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	unity_n	2,197	5	9.0779	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A34575	The great necessity of preparation for death and judgment a sermon preached in the parochial chappel of Macclesfield, in the county palatine of Chester, at the funeral of Mr. John Corker, als Cor Cor, of Hurdesfield, on the eleventh day of November, 1693, and since revised and enlarg'd at the request of the relations of the deceased / by Samuel Corker, als Cor Cor ...	Corker, Samuel, 1645 or 6-1713.	1695 (1695)	Wing C6307; ESTC R9062	80,354	95

This is one main end of our being sent into the World to do good to all Men in general because they are partakers of the same common nature with us allied to us by cognation of Blood sprout from the same common stock are like us in the contexture and frame of our Bodies and inspired with immortal Souls which are endowed with reason and understanding as well as ours they lively represent us in all the natural Characters and Features of Body and Soul and are discriminated from us only in some small circumstantial matters they are lyable to the same Fortunes and distinguishing Titles of Honour and Dignity purchased with the same precious Blood comprehended in the same Covenant of Life and Peace partakers of the same common Salvation and Heirs of the same Promises and Heavenly Inheritance In particular we are to do good to the House-hold of Faith i. e. to the Catholick Church of Christ extended from one end of the Earth to the other which he hath redeemed with his Blood beseeching Almighty God to inspire her with a Spirit of Truth Unity and Concord to preserve her from all false Doctrines Heresie and Schism More especially yet shall we pray after the Examples of those Holy Men Jeremiah and Daniel for Sion the City of our Solemnities for the Church of which we are Members that peace may be within her walls Ps 122.6 and prosperity within her palaces That God by whose name we are called would not leave us but be a wall of fire round about us an impregnable and invincible defence in this time of our necessity by his Power and Providence and the Glory in the midst of us by his gracious Presence and Holy Ordinances in their power and purity in the glorious appearance of Holiness Peace and Blessedness That he would strengthen the Bars of Sions Gates and bless all her Children within her That he would maintain his truth and preserve the beauty of our Religious Government and abate our heats and animosities that we may not by our peevish differencies and unnecessary divisions open a gap for the common Enemy to invade us but may agree in this great and good work to defend and promote the honour and interest of our Reformed Religion against those that are deeply engaged to destroy it and pray earnestly that all who profess it may live in Unity and Godly Love one with another and wherein we differ to do it with more moderation peace and charity this is to do good to the publick And in this time of difficulty we that are conjoined together in the same sacred and secular interest ought to unite in mutual intercessions to lift holy hands in prayer and to cry mightily unto God Is 62.6 7. who would have his People not to hold their peace for Jerusalem 's sake nor give him rest till he hath made her a praise in the earth this the Apostle adviseth and directeth us to do Gal. 6.10 as we have opportunity let us do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith We are to be as serviceable as we can to the Church and to the State to every particular man that is a proper object of beneficence but especially to the poor Members of Christ whom we are to prefer above others for the good we do unto them our Lord will accept as done unto himself Mark 9.41 Whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a Disciple he shall in no wise lose his reward Tho' they are little in the esteem of the World and mean in their own Eyes Gen. 32.10 as Abraham and Jacob were dust and ashes less than the least of Gods mercies yet they are very dear to Christ more precious than fine Gold Job 23.10 His Jewels Mal. 3.17 made up of the precious graces of the Spirit all glorious within being beautified with divine vertues Faith Ps 16.3 Love Meekness Humility c. The excellent ones the delight and joy of his heart whom he values as his chiefest treasure and chargeth his Angels to minister unto and take care of and therefore they should be the objects of our tenderest regard for he will reward us Heb. 6.10 He is not unrighteous to forget our work and labour of love which we have shewed towards his name in that we ministred to the Saints and do minister To this end and purpose God hath intrusted us with several advantages and gifts of Nature and Fortune with more or less of Riches Power Wisdom Strength Authority Reputation and Esteem with great Men Interest in the World Skill in Arts and Sciences c. that we may employ them all for the use and benefit of others And we live in effect to no purpose if we do not exercise our Talents this way and become very serviceable ad beneficial to mankind God hath laid the practice of doing good so near the heart of Piety he hath enforced it with so many affectionate and persuasive Arguments and gracious Promises and terrible Threatnings that we may safely conclude from thence that a principal part of our preparation for Heaven lies in doing good to the Souls and Bodies of Men instructing their Ignorance removing their Prejudices satisfying their Doubts relieving their Fears supplying their Wants and Necessities feeding the Hungry cloathing the Naked being hospitable to Strangers and fruitful in all good works This was our blessed Saviours constant Employment his meat and his drink and his dayly business He went about doing good Acts 10.38 He laid hold on all opportunities and diligently sought out distressed Objects to exercise his large charity upon He hath made it an essential part of his Religion and hath given us many Precepts Mat. 6.20 Luk. 12.33 Chap. 6.30 quickening us to the doing of much good Lay up for your selves treasures in Heaven give Alms provide your selves Bags which wax not old a treasure in the Heavens that fadeth not Give to every man that asketh of thee Ch. 16.9 Make to your selves frieeds of the Mammon of unrighteousness And by his Apostles he hath commanded us to distribute to the necessity of the Saints Cor. 9.6 7 8. to do it cheerfully and bountifully because God more regardeth the affection of the Giver then the quantity of the Gift and in the next Life he will proportionate his rewards according to the good Works which we do in this Life therefore the Apostle earnestly presseth us Col. 3.12 Eph. 4.32 To abound in every good Work to shew mercy with cheerfulness to put on Bowels of mercy to be kind and tender hearted one towards another 1 Tim. 6 7. to be rich in good Works rich in Faith in Knowledge in Works of Liberality Mercy and Charity these are Solomon's durable Riches which will follow us when we die into the Eternal World wealth will not do this 2 Tim. 6 7. it

Holy Ghost changing of our corrupt Natures creating good Dispositions and pious Affections in us sanctifying us with Divine Graces Dr. Bar. Creed and begetting vertuous inclinations in us reverence towards God charity to Men sobriety and purity as to our Selves with the rest of those amiable and heavenly virtues of the Soul which is the work of Sanctification leading and governing us in our Actions and Conversations that we may actually do and perform those things which are acceptable in the sight of God These are the Offices of the Holy Spirit who is therefore denominated Holy because he is the Author and efficient Cause of holiness in us and hath the special Name of Spirit given him both because of his Spiritual Essence and in regard of his Spiritual dispensations and those Graces which he bestows upon every faithful Soul which are heavenly and spiritual for the performance of which Mat. 28.20 he is to abide with his Church for ever Lo I am with you always even to the end of the world to enlighten your Understandings to sanctifie your Wills Affections to assist you in Devotion to stir up in you good Desires and to lead you in the way of all truth and obedience to Gods holy Will and Commandments 5 For this purpose the great Ordinance of the Gospel Ministry was instituted and persons in sacred Orders appointed to make men truly holy to dispose and fit them for Death and Judgment Heaven and Happiness to teach and tread the way to Glory 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to teach the way to Heaven rightly to cut out to every man his portion and to divide the Word of Truth 2 Tim. 2.15 The titles which are given them in Scripture import the business they are to perform and do They are Ministers Stewards Embassadors Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4.12 2 Cor. 5.18 19 20. Acts 20 18. 1 Cor. 3.9 and Stewards of the mysteries of God to whom he hath committed the Ministry of Reconciliation the word of Power They are Overseers and Comptrollers of his Family Embassadors for Christ to pray beseech and court men in their great Lord and Masters stead to be reconciled to God Labourers and Co-operators with God in the work of Conversion and Edification He Joh. 20.21 22. Rom. 10.15 the principal Agent They Officers under him ordained and sent by him and furnished with Gifts and Abilities to negotiate his great Affairs He made them able Ministers 2 Cor. 3.6 fitted by a supervening act and influence of Grace to discharge the trust which he hath reposed in them to the souls of men He strictly charged them to preach all the counsel of God Acts 20.27 whatsoever he requires of any one in order to eternal blessedness even the whole doctrine of Christianity which teacheth us to deny all ungodliness c. to reprove rebuke and exhort with all long suffering and patience 2 Cor. 5.11 and as knowing the terror of the Lord to persuade men to believe the dreadful comminations and threatnings of God revealed in his Word Rom. 1.18 against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men and accordingly to frame their lives innocently and holy that at the dreadful day of Judgment which the Prophet calls a day of wrath Zeph. 1.15 He alludes to it in the ruin which he foretold should fall upon the Jews by the Chaldeans a day of trouble and distress a day of wasting and desolation a day of darkness and gloominess a day of Clouds and thick darkness and the Apostle a day of terror because there will be a very strict scrutiny a narrow search made into the thoughts words and actions of men done in the flesh nothing but holiness will then stand in any stead therefore the Ministers of the Gospel are commanded to use the most prudent and effectual course Acts 26.18 to open mens eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith which grace doth purifie the heart from sin corruption They must not connive at or comply with the lusts of men as Ahabs Priests did but handle the Word of God sincerely with zeal and courage not fearing the faces of men in the work of the Lord who hath charged them at their peril not to be dismaid at the presence and frowns of great men J●r 1.17 or presumptuous sinners yet at the same time when they do shew their zeal against their sins to manifest their reverend esteem and love of their persons and tender affection to their souls instructing those that oppose themselves with all gentleness and winning insinnuations and restoring them in the spirit of meekness which is the most probable way to enamour them with the love of Vertue and to save their Souls 2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To tread the way to heaven and to walk uprightly Cal. 2.14 according to the truth of the Gospel So passionately desirous is God of mens happiness that he would have his Ministers to be Shining Lights as John the Baptist was shewing the power of Godliness in their lives that by their good Conversations their People might be drawn to imitate them in the practice of all Christian Graces 1 Tim. 4.12 St. Paul exhorts his Son Timothy to be an example of Believers in word in Conversation in Charity in spirit in faith in purity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Believers not of moral honest men only but of Gods Jedidians Pro. 12. the excellent of the earth in whom he delighteth of those first-born Souls Mal. 3.17 those bright and sparkling Jewels of whom the world is not worthy those darlings of heaven that are the Apple of Gods Eye Heb. 11.38 Deut. 32.9 those precious Sons of Sion who are the lot of Gods inheritance and the glory of Christ 1 Cor. 8.23 To such noble and vertuous persons as these are the Ministers of the Gospel to shew themselves patterns in Sacerdotal exemplariness and in the habits exercise of grace Prov. 4.18 and in holiness of life which is a shining light that hath influence and powerful operation upon others to excite them to bring glory to God For this reason they are stiled Presidents Shepherds Guides because they are not only to preach Angelical Sermons but to live heavenly lives to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour by the purity and lustre of their Conversations For the greatest part of Mankind are like Sheep Heb. 10.24 Prov. 27.17 which go rather as they are led then as they are taught A good Example is greatly influential to Vertue to provoke unto love and to good works as a bad one is an occasion of much harm faciles imitandis Turpibus pravis omnes sumus we having a great proclivity to follow ill Examples Those therefore that are to teach others that are to