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	infallible_a	scripture_n	4,003	5	6.5835	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65949	Safety in war, or, The infallible artillery of a kingdom, fleet or army in sermons unto Their Majesties forces by sea and land / by John Whittel ...	Whittel, John.	1692 (1692)	Wing W2042; ESTC R38612	29,317	34

Solemn Fast Days and wrestle with God by Prayer as Jacob did with the Angel and not let him go until he had blessed us and our Forces I would to God I could prevail with you all for to consider the case of the Murmuring complaining unbelieving Israelites and so to be warn'd and repent For doth not the Apostle tell us in most plain Words That these things happened unto the Israelites for Examples and are Written for our Admonition upon whom the ends of the World are come Mark That we should not be Idolaters as were some of them That we should not commit Fornication as did some of them and fell in one Day three and twenty Thousand That we should not swear or take the Name of God in vain as did some of them and were destroyed of the destroyer That we should not have in us evil Hearts of unbelief and so provoke the Majesty of Heaven to refuse to go forth with our Hosts 1 Cor. 10. 6. to 12. There are three Vices or Sins especially above all others noted by Historians which bring danger and publick Punishment and Calamity unto a Kingdom or People viz. Ungodliness Injustice and Luxuriousness Ungodliness troubleth the Church Injustice the vulgar People and Luxuriousness private Families And the hurt in special redounds to the whole Nation Therefore Salmoxes Counsel is not amiss saying that these Things should by all means be avoided by every one that fears God namely Sluggishness from the Body Ignorance from the Mind Gluttony from the Belly Sedition and Faction from the Church and Nation Discord from the Family Disloyalty and Treachery from the Governours and Government Intemperance from all things and above all other Sin and Iniquity from every true Christian Oh that these Rules were but generally followed and practis'd throughout our whole Nation that so the everlasting Father of Lights might prosper us in our Labours and Arms. But let me address my self in a more especial manner unto you who are gone forth to warr against the Enemy You have heard here how the People of Israel provoked the infinite Majesty of Heaven and Earth to Wrath by their evil Ways and sinful Actions and caused the most Great and Terrible God who was their Helper and Defender to depart from them and leave them to the will of their Enemies insomuch that they were smitten of them sundrie times Oh! that this may be a warning unto all from the highest to the lowest And an effectual argument to prevail with every one of you both Officers and Souldiers for to leave off your most horrid Oaths your prophane Speeches your dissolute Actions your intemperate drinkings c. And to give your selves wholly unto the contrary Virtues As to the denying all Ungodliness and Worldly Lusts And to live soberly Righteously and Godly the remainder of your Days And if you do thus then you may justly hope for the Blessing of God Almighty upon your endeavours and upon good Ground expect to prosper in that employment whereunto ye are called But if you still do wickedly If you still continue in Sin and disobey the Commandments of God Can you reasonably think that the Lord of Hosts will abide with you or take your part against the Enemy Oh no he is a most just and Holy God who will by no means clear the guilty But will execute the fierceness of his Wrath against you until he hath destroyed you from off the Face of the Earth and blotted out your Names from under Heaven We have the Testimony of the Holy Ghost for this and many examples in the Sacred Scriptures As the old World which was drown'd Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven The Galileans on whom the Tower of Siloam fell c. And then in Prophane History we Read that in the third Year after that Pompey had won Jerusalem Valerius Gracchus being President of Judea a certain Jew came to the Senate of Rome for to complain of the grievances and injustice done in that Country by their Magistrates c. And among other expressions he spake thus O Learned Fathers O happy People your Blessed Destinies that favour'd you and our angry God who hath forsaken us for our Sins hath now made the famous Metropolitan City of Jerusalem once the Commander of all Asia and Mother of the Jews Subject and Servant unto Rome and to you Romans Great indeed was the Courage and Power of Pompey and great was his Army that overcame us But I will tell you much greater was the Wrath and Fury of our God And without comparison the Number of our Sins for which we have deserved to be utterly overthrown It is worthy to be noted by you all that whatsoever People or Nation Fleet or Army doth press the Lord down most with the Weight and Burden of Sin That Nation or People shall be sure to feel most of Gods heavy Hand upon it Amos 2. 13. And thus the Justice of the most High will perform for it is gone out of his Lips and he cannot Reverse it That he will render unto a People according to its deservings Therefore it highly concerns the whole Nation in general and you of the Fleet and Army in particular for to give Glory to the Lord our God before he cause Darkness of Calamity or Captivity and before our Feet Stumble upon the Dark Mountains and while we look for Light Lest he turn it into the Shadow of Death and make it gross Darkness Jer. 13. 16. The Prophets meaning is thus according to Bishop Tayler upon it Repent of all your Wickedness before the Almighty come to search and find us out by his heavy Judgments And that while we have time and opportunity afforded us And this is the only means through the Blood of Jesus Christ for to appease Divine Wrath Revel 16. 9. And they repented not to give Glory to God Oh let us all then be perswaded to break off all our Sins by Righteousness for it may be a lengthening of our Happiness and an Infallible Means to cause the Lord to destroy our Enemies Rebel not ye against c. Secondly that God only is the best and safest defence of his Church against her Adversaries And this Truth may appear 1 From the Attributes and Titles of God in the Holy Scriptures and 2 By the manifold deliverances of his Church and People in all Ages of the World First from the Attributes and Titles of God He is most Holy and therefore in the first place we may with great safety trust in him and rely on his Word and Promise for help in time of trouble and he will deliver us For this is no mean Comfort unto his Church that the Lord is Righteous in all his Ways and Holy in all his Works And therefore he will not forsake a Holy Nation nor a Repenting Praying People He never leaves off a Kingdom unto it self until it first leaveth him by unholyness and filthy conversation and

unbelieving Hearts do not hinder him Be warn'd then by the Example of the Spies ye false Reporters and ye Murmurers and Complainers by the Israelites lest you provoke the most-high God to Anger and make him swear in his Wrath That none of you all which have either seen with your Eyes or heard with your Ears the many great Deliverances which the Lord of Hosts hath wrought for this Kingdom before our time but more especially not many years since by the Hands of our most gracious K. William that mighty Prince of Valour whom the Lord hath raised up for to be a Deliverer of his reform'd Church shall ever be so happy as to live to see or hear of Mercy and Truth met together and Righteousness and Peace to embrace each other in all parts of Europe Oh be asham'd and blush ye false Reporters and causless and unjust Murmurers and Complainers and give the Lord the Praises due unto his most holy Name and render unto the King the Honour and Obedience which is due unto his Majesty who hath graciously given you your Lives for a Prey when as ye were appointed as Sheep to the Slaughter Good God! Wherefore doth a living Man now complain Whereas not long since you would willingly have given all that you had for your Lives and Safety And do ye now grudg to pay a little Mony towards the War Is it possible that Christians should be thus ungrateful and forget their Danger so soon and be willing to return again into Egypt I mean Are you willing to be reduc'd to Popery Slavery and Arbitrary Power again Or rather to be in subjection to French Dragoons God forbid Search then and try your ways and meddle no more with our blessed Governors and Government which does not concern you But busie your Heads about your own Occasions and turn thus again unto the Lord And then we have no cause to fear but that God even our own God shall give this Kingdom his Blessing God shall bless their Majesties and their Forces and prosper their Arms both by Sea and Land and all the ends of the World shall fear him because they shall see or hear of the mighty Salvation which he hath wrought for his Church and People Secondly This may caution and admonish the whole Nation in general but in a more especial manner you that belong to the Fleet or Army in this most deceitful Age of ours for to take heed and beware of all disaffected and treacherous Persons which have no fear of God before their Eyes and therefore will make it no scruple of Conscience to start aside from their Duty and Allegiance unto their present Majesties like a deceitful Bow upon the first occasion And let me declare my Mind freely and tell you That I am persuaded there are not a few who have listed themselves in this present Service both by Sea and Land on meer purpose as Joab speaks of Abner to King David 2 Sam. 3. 25. to deceive their Majesties and to know their going out and their coming in and to know all that they do and what Forces they have by Sea and Land in a readiness and then to inform the Enemy therewith the first opportunity And therefore I may boldly say you that are gone forth to War cannot be too circumspect and diligent in searching the Minds and Hearts of all those employed in the Service And to further you herein we beseech the great Searcher of all Hearts and Tryer of the Reins for to discover all evil and disaffected Persons and private Traytors daily both by Sea and Land that so they may be put to Shame and Confusion And we will heartily pray That the everlasting Arms may be underneath their Majesties King William and Queen Mary that they may be compass'd about with the Favour and Protection of the Almighty and prosper in all their ways But let all their Enemies O our God fall down and flee before them and their Arms Amen What can Rebels expect at the Hands of the Immortal King which is immutable and most faithful But that he should command such unfaithful Persons to be bound Hand and Foot and cast among their Fellows the Apostate Angels there to be kept in everlasting Chains under Darkness and to dwell with devouring Fire and everlasting Burnings For the terrible and most holy God declares to us That he equally abhors both the Blood thirsty and deceitful treacherous Man And wise Solomon tells us That whoso provoketh the King to Wrath and is deceitful to him Sins against his own Soul Prov. 20. 2. He means thus That the Soul of a Traytor shall suffer in the World to come altho' his Body may escape it here on Earth For be it known unto all Men That a King that rules in the fear of the Lord and according to the Truth of his holy Word can never be honour'd or obey'd enough by his Subjects and ought to be priz'd as dear unto that Kingdom as the Eye to the Body and is as necessary for its Prosperity as the Sun is to the Firmament which gives both Light and Life and makes all the Earth become fruitful That Counsel of Vegetius unto a Prince is not to be despised What you have to do confer with many what ye will do with very few or none but your own self For there are no better Counsels than those which the Enemy knoweth not before they are put in Execution But to speak to you that are employ'd by their Majesties in this Holy War Let me charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the Elect Angels for to hold fast your Loyalty your Allegiance and Obedience unto our gracious King and Queen without wavering And make it one part of your business for to provoke one another daily thereunto now in these evil Days above all other times and so much the more as you see or hear of the hour of Battel approaching Wherein I I question not but the strong God will manifest his great Power and mighty Arm unto the World and especially against your Enemies in your behalf if you do but trust in him and call upon him duly by Prayer But in the next place as this ought to caution and admonish every one in the whole Nation to beware of disaffected Persons and Traytors So in a more peculiar manner to take good heed of provoking the most-high God to Anger against us or our Hosts by our unrepented of and unmortified Sins We know that Righteousness exalteth a Nation but Sin is a Reproach to any People And for it the Land it self mourns and the Fleet and Army is in no small danger because the weight of our National Transgressions do out-weigh others I am affraid in the Ballance of the Sanctuary Oh that all persons then from the highest to the lowest would but seriously turn to God with Fasting Weeping and Mourning Oh that the whole Nation would but be of one Mind and Heart upon our