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	paul_n	pillar_n	3,773	5	10.4418	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91899	Safe conduct, or The saints guidance to glory. Opened in a sermon preached at Dunstans in the East London. November the second, MDCLIV. At the funerall of the vertuous and religious gentlewoman, Mris. Thomasin Barnardiston, late wife of Mr. Samuel Barnardiston, merchant. / By Ralph Robinson, pastor of Mary Wolnoth, Lumbardstreet, London.	Robinson, Ralph, 1614-1655.	1655 (1655)	Wing R1711; Thomason E823_7; ESTC R203376	61,656	101

they cannot make their way towards any good object with that speedy and direct course they desire David a man after Gods own Psa 119. ult heart had his swarvings deviations Eliah a holy prophet of God was sometimes found as a bird wandring from her nest what dost thou here Eliah Peter and Barnabas 1 King 19. 9. two stars of the first magnitude one of them at least an Apostle of Jesus Christ both of them Pillars in Gods Church were reprehended by Paul for not walking uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel Abraham 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 G●l 2. 14. the righteous man the father of the faithful was through carnall fear turned twice out of the way of God Noah an upright man in a perverse generation had his turnings a side hee beganne to be an Gen 9. 20. 21. husbandman and planted a vineyard and hee drunk of the wine and was drunken he was uncovered within his Tent. Beleevers though they be more then men yet they are still men and because they are men they may be over taken The Apostle supposeth this and therfore gives advice to such as stand how to recover them that are fallen Brethren if a man be overtaken Gal 6. 1. Opened in a fault yee which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse In this Text wee are taught these three lessons First The difference between the sins of the godly and the wicked The wicked man over 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 takes sinne the godly man is overtaken by sinne the wicked man runnes after sinne as men runne after a prey though sin runne from him yet will hee follow it the godly runne away from sinne as men do from their enemies they would be glad to flee out of the reach and out of the sight of it the wicked man prevents sinne the godly man is prevented by sinne Secondly It teacheth us that the best of saints being but frail men are liable to these sinful surprisals Quod cuiquam cuivis that which befalls one Saint may befall every Saint Thirdly It teacheth us that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Vos qui Spiritus virtute sustinemini Beza in Loc. by the power of Gods Spirit that any Saints are preserved from these falls The Apostle calls those that stand Spiritual men because it is by the strength of the Spirit that they are upheld True Beleevers have so much acquaintance with their own hearts that they know if a strong temptation assault them they shall miscarry if God leave them and therefore they have cause to be so earnest with God for his guidance And this the rather because 2 They know they are not able to be Guides to themselves 2 They cannot guide themselves or to preserve themselves from wandering Gods people are a Generation of Self-distrusters they dare adventure upon God without hesitancy in all Cases be they never so difficult they dare not depend upon themselves in any thing though never so facile and feasible they have read that text which Jer. 10. 23 tells them That the way of man is not in himself that it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps This they beleeve to be the Word of God and therefore dare not rest upon their own counsel They have studied Gods All-sufficiency and the experience they have of their own frailty causeth them to acknowledge Self-insufficiency for any Spiritual undertaking All Beleevers pray also that Prayer daily Domine libera me a meipso Lord deliver me from my self They know every man is vanity but of all vain men they beleeve themselves to be most vain They have learned from Solomon that He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool and their own Prov. 28. 26. experience is to them a Commentary on that text Of all Deceivers they have found their own hearts most deceitful and therefore dare not commit themselves to the guidance of such Traitors The people of God know that he that will be a Self-guider shall really prove a Self-destroyer the sense of Self-impotency makes them fly to God for the guidance of his Counsel And that especially because Thirdly They know and are perswaded that God 3 Gods Counsel is a sufficient guide is able sufficiently to guide them It is grown into a Theological Proverb They are well kept whom God keeps they shall be exactly guided whom the great God will please to guide Hold thou me up saith the Kingly Prophet and I shall be safe There is no safety Psa 119. 117 without Gods support and when God will put under his hand there is no fear of falling That you may see how fit the Counsel of God is for this work of Spiritual guidance it will be needful to say something particularly of the nature of the Word of God of the Spirit of God and of the Providence of God which I shewed you the Psalmist hath reference to in this expression of Gods Counsel First The Word of God is in every respect fit for The Word of God a fit guide this work of guiding the Children of Men while they are Sojourners in this world This will appear if the following properties of it be well studied As First It is a plain word The Papists that they may 1 It s plain have some colourable pretext for that Sacrilegious sin of forbidding the common people to read the Scriptures Censur Coloni ens p. 1117. Vid. Gerh. loc Com. de Script Sac. cap. 20. charge them with obscurity Omnia singula quae in Scriptur is comprehensa sunt tantis obvoluta sunt obscuritatibus ut ne Doct●ssimi quidem certam cognitionem inde colligere possint nisi eam aliunde mutuentur All and every thing contained in the Scriptures say they is so dark and obscure that they that are most learned cannot draw any certain Conclusions from thence unless they have assistance from some other hand they mean unless they be helped by unwritten traditions One of them Blasphemously enough calls the Holy Scriptures N●sum Canis in oper Catech. p. 44. cereum A Nose of Wax which doth not give any certain knowledge but may be bowed to any Exposition according as he that interprets pleaseth Whatever these ha●ers of the Word of God affirm it is very evident that the Scriptures are perspicuous and plain especially in those things which are of absolute necessity to be known and beleeved for Salvation Though some things are hard to be understood which therefore they 2 Pet. 3 16. that are unlearned and unstable wrest unto their own destruction as the Apostle speaks yet all things that are necessary to be done or beleeved for Salvation are so plain that he that runs may read them If any thing be more obscurely delivered in one place it is fairly interpreted in another place The Commandement saith Solomon Prov. 6. 23. is a Lamp and the

a guide to lead them in the way to true happinesse The Spirit of God Lorinus in Loc. Calvin in Loc. Isa 59. 21. Secondly The Spirit of God So some expound it of the spirit of Counsell and judgement The Spirit and the word must not be separated in this work of guiding These two are usually put together My spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth They do not speak as the Oracles of God who divide between the Spirit of God and the word Those that boast of the Spirit and reject the word they set up their own vain imaginations instead of the Spirit of God By the word of God wee know the mind of the Spirit and by the work of the Spirit wee feel the efficacy of the word The word of God shews us the way and the Spirit of God leads us in that way which the word points out The Holy Ghost is called the Mind of God or which is the same the Mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2. 16. because hee is the Churches interpreter to declare unto it the meaning of God in the word The work of divine guidance is attributed to the Spirit therefore Isa 63. 11. 12. 13 14. as well as to the word Where is hee that put his holy spirit within him That led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm That led them through the deep as an horse in the Wildernesse that they should not stumble As a beast goeth down into the valley the spirit of the Lord caused him to rest God made Moses a guide to Israel but it was the Spirit of God that guided Moses It was the holy Ghost that instructed Moses to lead the people and it was the divine power of the Holy Ghost that over-ruled the people and made them willing to submit to his guidance The Apostle ascribes this Office to the Spirit As many as are led Rom. 8. 14. by the Spirit of God they are the sonns of God Jesus Christ purchased the Holy Ghost and sent him down from heaven after his own ascension to be the eternall guide of his Church and therefore he tels his sorrowing Disciples that when hee was come hee would lead them into all Truth The word is Gods Counsell Joh. 16. 13. to discover the path in which wee are to walk the Spirit is the Counsell of God that teacheth us how to walk in that path The Scripture is a Rule before Isa 30. 21. us to shew us where wee must go the Spirit is a word behind us to enable us to go according to the direction of that word The word of God is the compass by which wee are to shape our course the Spirit is the great Pilot that steers us in that course Wee have no eyes to see the word till the Spirit inlighten them wee have no ears to hear the word till the Spirit open them we have no hearts to obey the word till the Spirit bow and incline them Thirdly The wise providence of God I find 3 The providence of God some Expositors that do so understand the Text of that directing providence whereby the people of God are conducted while they are on earth The providence of God is often called the Eye of God or in the plurall number the Eyes of God because of the manifold workings of it By these watchfull eyes are the servants of God guided in all the revolutions and turnings of this world I will guide thee with my eye Psa 32. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Hebrew word which is there translated guide is from the very same root with that which is in the Text rendred counsel The guidance of Gods counsel and the guidance of his providence are one and the same thing This Eye of God is never withdrawn from the righteous but is continually fixed upon them for their preservation and defence These eyes of providence run to and fro throughout the whole earth to take care of and to make speciall provision for all Gods Psa 34. 15. Elect. The actings of divine providence are not only for the supplying of the Saints in their necessities but for the preserving of them from wandrings and for the reducing of them when they do wander The Starre of providence is usefull for the guiding of the saints feet as well as the Starre of Scripture Thus I have opened the first particular what is comprehended in this expression Gods Counsel it refers to the word of God to the Spirit of God to the Providence of God Secondly Why the people of God do so passionately desire this divine guidance These prayers are Why the godly desire this guidance grounded upon very solid reasons I shall reduce them briefly to these three First They know they are lyable to wander and therefore want a guide It s said of the wicked that 1 They are apt to winder they love to wander Jer. 14. 10. they are never better pleased with themselves than when they walk in some path that is displeasing to God To provoke God is a pastime and sport to a gracelesse heart when they do evil then they rejoyce they have such a setled Jer. 11. 15. enmity in their hearts against the holy commandement that they delight in their walking contrary to it This cannot be spoken of any godly man Every true saint can heartily say Amen to that holy breathing of Psa 119. 10. David O let mee not wander from thy Commandements Godly men do with their minds serve the law of God even when with their flesh they serve the law of sin Rom. 7. ult But though they do not take pleasure in their wandrings yet they are apt to wander and that both in point of judgement and in point of practise The Psalmist doth ingenuously acknowledg that his feet Vers 2. were almost gone his steps had well nigh slipt Had not God come in to his assistance hee had both stumbled and fallen Beleevers have flesh in them as well as Rom. 7. 23. spirit they have a law in their members warring against the law of their Minds though they have sincerity of grace yet they have not perfection of grace though their hearts are set heavenward yet they have a clog of corruption that weighs them down towards the earth unruly and unbridled affections by their violent motions turn them too often out of the way It was the sad complaint of one which may be the complaint of every good man Libenter bonus esse vellem sed cogitationes meae non patiuntur The Apostle tels us the English of it by his own experience I find that when I would do good evil is present with mee Rom 7. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 1. 21. Our affections which are the wings of the soul are so blinded with that superfluity of naughtinesse which is in us that

Law is Light If any Doctrin of faith if any precept for Life and manners abide obscure to us it is not because the Scriptures are dark but because our understandings are blinde or because through slothsulness we neglect to use those Spiritual keys of Prayer Meditation comparing one text with another which God hath appointed as helps to unlock the meaning of his Word All the words Prov. 8. 9. of Wisdom are right to them that finde knowledge and plain to him that understandeth He is either grosly ignorant or desperately envious that chargeth the Word of God at least in the principal Doctrins thereof with obscurity God who is the great Master both of Understanding and Language knows how to speak plainly that the meanest capacity may be edified The Sun in the Firmament doth not shine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost with more clearness than the Sun of the Scriptures doth to those that do not wilfully shut their eyes against it Whatsoever is necessary is plain evident perspicuous to him that desires understanding This makes it fit to be a guide Secondly It is a perfect word there is nothing 2 It is perfect needful to be beleeved for Salvation nothing necessary to be done but it is to be found in the Holy Scriptures either in express tearms or by necessary deduction and consequence All false ways are here discovered all Sins are here forbidden all Holiness is here commanded The Prophet David tells us that The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul Psal 19. 7. and the Apostle saith that All Scripture is given by inspiraetion of God c. That the Man of God may be perfect 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. throughly furnished unto all good works and therefore is a Curse denounced against those that either adde or take away any thing from it Revel 22. 18 19. The Scripture is profitable for Doctrin for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness as the Apostle speaks and therefore perfect It proceeds from a most perfect voluntary cause and therefore must needs be exactly every way perfect The Church of God needs not the help of any unwritten mouldy Traditions to compleat the Holy Scriptures of truth We are not commanded to beleeve Human Traditions or the Doctrins of men but such things as are promulged and written by the Prophets and Apostles Those that argue without the Scriptures do but tye Ropes of Sand such Arguments have no strength in them Ego vocem magni pastoris inquiro saith Austin Lege mihi hoc de Prophetâ recita de lege Aug. lib. de pastore cap. 14. recita de Evangelio recita de Apostolo I enquire what the great Shepherd saith read me such things out of the Writings of the Prophets rehearse out of the Law out of the Evangelists out of the Writings of the Apostles whatever is not according to the Law and the Testimony is to be rejected as that that hath no light in it As the Word of God is a pure Word so it is a perfect Word because of its perfection it is fit to be a Guide Thirdly It is a sure Word it is infallible The Apostle speaking of the written Word saith We have 3 It is sure a more sure word of Prophecy whereunto yee do well that yee take heed He had been discoursing of that voyce 2 Pet. 1. 19. which came down from Heaven at the transfiguration of Christ in the Holy Mount and yet he saith That the word of Prophecy which God hath put into the hands of the Church is a more sure guide than that he doth not say a more true Word for that voyce came from the excellent glory but a more sure word All 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revelations are to be tried by the written word of Prophecy The Apostle commands us to try the Spirits 1 Job 4. 1. We have no other standard to try any Doctrins which men pretend to bee from the Spirit but the Word of God which we are sure was indited by the Spirit and because it is the breathing and inspiration of the holy Spirit it must needs bee infallible as the Spirit is And it is a sure word in regard of the stability of it as well as the infallibility of it it is a Word that abides for ever It is Davids comfortable meditation For ever O Lord thy Psal 119. 89. Word is setled in heaven The Mountains may fail and the Hills may be removed but the Word of God stands fast for ever Thy testimonies O Lord are very sure Psal 93. 5. The Church and People of God have no other foundation for the assurance of their Salvation but the unchangeableness of Gods Nature and the certainty of his Word and being a sure Word it is fit to be a guide Fourthly It is an Uniform word The Holy ● It is uniform Scripture is in all things constant and like to it self There is no discord or jarring but a sweet Harmony and concord in all tho●e blessed writings some appearing disagreement there may seem to be but no real contradiction He that compares one place with another shall finde a sweet consent in all That there is any shadow of dissent between one text and another ariseth not from any dissimilitude of Scripture to it self but from the Readers ignorance or unexperiencedness in the word of righteousness That which is forbidden by one Prophet is forbidden by another that which is enjoyned by the Prophets is enjoyned by the Apostles in their writings The Apostle Paul proves his Doctrin concerning the Messiah out of the Prophets and out of Moses he said No other things than those which the Prophetss and Moses did say should come And the Apostle Peter in that excellent Acts 26. 22. 23. Sermon which he preached to Cornelius and his Friends shews how unanimous the Prophets were in their Writings about that Doctrin To him give all Acts 10. 43. the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins And hereby indeed it appears that the Scriptures are of Divine authority because there is such a perfect harmony in them Though they were penned by several men at several times and these distant one from another not advising or conferring one with another yet they often speak the very same words and always when they write of one subject the same sense without the least contradiction which is an unquestionable Argument to prove that they were dictated unto them by the same Spirit And because of this consent they are fit to be the Beleevers guide And as the Word of God is so fit for this work so Secondly The Spirit of God is a fit Guide This will evidently appear by the ensuing considerations The Spirit of God a fit Gu●de because 1 The Spirit makes the word plain First The Spirit of God is able to expound the VVord of God and to make it plain