 1. As God is angry with the wicked so he is angry with his own people when he deprives them of their Pastor it is promised as a singular testimony of Gods love to his children to let them have the liberty of seeing the faces and enjoying the labours of their Teachers Isa 30.20 2. They have lost one who was watchfull over them carefull to prevent their falling into sin and ready to raise them up with all possible speed when fallen 3. Some of them have lost a spirituall father and ought not the child to lament the losse of his father Besides all of them have lost a diligent instructer 4. They have lost one who through Gods blessing hath kept them out of many a snare carried on the work of grace in their hearts awakened their drouzy soules quickened their dead hearts strengthened their feeble hands and knees revived their almost expiring graces reduced them when they have been wandring encouraged them in the waies of God when they met with strong opposition comforted them when they have been sad answered their doubts scattered their feares and filled them with joy and peace through beleeving Eph. 4.12 5. They have lost one who was acquainted with their condition knew in some measure the state of their soules and so was the better able to speake seasonably to them and to their necessities A stranger may preach wholsome truths to a people but he knows not so well to apply his doctrine to them as their own Pastor Another may give a child meat to eate but he cannot tell what that food is which is most convenient for it so well as the mother that Physitian who hath been longest acquainted with our bodies knows what Physick is most proper for us thus you see all sorts have cause to lament the fall of a faithfull Minister the reasons are these First God commands us to mourne when he afflicts us with the losse of godly and painefull Ministers when God was pleased to take away Nadab and Abihu none of the best Priests and such who died in their sin yet even then did God call upon the people to bewaile the burning which he had made Lev. 10.8 Must the death of wicked ones be lamented then certainly we must lament the death of the righteous Must not Nadab and Abihu go to their graves without teares What teares should we poure out when a Samuel and Elisha or a Stephen go to their graves Secondly It hath been the practice of the godly bitterly to bewaile the losse of pious and faithfull Ministers what is written in this particular is written for our learning we must be followers of those who are good so far as they are followers of that which is good 1 Sam. 25.1 Micah 7.1 Acts 20.37 38. it went to their very hearts to thinke that they should lose one who had been such a notable instrument to promote Gods glory and his Churches good Paulinus writing of the life of Ambrose reports thus much of him Quod flebat amarissimè quotiescunque fortè annunciatum illi fuerat de cujuscunque sancti obitu Sacerdotis that he wept most bitterly whenever any one told him of the death of any godly Minister It is also reported of Philo that when he heard where he came of the death of any holy man he would weep very bitterly because the Town and the Church had no small prejudice by such a losse Thirdly Such as have had no grace have lamented the death of the Prophets and Messengers of God we have Joash for an example who will rise up in judgment against and condemne those who can let godly Ministers go to their graves without sighs in their hearts or teares in their eyes when the old Prophet who seduced the Prophet sent to Jeroboam saw that he was slaine by the Lion he brought his carkasse into the City laid it in his own grave and they mourned over him with the Text saying Alas my brother 1 Kings 13.30 Fourthly God complaines of those who neglected to lay to heart the death of the righteous Isa 57.1 God never finds fault where there is none were it not a duty to lament the losse of Gods servants none should have met with a check for the neglect of it Fifthly Peoples sins are the cause of Gods taking away their faithfull Pastors the unthankfulnesse and unfruitfulnesse of heares provoke God to remove their preachers and ought we not to lay to heart those sins which deprive us of very choice mercies Sixthly The death of Gods faithfull Ministers is the forerunner of some approaching judgement what but darknesse can be expected when the Sun is set Have we not cause to feare an inundation of waters when the banks that kept them from overflowing are cut down If the pillars of a house be taken away can the house stand If the watchmen be killed the City is in danger to be surprized Isa 57.1 History tels us that so soon as Saint Austin was dead and gone the Goths and Vandals broke into Hippo the City where he lived and spoyled it The Smakaldicke war began in Germany not long after Luther was laid in the grave Spinola took Heilderberg not long after God had taken away that precious servant of his Pareus You see then there is no small cause of mourning when God takes away his faithfull Messengers and Ministers Uses First This serves to reprove those who are not affected with the losse of Gods faithfull Ministers those righteous men perish and how few lay it to heart They go to their long home but where are the mourners about the streets God hath been pleased of late to put out many shining and burning lights as Dr Hill Mr Whitaker Mr Gataker Doctor Bolton and many others men famous in their generations usefull and precious men of whom the world was not worthy we heare of the fall of those Cedars but tremble not of the removall of those pillars but are not afraid we regard the losse of those blessed instruments no more than the losse of a horse or hog no more say I nay not so much Gadaren-like we can better part with the Messengers of Christ than with our swine

lengthning out of yours and their deaths may make way for yours you will be the greatest losers they undoubtedly will be gainers Phil. 1.23 24. They are your watchmen if they be removed spoylers may quickly breake in upon you they are your guides if they die you may soon step into by-paths they stand between God and you that judgement might be kept off that mercies might be continued if they fall to the earth it will not be long ere wrath will fall upon you Be so kind and loving to your selves as not to be unkind or cruell towards them lest you hasten their deaths whose prayers and teares preserve your lives Slight not that counsell which they deliver you from God oppose not those truths which they bring stampt with divine authority turne not your backs upon their Ministry or that Ministry which they have received from the Lord set not up nor abet nor countenance any factions against them let there be no divisions no separations which have not Gods allowance and approbation let not your lives be loose and scandalous give them not cause to say we have laboured in vaine we have spent our strength in vaine these things will pierce the hearts of gracious Ministers and bring them with sorrow to their graves Phil. 3.18 Jer 9.1 as your close walking will be their joy so your carnall walking will be their grief what faithful servant will not mourn to see his Masters errant slighted and contemned As it is a dreadfull thing for Ministers to be guilty of the bloud of their peoples soules by any cursed neglect so it is a dreadfull thing for people to be guilty of the bloud of their Ministers by their ungodly and unwarrantable practices Thirdly Must godly Ministers dye make use then of them whilest you have them let a physician come to your house but for an houre or two and you will aske him all that you can thinke of which may be conducible to your bodily health Do the Prophets live for ever Here they have no abiding place they are every day upon removing suffer them not to go to heaven without receiving some spirituall good from them get some benefit by that precious liquor which is in them before the earthen vessels that carry it be broken in peeces they are given you to make you better all their gifts all their graces all their abilities are yours 1 Cor. 3.23 when Elisha understood that his master Elijah would ere long be taken from his head he would not leave him one moment but was carefull to improve him to the utmost how gladly would we be instruments of your conversion helpers of your faith furtherers of your joy every way promoters of your spirituall welfare How willingly would we spend our selves and be spent for you Oh that you were but as desirous to receive good from us as we are desirous to do good to you God knows how earnest we are that Christ may be formed in you before we go hence and be no more seene take the counsell which our Saviour Christ gave his hearers Ioh. 12.35 improve Gods Ministers in publike be constant and diligent hearers of them receive the Law at their mouths let not their counsels be as water spilt upon the ground which cannot be gathered up let them not have cause to complaine as Simon Peter did Luke 5.4 that they have cast the net Sabbath after Sabbath but have caught nothing Improve them in private conferre often with them how glad would we be of your company we are willing to give you our counsell without the expectation of a fee improve their experiences our temptations our consolations 2 Cor. 1.4 our buffetings our trials in a word all our experiences are for your advantage we are exercised with doubts feares desertions assaults that we may be the better able to speake a word in season unto you God hath lent you a pious and a painfull Minister for 27 yeares he hath preached the word amongst you in season and out of season oh turne your eyes inward and examine your selves how you have improved him for God will examine you one day if any of you after so much plowing dressing dunging still remaine barren let me tell you you are neere unto cursing if those multiplied shoures of divine truths which have fallen amongst you have not bettered you Mat. 10.14 15. your condemnation at that great day will be greater than the condemnation of Sodom and Gomorrah Fourthly Must usefull and godly Ministers die Yet let us keep them as long as we can we will do what we can to preserve the lives of those who are instruments of much good unto us we have more cause to seek the safety and continuance of our soule-friends than of the friends of our bodies spirituall welfare is better than corporall and a thriving soule than a prosperous estate God hath lessened the number of able and gracious Ministers very much of late many burning and shining Lights have been extinguished call we upon God to stay his hand lest we be overspread with darknesse let them not dye for want of our prayers and teares to keep them alive Peter was nigh unto death the Church praies for him and God gave her Peters life as an answer to her prayers Act. 12.12 13. Take heed also of slighting scorning and abusing of the Ministers of God nothing provokes God more to deprive us of his blessings than our wretched undervaluing and abusing of them Mat. 23.37 Jesuiticall designes are on foot to lay aside and root out Gods faithfull Messengers never was there greater cause of feare that what hath often been attempted shall now be put into execution those revilings and contempts which have been and still are cast upon the Ministry with too much countenance from some and without any check from others may incense God to put out those lights that are as yet shining and to give way to the cursed enterprizes and machinations of men of corrupt minds and malicious and prophane hearts Againe would we have God to continue our Teachers unto us would we see their faces still and not have them driven into corners let us be fruitfull under their Ministry answer the paines and cost they are at with us God will not grudge any kindnesse to a soulethriving people the barrennesse of hearers will cause a dearth and scarcity of Preachers Isa 5.1 2 3 4 5. You will not suffer your servants to spend their time alwaies in ploughing dressing and sowing that ground which notwithstanding all your labour brings forth nothing but briars and thornes God will call away his Ministers from those places where they have bestowed much paines but cannot prevaile with their people to be a jot better Againe would you see the faces of your Teachers still Blesse God for them unthankfulnesse deprives us of many choice favours we live in sad times Gods Messengers are lookt upon as the burdens of the Nation but had the Nation no worse burdens