Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A52107
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Go in peace. Containing some brief directions for young ministers, in their visitation of the sick Useful for the people, in their state both of health, and sickness.
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Martin, John.
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1674
(1674)
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Wing M840; ESTC R223744
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53,016
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177
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hand Ezek. 3.19 CONTENTS I. DIrections when a sick Person seems wholly insensible of his spiritual state p. 8. II. When he expresses some penitence for his sins p. 21. III. When he is under too great despondency p. 22. IV. When under suspicion of ungrounded confidence p. 41. V. Rules for the Trial of his State p. 49. VI. When the occasion or circumstances of his sickness trouble him p. 60. VII When oppressed with fears of dying p. 68. VIII Application to several causes that may make a person unwilling to dye p. 76. IX When the sick person seems willing to dye p. 94. X. When he complains of the want of sensible joy p. 100. XI When he doubts of the truth or seasonableness of his Repentance p. 110. XII Directions how to demean ones self in sickness p. 117. XIII Exercise of Prayer in time of sickness p. 135. XIV A Prayer to be used in a state of Health p. 145. XV. A Prayer when one perceives himself to be sick p. 148. XVI Prayers to be used in a Family p. 152. GO in PEACE Containing some brief Directions for Young Ministers c. WHen the Minister is to deal with a Sick Person he must prudently consider First of all of what Quality and Condition the Person is as well in natural as civil or moral respects his Age Sex Education Relations Offices Profession Poverty Wealth and the like All know that there are peccata diversorum statuum as the Casuists speak sins to which one State or sort of men is obnoxious and not another and some more than others to which good heed must be taken We must remember St. John Baptists method in giving to every one his due portion of whom the Father says that Singulis generationibus hominum conveniens Baptista tribuit responsum the answer the Baptist gave to all that ask'd him was such as was suitable to every ones state and condition of Life Secondly How the Sick Person in the Ministers own knowledg or in the esteem of good men hath demean'd himself in the common duties of Godliness Righteousness and Sobriety Tit. 2.12 the indispensable Rules of every ones conversation Thirdly What is the present frame and temper of his mind Whether insensible of the guilt and pollution of his sins or perplext and troubled above measure or else in a middle and seeming posture of safety and quiet And lastly what his present indisposition by sickness will not permit him to bear that the Minister opperss him not with unnessasary Discourses and Prescriptions much less with such as are impertinent 2. If the Sick Person appear insensible of spiritual dangers the Minister must prudently consider whether his insensibleness doth arise either from 1. A stupid ignorance of such things a Christian ought to know and believe to his Souls health or from 2. A presumptuous boldness and regardlesness of his spiritual state not caring how it may go with his Soul in the other World Or from 3. An ill-plac't confidence and conceit of his own performances of some Acts of common Justice Temperance or other moral Vertue whereby many are deluded thinking themselves to be something when they are nothing being in truth void of all saving Faith and other Spiritual Graces Or from 4. Resting on external conformity to the way of Worship Order and Discipline of the Church of which he is a member and the profession of the Doctrine it Teacheth without any conscionable obedience of Gods Laws Or from 5. That common Errour namely that true justifying Faith consists in believing one shall be sav'd and so all further enquiry into his state deemed impertinent and superfluous Or from 6. Present Distemper of sickness depriving him in some measure of an ability to understand and reflect on the things that concern his spiritual welfare which many times happens to them whom we ought to esteem good Christians Thirdly If the Sick Person be afflicted with the sight and sense of his Sins the Minister must with the same prudence and caution consider 1. Whether the Sins he complains of be the whole or no more but a partial cause of his troubles or indeed rather an effect than a cause it self as it commonly happens upon discontents arising from things of this World And 2. Whether his sickness be not of that kind that may dispose him to sadness of Spirit and Melancholick perturbations of mind Which cannot be more surely discovered than by considering the nature of those sins of which he complains Which if no other but common frailties they seem to point out some unusual tenderness of heart or distemper of judgment arising either from natural constitution of body reflection on former lapses present infirmity or the suggestion of Satan In which Case without sincere confession there is no relief or comfort to be given him but by accident a cure may be hit on advised it cannot be Fourthly If the Sick Person seem to be in a Christian temper and frame of mind in respect of his faith hope and charity yet is there a portion to be administred to him in this season Either 1. Of Admonition to search and assure himself of a firm and solid ground of his hope that that Anchor of his Soul deceive him not in his greatest need Or 2. Of Encouragement and exhortation to enlarge the comfort and rest of his Soul by fit Applications of Gods Word and constant Prayer and vigilancy over his heart Fifthly A Like Duty is incumbent on the Minister in some other respects as when the Sick Person expresseth great willingness or unwillingness to dye solicitude for Wife and Children payment of Debts and the like For all which and such like emergencies it is necessary that the spiritual Physician be furnish't with suitable passages and Texts of Scripture as being that which is most powerful in converting the Soul strengthning and refreshing the Spirit and supporting it against all difficulties And hath also a special property in searching out and ascertaining the heart And we may assure our selves that there is no state or condition of men in this Life for which there is not in the Book of God a portion to be found which its the Ministers duty to give him in that season And therefore that the Man of God may be readily surnish'd for that work with choice of seasonable and powerful remedies for the more common diseases of his Flock these following directions may by Gods blessing become successful when discreetly and diligently applyed to the several exigents of our Brethren Upon any of which the Minister may enlarge himself as he sees cause in the opening and applying the same on particular occasions First then When the Sick Person appears wholly insensible of his spiritual state the common danger of Christians who either feel not or pretend they feel not any gripes or mindings of their Consciences such passages of Scripture are fittest that may set before him 1. The Majesty and Greatness of God as Exod. 19.16 And
the multitude of thy mercies And hide not thy face from thy servant for I am in trouble Oh haste thee and hear me Draw nigh unto my soul and save it Oh deliver me because of mine enemies Psal 86.1 to 8. Bow down thine ear O Lord and hear me for I am poor and in misery Preserve thou my soul for I am holy save thy servant that putteth his trust in thee Be merciful to me O Lord for I will call dayly upon thee Comfort the soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul For thou Lord art good and gracious and of great mercy unto all them that call upon thee Give ear Lord unto my prayer and ponder the voice of my humble desires In the time of my trouble I will call upon thee for thou hearest me Jer. 17.13 14. O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord the fountain of living waters Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved for thou art my praise Luke 18.1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint Joh. 16.24 Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my Name ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full 1 Thes 5.17 Pray without ceasing 5. Meditation upon spiritual and heavenly things Deut. 22.29 O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Psal 15.1 2 c. Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle or who shall rest upon thy holy Hill Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life and doth the thing which is right and speaketh the truth from his heart He that hath used c. Whoso doth these things shall never fall So Psal 24.3 4 5 6. Psal 90.12 So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Psal 143.4 5. My spirit is vexed within me and my heart within me is desolate Yet do I remember the time past I muse upon all thy works yea I exercise my self in the works of thy hands 2 Cor. 4.16 17 18. For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory While we look not at the things that are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Col. 3.1 2 3 4. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Set your affections on things above not on things on earth For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Rev. 20.11 12. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it from whose face the earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no place for them And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works 6. Choice of company fit for that time 1 Sam. 21.14 15. Achish said unto his servants Lo you see the man is mad wherefore then have you brought him to me Have I need of madmen that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence shall this fellow come into my house Job 13.4 5. Ye are all Physicians of no value O that you would altogether hold your peace and it should be your wisdom Chap. 15.2 Should he a wise man reason with unprofitable talk or with speeches where with he can do no good Chap. 16.5 I would strengthen you with my mouth and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief Chap. 33.23 24. If there be a messenger with him one of a thousand to shew unto men his uprightness Then he is gracious unto him and saith deliver him from going down into the pit I have found a Ransome Psal 26.4 5. I have not dwelt with vain persons neither have I had fellowship with the deceitful I have hated the Congregation of the wicked neither will I sit amongst the ungodly Psal 101.8 c. Mine eyes look unto such as be faithful in the Land that they may dwell with me Whoso leadeth a godly life he shall be my servant There shall no deceitful person dwell in my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols for ye are the Temple of the Living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and will be their God and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you And will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and my daughters saith the Lord God Almighty Eph. 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers Jam. 5.14 Is any sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church Vers 16. Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much 7. Hearing and Reading the Scriptures Psal 119.92 93. If my delight had not been in thy Law I should have perished in my trouble I will never forget thy commandements for with them hast thou quickned me Trouble and heaviness have taken hold upon me yet is my delight in thy Commandements Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life Acts 8.28 Who the Eunuch returning and sitting in his Chariot read Esaias the Prophet Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 2 Tim. 3.15 From a Child thou hast known the Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus Rev. 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophesie and keep those things that are written therein The Portion of Holy Scripture that may be seasonably read to the sick are the penitential Psalms as they have been commonly called that is to say the 6th 32 38 51 102 130 143. The 15 39 90 103. Job 14. Mit. 26 and 27. Mark 14 and 15. Luke 22 and 23. Joh. from chap. 13 to 20.1 Cor.