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	ghost_n	holy_a	7,758	5	5.3049	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92136	Joy of Angels. Delivered in a sermon before the Honourable Society of Grayes-Inne, on the last day of June, 1656. By Ja: Rutherford D.D.	Rutherford, James, D.D.	1658 (1658)	Wing R2372; Thomason E948_6; ESTC R207576	11,226	24

of the Christian Church of the Jews for when they heard Peters Apologie they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also given unto the Gentiles repentance unto life Act. 11.18 'T is the peculiar character of good Angels in the Text. Nay yet higher this sacred affection is in God the Father under the tegument of the Prodigals father in God the Son under the emblem of a Shepherd and who can doubt at the delight of the holy Ghost herein since Repentance of a sinner is signally his work But will not you the Angels of the Churches lawful Ministers of the Word and Sacraments upbraid us with our aberration if we return unto the Truth from whence in wandring we have even wearied our selves Far be it from us fear it not that meek man having found the lost Sheep doth not spurn it with his disdainful foot nor bruise it with his weighty staff nor rend it with his cruel dogs but layes it upon his shoulders with rejoycing This affection is in us the Angels of the Churches The compassionate father hearing of his Prodigals return doth not permit the surly Porter for to shut the gate against him nor the hired Servants to arm themselves opposing his admittance but he comes forth and meets his Son whom he observ'd to be reform'd he runs to him falls upon his neck and kisseth him Necessaries shoes for his feet clothes for his back Ornaments the best Robe and a Gold Ring frankly freely bestowed yea the fatted Calf is kill'd and the harmonious Musick proclaims aloud his hearty welcome to his fathers house No objecting his former wayes no twitting him by his father with his fore-going courses This affection is in us the Angels of the Churches The diligent woman who having lighted a candle and swept the house and gave not over seeking till she had found the piece of Money which was lost doth not discharge her enflamed choler upon it nor doth she take it up with wrathful chafing saying Thou art an unfortunate piece which hath brought me more trouble in thy quest than I shall have comfort in thy use No but having found it she calleth her neighbours and friends together saying Rejoyce with me for I have found the piece of money that was lost Likewise I say unto you There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth FINIS These Books following are Printed for Francis Smith and are to be sold at his Shop in Flying-Horse-Court in Fleetstreet near Chancery Lane end .. Christianismus Redivivus Christendome both Unchristen'd and new Christen'd or that good old way of Dipping Inchurching of Men and Women after Faith and Repentance vindicated Also the Writings of Mr. Baxter Dr. Featley Dr. Holms Mr. Marshall Mr. Blake Mr. Cook Mr. Cotton Answered with a Vindication of Ordinances till Christs personal Coming against Ranters and Quakers proved in Follio Truth prevailing against the fieircest Opposition or an answer to Mr. John Goodwins Water Dipping no firm footing for Church-Communion in quàrto The Damnable Heresies horrid Blasphemies Mockings Railings Deceit and Dishonesty of the Quaker laid open in 4to The Free-Grace of God to all the Sons of Adam vindicated with 20. Queries to all men concerned 4to The true Tything of the Gospel Ministers proving that Tyths is not to be inforc'd upon Members of true Churches neither by Gods Law nor Mans and that Christ as King in the heart is to make Laws for it 4to A Contention for Truth in two publick Disputations before thousands of people touching the Baptism of Infants whether Lawful or Unlawful in 4to A Glass of Justification or the Work of Faith with power published on purpose to rectifie some dangerous other damning mistakes of men about their Faith 4to Sions Redemption discovered wherein the manner of the rise of the Man of Sin called the vile Person is proved not to be the Romish Babylon Together with a discription of Christs personal Reign upon earth 100. years in 10 particulars discovered in 8to Also a discovery of the Latitude of the loss of the earthly Paradise by Original Sin in 8to The true Gospel Faith in 30. Articles manifested A Voice from the Word of God to the Quakers in 8to Laying on of Hands asserted under those several considerations minded in the New-Testament 1. Upon persons for Healing by Annointing with Oyl 2. Upon persons to Office 3. Upon Believers Baptised as such in 12 s. Dagons Downfal before the Ark of the Lord Wherein are discovered the two Covenants that God made with Abraham and his two Seeds in 8to Laying on of Hands on Baptised Believers as such tryed by the Touch-stone and found Gold

man can tell me with what shadow of truth can the Angels of God be excluded from all actings and operations upon the inward senses of man To conclude this third Incentive If Aristotle broke forth in joy when he did reade the learned Epistles of his Scholar Alexander If it be a Crown of rejoycing to the man of God to see the people of his charge not children but men in understanding How enlarged are the gratulations of Angels when their motions are attended and their monitions obeyed to our further progress in the School of Grace in which we are admitted and matriculated by Repentance This ground is Paedagogical There remaineth one and but one taken from Society of Arms which I called Martial Humane Stories tell us That the scarce numerable Army of Xerxes conducted against Greece was so defeated by Sea and Land that very few of them returned home but that was a continued overthrow of many dayes Aetius the Proconsul that prodigie of valour kill'd 20000 Barbarians led by Attilas the scourge of God in one day The like destruction is reported to have faln upon the Moors and Saracens by the wise Conduct of Charls Martel in one day Yet more five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell by the sword of Abijah and his loyal Subjects in one day But thousands of thousands millions of millions myriads of myriads of Angels fell in one hour When a battel proves more than desperate by the taking of the Royal Standard the surprizal of the Canons and Magazine the destruction of a great part of their Army yea the death of the General added What joy is it to the broken limb of that dispersed Army to see it self vigorously recruited God hath numbred unto himself an Army like unto the Army that he had lost or rather and indeed onely so that had wilfully lost it self hoses for horses chariots for chariots The Ranks and Files of lapsed Angels are fill'd up with new Recruits men and women penitent for their sins matter of joy extatical joy unto the holy Angels And thus they who own us in the womb of the Church Brethren in the house of God Fellow-servants in the school of Christ our Monitors in the field of the Church perform many Military services for us I will name but two 1. They are watchful Centinels in destroying the devices of the enemy and giving a timely alarm to the happy frustration of the same Arise and take the babe and his mother and flee into Egypt and be there until I bring thee word for Herod will seek the babe to destroy him S. Mat. 2.13 2. They are faithful Life-guards He shall give his Angels charge over thee in all thy wayes Psal 91.11 Jacob had experience hereof whose Convoy they were into the Land of Canaan This is Gods Host Gen. 32.2 Such was their diligent custody of Elisha when the Syrian Army came to take him who in contemplation of his guard broke forth into that expression of high confidence They that are with us are more than they that are with them 2 Kings 6.16 And hitherto of the Reasons the two Reasons of this Proposition The unfeigned conversion of a sinner is the undoubted rejoycing of Angels to wit their relations unto God whose Angels they are and their relations unto Man discoursed unto you to be Natural Paedagogical Oeconomical and Martial It remaineth we come to the Questions which are two The former How come the Angels of Heaven to know the conversion of a sinner upon earth I answer Conversion is either passive or active This distinction is necessarily to be maintained against the Flatterers of Nature Enemies of Grace The former I call Conversion in the heart the latter Conversion of the heart The first is the immediate act of God hid from the Lyncean eyes of those Spirits but hid a very little while Gods act being infrustrably followed with our actings which makes conversion of the heart from which effect the Eagle-sighted Angel concludes the antecedent cause to wit Conversion in the heart 2 Quest Is the conversion of every particular sinner made known unto all the Angels of God I answer Whatsoever is of the essential beatitude of Angels is known unto them all Now their knowledge of thy repentance or my conversion is accidental not essential to their bliss It is enough that some Angels do know it and rejoyce therein As for other Angels far removed at least not definitively present in that Ubi where the new convert is when they come to know this holy change it is either by revelation from God or he approving it by communication of the circumstant or concerned Angel one or more Briefly though the wisdom of Angels is exceeding great yet it is finite very large yet limited for neither by their Matutine or Vespertine knowledge in the language of the Schools borrowed from S. Austine neither by their natural or experimental infused or acquired knowledge in the expression of Moderns have they a distinct and intuitive inspection of future contingencies depending upon the singular providence of God or mutability and indeterminateness of mans will without particular revelation from God and consequently reade not the inmost thoughts of men but when they are rendred legible by omanations and signs for God onely knows the thoughts of the hearts of all the children of men as it is in the dedication-prayer of Solomon 1 King 8.39 In a word God sees our thoughts afar off even before they are formed Angels near at hand when they are performed which is abundant matter of their joy at the conversion of a sinner Likewise I say unto you There is joy in the presence c. And now suffer the word of Exhortation Man is a Creature not more remarkable for Invention than Imitation of things worthy very seldome but of things to be abhorred too often Natural deformities in the body have been copied out as singular beauties and Moral infirmities of the soul of some have past into vices National and Epidemical Have we not read and seen unsound Opinions onely sipt by great ones taken down in great draughts by the injudicious multitude The calumniating superciliousness of those Demagogues Scribes and Pharisees had empoysoned the fillier people had not our Saviour prepared this Antidote and the iron-like austerity of the Novatians denying Repentance to such as sinned after Baptism and excluding all relapsers how penitent soever from Church-Communion had over-spred the Primitive Church even unto precipitating desperation had not the holy Fathers burning with the zeal of Christs truth maturely and vigorously opposed the same These certainly are not for us to imitate unless we chuse rather to contesserate with Hereticks than Orthodox Professors All the Reformed Churches and that of Rome also condemning as those painted Perfectionists of old so them likewise who tread in their steps at this day What did I mention the Reformed the Roman Churches To congratulate the salvation of the Gentiles was the practice