Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A04284
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The true guide to glory A sermon preached at Plympton-Mary in Deuon, at the funerals of the right vvorshipfull, and ...
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Barlow, John, b. 1580 or 81.
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1619
(1619)
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STC 1440; ESTC S114791
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30,821
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66
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all their proceedings why then should not we imitate them What man if he be to goe a long and vnknowne iourney will not hire a guide to conduct him or to vndertake a voyage by water to the East-Indies Guiana or the New-found-land but desireth the most skilfull Pilot to goe with him And shall not wee seeke vnto God desire his direction from earth to heauen from this old Egypt to the new Ierusalem If we doe not we may well wander out ot our way and split the ship of our soules vpon the rocke of condemnation And because men naturally are not prone to put this point in practise take these following motiues to further thee in thy duty 1. Who is it that thou art to depend vpon for direction Is it not he that formed thee at the first and whom thou doest confesse to be thy Father who then would offend so good a God so mercifull a Creatour Gouernour tread vnder-foote the Lord of life and haue no care to walke after his steps Shall we not follow the Sonnes example who learned obedience of his Father must the holy Ghost not be obeyed whose invitements are more worth then all the world Is it so that his motions must be resisted and the Spirit of all truth wearied grieued Take heede what thou doest for if we put this guide farre from vs he will not be fetcht againe as the prouerbe is with a weâ— finger 2. Againe is not mans life short vncertaine too why should wee then omit the season let slip the present oportunity Dayes will not be redeemed time recalled Miserable experience haue wee of some who putting off the occasion offred were neuer reclaimed Lots sonnes thought their father mocked and were they not suddenly destroyed Ierusalem would not attend the day of her visitation but what became of her Iezabel had a time to turne but would not was shee not suddenly cast into a be sorrow Therefore vp and trauell to little Zoar Come out of Babel and what thou hast to doe doe with all thy power least thou want time when thou maiest be willing The rich Glutton in hell then would haue had his brethren instructed possibly hee would had hee beene aliue againe haue hyred a Preacher But hee that may and will not when hee would hee shall not 3. In the third place let the example of others and their successe also moue thee to runne vnto the Lord. How did the lame blinde deafe and dumbe s eke to our Sauiour and was their labour lost Goe to God therefore and say Lord open mine eâ—e◠〈◊〉 sleepe not in death Heale me for I am sore wouâ—â—â—â— Conuert me and I shall be conuerted You that are Parents take your sonnes and daughters by the hand fâ—ll downe before God and cry Lord be mercifull to this my childe for he falleth often in the fire and is miserably seduced by the Diuell Let Masters imitate the good Centurion and desire God to recouer their seruants Shall they thus call and cry for the infirmities of the body and shall wee take no paines for the desperate diseases of our soules Weepe we pray we therefore for our selues and for our children and no doubt but the Lord will heare vs helpe vs And what a ioy will this be when they and we shall returne home againe seeing walking But alas our words take no impression because men thinke they haue no neede of the Physition 4. Moreouer doe but weigh well in thy minde what a misery it is to be out of the way we pitty a poore Traue ler that hath mist his path and seeme to take compassion on him And yet we by others harmes cannot learne to beware Christ I cannot tell what others mâ—y did account this a fearefull condition and makes it a reason to moue the people for to walke in the light these be his words Iob. 12.35 Least ye goe ye cannot tell whither If a man doe but set his face towards some steepe rocke or deepe draw well oh how will wee cry aloud that he might returne Is this so fearefull Then by earthly dangers learne to auoide Hels damnation 5. Besides consider where we shall arriue if we be not guided by God Is it at Samaria shall we finde a Prophet there that will feede vs with bread and water No we shall not haue one drop to refresh vs after our iourneyes end Wee count that mans condition wretched that fals amongst Theeues or that is cast into prison But whose eares will not tingle and heart tremble to consider at what a dolefull hauen wicked persons if they turne not shall one day be landed Neuer had any earthly Traueller so cold entertainment But wicked men are vnwise therefore they thinke not of their latter end Deut. 32.29 6. And in the last place adde to all this that they shall not depart thence till they haue paid the vttermost farthing and that will be neuer Was it a grieuous iudgement to be captiue 70. yeares in Babilon Did Dauid complaine and cry Woe is me that hee dwelt a few dayes in Mesâ—ek and Kedar What will it be then to be bound hand and foote cast into vtter darkenesse with the Diuell and his damned Angels If they that goe to this place of darkenesse might but hang their Harpes vpon the Willowes in sorrow of heart thinke on Ierusalem as many thousands of yeares as there be Sâ—arres in the heauen drops of water in the great Ocean or graines of sand in the earths whole Globe and then haue hope to returne it might be some mitigation of torment But their eyes shall faile with waiting to returne yet they shall neuer be returned Consider this therefore yee that forget God Psal 50.22 least hee teare you in peices and there be none to deliuer you And thus hauing finished this Point wee come to gather a third which is that Doct. 3 Those that be guided by God are guided by his word When the children of Israel obeyed not the Law are they not said to forsake the Lord Iudg. 10.6 and not to serue him and when they had no Priest to teach or Law to direct 2 Chron. 15.3 were they not all that season without the true God Acts 20.32 Paul at his last farewell commends his friends to God and the word of his grace Dauid often prayeth to be guided by his precepts Psal 5.8 Malac. 4.4 Doth not Malachi conclude Remember the Law of Moses with the statutes and iudgements Reason 1 First because Vrim and Thummim dreames visions miracâ—es and extraordinary motions and immediate irradiations of the spirit are ceased In old time Heb. 1.1 at seuerall times and in diuers manners the Lord spake to his children for then the word was not perfectly and fully written The Apostles too had dreames and visions in their dayes for they hauing their calling vpon the very border of the Law and commission too to preach to all Nations had neede of them otherwise
their Doctrine would not haue beene so well credited neither they haue vnderstood hauing no reuealed rule of direction to what Townes or Cities Acts 16.9 especially they should haue preached Reason 2 Againe may not God and his word as the end and goodnesse of a thing be conuerted In many thing Rom 7.12 I am sure they may God is holy and iust and good and is not his word the same hee is true and faithfull and no accepter of persons may we not conclude the like of his word What God commands it commands what he wils it wils what he intends it intends and if the word haue a Quarrell with thee note this Rom. 7.7.8 the Lord hath a Quarrell with thee for they are not contrary Masters but agree in all things And so I passe briefly to the Vse Vse 1 Where first wee are to checke the Papists and confute a third point of their Doctrine who take away the word from the common people Is not this to depriue them of God to make them like the auncient Gentiles Ephes 2.12 strangers from the common weale of Israel and meere Atheists Truely it is no better who is so blinde that seeth it not or so incredulous that beleeues it not Instead of the Law they must haue Traditions a Picture for the Gospell of Christ Did not the children of Israel when they left the law work wickednes forsake God and serued him not 2 Chron. 15 3. c. And for this thing are they not said to haue followed Baalim and Ashtaroth Iudges 10.6 and the gods of the children of Ammon Be not therfore deceiued for these Papisticall Priests world compassing Iesuites are but wandring planets blinde pilots after whom whosoeuer shall saile the ship of his soule shall split her at the day of his dissolution vpon the rocke of that dangerous position and then what can follow but perpetuall condemnation I haue wondered at these mens madnes for the knowledge of the rule is of absolute necessity in all arts or functions to the wel-doing of an action For example Can a Marriner rightly guide his ship thorow the sea without the knowledge of Card and Compasse The Carpenter build a house in comely order being ignorant of that patterne by which it is to be framed Or a schoole-boy speake exact phrase and true Latine and haue no vnderstanding in the precepts of Grammar And yet in the most curious worke these deceiuing guides would haue vs want the Rule Exod. 31 3. 1 Kings 7. This is not to iudge righteous iudgement Vse 2 Againe this meeteth with those spirits that stand all vpon Reuelations immediate motions who say that No Christian should take his ground first from the word but the Spirit for the Diuell alleadgeth Scripture and doth wrest it to his purpose But poore soules these know not of what spirit they themselues are would aske such a man this Question How can he discerne the motion of the spirit to be from the Spirit He will answere Because it 's good and tends to holinesse Well how can he tell what is good or euill must he not goe to the Rule to try it These would see the image of God without a glasse vnderstand truth before they heare it vttered Alas professing themselues to be wise Rom. 1 22 they are become fooles For what a strange Position is this if it be true that came lately to my hands how that Grace being once wrought in the heart the spirit abolisheth all former knowledge and they bid Away withall Scripture knowledge These will try the spirits I feare till a lying spirit possesse them 1 Tim â— 5. Let vs therefore beware of if we know any such Vse 3 And in the next place if they that be guided by God are guided by his word we are informed what to thinke of all those that liue in palpable more then Egyptian darkenesse who neither know God or vnderstand any one sentence in the sacred Scripture Is not their estate fearefull who is these mens guide surely Sathan sinne and the fashions of the world And that if God giue the blessing I might a little moue these people to come out of Babilon and fire them as it were like Ioab to Absalom to returne vnto their God Let them heare what iudgements haue befallen the ignorant what be threatned against them that tread these darke steps Did not the people of God goe into Captiuity Isai 5.13 for want of knowledge Say this was but a temporall punishment yet it had a curse with it And how doth the Lord complaine Hos 4.6 My people are cut off for want of knowledge We count it a miserable thing and it causes wringing of the hands folding of the armes and many a teare shed when we see at the Assises a proper man cast away hauing had his Booke could not one word by art or tell a letter Oh say we he might haue beene saued if he could haue read But what a day will that be when all ignorant men and women must hold vp their hand at the Tribunall Throne of Christ and be cut off and cast into vtter darkenesse because they knew not him or his Gospell Therefore thou that art ignorant and hearest me this day Get knowledge get vnderstanding for if thou dye in this condition thou shalt dye the second and eternall death Why hath not Christ threatned to come in flaming fire 2 Thes 1.7.8 c. to render vengeance vpon all that know him not and obey not his Gospell Did not the Prophet imprecate that the Lord would poure out his fury vpon such as knew him Ier. 10. vlt. not and the families that called not on his Name I cannot by the way but commend you in that you haue gotten guides but Learne the Law at their mouthes practise what is deliuered square your actions by this word so shall it goe well with you at your latter end But if for all this you will walke in darknesse be not deceiued one day to darknesse ye shall goe Io. 12.35 Iude 13. for if it be eternall life to know God and whom he hath sent then by the rule of contraries How shall the ignorant escape the damnation of hell Io. 17 3. Vse 4 Last of all Is this Doctrine a truth then here is comfort and tidings of great encouragement to all such as are guided by the word Cast not off this yoake breake not these bonds asunder what scoffes soeuer thou receiue of the world Let them play but doe thou pray let them shuffle the cards search thou the Scriptures let them sit at home and goe to Dice and Tables goe thou to heare the word in the publique Congregation For I am sure the one is lawfull the other at the best is doubtfull And for my owne part I wish neither to approue or practise matters of that nature I say therefore to all such be not weary in so doing