Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A26412
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A fannaticks mite cast into the Kings treasury being a sermon printed to the King because not preach'd before the King / by Henry Adis.
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Adis, Henry.
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1660
(1660)
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Wing A581; ESTC R28080
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68,628
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81
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shall gain the whole world and loose his own Soul Or what shall a man give in exchange for his Soul In this Reformation Hezekiah's speed equals his willingness and like a pair of Heisers accustomed to the yoak they draw both together for as it was his first work to have respect to the cleansing of his holy things so it was his care to do it in the first year of his Reign and not late in the year but in the first month of that first year for so saith the Text 2 Chron. 29. 3. He in the first year of his Reign in the first month opened the Doors c. And this is that which I am perswaded is well pleasing to God when men sleep not upon good Resolutions but puts them into present and effectuall practise for no man can call to morrow his Therefore the Counsel of the Spirit of God is good which he hath given by the Wise Man Eccles. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it wich thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest Hezekiah began to Reign when he was five and twenty years old Cha. 29. 1. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that David his Father had doue v. 2. And as by Faith Moses when he came to years refused to be called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter choosing rather to suffer Afflictions with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt because he had respect to the recompence of reward Heb. 11. 24. So Hezekiah being five and twenty years old when he began to Reign refused to walk in the wayes of sin as Ahaz his Father had done but begins with discretion to consider what was well-pleasing to God and therefore he learns to write by a perfect Copy he takes a Man after Gods own heart to be his Pattern though they that hated him without a cause were more than the hairs of his head though his enemies were mighty Psal. 69. 4. though he became a Proverb to many verse 11. and though they that sate in the gates spake against him and though he became a Song to the Drunkards ver. 12. yet these and such reproaches as these shall not frighten him but Hezekiah will do according to all that David his Father had done David we see was no Allower of Drunkenness for the Drnnkards made Songs of him as they do now in this our dayes upon those that desire to walk in the integrity of their hearts before the Lord as David did David opened not a Door to any manner of licenciousness neither doth Hezekiah when he comes to Reign go to the house of laughter but to the house of God he runs not to Hawkings nor Huntings Revellings nor Dancings Riotings nor Banquetings he sets not up nor tollerates Stage-Playes May-games nor Pastimes but comes to a serious consideration what the mind of God was that so he might pleasâ—… him to the Eternal well-being both of himself and those that were under his charge therefere with spéed he opens the Doors of the Lords House and begins to put away the iniquity of his holy things Now know O King that Hezekiah was a good man and went on in his Reformation in Gods way let me therefore beg of thee as thou tenderest thy Souls good to Eternity take him for thy Pattern begin thy Reign as he did his look into thy holy things see what there is amiss there consider the Common-prayer whence it came and whither it tendeth weigh it with its appurtenances in the Ballance of the Sanctuary try it by the Touch-stone of Gods Word see whether it bâ—… not too light of what God would have it to be see also whether the Inventions of Men have not made it too heavy thou canst not be too exact therein for he that doth in his service to God more than what God Commands doth too much and is no better than a Will-worshipper he that doth less than God Commandeth him doth too little Consider also which is the Door of Gods House and open that for Christ himself saith That many false Prophets will arise and shall deceive many and therefore he requireth his Disciples not to go out to them Mat. 24. 24 26. Therefore the opening of any Door will not serve the turn Hezekiah opened the Door of the Lords House Therefore for the Lords sake Consider what thou doest take that Counsel from the Spirit of the Lord which is Recorded in 1 Thes. 5. 21 22. Prove all things and hold fast that which is good and abstain from all appearance of evil Take notice of the Dispensation thou art under and do thy Generation work in Gods way the Church of Christ under the Gospel is not National but Congregational Hezekiah was of the Race of the Jews and a King of Judah it was Hezekiahs work to open the Doors of the Material Temple scituate in Jerusalem where God had under that dispensation promised his presence 1 Kings 9. 3. So that if Hezekiah had opened any other Door he had been a sinner as well as his Father Ahaz who opened another when he shut those Material Doors where the Jews had a Right to Worship as they were in a National Church-Communion upon the due administration of that fleshly Ordinance of Circumcision peremtorily upon the eight day Gen. 17. 12. Under which he that neglected to Circumcise his Male Infant upon the eighth day did it too late and after Gods time and that Infant was to be cut off from the People V. 14. and he that did it before the eighth day did it too soon and before Gods time and so became a transgressor We usually say in our common Proverb that it is dangerous jesting with â—…ged tools so may I safely say it is a dangerous thing to cross the design of God it is a desperate design to undertake to open that which God hath shut or to shut that which God hath opened God hath shut the Doors of a National Church then let men fear to open it and God hath opened the Door of a Congregational Church let Souls tremble at the thought of shutting it for so saith the Lord Christ John 4. 21 22 23. Believe me saith he the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain nor yet in Jerusalem Worship the Father ye Worship ye know not what We know what we Worship for Salvation is of the Jewes but the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall Worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth And saith Peter Now I perceive of a truth that God is no Respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him Acts 10. 34 35. So that Church-fellowship and Son-ship with God is entailed upon persons under the Gospel not upon the account
those Nations without driving them out hastily neither delivered he them into the hands of Joshua V. 23. according to that of the Apostle 1 Pet. 1. 7. That the Tryal of your Faith being much more precious than of Gold that perisheth though it be tryed with fire may be found unto Praise and Glory and Honour at the appearing of Jesus Christ A second Reason may be for the encrease of their Graces according to that saying of the Apostle James 1. 2 3. Knowing that the Tryal of our Faith worketh Patience and therefore the Apostle Paul did glory in Tribulations knowing that Tribulation worketh Patience and Patience Experience and Experience Hope and Hope saith he maketh not ashamed Rom. 5. 3 4. A third Reason may be because Troubles and Afflictions being rightly improved worketh good to a Soul to Eternity and so saith our Apostle 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light Affliction which are but for a Moment worketh for us a far more Exceeding and Eternal weight of Glory whilst we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are Temporal but the things which are not seen they are Eternal And further God by these Actings keeps a Soul close to himself and thereby gives it opportunities continually either to Pray or to Praise him for Deliverances For this Invasion together with the abominable Blasphemies of Sennacherib drives Hezekiah to his God and so saith the Text For this cause Hezekiah the King and the Prophet Isaiah Prayed and cryed to Heaven vers. 20. Men that walk close with God in time of Prosperity can with boldness go to God in time of Adversity with an assured confidence of a gracious Answer Hezekiah and Isaiah no sooner Pray but Speed and another opportunity is now put into their hands to return again with Praises in their mouths to the Throne of Grace for the Lord sent an Angel to cut off all the Mighty men of Ualour and the Leaders and Captains in the Camp of the King of Assyria So he returned with shame of face to his own Land and when he was come into the House of his god they that came out of his own bowels slew him there with the Sword V. 21. Whence we may note That when Gods People cry to him there is no staying the raising an Army or Money or the Making or Providing Ammunion but when they are in a Suffering condition they dispatch a Messenger to Heaven in a moments time to the Captain of their Salvation who himself was made perfect through Sufferings Heb. 2. 10. And such a Messenger who can neither be stayed by the way nor his Message intercepted even the Spirit of Truth who will tell the truth of their Cause and help their Infirmities and express their Condition with groans that cannot be uttered and he that searcheth the heart knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit Rom. 8. 26 27. God is a free Agent and cannot be limitted to any means but acteth how when and which way he pleaseth For Hezekiah and Isaiah no sooner Pray but an Angel is as soon dispatched into the Camp of Sennacherib for are they not all Ministring Spirits sent forth to Minister for those who shall be Heirs of Salvation Heb. 1. 14. And this Angel destroyes his Mighty men Captains and men of Valour Hezekiah we see spake truth when he encouraged the People saying Be not dismayed at the King of Assyria for there is more with us than with him with him there is an Arm of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our Battels ver. 7. and 8. Happy it is then with the People of God when they can trust God for their Deliverance and observe that Word of Command from the Captain of their Salvation Mat. 24. 6. Then when they shall hear of Wars and rumours of Wars Nation against Nation and Kingdom against Kingdom that then they be not troubled but can take that good Advice that once Moses gave to Israel of old Exod. 14. 13. Even to stand still and see the Salvation of God which he will work for them The Angel finisheth his work with speed which causeth Sennacherib with shame Confusion of face with speed to return into his own Land Whence we may note That whilst men depend upon an Arm of flesh upon every Defeat their spirits are more or less dejected whilst he that trusteth in the Lord is not afraid of evil Tidings for his heart is fixed Psal. 112. 7. When Sennacheribs confidence in which he trusted viz. His Great men his Captains and his men of Valour were brought down then Shame as a Vail begins to cover his face whilst the Righteous are bold as a Lyon and shall not be ashamed in the evil time Psal. 37. 19. An Arm of flesh will fail For all flesh is grass and all the goodliness thereof as the Flower of the Field the Grass withereth and the Flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it Surely the People is grass saith the Prophet Isaiah 40. 6. and 7. Therefore the People of God trust in their God because that in the Lord Jehovah is Everlasting strength Isaiah 26. vers. 4. The Text saith That Sâ—…nnacherib when he returned he went into the House of his god Now his god was one of the gods of the Heathens which had neither eyes to see not ears to hear hands to handle nor feet to walk and so uncapable of doing him good as that he could not give good Advice nor afford good Assistance neither to him nor to his People yet such is his Zeal notwithstanding his wickedness as that he must into the House of this his god Whence we may note That the worst of men generally are under some Form of Worship either to a false god or to the true God after a false manner in which usually they are very zealous although in other things desperately wicked Whence we may further note That it is not Zeal under any Form that makes that Form the true Form of Godliness but it is the special Appointment of God in his Word of Truth that is the onely and alone Way God will be worshipped in in which he requireth men to be zealous The Apostle Paul whilst he was in his unregenerate condition his Zeal led the way and marched in the Van whilst his Knowledge lay behind in the Rear which caused him so to make havock of the Church as he himself confesseth Phil. 3. 6. Gal. 1. 13. 1 Cor. 15. 9. And saith he Acts 26. 9. I verily thought with my self that I ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareâ—…h which thing I did in Jerusalem and many of the Saints did I shut up in Prison having received Authority from the Chief Priests and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them V. 10. And I punished them oft in every Synagogue and