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
A87384	The active and publick spirit, handled in a sermon, preached at Pauls, October 26th. 1656. By Thomas Jacomb, minister at Martins-Ludgate, London.	Jacombe, Thomas, 1622-1687.	1657 (1657)	Wing J112; Thomason E904_3; ESTC R202625	34,125	55

they have not been idle nor unprofitable nor self-seekers but in some measure active for God and publick good These men when they come to dye shall have in their consciences un-speakable joy and satisfaction and after death they shall enter upon an everlasting Sabbath of rest the truth is a lazy sluggish man upon the approaches of death though others have but little greife yet he himselfe is filled with abundanc● of horror others doe not much lament him say they who was the better for his life who will be the worse for his death let him dye and let his name perish but he doth very much lament himselfe conscience gripes him and flashes in his face O how little have I done for God how unprofitable have I been in my place c. I say these reflections make death to be very terrible to such a drone but to a David that serves his generation death is welcome and full of comfort He fell asleep But I come to the fourth and maine Proposition where I intend to dwell a little upon this occasion and that is this T is the glory and the duty of a man to serve his generation to have a publick Spirit not serving himselfe but his generation I say this is the glory and the duty of a man David served his generation and this is recorded here by the Spirit of God for his honour and for our imitation He did not make himselfe the Center of his designes and actions he was not a man of a private selfish Spirit no he minded the good of others and laid out himselfe for the good of others he was active and active for the publick he served his generation Now as for particulars wherein he did thus I must leave the finding out of them to your selves in the reading of the Historicall part of the Bible To the point in hand Narrownesse and selfishnesse of Spirit t is a mans shame and sin but largenesse and publicknesse of Spirit 1 Kings 4.29 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 S●p●uag Lati. tudinem cordis h.e. mentem multarum rerum capacem quemadmodum arena longe lateque occupat circalittus Maris Vatabl. t is his glory and duty T is said of Solomon God gave him largenesse of heart I doe but allude to it oh this largenesse of heart is an excellent thing when a person lookes beyond his own private ends and interest lays out himselfe for the good of the community trades every Talent power preferment gifts wealth grace with respect to the publick good here 's a man of worth and one who is faithfull to his duty I le prove the truth in some few particulars and so come to the application which I mainly intend First serving our generation is a frame of Spirit not onely highly commended but strictly commanded the word is full of this Gal 6.10 1 Cor. 10.24 Phil. 2.4 As we have opportunity let us doe good to all men Let no man seek his own things but every man anothers wealth Look not every man upon his own things but every man also on the things of others Let me tell you he that lives to himselfe and doth not lay out himselfe for his generation this man mark him lives in an open and flat contradiction to the word of God let such professe what they will they are very Antipodes to the rule of the word Secondly This is one great end of our Creation Why doth God send us into the world ●inc monemur quorsum homines vivant in mundo ut scilicet alii alios mutua communicatione juvent Neque enin sibi quisque natus est sed inter se quasi sacro nexu colligatum est humanum genus Ergn nisi leges Natuta evertere libeat meminerimus non privatim nobis vivendū esse sed proximis nostris Calvin in loc To be idle and selfish to gratify our selves in the present delights to be immersed and swallowed up in our own private interests No this is not the end of God in our being we are made for higher things then these namely the publick good and the service of our generation If the Scripture was silent the Schoole of nature would learne us this lesson we are not borne for our selves or made for our selves a Heathen can tell us that the Law of our very being calls upon us to eye and serve the Community A private spirited man is a shame to his Creation because he walks so contrary to the great intendment of God in it for as Fulvius said to his Son Ego te non Catilinae genui sed patriae so here God did not make us for selfe but for the Community And further this is the designe of God in all our gifts parts indowments injoyments all are as so many Talents concredited with us and put into our hands not that we should wrap them up in Napkins but that we should trade them for the glory of God and the good of others Some have wisedome knowledge understanding why that their generation may be the better for them some have wealth God blesses them with great estates why Not that they should have their Gold and Silver lye moulding in their coffers but that they may releive the poore and be charitable to them that are in wants Look upon all that you have received the end of God in all is this he gives in to you that you may give out to others you are not as Vessells where the mercy is to be lodged but as Pipes to convey it to others He hath filled the Sun with light the Sea with water that they may communicate of their fulnesse to the benefit of the world and so t is here as the Apostle speaks concerning gifts The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12.7 How shal many answer for their gifts at the great day who have onely studyed how to advance themselves and not to profit others Peters advice here is very seasonable 1 Pet. 4.10 As every man hath received the gift be it what it will even so minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God The Steward doth not receive money from his Lord for his own use but he is to lay it out for the good of the Family so saith the Apostle Be yee Stewards of the grace of God what ever you are what ever you have all is Grace improve and lay out all in service for the benefit of others this is to be good Stewards of the grace of God Manna stank if it was not eaten and so parts and gifts are offensive if they be layd up and not layd out for God Thirdly Our common union in the Mystical body cals for this that we should serve our Generation T is with the Church as t is with an Army which is divided into several Regiments yet t is but one Army Or as t is with a civil Corporation there are in it

several Companies yet the Corporation is but one or as it is with the body which consists of many parts and members yet t is but one body Thus it is in the Church it consists of many Christians is made up of various Professors but still the Church is but one and all the people of God where ever they live they are all united in this own body for there are many members 1 Cor. 12.20 Eph. 4.4 Eph. 3.6 but one body There is one body and one spirit c. Jew and Gentile all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but one body Now upon this union it should be in the body Mysticall as it is in the body Naturall all the members in the body conspire for the good of the whole The Eye sees not for it self the hand takes not for it self the Stomach digests not for it selfe but all their Organical acts tend to the benefit of the whole body Thus I say it should be in the body Mystical or politique the members wherof must not keep their Graces their Comforts their Abilities singly and seperately to themselves No but all must be layd out in a blessed subserviency to the publick and common good Paul having made a large discourse in setting forth the Church by allusions to the naturall body shuts up all thus 1 Cor. 12.25 That there should be no schisme in the body but that the members should have the same care one for another Let me onely say this further under this head The self-seeker the Gallio that cares not what becomes of the body Acts 18.17 this man is but like a Glassie Eye or a wooden Leg he is no living member in this body he is a prodigious Monster rather then a genuine Member Nothing more unsuitable to our common union then a private spirit Fourthly This publick spirit discovers much of that excellent grace of love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhetor. l. 20. c. 40. Faith and Love are the two great graces of the Gospel Faith is a getting grace Love is a spending grace Faith layes up Love layes out Faith layes out from Christ Love layes out for Christ Faith receives all Love returns all Now I say this serviceable active spirit for generation good discovers much of love for love is a diffusive communicative grace t is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sociable and publick grace Love is noble and generous it keeps open house wil not eat its Morsels alone if it hath good if it can do good Job 31.17 others shal be the better for it 1 Cor. 13.5 Love seeketh not her own its designs are vaster then so N●rrowness of heart argues much scantness of love I may set this reason higher A publick spirit discovers the truth of grace t is an inseperable adjunct from saving grace David was a man after Gods own heart and he serves his Generation The true Israelite cannot but pro modulo lay out himself for the good of others if any be weak he must strengthen him if any be sad Luke 22.32 he must comfort him if any walk disorderly he must reprove him T is the voice of a Caine to say Am I my brothers keeper What have I to do with my brother Gen. 4.9 I 'le mind my self The Children of God say with the Lepers We do not wel this day is a day of good tydings 2 Kings 7.9 and we hold our peace We have received many mercies shal we bury them We have many opportunities shal we not improve them This is the language of grace Do not mistake me here I do not say that every publick spirit is a gracious spirit but this I say every gracious spirit is a publick spirit Fifthly This publick spirit is our due conformity to God to Jesus Christ to the choicest and most excellent Saints First This is our due conformity to God He is Summum bonum summe bonus the cheifest good and cheifly good infinitely good and therefore infinitely communicative He is a Fountaine full and overflowing and all the creatures in Heaven and in earth do all participate of his goodnesse so far is he from ingrossing all to himselfe The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his workes Psal 145.9 Psal 33.5 The earth is full of the go●dnesse of the Lord. There is not the meanest creature but it receives something from this inexhaustible treasury nay there is not the vilest man the most wicked man but God doth good to him Hee causes his sun to arise upon the bad as well as the good Matth. 5.45 Nieremberg Vt nemo sine illius gustu vixerit And as for his owne people his goodnesse there is written in the beames of the Sun there we must say Truly God is good to Israel even to them that are of a cleane heart Psal 73.1 And why doth God thus open his hand and his heart unto us why such bounty why such bowels the reason is cleare He is good and therefore he doth good He might injoy himselfe in his owne fulnesse Matth. 5. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Marc. Anton and keep to himself the sea of his owne blessednesse but he will not no his poor empty creatures also shall receive from him for he looks upon his goodnesse as his glory What then makes a man more like to God then a publick Spirit To be good to do good this is to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect Do you see a man that aimes at nothing but himselfe that never lets the Cock run but when it is for his own advantage that envys every drop that is not for his owne use that limits and confines all to himselfe and none shall be the better for him how contrary is this man to God and how little of God appears in him Here 's Walking indeed as man but here is no walking as God 1 Cor 3.3 But on the other hand do you see a man that makes it his businesse and designe to do good to communicate to others t is not well with him if others be not the better for him this man is a lively image and representation of God himself Secondly This is our conformity unto Jesus Christ who as he is a publick Head so he is of a publick spirit Acts 10.38 He went about doing good Why did he come downe from Heaven into the World To save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 Why did he set himself apart to the work of his Mediatorship For the good of others John 17.19 For their sake also sanctifie I my self that they may be sanctified by the truth Why did he lay downe his life Not to merit any thing for himself but for his sheep I lay downe my life for the sheep Why did Christ arise againe John 10.15 Rom. 4. ult For our justification For whom doth he intercede at the right hand of his Father