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	spirit_n	teach_v	4,010	5	6.5356	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94049	Immanuel, or The church triumphing in God with us. A sermon preached before the right honorable House of Lords, in the Abbey of Westminster; at their publique thanksgiving, November 5th 1644. By John Strickland, B.D. Pastor of the church at St Edmunds in Nevv Sarum. A member of the Assembly of Divines.	Strickland, John, 1600 or 1601-1670.	1644 (1644)	Wing S5971; Thomason E19_15; ESTC R12729	27,641	46

danger that if the Lord had not taken our part if any other had taken our part and not the Lord wee had been ruined Secondly In that God disposeth of the plots and attempts of the Churches enemies contrary to their own purposes many times not onely infatuating their counsells but catching them in their own snare Pontib devolutus est quo● ad religiosi principis paraverat ex●tium Euseb Hist Eccles lib 9. cap. 9. as Maxentius to deceive Constantine and his Army made a false bridge over Tiber where Constantine should passe but forgetting his own treachery he and his own Souldiers passing that way were drowned Wherein the Psalmist thinks the hand of God cannot but be acknowledged Psal 9.15 16. Psal 9.15 16. The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made in the net which they bid is their own foot taken the Lord is knowne by the judgement which he executeth the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands Higgaion Selah He puts as it were an asterist upon this passage such as we find not in any but in this and Ps 92.4 Higgaion Selah which whether it notes a difference in the rune wherein the Psalme was sung as some conceive See Mu●culus he A●sworth 〈◊〉 locum or whether it signifies the fitnesse of the matter for more then ordinary meditation as Junius renders it Rem summè meditandam and some Meditation Selah it imports the eminency of Gods hand when he catcheth the enemies of Gods church in their own craft The Ecclesiasticall History mentions a memorable passage of providence to this purpose toward the good Emperour Theodosius when the enemies had sent a shower of arrowes against him by a sudden and strong wind they were driven back and fell upon the enemies themselves to their own prejudice insomuch that the Poet proclaimes it as an act of Heaven done in love to Theodosius O nimium dilecte Deo C●●●●ian cui militat aethe● Et conjurati veniunt ad classica venti Thirdly In casting the ballance for the Church where the opposition hath been long maintained dubio Marte and when she hath been hard beset with enemies Thus he appeared for the two Tribes and halfe when they made warre with the Hagarites with Jetur and Nephish and Nodab the generations of Ishmael it was not onely brought unto a battell but it seems the two Tribes and half were sore put to it they were driven to cry unto God by prayer even in the battell but at length the Lord took their part and gave them the day 1 Chron. 5.19 20. 1 Chron. 5.19 20. And they were helped against them and the Hagarites were delivered into their hand and all that were with them for they cryed to God in the battell and he was intreated of them because they put their trust in him He did in like manner appeare to take part with Israel against Amalek who were so hardly matcht that they could never prevaile but when the succour of prayer came inn to their ayd that is to say when God was intreated to take their part Exod. 17.11 Exod. 17.11 We have seen the truth let us next look upon the equitie of the point why God should take part with his people Reason 1 First Partly because the things for which wherein the Church is commonly opposed by enemies are such as wherein God himselfe is concerned and usually by such men as are enemies to God as well as to his people the maine occasion that the Princes of Babylon after inquirie could take of persecuting Daniel was something of God as appeares by their consultation Dan. 6.5 Dan. 6.5 Then said these men We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel except we find it against him concerning the law of his God And when the Church in misery would stirre up the Lord to her assistance shee presents this as an argument that shee was persecuted for his sake Psal 44.22 Psal 44.22 For thy sake are we killed all the day In all the persecutions of the Church upon record in Scripture as far as I have observed that which ever stirr'd up the malice of the enemy hath been Divinum aliquid somewhat of God have patience I beseech you to glaunce upon a few particulars That which caused those wicked enemies in the time of Artaxerxes so to envie and oppose the people of God was that they were going about a Temple for the worship of God Ezra 4.1 Ezra 4.1 When the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivitie build●d the Temple unto the Lord God of Israel then the Chancellour the Scribe and a wicked crew took counsell how to weaken their hands and to trouble them as appears in the following verses In the time of Ahasuerus Haman and his confederates persecuted the people of the Jewes for worshipping God according to his own will Esth 3.8 9. Esth 3.8 9. Daniel was persecuted and the Article upon which he was accused was that he prayed three times a day Dan. 6.13 Dan. 6.13 The cause why the Apostles were so hardly handled as to be beaten and for which if Gamaliel had not been their lives should have been taken away was that they preached in the Name of Jesus Christ Act. 5.28 Act. 5.28 And the three Children were by their enemies persecuted into the fiery fornace for no other cause but refusing to break the commandement of God who had forbidden them to worship any image of silver or gold Dan. 3 12. Dan. 3.12 How truly said the Church before For thy sake are wee killed all the day which cannot but be a prevailing argument with God to take their part and therefore David useth it in behalfe of the Church Ps 74.21 22. Psal 74.21 22. O let not the oppressed returne ashamed Arise O God maintaine thine own cause remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily He is ingaged to stand up and maintain the cause wherein his Church suffers She may say as Josephus reports one Herod spake to his souldiers Our cause is just though we be weak and few and where truth and justice is there is God where God is there is both multitude fortitude And as God is ingaged in the Churches cause so is he ingaged against her enemies as being his enemies as well as hers So the Spirit taught the Psalmist to call them Psal 74.4 Psal 74.4 Thine enemies roare in the middest of thy Congregations they set up their Banners for signes Reason 2 Secondly The Text tells us He is the God of Jacob and thereby the Churches refuge in trouble shee is by covenant his peculiar by which covenant he promiseth to have common friends and common enemies with her Gen. 12.3 Gen. 12.3 I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse him that curseth thee He speaketh here after the manner of Kings when they made a mutuall confederacy Sol●nnis

then the God of Jacob more then the God of Isaac shough it might suffice that the Spirit of God is pleased so to speake yet Mr Calvin gives this reason 〈…〉 ●r 〈…〉 is ●●r●●●p●●u●●●●ed mag●●●o●●● 〈…〉 of ●der is um A●●●●●● 〈…〉 Calvin in Isaiam the covenant of grace was more solemnly made publickly ratified with Abraham and Jacob then it was with Isaac and therefore when he will be looked upon as a God in covenant with his people he holds forth himselfe more frequently by the name of the God of Abraham and the God of Jacob then of the God of Isaac albeit somtime he is pleased to take upon him that style also As a common name it carries in the compasse of it all the people of God in those times that were the children of Abraham Isa 14.1 The Lord will have mercy on Jacob and will yet choose Israel ●●a 14.1 and set them in their owne land And by representation it is to be taken for the Church and people of God in all ages with her he is in covenant So that this phrase the God of Jacob doth import the neere interest that is between God and his Church by covenant which makes her thus triumph in him the God of Jacob. Our refuge Our refuge or strong hold where the Church as a Ship in quiet haven may anchor ride safe or it may be a metaphor from the dennes or burroughes where weaponlesse creatures find shelter when they are hunted and pursued by their enemies Pro. 30.26 as Prov. 30.26 The conies are but a feeble folk yet make they their houses in the rockes They are safe in the rock if they can get thither tho never so weak in themselves So the Church though pursued by bloudy enemies and though weak in her self if yet she get under the wing of the God of Jacob she may be fearlesse for she is safe there he is our refuge The sense of all together is briefly thus That God who by a Soveraigne power hath every creature at his command is effectually with us by a speciall presence of his providence whereby he will not onely ayd us in time of opposition and desend us in time of danger but fight for us and destroy our enemies And this he will not faile to doe for ever because he is ingaged to us by an everlasting covenant of his own free grace In the sense and experience of this the Church cannot choose but break out again and again in this joyfull ditty The Lord of hosts is with us the God of Jacob c. The words thus opened with relation to ver 6. where the church had experience of God with her when her enemies rose up in rage against her offer this point In times of opposition God sides with his Church Doct. 1 and takes part with his people against their enemies With assurance of this truth the Lord incouraged Israel to go out against their enemies to battell Deut. 20.3 4. Deut. 20.3 4. He appointed the Priest when they came nigh unto the battell to say Heare O Israel you approach this day unto battell against your enemies let not your hearts faint feare not and doe not tremble neither be yee terrified because of them for the Lord your God is he that goeth with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you Which promise though it was made to Israel only in the time of their warres concerned the Church in succeeding ages being hereditary to Israel in the mystery as well as to Israel in the letter As may appear in that David long after in his experiēce found this promise verified in Gods rising up with him against the enemies of the Church in his time that opposed his kingdome government whereby he was so much incouraged Psal 118. ● 7 Psal 118.6 7. The Lord is on my side I will not ●eare what can man doe unto me the Lord taketh my part with them that help me therefore shall I see my desire on them that ●ate me 〈…〉 Mu●●u●●● in lo●●●● He was I say so much herewith incouraged Ut de eo considentèr gloriatur fuerat enim id saepenumero ●e ipsa expertu● saith one He glorieth in it against all his enemies were they never so many and his helpers never so few This advantage of having God to take his part raised up his spirit above all the odds that were between him and the uncircumcised Goliah and it is notable to observe what a description of God David sets before the eye of his faith when he was to enter the lists with that Philistim 1 Sam. 17.45 1 Sam. 17.45 Thou comest to me with a sword and with a speare and with a shield but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts the God of the armies of Israel whom thou hast defied he sets God forth in his soveraigntie over all creatures whereby he commands and rules over enemies and in his relation to the Church whereby he stands ingaged to assist and maintain those that stand up in her cause which David looks upon as more then all those weapons * Pro istis omn●bus unū tantum te●um hab●o sed m●ximi pond●●is n●me Do●●i Peter Martyr that Goliah brought into the field against him for God will not faile to use both the one and the other as the Church in her need shall require he will bridle her enemies by divisiō if there be no other way to restrain them and he will send from heaven to keep them play if there want humane help to manage her cause against them See Calvin on place Of both which we may see an experiment when Cambyses became a Persian scourge unto the Church the Lord sends first a single Angel then Michael the Prince to divert him and in after-ages he raised up the Prince of Graecia to oppose the Persian lest he should have oppressed the Church with his might Dan. 10.13.20 21. Gods fiding with his Church appears in three things Dan. 10.13.20 21. And as this is a truth in it selfe so the Lord is pleased to manifest it by the Churches experience in three things First In that God upholds his Church and people from ruine in the middest of destructive miseries as the bush that burned and was not consumed and against the cruelties of men which are skilfull to destroy in whom many times there wants not either malice or power This the Church acknowledged with all thankfulnesse Ps 124.1 2 3. Psal 124.1 2 3. in reference unto those manifold insurrections which the heathen made against the Church not onely in the time of David If it had not been the Lord who was on our side now may Israel say if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us Such were our enemies and such our

with him in behalf of the Church and thereupon he should be invincible Josh 1.5 Josh 1.5 There shall not any man he able to stand before thee all the dayes of thy life as I was with Moses so will I be with thee By vertue of this presence the instruments of the Churches help are instruments in Gods hand which puts upon them such a majestie and furnisheth them with such a power as that nothing dare or can stand in their way When God will use the poorest creature as an instrument in his hand either of mercy or justice it is exceedingly set up in esteem though otherwise in it self it be but contemptible and by making them so dreadfull the Lord powres out a spirit of feare and amazement upon the enemies of the Church who when they see the presence of God in and with his servants cannot stand before them Which made the Psalmist so earnest with the Lord by prayer to arise and shew himself Psal 68.1 2. Psal 68.1 2. Let God arise let his enemies be scattered let them also that hate him flee before him As smoak is driven away so drive them away as wax melteth before the sire so let the wicked perish at the presence of God So it was with the Aegyptians when once they perceived Gods presence with Israel they were presently routed and took it their best course to flee Exod. 14.25 Exod. 14.25 Let us flee from the face of Israel for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians So it was also with the enemies of the Church that ver 6. of this Psalme rose up in rage against her the Lord did no sooner declare himselfe to be for the Church by uttering his voyce but as wax melteth before the fire they melted the earth melted Vse 1 1. Hence they must needs be concluded enemies to the Church of England that would have bereaved her of such a precious priviledge in driving away Gods presence from her such a generation of men there were among us that by compliances with Idols and Idolatry went about to drive God away and yet bore up themselves as the onely friends and patrons of the Church of England What consistence can there be between the Ark and Dagon What concord between God and Idols By their cursed innovations the glory was even departing from our Israel and the Church of England made even like Jerusalem when the glory of the Lord was upon the threshold to depart Ezek. 9.3 Ezek. 9.3 The glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the Cherub whereupon he was to the threshold of the house a sad praeludium saith Calvin of his departure indeed for though it returned from the threshold of the house and stood over the Cherubims againe Ezek. 10.18 as loth to depart Ezek. 11.23 yet Ezek. 11.23 at length the glory of the Lord went not onely to the threshold of the house but unto the middest of the Citie and from the middest of the city to the tops of the mountains How far the state of our Church hath run parallel to those tragical dispensations in Jerusalem I leave to your wise observations but sure I am Gods presence both of grace in his Ordinances and of providence in our State-affaires which hath been heretofore the glory of our Land was not long since in a departing posture upon the threshold with us God was weary of our new Moons and Sabbaths and the calling of our Assemblies he could not smell in our solemn feasts our sacrifices were an abomination to him through the noysomness of those corruptions which Hophni and Phinehas superstitious and wicked men in the Priesthood mingled with them yea look what made the Lord forsake the Tabernacle of Shilo where he had placed his Named Psa 78.58 60. Psal 78.58 60. the same was found in the middest of us They provoked God to anger with their high places and moved him to jealousie with their graven Images whereby they have caused the Lord so far to forsake us that as the Prophet speaketh Here is a great forsaking in the midst of the land and the Church as a man in deliquio Isa 6.12 by the conflicts of truth and error is brought to that passe Ut nec morbum ferre potest nec remedium shee faints under our hands while you the Physicians of Church and State are about the cure and the spring of our present miseries in the Church was the late corruption and tyrannie of those in the Ministery that lorded it over Gods heritage their Popish setting up the power of nature and depressing the grace of God in matters of salvation formerly hath begotten a sleighting of all inherent sanctification and a scorning of all duties of obedience to the Law in these dayes under pretext of setting up the free grace of God their pressing men with such rigour to conformity hath begotten an humour of separation from all order and uniformity in our Church I might shew the like in other evills of errours and divisions now among us whereby confusion is threatned both to the Church and State and which and many mischieves of another kind have been occasioned by them Vse 2 2. Let us learn to improve this truth to the best advantage of our Church and State both by labouring to get God an interest of presence in our counsels and in our armies surely it will both secure us in time of danger and make the Church for ever invincible If God be with us saith the Apostle Rom. 8.31 who can be against us the danger of our times the malice of our enemies How the consideration of Gods presence with the Church may be improved at present to a fourfold advantage of our Church and the distractions of our selves call upon us earnestly to such indeavour and also by taking the advantage and opportunity of Gods presence with us to carry on the publike work of Church and Stage-reformation against all opposition with more life and cheerfulnesse for which purpose wee may make a fourfold advantage of Gods presence with us 1. It may incourage men to stand up and heighten their spirits in standing for the Churches cause that Gods presence with the Church makes her so impregnable if the Lord in former times did but lift up an ensign if he did but hisse the nations from far and they from the ends of the earth would come with speed swiftly to the work of the Lord Isa 5.26 how much more should a people that are not strangers Isa 5.29 be incouraged to come with speed swiftly to the work of the Lord when hee hath not only lift up an Ensign and given a Eanner to them that feare him that it might be displayed because of the truth Psal 60.4 but also hee himselfe stands up and having girded his sword upon his thigh Psal 60.4 with his glory and with his majesty will goe before them therein to be with to fight for them Gideon