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	true_a	world_n	4,846	5	4.9933	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56794	Sheba's conspiracy and Amasa's confederacy, or, A modest vindication of the national association entred into by the Honorable House of Commons, Feb. 25th, 1695 being a sermon preach'd in the parish-church of St. James Clarkenwell, March 29th / by D. Pead ...	Pead, Deuel, d. 1727.	1696 (1696)	Wing P964; ESTC R3632	17,091	32

the Throne of Israel and this I will do first by making some remarks on the Person remov'd and next considering some things extraordinary in the Person placed in his room 1. That which might have quieted Sheba and his Tribe was The Person Abdicated viz. Saul was removed for his Disobedience against the positive Commands of God The Scriptures are silent as concerning Saul's behaviour while a private person and if we may suppose him them tractable and obedient his new Honour made a wonderful Alteration but some have got so much King-craft that they can disguise their natural Tempers and dissemble better till such time as they judge they may disclose their own without controul For 1 Sam. 10.1 he was anointed V. 8. he receives command by the same hand that anointed him to go down to Gilgal and there stay seven days where Samuel would come down and offer Burnt-offerings Sacrifice and Sacrifices of Peace-offerings and shew him what he shall do notwithstanding this Order and Promise Saul fearing the Approach of the Philistines presumes upon an Office to which he was not call'd he will stay no longer but turn Priest and offer Sacrifice observe as light a matter as he counted it Samuel tells him 1 Sam. 13.13 that it was a foolish Act and he had thereby broken the Commandment of the Lord His fear of the Philistines could not justifie his distrust of God's help nor would the Devotion of his Sacrifice atone for the breach of God's Command He should have been as zealous to obey as willing to be Anointed It is great fondness to believe that God who requires Obedience from those of low degree should hold such excused whom he hath placed in the most eminent Stations God's Rule of Exspectance bears proportion to to the measure of his Liberality and consequently every Act of Disobedience in such Personages appears the more heinous even from the greatness of that Honour to which they are exalted Saul's Charge was 1 Sam. 15.3 to destroy Amalek I confess the Tenour of the Commission might something terrifie him because it was so general for neither Age Sex Degree or Quality Man or Beast was excepted yet ought he not so long to have pondered the thing in hand as to forget his Obligation if Nature represented his Obedience as cruel and sanguine Grace should have reminded him of His uncontroulable Authority who had given him this in charge and then he had soon understood the greatest Cruelty would have been to himself in suspending the Execution However Saul wanted not other Arguments to have satisfy'd the Relentings of Nature as that they were gross Idolaters and moreover as God was pleas'd to acquaint him they had deilt very barbarously when time was with Israel and therefore he should have concluded that seeing God's time of Vengeance was come and that God had deputed him to that Office he must by no means decline it or be partial in the Execution Peradventure Covetousness might solicit in behalf of Agag propounding a plentiful Ransom However he should have consider'd it had been more happy to hear the Heathen confessing Verily there is a righteous God that judgeth in the earth than to hear his Subjects vaunting There is a rich King that reigneth in Israel It may be Hypocrisie became Advocate for the choicest of the Cattle alledging if ever the Case were examined it would be a sufficient excuse to plead they were spar'd for Sacrifice But Saul should rather have believed the Lord had not that Delight in Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices as in the obeying and performing his Commands Mercy is one of the brightest Jewels that can adorn a Prince's Crown nay it gives Beauty and Lustre to the rest but to spare Idolaters God's professed Enemies to rescue those that God hath appointed to dye deserves not so good a Name and they that presuming on their Power will adventure on such Indulgence must expect to fare no better than Saul did who for so unaccountable fondness in opposition to God's Commands forfeited both his Kingdom and his Life for therefore God rejected him as is apparent V. 26 of that Chapter Solomon's Advice is therefore as proper for Crowned Heads as for the meanest of their Subjects The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom then do Princes begin to grow wise and politick when they grow fearful of violating the least of God's Commands a Rule that all who would establish their Thrones must make Conscience of observing 2. Sheba and his Company might have been satisfied in the Providence of God's deposing Saul because they well knew Saul was false and inconstant to his most solemn Oaths and Engagements The Inhabitants of Gibeon by crafty Pretences drew Joshua into Covenant Josh 9.15 however Joshua most religiously observ'd the Articles he made with them He knew they did ill to make Lies their Refuge but yet he foresaw he should do much worse if he departed from his Promise and this Covenant though fraudulently obtain'd was for many Ages punctually maintain'd Surely then that Prince according to this Rule and President cannot be properly term'd just who maketh no Conscience of such solemn Engagements as he is led to by his Coronation-Oath and the Principles of Honour and Equity These Gibeonites liv'd safely and happily for many Years under the Protection of Joshua's and the Princes of Israel's first Covenant till such time as King Saul over exalted by Reflections on his own Power and Greatness scorn'd to pay any farther deference to that Ancient and long established Chariter but to curry favour with the People inhumanly slew Multitudes of those poor Wretches notwithstanding they were now become Members of the true Church It is ridiculous Flattery to instill into the Ears of Prince that they are superiour to the Obligations of their Vows Grants and Promises and it is as much repugnant to the Truth of Christianity to perswade them that any earthly Power can dispense with abrogate or disanull such sacred and solemn Engagements as they at any time make from their Thrones unto their People Such as pretend otherwise would acquit themselves more honourably would they tell the World that the Ceremonies of a Coronation-Oath once perform'd there remains no farther Obligation on the Crowned Person to be Just and Faithful Had such plain Dealing been used when time was the Dispute about the Succession had found many less Advocates than it did To return to the Gibeonites and from God's Abdicating Saul therewith considered we may observe that when ever they who in the honesty and simplicity of their hearts rely'd on the Honour and Faith of Solemn Promises were by their too easie credulity abused and thereupon appealed unto the unerring Justice of the Almighty they constantly found relief It was likely their Addresses were kept or thrown out of the Courts of such violent Princes yet their bitter Cries and their innocent Blood pierced the Heavens and he with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning was very