Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	church_n	faith_n	rome_n	4,081	5	7.0107	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25886	Englands Eben-ezer, or, Stone of help set up in thankfull acknowledgment of the Lords having helped us hitherto : more especially for a memoriall of that help which the Parliaments forces lately received at Shrewsbury, Weymouth, and elsewhere : in a sermon preached to both the honourable Houses of Parliament, the lord mayor and aldermen of the citie of London being present, at Christ-Church, London, upon the late solemne day of thanksgiving, March 12 / by John Arrowsmith ...	Arrowsmith, John, 1602-1659.	1645 (1645)	Wing A3775; ESTC R200016	25,663	39

from God in his own way Be intreated right Honorable to consider the nature of the work you have in hand and to remember that the grapes of Reformation can never bee kindly and throughly ripened but by beames of the Sun of righteousnesse the moon-shine of created abilities is too weak for such a production Seek we therefore to God for help and see we doe it in that way which Israel in this Chapter took and whereby they obtained the help in the Text which I shall not wander from so long as I fetch all my directions out of the bowels of this Story Doe it 1 In away of reall amendment Samuel here vers. 3. exhorts them to that as they hoped for deliverance they accordingly put it in practise ver. 4. Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth and served the Lord onely By Baalim Sanctius understands their He-Gods by Ashtaroth their She-Deities Be they hees or be they shee s Gods or Goddesses which had formerly beene worshiped all are now put away Israel gives them a bill of divorce saith Get ye hence what have I to doe any more with Idols We also have had our Baalim and Ashtaroth our prelaticall innovations popish corruptions Arminian subtleties Socinian blasphemies It concerns us so to put them away as to serve the Lord onely for time to come which how any Nation can doe that gives an universall liberty to all kinds of worship is not easie to conceive though one of late have made his addresse to both Houses of Parliament in behalfe of such a liberty I must professe for my own part that this proposition laid down by him viz. It is the will and command of God that since the comming of his Son the Lord Jesus a permission of the most Paganish Jewish Turkish or Antichristian consciences and worships be granted to all men in all Nations and Countreys was to me one of the greatest scandals I ever yet met with in print O bloody Tenent O speedy way of embroyling states of massacring Churches of erecting a Pantheon in every City That of Omnium Deorum among the Romans of Omnium Sanctorum among the Papists offended me lesse than this of Omnium Sectarum from the pen of a Protestant Sure I am One God one mediator one faith was Catholike Doctrine in Pauls time and that Religion is so dainty as not to admit of such mixtures Be you also well assured Beloved Christians that in this case every variation from unity is a step to nullity that if ever England which God forbid came from one Religion to all shee will quickly run from all to none 2. Of solemne humiliation Such was theirs Vers 6. They drew water and poured it out before the Lord and fasted that day and said there wee have sinned against the Lord These actions of drawing and pouring out water are by some thought to be hieroglyphicall Emptie a vessell of any other kind of liquor it leaves some rellish or colour or smell behinde it as when honey wine or oile is poured out Not so upon the effusion of water which is therefore fit to signifie the pouring out of mens hearts in such a manner as to leave none of their sinnes unconfest unrepented of To make it more solemne fasting is added to their humiliation as that which helps devotion to wings Chrysostome saith that Prayer without fasting is a souldier without a sword able to do but little service And yet of the two fasting may be the better spared I shall not be affraid to assert that fasting ing without prayer is a sword without a souldier able to do no service at all With Israel here we should confess as well as fast A Nation or person become speechlesse is neer unto death If we desire to have the Lord cover our sins by his pardoning grace wee must discover them in humble acknowledgments 3 Of earnest supplication I will pray for you unto the Lord saith Samuel to the people ver. 5. and they to him ver. 8. Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistims {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is the phrase that is used concerning Elias Jam 5. 17. He prayed in his prayer we translate it hee prayed earnestly as if that which is not earnest were no prayer They in Jonah 3. 8. are directed to cry mightily unto God A whispering devotion is seldome answered with a loud echoe from heaven Ask saith Christ and it shall be given seek and ye shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you Ask seek knock there will be need of all three Doe you want ablessing aske it of God have you asked yet still continue to want ● seeke it out have you sought yet cannot finde knock and the treasury where it lies shall be opened to you Was there evermore need hath not peace taken her leave doth not truth look towards the threshold It would be most strange and ominous if the Church should not be found upon her knees now when Rome and hellare conspiring against her if when three Kingdoms are beleagur'd by Popish confederates they should not be garrison'd with praying Saints 4 Of lively faith in Christ without which all the former are invalid Samuel here vers. 9. took a sucking lamb offered it for a burnt-offering wholly unto the Lord thereby turning both his own and the peoples eys upon the Lambe of God which was to come and to take away the sin of the world Whensoever you approach the throne of grace let it be your principall care to exercise faith in the Lord Jesus out of whom all our learning is but duncery all our duties but drudgery all our devotion but formality yea idolatry if Luther may be believed Incense of old was a type of his intercession bloud a type of his satisfaction one of these was to cover the mercie seat the other to be sprinkled upon it Levit. 16. 13 14. He shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercie-seat And hee shall take of the bloud of the bullock and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercie-seat c. to intimate that from God no mercie is to be expected but through the satisfaction and intercession of Jesus Christ no help to be sought at any time without eying of these The second observation which I am now to undertake runs thus The Churches duty is to commemorate help received See it both required and practised 1 Required Exod. 17. 13 14. Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword and the Lord said unto Moses write this for a memoriall in a book Psal. 102. 16 18. When the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in his glory This shall be written for the generation to come and the people which shall

usually attended with notable changes I am full of hope right Honorable and worthy Senators of the Kingdome and of the City that your present conjunction will operate much to our future advantage Verily t is a blessed sight now when England is melting in a furnace of civill war to behold the Parliament and London running thus into one wedg and meeting to magnifie God together It put me in minde of what we read in Psal. 122. 3 4. Ierusalem is builded as a City that is compact together whither the Tribes goe up the Tribes of the Lord unto the testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the name of the Lord This is our Jerusalem hither are the Tribes come up to day the representative Tribes of the Land and that for no other end but to give thanks to prepare an habitation for him who is said to inhabit the prayses of Israel Psal. 22. 3. I have pitched upon a Text affording many choice materials for such a structure if a wise Master-builder had it in hand But the plaine truth is t is a worke more fit for Angels then men praysing of God is their trade we are all but bunglers at it Yet because even the little children to whom Iohn writes have leave to lisp stammer out the prayses of their heavenly Father in obedience to his and your commands I shall set upon the duty hoping for assistance from him and attention from you Satans first designe is to hinder men from holy duties his next to create disturbances in them Israel being here met to fast and reform Satan stirs up the Lords of the Philistims to bring into the field against them a formidable Armie The Lord of Hosts fights for his people puts their enemies to the rout and enables them to pursue the victory Then Samuel took a stone to wit after the men of Israel had gone out of Mizpeh the place of their abode when the enemy set upon them and pursued the Philistims smitten them untill they came under Bethcar the place of their retreat ver. 11. And set it between Mizpeh and Shen Iunius reads it between Mizpeh and that rock conceiving Bethcar of which before to be the proper name of a Rock and knowing Shen to be elswhere taken in such a sense 1 Sam. 14. 4. And called the name thereof Eben-Ezer Eben signifies a Stone Ezer help To the end that if Israel should be silent this stone might speak the goodnesse of God this lapis adjutorii reminde them of the mercie received between these two places Samuel not onely imposes the name but adds the reason of it saying hitherto hath the Lord helped us So as here we have 1 The Monument a stone set up in a fitting place and named Eben-ezer 2 The Motto Hitherto hath the Lord helped us 3 The mannager of the work Samuel the Prophet and Judge of Israel at this time Which three parts will naturally yield three observations sutable to the present businesse 1 That the Churches helpe is from the Lord 2 That the Churches duty is to commemorate help received 3 That principall men are to have a principall hand in the duty of praysing God for his help The truth of the first of these observations viz. That the Churches help is from the Lord appears by Psal. 121. 1 2. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence commeth my help my help commeth from the Lord which made heaven and earth It comes two ways 1 Immediately from himselfe alone The Lord often raiseth help to his people as he framed the world out of nothing and is therefore said to create it Be ye glad and rejoyce for ever in that which I create for behold I create Ierusalem a rejoycing and her people a joy Isa. 65. 18. Whom had Christ to cooperate with him in the work of our redemption He alone helped us out of hell of which some understand that in Isa. 63. 5. I looked and there was none to help therefore my own arme brought salvation This stone which the builders refused is the true Eben-ezer not a monument but an efficient of help such help as no created strength could have administred for should all the Angels of heaven bring their perfections into one it would not make a ransome sufficient for one soul The Holy Ghost in like manner when we know not what to pray for as we ought is graciously pleased to help our infirmities Rom. 8. 26. when we stick fast in the mirie dungeon of sin and ignorance he vouchsafeth to let down drawing cords of love for the helping of us out as Ebedmelech did to Ieremie The work of conversion is wholy his He first bretahs a good will into the soule causing it to be then breathes upon that will in the soule causing it to move works it first and then works by it Hence is it that some of those who assert the efficacie of his grace entitle their books de Auxiliis of helps Yet me thinks the word comes far short of expressing it fully the Spirits concurrence being such as is not onely assistant to us but operative of all in us A consideration that moved Lactantius to taxe the heathens for giving the chiefe of all their gods no higher title than of Iupiter resolving it into Iuvans pater a helping father That man saith he understands not the influence of God that looks at him onely as an helper But so scant is the language of man when applyed to the things of God whom to apprehend is difficult to utter impossible that for want of a better term even we Christians must be forced to content our selves with this of help 2 Mediately by the creatures whether visible or invisible or of a mixt and middle nature The Lord helps by all these 1 By visible creatures As when he rained hailstones from heaven upon the Amorites slaying more with them then the children of Israel did with the sword when the stars in their courses fought against Sisera and the river Kishon swept his souldiers away that ancient river the river Kishon When the sea gave way the rock gave water and the heavens gave bread to Israel When both fire and water and air took our part against the Spaniards in 88 which furnished the General of their forces at his return after the defeat of that Armado which by thēselves was styled Invincible with this excuse That his master sent him to combate not with elements but with men 2 By invisible Such are the Angels whom the Lord hath appointed to encampe round about them that feare him and to become ministring Spirits to the heirs of salvation O the bowels of our God! The Father sends his Son to redeem us the Father and Son send the Holy Ghost to comfort us and that whole heaven may be set on worke for the Churches help the Father Son and Holy Ghost send the good Angels to watch

his praying thrice aday Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud But as on purpose to put his soule in tune here that in heaven it might make the better musick he multiplies prayses even to seven times in a day Psal. 119 164. Seven times a day doe I praise thee becanse of thy righteous judgements The Application hereof followeth What now remains O ye principall men Lords Commons and Citizens but that you be exhorted to have a principall hand in this duty of praysing God for his help and called upon to doe what ye ought both for the substance of the work and manner of performing it 1 For the substance of the work Know and remember that God must be praysed with your hearts your parts your lips your lives and your estates 1 With your hearts Psal. 103. 1. Blesse the Lord ô my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name The deepest springs are wont to yeeld the sweetest waters they are the sweetest thanks that proceed from a depth within For as Seneca well the value of thanks resolves it selfe wholly into the frame and disposition of the heart 2 With your parts You are men of great and vast abilities ô consecrate them all to God The Spirit of man Solomon saith is the candle of the Lord Prov. 20. 27. Suffer not your bright candles to burn downwards imploy not your parts in the things of this world altogether not at all in the things of hell left they sweal quite away without doing any considerable service to God or man Great parts are like great Ordnance if the Fort wherein they are planted bee yeelded up to Jesus Christ they 'r of excellent use against the Serpent and his seed But so long as Satan holds the Fort no men more mischevous to the Church than those that have the best naturall and acquired abilities yea none in so dangerous a condition in reference to their own soules I must be bold to tell such as abuse their wits and other endowments in the service of Satan against the truth that their lightsome candles will but serve to light them to hell and their large parts to enlarge their condemnation there 3 With your lips Psal. 51. 15. O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise The tongue is called a mans glory partly because speech is a thing wherein men excell beasts and partly because it is given him to glorifie God withall Prayse and thanks should be offered up when ever we draw neere to him in any duty particularly when ever we pray Phil. 4. 6. Be carefull for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God with thanksgiving Expect no acceptance of those prayers wherein there is not some spice of that Prayer without prayse is a censer without burning coals from which there can no sweet savour ascend 4 With your lives for therein lies the life of thankfulnesse He is the most thankfull that is the most fruitfull Christian There must be Gratiarum actio a doing of thanks Else if our thanks be not accompanied with obedience we doe but play Jews-play with Christ saying Haile King of the Jews and smiting him Physitians iudge of the heart by the arme feele the pulse that they may know the state of the vitals How beats the pulse of thy conversation according to that will God judge of the soundness or sickliness of thy constitution Would you render reall thanks Remember what you have lately sworn namely to goe before each other in the example of a reall reformation The Lord had caused the Land to passe under a rod a rod that fetch'd bloud at every lash before we would be brought into the bond of that Covenant Beleeve it he that whipt us to it will whip us for it if it be not kept The curses ingrost in that flying roll Zech. 5. will be sure to over-take us for swearing falsely by the name of the Lord 5 With your estates Honour the Lord with thy substance Prov. 3. 9. Christ will never trust Judas more The Saints are now his purse-bearers and from them it is expected that they should willingly disburse when ever the Lord hath need in his members This is the duty of every day especially solemne days of thanksgiving Eat the fat and drink the sweet and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared for this day is holy unto our Lord neither be ye sorry for the joy of the Lord is your strength Nehem. 8. 10. That joy which enlargeth the heart at such a time should take away straitnesse of hand Thanksgiving dayes should be giving dayes Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered him saith Saint Paul prescribing an order concerning the collection for the Saints 1 Cor. 16. 1 2. Why upon the first day of the weeke Chrysostome hints to this reason because then in the use of those Ordinances that were dispensed on the Lords day the spirits of Christians resenting the goodnesse of God more then at other times would be more ready to give the Saints a taste of theirs You that have this worlds good shut not up your bowels now from those of Melcomb Weymouth and Plymouth that need so much and deserve so well Let the consideration of those late mercies we have received be a means to open all obstructions of heart and purse and to procure mercie from you for those persons by whom and places where we have received them 2 For the manner This great worke of praysing God must be performed unanimously and cheerfully 1 Unanimously We should all glorifie God with one minde and with one mouth Rom. 15. 6. which is utterly impossible so long as through difference in opinion and affection that event is looked at as a crosse by one which appears a rich blessing to another There will hardly be one mouth where there is not one mind God will hardly be glorified where there is not a sweet conjunction of both Cleopatra dissolved an union of great price and dranke it in an health to Marcus Antonius Divisions are Satans Drinke-offerings No such drinkers of health to hell as dissolvers of union If my soule might have its wish I should not desire what Austin did to see either Paul in the pulpit or Rome in its pomp but the thing I would beg should be Union Next to a full and clear sight of its own union to Jesus Christ my soule should long for nothing more in all the world than union of the King to his Parliament of the godly throughout the Kingdom among themselves Who ever lives to see these things may sing his Nunc dimittis with Simeon Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation 2 Cheerfully Psal. 149. 5 6. Let the