Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A06779
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A grand-fathers legacy; or Maltbey's morsels for mourners Diuided into seuerall meditations for euery day in the weeke. Being a comfort to all wounded and oppressed consciences, which seeke for comfort by the word of truth. By Iohn Maltbey late minister of Gods word at Buckland in Glocester-shire.
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Maltbey, John.; Maltbey, Margaret.
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1633
(1633)
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STC 17216; ESTC S103470
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82,802
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256
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away all things that are contrary vnto his Commaundements so where the wicked feele Gods power you and I being godly shall find his mercies Desire we God to be our sufficiency aboue physicke meate or drinke Are we in the depth of misery let vs contemplate his Power and glory as if we were in his Sanctuary assured of his Spirit Afflictions dwelleth with the best of Gods seruants who haue no leasure to swallow downe their spittle Such is the estate of the poore members of Christ Iesus that oftentimes they bee soare groaning vnder the Crosse of tribulation yet suffereth not our Sauiour any of his to passe from vnder his shaddow till our heauy and oppressed heartes comforted and fully refreshed Our heauenly Fathers scourge is vndoubtedly a fore-runner of Gods gracious fauour and blessing and the onely way to saluation Crye and call faithfully and God will still heare thee what time the storme falleth on thee It is our Heauenly Fathers fauour to open our eares by his correction thereby keeping backe our soules from the pit and our liues from passing by the Sword He striketh vs with sorrows vppon our beds making our soules to loath and abhorre euen the daintiest meates By carefull Crosses God openeth our eares so as neyther health may hurt vs nor Prosperity vndoe vs The cause why God sendeth vs sundry afflictions is to beate downe our pride and to turne vs from euill and impiety Our gracious GOD withdraweth not his eyes from the righteous neyther will hee still be fettering vs with the cordes of afflictions But he will be opening our eares to Discipline and commaunding vs to returne from iniquity My GOD and Heauenly Father so mooue your and euery one of our hearts to the feeling and seeing of all our sinnes and iniquities that we may all come to him by repentance as did Manasses at the last Assure we shall our soules of this that to the afflicted God sheweth Grace The scourge of the Lord is vppon vs wee ought the more humbly to pray vnto our God that he hide not his face from vs. But rather to indue vs with his Spirit as still resting in misery and afflictions wee might be driuen from man to God As was the Prophet Dauid When his Friends forsooke him and all his Acquaintance hid themselues from him Then gat Dauid vnto God most humbly with these words Oh Lord heare my Prayer O let my crye come vnto thee Hide not thy face from me in time of my trouble but incline thine Eares vnto me that do mingle my drinke euery morning with my Weeping Learne we each one neyther to haue fellowship with the deceitefull nor yet to stay with the vngodly but to wash our hands in innocency and so to go vnto the Lords Altar See you neuer forget the loue of our Sauiour Christ to mankinde who was content for to become a Redeemer to mankind and not for the Angels which fell as did both man and woman For the ground of our Redemption is the special loue of Christ not the fore-seene workes of our faith in the eternall Counsel of God But like as the Israelites got not Canaan by their owne sword and power No more can we gaine Heauen but by Gods fauouring vs in Christ Iesus his Sonne The faithfull are chastened ere they be Crowned yea checked and aduised for to leaue their bad manners and particuler vices and to follow and practise holy religious duties in faith feare and feeling with holy Obedience both to God and man Both Paule and Barnabas teach vs this Lesson that we must through many tribulation Enter into the kingdome of God Few things came into the Hoast of Israel but such as were purified eyther by fire or water How much more ought the sinfull soules of men to be purged ere they come to their Heauenly heritage Num 31.23 Num. 31.23.24 As Hester was first purified sixe moneths with Myrrhe after that with sweete Odours and then come vnto Ahashuerus So bitter tryals and trauailes must touch our heartes ere wee can lodge with the LORD of Life vnder whom King Ahashuerus liued but as a Lieutenant It is the Priuiledge of Christs members to be troubled and afflicted but not for euer to bee fined as siluer in the furnace of affliction and tribulation VVhat was once spoken vnto the olde Iewes I doe now vnderstand it as applyed to the Elect whose priuiledges in this life are pangs and pains troubles and tortures calamities and crosses so that it is now growne to a Prouerbe Athemata mathemata passionis documenta The Lords lashes are lessons to leade vs a long the right and streight way to Christ the true Sanctefier of our soules to all that beleeue in him Dauid penning his sweetest and harmonious Psalme in his bitterest afflictions teacheth vs euery one to profite by Gods Rod because that afflictions Bringeth home the Prodigall Sonne Luke 15. Luke 15. And maketh Nebuchadnezzer lift vp his eyes to Heauen honouring him that liueth for euer As many as rest sons must be scourged of their father wee iust ones knowing God but must looke for messengers to salute them with shriking sounds of sorrowful newes For our learning it pleaseth God oftentimes to conclude the best peoples liues with very fearefull euils As we see in the death of Iesus Christ his best Apostles Ionathan Lazarus and the LORDS two VVitnesses Reuel 11.7 Who hauing finished their Testimonies are killed for so doing and their Corpses throwne into the streetes of the great Citty the Gentiles in their courses three dayes and a halfe not suffering their Carkasses to bee put in their Graues See how the Lord scourgeth deepely where hee loueth most dearely stay but the LORDS leasure and hee will vndoubtedly comfort your distressed heart and minde if you will patiently abide seeke and waite for him in the Way of sincerity and trueth Remember wee should all that Israels portion is not passed into by following of vaine and vnlawful pleasures not by imbracing the Earth in our armes or sending out our Children by flockes to daunce after musicke Til the Lords Vae mane surgentibus Esay 5. seize vpon vs Israels portion is not so easily come vnto There is no other way to the Crowne but by the crosse we must suffer our afflictions as the good souldiers of Christ before the Lord will receiue vs into Eternall Glory Learne we all therefore that the Crosse of Christ is the best Schoole-maister to bring vs to Christ As Naaman did wash ere hee could be whole so must good Christians be content to suffer tryals VVhilst God threatneth afflictions to our flesh he would haue vs to prepare Faith and Patience in our hearts to entertayne the LORDS chastisements with teares The rod of God to man is as the presse to the Grape the fanne to the Corne and the fire to the Gold How was good Iacob troubled first to haue his onely brother as it were to sweare his death then to
so rebellious by nature that wee stand in neede to bee chastned euery houre It is a true triall to prayse God in aduersity and that Faith is sure that is grounded vpon Gods Word who will vndoubtedly bee at hand when as his children be oppressed Know and neuer forget this lesson that Gods prouidence doth not onely watch ouer his Church in generall but also euery member thereof in perticular So as neyther heate nor cold nor any incommodity shal bee able to destroy Gods Church albeit for a time they may molest it Be you not tyred with your tryalls for there is helpe from aboue if you faithfully crye and stay for it Though you suffer vnder the Crosse least you should embrace wickednes yet the Crosse shall not so rest vppon you as to driue you from hope but to Purge you from Hypocrisie and make you zealous of Gods testimonies and trueth and as one of the Lords People still to depend on Gods power To whom all glory and honour be giuen for euer Amen Thursday Meditations SHarpe punishments that pierceth euen to the inward parts are profitable to the wicked to bring vs one by one to amendment wee haue no true tryall of our strength vntil troubles do assaile vs what God hath appointed that shall come to each one of vs all Keepe and looke vnto the assured euidences and vndeceiuing fore-runners of an happy departure First see that you liue with a good Conscience so shall you bee sure to dye with great comfort Secondly see that your holines of life and conuersation in this same world before men bee the Way and the path vnto our future happinesse Thirdly you must labour and endeauour here to glorifie God if you desire to bee glorified with him in Heauen Fourthly you must fight a good fight against Sathan which hath bin our enemy from the beginning and then against the world and your own corruptions you must faithfully fulfill your course and performe the seruice vnto which God hath appointed you Labour whilst you liue still to know the trueth keeping faith in soundnesse and sincerity to the end or else expect you in vaine a crown of righteousnesse Christ stil dwelleth in his Church and therefore will not depart from them but will hast to helpe them in their troubles The hand of God being vpon any teacheth the party to examine his life and to beware of our murmuring against God who is Almighty who may iustly for our transgressions and iniquities throw vs downe into Hell Eccles 11.8 Wee are warned by the Preachers to remember the dayes of Darknesse Affliction and troubles Eccle. 11. knowing GOD will call to an account for carnall lusts whereunto youth is giuen VVee may seeke the Lord in all our troubles and yet not bee incontinently heard to cause vs to continue and perseuere in Prayer till wee feele comfort VVhatsoeuer aduersity tribulation or calamity men or Women indure they must attribute it vnto their owne incredulity and disobedience and be mooued with a zeale of Gods glory And if any sorrowes or troubles bring such sadnesse the very thought of a Messias Christ Iesus may greatly cheerish and comfort vs who will neuer suffer his Church to be destroyed vtterly Bee patient therefore in aduersity looking for Gods helpe and fearing to doe any thing contrary to his VVill and Word God defendeth his Elect and reiecteth all the rest Let this be a consolation in your troubles that nothing can come vnto you but by the will of the Lord. As you are Gods Children so of whom should you I or any other seeke succour but onely of him Refuse not to be taught of the Ministers of GOD who now are his mouth When GOD punisheth his people his plagues must continue till sinners beginne to feele them The intention of GODS chastizing is for our amendment but the Diuels malice aymeth onely at our destruction GOD will chasten his owne people beginne at his owne House and when he hath doâ—e burne the rod. The ende of Gods plagues to his Children is to bring them to trust in himselfe and to forsake all confidence and trust in others Gods rods and corrections doe euer bring foorth some fruite causing his to turne from their sinnes and transgressions and to humble themselues in his sight with contrition There is no power so high and mighty but the Lord will visite him with his rod and againe so comfort him in his troubles that the shining of the Moone and Sunne shal be darkenesse in comparison of the ioy and eternall happinesse thereof Agayne the arrogant and proud that will not know GOD are by his Wand and correcting rod brought to feare GODS wrath and for to glorifie his holy name Be comforted all yea that are grieued for the time of your deliuerance is at hand the defence and protection of the Almighty shal bee sufficient for you Think not much of your present captiuities as of your happy returne to the Heauenly Ierusalem Know what God hath decreed it cannot bee altered no power so high that can let him of his proiect Indeauour we therefore constantly to indure and abide all manner of aduersities where with God afflicteth vs well knowing thereby that if we learne to feare God and to be bettred are euident signes of Gods grace and especiall fauour The Lord mooueth you by his rod and chastisement to pray crye and call earnestly vnto him for your deliuerance Be you comforted my faithfull and afflicted brethren knowing that euen in Death you shall haue Life and may assuredly rise to glory remember how Hearbes dye in the winter and yet flourish againe by the raine in the Spring time So they that lye in the Dust shall rise vp to ioy when they feele the dew of GODS grace and Heauenly power Striue wee all therefore as faithfull ones to bee patient in all our troubles and afflictions to waite vppon Gods worke vntill by his mighty and all-sufficient power he call vs into his Presence to dwell with him in Paradise Afflictions which God layeth vpon vs are much like vnto a storme which commeth and goeth wherein God will not leaue you or forsake you but deliuer you rather by miracle then you shall bee ouer-come or vtterly perish Our God will not suffer vs to bee destroyed to the contempt of his Name but magnifie still his Diuine Maiesty for euer by deliuering vs out of so many eminent dangers that all prayses for our enfranchizement may be rendred through Christ Iesus vnto our God Though Death were euen now ready to destroy yet hath the Lord Power enough to deliuer and succour you as neede requireth There is nothing that more strengthneth our Faith then our remembrance and calling to minde Gods deliuerance in times past Know this that Sathan will tempt you to murmur against God but depend you still vppon the LORDS promise bearing your Crosse patiently and you shall vndoubtedly inherite the Kingdome of glory Giue your selfe now wholy vnto God by putting