Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A81249
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The quarrell of the covenant, with the pacification of the quarrell. Delivered in three sermons on Levit. 26. 25. and Jere. 50. 5. / By Thomas Case, preacher of the Word in Milk-street, London; and one of the Assembly of Divines.
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Case, Thomas, 1598-1682.
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1643
(1643)
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Wing C838; Thomason E78_4; ESTC R832
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84,281
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116
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Apostacies and black-flidings calling one upon another and ecchoing back one to another Come let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetuall Covenant that may not be forgotten You see by this time I have changed my Text though not my project to which purpose I shall remember that in the handling of these words I must not manage my discourse as if I were to make a new entire Sermon upon the Text but onely to improve the happy advantages it holds forth for the pursuite and driving on of my present Vse of Exhortation Come let us joyn c. To this end therefore from these words I will propound and endeavour to satisfie these three Quaeres 1. What 2. Why 3. How 1. What the duty is to which they mutually stirre up one another 2. Why or upon what considerations 3. How or in what manner this service is to be performed And in all these you shall see what proportion the Text holds with the Times The duty in our Text with the duty in our Hands pressing them on still in an Exhortatory way For the first sc What the duty is Answ You see that in the Text is to joyn themselves to the Lord by a solemn Covenant and so is that which we have now in our hands to joyn our selves to the Lord by a Covenant how farre they correspond will appear in the sequell This is the first and main End of a Covenant between God and his People as I have shewed you To joyn themselves to the Lord. The sons of the stranger that joyn themselves to the Lord Isa 56.6 c. And take held of his Covenant This I say is the first and main end of the Covenant in the Text The second is subordinate unto it namely to Enquire thâ— way to Sion i. e. To inquire the way and manner how God would be worshipt that they might dishâ—nour and prevoke him no more by their Idolatries and Superstitions which had been brought in upon the Ordinances of God by the means of Apostate Kings and Priests and Prophets as in Jeroboams and Ahabs reigns c. And for which they had been carryed into Captivity And such is the Covenant that lies before us in the first place as I say to joyn our selves to the Lord to be knit unsepaparably unto him that he may be our God and we may be his People And in the next place as subservient hereunto to ask the way to Sion to enquire and search by all holy means sanctified to that purpose what is that pure way of Gospel worship That we and ouâ— children after us may worship the God of spirits the â—â—od of truth in spirit and in truth in spirit Joh 4. â—3 opposed to carâ—all wâ—yâ—s of will-worship and inventions of men and in truth opposed to false hypocriticall shews and pretences since the Father seeks for such to worship him Now That this is the main scope and aym of this Covenant before us will appear if you read and ponder it with due considerations I will therefore read it to you distinctly this Evening besides the reading of it again to morrow when you come to take it and when I have read it I will answer the main and most materiall objections which seem to make it inconsistâ—nt with these blessed ends and purposes Attend diligently while I read it to you The Covenant WE Noblemen â—his Co 〈…〉 it 〈◊〉 haâ—d to câ—m 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 several pafaâ—â—s of the Câ—â—â—nant to which 〈…〉 Barons Knights Gentlemen Citizens Burgesses Ministers of the Gospel and Commons of all sorts in the Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland by the Providence of God living under one King and being of one Reformed Religion having before our eyes the glory of God and the advancement of the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the honour and happinesse of the Kings Majesty and His Posterity and the true publique Liberty Safety and Peace of the Kingdoms wherein every ones private condition is included and calling to minde the treacherous and bloody Plots Conspiracies Attempts and Practices of the Enemies of God against the true Religion and professors thereof in all places especially in these three Kingdoms ever since the Reformation of Religion and how much their rage power and presumption are of late and at this time increased and exercised whereof the deplorable state of the Church and Kingdom of Ireland the distressed estate of the Church and Kingdom of England and the dangerous estate of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland are present and publike Testimonies We have now at last after other means of Supplication Remonstrance Protestations and Sufferings for the preservation of our selves and our Religion from utter Ruine and Destruction according to the commendable practice of these Kingdoms in former times and the Example of Gods People in other Nations after mature deliberation resolved and determined to enter into a mutuall and solemn League and Covenant wherein we all subscribe and each one of us for himself with our hands lifted up to the most high God do swear I. THat we shall sincerely really and constantly through the Grace of God endeavour in our severall places and callings the preservation of the Reformed Religion in the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against our common Enemies the Reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government according to the Word of God and the Example of the best Reformed Churches And shall indeavour to bring the Churches of God in the three Kingdoms to the neerest Conjunction and Uniformity in Religion Confession of Faith Form of Church-Government Directory for Worship and Catechizing That we and our Posterity after us may as Brethren live in Faith and Love and the Lord may delight to dwell in the middest of us II. That we shall in like manner without respect of persons indeavour the Extirpation of Poperty Prelacy that is Church-Government by Arch-Bishops Bishops their Chancellors and Commissaries Deans Deans and Chapters Archdeacons and all other Ecclesiasticall Officers depending on that Hierarchy Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophanenesse and whatsoever shall be found to be contrary to sound Doctrine and the power of Godlinesse least we partake in other mens sins and thereby be in danger to receive of their plagues and that the Lord may be one and his Name one in the three Kingdoms III. We shall with the same sincerity reallity and constancy in our severall Vocations endeavour with our estates and lives mutually to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliaments and the Liberties of the Kingdoms and to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties person and authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms that the world may bear witnesse with our Consciences of our Loyalty and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish His Majesties just power and greatnesse IV. We shall
that the work shall go on and prosper yea prosper gloriously it having a stronger foundation to support it then Heaven and Earth for they are upheld but by a word of power but this work which is called Hob. 3 1. the New-Heavens and the New-Earth is uphold by a word of promise For We according to his promise look for New-Heavens 2 Pet. 3.15 and a New-Earth wherein dwels righteousnesse I say by a word of prophesie and promise which it seems is stronger then God himself for his word binds him so that he can as soon deny himself as deny his promise There shall be therefore an undoubted accomplishment of these things which are told us from the Lord Luk. 1.45 God will finde or make a people who shall worship him in this holy Ordinance and upon whom he will make good all the mercy and trueth all the peace and salvation which is bound up in it Onely therefore let me Caution and beseech you not to be wanting to your selves and your own happinesse * Acts 13. Judge not your selves unworthy of such a priviledge nor * Luke 7 3â— reject the Counsell of God against your own souls sin not against your own mercies by withdrawing your selves from this service or rebelling against it God will exclude none that do not exclude themselves Yea further This seems to speak an Argument of Hope That the calling of the Jews and the fulnesse of the Gentiles is not farre behinde in as much as God begins now to poure out this promise in the Text upon the Churches in a more eminent manner then ever we or our fathers saw it in a Gospel sence And surely Gospel performance must make way for that full and universall accomplishment thereof which shall unite Israel and Judah Jew and Gentile in one perpetuall Covenant unto the Lord that shall never be forgotten The Gospel Day is nothing else but the dawning of that great universall Day in the Text wherein God will make one glorious Church of Jew and Gentile The Day-starre whereof is now risen in our Horizon So that I am humbly confident That the same shores shall not bound this Covenant which bound the two now-Covenanting Nations but as it is said of the Gospel so it will be verified of this Gospel Covenant The sound thereof will go into all the Earth Rom. 10.18 and the words of it to the ends of the world There is a spirit of Prophesie that doth animate this Covenant Psal 14.15 which will make it swift and active swift to run His word runs very swiftly and active to work deliverance and safety not onely to these two Kingdoms but to all other Christian Churches groaning under or in danger of the yoak of Antichristian Tyranny whom God shall perswade to joyn in the same or like Association and Covenant So that me thinks all that travell with the Psalmists desire of seeing the good of Gods chosen Psal 106.5 and rejoycing in the gladnesse of his nation and glorying with his Inheritance Will certainly rejoyce in this day and in the goodnesse of GOD which hath crowned it with the accomplishment of such a pretious promise as hear lies before us While none can withdraw from muchlesse oppose this service but such as bear evill will to Sion and would be unwilling to see the ruine and downfall of Antichrist which this blessed Covenant doth so evidently threaten Fourthly Fourth Motivâ— The example of the Churches of God and This hath been the practice of all the Churches of God before and since Christ after their Apostacies and Captivities for those Apostacies and recoveries out of these Captivities The first thing they did was to cement themselves to God by a more close entire and solemn Covenant then ever Nehemiah Ezra Hezckiah Jeremiah Josiah will all bring in clâ—er evidences to witnesse this practice This latter Churches have learned of them Germany France Scotland c. But what shall I need to mention the Churches when as the God of the Churches took this course himself who when he pleases to become the God of any people or person it is by Covenant as with Abraham Gen 17.2 Behold I make a Covenant with thee and what ever mercies he bestows upon them it is by Covenant all the blessings of Gods people are Covenant-blessings to wicked men God gives with his left hand out of the Basket of common providence but to his Saints he dispenceth with his right hand out of the Ark of the Covenant Isa 55.3 I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Yea which is yet more to our purpose When the first Covenant proved not but miscarried not by any fault that was in the Covenant-Maker no nor simply in the Covenant it self Of the God of the Churches for if man could have kept it it would have given him life I say when it was broken God makes a new Covenant with his People Not according to the Covenant which I made with their Fathers which my Covenant they brake c. Jer. 31.31 Heb. 8 8. But this shall be the Covenant c. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my People c. Because they could not keep the first Covenant God made a second that should keep them Oh that while we are making a Covenant with our God he would please to make such a Covenant with us so would it be indeed a perpetuall Covenant that should not be forgotten Well you see we have a Covenanting God a Covenant Making God and a Covenant renewing God be we followers of God as dear children Let us be a Covenanting people a Covenant making a Covenant renewing people and as our God finding sault with the first Heb. 8.8 Let us make a new Covenant â—â—â—n a perpetuall Covenant that shall never be forgotten A fifth Motive to quicken us to this duty Fâ—th Moâ—â— The practiâ—â—â—f the Pope and Preletes may be even the practice of the Antichristian State and Kingdom Popery hath been dexterous to propagate and spread it self by this means What else have been all their Fraternities and Brother-hoods and Societies but so many Associations and combinations politique compacted and obliged by Oaths and Covenants for the advancing of the Catholike Cause whereby Nations and Kingdoms have been subdued to the obedience of the Roman Miter And Prelacy that Whâ—lp hath learned this polisieof its mother Papacy that Lionesse to corroborate and raise it self to that height we have seen and suffered by these Artifices while by close Combinations among themselves and swearing to their oâ—edience all the Inferiour Priesthood and Church Officers by Ordination-Engagements and Oaths of Canonicall Obedience c. A few have been able to impose their own Laws and Canons upon an whole Kingdom yea upon three Kingdoms it being an inconsiderable company either