Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	father_n	spirit_n	worship_v	16,413	5	10.3152	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81249	The quarrell of the covenant, with the pacification of the quarrell. Delivered in three sermons on Levit. 26. 25. and Jere. 50. 5. / By Thomas Case, preacher of the Word in Milk-street, London; and one of the Assembly of Divines.	Case, Thomas, 1598-1682.	1643 (1643)	Wing C838; Thomason E78_4; ESTC R832	84,281	116

Apostacies and black-flidings calling one upon another and ecchoing back one to another Come let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that may not be forgotten You see by this time I have changed my Text though not my project to which purpose I shall remember that in the handling of these words I must not manage my discourse as if I were to make a new entire Sermon upon the Text but onely to improve the happy advantages it holds forth for the pursuite and driving on of my present Vse of Exhortation Come let us joyn c. To this end therefore from these words I will propound and endeavour to satisfie these three Quaeres 1. What 2. Why 3. How 1. What the duty is to which they mutually stirre up one another 2. Why or upon what considerations 3. How or in what manner this service is to be performed And in all these you shall see what proportion the Text holds with the Times The duty in our Text with the duty in our Hands pressing them on still in an Exhortatory way For the first sc What the duty is Answ You see that in the Text is to joyn themselves to the Lord by a solemn Covenant and so is that which we have now in our hands to joyn our selves to the Lord by a Covenant how farre they correspond will appear in the sequell This is the first and main End of a Covenant between God and his People as I have shewed you To joyn themselves to the Lord. The sons of the stranger that joyn themselves to the Lord Isa 56.6 c. And take held of his Covenant This I say is the first and main end of the Covenant in the Text The second is subordinate unto it namely to Enquire th● way to Sion i. e. To inquire the way and manner how God would be worshipt that they might dish●nour and prevoke him no more by their Idolatries and Superstitions which had been brought in upon the Ordinances of God by the means of Apostate Kings and Priests and Prophets as in Jeroboams and Ahabs reigns c. And for which they had been carryed into Captivity And such is the Covenant that lies before us in the first place as I say to joyn our selves to the Lord to be knit unsepaparably unto him that he may be our God and we may be his People And in the next place as subservient hereunto to ask the way to Sion to enquire and search by all holy means sanctified to that purpose what is that pure way of Gospel worship That we and ou● children after us may worship the God of spirits the ●●od of truth in spirit and in truth in spirit Joh 4. ●3 opposed to car●all w●y●s of will-worship and inventions of men and in truth opposed to false hypocriticall shews and pretences since the Father seeks for such to worship him Now That this is the main scope and aym of this Covenant before us will appear if you read and ponder it with due considerations I will therefore read it to you distinctly this Evening besides the reading of it again to morrow when you come to take it and when I have read it I will answer the main and most materiall objections which seem to make it inconsist●nt with these blessed ends and purposes Attend diligently while I read it to you The Covenant WE Noblemen ●his Co 〈…〉 it 〈◊〉 ha●d to c●m 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 several pafa●●s of the C●●●nant to which 〈…〉 Barons Knights Gentlemen Citizens Burgesses Ministers of the Gospel and Commons of all sorts in the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland by the Providence of God living under one King and being of one Reformed Religion having before our eyes the glory of God and the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the honour and happinesse of the Kings Majesty and His Posterity and the true publique Liberty Safety and Peace of the Kingdoms wherein every ones private condition is included and calling to minde the treacherous and bloody Plots Conspiracies Attempts and Practices of the Enemies of God against the true Religion and professors thereof in all places especially in these three Kingdoms ever since the Reformation of Religion and how much their rage power and presumption are of late and at this time increased and exercised whereof the deplorable state of the Church and Kingdom of Ireland the distressed estate of the Church and Kingdom of England and the dangerous estate of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland are present and publike Testimonies We have now at last after other means of Supplication Remonstrance Protestations and Sufferings for the preservation of our selves and our Religion from utter Ruine and Destruction according to the commendable practice of these Kingdoms in former times and the Example of Gods People in other Nations after mature deliberation resolved and determined to enter into a mutuall and solemn League and Covenant wherein we all subscribe and each one of us for himself with our hands lifted up to the most high God do swear I. THat we shall sincerely really and constantly through the Grace of God endeavour in our severall places and callings the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against our common Enemies the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the Example of the best Reformed Churches And shall indeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the neerest Conjunction and Uniformity in Religion Confession of Faith Form of Church-Government Directory for Worship and Catechizing That we and our Posterity after us may as Brethren live in Faith and Love and the Lord may delight to dwell in the middest of us II. That we shall in like manner without respect of persons indeavour the Extirpation of Poperty Prelacy that is Church-Government by Arch-Bishops Bishops their Chancellors and Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Archdeacons and all other Ecclesiasticall Officers depending on that Hierarchy Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophanenesse and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godlinesse least we partake in other mens sins and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues and that the Lord may be one and his Name one in the three Kingdoms III. We shall with the same sincerity reallity and constancy in our severall Vocations endeavour with our estates and lives mutually to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliaments and the Liberties of the Kingdoms and to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties person and authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms that the world may bear witnesse with our Consciences of our Loyalty and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish His Majesties just power and greatnesse IV. We shall

also with all faithfulnesse endeavour the discovery of all such as have been or shall be Incendiaries Malignants or evill Instruments by hindering the Reformation of Religion dividing the King from his People or one of the Kingdoms from another or making any Faction or parties amongst the people contrary to this League and Covenant that they may be brought to publike tryall and receive condign punishment as the degree of their offences shall require or deserve or others having power from them for that effect shall judge convenient V. And whereas the happinesse of a blessed Peace between these Kingdoms denyed in former times to ou● Progenitors is by the good Providence of God granted unto us and hath been lately concluded and setled by both Parliaments we shall each one of us according to our place and interest indeavour that they remain conjoyned in a firm Peace and Union to all Posterity And that Justice may be done upon the wilfull Opposers therof in manner expressed in the precedent Article VI. We shall also according to our places and callings in this common cause of Religion Liberty and Peace of the Kingdoms assist and defend all those that enter into this League and Covenant in the maintaining and pursuing thereof and shall not suffer our selves directly or indirectly by whatsoever combination perswasion or terrour to be divided and withdrawn from this blessed Union and Conjunction whether to make defection to the contrary part or to give our selves to a detestable indifferency or neutrality in this cause which so much concerneth the glory of God the good of the Kingdoms and honour of the King but shall all the dayes of our lives zealoufly and constantly continue therein against all opposition and promote the same according to our power against all Lets and Impediments whatsoever and what we are not able our selves to suppresse or overcome we shall reveal and make known that it may be timely prevented or removed All which we shall do as in the sight of God And because these Kingdoms are guilty of many sins and provocations against God and his Son Jesus Christ as is too manifest by our present distresses and dangers the fruits thereof we professe and declare before God and the world our unfained desire to be humbled for our own sins and for the sins of these Kingdoms especially That we have not as we ought valued the inestimable benefit of the Gospel that we have not laboured for the purity and power thereof and that we have not endeavoured to receive Christ in our hearts nor to walk worthy o● him in our lives which are the causes of other sins and transgressions so much abounding amongst us And our true and unfained purpose desire and endeavour for our selves and all others under our power and charge both in publike and in private in all duties we owe to God and man to amend our lives and each one to go before another in the example of a reall Reformation that the Lord may turn away his wrath and heavy indignation and establish these Churches and Kingdoms in truth and peace And this Covenant we make in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all hearts with a true intention to perform the same as we shall answer at that great day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed Most humbly beseeching the Lord to strengthen us by his holy Spirit for this end and to blesse our desires and proceedings with such successe as may be deliverance and safety to his people and encouragement to other Christian Churches groaning under or in danger of the yoak of Antichristian Tyranny to joyn in the same or like Association and Covenant to the glory of God the enlargement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the peace and Tranquility of Christian Kingdoms and Common wealths THis Brethren is the Covenant before us to which God and his Parliament do invite us this day wherein the Ends propounded lye fair to every impartiall eye The first Article in this Covenant binding us to the Reform●tion of Religion and the ●●st Article to the Reformation of our Lives In both we joyn our sil●s to the Lord and swear to ask and receive from his Lips the Law of this Reformation Read them else again and consider And trudy this is a why as well as a what that I may a little prevent my self A ●otive of the first Magnitude Oh for a People or Person to be joy●● unto the Lord to be made one with the most high God of Heaven and Earth before whom and to whom we swear is a priviledge of unspeakable worth and excellency Se●meth it said David once to Sauls servants a small thing to your eyes to be son in law to a King seeing I am a poor man 1 Sam 18.23 Seemeth it may I say a small thing to you for poor creatures to be joyned and married as it were to the great GOD the living God who are so much worse then nothing by how much sin is worse then vanity yea to be one with him as Christ saith in that heavenly Prayer of his John 1● 21 22 23. As he and his Father is one That they may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one with us And again That they may be one even as we are one Yea perfect in one not indeed in the perfection of that unitie but in unitie of that perfection not made perfect in a perfection of equality but of conformity This is the fruit of a right managed Covenant and the greatest honour that poor mortality is capable of Moses stands admiring of it Deut 32.33 You may read the place at your leisure But against this blessed Service and Trueth are there mustered and led up an whole Regiment of O●j●ctions under the conduct of the father of lies though some of them may seem to have some shadow of truth and therefore so much the more carefully to be examined I shall deal onely with some of the chief Commanders of them if they be conquered the rest will vanish of their own accord Objections propounded and answered Obj. 1 Object 1. If this were the end of this service yet it were needlesse since we have done it over and over again It is needlesse in our former Protestations and Covenants and so this repetition may seem to be a prophanation of so holy an Ordinance by making of it so ordinary and nothing else but a taking of Gods name in vaine To this I answer Answ 1. It cannot be done too oft if it be done according to the Law and Order of so solemn an Ordinance 2. The people in the Text might have made the same Objection it lay as strong against the work to which they encourage one another For surely this was not the first time they engaged themselves to God by way of Covenant but having broken their former Covenants they thought it their priviledge and not