Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	encouragement_n	excellent_a	good_a	17	3	2.0648	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70812	The glasse of Gods providence towards his faithfvll ones held forth in a sermon preached to the two Houses of Parliament at Margarets Westminster, Aug. 13, 1644, being an extraordinary day of humiliation : wherein is discovered the great failings that the best are liable unto, upon which God is provoked sometimes to take vengeance : the whole is applyed specially to a more carefull observation of our late covenant, and particularly against the ungodly toleration pleaded for under pretence of liberty of conscience / by Herbert Palmer ...	Palmer, Herbert, 1601-1647.	1644 (1644)	Wing P235; ESTC R5391	64,078	71

to doe the Commandement of the King and of the Princes by the Word of the LORD a Chron. 30. 12. And why should not we looke for the like if we were as Zealous for GOD and trusted as much in GOD as he How excellent an Example and Encouragement doe we again find recorded concerning him in the next Chapter the two last verses Thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his GOD And in every Worke that he began in the Service of the house of GOD and in the Law and in the Commandement to seeke his GOD he did it withall his heart and prospered Happy we if of us as much may be said for our parts for then we shall be sure to have GODS part fulfilled to us and our Prosperity assured and establisht fully This we have confirmed by Salomon while he gives us a pertinent warning of the mischiefs of the contrary Cowardise Prov. 29. 25. The feare of man brings a snare but who so puts his trust in the LORD shall be safe While we are afraid of men this or that Person or such a Number or party how considerable so ever they may be thought It brings a snare makes us fall into sin and so into mischiefe There is no Sanctity nor safety but in Trusting in GOD If we would examine our selves impartially we should find that whatsoever we have neglected or doe yet neglect in the matter of Reformation hath been and is caused very much by an unworthy feare of men and want of Faith and Trust in GOD How often hath it been said and by how many that if we should be too severe in parging the Armies we should want souldiers If too strict in suppressing the worst opinions or practises we should loose a considerable party and not be able to carry on the worke without them And what is this but want of Faith in GOD and in stead thereof to have our spirits ensnared enslaved with the Feare of Men Certainly if it be not GODS Will and Command that Justice should be done and Martiall Discipline observed and disorders and errours supprest then let us let them alone and never stand to plead the Inconvenience of medling with them But if it be GODS Will and Command then I beseech you Let none venture to provoke GOD for feare of provoking men I dare be bold to promise in His Name You shall not want men non h●lpe if you will be ruled by Him and venture your selves for Him But withall I say It were better that every 1000. were reduced to an 100. and every 100 even to a single man then that out of a feare of loosing a numerous party of souldiers or others to take your part you should endanger the loosing of GOD even in any degree And is it not recorded even for our Admonition as is intimated 1 Cor. 10. 6 11. that for One Achan not sought out Israels Army was overthrowne Josh. 7. and GOD saith Neither will I be with you any more except you destroy the accursed from among you ver. 12. And did not the 9. Tribes and halfe upon this Example arme themselves to have fought against their own brethren supposing them revolters from GOD though they had but even then taken their leave of them after they had for many yeares together ventured their lives to settle them in their possessions Josh. 22. They urge Achans Example as shewing them that if they should suffer a sin apparently even in their Brethren GOD would be angry with them all ver. 18. 20. It is good then to be affraid but of Him of whom we have cause to be affraid as Esay warnes the Faithfull in his time Isai. 8. 12 13. Say you not a Confederacy to whom this people say a Confederacie neither feare ye their feare neither be affraid but sanctifie the LORD of Hosts Himselfe and let Him be your Feare and let Him be your dread And remember withall how ill GOD takes it at His Servants hand when they are basely Affraid of men Isai. 51. 12 13. I even I am He that Comforteth you who art thou that thou shouldest be affraid of a man that shall dye and of the son of man that shall be made as Grasse And forgettest the LORD thy Maker c. Here is not indeed a Multitude named but here is Man indefinitely and if there be never so many of them it is but man still and so never the more allowable to feare them more then GOD and to please them with displeasing of GOD If any shall say But would not GOD have a Multitude forborne if they be in an Errour or Disorder I answer Sure GOD never told those that are in Authority so And among men if a Multitude appeare in a Tumult although it may after pleade for a mitigation of punishment toward the Whole Number except the chiefe ring-leaders Yet it both makes those that have Authority and strength to suppresse put forth both the more speedily and effectually and afterward to take the more exact care for the preventing of the like even for the Multitudes sake And this is most sure that with GOD the greater the Multitude is of those that provoke Him the greater is His Displeasure And therefore His Deputies ought to be more affraid to Tolerate a Multitude in evill then a few 2. And if at other times a Multitude or a few might be borne with and let alone in that which is contrary to GODS Will Yet certainly not then When GODS Judgements are abroad in the Land Then all should and then the faithfull will learne Righteousnesse and doe Justice in their places according to GODS appointment It is so with us now that GODS Judgements are abroad in Our Land Oh that we were so wise as to learne the right cause and the right Remedy Let me to this purpose againe put you in mind of that of the Prophet which you were happily remembred of in the Morning Jer. 9. 12 13 14. Who is the wise man that may understand this and who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken that he may declare it for what the land perisheth c. And the LORD saith Because they have forsaken my Law which I set before them and have not obeyed my Voice nor walked therein But have walked after the imagination of their own heart c. Sure the Meaning of this is not that every man should be let alone in doing what they lift under pretence of Liberty of Conscience For that is neither more nor lesse in plaine words then to leave every man to walk after the Imagination of their own heart Much lesse is it that men should be suffered to cry downe the Law of GOD the Law delivered by GODS owne Voice to all His People as no Rule for Christians to Walk by If for forsaking it the Land perisheth and for not walking therein The open

faces in former times it doth much more now when so many solemne dayes of Humiliation kept by them publikely and privately hath wrought no amendment but while many complaine of their being poorer every one may see them as proud as ever if not rather more 2. Those that some yeares ago made great conscience of the Sabbath and of Family-duties are now many of them come even to question Whether the Sabbath be at all to be observed or no and though they deny not that family-devotions are duties yet they themselves doe little regard that their families should observe them and their families scarce seem to have any desire of them 3. Some that were by their own confession so greatly conscientious of secret Prayer as that they could never omit it without an inward check now doe not make any the le●st shew that they take any time for it day or night I am afraid I am now in the bosomes of some that heare me this day and I wish every conscience to examine themselves whether in these things they are not grown worse then they were wont to be whether I say though they keep many a solemn Fast not only publikely at home and abroad yet they doe not pray lesse at home with their families and lesse in their clossets And it is said that some are growne such enemies to sanctification and duties of holinesse and so impudent that they dare professe openly They thanke GOD they can now goe a whole fortnight without prayer and it never troubleth them Is this think we the amendment that GOD lookes for at our hands Are not here fearefull inventions for Him to take vengeance upon 4. Is there not much selfe-seeking apparant in all kind of undertakings ambitious putting themselves forward and practises to make themselves rich by every imployment 5. How many Errors and strange opinions are there to be found even among such as are all pretenders to the way of Truth besides many usurping Ministeriall Offices and exercising Ministeriall acts without any Calling and not a few without so much as a shew of any competent Gifts 6. Is there not extreme censoriousnesse and a spirit of bitternesse in very many seeming good against all those that agree not with them in every one of their opinions even so far as to throw them off as no Christians how much soever they evidence of vertue and piety in other respects Certainly this is not according to the word of Christ Nor are these behaviours becomming a people that desire to Honour that Royall Name by which they are called And therefore these call for speciall Humiliation at our hands In conclusion this I am forced to say with the great griefe of my soule that so farre as I am able to judge by all that I see and heare where ever I come The Religion and devotion of a great many even of those who formerly gave better hopes of their being sincere doth now empty it selfe into formalities solemne Fasts and speaking for the publike Cause and withall being violent for their own opinions and interests and those that maintaine them with them But withall this I must needs adde that the more any of us is convinced that this is true the more cause have we and all that truly feare GOD to be humbled before Him for these generall evils of the Religious part of our Nation and the more cause to be afraid that we are not so neare a deliverance as we sometimes would gladly thinke But rather to be perswaded that before GOD will deliver us He will put us into another frame and temper of spirit then we are now in that He will marre our pride and tame our wildnesse and curbe us in our pursutes of selfe-respects quell our scandalous behaviours and as He promises more then once by His Prophets give us one heart and one way All which as yet after all warnings and shewes of humiliations and blowes and favours we seeme very farre from and therefore still it is fit to call us to sad humiliation for these provocations in the first place The second consideration of Nationall sins referres to the body of the Nation Of whose sins I will not now take upon me to give you a large catalogue But they generally empty themselves into these three capitall evils Ignorance Covetousnesse and Profanenesse Of the first I confesse I can never thinke seriously without trembling and scarce with any patience that no more is done anywhere to dispell that horrid mist of darknesse that covers the faces and hearts of very many thousands in these dayes of light while in the meane time they themselves scorne and hate knowledge specially because they see they may be let alone in it For the second It is apparantly the sinne of the Country and of the City too and the generall sin that at least all men well nigh are accused of and cried out upon for And apparantly in the most there is too much reason for such a cry Goe but into any place and what is the great businesse that you find every one almost set upon studying how to be a gainer even by others losses at least to ease himselfe in publike payments and taxations and lay great loade upon others specially upon those that are faithfull If they can but get into an Office have any thing to doe in Sequestrations what is the improvement that is made of it by too many alas but to fill their own purses with extortion oppression delaying and perverting Justice and withall ordinarily to favour Malignants and overburden the best Affected and most forward for the publike Service And above all others setting themselves to make the faithfull Ministers that are among them beare the greatest loade that may be If there be any way to eate out the heart of his meanes of subsistance and even of all his comforts he shall be sure to find this measure at their hands his Taxations shall be heavier then any other Store of Souldiers biletted and quartered in his house and withall his Tithes and dues withheld and denyed with pretence one while that they are Jewish another while that they are Popish any thing that they may weary him out and that they may either have no Minister at all or only one altogether according to their own lusts 3. And this falls into the consideration also of their Prophanenesse which is most notorious every where Formerly even in the ill times a conscionable Minister in some places could doe somewhat toward the bringing his people to knowledge who now wholly cast off the yoake because there is no Government neither Ecclesiasticall nor Civill that they think will at all meddle with them how refractory soever they be and grow more brutish and barbarous every day then other And now above all former times whoredome and adultery doe fearfully abound and grow impudent even Incest is to be found in divers places