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	holy_a	scripture_n	9,894	5	6.0621	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33725	The old apostolical way of preaching, or, Peters last legacy to all his true successors in the ministry and faith of the Gospel being an awakening word from a dying-preacher to his dying-hearers in a sermon preached on the death of Mr. Edward West, late minister of the gospel in London / by Thomas Cole ...	Cole, Thomas, 1627?-1697.	1676 (1676)	Wing C5032; ESTC R43106	10,675	23

THE Old Apostolical Way OF PREACHING OR Peters last Legacy to all his true Successors in the Ministry and Faith of the Gospel BEING An awakening Word from a Dying-Preacher to his Dying-Hearers IN A SERMON Preached on the Death of Mr. EDWARD WEST Late Minister of the Gospel in London BY THOMAS COLE Preacher of the Gospel LONDON Printed for Thomas Cockeril at the Atlas in Cornhil 1676. THE OLD Apostolick Way of Preaching 2 Pet. 1.12 13 14 15. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things though you know them and be established in the present Truth Yea I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance Knowing that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle even as our Lord Iesus Christ hath shewed me Moreover I will endeavour that you may be able after my Decease to have these things always in remembrance I Do not so much intend a Funeral Elegie for the Dead as a plain Practical Sermon for the Living The Dead know not any thing neither are they any more concerned in the things that are done under the Sun Yet we may draw Arguments from their Graves to quicken us to our Duty 'T is evident that this great Apostle had Death in his eye when he wrote these words whether those to whom he wrote were under the like consideration of their own Mortality is uncertain Peter being so solicitous here to put them in remembrance seems tacitly to charge them with a careless negligent forgetful frame of Spirit and those who do not bear in their minds the great Truths of the Gospel that shew the Consequents of Death and so make it weighty and considerable in our Thoughts can never seriously prepare for it He tells them he is but a Sojourner amongst them in a Tent and Tabernacle intimating that they themselves dwelt under as thin a Roof that might suddenly let in Death upon them which he foresaw was not far off from himself this stirred him up to a more diligent and vigorous performance of his Duty He is very desirous to finish and perfect his Work before the Night comes upon him that he might not Run in vain nor Labour in vain but throughly fix those Truths upon the Hearts and Consciences of his People which he had Preached to them that they might Remember them when he was Dead and gone The Text is An awakening Word from a Dying Preacher to his Dying Hearers I know I am engaged in a Funeral Sermon but it is upon the Death of a Minister and to a Congregation who by this sad Providence are called to the Choice of a new Preacher And therefore if in the former part of my Discourse I say something of the Nature of Preaching of the old Apostolick Way which God did so wonderfully own in the Primitive Times and unto which we must certainly return before we can expect the like Success in our Ministry I hope if I do insist a little upon this you will not judg it wide of the Occasion or altogether unseasonable But if any do let them know that the Circumstance of the season must give place and yield a little to the Substance of the Text which by and by will sute that also Therefore I must crave a little time to shew you the general Scope and Design of the Apostle in these words afterwards I shall more particularly speak to the 15th verse which will bring me nearer to the present Occasion And because many particulars in a Sermon do usually run out into new matter carrying the Speaker sometimes both beyond the Text and his own Intentions to avoid this I shall cast my whole Discourse into this Method and couch all I have to say under these two General Heads which I will insist upon 1. The Old Apostolick way of Preaching that was so much upon the Heart of Peter just before his Death 2. His last Legacy to all his true Successors in the Ministry and Faith of the Gospel The shortness of Time both to prepare and deliver what I have now to say must excuse that want of Method and Exactness that suddain Things are usually defective in I begin with the first viz. The old Apostolick way of preaching in laying down the plain Fundamental Truths of the Gospel proving them by Scripture and frequently minding the People of them by way of Remembrance this was Christ's Method Luke 24.27 44 45. 'T is the Method of the Holy Ghost to bring things to our Remembrance and for this very end was the Holy Spirit promised to the Church John 14.26 But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you 'T was Iohn's Method 1 John 2.21 I have not written unto you because you know not the Truth I but because you know it and that no lie is of the Truth I must tell you what you know already that is the way to know more 't was Paul's Method Phil. 3.1 To write the same things to you to me indeed is not grievous but for you it is safe 'T was that he advises Timothy to 1 Tim. 4.6 7. If thou put the Brethren in Remembrance of these things thou shalt be a good Minister of Iesus Christ nourished up in the words of Faith and of good Doctrine whereunto thou hast attained But refuse profane and old Wives Fables and exercise thy self rather unto Godliness 2 Tim. 2.14 15 16. Of these things put them in Remembrance charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit but to the subverting of the Hearers Study to shew thy self approved unto God a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the Word of Truth But shun profane and vain Bablings for they will encrease unto more ungodliness 'T was the desire of those Gentiles which Paul and Barnabas complyed with with very great Success Acts 13.42 to hear the same words preached to them the next Sabbath 'T was Peters design in his Epistles 2 Pet. 3.1 2. This second Epistle Beloved I now write unto you in both which I stir up your pure Minds by way of Remembrance That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the Holy Prophets and of the Commandment of us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour As appears also in the words of the Text. The first Sermon that was preached after the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles was by Peter Act. 2. And three thousand Souls were converted by it to shew the mighty Efficacy of the Spirit of God and the power of a plain Gospel-Sermon for it was no other but a plain Narration of those Things that concern the Power and Coming of Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. 1.16 For we have not followed cunningly devised Fables when we made known

of the Gospel to a subserviency to their own Notions that they may have somewhat to ground their new devised Superstruction upon I am perswaded many Unorthodox Antivangelical Opinions have had their Rise from hence Some Men are run down by their own Reason and see it not their proud Rebellious Thoughts not being yet brought into Captivity to the Obedience of Christ. I might enlarge upon this and shew you that most of the Errors that are Crept into the Church were bred in the Schools and have been the cursed Off-spring of unsanctified Natural Abilities 'T is time then to return to the Simplicity of the Gospel and to begin the Bible again that we may take in the sincere Milk of the Word without any Humane mixtures drawing pure Streams from the Fountain of Truth and keeping up a constant Remembrance especially of the prime grand Truths of the Gospel from whence we must derive our Life Strength and Comfort in an evil Day of Terrour and Darkness we must return then to plain Gospel-Principles 'T is not School-Subtilties and Nice-Reasonings that will relieve us but down-right Faith Christians could never Die in peace if they had not next their Hearts some plain comfortable Word to relie upon as that Christ Died for Sinners to Reconcile us to God by his Blood that through Faith in Him we might be Justified and Sanctified You 'll say We have all this in our Catechisms we learned it when we were Children Well we must go back to our Catechisms again here lies all our Salvation therefore Meditate upon these things and Remember them Do not think you can be too often minded of them they are Truths you must live upon all your days and be continually feeding upon 'T is not doubtful Disputations but clear undeniable Gospel-Maximes that a trembling Soul flies to and argues from Therefore I say again That Preaching doth not consist so much in variety of Notion as in a plain Proposal and powerful Application of those things that are Revealed in Scripture Gospel-Truths do not work upon us by the Strength of Mans Reason but by a secret Divine Virtue going along with them they become the Power of God unto Salvation Ministers are to Publish the Contents of the Bible and so to open the Scriptures that their Hearers may attain to a true Historical Knowledg of what is there written which Saving-Faith doth always presuppose and include This is that Preaching by which God doth Insensibly and Secretly turn the Hearts of his Elect As many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed Acts 13.48 'T is not said as many as were Learned Men skill'd in Arts and Sciences of good Natural Parts and quick Apprehensions But as many as were Ordained c. Though never so Unlearned of never such mean and ordinary Capacities yet such by the Power of the Gospel plainly preached are made wise unto Salvation God working Faith in them which implies the Knowledg of all things necessary to Salvation The Spirit of God supplies all the Defects in Nature and brings a new Nature along with it sufficiently furnished for all the Works and Actions that are proper and peculiar to the New Creature and all Men are in an equal natural Capacity for this Change I mean passively capable of it When God takes this Clay into his Hands he can form what Vessels of Honour he pleases out of it none can foresee the Way Manner and Method of the Word and Spirit of God in working Faith in us Some sit long under the Word and are not stirred yet 't is good to keep our Hearts under the Historical Light and Knowledg of the Gospel hearing in a daily Expectation of the coming of Faith subjecting our selves to God's Ordinance waiting for the Effects of it often revolving and considering in our Minds what we have heard To Remember is to look back upon former things to Chew the Cud going over in our Thoughts again and again what we have been Taught but some have such Itchin Ears they are all for Novelties something that they knew not and have not heard before some fine-spun Notion that may buz a while in the Head though it never reach the Heart 't is but as the tinkling of a Cymbal a meer transient Apparition that vanisheth away with its own sound yet these are the Rarities that many look after they can relish nothing else when they are put in remembrance of former things they are so far from being pleased that they nausiate the thoughts of hearing over again what they knew before they put up their Pen and Ink shut their Books and stop their Ears are quite taken off from any due Attention they carry as if they had long since done with all plain downright Gospel-Truths they have nothing to say to them now Ay but they may have something to say to you that they never told you yet God may let them down further into your souls and cause them to make deeper impressions upon your Hearts than ever heretofore 2. I now come to speak of the 15th verse I shall still prosecute the same Point but in a nearer Relation to the present Occasion than has been yet done I call this Peters last Legacy to all his true Successors in the Ministry and Faith of the Gospel I don't see any mention here or any where else in Scripture of that large Patrimony which the See of Rome lays claim to by an Hereditary Right from Peter If you read over his Inventory here you 'l find no Triple-Crown or Miter no Cross-Keys no Roquet Camad and Cloath no Slippers and Pantofles or any such Pontifical Habiliments which are now reckoned among the Regalia of their Spiritual Monarchy But what doth Peter bequeath us for the words have vim Testimenti Calv. they are in the nature of a Testament or last Will in which he commends to us after his decease the frequent Consideration and Remembrance of those plain solid Fundamental Truths contained in the Scriptures by which is made known unto us the Power and Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Peter himself being an Eye-witness of his Majesty when he was with him upon the holy Mount But his pretended Successor at Rome thinking there is not variety enough in Religion as 't is drawn up and stated by Christ therefore the better to entertain the Fancies of Men in an outward sensitive way of Worship has made a supplemental addition of his own teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men obtruding upon us cunningly devised Fables quite contrary to the express Mind of Peter ver 16. What this Apostle gives us in charge is plainly this Observ. That it it the Duty of all Congregations all Hearers who out-live their Ministers to keep in Remembrance those precious Truths which they formerly heard from them Let me press this upon you of this Congregation the Text looks directly upon you and therefore fail not to come up to the Duty that is here required And now after the