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	speak_v	word_n	6,852	5	4.5022	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45347	Christ's ascension into heaven asserted and practically improved in several sermons / by Joseph Hallet ... whereunto is added by way of preface some account of the pious author.	Hallet, Joseph, 1628?-1689.	1693 (1693)	Wing H450; ESTC R30724	41,914	130

have been in his Bed then in his Pulpit His Weaknesses were so very great although his bodily Disorders were sometimes violent yet then was he extreamly willing to spend the little remains of his Strength to instruct and profit you He often adventured into the Pulpit when his Distempers had exceedingly enfeebled him so that sometimes he has been seized by a fit of the Hipochondriack Passion in the midst of his Work to the sudden surprize of the Congregation for that was the Disease that attended him by frequent returns from the Confinement in the South gate-Prison in your City to the utmost Period of his Days The last time that ever he was in the Pulpit he laboured under a great deal of Weakness and a visible disorder of Body insomuch that his Legs trembled under him which I observing a little before he entred the Church entreated him to forbear Preaching for that Season and to permit me for once to supply his room or that he would allow me to apply my self to the Reverend Mr. Collings for his Assistance who had often made a very friendly Offer of it in case my Father 's great weaknesses should at any time disable him for his ministerial Work But he put me off with this Reply that he was loath to omit that Season because he was afraid he should never have on opertunity of Preaching more which was a sad Presage of what soon befel him yet he could not be disswaded from doing his Master's Business altho' he labour'd under such great bodily Infirmities but he ascended the Pulpit and entertained the Auditory with an excellent Discourse from the Song of Moses Deut. 32.1 which Song begins thus Give ear oh ye heavens and I will speak and hear oh earth the words of my mouth He designed several Discourses upon these Words but his Death prevented him From the consideration that Moses delivered that divine Song just as he was about to take his final Farewel of this World he thence observed this precious Truth Doctrine 1. That gracious Souls the nearer Heaven they are the more Heavenly will they be On this Truth he had Preached several Sermons but then farther remarking that this sweet Song delivered by Moses just before his departure had a manifest regard to the welfare of the Church of Israel he thence observed this other precious Truth Doct. 2. That good Men die with the Interest of God and Souls much upon their Hearts In his last Sermon he mostly insisted upon this Doctrine and concluded it with this Passage Oecolampadius when he fell sick at Basil sent not for the Physician but the Pastors of the Churches and notwithstanding his Pain and Weakness with much Life and Vigour besought them to continue constant and firm in the purity of that Doctrine they had professed and Preached and for other things he willed them to be less careful assuring them that the alsufficient God would provide for them and not be wanting When thus he had ended his Discourse he concluded all with these sad Words which he spake feelingly tho with a sweet Voice I believe this is the last Sermon that ever I shall preach to you or that ever you will hear from me Or Words to that purpose which proved a truth tho a doleful one For no sooner had he left the Congregation but he instantly repaired to his House betook himself to his Bed and from thence in a few days was carried to his Grave A vast Multitude of People attended his Funeral after his Interment the Reverend Mr. George Tross his worthy Successor preach'd his Funeral Sermon to a very numerous Assembly from those Words Zech. 1.5 Your Fathers where are they and the Prophets do they live for ever From which Text the Auditory were entertain'd with many suitable and profitable Truths which I wish may have a lasting Impression upon all that heard them My Endeared Father preach'd his last Sermon March 6. 1688. and exchanged this life for a better March 14 of the same Year Yhus he delivered as it were his own Funeral Discourse then went to his home and dyed Thus suddenly was he removed not without your sorrowful Resentment of so great a Loss may those excellent Truths that he taught you still have a room in your memories and a happy Influence upon your Practices and that will be the best way to secure his Name from Oblivion and to evidence your own Names to be written in the Lambs Book of Life Rev. 21.27 But before I can dismiss this Account of my Father I look upon my self obliged to reply to an invidious Objection that formerly many have made a Noise with to lessen his Esteem and procure his Discredit Viz. Obj. Mr. Hallet said they was a man of very mean Abilities that had little of a Scholar in him for he had never the Benefit of an Academical Tuition he was never graduated in any University never had a regular methodical Education and therefore wondred People were so fond of one of so little Learning To which I answer 1. I heartily rejoyce that I could never hear any thing objected against his Piety 2. I do most sincerely wish that the Persons that made a clamour with this Cavil were Possessours of a great deal more Learning than my Father was ever Master of 3. I may further add that I have known very many Persons that have had an Education in our Academies that have no great reason to boast of their acquired Abilities or to value themselves upon the account of their Clerkship Degrees and Colledge commons I am convinc'd do not inspire Men with Knowledge and Learning and I have reason to believe that Men may be wise and knowing altho they were never nursed up in those Seminaries for I have been acquainted with some that have been well skill'd in Arts and Sciences in the learned Tongues and Languages and yet had never the Advantage of an Accademial Instruction Such have profited more by their Diligence and their own private reading than many others by their Colledge Lectures and their little Debates in the Schooles I say this not that I would be thought to give a disparaging Character of an Academial Tuition but only to prove that Learning and skill in Sciences are not always confined to Persons thus educated and I am sure my Father was a plain instance of it But 4. I shall offer a farther Reply to this Objection in the Words of the learned and pious Mr. Baxter which you may find in the Preface to his Teacher of Households Speaking there of the learning that is to be met with in the Vniversities he thus expresses himself If any say there is no great or solid Learning to be got elsewhere let them think where great Augustine and most of the great Lights of the Church for Four hundred Years attained their Knowledge and whether the Scaligers Salmasius Grotius Selden and such others got not more by secret laborious Reading than by Academical Tutors

that Work that would bring poor Souls to Glory And can any after this doubt of God's Love 2. He must ascend that he might manifest to all the World that he was God as well as Man his Divinity must have lain under a Cloud and Suspicion had he not been thus in a Cloud taken up into Heaven Christ had told his Hearers of many things which were too sublime and high for their understandings that were got but little above the pitch of Nature to assent to And therefore that by the Dignity of his Person he might win a full assent of Faith to his Words he makes it manifest that he came down from the Father and how Why by this in that he was to ascend to the Father again as you may see John 3.12 13. How shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things No Man hath ascended up into Heaven but he that came down from Heaven even the Son of Man which is in Heaven As if he had said ye cannot believe his Words till his Godhead is proved by his Ascension And you find Paul to make use of his Ascension as an Argument to prove his Godhead by 4 Eph. 9 10. Now that he ascended what is it but that he descended first into the lower parts of the Earth He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all Heavens that he might fill all things His going up to Heaven is there made by Paul an Argument that he came down from Heaven That is that he was God 3. He must to Heaven again that there might be a full Requital and Recompence made him for all those Sufferings and Sorrows and Dishonours which he met with in the Body It may astonish Nature to consider what he suffered and from whom Now what kept him up in his Sufferings but the assurance he had of his Reward How did he bear what he did on Earth but by considering what he should be in Heaven This is the Argument that Paul makes use of to prove his Glory by 2 Phil. 8.9 Being found in fashion as a Man he humbled himself and became obedient unto Death even the death of the Cross wherefore saith he God also hath highly exalted him c. Quia Christus propter nos in nostrâ carne ultrò sese humiliavit Deus ea proptus nos in carne nostrâ etiam in sammam exhilit sublimitatem Because Christ of himself for us humbled himself in our Flesh Therefore did God for us advance him to the greatest Glory in the Flesh The Top and Perfection of Glory must be the reward of his Submission to carry on God's Purposes 110 Psalm 7. He shall drink of the brook in the way therefore shall he lift up the head He should drink of that Cup which God should put into his Hands embittered with the Wrath of God and Rage of Men. And then should he lift up his Head yea and there he should lift up his Head he should be advanced above the Grave by his Resurrection above the World by his Ascension and above all aspectable Heavens by sitting down at the Right-hand of God When Christ had been at Bethany the House of the Poor then should he come to Bethel the House of God His Cross must be his way to his Crown he must wear the Crown of Thorns before he could put on the Crown of Glory We see Jesus saith the Apostle For the Sufferings of Death crowned with Glory Heb. 2.9 4. That he might make it appear that his Kingdom was not of this World His Disciples no sooner saw him delivered from the Bonds of Death but their thoughts were presently on a fifth Monarchy a Temporal Kingdom They began to grow Millenaries dream of a Personal Reign which Christ himself should exercise over Israel and deliver them from the Bondage of the Roman Yoke under which they then groaned as appears from 1 Acts 6. When they therefore were come together that is his Disciples They asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel And this was the Epidemical disease of the Jews at that time they were so sensible of their temporal Bondage and it made them so impatient that they thought it must be the Work of him that was the true Messias by making himself King to set them at liberty and this and little else made them look after a Messiah and this fond Conceit because they understood not wherein Christ's Kingdom did consist made Christ a Stumbling-block and Rock of Offence unto them that they could not believe in him Now Christ's Disciples living amongst them began to be tainted with the same Opinion That Christ by a personal Exercise of Sovereignty came to restore the temporal Power and Kingdom to the Jews Now that they might not be so taken with Christ's bodily Presence as to forget his Spiritual Rule and Scepter He withdraws that from them by his Ascension and promises a more effusion of his Spirit upon them whereby their carnal Blindness might be taken off and they guided in the way of all Truth And thus much Paul's Words import 2 Cor. 5.16 Though we have known Christ after the Flesh yet now henceforth know we him no more As if he had said All carnal Knowledge of Christ in respect of personal appearance must now be laid aside he is ascended on high We must now labour to know him in a Spiritual way so to know him as to believe in him to submit to him To look for Grace by him and Heaven with him These Reasons I shall only give as respecting Christ himself There may be others drawn from that Eye which Christ had to the Advancement and Comfort of his People But I shall wave them here and propose them in another place as the blessed Consequences and Effects of his the glorious Ascension of Christ And now shall according to promise proceed unto Application and thereby improve it three ways to Information to Comfort to Counsel 1. Is it so that Christ is locally ascended into the highest Heavens first Use for Information and that in sundry Particulars Vse 1. Then may we here see the Vanity of that Popish Transubstantiation That real or rather Corporal presence of Christ in the Sacrament which they with so much fury maintain A carnal and corporal Presence For we deny not a real Presence in a Spiritual sence For Christ is really present in the Sacrament though not corporally and it were no way improper to call it a sensless Opinion since they must deny the Office of all the Senses that all Men have in the World to maintain it And though the Senses at the time of Administration are all at a loss in respect of finding any thing which may be a Confirmation to their Opinion yet will they not endure a Spiritual Understanding of it They place it under a miraculous Power and yet no change found by any Sense whereas Christ never did Miracle but