Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	good_a	great_a	see_v	4,003	5	3.1544	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56796	A word in season being a sermon preach'd in the parish-church of St. James Clarkenwell, on Wednesday the 11th of December, 1695, being the fast-day / by D. Pead ...	Pead, Deuel, d. 1727.	1695 (1695)	Wing P966; ESTC R17740	14,716	42

late and that has made way for the other of Novelty and it seems a just consequence for seeing True Religion is so much out of Fashion some have thought it the most opportune time to shut it quite out of the World ours at least and have therefore boldly by Novel Opinions struck at Two of the Fundamental Points thereof the Sacrifice of Christ's death denying it to be Meritorious and Confounding instead of Explaining the Mystery of the Glorious Trinity making too fair a way for Polytheisme this so quietly hitherto suffered and conniv'd at for if some had not Slept others had not had Opportunity to Sow these Tares hath encourag'd another to attempt the Whole Body of Christianity denying any thing therein to be Mysterious Need we have to Pray that God would Inspire with his Heavenly Wisdom them that Sit at the Helm least such Hurricanes arising the Ship of the CHURCH be Over-set and Religion as to the Doctrinal Part be lost in the Storm As much need of help hath the Practical part Religion and Piety I mean holiness of life And how shall we be holpen unless it shall please God to direct those to whom he hath given the Power to be careful that the Wholsome Laws already made be put in due Execution and to prepare others to Curb and Restrain Wickedness and Vice We lie under a biting Sarcasme I wish I could say Slander that none are more wise in devising Laws than the English but every one exceeds them in the Execution Sin would not be so fearless did some present Punishment remind the Sinner of Eternal time was that Men dare not but appear something towardly and good but now they are passed all Hypocrisie and are come up to down-right Impudence they declare their Sin as Sodom they hide it not The Constable the Church-warden the Justice and who not sees it or hears it and who sees it so safe they are they care not If I may speak my fear it is this that unless they for whom we this Day are to Pray do by the help of Gods Grace Suppress the Prophaness Pride Drunkenness Lust Swearing Forswearing and Sabbath breaking so rife among us there will in a short time be but a little if any true Church in these Three Nations 2. Wee thus pray for Counsell for our Senatours for the good of the State that for the Kings Honour and his Kingdoms Welfare they would see to the maintaining Truth and executing Justice Words can have no greater ornament than truth 't is not so much Rethorick or Elegancy of Language that does Beautifie our discourse as Verity and plainness and yet now this great beauty is out of Favour not but that Men may speak truth for many say King William is our King and that he ought to be obeyed in all his lawful commands yet divers speak this truth but as Judas spoke of Charity to serve their interest not that they account it a truth for it is apparent that some who say so with their Tongues yet reserve Rancour Malice and Revenge in their Hearts which at particular times and places break forth at their lips Others are Forgers of Lyes they calumniate the Person and Majesty or else misrepresent the Anions of onr Sovereign who were he not as Good as Great they long ere this had had no breath to speak with by this means seeking to rend the hearts of his Subjects from him Now what such false Tongues deserve David who was sufficiently persecuted by them declares Psal 120.4 Sharp Arrows of the Mighty with Coals of Juniper Juniper burns extraordinary fierce and extraordinary punishment such Persons deserve and if once Davids Worthies would see good to command it this would not only conduce much to the Honour and Safety of David but leave a Fragrant smell arising thence which would cherish the hearts of all that truly Serve God and Honour the King Besides this publick truth of unfeigned love and Loyalty that ought to be personal for the honour and safety of his Majesty the head of the State there is also a private truth for want whereof the body of the State suffers in its Welfare How common is Lying Perjury Forswaring and Forgerys from common discourse Truth seems in a manner quite exploded and nothing more frequent than Lying and Banter and that for the sake of Merriment and therefore as Solon once told Thespis so we now find it Men have practised lying so long for sport that at last they are become earnest at it and therefore we find it in Promises and Covenants and in matters of Trade Lying Fraud and Deceit which are but other names for the same thing are so customary that one would judg it were a Proverb of Solomons That plain dealing should dye a Beggar What Nation can entertain a good opinion or seek a correspondence with a State thus habituated As for Justice we may with Jeremy Jere. 5.7 Run to and fro thro the streets of Cyties and also into the Country Villages to find one that professeth it One Just to God Just to Caesar Just to his Neighbour and Just to Himself is hard to find how often have we heard that Justice hath not only shun'd the common conversation but hath deserted the very persons and places of its usual abode Let one great in Power or mighty in Wealth transgress a Law provided it be that of Swearing that of Drunkenness that of Sabath breaking or that of Murder or Adultry nay all these and any other yet where is the Wretch who dare be so hardy as to testifie the truth or if such be to be found it will be long ere we can find a Magistrate will hear him so as to execute his Office and discharge his Conscience Pollio careth for none of these things Fiat Justitia ruat caelum is gone hence The fear of the Minister of Justice is often times the security of the offender or if he is not the Son of Fear he is the Child of Hope and a Reward in expectation can mitigate the Severity of the Law or at least cool his Zeal and by such means what shall become of Justice Need have we therefore to pray that God would Counsel our Counsellors to be zealous in maintaining Truth and Justice as well as Religion and Piety To Conclude Your Eyes are upon the Parliament you watch the doors of their houses you gl●dly get into their Company you consult their Votes and all to be acquainted with what they are doing or intend to do for your good this argues you have a great dependance upon their Councels lift up therefore your hearts and voices to God and assist them and your selves by your devout prayers and when God in his mercy shall hear these prayers then shall Peace and happiness dwell among us then God will be at Peace with us and he will either confound or force our Enemies to a Peace then shall we be happy every way then shall we be happy in our Country in our King in our Laws in Mutual Love and Concord then shall we have such a Peace as though we may differ in Judgment yet we shall Assent in Affection which happy and peaceful days God vouchsafe to bestow upon us for the sake of his Son Jesus-Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory now and forever Amen FINIS

neither the Ability of devising what is fit and proper nor yet of uttering what he so finds devised till he hath received it from God nor are such precious Talents entrusted with all Persons indifferently Eccles 2.26 God giveth to a Man that is good in his sight Wisdom and Knowledg We are taught James 1.17 that every good and perfect Gift cometh from above and cometh down from the Father of Lights who if he sees fit to suspend his Light the sharpest Wits the most acute Judgments grope but in the dark That God should be the Fountain of Wisdom and Knowledg is a Principle all have assented to for even the very Heathen in all their Distress did usually apply unto their Gods for Direction and Help Nor are we left without sufficient Precedents of this nature Judg. 18.5 five Persons of the Tribe of Dan Men of Valour were sent out as Spies they confided not in their own Policy or Strength but like wise Persons desirous to discharge their Trust effectually they ask Counsel of the Lord whether the way they had design'd to go should prosper it was their Belief that God only knew and it was their Resolution to follow his Direction Again Jugd 20.18 Israel being to engage with the Tribe of Benjamin relied not upon their Numbers for they had often seen that the Battel was not to the Strong but trusted in the Counsel they should receive from God and therefore before the Battel was begun went up to the House of God and asked Counsel of God Let others therefore look to their Achitophel Machiavel Anaxagoras Panaetius or Polybius or to the Conclave of Babylon yet let your Eyes look up unto the Lord and beg hard for the Wisdom which is pure and peaceable and then shall your Enemies by their sitting hatch but a Cockatrice Egg or spin a Spiders Web God will frustrate their Devices and make their craftiest Projects of none effect while your own Counsellors shall be guided in the ways of Peace and Happiness Pray to God for he hath assur'd you Prov. 8.14 that Counsel sound Wisdom Understanding and Strength are his vain and fruitless Devices the Devil may furnish his Instruments with but sound Counsel and Wisdom is only from the Lord. 3. Pray to God heartily that he would give the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding to the Honourable Houses of Parliament for God hath promised upon our praying to bestow this Blessing Hear how our Saviour reasons with the Jews Luke 11.11 they had been poison'd by entertaining some false Notions of God and were jealous of him in respect of his Love and Bounty to them our Saviour faith if you that are rash fiery and inconsiderate Creatures subject to sundry Passions and Humours have notwithstanding that Affection for your Children that you gratify them in what they ask provided it be useful and good to them why then should not your heavenly Father the God of Love and Mercy who is not subject to those Distractions and Changes which are incident to Flesh and Blood most freely give you the best things even the Spirit of Wisdom provided you ask as you ought if therefore we ask they shall receive For our farther Encouragement St. James from God hath told us James 1.17 that if any Man lacketh Wisdom he should ask it of God who giveth to all Men liberally and upbraideth not Fear no Reproach for asking your Petition shall not be thrown out provided it be delivered with Faith Humility and Fervency you shall not be brow-beaten for thus addressing but you may believe that he who hath told us he loveth a cheerful Giver is himself a liberal Benefactor Solomon being called to the Throne wisely considered the Weight of a Scepter and the Cares of a Crown and therefore in his first Petition that he made to God 1 Kings 3.9 he beg'd an understanding Heart Counsel and Direction from God to go in and out before so great a People that he might exert his Power to the right ends viz. God's Glory and his Subjects Good And if you read 1 Kings 4.29 30. God both heard and was well pleased with this Prayer he denied him not the Request of his Lips but gave him such a measure of Knowledg such a Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding that he thereby surpassed even to a wonder all his Contemporaries whether Friends or Foes Daniel and his three Companions made their Supplication before God for Wisdom they were in a difficult Post living in the midst of their Enemies and therefore needed Direction lest unhappily they gave occasion that the Name of God should be blasphemed their Prayer was answered Dan. 1.17 and notwithstanding they were but as Children for Years they became wiser than the Aged Thirdly To what ends we should thus Pray The great ends why we should pray for Counsel and Wisdom for these our Representatives we may find in the Prayer that the Church hath set out upon this particular occasion namely that by their Consultations Good may accrue to the Church of God Safety Honour and Welfare may be Established to the King and His Kingdoms and that all things may be so ordered and settled by their Endeavours upon the Best and Surest Foundations that Peace and Happiness Truth and Justice Religion and Piety may be Established among us for all Generations And what can any Man desire more than that the Church of God may flourish by means of true Religion and Piety that the King's Honour and Safety and His Kingdoms Welfare may be preserved by the upholding Truth and executing of Justice and these things thus happily Atchieved by God's Blessing upon their Counsels How Peaceful how Happy shall we and our Posterity be 1. One great end is for the good of the Church that by means of their Godly Wisdom Religion and Piety may flourish among us Religion and Piety that is Soundness of Doctrine and Holiness of Conversation As to the First that of Doctrine the un-erring Rule thereof is the Scriptures which if duly observed Heresies and Schisms would vanish from among us not but that either of these pretend Scripture in their Justification yet both are not sound in the Exposition of them and the distinction were easily made if Men would depart from their Pride and Conceitedness and with Modesty compare Scripture with Scripture and where after such comparison the Truth doth not so fully appear as might be wishd they would then ask Judgment of those Reverend Fathers of the Church whose Piety and Learning have passed without just contradiction for many Ages Chrysippus doating on his own Learning and Subtilty in Dispute boasted that he oftner wanted new Opinions than Arguments to defend them we have of late days heard of some of his Scholars It was the Opinion of some exemplary for Knowledge as well as Piety that Religion had but Three Grand Enemies Luke-warmness Prophaneness and Novelty with the first we have been a long time pester'd by the second never so much as of