Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	peace_n	spirit_n	unity_n	1,812	5	8.9331	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77155	Zeale for Gods house quickned: or, A sermon preached before the assembly of Lords, Commons, and Divines, at their solemn fast Iuly 7. 1643. In the Abbey Church at Westminster. Expressing the eminencie of zeale requisite in church reformers: / by Oliver Bowles, Pator of Sutton in Bedfordshire. Published by order of both Houses of Parliament.	Bowles, Oliver, ca. 1577-1646?	1643 (1643)	Wing B3884; Thomason E63_6; ESTC R9592	34,766	57

writers and fruitfull in all manner of wickednesse wherein the Pope got up on horseback What saith a good writer of the Clergy of that time What do we Ministers who are so much the more inferior to others in holinesse of life as we are more eloquent in words who stirring up others fall asleep our selves Ansb. in Apoc. lib. 5. c. 11. holding out light to others are so much the more darkned in our selves So when did Antichristianisme and Mahometisme grow to their full maturity An. Dom. 1300. Hug. in Ps 104 was it not then when the Prelates became I doll shepherds when the Pastors became Wolves and the Angels of the Churches Devills Was not the wickednesse of the Priests a principall in-let of the Saxons to expell the Brittains out of this land Brittany Vide Gild. a p. 58. ad finem saith a good Author hath priests but foolish ones they understand not Pastors as they are called but indeed Wolves ready to slay the soules of the people not seeking the good of the people but the fulnesse of their owne bellies c. So for matter of Doctrine when the Saxons invaded this land Beda lib. 1. c. 7. the Pelagian heresie had with a filthy contagion defiled the Brittaines faith Should not zeale bestirre it selfe when such evils as these overspread a State The second Head to be considered is what influence zeale ought to have into Reformers First Zeale will and must doe her work throughly It is Gods work men must not halve it there is danger least corruptions grow againe unlesse pull'd up by the roots Experience hath taught what sad persecutions a partiall reformation hath made way for What hope doth such an imperfect proceeding give to the enemies that wee will come on to them againe Secondly Zeal must and will summon all the powers of soul and body and all that we can prevaile withall to further the work God delights in men of activity he cares not for the dull Asse to be offered in Sacrifice the neck of it was to be broken It was earnest Baruch that had the prayse above the rest The twelve Tribes did serve God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neh 3.20 Act. 26. What should wee be earnest for if not for God and his cause Wilt thou be earnest for thy friend thy profit thy pleasures and cold for thy God Thirdly Zeale after she is convinced of the justice of the cause over-looks all dangers though never so great So Caleb when hee heard of the difficulties resolves Let us goe up at once So Esther If I perish I perish So Saint Paul What doe you weeping and breaking my heart It also treads under foot all allurements all hope of great things God doth now as good as say That which I have planted Ier. 45.4 5. I will pluck up and seekest thou great things for thy selfe 2 King p. 26. Is it now a time to receive money and to receive garments and Oliveyards and Vineyards and sheep and oxen Fourthly Zeale helps a Reformer against the tentation of being alone This prevailes much especially where the devill and our carnall friends carch us at an advantage and amplifie the discouragement How have the mighty been here overthrown Zeal takes notice for the support of her selfe of Ioshua his resolution Chuse yee whom yee will but I and my house will serve the Lord So of Elias his complaint that he was left alone 2 Tim. 4. Vnitos est fundamentum numeri So of Paul At my first answering no man assisted me Zeale takes notice that numbers begin in one and had there not beene one first there had never been two Fiftly Zeale commands perseverance and holding out in the work Many begin in the spirit but end in the flesh how many brave worthies that blossom'd faire come on as promising great things yet have split them upon the rock of an unfound heart withered away if not in the end proved false to God and their Countrey worthy Patriots for a time but their hearts failing them they prove 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as relinquish their station In Christianis non initia sed fines laudantur He only receives the Crown that overcomes That heat in a Reformer that is from heaven will hold out not that which is meerely adventitious set on work from outward causes The third Head how zeale must bee qualified 1 It must bee founded in knowledge the understanding is the eye of the soule As mettall is dangerous in a blind horse so zeale when not directed by a judgment well informed zeale as fire must have light as as well as heat It is Hell where there is heat and no light but utter darknesse The minde and so zeale cannot bee good without knowledge The Jewes zeale defective in that not according to knowledge This zeale must not be conjecturall Rom. 10.1 probably seeming such only as wee have received from others without examination Nothing more ordinary then plentifull allegations of Scripture to carry a cause it matters not how specious and frequent quotations of Scripture there bee as what they prove upon found tryall You whom God hath betrusted with this work take not all for gold that glisters 2 It must bee ordered with wisdome zeale must bee wary as well as warme Fire is good but in a wise mans hands that will not put it into the thatch fire is good in the Chimney but if it catch the rafters of the house it sets all on fire Sapientis est videre non quid debeas solùm sed quid possis In the encounter with vice to bee Reformed wisedome will not have a Reformer to set upon the Reforming Quando necesse id ut sit impar vitio that will but enrage vice more Many mischiefes men that meane well are subject to even their good endeavours Eccl. 10. but wisdome is profitable to direct Beware here of that overwary discretion that destroyes reale 3 It must bee tempered with love zeale is apt to bee harsh but love lines the yoak and makes it easie to bee borne fit zelus said my Author but non immoderate saeviens August in 6. Galat. c. Love takes us off from all bitternesse to mens persons Dilige dic quod voles love and say what you will Love allowes us to be warme sharp home in our reproofes but not scalding hot The stomack admits not that which burnes the lips nor the eare that reproofe that is contumelious Love calls upon us as to bee zealous for the truth so to make it our work to endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Ephes 4.3 What should rend and divide us one from another whom the Lord hath united with so many bonds as to meet in one God one Christ one Spirit one Faith one Baptisme one Heaven Farre be it from us on whom the Apostle hath laid so many charges if any consolation in Christ Phil. 2.1 if

have made bold to make a supply of that which at the time of the delivery I could not inlarge Further this being a fixed rule to me Inter concionandam emineat ver●un Dei. That Gods Word should in preaching have the preeminence wonder not that I alledge Authors in such cases wherein the al●egation of them does not prejudice Scripture As first when an Historicall truth is to be made good for though the Scriptures do only determine Quid verum quid falsum What is true and what false yet for the information of our selves Quid novum quid antiquum we must have recourse to the writings of men Secondly if God himselfe when hee would shame men for their evils sends them to learne from the creatures 2 Ierem. 10.6 Prov. 6. 1 Cor. 1● 14 why may not wee send men living in the dayes of light to learn of darker times Thirdly when being to reprove the evils of the time for removing of prejudice wee deliver our reproofes rather in the words of Antiquity than in our own Facilè patimur reprehensores qui remotiori feculo vixêre So the Papists did embrace many things in the writings of the fathers as Catholike which they condemned in Luther as Hereticall And now what remaines but that wee all humbly pray the God of all truth and peace who alone is able to facilitate all difficulties to direct and guide you Honourable Senatours to poure upon you that spirit of wisedome and courage that you may goe with a settled resolution never to give over till you have established truth and peace in our borders and the same God magnifie his power in our weaknesse and multiply the gifts of his Spirit upon us whom you have been pleased to call together to advise with in the great affaires of the Church that we may so discharge our duties that God may have glory and his people the good that they expect and pray for and your and all our enemies may have their faces covered with shame So prayes Your servant in the Lord Oliver Bowles A SERMON Preached before The Assembly of LORDS COMMONS AND DIVINES Vpon their Fast Iuly 7. 1643. JOHN 2.17 And his Disciples remembred that it was written The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up THe Prophet Malachi prophecying concerning the Lord Christ that he should in due time come to visit his Church sets him out as a Refiner as a Purifier of silver tells us that he should purifie in speciall the Sonnes of Levi purge them as gold and silver Malach. 3.3 that they might offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousnesse And as an accomplishment of this prophecy the same Lord Christ gives a Specimen in the story immediately preceding my Text by that heroicall fact of his in whipping the buyers and sellers out of the Temple an evill which the Priests for their gaine had somented I call it an heroicall fact for that it was done by a speciall spirit in its kinde not imitable by us The which act of the Lord Jesus being carried on with an eminent and remarkable zeale and magnanimity gave the Disciples an occasion of calling this to minde The zeale of thy house hath eaten me up Of which his zeale we have a remarkable discovery in these particulars 1. In the weaknesse of the meanes whereby he did both attempt and effect the work in that the persons but few in comparison and those despicable in the eyes of the world Christ and his Disciples not armed with any weapons that might carry dread and terrour with them at most but with a whip made of a few small cords which probably were scattered by the Drovers which came thither to sell their cattell and to some of them with his voice only Verse 16. he said to the money changers Take these things hence and it was done 2. In the strength that the opposite power did hold out which makes the encounter so much the more dangerous 〈◊〉 in ●oc●m As first a garrison of Souldiers in Arce Antonia ready at hand to appease as it is probable occasionall Tumults Secondly the temper of the mens spirits with whom the businesse was they were men set upon gaine the worlds god Thirdly the great confluence of the people it being the most solemne Mart of the Passeover Behold then the greatnesse of Christs zeale when neither the weaknesse of the meanes on the one side to effect it nor the greatnesse of the power on the other side to hinder it did at all dismay him or cause him to desist from this attempt of reforming that so apparent an abuse of the Temple the house of God Learne we hence that Observ It matters not how weak the meanes of Church-reformation is not how strong the opposite power is if we can but draw Christ into the businesse Heb. 5.2 Esay 30.21 Iohn 16.13 Ier. 15.20 Esa 26.12 if we can procure him to fit as President in the Assembly If he be there he will heale our ignorances hee will cleare up all our doubts he will guide us by the spirit of truth he will be as a wall of Brasse against all our adversaries he will work all our works for us I do ingenuously confesse that when we do consider and view the difficulty of the work of Church reformation and our weaknesse who are summoned to be advisers in the work it may amaze us but when we look upon the Lord Almighty the great Jehovah the Lion of the Tribe of Judah to whom nothing is too hard who hath broken through gates of Iron and Barres of Brasse which we could never have dreamed that they had been perviable this againe may raise up our spirits and give us hope that if we seek the Lord in his way he will certainly be found of us Zach. 4.6 It is all one to him whether by an Army and by power or by quickening the spirits of his raising them above themselves Verse 10. whether by a day of small things or by doing terrible things that wee looked not for Isai 64.3 hee bring about his Churches cause Zach. 4.7 It is nothing to him to make Mountaines plaine Who art thou O great Mountaine The Lord by the Prophet speaks in a holy scorne of all the enemies the Jewes had in rebuilding the Temple and City Wee accordingly by a grant from the Right Honourable the two Houses of Parliament with so many of them as have beene pleased to embody themselves with us are assembled this day to afflict our soules in Fasting and Prayer before the Lord that we may seek of him a right way in these great and important affaires to be treated on that he would give us such a frame of spirit such an assistance from on high such a cleare light as may raise us above our selves fit us for that work whereunto we have no sufficiency as from our selves ●●ya 8.21 Thus did Ezra and the Jewes out of a conscience of their owne