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	way_n	3,966	5	4.6102	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A33090	A declaration from the Commission of the General Assembly wherein the stumblng blocks laid before the people of God by their enemies are removed, complyance with these enemies is reprehended, and courage and constancie in the cause of God against them seriously recommended and enjoyned.	Church of Scotland. General Assembly. Commission.	1646 (1646)	Wing C4210; ESTC R26023	9,951	22

Popish and Prelaticall party unto the subversion of the due Rights and Priviledges of the Parliaments and diminishing of his Majesties just greatnesse and authority unto the withdrawing of Incendiaries and Malignants from condigne punishment unto the overthrow of the Union betwixt the Kingdoms unto the deserting of our Brethren following of divisive motions and denying to hazard or suffer the losse either of lives or estates in the defence of the Cause and them that adhere thereunto Wee see not any strength of reason in that seeming necessity unto which many pretend themselves to have been redacted If men could not have retired from the fury and violence of the Enemy or had not some probable way of resistance and defence against the same they should have taken it as an evidence of the will of GOD calling them to suffer and give a testimony unto his Truth Our Covenant doth no lesse oblige us to suffering than to doing and it is the ignorance or ineffectuall consideration of our dutie that makes us thus to wipe our mouthes as if we had done nothing worthy of rebuke Neither yet doth it excuse that some were not active to obtani Protections the receiving of them was to prostitute the chastitie of that affection which we owe unto the Cause of GOD and could be no better than a bribe that blinds the eyes of the wise and hinders from doing judgement unto the afflicted The deep apprehension of their souls danger moves us seriously and in the bowels of JESUS CHRIST to intreat all Temporizers and Back-sliders to remember whence they are fallen and to repent Let it not be a light thing unto such that they have despised the Oath of GOD under-valued the precious Truth of the Gospel and drawne upon themselves the guilt of their Brethrens blood by forsaking them in their just defence If the due sense of their sin shall bring them to lament after the Lord they may hope to finde him gracious and mercifull to forgive their iniquity and heal their back-slidings But if they shall harden themselves and continue in their provocation they have cause of fear that the Lord of Hostes shal avenge the quarrell of his Covenant upon them who have sworn falsely by his Name Yet is it not that those alone have cause to mourn All the Land have done foolishly and provoked the holy One of Israel unto wrath The Lord hath been glorious in the midst of us but who hath regarded his work or considered the operation of his hands Though he hath been liberall in the offer of his love yet few have believed the Gospel and studied to walk worthy of the name JESUS CHRIST hath neither been known nor honoured who hath valued him in the excellencie of his Person or imployed him in the vertue of his Offices Holy duties have been neglected and piety and godlinesse reproached Is there not cause to lament for the Atheisme ignorance of GOD blaspheming of his Name swearing by them that are no gods intemperancie uncleannesse deceit and oppression that prevailes amongst many And should not our eyes run down with tears because of jealousies self-seeking and obstructing of Justice amongst our Judges because of rioting and excesse spoyling and oppressing amongst our Souldiours because of negligence and profanitie amongst Ministers because of murmurings grudgings deep securitiy carnal confidence neutralitie lukewarmnesse almost amongst all The Covenant which hath been attended by a stately work of more than ordinary providence and sealed with many rich and precious blessings from Heaven is by many under-valued and set at naught nay by some blasphemed as an accursed and unholy thing Because of those things thousands have fallen by the Sword and ten thousands by the Pestilence our high-wayes are desolate and our Cities left without inhabitants the like hath not been heard in our dayes nor in the dayes of our Fathers And yet the wrath of the Lord is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still O that men were wise to hear the voice of the rod and who hath appointed it Shall we continue to tempt the most High and strive with our Maker until he make an end of us Let us confesse our iniquity and be humbled for our sin let us sow to our selves in righteousnesse and reap in mercy let us break up our fallow ground for it is time to seek the Lord untill he come and rain righteousnesse upon us We cannot but from the sense of those judgements that lyes heavy upon the Land and from that wrath that still threatens us warne every man to repent and set on to duty Let Rulers and Judges do judgment and execute Justice without respect of persons Let Officers and Souldiours live soberly do violence to no man and more minde the Cause of GOD than their own advantage Let Pastors feed the flock of CHRIST in love be zealous in advancing the Work of Reformation and purging of the House of GOD And let every one in his station minde those things whereunto the Lord hath called him Though we be afflicted and sore broken yet if wee return unto the Lord he will have mercy on us and heal us Hath he not already begun to revive us and to raise us up It is a mercy worthy to be had in everlasting remembrance that in the day of the power pride of our cruell and insolent Enemies the Lord should have shewed himself glorious mighty to give victory salvation to his people when our hopes were near gone We were in a low condition not onely at the weakest but even at the worst under the guilt of many provocations repining against the Lord and hasting to the pathes of the Destroyer yet the Preserver of men had regard unto us to keep us from destruction and to ease and avenge us of many of our adversaries whose carcasses he made as dung unto the earth in the day of his fury and indignation If after so great a mercy any should bee found amongst us to turn away from the Lord and again to submit unto or comply with the Enemies of his Truth they could not but sin against their own souls and provoke the eyes of his glory until there were no remedy We beseech all the Lords People throughout the Land nay we Charge them before GOD and the Lord JESUS CHRIST who shall judge the quick and the dead to hold fast the Truth in love to have regard to the glory of the Son of GOD the excellency of the Gospel the sacred and inviolable Bond of the Covenant the beauty of the Work of Reformation and the worth of a good Conscience above all earthly losses and advantages and from the due sense and apprehension of those things to arme themselves with strong resolutions against all the degrees of back-sliding or complying with the Enemy That they be no more as Reeds shaken with the winde but that they may give a proof of their Faith Patience and Courage in the midst of all the difficulties and straits which they shall meet with Every one who knowes the Lord will cleave to their duty and wait for his salvation He is faithful and will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that we may be able to bear it The rod of the wicked shall not rest too long upon the lot of the righteous But when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and upon Jerusalem he will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the proud Enemy and bring down the glory of his high looks Then shall all the haters of Zion be astonished and confounded but the Lords People shall be glad and rejoyce in his salvation A. Ker. FINIS

A DECLARATION FROM THE COMMISSION OF The Generall Assembly Wherein The stumbling blocks laid before the people of GOD by their enemies are removed Complyance with these enemies is reprehended And Courage and constancie in the Cause of GOD against them seriously recommended and enjoyned EDINBURGH Printed by Evan Tyler Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majestie 1646. St Andr. 26. Decemb. 1645. THe Estates of Parliament now conveened in the fift Session of this first triennall Parliament Having heard the Declaration presented unto them by the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly read in their audience received the samen cheerfully as a seasonable Declaration and appoints the samen to be Printed and published and ordains the Earle of Cassils Vice President of Parliament to give thanks from the Parliament to the Commissioners of the Generall Assembly for their care pains and vigilancie exprest thereintill Alex. Gibsone Cler. Registri St Andr. 11. Decemb. 1645. THe Commissioners of the Generall Assembly Do Ordain this Declaration to be forthwith Printed and published and sent to Presbyteries with all diligence and requires each Presbytery immediatly after the receit thereof to take speedie course for the reading of it in every congregation within their bounds upon the Lords day after the Forenoon Sermon and before the Blessing And that they report account of their diligence herein with the first conveniencie A. Ker. St Andrews 11. Decemb. 1645. A Declaration from the Commission of the Generall Assembly IT hath been our constant custome and continuall care from the sence of the trust committed unto us to give warning unto this Kirk and Kingdom of their condition and dutie and it cannot be but very seasonable and necessary at this time to declare and make known our judgement of the carriage of the people of the Land in the day of darknesse and hour of temptation that they who have stood may finde matter of encouragement and praise and such as have fallen may recover themselves and repent We were void of understanding if we should not observe and more then ungrate if we should not acknowledge the loving kindnesse of the Lord towards us in the midst of our confusions and fears Temptations were many and fierce because of the power and pride of an insolent enemy whose blasphemies and crueltie is matter of abomination unto this and shall be a wonder unto the following generation yet was there a remnant who reserved their integritie entertaining all thoughts of backsliding and complying with the adversary with indignation and detest patiently suffering the spoiling of their goods the losse of their friends and expence of their blood standing to the Cause of God in the midst of difficulties and straits neither fearing the threats nor regarding the promises of such as oppose the famine These as they be for a name of joy and praise unto the most high the excellencie of whose power is perfited in weaknesse so for a witnesse unto the Truth and to the work of Reformation and for a shame and reproach unto the haters of Zion whose subtilty and violence is more then conquered by the faith and patience of the Saints We cannot but think that unto such the testimony of integrity from within must needs be more comfortable then the remembrance of any sufferings or losses from without can be grievous and are perswaded that as their name is precious amongst men so shall their reward be great in heaven Yet is it matter of much sorrow and astonishment unto us that in the land of uprightnesse so many should have done foolishly and notwithstanding of all that work of power and mercy which their eyes have seen and of their own vows and promises fallen from their excellencie and turned aside unto corrupt and crooked wayes with the workers of iniquity The bond of the Covenant is such as every religious heart cannot but remember the violation thereof with horrour and trembling yet hath the Oath of God been forgotten and despised by many It were but the renewing of our grief and tedious unto the hearers to reckon up all those things wherein men miscarried in the day of tryall neither can we attain the knowledge of all the hidden things of dishonesty which hate the light and love to vail themselves under a shadow of secrecie and darknesse We desire every man to turn his eyes upon himself and to read in his own conscience whether his carriage hath been in all things answerable unto that which he swore unto the Lord. It beseems our compassion and is worthy of our care to lay open the causes and evil of this defection that we may with meeknesse instruct those that have fallen or opposed themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance unto the acknowledging of the truth It is the admirable way of the working of the wisdome of God to over-rule all the purposes and actions of the sons of men unto his own ends He whose wayes towards us have all been mercy and trueth meant a discoverie of those whose indifferencie or treachery would ere long have procured a sure and sensible ruine unto us and now hath he brought his purpose to passe This is a mercy which being rightly managed may countervail all our sufferings and pains and prove very wholsome unto the Land and advantagious unto the Cause of God It is not any strength of reason on the side of our adversaries that could have shaken so many their pretexts of the Kings service our Rebellion and such like as they are poore and void of trueth in themselves so do they easily evanish before every discerning and rationall man The service of Kings is not to cut down thousands of their faithfull and loyall subjects whose multitude is their glory and strength but to do those things which the Laws of the Kingdom prescribe and that are consonant unto the will of God and unto the wealth of the people whose safety is the supream Law and main studie of every King ruling in righteousnesse and judgement Our souls are not privie unto and our actions plead us innocent from the guilt of Treason and Rebellion our witnesse is in heaven and our record is on high that it was never our purpose or intention to subvert lawfull Soveraigntie nor to encroach upon any of the due rights and priviledges of the same and we trust that whiles we live nothing shall escape us to the contrary We are able to justifie our union with England as ane undenyable testimonie of our dutie unto our brethren in the time of their straits by the Popish and Prelaticall partie as a necessary mean of our own defence and of the preservation of Religion in its purity and power in this and of its Reformation in the neighbour Lands and surest bulwark of a stable and continuing peace betwixt the Kingdoms The League and Covenant with England as it was studied and set on foot in the dayes of our fathers at Barwick in the yeer 1586 so was it from the