Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A56702
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A sermon preach'd before the Queen at Whitehall, March 1, 1688/9 by Symon Patrick ...
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Patrick, Simon, 1626-1707.
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1689
(1689)
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Wing P848; ESTC R22949
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15,746
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40
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us and others when our Passions begin to raise a commotion and to make us displeased with the present settlement For it is by the Protection and Favour of the publique Government that we eat and drink and sleep and do all other things in safety Which thought alone is sufficient to quiet us when our Spirits begin to fret and be tumultuous That is to quarrel with our Happiness III. But let us still further make our selves sensible of the far Nobler Benefits which we enjoy by being Christians and be truly thankful to God for them more particularly for his great Grace in calling us to be one body in Christ and thereby calling us unto Peace one with another and to Peace with him the God of Peace who will be with us as I have said while we continue perfectly joyned together in the same Mind and Spirit and then we shall not have the heart to give the least disturbance unto this Blessed Society of the Church of God But with united Affection study to preserve it and to promote the Honour of it by the most ardent Love and kindness tenderness and compassion one towards another especially in that part of it where we live Read the pathetical Exhortation of the Apostle in the Verses foregoing upon which my Text depends and it will be impossible not to have your heart affected with it if you attend unto it and ponder every Word Put on therefore as the Elect of God Holy and Beloved bowels of Mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness long suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any Man have a quarrel against any Even as Christ forgave you so also do ye And above all these things put on Charity c. What if you did read these Verses deliberately every Morning before you went about any other business It would not take up much of your time nor cost you much pains unless it be in laying them to heart and laying them up in your Hearts But whatsoever Labour you bestow in that it will be abundantly recompensed in the Benefit you and others will receive by it if this small portion of the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as it follows immediately after my Text and dispose you to continue in this Heavenly Temper all the day long And how can you chuse but be so disposed if you consider how much you are bound to God for his inestimable benefits bestowed upon you in making you his Elect Holy and Beloved Ponder these Three Words seriously and look upon your selves as Elect of God that is chosen unto Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and Belief of the Truth as he speaks 2 Thes 11. 13. Holy that is separated from the profane World to be his devoted Servants Beloved that is made partakers of the greatest kindness Heaven could do us in sending his Son to save us And then you will not be able to reject the Exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto Children V. Ephes 1 2. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children and walk in Love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an Offering and a Sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour IV. Especially when we remember that we are not bare Christians but Reformed Christians whose Principles lead to Unity and Peace more than the Principles of any other Christians whatsoever For the very Basis of the Reformed Religion is this that all necessary Truths are not only contained in the Holy Scriptures but evidently and plainly set down there Which single Truth being agreed it is manifest there must needs be an Vnity of opinions among us in all things necessary And as for other things which are not evident in the Holy Scriptures and therefore are not necessary what should hinder but that notwithstanding any different Opinions about them there may be among us an Vnity of Affection Unto which the Holy Scriptures direct and press us as the most necessary duty and as the greatest happiness of which this World is capable For there is nothing the Gospel urges so much as kindness forbearance tender compassion one of another Such kindness as making us look upon one another as Brethren and fellow-Members will not let us break all the bonds of Friendship that are between us For why should there be any breach among those who are agreed in this plain principle That there being Unity of Opinion among them in all things Necessary in things not necessary Unity of Opinion is not necessary but only Unity of Affection Which will make us study and embrace the means of our Common Preservation by mutual condescention to such terms of Agreement as will establish a firm and undisturbed peace among us In which if there should happen any breach the same Spirit of love and goodness will dispose us immediately to make it up by not adhereing too flifly to our own private opinions much less to any worldly interest which must be laid aside by all peaceable-minded men that is by all good Christians Who ought not to engage in fierce oppositions much less in confident censuring and condemning one another but with all humility modesty and calmness endeavour each others information or if that cannot be obtain'd patiently to bear with one anothers infirmities according to the forenamed golden Rule of St. Paul VI. Gal. 2. Bear ye one anothers burdens and so fulfil the Law of Christ The Law of Christ that is his peculiar Law is the Law of Love which he calls a new Commanament XIII Joh. 34. and his Commandment XV. Joh. 12. This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you Which we then fulfil or perfectly observe when it makes us bear one anothers burdens that is offences whether they be infirmities or sins For as long as there are any hopes of amendment we ought as the Apostle there teaches in the Verse foregoing if any man be overtaken with a fault to restore such a one with the Spirit of meekness considering our selves lest we also be tempted That is we must tenderly admonish such offenders study in the kindest and softest manner to reclaim them which is no small labour and trouble indeed but thereby we in the properest sense take part of their burden upon our selves whilst we seek by such charitable means to rid them of it V. And now if in the last place we make our selves sensible that we are such Reformed Christians as have been lately saved and delivered in a wonderful manner from the hands of those that designed our destruction it will raise our thankfulness to such a heigth that it will surmount all those clouds which overcast our joy in God and in his Salvation For what a blessing is it that we have the liberties of our Holy Religion and meet here together in peace and quietness without the least apprehension of such dangers as not long ago hung over us If we had been deprived of it should we not have accounted the loss to be invaluable What is the matter then that we do not set the greatest price upon the enjoyment Is it Nothing to be delivered from those fears wherewith we were lately surrounded what should we think if God should throw us back again into them But there is a great deal more to be thankful for which is the hopes we have that this blessed Liberty will be continued and secured to us and to our Posterity after us Which will derive a Blessing likewise upon all other Protestant Churches abroad Whose safety lies in our preservation Nay this one single reflection that we have had the happiness to behold a Protestant King and Queen here worshipping God together in this place a sight which if it hath been ever seen in England yet not these Seventy years is enough to transport us with such joy as should make us quite forget all our differences and discontents And let us think of nothing else but what we shall render to the Lord for such benefits as he hath bestowed upon us For which we can never thank him enough and therefore let us thank him continually Evening and Morning and Noon let us give our solemn thanks unto him Yea Let us bless the Lord at all times let his praise be ever in our mouths When we sit in our house as Moses speaks in another case when we walk by the way when we lye down and when we rise up let us be talking of all his wondrous works saying with the Psalmist Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord Who can shew forth all his praise Thy righteousness or goodness O God is very high who hast done great things O God who is like unto thee Thou art great and dost wondrous things Thou art God alone I will praise thee O Lord my God with my whole heart I will Glorifie thy Name for evermore For great is thy Mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my Soul from the lowest Hell i. e. the extreamest Dangers Therefore shall my Tongue speak of thy Righteousness and of thy Praise all the day long I will Praise the Lord with my whole heart secretly among the faithful and in the Congregation For the Works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have Pleasure therein His Work is Honourable and Glorious And his Righteousness endureth for ever Now the God of all Grace grant unto every Soul of us such truly thankful hearts that we may be always praising him and speaking good of his Name And then the Peace of God will Rule and Govern us unto which we are called in one Body by Christ Jesus To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be Eternal Praises Amen FINIS