Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A64968
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A present for such as have been sick and are recovered, or, A discourse concerning the good which comes out of the evil of affliction being several sermons preached after his being raised from a bed of languishing / by Nathanael Vincent.
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Vincent, Nathanael, 1639?-1697.
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1693
(1693)
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Wing V417; ESTC R27040
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62,262
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136
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learned the Word who does not believe it to be indeed the Word of God who cannot lie 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God Mens Contradictions to the Word are audacious and damnable falshoods And if Angels from Heaven should speak contrary to it they must not have our Assent but our Anathema Gal. 1. 8. But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed They who have learned the Word of God perceive the Harmony of all its parts and believe the whole and are influenced by that belief for the certain Truth of the Word makes it most Encouraging and Comfortable to the Saints and with what Sweet Security do they rest upon it And the same Truth should make it very Terrible to all impenitent Sinners 2. Learning the Word implies an observing the Scope and Design of the Word of God now the Design and Scope of it is the Glory of God and Mans Happiness and Salvation God cannot have an higher end in what he does than Himself for he is above all therefore he has made and does all things for Himself and truly since of him and through him are all things he is worthy that all things should be referred to him and that in all things he should always be glorified Rom. 11. 36. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be Glory for ever Amen In Subordination to his own Glory the Lord designs mans wellfare Luk. 2. 14. Glory be to God in the Highest on Earth Peace good will towards men When the Word of God is truly learned great notice is taken of its design and the Learners aim is accordingly directed The Glory of God and mans truest good are inseparably conjoined So that this is past doubt when man most Minds Gods Honour he Minds most his own Interest and Happiness 3. Learning the Word implies taking due notice of the Purity and Holiness of the Word of God Psal 12. 6. The Words of the Lord are pure Words as Silver tried in a Furnace of Earth purified seven times The Psalmist saw this Purity and did not take offence at it but very much liked it and loved the Word the better for it Psal 119. 140. Thy Word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it God the Author of this Word is of Purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity no wonder that the Word is purer than to allow of any Iniquity The Word will not permit Sin in the Tabernacle Job 11. 14. If Iniquity be in thy Hand put it far away and let not wickedness dwell in thy Tabernacle The Word prohibits our contentedly Suffering Sin to ly upon our Brother Levit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thy Heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him The hands must be cleansed and so must especially the Heart Jam. 4. 8. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you cleanse your Hands ye Sinners purifie your Hearts ye double minded If Sin commands the Tongue Religion is but vain if Sin be regarded in the Heart Prayer is to no purpose How excellent and pure is this Word of God! and those that learn it see both the Necessity and Excellency of Purity and Holiness and they hunger and thirst and follow after Righteousness and true Holiness 4. Learning the Word implies beholding wondrous things in the Word of God Psal 119. 18. Open thou my Eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law And V. 129. Thy Testimonies are wonderful therefore doeth my Soul keep them The Light which shines forth from hence is marvellous 1 Pet. 2. 2. That ye should shew forth the Praises of him who hath called you out of Darkness into marvellous Light The Mercy is amazing which saves from so much Sin prevents no less than endless Misery and brings those to Eternal Life who deserved to die the Eternal Death Jud. v. 21. Keep your selves in the Love of God looking for the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto Eternal Life That Wisdom which appears in the contrivance of Mans Redemption by Christ the Mediator is the Admiration of the elect Principalities and Powers Eph. 3. 10. To the intent that now unto thee Principalities and Powers in the Heavenly Places might be known by the Church the manifold Wisdom of God And the Love of God in Christ is most sweetly astonishing 'T is without Motive without Measure without Alteration its height and length and depth and breadth are past our reach and finding out And how highly are those who are interested in this Love advanced 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God! and all his Sons are heirs of Everlasting Glory 5. Learning the Word implies knowing the Truth as it is in Jesus Eph. 4. 20 21. But ye have not so learned Christ if so be that ye have heard him and been taught by him as the Truth is in Jesus To know the Truth as it is in Jesus is to know Christ himself and all Divine Truths with respect to Christ He is the Center in which all the Lines in Scripture meet If God be lookt upon without respect to this Mediator the remembrance of the Holy and Righteous and Almighty Jehovah must needs be terrible and confounding to guilty and defiled Sinners But the Knowledge of God in Christ is beneficial and reviving for in Christ he is accessible and a God in Covenant and how encouraging is the Knowledg of Duty when we look to Jesus because in Christ we have assisting Grace to do it sincerely and when 't is thus done in Him we have acceptance 1 Pet. 2. 5. Ye also as lively stones are built up a Spiritual House an Holy Priesthood to offer up Spiritual Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ Though the House be Spiritual though the Priesthood be Holy though the Sacrifice be Spiritual yet 't is not upon their own but upon the account of Jesus Christ that they are acceptable Looking to Jesus we may look upon Sin and Misery without dismay nay with thankful Hearts for He saves from both and through him an abundant entrance is administred into the Everlasting Kingdom He has not learned the Word to any purpose who does not know that Christ is all in all and fills all in all 6. Learning the Word of God implies feeling the Power and Efficacy of this Word till the Spirit accompanies it and sets it home upon the Heart and there is an experience of its Power the Word is not aright learned 1 Thess 1. 5. Our Gospel came to you not in Word onely but in Power also and in the Holy Ghost and in much Assurance The Holy Ghost made you sensible of the Gospels Efficacy and its Efficacy assured you of its Divinity So 1 Thess 2. 13. Ye
World Now they may adorn the Doctrine of God their Saviour in all things Now with well-doing they may put to silence the Ignorance of foolish men 1 Pet. 2. 15. Now by a Consciencious Performance of Relative Duties they may be great Blessings to their Relations and greatly promote their Eternal Interest They may be blameless and harmless without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation acting like the Children of God shining as Lights in the World holding forth the Word of Life Phil. 2. 14 15 16. But when once Death has seized on the Preachers of the Word their Mouths are stopt with Earth and they are effectually silenced they can speak unto and oversee the Church no longer At Death also Christian 's Work is at an end in this World therefore before the approach of Deaths Night when it will be too late to work Let all in the mean time work the harder 8. Though you are deliver'd out of Affliction recover'd from your Distempers be sure to die daily So did the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 31. Dying daily implies a daily Meditation of Death looking upon your selves every day within the reach of Death and a continual preparedness for Death and a stedfast Resolution rather to suffer Death than to make Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience Do not reckon upon long Life but be perswaded to live well is to live indeed Live as those that must die certainly as those that may die suddenly Be not offended at the Cross of Christ though it should ly so heavy upon you as to press you to Death Sinful saving the Life is losing it but they who are valiant for the Truth of Christ and will venture the losing of Life for Christs sake shall find it Mat. 16. 25. And if natural Life be continued be earnestly desirous that Spiritual Life and liveliness may be increased Pray to be quickned as the Psalmist often does Psal 119. and look unto Jesus who is a quickning Spirit 1 Cor. 15. 45. The first Man Adam was made a living Soul the last Adam was made a quickning Spirit As he has given you Life so he is ready to give it more and more abundantly this will make you to live to him and to be unweariedly active for him The quickned Apostl's earnest desire was that Christ might be magnified by him his Life was at his Lords Service and he was ready to die also to serve him Phil. 1. 20. According to my earnest Expectation and my Hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but that with all boldness as always so now also Christ shall be magnified in my Body whether it be by Life or by Death USE V. Of Consolation to Saints to whom it is so good when they are afflicted Unto the Righteous there ariseth Light in the Darkness The Rainbow the emblem of Peace and token of the Covenant is often seen in the blackest Cloud The Saints are never in such depths but Comfort belongs to them 't is good for them to be as they are nay all things considered 't is best for them Quod sis esse velis nihilque malis Believers should never say they had rather it might be otherwise with them than God sees it fit it should be when the Plough of Affliction pierces deepest Light and Joy is sowing and the Hopes of what at last will be reaped should allay the Sorrow wherewith the sowing is attended The Grounds of Consolation to afflicted Saints are these 1. Gods goodness is unquestionable however he is pleased to deal with his People Let them be plagued let them be chastned never so sore yet God is good to Israel even to them that are of a clean Heart Psal 73. 1. God is their God and his dealings are ever according to his Gracious Covenant His wounding of them is not like the wounds given by an Enemy but like the Chyrurgians Lancings in order to greater soundness and for Lifes Preservation Isa 27. Hath he smitten him as he smote those that smote him No no great is the Difference between the Rod and the Scorpion between Believers being chastned as Children and the Wicked their falling into the hands of the Living God who takes Vengeance upon them 2. That good which Saints receive by Affliction is Spiritual The Soul has a great kindness done to it The Conscience is bettered as to calmness and cleanness the Heart is made more pure the Spirit of the Lord works a greater change into the Image of God so that there is an advancing from Glory to Glory When Job had been some while afflicted his Spirit began to run more clear Job 23. 10. But he knoweth the way that I take when he hath tried me I shall come forth like Gold The Fire and Furnace in Zion purges the Dross and how then does the Gold shine 3. That good which the Saints reap by Affliction is peculiar and distinguishing Wicked men are either stupid under Affliction or if they are startled they return to their former Security after Affliction To have Affliction sanctified is a favour peculiar to Gods peculiar People 4. This good which the Saints receive by Affliction at present is an earnest to them of Eternal good things in the other World Afflictions are part of the Purgatory through which the Saints pass and are made meet for Glory The Popish Purgatory is a meer Invention for that Antichristian Churches secular Gain The Dead find it to be nothing but vast is the Worldly gain accrueing hereby to the living by this Craft comes in the Priests Wealth But the Purgatory of Affliction promotes Purity and is really Beneficial The Rod at present yeilds the peaceable fruits of Righteousness and when these are brought forth a Crown of Righteousness is assured 2 Tim. 4. 8. I have done with the first Doctrine That Saints are afflicted for their good I shall be Brief in the Second which follows D. 2. The second Doctrine which I raised from the Text was this The Rod of God is a means to make the Word of God to be the better Learned Psal 119. 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy Word Affliction was the means to put a stop to the Psalmists wandring it brought his Feet into the right Path and established his goings What a light shines in the School of Affliction Things are seen naked there Sin the World Hell and Destruction are all naked The great things of the Word are plainly seen to be great and good indeed and are no longer lookt upon as strange things In the handling of this Doctrine I shall 1. Shew you when the Word of God is indeed learned 2. What influence the Rod of God has unto the better Learning of his Word 3. Make Application In the first Place I am to shew you when the Word of God is indeed and aright learned 1. Learning the Word implies a Perswasion of the Words Divine Authority and Truth He has not