Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	body_n	spirit_n	worship_v	2,550	5	9.5500	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65694	Eighteen sermons preached upon several texts of Scripture by William Whittaker, late minister of Magdalen Bermondsey, Southwark ; to which is added his funeral sermon preached by Sam. Annesley.	Whittaker, William, 1629-1672.; Annesley, Samuel, 1620?-1696.	1674 (1674)	Wing W1718; ESTC R29271	230,495	446

the blessing of the Gospel Hath Christ taken thee into his care and service and wilt thou not be guided by his rules but what are the rules of Christ in respect of God that we should not only serve him but serve him form a Principle of love it is not enough that we bring our bodies to God in every duty but that we also bring our hearts unto him this is that which our Saviour expects He tells us God is a Spirit John 4.24 and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth bodily service profiteth nothing Alas men maybe much in out ●●de duties and services and yet at last be rejected with scorn to their great grief unless they be serious That heed that what you do you do not against Christs Rules that you do not refuse his directions and Councels those that are acquainted with those rules there lies a special obligation upon them to observe them hath Christ taken the care of you himself and will you not live up to this kindness this is not to answer your ingagements Again I might shew you the great priviledges which all the true Members of Christ do partake of he hath sent his Spirit to be their guide his Spirit of Truth to lead them into all Truth the Spirit to enlighten the Soul to purge refine and sanctifie the Soul to excite assist strengthen and preserve the weak beginnings of Grace to guide and conduct the Soul into farther improvements and to witness to the comforts of God and will you contradict these Principles of Divine Grace God hath sent his Spirit to guide you that is to keep you from mistakes to prevent your miscarriage and will you yet go on in iniquity The great design of God in sending his Son and of his Son in sending his Spirit Was not only to redeem his People from hell and wrath but from sin and Satan and to make them a peculiar people to himself zealous of good works now what ingratitude is this to cross these designs of mercy Alas God cannot be the better for us I speak now to such as think that they do in sincerity name the Name of Christ so as to depart from iniquity for be sure of this that there is no possibility of reconciling two such contrary enemies as Christ and sin for he came into the world on this very errand to destroy the works of the Devil and this is your work to oppose the Devil and sin 2. The special obligations that they have laid upon themselves by their Covenants and Promises they that do aright name the Name of Christ have solemnly devoted themselves to Christ not only in their baptismal Vows but in reiterated Covenants now will you revoke them is this sutable to those engagements to break your word with God and to have your own promises to witness against you you that have owned his yoke as easie and submitted to his ways as desirable and made profession of these will you contradict all in your lives and conversations truly this is too ordinary in the world St. Paul Titus 1.16 doth very much lament some who in their words profess the Name of Christ but in their works deny him Verbal Professions are easie but practical Professions those that God looks for he is the bese Christian not that can talk most but live best and keep himself most unspotted from the pollutions of the world now remember the Vows that you made with God and consider the engagements that lie upon you from thence to have a tendder regard of Gods glory every iniquityis a contempt of God it is a rejecting of God from ruling over us it is a disparagement to his Gospel as if we thought we could spend our time better than in hi service as if we could live to better purpose than in minding those duties that he requires of us David was of another mind Psal 73. last It is good for me to draw neer to God Psal 84. A day in thy Courts is better than a thousand But what a reproach do you cast upon God and his wayes in that you see and fancie something in sin that you think worthy the making God you enemy for though you part with God and lose his favour yet you think there is something in sin that will recompense that loss every sinner doth so that allows himself in any sin Truly though God is gratious to us in affording us the liberty of approaching his presence yet while we allow our selves in any sin all our duties are but lost labour and to very little purpose and we can expect no other answer from God than we have in Psal 50. What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Name in thy mouth What was the matter Seeing thou hatest instruction and castest my word behind thy back While men allow themselves in any sin all their duties are to no purpose Consider how much more God hath shewed of kindness to you than others and consider how many engagements are upon you beyond what are upon others certainly form both these God cannot but have higher expectations from you than any and will you thus requite the Lord or will you say as the people of Israel did when they were brought out of Egypt and met with streights and difficulties in the Wilderness Would to God we had died in Egypt was there not graves enough there So while you live under the temptations and snares of an evil world will you look on on these things as lovely and deservint to be fond of them Christ came to redeem you from them and you have accepted of that redemption and you have bound your selves by your Oathes and Seals and how sad will it be if those Seals do witness to your Condemnation both on Christs part and on your own part Christ will say one day These are the persons whom I have proffered Salvation to and they did seem to accept of it and to close wit it but they have cast off all and for saken all those designs of mercy that I had to their Souls and what can they now look for but wrath and destruction And so I have gone over the Doctrinal part of the Observation The first Use may be to awaken and startle Professors that though they do name the Name of Christ yet there is so much of iniquity allowed of and connived at by them we can never own Christ till we fall off from sin and Satan While we close with a contrary party we cannot approve our selves faithful to him there are but two parties in all the world Christ and the Devil now shall we pretend to Christ and wear his Colours and take his Livery upon us and call our selves his Subjects and yet allow our selves in the service of sin and Satan Let our Profession be never so high yet if we do so this is one word to unsay all and to contradict all again This I

27.4 That my Soul may bless thee before I die Gen. 46.15 These be the Sons of Leah all the Souls of his Sons and Daughters that is all the persons and in ver 18. These are the Sons of Zilpah even sixteen Souls that is fixteen persons This is one great Truth and this one priciple which if it were firmly believed and faithfully improved would carry us very far in adorning the Doctrine of God our Saviour Did men believe that their Souls are indeed themselves then there would not be so much aado about the body in pampering it this body is but the beast in man as a French Writer speaks it is poor flesh that must ere long be Worms meat therefore what account can be given of that nicenss and delicateness of them whom all the art in the world cannot long prop up but it will be meat for Worms Again why are we so much taken with sensual pleasures these are the pleasures of them that are not themselves as it is said of the Prodigal Son Luke 15.17 when he came to himself he was not himself when he was taken with husks and swines-meat when those things were pleasing to him But certainly if our Souls be our selves then most men are not themselves that take care about their bodies and minde those things that are sutable to that part of themselves Again why have men so many distracting cares for the getting and preserving and fears of losing those things that concern this outward man it is because this truth is not firmly believed Oh! what a preventer would this be of all those sorrows for outward afflictions and disappointments in Creature comforts and those losses that we meet with in worldly enjoymeats Was this Principle firmly believed that our Souls are indeed our selves there would not be such an indifferencie in us about our Souls Consider these two things how great a difference the belief of this Doctrine of God would make as to the things of our Souls then we should give all diligence it would command our highet utmost diligence about them this I might shew from many Scriptures Give all diligence to wa●● your calling and election sure Work our your 〈◊〉 Salvation with sear and trembling Phil. 2.12 Keep thy heart with all diligence 1. Cor. 7.29.30 This I say Brethren the time is short it remain maineth that they have wives be as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not it commands moderation in our use of these outward comforts and only earnestness in these Soul concerns God makes a very great difference in these things in his Commands but what a small difference do all men make in their practices how much more intent and serious are men in the things that concern their meaner part than in those things that concern their Souls which is themselves Did men but take that 100 part of the pains for their Souls that they do for their bodies it would be better with them than it is We are commanded first to seek the Kingdome of God and his righteousness to seek first Soul mercies I might mention many natural inserences that would flow from this one Principle which would carry us very far in the practice of holiness How sad a bargain do they make that do hazard their Souls for very trifles If a man should gain the whole World with the loss his Soul what a sad gain would that be nay it would be a loss to him and that to purpose But for how small a pittance of the World do men lose their Souls this shews that they do not Judge their Souls themselves However this justifies the Children of Wisdomn who can rather suffer than sin who can part with any thing but with God who can undergoe any kind of losses rather than the loss of spiritual blessings and forfeit them Oh! what admirable patience and courage hath appeared in the faithful Servants of God in all ages who have set their seal to this Truth with their lives and all that hath been dear to them Again it shews that men live in a contradiction to this Principle that if it go well with our Souls it cannot go amiss with us If our Souls have but the light of God's countenance lifted up upon them if they do but thrive in Grace and be filled with Grace what matter though our bodies be exercised with pains and aches and afflictions of all kind Again it is a safe Rule to judge of all things by according to the reference that they have to our Souls to account those things eminent and acceptable and profitable to us that tend to the good of our Souls As Ordinances and spiritual Opportunities and liberty of access to God in the duties of his worship and service these are to be esteemed choice mercies because these are the appointments of God for our Souls good and for outward afflictions when God by these does us good as to our Souls we have cause to rank them amongst our mercies and to bless God for them as David did who said It was good for me that I have been afflicted Ps 119.71 and in faithfulness hast thou afflicted me And blessed is the man whom correctest and teachest out of thy Law Further this one Principle that our Souls and our selves speaks the greatest cruelty in the world to be regardless of them you will pity distracted persous that cut and gash and wound their bodies because they know not what they do May you not pity obstinate sinners upon a higher account Those men that murder themselves and destroy themslves Our Law accounts them Monsters and it makes it appear that they are so by running a stake through their bodies when dead But all the cruely to the body is nothing to that of the Soul Remember therefore this one Principle that this Doctrine of God our Saviour would have us fix in our minds that our Souls are truly our selves 2. A second Principle that this Doctrine of God our Savior teacheth us is this That the happiness of the Soul cannot consist in any thing but in the enjoyment of God This is one of those Riddles that carnal men cannot understand therefore David saith Psal 49. They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the mulititude of their riches none of them can by any mean redeem his brother nor give to God a ransome for him They are but poor helps these things will stand us but in little stead It is natural for all men to desire happiness but because our knowledge is weak therefore those desires are confused and roving Psa 4.6 7. There be many that say who will shew us any good this is the Language of many men but because of the darkness of mans understanding therefore some think that good consists in this and some in that but David whose understanding was enlightned and sanctified quickly determines the point Lord lift

may be heretical in their lives as well as in their Opinions to these the Apostle gives advice here in the Text that he should charge every one that names the Name of Christ to depart from iniquity How many are there that rest satisfied with a form of Godliness but deny the power of it these are the persons whom St. Paul gives Timothy advice here that he should labour to redeem from those formalities in which they rested that they should not think it enough to name the Name of Christ but they should express their sincerity therein by departing from iniquity In the words you have these two particulars 1. The persons to whom this advice is given that is to such as name the Name of Christ I shall shew you how it is used briefly in the Scripture There is a naming of the Name of Christ by profession they that own the Truths and Principles of Religion they that profess the Doctrines which our Saviour hath revealed in the Gospel Micha 4.5 it is spoken there of two sorts of persons of those that worship false gods and of those that worship the true God For all the people every one will walk in the Name of his God that is they own those Rules and acknowledge those Principles and we will walk in the Name of the Lord our God for ever This is a naming of Christ by way of profession 2. There is a naming of Christ in all the duties of Religion as in our Prayers Whatever you ask in my Name of the Father he will give it in our duties all must be offered up in his Name God hath given him a Name above every Name above all things in heaven and earth that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow that is in prayer Now in the former sense the naming the Name of Christ by profession is to be taken in opposition to Heathens who name the Name of other gods Pour out thy wrath upon the Heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not upon thy Name Psal 79.6 3. There is a naming the Name of Christ in our Vows and Covenants and thus in our Baptism we vow to become his and hence it is that we are said to baptized in the Name of Christ which doth not only imply a desire to partake of those priviledges which Christ hath purchased but an obligation which we lay upon our selves to own him as our Lord and to submit to all his Commands and to be guided by his Will and Laws Acts 19.5 They were baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus 4. There is a naming the Name of Christ in our expectations and hopes when we build all our confidence upon him alone The desires of our Souls are to thee and to the Remembrance of thy Name We look for no other mercy but what the Lord gives and no other help but what he vouchsafes these are the persons to whom St. Paul gives this advice Secondly Here is the advice and counsel it self Let all such persons depart from iniquity the Word in the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him be an Apostate from sin and Satan When Luther was challenged by the Jesuites for being an Apostate because he had renounced his old Principles says he I confess I am but it is from the Devil Such an Apostacie is no reproach to a person nay such is of absolute necessity for we are all by nature servants to sin and in subjection to Satan Now let him depart from iniquity depart from the practice of it and from the love of it and as much as he can from any inclination to it you can never reconcile the profession of Christ and the practice of sin together that is the meaning of the Apostle doest thou name the Name of Christ and go on in sin Your lives are a contradiction to your profession Let every one that names c. depart from iniquity But then observe the extent here let every one not only those that so name the Name of Christ as having the Doctrine of Christ committed especially to them to communicate to other thus we read of naming the Name of Christ they taught in his Name but it is meant of all that profess the Name of Christ let every one in any way though he be but in a way of outward profession only let him make it his designe to depart from inquity The Observation is this Doct. There are special obligations upon all to depart from iniquity who name the Name of Christ I shall spak to these two heads in opening the Doctrinal part 1. That here are great ingagements upon all men to depart from iniquity this I shall prove from these Arguments 1. The first may from the nature of sin what is sin but our disease our burden and that which endangers our utter ruine should men be in love with poyson Should men hug that viper that will sting them to death the right knowledge of sin doth sufficiently evidence this now what is sin It is a transgression of Gods Law it is a trampling upon Gods Authority it is a refusing him to rule over us it is a making God our enemy it is a daring of him in the open field Do you provoke the Lord to anger are you stronger than he dare you enter the lists with the great God you will pity those distracted persons that labour for their own ruine and would hasten their own death by some kind of violence or other this is the practice of every sinner 2. In respect of God that obligation that lies upon all sorts of persons to have more reverend and high thoughts of God then to slight his Laws we are all his Creatures we owe our very beings to him it is God that made us we are his Creatures and the workmanship of his hands God may very well expect those beings which he hath given us should be imployed for him Shall a man plant a Vineyard and not eat of the fruit thereof If God hath made us men and bestowed natural endowments upon us and hath put us into a capacity for his service may not God reasonably expect that he should receive the fruit of all his charges and pains upon his account it was that God was so 〈…〉 with his antient people for all the 〈…〉 he had shewed to them says he When I looked for grapes behold they brought forth with grapes I have made you capable of my service will you imploy your selves in the service of other Masters your beings you have received from me is it not reasonable they should be imployed to his Glory since they have been received from his bounty Again in respect of Gods continuance and preservation of our beings this is from him Alas should not God support us every moment we should sink into our first nothing Heb. 1. Vpholding all things by things by the Word of his power it was God that first breathed life into us