Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	jesus_n	lord_n	spirit_n	7,577	5	4.8812	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29529	Stand still: Or, A bridle for the times A discourse tending to still the murmuring, to settle the wavering, to stay the wandring, to strengthen the fainting. As it was delivered to the Church of God at Great Yarmouth, Anno 1643. By John Brinsley, Minister of the Word there, and now published as a proper antidote against the present epidemicall distempers of the times.	Brinsley, John, 1600-1665.	1647 (1647)	Wing B4729; ESTC R217245	80,497	119

or his own safetie This question my Brethren put home upon Conscience it may happily come neere us We are all naturally neere unto our selves and oft-times too neere So it is when wee set up our selves our owne peace our owne outward tranquilitie as the first and maine thing which we looke at In the meane time making the glory of God subservient unto that Secondly Let it be enquired whether our providing for our owne safetie in this way of flight be not some diminution to the glory of God Whether wee might not glorifie God more by our standing then by our flying Here presse conscience to give sente●ce according to evidence and according th●reunto order we our selves for our flying or standing doing that which may conduce most to the glory of God Secondly And secondly that which may conduce most to the good of others specially the Publique good We are not borne neither should we live meerly for our selves all of us for others all of us for the publique As members doe for the good of the body so should Christians live for the good of the Communitie the good of the Church And this wee must have an eye unto as in our whole course so in this case of flying or standing in time of Persecution Now here sometimes it so falleth out that Christians cannot flye without both publique scandall and danger the case specially of publike Persons Magistrates Ministers Their flight oft-times indangers the Communitie as the flight of the shepheard doth the flock or as the flight of the Mariners in Pauls voyage would have done the passengers touching whom Paul telleth the Centurion and Souldiers Except these abide in the ship yee cannot be saved Now in this case they being thus engaged God biddeth them stand and therefore they may not flee Upon this ground that worthy Governour Nehemiah tooke up that Heroick Resolution Shall such a man as I flee A Magistrate in whose standing the safetie of the Communitie of the whole body of the people is bound up though others flee he may not And so Augustine in the place fore-named determines the case of Ministers Where they cannot flye without eminent danger to their flocks there God biddeth them stand A determination grounded upon that of our Saviour Ioh. 10. Where describing the good Shepheard and the Hireling he tells us the one standeth and the other fleeth The good Shepheard giveth his life for his sheepe but he that is an hireling c. He seeth the woolfe comming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth and the woolfe ●atcheth them and scattereth them The hireling fleeth c. Where the safetie and welfare of a flock is bound up in the presence of the Minister where his flight tendeth directly to their dissipation or eminently indangereth their seduction there God biddeth him stand On the other hand sometimes as private so publique persons may withdraw themselves without any detriment to the Church Nay their fleeing may be an advantage to it Thereby they may have the opportunitie off doing moregood to the Church then otherwise they could doe In this case God bids them flee and they have their Master going before them in it Our blessed Saviour as I told you being in danger by his Adversaries he often withdrew himselfe this he did for the greater advantage and benefit of his Church that he might have opportunitie for the finishing of the worke which his Father had given him to doe What himselfe therein did he orders his Apostles and Disciples to doe the like When they persecute you in oxe Citie flee into another And wherefore must they flye Why that so by that meanes they might have opportunitie to doe the worke which their Lord and Master had given them to doe viz. to publish the Gospell throughout all the Cities of Iudea This it either is or ought to be the desire and designe as of every private Christian so specially of every Minister of Jesus Christ that they may finish the worke which God hath given them to doe in doing what good they may to his Church and people Now that way which may most conduce unto that end that they must take If they may be more serviceable to the Church in their flying now God bids them flee If in their staying now Gods bids them stand This is the generall Rule which the word holdeth forth unto us God thereby making knowne his will unto us touching our flying or standing in time of Persecution Secondly For more particular and personall directions herein taking this Rule of the word along with us we must have recourse to the worke of God I meane his Providentiall worke the passages of his Providence from whence we may ordinarily learne somewhat more of his meaning and purpose towards us This worke of Providence in this case observable is two-●old viz. Inward or Outward his worke within us and his worke without us First His inward work his work upon the inwardman upon our hearts and spirits in the ordering and tempering of them This wee find God doing variously even as the Smith dealeth with his Iron which sometimes he hardens sometimes he softnes Thus dealeth God with the spirits of his owne people sometimes he hardeneth them take it in a good sense fleeleth them as it were with an Heroicall Resolution putting into their hearts a Spirit of courage and fortitude so strengthning them with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse as Paul prayeth for his Coloss●ans as that they dare looke whatever dangers or enemies in the face Thus was it with Elias when he tooke up that Resolution that whatever came he would looke his Arch-enemy Ahab in the face Notwithstanding that Ahab had vowed his death and had made a most strict and narrow search for him throughout all the bordering Kingdomes and Nations as Obadiah tells him yet for all that Eliah is resolved come what will come he will face him As the Lord liveth before whom I stand I will surely shew my selfe unto him this day so he tells Obadiah Thus was it with Paul when he went bound in the spirit to Ierusalem whatever dangers were represented to him he weighs them not his resolution was to face the worst that could come I passe not at all saith he neither is my life deare unto me so that I may fulfill my course with joy and the Ministration which I have received of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospell of the grace of God Such a motion of the Spirit others of the Martyrs of Christ in the Primitive times many in latter times some have found and felt strongly inclining and carrying them on to give testimony to the truth steeling their spirits against whatever dangers whatever sufferings Now in this case God seemeth to give the word to such bidding them stand calling them to resist though it be unto blood And