Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	holy_a	true_a	word_n	4,682	5	3.9653	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81218	The present duty and endeavour of the saints. Opened in a sermon at Pauls upon the Lords day December, 14th. 1645. / By Joseph Caryl, minister of the Gospell at Magnus neere London-Bridge.	Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.	1646 (1646)	Wing C786; Thomason E323_1; ESTC R200589	24,220	46

should displease the Lord. Thirdly Christs acceptance sets us above the rejection of the world How low a thing is credit with men when once the soule hath found credit with God No man saith CHRIST having drunke old Wine straightway desireth new for he saith the old is better Luke 5. 39. The Favour of God is old Wine even as old as Eternity They who have tasted how gracious the Lord is can never hunger or thirst after grace in the eyes of men And therefore as the three children in Daniel told Nebuchadnezar chap. 3. 17. 18. Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O King But if not be it knowne unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up They knew they should be above fire when they were in the midst of it Thus the children of light say unto this day Our God whom we serve is able to keepe us out of the fire of mens displeasure and indignation and to cause the light of their countenance to shine upon us But if not we will not comply to worship any Image of mans erecting for wee are above the rage and contempt of men while we are filled with it When David danced with all his might before the Arke Michal Sauls daughter looking out at a window despised him in her heart 2 Sam. 6. 16. and at the 20.th verse jeeres him with her tongue How glorious was the King of Israel to day c. But was Davids zeale cooled or his spirit troubled because he missed acceptance with his Queen in that Holy service Nothing lesse hee despises that shame and David said unto Michal vers 21. It was before the Lord which chose me before thy Father and all his house therefore will I play before the Lord and I will yet be more vile then thus and will be base in mine owne eyes c. As if David had sayd Madam those higher raptures and actings of my Devotion were never intended to please thee but God It was before the Lord not before Thee or the Court Ladies that I danced and therefore if this makes me cheape and vile in your eyes I will yet be more vile He that really and intendedly honours God can easily digest dishonour from the creature It is a very small thing that I should be judged of you saith Paul or of mans judgement But hee that judgeth me is the Lord 1 Cor. 4. 3 4. that is Though men doe nothing but judge and censure me yet with me their judgement stands for nothing The Lords judgement is the judgement I appeale to and the judgement I must stand to He that judgeth me is the Lord. He breathes out the same Spirit in his 2d. Epistle I trust that you shall know that we are not reprobates that is I doubt not but we shall give proofe that we are not rejected of CHRIST not deserve to be disregarded of you Now I pray to God that yet doe no evill not that we should appeare approved but that yee should doe that which is honest though we be as reprobates Chap. 13. v. 6. 7. As if he had said I am not in this projecting for my owne reputation among you but for the glory of God in your salvation which being once well setled and assured I care not much what acceptance my name hath among you whether I be approved or disapproved esteemed or slighted Doe yee approve your selves as the Elect of God and then let me be your Reprobate What a spring of comfort arises to the Soule and makes glad the whole city of God upon the evidences of acceptation with him When we consider that if we are once accepted with him we shall be so forever That he commands favour from the world for all his Favorites or lifts them up above the disfavours of the world what heart will not be heated upon these considerations ambitiously to labour after the acceptance both of his person and actions with the Lord. And least any should labour in vaine let me give a few counsels and directions First get a rule for your worke a warrant for what you doe Nothing pleases God but what himselfe appoints In vaine doe they worship me teaching for Doctrine the traditions of men Obedience is better then Sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of Rams He that Sacrificed under the law offered up a beast but he that obeyed offer'd up himself To obey God is more then to serve him And he respects nothing in all our services but to see himself obeyed Livia the Empresse being asked how she had the happinesse to please Augustus so exactly Answered I alwayes acted what Augustus commanded I have received of the Lord sayth Paul that which also I delivered unto you 1 Cor. 11. 23. And at the 5.th verse of the next Chapter There are differences of administrations but the same Lord. In relation to This Lord we are all fellow servants and no man anothers Master No man knowes what will please the Lord but himself As no man hath bin Gods councellour to direct him what to doe with us so no man can be his Councellor to direct him what to require of us And if at any time we are in the darke about the speciall rule of what he requires Then wee must resort to the generall Rules Chiefly these Two Consider first what is most for the glory of God That Doctrine or Practise which lifts up the name of God must needs be related to the will of God For as God hath made so hee hath written all things for himself His owne honour is his designe in his word as well as in his workes in what he would have us doe as well as in what himself hath done All truths honour God God is the spring of truth nothing flowes from him which is unlike him or against him To serve God is to honour him and therefore we cannot truly serve him in any thing which doth not honour him Consider secondly what tends most to make man holy Truth in doctrine and a true way in worship purifie both heart and life Ye are cleane saith Christ through the Word which I have spoken to you Ioh. 15. 3. And he prayes Sanctifie them thorough thy truth thy Word is truth Ioh. 17. 17. That which is pure will make pure We may read the Nature of many things in their effects All the ordinances of Worship beare this Inscription Holinesse to the Lord and are appointed to worke Holinesse in Man That which is not serviceable to this end or hath but a shew of it cannot be of Gods appointment The second Direction is this In every thing thou doest doe thy best A little may be acceptable to the Lord if it be all and a great deale is not if wee have more It is not the quantity but the entirenesse of what we doe which pleases the

never scrupled with which their consciences never closed I will leave but two words with this Generation First they who doe good things which they approve not shall never be approved by God for doing them Secondly God will ranke and reckon them among evil-doers who have done good which they approved not 3. ly they fall under the reproof of this point who will not Practise what or who practise contrary to what their understandings have proved or tried their consciences have approved or liked Not to doe the good we see and allow or to doe crosse to what we see and allow are both abominations to the Lord. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against their unrighteousnesse who thus hold the truth in unrighteousnesse Rom. 1. 18. Truth is not only free but it makes those who receive it free Woe to those who make bonds for truth who imprison and enslave it who violently hold downe truth lest it should exercise due dominion and command over their actions Such is their case who smother the light of cleare Principles received and know better then they dare or have a will to appeare and doe Thou knowest his will so the same Apostle chides them too and approvest the things that that are more excellent being instructed out of the law Rom. 2. 18. Thou therefore that teachest another teachest thou not thy selfe c. As that man is happie who condemneth not himselfe in that thing which hee alloweth by a scandalous practise of it Rom. 14. 22. So happie is that man who condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth by a scandalous neglect of it As some Hereticks so this sort of hypocrites are Self-condemners While a Heretick would logically justifie his false opinion and while these hypocrites will not practically follow their true opinion they both really though neither of them intentionally condemne their own persons The fourth sort which this Point deales with faile in the object of their acceptation Their care is not to prove and find out what is acceptable to God but what is acceptable to men Men-pleasers they are not God-pleasers they study what is like to take with the world not what is given as the mind of CHRIST The greatest number would faine please those who are great in Dignity and sometime they who are great in dignity will industriously please the greatest Number When Herod had killed Iames the Brother of the Lord with the Sword because he saw it pleased the Iewes he proceeded further to take Peter also Act. 12. 3. He cares not to spill the blood of an innocent so he may please the humour of the multitude The sinne is neere of the same stature whether Great men sinne to please many or many sin to please those who are Great The Apostle Paul I grant pleased all men in all things 1 Cor. 10. 33. and concludes Rom. 15. 2. Let every one of us please his neighbour It is our duty to doe so but take the limitation which followes for his good to Edification We may please men to edifie them but not to flatter them to do them good not to make our selves Great or rich So the holy Apostle explaines his Noble Parasitisme I please all men in all things not seeking mine owne profit but the profit of many that they may be saved All man-pleasing but that whereby we profit those we please is displeasing unto God And the profit he meanes is not either in filling or saving their purses but in saving their Soules Any other man-pleasing he disclaimes as having no allowance at all from God 1 Thes 2. 3 4. Our exhoration was not of deceit c but as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospell not as pleasing men but God who tryeth the hearts Nor at any time used we flattering words as ye know you must have heard them had we used them nor a cloake of Covetousnesse that I confesse is beyond your sight Covetousnesse is a close sinne and the intendment of it closer but God is witnesse nor of men sought we glory c. Glory or gaine profit or praise are the usuall provocations to such flattery He that is above the bayt shall not fall into the snare I have foure things to say to these First they who sinfully endeavour acceptation with men shall not long be accepted with men Men-pleasers run into greatest displeasure with men None find such unwelcome conclusions as they who have condiscended in speech or action to the lowest complyances When Cardinall Wolsey saw himself deserted by that King hee sayd If I had laboured to please and serve God as I have done to serve and please my Prince I had not bin thus cast off and forsaken Many such wrackt and weather-beaten wretches will complaine at last that they too much sought and pleased themselves with the Faire-weather and warme Sun-shine of the world Secondly such usually prove unacceptable to themselves After Achitophel had sinfully ingratiated himself with Absolom to betray David and Iudas with the Scribes and Pharisies to betray CHRIST they both fell out with themselves and ended their lives under the disfavour of their own Consciences How many having to regaine their lost reputation with men renounced the truth have presently bin renounced by their own hearts and could never get a good word or a good looke from them againe And they who have not found that quarrell endlesse have taken soare revenges upon Themselves and could not recover their peace till they had acknowledged and bewayled their owne cowardise Cranmer puts his right-hand into the fire which had subscribed his Recantation And Iewel mournes in Germany for a subscription he made in England to the Popish Inquisitors The hypocrites hope shall be cut off saith Bildad Iob 8. 14. the word signifies also extreame Loathing and Abominating which implyes his hope shall be so cut off that hee shall be a Loathing to himselfe It is an affliction and in some cases a very great one to be Loathed by other men but it is a farre greater for a man to be loathed by his owne Soule There is a twofold Self-loathing First of Repentance secondly of Desperation this latter is there portion And that 's as black as the suburbs of hell and lyes but one step from the regions of everlasting darknesse Thirdly such displease Christ so much that hee discards them his service Gal. 1. 10. Doe I now perswade men or God Paul preached of God not to God God is above mans Rhetorick or perswasions why then doth he say Doe I perswade men or God His meaning is doe I perswade the things of men or of God doe I perswade you to heare and obey Men or God Or as our late Annotators doe we make faith to men or seeke to endeare our selves to men The next words of the Text give us this glosse doe I seeke to please men Why Paul what danger or dammage if thou hadst yes very great For

if I yet pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ. No man can serve two Masters vnlesse their will and commands be one It is best for man when his will in reference to the object is melted into Gods yet God and some men are never God and no man are alwaies in this sence Monothelites And therefore they who resolve to please men alwaies shall be sure to please God but seldome if at all The two Witnesses tormented them that dwelt upon the earth Rev. 11. 10. How could two torment millions What were the racks or engines upon which they held the world in paine It was their plaine-speaking and plaine-doing what was acceptable to the Lord. They who will follow them or are now Acting them shall sure enough anger all wicked men who dwell upon the earth and possibly in some things some of them who are godly too Truth puts the world into a rage Psal 2. 1. Every rule of duty is a Band of slavery and every holy counsell a Cord which they will breake a sunder if they can and cast away from them How then shall they please God who are studious to please such men And as All holy truths put all the world whether their sound comes into a rage So some truths are so holy that they may put some Churches or some of the Churches into a rage Every good man is not alwayes in a frame to receive all that is Good How then shall they please God who are resolved to doe or say no more then pleases all good men Fourthly while we seeke to be accepted with men our owne hearts are stopt from much seeking or regarding acceptation with God CHRIST puts an extreame difficulty if not an impossibility upon it Ioh. 5. 44. How can yee beleeve which receive honour one of another and seeke not the Honour which commeth of God only It is possible to receive honour both from God and man for the same thing Only of God doth not exclude the honour of Men but teaches us to resolve to doe our duty when honour comes from God only The meaning of Christ is unlesse though wee sleight not honour from men we can rest satisfied with honour from God only We cannot which is our honoring of God beleeve him They never give God credit who are in Love with credit from the world Or if Christ gaine faith in the hearts of such yet he looses their Profession of him with the mouth Among the chiefe Rulers many beleeved on Christ but they did not confesse him Ioh. 12. 42. And this reason is added For they loved the Praise of men more then the praise of God That man who loves the praise of God but as much as he loves the praise of men loves it lesse Seeing there is nothing more unequall then this equality Where the obligation is unequall we cannot discharge our duty by making our payments equall If then it could be supposed that a man did gradually love the praise of men no more then he loves the praise of men yet really he loves it more And when once a mans affections are thus warme after the world how cold and unactive is he after JESVS CHRIST He must have the smiles and embraces the good word and acceptation of men though he run the hazard of his acceptation with the Lord. I have done with matter of reproofe This poynt will also informe and give us an account of the reason why the servants of Christ stand so strictly upon their Termes with the world even till some call it vaine precisenesse others wilfull stubbornesse When Pharaoh came to the lowest termes of a composition with Moses about the departure of the children of Israel out of Egypt Goe yee serve the Lord onely let your flockes and your heards be stayed let your little ones also goe with you will Moses yeeld to this No Our Cattle also shall goe with us there shall not an hoofe be left behind us Was not this obstinacy in Moses Why was he thus rigid and peremptory with so great a King Surely if Moses had bin to please himselfe onely in the agreement he had accepted his owne peace and the deliverance of Israel on those or easier termes to Pharoah but he had a God to please whose right he could not give away in the least thing Which he clearely intimates in the next words There shall not an hoofe be left behind for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God And we know not with what we must serve the Lord untill we come thither Exod. 10. 26. As if Moses had said if we had nothing to doe with our cattle but only to worke or eat them we might possibly hearken to thy motion And rather leave our beasts to thee then to live an houre longer within the reach of so cruel a beast as thou But the Lord hath use of our cattle as well as we Thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God And we will not take upon us to part out his portion here we expect direction from him there We may bring what he likes not therefore he shall take his choice of all a hoofe shall not stay behind I will not bate an ace or loose a title The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable Prov. 10. 32. To know is the worke of the understanding to speak is the worke of the lips how then saith Salomon That the lips of the righteous know There is a great affinity betweene Reason and Speech and therefore the lips which are an organ of Speech are honoured with the work of the understanding Or because a righteous man hath much true knowledge therefore his lips are sayd to know as Davids hands are said to understand and hee to governe by the understanding of his hands Psal 78. 72. His hands understood more then the heads of ordinary Princes in this sence I say the lips of a righteous man are said to know And among all Objects of knowledge this he eyther doth or desires to know most namely What is acceptable And because hee is so much skil'd in this Point he will runne all hazards to practise it and doe what is acceptable to the Lord. The Holy Apostles put this question to the Vote of their professed Enemies Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more then unto God judge yee Act. 4. 19. The servants of Christ know very well what the concernements are of man-pleasing They know favour and honour and riches and respects come in at that doore and they are not ignorant of the meaning of these things nor yet so stoicall as not to desire to enjoy them They know also what the frownes of men are what stormes clouded browes portend they are very sensible of it what is to be slighted what to be poore what to be scourged what to be imprisoned and they are not so stoicall as not to desire to avoid these things Christ