Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A53376
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An epistle of information, exhortation, and consolation to all such as are distinguished by names of reproach and ignominy ... : containing also, a sober rebuke for former sloathfulness / by John Onley ...
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Onley, John.
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1661
(1661)
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Wing O346; ESTC R10781
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10,212
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15
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their Cruelty upon us who would have devoured us quick whom yet the Lord would not suffer but was a brazen Wall round about us that we might have gone freely about the work of our God without molestation to have enlightned the eyes of the poor blind World enlivened warmed and strengthened the weak Saints confirmed the Feeble and rejoyced in and with the Strong in laying in all strength together with one heart and one shoulder to bear up increase and strengthen the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus rejoycing with the Strong and Honourable and weeping with the Poor and Miserable c. beating with the Weak and Feeble and as Members of one Body joyned together and compacted by that which every Joynt supplyeth according to the Effectual working in the measure of every part making increase in the Body unto the Edifying of it self in Love Oh! how negligent have we been in these necessary heavenly Duties bearing the name of Churches Saints and Christians when to the Life of Christ we have been almost strangers 8. How little have our hearts been rent our souls grieved and we sighed and cryed pouring out our souls before the Lord for the Abominations committed in these Nations not being inferiour if not exceeding the Wickedness of Sodom for and on which God rained down from Heaven Fire and Brimstone and made an utter desolation thereof How is the Name of our God every day blasphemed his Laws and gracious Precepts derided and his People shamefully entreated and as Mr. Baxter said of the Times some late years past That it was as much as a Mans Estate at least was worth to hear Saints Rest pag. 251. Part 2. a Sermon abroad when he had none or worse at home to meet for Prayer or any godly Exercise and that it was a matter of Credit and way to Preferment to revile at and be enemies to those that are most Consciencious and every where safer to be a Drunkard or an Adulterer than a painful Christian and that multitude of humane Ceremonies took place when the Worship of Christs Institutions was cast out So by reason of the abuse of the King's Indulgence of about Thirty Persons whom in that we had no compliance with nor knowledge of together with the over-violent activity of his Majesties subordinate Ministers in executing of his Proclamation against us though we believe they know in their own Consciences we are free from the first and consequently not concerned in the last with their negligence in not executing his Proclamation against Debauchery and Prophaneness such into many places having free liberty to act Villany It 's come to that passe that if a few sincere Christians meet together in the fear of God to build up one another in their most holy Faith to exhort comfort confirm and strengthen each other in the Wayes of God according to the Command of Christ and the Example of the Primitive Saints to which Work the Lord having promised and God's People sweetly experiencing his Presence We must be presently apprehended and carried to a Justice and so to the Jayl yea some of us threatned for reading the Scriptures in our Families when if we would swear game be drunk and lie at an Alehouse Twenty together day after day or stand in a Market an hour or two together to hear the Apostles of the Devil and Factors of Hell about and on the Market-Cross with their Ungodly Songs and Speeches and idle shameful Deeds and Gestures to provoke to vanity both Hearers Speakers and Singers shall have free Liberty when if in the same place as some with grief of heart can witness one doth but say Repent of this Folly and turn to the Lord His Day is at hand he shall have company about him presently to lag him forth of Town as not sufferable therein Which had it been amongst Pagans and gross Heathens we might have the less marvelled but to see it amongst those that profess in words to be Christians Oh! what Lamentations bitter Cryes Sighes and Tears and heart-rendings doth this call for what Humiliations Watchings Fastings Prayings Speakings often one to another and to the Lord to forgive to strengthen uphold and comfort his People in this day and to Inform counsel and direct the King with the Magistrates of this Nation in the performance of that which may bring down a Blessing therewith and a Settlement of Peace with Truth thereby and that they may see in what the Strength and Safety of a Nation stands in In the performance of Righteousness Justice and Equity breaking every heavy Yoak and letting the Oppressed go free in setting free the Gospel and the VVord of the Lord the Profession and Professors thereof that hath so long been confined within the narrow limits of some mens particular Apprehensions that it may run and be glorified and prevail and prosper in its own single Evidence and that the Lord would cause them to see the Hamon-like Designs that some purpose against all the Sons of Sion that refuse to bow to the Pride of their Hearts and that the Innocency and Righteousness of the Lords People may be brought to light in despight of those wicked Ones who seek to impeach and darken it that so their Covering may not prove like that of Judah's In looking to their Armour and making up the Breaches and fortifying of the Walls staying on Horses and trusting in Chariots because they are many and in Horsemen because they are very strong and then joy and be glad slay Oxen and kill Sheep eat Flesh and drink Wine thinking all secure when they should rather call to Mourning to Weeping to Baldness and to girding with Sackcloath if the Glory of the Lord and the saving strength of himself be not the Foundation thereof Isa 22.8 14.31.1 Oh! how little have we been sensible of affected with and imployed about these things though the Lord hath neither been a Wilderness nor a Land of Darkness to us but planting us a Noble Vine a holy a right Seed walling us about suffering no man to do us harm yet have we degenerated into a strange Plant our Silver become Dross our Wine mixt with Water c. Therefore the Day of Visitation is come it is come we shall know it We have dealt treacherously with the Lord we have begotten strange Children now shall a Moth devour them with their Portions for the Lord is arisen in the fury of his Jealousie being provoked through the abuse of his Mercy to lash us to himself and correct us for our out-goings from his Grace and hath prepared his Furnace in Jerusalem and his Refining Pot in Sion in which two parts may be consumed and a third brought through the fire being thereby made meet for our Masters praise we may serve him with one consent Wherefore dearly beloved Brethren you who Fellow-Citizens and of the Houshold of God Members one of another One Body of which Christ is the Head Children and Heirs Heirs of God yea
Joynt-heirs with Christ and all Strangers and Pilgrims here on Earth having no continuing City but are looking after one that hath a foundation whose maker and builder is God c. Let 's lay aside our dividing Principles and formal lazy key-cold Profession and Unchristian-like Imployments and with one Consent make exact and speedy search into those things in which we have grievously offended and pour forth our souls before the Lord Repenting and humbling our selves and that with all speed Peradventure we may prevail to a diversion of God's intended Judgments against us if not that then they may be of excellent use to us for when we have once seen the want of that which when we had we saw not the worth of nor had no hearts to use It will then be more precious in our eyes more desirable and delightful to our souls Should the Lord scatter us abroad into other Nations to wander up and down amongst Mountains Desarts Dens Caves and Desolate places of the Earth destitute afflicted and tormented yea from Sea to Sea from North to South running to and fro to seck the Word of the Lord and shall not find it Oh how precious would the Communion the Company the Fellowship of those be then notwithstanding circumstantial difference with whom now we have been at Irreconciliable Variance how delightful that Presence of the Lord that once we enjoyed in his Sanctuary how piercing and lively would the fence of those former neglected Mercies come fresh and bleeding in our memories how satisfactory would the Word of the Lord be to our hungry starved empty Souls then how vivifying and comfortable to our Hearts though now being full we loath the Honey and the Honey-comb how little should we value a weeks time then in the performance of that which a dayes time now hath wearied us in how near would our Hearts be brought to God our Affections to Heaven and from the World how un-interrupted the course of our Faith and dead and crucified to the Pleasures of this Life how desirous to be dissolved how pained to be delivered how watchful for our Redemption and Day of our Lord's Appearance how attentive to our main work preparing our wedding Garment how quick in our motion and steady in our expectation looking right on moving regular in our Journey turning neither to the right hand nor to the left c. Should we then be when the Lord with a Witness hath discovered and uncovered our Covering which He is now about and hunted us out of our Rests that were polluted and would have destroyed us with a sore destruction and scorched us with the fire of our own kindling and made those sparks we incompassed our selves about with and walk'd in the light of like those Oaks we have desired of which we are now ashamed going away from them the Lord having rejected that Confidence which we put in them How admirably lovely and desirable will Christ his Truth and Kingdom be when it stands in competition with Goods Liberty Wife Children and it may be our own Life also when we shall be brought to that parting-point to receive Him singly or reject Him wholly Then will be the time to see the worth of that which whilst other things stood betwixt we saw not the full glory of Oh then let 's not fear nor be dismayed at that which if rightly used we shall be such gainers by but rejoyce and leap for Joy in that Day when men shall hate us imprison us separate us from their Company and speak all manner of evil of us falsly and take away our Goods our Houses and Lands and Liberties from us c. For if we stoop under the Cross and deny our selves and forsake Houses Brethren Sisters Fathers or Mothers VVife or Children or Lands for the Name sake of Christ we shall receive un hundred fold and shall inherit Everlasting Life Matth. 19.29 Only let 's be careful to suffer as Christians not as Thieves Murderers busie bodies in others matters self-revengers c. for which we shall have a double punishment but if as Christians let 's not be ashamed but glorifie God on this behalf and commit the keeping of our souls in wel-doing as to a faithful Creator Considering Him that could have called for the Host of Heaven to have rescued Him and avenged Him of his Enemies yet endured the Cross despised the shame and the Contradiction of Sinners against Himself and is set down at the right-hand of God expecting till his Enemies be made his Footstool And let us not envy the Prosperity of them that know not God that laugh whilst we weep and sing whilst we mourn for they have received their Consolation and are in the flower of their Kingdom but ours is in Reversion which when we come to the possession of out Sorrow shall be turned into Joy our Tears to Praise our Poverty to Plenty and we shall come to Sion with Songs and Everlasting Joy upon our heads Sorrow and sighing shall flee away when we shall be made an Eternal Excellency the Joy of many Generations For behold the Lord will take out of our hand the Cup of Trembling even the Dregs of the Cup of Fury we shall no more drink but it shall be put into the hand of them that afflict us that have said to our souls Bow down that we may go over And we have laid our body as the ground and as the street to them that went over when he hath purged away our Dross and performed his whole work upon us He will extend Peace to us like a River and Judgment shall dwell in the VVilderness and Righteousness remain in the fruitful Field and the work of Righteousness shall be Peace and the effect of Righteousness Quietness and Assurance for ever Which when we see our hearts shall rejoyce and our bones flourish and we shall discern the difference betwixt them that serve God and them that serve Him not though now the Proud are called Happy c. The hand of the Lord will be known toward his Servants and his Indignation toward his Enemies when he shall render his Anger with Fury and his Rebukes with flames of fire For behold the day cometh that shall burn as an Oven and all the Proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be as Stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of Hosts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch 〈◊〉 in flaming Fire will He take Vengeance on all that know not God and obey not the Gospel of Jesus Christ For behold He cometh with Ten Thousand of his Saints to execute Judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly amongst them of all their ungodly deeds they have ungodlily committed and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him Wherefore let us enter into our Chamber and shut to the doors till the Indignation of the Lord lie over-past and bear it with patience for we have sinned and gird up the loyns of our mind and be sober and hope to the end and take up the Cross and walk on with patience lifting up our hands that hang down and making strait paths for our feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way and run with patience the Race set before us not being mindful of that Country from whence we came out though we may have opportunity to return Remember Lots Wife but desire a better that is an heavenly And God will not be ashamed to be called our God for he hath provided for us a City and let us not draw back lest the Lord take no pleasure in us for he that seeks to save his life shall lose it whilst he that seeks to lose it shall find Let 's not then cast away our Confidence that hath great Recompence of Reward for we have need of Patience that after we have done the Will of God we may receive the Promise For yet a little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry whose Reward is with him and his Work before him to give to every one as his deeds shall be In the Expectation of which and waiting therefore I am and remain Your Brother in the Faith Patience and Tribulation of the Gospel John Onley 3d day of the 3d Month 1661.