Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
B21649
|
Two sermons preached before Her Majesty the Queen-Dowager in Her Majesty's chapel at Somerset-House / by Phil. Ellis.
|
Ellis, Philip, 1652-1726.
|
1686
(1686)
|
Wing E604
|
22,596
|
44
|
ingrave on the Frontispiece of their Temples or in the most eminent Part of them Hieroglyphicks of the Divinity they adore And do you not know says the Apostle that you are the Temples of the Living God Your Heart is the Sanctuary where the Father is worshipp'd in Spirit and Truth Charity is the Priest Faith and Hope are the Assistants Penance and Prayer are the Sacrifices And tell me now ungrateful Christian after so full so free so long and solemn a Possession to be turn'd out all on a sudden in a moment as soon as a Mortal Sin can be committed and this to make way for his mortal Enemy to be sold for the fulsom Pleasures of this World for a Lust or an Ambition to be exchang'd for the amusing Trifles Vanities and Riches is it not the highest Injustice and most foul and abominable Sacrilege An Injustice because you prodigally cast away what belongs to another Non estis vestri Do not think you have power to ruine your selves or that you wrong no Body but your selves 't is a vulgar Saying and a vulgar Mistake You are not your own A Sacrilege because you rob the Temple of the Holy Ghost where he had treasur'd up the Riches of his Goodness where he had made the Repository of his Graces Is it strange then he conceives so high a displeasure at such ill Usage that he breaths out such lamentable Complaints by the Mouth of the Prophet Afflixerunt Spiritum Sancti ejus Isa 63.10 They have afflicted his Holy Spirit they have griev'd his very Soul not only for the Injustice not only for the Sacrilege nor only for the Expulsion but much more for the aggravating Circumstance the Contempt For tho' every Sin be injurious to the Holy Ghost and of what nature soever involves a Contempt of his Divinity by disobeying his Commands an undervaluing his Person by banishing him our Company and a scorn of his Gifts by casting them from us yet every considering Man will grant the first Capital Offence a sanctified Soul commits is big with a particular Contempt and Slighting of the Divine Spirit because it not only thrusts him out of his Possession but do's it to introduce the Spirit of Pride of Luxury of Ambition of Covetousness and the like in his place By which the Sinner declares that he sets a lower Value on Jesus Christ than the most trivial Satisfaction of the World For whether he makes a distinct Reflection on it or no it is certain he virtually compares the Good Spirit which is in possession of his Heart with the Evil one which is solliciting admittance and by consenting to Sin he declares his Judgment and shews which is preferable in his esteem There is no sort of Contempt like that of Comparison which not only despises a Man but to increase the Confusion and Affront first sets another in competition with him and then gives that other the advantage over him Which Proceeding tho' ever odious in two Cases is most abominable in the Rights of Sovereignty and in the Interests of Love If a People should depose their Prince they would commit the foulest the most unjust and most unchristian Action in the World but if they stop there 't is only an absolute Contempt But if the giddy Multitude proceed to a new Election and put up the mortal Enemy of their Lawful Sovereign then 't is a Contempt of Comparison If a Wife suffer that Conjugal Affection to die which Nature and Religion oblige her to cherish towards her Husband 't is a horrible Injury 't is a Contempt for there can be no Indifferency in that Case But if she turn her Affections upon a Stranger the sworn Enemy of her Lawful Spouse such a Preference heightens the Affront beyond all that can be express'd beyond all comparison and chases Anger into Desparation and Fury Now what Resentment Passion raises in Men Justice kindles in the Holy Ghost for he enters a Soul in both these Qualities as Sovereign to make it the Seat of his Empire regnum Dei intra vos est and as a Spouse to contract with it the nearest and most sacred Alliance Sponsabo te mihi in sempiteruum Yet every idle Pretender every rebellious Appetite or unruly Passion is admitted to dispute his Title while the Owner is forc'd to plead his Right before a corrupted Judge the Free-will of Man while the Heart an unfaithful Spouse is not only consenting to his Banishment but also before his Face abandons her self into the Embraces of a foul Adulterer the profess'd Enemy of her rightful Lord preferring the momentary Pleasures of this World before the eternal Caresses of his Favour But he bewailing her Loss more than his own when the losing of him is indeed the losing her self follows her with the Tears and unspeakable Groans of her Mother the Church begs of her to return more to her self than to him Redite peccatores ad cor and is contristated that she will neither believe nor prevent her endless and unconsolable Sorrow Si cognovisses tu And what do you now expect Christians but that to close up this Discourse I joyn my Voice to that of the Holy Ghost and become his Advocate who pleads for himself to your Heart and that I beg of you once with my Lips what he do's every moment by his Grace Nolite contristare For his and your own sake have pity upon your own Souls and cease to grieve the Holy Ghost 1. If you have not yet given him entrance by a faithful Obedience to his Call hear his Voice even this day harden your Hearts no longer put an end to your Reluctances and Resistance There are but two Wills concern'd in your Conversion but two Consents requir'd to the thoro ' Amendment of your Life the Holy Ghost's and your own And I hope from what I have discours'd you are very well satisfied that the Holy Ghost wishes nothing so earnestly desires nothing so passionately demands nothing so instantly And do you deliberate upon the matter Do you entertain the Motion so coldly Is your Salvation in your own Hands and you stand demurring whether you shall accept of it Is that freely offer'd you which you ought to have su'd for with flaming Sighs and unexpressible Groans gemitibus inenarrabilibus Is it not Crime enough to have hitherto resisted his Inspirations stopp'd your Ears against his Calls rejected his Counsels and trampl'd upon his Commandments Will you continue in Rebellion till there is no Mercy left for you Will you seal up your Ears till the Invitation is past Will you not render to his Counsels till it be too late nor acknowledge his Commandments till you are lost for ever Will you send back his comfortable Venite's Come to me with the Language of the wicked Recede à nobis Depart from us and force him to that bitter Retaliation Recedite à me Depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire And this you do while you continue to neglect his repeated Instances and Calls for a continu'd Neglect is a Contempt and a Contempt of the Holy Ghost is that Basphemy which pronounces Sentence upon it self the fatal Recede à nobis Depart from us for ever Yes hard-hearted Sinner cruel to thy self and to thy God God will obey the Voice of Man who would never hearken to the Voice of God he will depart from thee for ever For the Scripture often warns us that there is a certain number of Sins which fill'd up chase him away irrevocably that there is a certain number of Calls which being rejected You shall call says he and I will not hear and there is a certain number of Graces summ'd up and recorded by the Hand of Justice after which no more are given or at least so imperfect and weak as they leave the Soul in a moral impossibility to break her Chains or shake off her evil Habits Perhaps this is the last Opportunity shall ever be presented you perhaps this is the last time you shall ever hear the Holy Ghost speaking to your Hearts the last and peremptory Term of Grace beyond which it shall never be extended and on acceptance of which depends your eternal Predestination or Reprobation Perhaps this is your last Pentecost and remember you are warn'd that he who appear'd to day in the shape of Fiery Tongues to express how ardently he desires your Conversion will one day appear in that terrifying Posture the Prophets beheld him when a flaming Sword issu'd from his Mouth Death and Destruction walked before him a Torrent of Fire stream'd from his enrag'd Countenance and flaming Eyes to consume his Enemies 2. But above all you that have already receiv'd the Holy Ghost Nolite contristare do not grieve him do not extinguish those Divine Flames he has rais'd in your Hearts Consider what a Happiness it is to be his Temple give him not the displeasure to see himself chas'd from that Place whence his Access had chas'd so many evil and tyrannical Spirits and where he desires to dwell in this Life by his Grace that we may dwell for ever in his Glory Which I beseech c. FINIS