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	word_n	6,560	5	4.2187	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A50400	The beauty and order of the creation together with natural and allegorical meditations on the six dayes works of the creation : with the addition of two compendious discourses : I. of the creation of man after the image of God, II. of the creation of angels, with a description of their several properties / by ... Mr. John Maynard ... ; published by William Gearing ...	Maynard, John, 1600-1665.; Gearing, William.	1668 (1668)	Wing M1448; ESTC R14885	107,977	226

Church yet he needed no Books no written Word to do it by witness those two thousand years and more from the beginning of the World till Moses wrote the Holy Text by inspiration of the Holy Ghost and then consider that as after the third Day the Sun was made to give light to the World which before was illightened without a Sun so after many hundred years the Lord placed the Books of Moses and then other Holy Writings as a Sun in the Firmament of his Church to give light unto the same And as after the Sun was made Men had no want of that light which was given without a Sun in the former three Days so you may consider that now the Books of Scripture are written and the light of Gods truth plentifully shining in them there is no need of unwritten Traditions to give light unto us in any way or work of God and therefore conclude that the dotage of the Papists in pleading for unwritten Traditions now we have the written Word is as gross as if a M●n should complain for want of that wandering light of the three first days now when ●he ligh● is fully seated and firmly fixed in the body of the Sun 3. Consider that as one Sun giveth light to the whole World so one Word to the whole Church scattered throughout the World And here see the absurdity of some unsound ones among us who being more than half Papists are not ashamed to condemn the study of those worthy writings of many forreign Divines upon this poor pretence because they lived in other Kingdomes and Common-wealths and so their Doctrine doth not so well suit with our State and Kingdome As if the same Sun could not serve all Nations with light but that we must have one in England and they another in France c. So if the Sun of holy truth do shine in the writings of these holy Men why cannot we see and walk by this light as well as out-landish Men 4. Consider that the light is still like it self that light which was before the Sun is of the same nature with that which now is in the Sun so the truth and word of God is still the same not contrary to it self The light of holy truth which was before the Word written and this which shineth in the holy Scriptures is the same and therefore the Papists are yet more shameless when under pretence of the unwritten Word they thrust upon the Church such idle forgeries as are contrary to the Word written as if light could be contrary to light or darkness might be called light If the light of the written Word doth shew us that marriage is honourable among all Men and therefore not only among the Laity then know it is no beam of this Heavenly light which makes Men think they see much sin and shame in it when it is used by the Ministers of the Word but that it is even a dark vapour of the bottomless Pit and so S. Paul saith it is a Doctrine of Devils If the Word written by its light do shew the worship performed to Images to be gross and shamefull Idolatry then that Doctrine which commendeth this as a special point of devotion and condemneth to the Fire those that refuse it cannot be any beam of light issuing from the Word of God unwritten but rather a dark shadow caused by the Prince of darkness so you may think of many other Popish fopperies The Seas the Trees Grass Herbs c. which were on the third Day appeared to be of the same colour by that light which then was without a Sun as th●● did afterwards by the Sun-light so those thin●● which by the word written are now 〈◊〉 to be white or black lawfull o●●●lawfull did appear so also by the light o●●he Word before it was written 5. Consider also that as the Lord could have given light without a Sun and yet being pleased to make a Sun doth also require that we should see by this Sun so the Lord who could have given us knowledge without a word preached and have taught us immediately by his spirit being pleased to set up the Ministry of the Word and to teach us by it doth req●ire that we should learn and profit by it And therefore we must not think that we may neglect the Word because God can teach us without it we must be taught as God will teach us and not as he can but will not God spake immediately to Saul from Heaven condemning his cruelty against the Church but yet sent him to a Man to learn what he should do The Lord striketh down a sinner with the apprehension of his wrath for sin but sendeth him to Men even to the Preachers of his Word to learn what he ought to do And therefore they who in regard of knowledge despise the preaching of the Word and think it needless may as well despise the Sun in regard of outward light for the eye of the Body and think it may well be spared 6. Again consider that as the Sun in his circuit passeth from East to West so the light of the Word issuing by the special providence of God from the East hath come toward the West It is probably thought that Adam was created in the Eastern parts of the World to whom the Word was at first delivered However it is certain that Ierusalem is Eastward whence the Law did issue and the Gospel proceed unto these Western parts and now toward the end of this great Day of the World this light is bending towards those poor Western Barbarians of America 7. Again as the rising Sun is most looked at being especially welcome after the dark Night and not so much regarded at Noon though then it shineth brighter so the Word Preached is most affected ordinarily by a People at its first coming but afterward● through their great corruption and unthankfulness it seemeth stale unto them although there be an encrease of gifts in the Preacher and the truth shining brighter to them in his Ministery than at the first If you finde this in your selves let your hearts smite you for it and be earnest with God to renew your affections to his Word that you may gather an appeti●e by feeding upon this Heavenly Manna and not like the carnal Israelites begin to loath it and to lust for grosser food because this hath been so common Consider that as any Man well in his wits accounteth it a blessing to have the Sun once in 24. hours so should any one who is wise unto salvation and taught of God account it a blessing to have the word twice in a week although it be the less regarded by earthly spirits because it is ordinary 8. Moreover think with thy self that as he that is stark blind cannot see the light when the Sun shineth most brightly so he that is in natural blindness cannot rightly see the divine vertue and saving excellency of the Word therefore call upon

have layen like a dead unprofitable lump without any thing growing upon it in the most seasonable time of the year had not the Lord bidden it and in bidding it enabled it to bring forth Consider then with thy self that every years encrease every crop of Corn every Tree every Grain every Seed or Fruit of any Tree every Grass and Herb which the Earth beare●h at any time i● came undoubtedly out of the Earth by vertue of this Soveraign command of God yea as well the propagation and succession of these as the first Creation cometh from his word for so he said Let the Earth bring forth the Tree bearing fruit after its kind and the Herb bearing Seed after its kind and it was so And therefore give all the glory to Him for these things from whom all things are received by whom the Earth is made fruitfull and yielde●h an encrease Let us lament the unthankfulness the pride and blindness that is among us Do we not murmur many of u● if we have not as much as formerly we had as if now we could plead custome with God and challenge it as a due because we have had it so long as if we could accuse him of with-holding our right when after many years of abundance we are a little stinted and have now somewhat less Is not this great blindness Do we not know that by our fall in Adam we forfeited all our ●ight to these things and that the Lord m●ght justly have fed us no otherwise than some condemned wretches with a poor p●●tance only to prese●ve life that our mise●y might be the greater All our right to these things was but by his free grant this grant was but conditional the condition of this grant we brake where then i● our Plea Are we better than Iacob O Lord I am less than the least of all thy mercies saith he Is not this great pride that Men should think themselves not well used as it were at the hands of God and that they deserve better dealing If thou haddest thy desert whosoever thou art thou haddest felt more misery long agone than any ever felt upon the Earth and this every one may seemingly acknowledge whose heart God hath touched Is it not great unthankfulness thus to requite the Lord because thou hast enjoyed so much plenty heretofore thou shouldest now much the rather with patience endure some scarcity because thou hast received good thou shouldest with more s●bmission bear some evil or want of that measure of good as Iob reasoned with his Wife Nay if many were put to it I am perswaded they could not say in their consciences that ●ver they did pray for this blessing feelingly and effectually and is it not a shame for thee to murmur against the Lord for not giving that which thou never didst effectually ask Nay if we should consider the ho●rible abuse of Gods Creatures by all sorts rich and poor we may justly wonder that the Heavens are not long since hardened into brass and the Earth into Iron against us 3. Among these Plants observe how weeds and other hurtfull things do grow of themselves but the best and most usefull must be carefully planted so sin and corruption springeth naturally out of the evil soyl of our hea●ts but grace and holiness are of the Holy Ghost his Plantation Again barren Trees are cut down by the provident Husbandman that they may not cumber the ground as you see in the Gospel which should move us by bearing fruits unto God To work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling The leaves of an outward profession are not sufficient but to them must be joyned the fruit of a sanctified conversation The Tree and every branch and twig thereof receiveth sap life nourishment from the Root Every true believer receiveth heavenly life and grace from Christ Jesus So long as the Branch is joyned to the Tree and so to the Root it receiveth benefit and refreshment from the Dew and Rain but if it be cut off from the Tree the sweetest showers cannot preserve it from being withered He that is truly united to Christ as a Branch to the Root by the spirit and faith he receiveth benefit growth and spiritual refreshment from the outward meanes of grace the Ministery of the Word and Sacraments But if he be not truly united to him the sweetest dew that ever fell from Heaven cannot keep spiritual life within him on the other side though the Branch doth receive life and nourishment from the Root yet it wanteth refreshment from the showers of Heaven so those Fanatical dreamers are to be condemned who pretend an union with Christ and partaking of his Spirit and therefore brag they have no need of the Word preached or any outward means Again let the renewing of the face of the Earth by these Creatures every Spring put thee in mind of the wonderfull efficacy of God his Word which from the beginning unto this present time hath made the Earth thus fruitfull and let it teach thee to rely upon his truth and promise in other things as well as this CHAP. VI. Meditations on the fourth Days Work SECT 1. FRom the Third I come to the Fourth day which we usually call Wednesday which was the first day that had a Sun to give it light to which were added the Moon to rule the N●gh● and the Stars to attend her which glorious work of a most glorious God should raise our thoughts to some holy meditation 1. Now consider on this Day how that as the Waters which were before dispersed all abroad upon and about the Earth were on the third Day gathered into one store-house called Seas so the light which was before diffused through the huge spaces of the Creation was now as it were drawn together into one Body of the Sun as a full and common treasury Consider here that the Lord who is in himself infinitely more bright than the light it self needed no light in respect of himself and therefore it was for us that he made the light and we should bless him for it so in regard of himself he needed no word nor revelations of heavenly mysteries being infinite in all knowledge and wisdome and therefore it was for us that he gave his Word to be a Light and caused by his Spirit the bright beams of holy truths to be cast abroad into the dark World therefore we may conceive how shamefull our sin and unthankfulness is that we must be entreated to turn our eyes toward this light and to come to Church to hear the Word whereas if need were we should beg a place in the house of God upon our knees rather than go without this light 2. Consider that although the Lord was pleased to give light to the World yet there needed no Sun whereby to do it witness the light of the three first Days wherein no Sun shined so when it pleased the Lord to give the light of Heavenly knowledge to his