Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	divine_a	reveal_v	revelation_n	1,705	5	9.2853	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94070	XXXI. select sermons, preached on special occasions; the titles and several texts, on which they were preached, follow. / By William Strong, that godly, able and faithful minister of Christ, lately of the Abby at Westminster. None of them being before made publique.	Strong, William, d. 1654.	1656 (1656)	Wing S6007_pt1; Thomason E874_1; ESTC R203660	309,248	523

as when God became an enemy at first to mankind all the creatures also did become their enemy it were no matter for the desertion of all the neighbouring Nations though we were as a speckled Bird unto them and they all hate us yet if God be with us who can be against us but Tolle Deum nullus ero if the glory of the Lord departed then the Cherubims lifted up their wings and are gone as the voice that was heard to say in the Temple the night before Jerusalem was taken Migremus hinc c. Secondly if God forsake us all the creatures will break in upon us God hath forsaken him pursue him and take him for his hedge his fence is taken away I will take away the hedge thereof shall the Lord say and then a poor creature may comfort himself as Saul did in the creatures honour me before the people when the Lord had rejected him but it is but cold comfort for a man so to do for thy own servants will then become thy enemies Thirdly there is no one thing that afflicts and affects a gracious heart more then desertions either in Church or state or his own soul he fears nothing else all that David still prayes for is O Lord forsake me not Oh forsake me not utterly Lord be not thou far from me there is this difference commonly between a godly man and a wicked man the one fears Gods punishments but the other fears Gods departure and therefore Austin It is as with a chast wife and a harlot Austin they both fear their husbands Haec ne veniat illa ne decedat And the reason is because the one seeks only blessings from God and the other only seeks communion with God and if he had never so much from God yetif he be denyed to seek his face denyed fellowship with him and if the Lord do so forsake him all things are bitter unto him because the joy of his heart is gone surely if you go on to forsake the Lord he will forsake you but the desertion begins on your part if you do not forsake him he will not forsake you therefore so far as you have backslided from God return to him and you have this promise I will heal your backslidings THE DOCTRINE Of the Iews Vocation Preached at Gregories Lecture ROM 11.26 And so all Israel shall be saved as it is written c. THe Apostle having spoken in the close of the former Ch. of the vocation of the Gentiles I was found of them that sought me not of the rebellious under which is implyed the rejection of the Jews all the day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gain-saying people he closes the Discourse in this Chapter and makes of this Chapter three parts first Consolatoria he hath not cast off his people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 è conspectu amovere he hath cast them off but not so as he will never look after them again he hath not so cast them off for there is even amongst them and to come out of their loins who are at present rejected a seed according to the election of grace though those four great Judgements threatned are come upon them there is poured upon them the Spirit of a deep sleep unto this day their table is made a snare and their eyes are darkned that they see not and they do alwaies bow down their backs but these Judgements shall not alwaies lie upon them because they are dear unto God according to the election of grace the Lord hath not cast off his people whom he knew before Secondly Hortatoria If the Jews were broken off that were the natural branches yet let not the Gentiles boast against the branches broken off be not high-minded but fear for if God spared not the natural branches take heed lest he spare not thee also behold therefore the goodness and severity of God towards thee goodness if thou continue in his goodness if not thou shalt also be cut off Thirdly Prophetica and that is of the grafting in of the Jews again the natural branches if they continue not in their unbelief of what the state of the Jews should be when the Lord again shall return to them in mercy and build up the Tabernacle of David that is fallen down and this he doth Usher in with a praemium as being a great truth and that which he would have specially observed I would not have you ignorant of this mysterie What is a mysterie a mysterie is something made known by Revelation and can be known no other way it is from the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 4.12 I am instructed from heaven a truth which the Apostle had been taught by divine Revelation and though much of this is spoken of and foretold in the Scripture yet there is a spirit of Revelation that must go to the opening thereof or else he could never have understood it himself nor been able to reveal it or discover it to others its true it was abundantly revealed in the Scriptures and when it was discovered to the Apostles they could see clear Scripture for it but not till then they are mysteries till the Lord please to enlighten the understanding to know these mysteries and therefore as the calling of the Gentiles is said to be a mysterie hid in God from Ages and from Generations and made known only by Revelation Eph. 3.4,5,6 sc that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs with the same body and partakers of the Promise of Christ by the Gospel the calling of the Gentiles though abundantly foretold in the Scripture was a mysterie unto the Jews that they understood it not and so the calling of the Jews may seem also a mysterie unto the Gentiles till the Lord reveal it unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom so calls the Doctrine of the Jews calling Chrysostom a paradox and strange thing A strange and a wonderful thing and he that doth publish it shall seem at first to preach a paradox and a new Doctrine But what is this mysterie Blindness in spirit is hapned unto Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in that is the mysterie Blindness is in part come upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There are three Interpretations and all true First non omnibus it is not come upon all Israel but upon a part and so it is to speak as the Apostles manner is molli locutione though it came upon a great part of them and in comparison there were but a few converted unto the faith of Christ yet he saith it came not upon all but upon part of them only the whole Nation were not cast away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost there are many of them now do believe and many of them hereafter shall believe and therefore it is not come upon all the Jews for God had mercy on many in those primitive times Insomuch that the first glorious Christian

XXXI Select Sermons PREACHED On Special Occasions The Titles and several Texts on which they were Preached follow BY William Strong That Godly Able and Faithful Minister of Christ lately of the Abby at Westminster None of them being before made publique LONDON Printed by R. W. for Francis Tyton and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the three Daggers neer the Inner Temple Gate 1656. Good Reader THere is a double way of edification now in use in the Church of God either by long Tracts or by short and pithy discourses T is not for us to determine which is most profitable Treatises have their use so have single Sermons sometimes t is good to see truths not by piece-meal but in their dependance and frame that the whole Doctrine may be brought together and digested into a method On the other side to say all that may be said in an argument is a burden and a prejudice to the common sort of hearers who when they find one point so much dilated and insisted upon think that the knowledge of divine truths will be so long and tedious a work that in a despair of attaining thereunto they sit down with any slight apprehensions in the things of God and such thoughts as rather come upon them then are found and searched out by them It concerneth the ministers of the Gospel then to use all methods to gain souls to God Sometimes to launch out into the common-place and larger discussion of truths that they may at once see the whole latitude and breadth of them in one intire draught and delineation at other times to consine themselves to the express scope of that particular place which they have in hand that the point and branch of Doctrine proper thereunto may be more earnestly and industriously inforced In the first method we may discern both the harmony and rich * Adoro plenitudinem Scripturae Tertull. fulness of Scripture whilest we see how much God hath spoken in a little and how a few words of His like a small piece of gold may without any forcing and violence be beaten out into so large an explication in the other method truths many times come in fresher and sweeter upon the soul as being drawn more immediately from the fountain and without the intervention of our Logick and discourse evidencing their deduction to the consciences of men In both these methods did that worthy servant of the Lord Mr. Strong excell In a Treatise who more copious and full In shorter discourses who more quick and sinewy Of his excellency in the former kind the world hath had a taste in what of his hath been already divulged more of which kind also is intended for the Press now thou hast presented to thy view a collection of several choice Sermons upon special occasions some more publique others more private and therefore though in that respect there may be some difference between them in beauty and freshness of colour yet they all have the character and impress of Mr. Strongs spirit in them and do plainly discover what hand hath passed upon them the exceeding usefulness of the particular subjects and that piety and judgement that shines forth in the management of them cannot but recommend them to the respects of the godly wise and therefore without any longer detaining thee only to assure thee that these are from his own notes we commend thee to God and the word of his grace which is able to build us up and give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified Thy servants in the Lords work Thomas Manton John Rowe George Griffith To the Reader THE Learned Author of these Sermons had he lived to have put the last hand to his own elaborate works they would have been better commended to the world then any care or diligence of Friends is able to perform These Sermons some other Tracts formerly set forth were left by the Author under his own hand in such a character as none was acquainted with but only that Lady of whom I could speak as great things with as much truth as of any did not my own nearness of Relation her own modesty forbid me who made it her business to learn his character before his death and since to transcribe them by which means those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 left by the Author under lock and key as it were of an unknown hand are brought forth and exposed to publick view for common benefit Those that knew him must needs say that these Tracts were his own they are so like the Father for as Seneca saith of such as write books they present to the World morum suorum ingenii Chrirographum our Author hath left his own picture drawn with his own hand to the life by which though dead he yet speaketh His Sermons and tracts are not such of which we may say as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pharmaca multa quidem bona mixta noxia multa Praetereat si quid non facit ad stomachum Martial Homer did of Egypt and which may be too truly affirmed of many writings that are published to the world A miscellany of drugs good and bad We have Antidotes in him but no poyson and as Putean b Sine periculo ullo electionis decerpere omnia liberè liceat saith of Cicero we may more truly say of our reverend Author you need not use any great caution and care to pick and chuse you cannot chuse amiss He hath an excellent vein in his Sermons as one saith in the like kind plenius responsura fodienti the farther you search the richer treasure you are like to find It was the great infelicity of divers of the Ancients that though they had magna ingenia yet they had mixturam I will not add the other word they had magnas virtutes and they had magna vitia also Their raised Parts were attended with such gross infirmities as rendred them very obnoxious to censure And therefore Hierom speaking of Origen writes thus c Epist 72. ad Tranq Ego originem propter eruditionem sic Interdum legendum arbitror quomodo Tertullianum Novatum Arnobium Apollinarem nonnullos Ecclesiasticos Scriptores Graecos pariter Latinos ut bona eorum eligamus vitemusque contraria I think Origen may for his learning be sometimes read as other Ecclesiastick Writers so that we cull out what is good in them and avoid the contrary and he d Epist 13. ad Paulin. passeth a smart censure on Cyprian Lactantius Arnobius c. And Hierom himself which hath censured others is by several paid home in the same coin For Bellarmine e Lib. 3. c. 6. de Rom. Pontif. observes several contradictions in Hierom and Alphonsus a Castro f Lib. 6. adversus haereses tit Episcopus Apparet ● Hieronymum sibi ipsi minime constare saith that in the business about a Bishop and a Presbyter Hierom

exceeding great and precious promises of which by their holy calling they did partake in ver 16.17,18 having therefore these he exhorts them to look upon them either as me●… of holiness or as motives to perfecting holiness 〈◊〉 the fear of God First as means of holiness the whole word of God is operative and doth produce real effects I speak the word saith Christ but my Father in heaven doth the works Ioh. 14.10 therefore not a word spoken but the word written Heb. 3.8,9 leaving upon the soul answerable dispositions not barely an informing but a transforming word 2 Cor. 3.13 a word ingrafted the change of the stock into its own nature not a transient Iames 1.21 but an abiding word 1 Pet. 1.25 if you receive these promises aright they will thus make you partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 4.4 Holiness here as Cameron hath interpreted Cameron ad modum creaturae c. in blessedness hereafter having such promises that will transform you Matth. 11.5 the blind receive their sight c. and the Gospel is preached to the poor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poor are Evangelized that is both to the poor is the Gospelpreached and the poor receive the Gospel and be transformed thereinto the poor are Evangelized therefore cleanse your selves perfecting holiness Secondly As motives to holiness and that considered three waies either First As an honour put upon a man and dignity should engage a man to duty monstrosa res est gradus summus animus Infimus Nehem. 6.11 Dan. 4.17 therefore having such promises let us cleanse our selves and stand upon our dignitie as they did Secondly as an assurance that whatsoever God promised he will also accomplish for omne promissum cadit in debitum therefore Matth. 10.7 it is said there he will perform his truth to Jacob and his mercy to Abraham The promises it is true their ground is now in fieri but it is truth in facto ●sse surely therefore faithful is he that hath promised and will also do it Having therefore such promises let us cleanse our selves c. Thirdly as rewards for so it is true most of the promises are rewards for services going before and as the Lord in his punishments doth usually punish sin with sin so in the waies of mercy he doth usually reward grace with grace to him that hath shall given for recte fecisse merce est and knowing that a godly man desires no greater reward but even that which comes in keeping the Commandment and the Lord doth proportion the reward unto the work he will reward every one according to the works here For as hereafter in glory so he doth it in the life that now is answerable to a mans service in reference to the promises such shall the reward from the promise be For he will not forget any of the works and labour of Love it shall not be in vain in the Lord. Having therefore such promises let us cleanse our selves c. Here then is first a duty pressed which is perfect sanctification which consists of two parts 1. Perfect cleansing 2. Perfect holiness Secondly here is the means and motive unto both sanctifying truths Having such promises secondly sanctifying graces in the fear of God The Observations that might be gathered are divers as Observ 1. First Sin is filthyness that is First it includeth in it all loathsom evil there is malum turpe as well as malum triste Secondly it is so in its essence for it is in the abstract abstractum denot at essentiam Observ 2. Secondly it is an universal defilement both of life and spirit it is an over-spreading leprosie so that men have not only fleshly members but also fleshly minds 2 Col 18. Vainly puft up by his fleshly mind Observ 3. Thirdly this universal defilement remains in a great measure even in those that have believed through grace they must cleanse themselves also they have not already attained neither are they also perfect Phil. 3.12 the Apostle saith Not as though I had already attained neither was already perfect c. But I shall pass these by and pitch only on those things which the Apostle doth in these words mainly intend which is to press them to perfect sanctification having promises made unto them of the great perfection the Doctrine which we shall therefore speak is this Doctrine As perfect holiness hereafter shall be the Christians Crown so striving to perfection here is the Christians duty perfecting holiness in the fear of God Here I will shew you two things First what holiness is Secondly what perfection of holiness is and so come to prove this point First to begin with the first What holiness is The holiness of God being absolute and independent as all his other Excellencies are cannot as I conceive consist in relation but must be an absolute and positive thing which I conceive to be nothing else but the purity of the divine nature but now holiness in the creature being a dependent excellency having its principle from another and its pattern in another that is in God and in the Law it must consist in conformity unto another as the truth and goodness of the creature doth so that the holiness of the creature is nothing else but a conformity of the creature unto the purity of God manifested in his Law I do not say the holiness of God as in himself but the holiness of God as in the Law in conformity whereto the holiness of the creature doth consist Before the fall the holiness required was only positive consisting in a conformity to the duty commanded but since sin there must be a cleansing from the sins forbid it was before only a conformity to the precept but since it is a conformity to the holiness of God in the prohibition also so that as in the Justification of a sinner there is more required then was required to justifie the Angels or Adam in innocency not only a doing the duty but a suffering the curse so in the sanctification of a sinner also there is more required to make us holy then there was to make Adam holy It is not now barely a creation of the new man but also a mortification of the old and a destroying of the body of sin not only sanctification and dedication to what is holy but a purification and separation from what is unclean therefore here the Apostle sets down both parts of holiness purification and dedication a cleansing of a mans self from all filthyness and then a perfecting holiness in the fear of God Secondly the perfection of holiness therefore consists in three things 1. Perfectio gradus when corruption is perfectly cleansed and all filthiness and in all degrees and in all faculties both of the flesh and of the spirit 2. Perfectio essentin when grace hath attained its full pitch unto which it is appointed the measure of the age of the stature of Christs fulness to all might in every grace