Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	great_a	lord_n	praise_v	2,087	5	9.1611	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A20782	The iaylors conuersion Wherein is liuely represented, the true image of a soule rightlye touched, and conuerted by the spirit of God. The waightie circumstances of which supernaturall worke, for the sweete amplifications, and fit applications to the present time, are now set downe for the comfort of the strong, and confirmation of the weake. By Hugh Dowriche Batch. of Diuinitie.	Dowriche, Hugh, b. 1552 or 3.	1596 (1596)	STC 7160; ESTC S111947	34,879	82

of God to continue in the heart of a wicked man which can neuer be Now we see what we are to thinke of those lyars which say with their mouthes Wis 1. 3. 4. 5 Titus 1. 16. they know God and haue felt his motions and yet in their deedes denie him and of those fruitelesse and cursed Figtrees which in the spring bud faire and promise greate hope and yet at haruest yeelde nothing but Mat. 21. 19. leaues c. The third circumstance What question it was that the Iaylor demaunded The question is What must I doe to be saued Hee inquires not now after the fashion of worldlings what must I doe to come to promotion to honour and dignitie What must I doe to become rich and to obtaine an easie quiet life What must I do to be reuenged of my enemies to deceiue my neighbours and to satisfie my lust c. No he was not troubled about any such matter but the spirite of God had now made him carefull onely for one thing and the best thing which was what he might doe to bee saued and to haue his sinne forgiuen And it seemeth that the iudgements of God had touched him home that so presently a man so carnall so fleshly so worldly and sensual should so willingly take his leaue of the loue of the world of the vanities and pleasures of the same the loue of his house wife childrē liuing life and all and onely craue to know that which few did desire which many did despise that is what he might do to be saued Pointing as it were with his finger vnto the onely marke end vpon which euerie man should haue his whole care fixed planted In this question wee are to consider the manner of his comming vnto them and his salutation He fel down before thē he trembled he brought them out hee called then in Greeke my Lordes by a reuerend title What could hee haue done more to Noble men Nay what could he haue done more to the greatest princes in the world But a man may aske how could Paul Silas abide to be honoured not reprehend him Surely they knew that he honored thē not superstitiously which Paul could not abide in other Act. 14. 14. 15. places men but rather that he vsed this gesture forced vnto it by the manifest feeleing Act. 10. 26. of the iudgmēts of God in the late Earthquake and therefore suffered him to doe it Application and Doctrine We see first how the Lord when it pleaseth him forceth euen his enemies in their conscience to giue that truth an honourable testimonie which they persecuted and to honour it with great reuerence Wee learne of this Iaylor to honour the Lords gifts especially the worde of truth wheresoeuer we find it whether it be in the prison or at libertie whether it bee contemned or honored whether it be in men simple and despised or in men of credite and dignitie For the Lorde chuseth manye times the weake to confound the mightie the humble to shame the proude c. We see againe that the ministerie of the word is a calling and Office ordained and blessed by the Lord and therefore hee will haue it honored of all men Because the ministers thereof are not the Embassadours of worldly Princes which is also a calling of greate honour for they represent the Maiestie of the Kinge and are as it were the verie mouth of the Prince himselfe but they are the messengers of the Prince of all Princes the eternall Lorde of heauen and earth they represent the maiestie of the Lord in his word and when we heare them speaking if they preach nothing but according to the verie word wee must assure our selues that we heare the Lord speaking vnto vs in them Therefore we find that in many places the word it selfe giues them honorable titles for S. Paule saith they are worthie of double honour This Iaylor heere 1. Tim. 5. 17 cals them by the worthiest name of preheminence that he could deuise not in respect of their persons which seemed to bee but simple but for the loue and honour which he bare to the word which they professed Another thing we are here to consider which may not be forgotten That the Iaylor in demaunding this question What must I doe to bee saued flatly and plainely ouerthrowes and condemneth all the Religion of the Scribes and Pharisies to bee nothing else but a fardle of ceremonies toyes and superstitions ioyned with a worldly pompe and beautie onely hauing nothing in it to comfort the hart oppressed with Woe or assure the conscience of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ which is the onely Sauiour and saluation of the elect by faith For if hee had beene perswaded that the doctrine which the Pharisies taught concerning the fulfilling of the lawe had beene sufficient for his saluation to haue brought him the right way to the mercie of God and the forgiuenesse of his sinne he would neuer haue come vnto the Apostles to haue learned another way which had beene superfluous But wee see plainly that he did now not only doubt but boldly renounce and abandon and forsake in the plaine fielde the Pharisies superstition the rites and Religion wherein hee was borne brought vp and had for a long time continued Because hee saw that now when he most needed he could find no comfort nor saluation in it at all As if he should say Sirs I was borne vnder the Religion The Oration of the Iaylor vnto the Apostles which the Pharisies professe I haue beene zealous in it as many others at this day are I haue had an honorable opinion of it and haue hated them that haue gain-saide it I haue beene of long time now led with their outward pompe of dumbe shewes I could neuer by anye meanes bee perswaded that these great graue auncient learned wise men could euer haue bene deceiued or haue beene conuinced of any error or so blinded that they could not haue sene the truth Yet now I plainely see that they all the verye best of thē are but hypocrits blind guides folish ignorant of the true knowledge wicked Ma 23. 13 the generation of Vipers which shut vp the kingdome of heauen and wil neither enter themselues nor suffer others that would which deuour the widdowes houses with colour of long praier which compasse sea land to make one of their profession which make cleane the outerside of the cup and platter but within are full of briberie and excesse which I see are nothing else but whited Tombes full of dead mens bones all filthynes c. I can not find now in their Religion anye comfort at all for a wounded conscience or any hope to haue my sins forgiuen Now therefore sith it hath pleased the Lord with one motion to moue both body and heart and that he hath made me see my sinne my ignorance my blindnes I doe here

God in this man vttered long sithence vpon occasion which I haue termed The Iaylors Conuersion This being the first thing of mine that euer past the presse I thought to make bold to Dedicate it to the first friend that euer was truely possessed of my hart The first fruits were stil most accepted desired of the Lord The first childe by nature is best beloued of the father The first faith is euer most firme most deare and sweete to the possessor My first faithfull affection hath inforced me to offer these simple first fruites to you that had the gift of my first faith Which affection you first wonne by curtesie after confirmed it by desert which being planted young hath now growne to be olde being begun long sithence hath continued to this present inuiolable and as the greene bayes whome no tempest can blast euer flourishing so I hope shal continue so long as life shal giue leaue to loue If I could as easily bestow on you a great part of the world as I doe willingly giue you this smal portiō of words thogh you bee great already yet would I make you greater But seing words for want of welth must shewe my will consider in these words not the words but the working of the spirit of God And I dare presume to say that if you can imitate rightly this one example these words in short time though you bee good already yet shall they make you better The Lord that hath giuen you a great portion of faith hath bestowed on you great worldly blessings of wisedome and welth increase this faith so dayly multiplie these blessings vpon you that you may go forward frō faith to faith from vertue to vertue from life to life till in the day of the Lord your imperfections being made perfect you may receiue the Crowne of immortall glorie prepared for such as loue the Lord vnfainedly Honiton in Deuon this 30. daye of Iune 1596. Your louing friend Hugh Dowriche Vaine floting blastes of worldly blisse that neuer stay Are smoke-like mounting spied but quickly quite decay Like vewes of fawning shades that plant alluring baytes Erre fully come their farwell shewes their hid deceytes No trust in trustlesse trash no faith in friendly shewes Truth quailes in Hectik fits whilst falshoode greenely growes Yea masking visars fraude great grace in gracelesse findes No place for naked truth No time for fraudlesse mindes Esteemed vice soores high on gales of witlesse windes Knocke VVisedome while she faint on rocke of flintie hart No answere but I will not come you may depart If supreame voice to Conscience call to counte for sinne Greene Figleaues grace defects as sinne had neuer binne Hygh Cedars stoutly vaunt that fruitlesse haruest yeelde The Volgo bright yet good for neither fish nor feelde Let not false Susis springs finde poores in Corkie hart Yeelde not to loose the truth though clad in carefull smart Establish vertues throne And say to sinne depart To the friendly Reader THere is dayly preaching and daily printing of good Sermōs and good Bookes and yet there is little profiting and little amendment seene to follow either in words or workes We haue had precept vpon precept Sermon vpon Sermon in euery corner here a little and there a little and yet Egypt cannot speake the language of Canaā Esay 8 13. Esay 19. 18. Some professors cannot see what is belonging to their profession liue there after The Vineyeard yeeldeth but briers thornes The companie of vaine Papisticall Libertine Esay 27. 5. Ierem. 7. 11 and Machiauelion professors are become cōpanions to theeues they are euen found to be the den and the sinke of loth some hypocrisie which the eye of Christ viewed his heart lothed his whip purged The swords edge is rebated to them it cannot Pearce the shaft is shot in vaine it cannot sticke The force of the Gospell is become now so weake it cannot moue them The bellowes are burnt the ledde is consumed in the fire the founder Ierem. 6 ● hath melted in vaine The preachers haue lost their labours and the Printers haue spent their care their time their strength in nothing for The wicked yet still wrestle against God like wild Buls tumbling in a Ierem. 1. ● net yea they haue made a new couenant with death and with hell they haue clapped hands vpon a new bargaine As Sathan told Eua she should not die so our lying fancies haue told vs that No plague shall come neere vs. Long peace and wealth hath brought vs to wanton 1. Cor. 4. Babels estate we are a virgine not to be oppressed by any we are tender and delicate the mistresse of felicitie we are a Lady of kingdomes with a perelesse prosperitie in the middest of Esay 47. 1● our neighbours miseries wee neuer feared of our owne calamities our necke is framed of yron sinewes it cannot bow our browes are ouer-plated Esay 48. 4● with brasse they cannot blush The trumpe hath blowen yet can bee not bring againe them that Were lost in the land of Assiria Though the preachers with their Cornets haue seuen and seuen times compassed Iericho yet the cursed wals fal not though the voice the crie and the force of the Gospell of signes and wonders haue beene heard and felt in euery corner yet the weedes ouertoppe the Corne the soule lost in the sincke of error and land of transgression returnes not againe the Papists deceiued by the full flesh pots of Egypt are not yet reclaimed the Atheists Brownists Anabaptists Libertines and carnall carelesse and dissolute professors that are for their sinne suffered to be led into heresies are not yet contented to ioyne in one godly vnitie to worship and serue the Lord in the mount of Ierusalem the vision of peace We doe not yet see that blessed time when Ephraim shall be are no euill will to Iuda nor Iuda vexe Ephraim when preachers shall not wrangle for trifels and bee deuided one from an other but all ioyne together to flie vpon the shoulders of the Pihlistins the common enemies of the Gospell All our preaching cannot draw on that happie time when Iuda and Israel shall walke both together When all preachers and professors that now hate backbite and slaunder one an other shall so ioyne hands and hearts together that neither of thē walke or continue any longer in the hardnesse of their froward harts It was a certaine signe of Gods heauie plague against Iuda and a sure token that their destruction was at hand when the peoples eares began to be Vncircumcised when they could not patiently harken to the truth and when the word was to thē as a reproch that they could not delighte in it If the same tokens may be now any way á signe to England of her destruction as it was to Ierusalem then may Englands Musicke be well turned into Iudahes mourning and say Woe bee vnto me Woe is me now My heart my health

of the Gospell make the glorious word and preaching of Christ to be blasphemed among the Papists and they hinder many from professing and beleeuing the same because they walke not wisely toward them that are without because there is as much whordome couetousnes drunkennes vsurie periurie simonie subtiltie briberie iniurie amongst them as euer was among the Papists or can be among the Turkes and infidels because there is as little faith as litle regard of promise or word or lesse then euer was in the time of ignorance c. But what shall become of these wicked hypocrites of these Painted wals of these stincking Sepulchers and fruitlesse Figtrees which defame their callings abuse their places pollute their Offices and dishonor the Lord by their sinfull liues Surely they shall leaue a deadly curse vpon their posteritie the filthie mawes of the hungrie Dogges shall bee thought to be a Sepulcher worthie and sufficient for such cursed carrions The Lorde shall plague them by taking from them their sonne begotten in a dulterie their Offices their dignities and the thing they loue best the Lord shall punish them by rebellion in in their sonnes in their subiects and heauie mishappes within their owne houses Some of these wicked abusers of their Office and calling the Lord doth notwithstanding as we here see cal home to a consideration of their miserable estate to the knowledge and sight of their sinnes to a true humiliation of their proude stomackes and to an effectuall repentance because it is certaine and sure that the wickednesse of man cannot alter the purpose of the Lord. Where we learne that as God doth suffer his elect for a time to be seduced and to wander out of the right way as Dauid by his lust Paule by blinde zeale Mary Magdalene by lewde concupisence and this Iaylor by crueltie blindnesse yet as many as pertaine to Gods election haue the times and meanes of their conuersion appointed and they at that calling obey as we see here this Iaylor doth though before oftentimes they haue refused Here we see the great mercy of the Lord which calleth all sortes of men which despiseth no Office nor the vilest callings which refuseth not to thinke vppon the greatest sinners in the middest of all their blindnes but vseth louing and fit meanes to call sinners to repentaunce As according to the qualitie greatnesse and continuance of any sinne so wee see his motions to repentance fitted for them Dauid had not long beene forgetfull neither remained any great time in the sincke of his sinne therefore the voice of the Lord in a simple man wrought a sorrow and repentance in him Peter had not long continued in his Apostasie hee was brought vnto that forgetfulnes of his good master and duetie by the frailenes feare that was in his flesh and bloud and not by any malice or wilfull contempt therefore the voice of a Cocke was sufficient to awaken him to make him see the foulenes of his finne and to lament his weakenes with bitter teares But of the contrarie where the sinne is setled of a long continuance where the sinners after admonition haue taken delite in it haue continued it with mallice and wilfull contempt there the Lord must vse great and mightie motions to remoue them as Earthquakes throwing downe some tower in Siloe stirring vp great enemies and shewing great and vnusuall wonders c. And yet these great motions moue not all for there are some which pertaine to the Lords inheritance that are conuerted by them as this Iaylor and many other But such againe as bee none of this number but those whome the Lord hath forsaken and cast off cannot be moued nor conuerted by all the signes wonders and Earthquakes that can bee shewed such were the Scribes and Pharisies the masters of this Iaylor such was Pharao such were the sonnes of Elie and many in Ierusalem such are our great and grounded Papists such are our libertine professors and fleshly Gospellers such are our Atheists and Iesters in religion c. 2. His Charge It seemeth that his Charge was very great and that it stoode greatly vppon him to restore againe such as he had receiued It shuld appeare that these Apostles were deliuered vnto him with such a straite commaundement that if he did let them escape his life should go for theirs For being now awakened by the suddaine shaking of the earth rysing out of his bed at midnight in great feare and comming vnto the prison and finding the doores open and thinking assuredly that his prisoners had beene fled in a desperate minde determined rather to kill himselfe then to stand to the curtesie of that sentence which his good masters the enuious Scribes and Pharisies should pronounce against him Which wicked act the fearefull and desperate man had committed in deede had not Paule by the spirit of God in the darke seene his intent and with this ioyfull voice at that instant comforted him Do thy selfe no harme for we are all here Application and Doctrine First by his straite Charge which the Scribes and Pharisies gaue for the keeping of these Apostles we learne with what great heate and hateful mallice the wicked world with the blind potentates thereof doe persecute the truth wheresoeuer they shall see it but once to shew it selfe or appeare neuer so little and how loth they are that the messengers of this newes should escape with life or libertie when they once come within their fingers The estate of Gods trueth in this world is maruelous and miserable For the euerie murder whordome drunkennes c hath alwaies found more friendship in it and hath beene better alowed of then the simple truth There was a theefe and a murderer preferred before Christ himselfe The illusion of Sathan and a Deuill that deceaued them by blinde toyes and telling of fortunes was a great deale better accepted in this blinde Cittie of Phillippie then Paule and Silas the true preachers For wherefore were Paule and Silas cast into prison with so straite a commaundement after they had beene buffeted and whipt most cruelly before Surely the holy Ghost layeth downe no other causes but these First They preached the truth and assayed to turne them from their Idolatry blindnesse Secondly They cast out the Deuill that did deceaue them Where wee learne how vnwilling the world and the wicked are to haue the Deuil cast out of themselues of their sonnes and daughters especially if the Deuill bring any kinde of commoditie with him as this Deuill did For that was the cause of this commotion because Paules new doctrine could not agree with their olde Deuill because they might not follow Paules Religion and yet still retaine their former profite and commoditie By which we see how hard a matter it is to plant the true Religion among the couetous and worldly minded wretches Wee see now the cause why the godly in the primatiue church why the blessed martyrs in Queene Maries

daies were vexed exiled whipped imprisoned set vppon the rackes tyed and chained to the stakes and burned onely for this because they preached truely the Gospell of Christ which Paule and Silas preached before because they called them from darkenesse to light from error to truth from hell to heauen because they opened the illusions of the Masse Purgatorie and other such peeuish fantasies But here a man might saie it seemeth that there was some other matter which moued these rulers to lay vp Paule and Silas with so straite a charge For as there was no commoditie came to the rulers by the spirit of Diuination which was in the woman but rather a priuate gaine to certaine that were her masters so there was no such hurt like to insue vnto the Magistrate or state of the towne by expelling of him as should force them to so great a furie therfore ther was belike some other matter No but here we see most notably the nature of the wicked For it falleth out many times The natu of the wiked that the Magistrate which feareth not God perswadeth himselfe that by pollicie and maintaining of that which best liketh the multitude the common-wealth shal be both better longer maintained quiet peaceable then by establishing any thing bee it neuer so good which the people like not That was one error of the Magistrates An other thing that we see in them is vaine glorie and a desire to keepe their dignitie Which thing where so euer it doth enter it makes them vnwilling to heare of any alterations bee they neuer so little or neuer so good and bee they themselues neuer so full of imperfections for feare least if they should alow the doctrine of the Gospell in the reformation of one thing bee it neuer so little it would in time grow farder and at length perchance finde a fault in their owne best cootes that had neede to be amended That was the cause which made these Magistrates stop the proceedings of the trueth in the first appearing and to alow and incourage wicked men in their furie against the same when as if they had done well they should haue corrected the couetous abuse of the Deuill and haue praised the good men that did open it haue thanked God that had reuealed this abuse vnto thē Here we see another abuse and follie that was in those Magistrates for they presently vpon the cry exclamation of two or three lewd fellowes without examination of either causes or parties sent good men to the prison and let the varlets goe vnpunished Lastly we see the dulnes and blindnes of such Magistrates whome the Lord doeth not blesse They could not see the right cause of this tumult which was a couetous minde neither could they perceiue the pollicie of the Deuill in shadowing this cause For the wicked come not to the Magistrate say Sir they by their preachings haue taken awaye our gaine and commoditie for then it might easily haue bene perceiued from whence their heate proceeded but they colour their couetousnesse with an other shadow and saie Sir These men which are Iewes trouble our Cittie They preach ordinances which are not lawfull for vs to receiue neither to obserue seing we are Romaines So we see that it is a common thing to intitle that trueth which we think will in time ouerthrow our pride our couetousnes with rebellion sedition conspiracy by that menes to make it a cloke for lewdnes knauerie Now we see the causes of this straite charge which the Magistrates gaue vnto the Iaylor We learne here againe that the Lord suffereth euen his elect chosen for a time to run in the path of sinners that he doth exercise them with great temptations that he brings them euen to the brincke of hell and desperation yet recals them euen then when they are fardest gon least thinke of succour then is the Lord neerest vnto them as is here to be seene by the example of this woefull Iaylor and many other such like in the Scripture For whē Abraham had hoped beyond hope had waited for the promise till it was past both mans helpe and hope yet then did the Lord keepe promise when he least thought it When the same Abraham Gen 17. 19 21. 2. Heb. 11. 11. being commanded to offer vp his son that he had so long loked for could see no reason of the Lords promise yet at the very Gen. 22. 10. Eccl. 44. 20. instant when the axe was lifted vp vnknowen to Abraham there was a meanes prouided to saue the childe ere the Axe fell When there was but a sily basket betweene death and Moses yet at an instant the Lord Exod. 2. 3. 4 had prouided an vnknown meanes to make him ruler of his people When Ioseph was in great extremitie solde into a straunge Gen. 41. 40. countrie and for a long time in grieuous imprisonment without friends or hope of restitution and therefore might haue beene comfortlesse yet the Lorde when Ioseph thought least of it set him at libertie and 1. Sam. 23. 27. made him ruler of a great Countrie When Dauid was in great perill by Saule When Daniel was cast into the Lyons denne When the three young men that would not worship the Idoll were cast into the hote furnace Dan. 6. 22. 3. 25. yet the Lord at that instant when flesh and bloud coulde see no helpe preserued them So this feare which the Iaylor felt first in the Earthquake next in that hee thought that his prisoners had beene al gon stroke him verie deepe to the heart and brought him to great extremitie which all vnknowing to him was vsed by the Lorde to be a meane of his conuersion and saluation Where wee see how the Lord watcheth ouer his electe to comfort them to keepe them to defend them from water from fire from wilde beastes and from desperation and cruell enemies that nothing may hinder them from that happie hower wherein the Lord hath appointed to call them conuert them and saue them Lastly wee learne that they bee happie though they feele some miserie which may heare the voice of the Gospel and true preachers for they euer bring comfort and ioye vnto them that can heare them they expell all feare abandon all qualmes of lothsome desperation from their heartes but more happie are they that heare obey and submit themselues and their affections to the rule of the worde speaking to their eares outwardly or of the spirite of God mouing their hearts inwardly as this Iaylor did Thirdly his sudden Alteration The Alteration of this man was suddaine and maruelous For he which at the beginning of the night did with ioy receiue these prisoners with crueltie and disdaine no doubt thrust them into the vilest dungeon set them into the stockes and clapt giues vpon their feete before the same night was ended felt the power and spirite of God confessed