Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	lord_n	scripture_n	word_n	4,156	5	4.0594	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67563	The case of Joram a sermon preached before the House of Peers in the Abby-church at Westminster, January 30, 1673/4 / by Seth, Lord Bishop of Sarum.	Ward, Seth, 1617-1689.	1674 (1674)	Wing W817; ESTC R19529	17,156	39

is that King Ahab He sold himself to work wickedness he exalted himself against God and man and went on triumphantly in a course of sinning He killed also took possession yet when Elijah a poor overgrown neglected hairy man girt with a girdle of leather about his loins charges him that it was he that troubled Israel and denounces the Judgments which should befall him He rent his cloaths and put sackcloth upon his flesh he fasted and lay in sackcloth and went softly Of all the wicked persons mentioned in the New Testament there is none who by the History of Josephus and by Tacitus and other Roman Authors is represented to have been more impudent and scandalous more outragiously debaucht then Felix the Roman Governour of Judea under Claudius and Nero yet when Paul his Prisoner a little wearish aged man whose bodily presence was weak and his speech contemptible reasoned before him concerning righteousness and temperance and the Judgment to come Felix trembled Whether the conviction of Joram did proceed from one or more or all or any of these causes it is not needful to enquire Thus much appears in fact that though he was extracted from that King Ahab and from that Queen Jezabel though his life and manners were answerable to his extraction and education though he was under a complicated distemper of mind a paroxysm of madness yet in the midst of all his indisposedness he is forced to acknowledge the hand of God in that Calamity which was upon him He even Joram said This evil is from the Lord. Even wicked and distempered men are forced sometimes to acknowledge the hand of God in the dispensations of his judgments Hitherto I have endeavoured to represent and prove before you the truth and evidence of this concession or supposition the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laid down by Joram and how agreeable that is to Reason Scripture and Experience And now what consequence would any one expect from such an antecedent If the words had been barely without proof or enlargement delivered by the Prophet had it not been reasonable for him to assent to the truth of them and natural for him to have fallen upon this conclusion This evil is from the Lord therefore upon him will I wait to him will I address my self for our deliverance and forthwith to have put himself upon all necessary and congruous ways of application But being delivered by himself as an extorted acknowledgment of his awaken'd conscience Who would not expect that although before his conviction he went on resolutely in his course Yet being now rowsed and awakened he should proceed according to his Conviction That the same causes which had forced him to see and acknowledge the hand of God in the Judgment should have prevailed with him to apply himself to him for the removal of it Who would not expect that the words should run thus This evil is from the Lord wherefore upon him will I wait for succour and not give over until he have mercy on us But behold he said This evil is from the Lord wherefore should I wait on the Lord any longer And now the absurdity of this Inference is that which remains to be laid open before you I call it an Inference because in effect this deliberative question carries the force of a strong negation Wherefore should I wait i. e. I am resolved I will wait no longer To take the full meaning of that word which is here rendred by waiting I must entreat you to observe that the question is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quid expectabo Chaldee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cur patienter me geram Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quid deprecabor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Scripture signifies Prayer and Supplication and that with earnestness strong crying and tears and is usually joyned with fasting and other acts of mortification and humiliation So that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of a large extensive signification and comprehends all these notions in it It seems the Prophet finding him in a distemper had exhorted him to give over huffing and ranting cursing and swearing and to betake himself to fasting and mourning to prayers and earnest Supplication to give over his sturdy and insolent behaviour and to compose himself to meekness and a deep humiliation To leave off his frowardness and impatience and with patience and due submission to tarry the Lord's leisure to expect and wait upon him for deliverance To all which he replies in these words Mah Ochil ladonai Wherefore should I fast and pray or betake my self to weeping and mourning Why should I submit and humble my self under the hand of God to what purpose should I expect and wait upon him any longer for deliverance intimating a peremptory resolution to the contrary You see now the Question betwixt Joram and the Prophet and I am to make your selves the Judges which of them had reason on his side In order whereunto it is necessary that I premise three things 1. In every deliberation the end or scope is presupposed and the question is of the best and likeliest means for the attainment of that end 2. When any one is fallen into calamity it is to be presumed that the end which he will propose to himself will be the removal of the calamity 3. Joram having acknowledged his calamity to have come from God it was supposed on both sides that to remove or continue this calamity was entirely and absolutely in the hand and power of God So that the only question is this which is the likeliest way to prevail with God to remove his Judgments and take away his heavy hand the way of Elisha or the way of Joram Now although it seems very easie to determine this question upon principles of common reason and by reflexion upon the ways of men yet seeing it is to be supposed that every one knows best what way it is that will move and prevail upon himself And seeing God hath declared himself in this matter and his declarations were then extant in the writings of Moses and the Prophets to which a King of Israel ought to be no stranger I should think it most congruous that the deliberation ought to proceed upon those measures and the enquiry accordingly to be what was like to be the issue of Elisha's way and what on the other side if Joram's way should be taken in this case of publick Calamity 1. Then how hath God declared himself as to Prayer and Fasting on one hand and to Cursing and Swearing on the other and so of the rest of the particulars in Question 1. In general Call upon me saith the Lord in the time of trouble and I will hear thee and help I cried unto the Lord in my trouble saith David and he delivered me out of my distress Again as to Fasting and Mourning in a day of darkness i. e. a case of Publick Calamity the way