Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	place_n	spirit_n	worship_v	2,835	5	9.1263	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A64990	God's terrible voice in the city by T.V.	Vincent, Thomas, 1634-1678.	1667 (1667)	Wing V440; ESTC R24578	131,670	248

beautiful inwardly full of rottenness and wickedness how much sounding brass had we then in our streets a great noise and stir hypocrites did make but they were hollow at heart our gold was most of it counterfeit water we had instead of wine and dross instead of silver O how was religion abused some made it a stirrop to get up by into the seat of honor others made it a cloak to cover their covetous practises many base and wicked designes were carried on under pretence of religion It would ask too much time to set forth hypocrites in all their shapes and to paint hypocrisy in all its colours London hath formerly abounded with hypocrites and more lately it hath not been free If Hell-fire be the portion especially of hypocrites hereafter Matth. 24. 51. No wonder then if God be angry with a place for this sin here 4. The fourth sin of London is Formality and lukewarmness in the Worship of God There was much formality when there was no Form and I suppose that Forms have not quickned unto more liveliness there was a face of Worship indeed in London and was there not only or little more than a Face in most places God is Holy and Jealous a great King and his Name is dreadful Mal. 1. 14. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Joh. 4. 24. But hath his Worship been accordingly in London hath there been that spiritual Worship which he requires Let London seriously reflect upon their carriage towards God in their Devotions have they had a due awe and dread of the great Name of God upon them when they have seemed to draw neer unto him have they worshipped him with reverence and godly fear outward reverence some have used more than he hath required in bowing at Names and before Places but have they had inward reverence and fear of God upon their hearts have they cloathed themselves with Humility when they have come into his presence hath there been inward fervour and delight accompanying their outward acts of Worship Alas how formal hath London been especially of late in Gods Worship they have prayed but what kinde of Prayers have they been could they deserve the name of Prayers were those prayers likely to prevent Judgement or turn away wrath some Confessions of sin have been made but so generall and formall that they have been very unlikely to work up the heart to sorrow and repentance and where some have been more particular hath not much formality cleaved to them where hath hearty grief for sin and sorrow been to be found would not a small Viol hold all the tears that have dropt from the eyes of great Assemblies even in the day of their most solemn Humiliations hath not sin been rolled under the tongue when Confession of sin hath been at the end of it Have not the Confessions of many been such as if they came to ask leave to commit sin rather than humbly to bewail it at least have they not taken leave whatever their Confessions have been Petitions have been made for pardon and grace and sanctification but hath it not been Lip-prayer without hearty desire hath it not been in such a manner as if they did not much care whether they did speed or no as if they could make shift well enough without a Pardon as if they had no need of Grace and Holiness but they must say something for Form and Custom hath there not been an enmity in the hearts of many against that which they have seemed to desire with their lips Who have stirr'd up themselves to lay hold on God Who have wrestled in Prayer with fervent desires with Faith and Importunity Hearing there hath been in London but how little Believing how little relishing the Word and receiving it with Love Singing there hath been but how little Joy and Melody of the heart in the Lord O how formal and lukewarm hath London been how much of the Laodicean temper have they had in all Ordinances And might not God say to London as he did of old to Ierusalem Isa. 1. 11 12 13 14. To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me c. Such services are to no purpose they are vain Worship and do not attain the end thereof either to profit him that offereth them or to please him unto whom they are tendered can such formal services be effectual to procure pardon or peace can they bear up the spirit in a day of trouble will not the Morning cloud and early dew of such Righteousness flee away and vanish upon the approach of the Sun will not such Spiders webs be broken to pieces by a stormy winde how do Formalists behave themselves as if they had no Religion when they fall into trouble when God thunders by his Judgements what can a cold formal empty prayer do when Death appears before them with a grim countenance what comfort can such reap by reflection on such services what Evidences for Heaven can they gather from any of their outside Devotions And are not they to as little purpose in regard of God may not God say unto them of their Fastings and Prayers Did you fast unto me did you pray at all unto me Zach. 7. 5. Or as here to the Iews That he was full of their Services even to a loathing that he took no delight in them and who hath required these things at your hands to tread my Courts Bring no more vain Oblations Incense is an abomination unto me I cannot away with your Assemblies my soul hateth them they are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them The Lord is much offended with formal hypocritical Services hereby they flatter and mock him and is he taken with flatteries Such services are like a dead cold black mangled rotten stinking Carkase without the Soul and spirit which must needs be very unsavoury and displeasing they are like the lame blinde halt sick Cattel which were not fit to be offered up in Sacrifice under the Law Mal. 1. 8. If ye offer the blinde for Sacrifice is it not evil and if ye offer the lame and sick is it not evil Offer it now unto thy Governour will he be pleased with thee And will God then be pleased Such persons when they seem to serve God with their Outward man they serve the Devil and their own lusts with their Inward man God hath the Form sometimes the Devil hath the Power God hath the show the Devil hath the substance God hath the bark the rinde the shell the Devil hath the kernel God hath the Cabinet the Devil gets the Jewel they give God the Devils leavings and refuse as it were of their own lust for they spend the strength and vigour of soul and body in serving the Devil and gratifying their own lusts and then think to put God off with any thing giveing him only some dead cold faint empty heartless lifeless outward services

inflamed and distempered themselves with excessive drinking 16. A sixteenth sin of London is perverting of judgement This is a God-provoking sin when none calleth for justice nor any pleadeth for truth when men make to themselves crooked paths and there is no judgement in their goings yea when judgment is turned away backward and justice standeth afarr off and truth is fallen in the streets and equity cannot enter when truth faileth and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey c. as the Prophet speaks Isa. 59. When Magigistrates are lovers of gifts and followers after rewards when they judge not the fatherless neither doth the cause of the widdow come unto them then the Lord cryeth Ah! I will ease me of mine adversaries and aveuge me of mine enemies Isaiah 1. 23 24. I cannot charge London deeply with this sin not having been my self present much in their Courts of Judicature and I would hope that justice hath taken place here as much as in most Cities in the world but when I read what the Lord saith concerning Ierusalem Jer. 5. 1. Run ye too and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see now and know and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can find a man if there be any that executeth judgement that seeketh the truth and I will pardon it and when withall I consider the dreadfull judgments of God upon the City of London whereby the glory of the Magistracy and government of the City is so much stained I would submit it to enquiry whether there hath not been a failure and perverting of judgment in the City whether bribes and rewards have not blinded the eyes and the edge of the Law hath not been turned against well doers instead of evil doers whe●her the Fatherless and the Widdow have not been sent weeping to their heavenly Father to complain of injustice It is not a time to cover faults but to confess and leave them least unavoidable ruine come upon us when it will be too late 17. A seventeenth sin of London is Covetousness How universally hath this sin reigned in the City so that it may almost be said of London as it was of Ierusalem Jer. 6. 13. From the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness Those who have been free from gluttony drunkenness adultery and the like expensive sins have on the other hand addicted themselves to the sin of covetousness I do not charge all but oh how almost universal hath this sin among tradesmen been which hath evidenced it self both in their getting and keeping riches 1. In getting what eager desires after the world and their obtaining an estate by their trades What studies and consultations what wracking the brains and torturing the wits to find out the best way of thriving in the world what earnest prosecutions have there been and laborious endeavours rising up early and sitting up late and wearying the body and the mind all the day eating the bread of carefulness and mingling the drink with sollicitousness crouding up the whole time with worldly business so that their own health hath been disregarded as well as the worship of God neglected in the families of these worldlings and all to scrape a little worldly riches together which some have mist of notwithstanding all their endeavours and if they have obtained yet they have remained more poor in contentment than when they were more poor in their estates for as their estates have increased so their desires have increased and been farther off from satisfaction as they have enlarged their shops and trades and wealth hath flowed in upon them so they have enlarged their desires like Hell and like the Grave have never said It is enough when they have added bag to bag and house to house the more cares and fears and sometimes piercing sorrows have accompanied their gains but far have they been from finding the contentment and comfort in their riches that they looked for 2. This covetousness hath appeared in keeping what they have gotten keeping I say for covetous persons have had little heart to spend though in necessary uses what they have scraped together they have had wealth but the use of it they have not had it hath been to them like a treasure in a chest of which they had lost the key or like another mans money in their keeping which they must not meddle withall Whatever abundance they have had in the bag and in the coffer their families have been in want the table hath been penurious the back and belly have been pinched they have lived at a meaner rate than those that have been of a meaner degree The poor might starve at their doors no pitty towards others in want and misery and the least pitty towards themselves whilest they have saved for fear least afterwards they should want they have all along wanted whilest they have been saving and it may be at last they have lost what they have been keeping to the unexpressible grief and it may be breaking of their hearts which have been so set upon these things This sin of covetousness in some hath had deeper rooting in most hath had too much footing and in all hath been very heinous and abominable before God This sin is termed Idolatry in Scripture and the covetous are stigmatized with the name of Idolaters Col. 3. 5. Ephes. 5. 5. It is heart idolatry forbidden in the first commandment That thing we make a God to our selves which we chiefly affect if it be the world then we make the world our God which is inconsistent with the true love of God the Father the only true God 1 Joh. 2. 15. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the father is not in him This sin of covetousness is hateful to God and provokes his wrath Isa. 57. 17. for the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him Hath not God smitten London with the plague and fire among other iniquities for this iniquity of Covetousness When London was eagerly pursuing after the World and all minding and seeking their own Interest without any regard to the Interest of Gods glory and Kingdom or care of their soul-interest and salvation which their worldly business would not allow time for did not the Lord send a Plague to put a stop to their Trade and gave them time to seek him and to make their peace with him in their retirements which they could not or rather would not finde before And when they returned with more eagerness to their Trades after the Plague was a little over that they might fetch up if they could what they had miss'd by that intermission did not the Lord send a Fire to consume much of that which they had set their hearts upon and in large legible Letters write Vanity upon this Idol which so many had worshipped Let London consider and lay to