Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	heart_n	spirit_n	word_n	8,255	5	4.2520	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36061	A directory for the publique worship of God, throughout the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland together with an ordinance of Parliament for the taking away of the Book of common-prayer, ... die Jovis, 13. Martii, 1644 / ordered by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, that this ordinance and directory bee forthwith printed and published.	England and Wales. Parliament. Ordinance of Parliament for the taking away of the Book of common prayer.; Westminster Assembly (1643-1652)	1644 (1644)	Wing D1545; ESTC R210506	26,872	96

them that doe well the terrour of all that doe evill and the great good of the whole Church and of all his Kingdomes for the conversion of the Queen the religious education of the Prince and the rest of the Royall seed For the comforting of the afflicted Queen of Bohemia sister to our Soveraign and for the restitution and establishment of the illustrious Prince Charles Elector Palatine of the Rhene to all his Dominions and Dignities For a blessing upon the High Court of Parliament when sitting in any of these Kingdomes respectively the Nobility the subordinate Iudges and Magistrates the Gentry and all the Commonalty For all Pastors and Teachers that God would fill them with his Spirit make them exemplarily holy sober just peaceable and gratious in their lives sound faithfull and powerfull in their Ministery and follow all their labours with abundance of successe and blessing and give unto all his people Pastors according to his owne heart For the Vniversities and all Schooles and Religious seminaries of Church and Common-wealth that they may flourish more and more in Learning and piety For the particular City or Congregation that God would powre out a blessing upon the Ministery of the Word Sacraments and Discipline upon the Civill Government and all the severall Families and persons therein For mercy to the afflicted under any inward or outward distresse For seasonable weather and fruitfull seasons as the time may require For averting the Judgements that wee either feele or feare or are liable unto as famine pestilence the sword and such like And with confidence of his mercy to his whole Church and the acceptance of our persons through the merits and mediation of our great High Priest the Lord Jesus To professe that it is the desire of our soules to have fellowship with God in the reverent and conscionable use of his holy Ordinances and to that purpose to pray earnestly for his grace and effectuall assistance to the sanctification of his holy Sabbath the Lords day in all the duties thereof publike and private both to our selves and to all other Congregations of his people according to the riches and excellency of the Gospel this day celebrated and enjoyed And because wee have been unprofitable hearers in times past and now cannot of our selves receive as we should the deep things of God the mysteries of Jesus Christ which require a spirituall discerning To pray that the Lord who teacheth to profit would graciously please to poure out the Spirit of Grace together with the outward means thereof causing us to attain such a measure of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord and in him of the things which belong to our peace that wee may account all things but as drosse in comparison of him And that wee tasting the first fruits of the glory that is to be revealed may long for a more full and perfect communion with him that where he is we may be also and enjoy the fulnesse of those joyes and pleasures which are at his right hand for evermore More particularly that God would in speciall manner furnish his Servant now called to dispense the bread of life unto his houshold with wisdome fidelity zeale and utterance that hee may divide the Word of God aright to every one his portion in evidence and demonstration of the Spirit and power and that the Lord would circumcise the eares and hearts of the Hearers to heare love and receive with meeknesse the ingrafted Word which is able to save their soules make them as good ground to receive in the good seed of the Word and strengthen them against the temptations of Satan the cares of the World the hardnesse of their owne hearts and whatsoever else may hinder their profitable and saving hearing that so Christ may be so formed in them and live in them that all their thoughts may bee brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ and their hearts established in every good word and work for ever We judge this to be a convenient Order in the ordinary Publique Prayers yet so as the Minister may deferre as in prudence he shall think meet some part of these Petitions till after his Sermon or offer up to God some of the Thanksgivings hereafter appointed in his Prayer before his Sermon Of the Preaching of the Word PReaching of the Word being the power of God unto Salvation and one of the greatest and most excellent Works belonging to the Ministry of the Gospell should bee so performed that the Workman need not been ashamed but may save himself and those that heare him It is presupposed according to the Rules for Ordination that the Minister of Christ is in some good measure gifted for so weighty a service by his skill in the Originall Languages and in such Arts and Sciences as are handmaids unto Divinity by his knowledge in the whole Body of Theology but most of all in the holy Scriptures having his senses and heart exercised in them above the common sort of Beleevers and by the illumination of Gods Spirit and other gifts of edification which together with reading and studying of the Word hee ought still to seek by Prayer and an humble heart resolving to admit and receive any truth not yet attained when ever God shall make it known unto him All which hee is to make use of and improve in his private preparations before hee deliver in publike what he hath provided Ordinarily the subject of his Sermon is to be some Text of Scripture holding forth some principle or head of Religion or suitable to some speciall occasion emergent or hee may goe on in some Chapter Psalme or Booke of the holy Scripture as hee shall see fit Let the Introduction to his Text be brief and perspicuous drawn from the Text it self or context or some parallel place or generall sentence of Scripture If the Text be long as in Histories and Parables it sometimes must be let him give a briefe summe of it if short a Paraphrase thereof if need be In both looking diligently to the scope of the Text and pointing at the chief heads and grounds of Doctrine which he is to raise from it In Analysing and dividing his Text hee is to regard more the order of matter then of words and neither to burden the memory of the hearers in the beginning with too many members of Division nor to trouble their minds with obscure termes of Art In raising Doctrines from the Text his care ought to bee First that the matter be the truth of God Secondly that it be a truth contained in or grounded on that Text that the hearers may discern how God techeth it from thence Thirdly that he chiefly insist upon those Doctrines which are principally intended and make most for the edification of the hearers The Doctrine is to be expressed in plaine termes or if any thing in it need explication is to bee opened and the consequence also from the Text cleared

The parallel places of Scripture confirming the Doctrine are rather to bee plaine and pertinent then many and if need bee somewhat insisted upon and applyed to the purpose in hand The Arguments or Reasons are to bee solid and as much as may bee convincing The illustrations of what kind soever ought to bee full of light and such as may convey the truth into the Hearers heart with spirituall delight If any Doubt obvious from Scripture Reason or Prejudice of the Hearers seem to arise it is very requisite to remove it by reconciling the seeming differences answering the reasons and discovering and taking away the causes of prejudice and mistake Otherwise it is not fit to detain the hearers with propounding or answering vaine or wicked Cavils which as they are endlesse so the propounding and answering of them doth more hinder then promote edification Hee is not to rest in generall Doctrine although never so much cleared and confirmed but to bring it home to speciall Use by application to his hearers Which albeit it prove a worke of great difficulty to himselfe requiring much prudence zeale and meditation and to the naturall and corrupt man will bee very unpleasant yet hee is to endeavour to perform it in such a manner that his Auditors may feele the Word of God to bee quick and powerfull and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart and that if any unbeleever or ignorant person bee present hee may have the secrets of his heart made manifest and give glory to God In the Use of Instruction or information in the knowledge of some truth which is a consequence from his Doctrine he may when convenient confirm it by a few firm Arguments from the Text in hand and other places of Scripture or from the nature of that Common place in Divinity whereof that truth is a branch In Confutation of false Doctrines he is neither to raise an old Heresie from the grave nor to mention a blasphemous opinion unnecessarily but if the people be indanger of an Errour he is to confute it soundly and endeavour to satisfie their judgements and consciences against all objections In Exhorting to Duties he is as he seeth cause to teach also the meanes that helpe to the performance of them In Dehortation Reprehension and publique Admonition which require speciall wisedome let him as there shall be cause not only discover the nature and greatnesse of the sin with the misery attending it but also shew the danger his hearers are in to be overtaken and surprized by it together with the Remedies and best way to avoyd it In applying Comfort whether generall against all tentations or particular against some speciall troubles or terrours he is carefully to answer such objections as a troubled heart and afflicted spirit may suggest to the contrary It is also sometimes requisite to give some Notes of tryall which is very profitable especially when performed by able and experienced Ministers with circumspection and prudence and the Signes cleerely grounded on the holy Scripture whereby the Hearers may be able to examine themselves whether they have attained those Graces and performed those duties to which he Exhorteth or be guilty of the sin Reprehended and in danger of the Judgements Threatned or are such to whom the Consolations propounded doe belong that accordingly they may be quickned and excited to Duty humbled for their Wants and Sins affected with their Danger and strengthned with Comfort as their condition upon examination shall require And as he needeth not alwayes to prosecute every Doctrine which lies in his Text so is he wisely to make choice of such Vses as by his residence and conversing with his flock he findeth most needfull and seasonable and amongst these such as may most draw their soules to Christ the fountaine of light holinesse and comfort This Method is not prescribed as necessary for every man or upon every Text but only recommended as being found by experience to be very much blessed of God and very helpfull for the peoples understandings and memories But the Servant of Christ what ever his Method be is to performe his whole Ministery 1. Painfully not doing the work of the Lord negligently 2. Plainly that the meanest may understand delivering the truth not in the entising words of mans wisdome but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power least the Crosse of Christ should be made of none effect abstaining also from an unprofitable use of unknowne Tongues strange phrases and cadences of founds and words sparingly citing sentences of Ecclesiasticall or other humane Writers ancient or moderne be they never so elegant 3. Faithfully looking at the honour of Christ the conversion edification and salvation of the people not at his own gaine or glory keeping nothing back which may promote those holy ends giving to every one his own portion and bearing indifferent respect unto all without neglecting the meanest or sparing the greatest in their sins 4. Wisely framing all his Doctrines Exhortations and especially his Reproofs in such a manner as may be most likely to prevaile shewing all due respect to each mans person and place and not mixing his own passion or bitternesse 5. Gravely as becometh the Word of God shunning all such gesture voice and expressions as may occasion the corruptions of men to despise him and his Ministry 6. With loving affection that the people may see all coming from his godly zeale and hearty desire to doe them good And 7. As taught of God and perswaded in his own heart that all that he teacheth is the truth of Christ and walking before his flock as an example to them in it earnestly both in private and publique recommending his labours to the blessing of God and watchfully looking to himselfe and the flock whereof the Lord hath made him overseer So shall the Doctrine of truth be preserved uncorrupt many soules converted and built up and himselfe receive manifold comforts of his labours even in this life and afterward the Crown of Glory laid up for him in the world to come Where there are more Ministers in a Congregation than one and they of different guifts each may more especially apply himselfe to Doctrine or Exhortation according to the guift wherein he most excelleth and as they shall agree between themselves Of Prayer after the Sermon THe Sermon being ended the Minister is To give thanks for the great Love of God in sending his Sonne Jesus Christ unto us For the communication of his Holy Spirit For the light and liberty of the glorious Gospell and the rich and heavenly Blessings revealed therein as namely Election Vocation Adoption Justification Sanctification and hope of Glory For the admirable goodnesse of God in freeing the Land from Antichristian Darknesse and Tyranny and for all other Nationall Deliverances For the Reformation of Religion For the Covenant and for many temporall blessings To pray for the continuance of the Gospell and all Ordinances thereof in their purity power