Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	pray_v	spirit_n	worship_v	1,821	5	9.2706	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61638	Shecinah, or, A demonstration of the divine presence in the places of religious worship being an essay, tending to promote piety, prevent apostacy, and to reduce grosly deluded souls, first to their right wits, then to the right waies, of Gods publick instituted worship / by John Stillingfleete ...	Stillingfleet, John, 1630 or 1-1687.	1663 (1663)	Wing S5680; ESTC R9466	109,230	256

their hearts and said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Men and Brethren what shall wee do § 10. Quer. 4. What makes the same Preacher successeful at one place and not at another Onely this that God accompanies his Word with his Spirit at one place and not at another Wee may suppose the same Word Preached to a different people to a very different event The one mock raile revile The other prove humble meek yea true converts The Word is the same all men by nature have the same vilenesse in their hearts and opposition to the Word and truths of the Gospel The difference then lyes in the presence of the Spirit of God And now that God is not alwaies present by his Spirit to set home the Word upon all This should not make us sleight and neglect hearing but make us more diligent in praying that the Spirit may alwaies bee present with the Word to render that which wee hear truly and really effectual to our souls § 11. Quer. 5. What makes the same truths heard by the same man at several times produce different and several effects Is it not wholly from the Spirit of God One hath often heard of Christs death and passion and sufferings for mankind of his tendernesse love and compassion for the good of lost and undone souls And this perhaps hee hath not onely once or twice but many times heard and yet no profit Hee can still boldly sleight Christ carelessely neglect his soul and highly contemn the Gospel that offers him Christ and salvation by Christ At another time perhaps this makes him quite another man Is Christ dead for mee and my sins and shall I love sin more than my dear Saviour Did Christ bleed to cure the wounds of my Soul and shall I wound Christ again by my cursed lusts Did Christ descend from Heaven to save mee out of Hell and shall I sleight his infinite condiscension of love follow sin and vain lusts upon the earth and sink into Hell and ruine at the last What makes this great change upon hearing the same truth is it not Gods Spirit The same truth hath no life at one time no effect upon the soul At another Oh! the most precious truth in the world the Soul would not part with such a truth such a promise for all the world when the spirit sets it home upon the heart Thus 't is in reading we sometimes reap much benefit from that portion of the Word when God sets it home which we often read before in the Bible and found no comfort from it took no notice of it at all § 12. Quer. 6. What makes the same passages delivered at the same time to men of the same profession temper and opinion produce differenteffects That the one is affected the other not the one trembles the other not the one is converted by it the other not The Word is the same and the parties supposed the same as to temper education profession and the like Yet the Spirit works on the one and not on the other and that makes the difference § 13. Quer. 7. What makes men of the same age living under the same powerful ministry to bee converted and brought home at divers years distance Is it not because the Spirit sets home the Word betimes on some and not on other mens souls Conversion when ever it is wrought is the irresistible work of the Spirit of Grace it is the gift of God when ever effected Yet the Holy Spirit that bloweth where hee listeth bloweth also when he listeth on some sooner on others later § 14. Quer. 8. What makes the same truths working conversion in diverse persons work not one and the same way But in one it causes many terrours and in another sweet Gospel meltings of Soul and both by it are brought home to Christ It is certainly to bee resolved into the Spirits arbitrary working upon the soul in order to conversion Conviction of sin is necessary to every mans conversion but terrours are not The spirit works the former more or lesse in all But the terrours of conscience and ratlings of the chains of Hell are not alike in all And the same spirit may use the same truths in a different manner to bring home diverse souls to God Great sinners have oftentimes the greatest terrors Yet the spirit of God may use the same Gospel truths to bring home some to God by strong terrours and others by a Gospel sweetnesse and pouring in much comfort at first conversion § 15. Qu. 9. What makes the Gospel Preached to bee a savour of life unto some and a savour of death to others in the same Congregation perhaps in the same seat 'T is because some are left to the hardnesse of their own hearts and the Spirit comes powerfully with the Word unto the hearts of others In a plain and powerful Sermon Christ stands at the door and knocks at the hearts of all that hear it in a Congregation Now the Spirit that hath the Key of mens hearts in his hands opens some and lets others alone lockt fast up in their impenitency and unbeleef Thus God opened the hearts of Lydia and the Jaylour And others again go to Hell unconverted perhaps unconvinced from under powerful Preaching Of whom I say as St. Paul did If our Gospel be hid 2 Cor. 4.3 it is hid to them that are lost § 16. Qu. 10. What makes diverse truths set home upon diverse men produce one and the same effect Is it not from the Spirit of God that different truths should bee set home in order to Conversion If in the Word onely why not the same portion of it alwaies a means of conversion But wee see one place for one and another place for the conversion of another Fr. Junii vi●● p. 11. c. 2. Junius reports it of himself that hee was converted by reading the beginning of the first chapter of St. Johns Gospel Austin after his hot fits of Lust Hears an Eccho sounding in his ears Tolle lege tolle lege Take up the Book and read Hearing a voyce but seeing no Person he presently takes up the New-Testament Reads Rom. 13. Not in Rioting and Drunkennesse not in Chambering and Wantonnesse and by this Scripture brought home to God Luther was first wrought upon by Rom. 1.17 Therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith This now must needs bee the work of the Spirit which can produce one and the same effect on diverse Subjects by different Truths CHAP. XII Quest How does the Spirit teach Removendo Removing impediments unwilling to bee taught Fleshly lusts Pride Curiosity Five waies Satan promotes Curiosity Suggerendo Suggesting Gospel Truths to the Soul 1. John 2.27 John 16.13 Expl. Illuminando By enlightning the mind Ephes 5.8 Opened Inward light of the Saints stated Corroborando By strengthening the Soul Recolligendo By raising Truths Heb. 2.1 John 14.26 Explained § 1. HAving shewed by Scripture

from a general and calls that Scripture that comes by a clear consequence from it It is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God And Further our Saviour sticks not to say It is written And him onely thou shalt serve Though it be but implied in that place of Moses Spanhem Dub. Evang Par. 3. D. 65. p. 292 For indeed the very nature of the subject spoken of implies a peculiar reference unto God alone Because those things such as worship and fear which are due unto God as God are due onely unto God with whom no creature can claim a partnership in Divine Adoration without great Sacriledge and none can be admitted to it without gross Idolatry Argum. 2. If the necessary requisites of the proper object of Adoration be onely in God then Adorability is proper onely unto God For how can that be the object of Divine Worship which is not qualified with those properties and attributes that are necessary for its constitution in such a capacity but in God alone are those requisites found Which are these three Frist Omniscience that hee that is worshipped should know all our wants our sighs and groans and know the deepest secrets of the most retired thoughts of our hearts As true Worship may inwardly be performed many times by the secret thoughts of the mind so it is necessary that hee that is thus worshipped should have a peircing and omniscient eye to have a clear and full view of those very thoughts For otherwise hee may be worshipped and hee not know it And then what small comfort would it be for the most spiritual worshippers to serve him with their hearts who unless hee be omniscient would be ignorant whether they worshipped him or no. Secondly Omnipotency that hee should be able to help us in our wants and give in a supply suitable to our greatest grievances and necessities Why should I worship one that is not able to help mee or why should I not worship and adore any thing else besides God if that were as able to supply my wants and relieve mee in any kinde of misery as God is who is Omnipotent Thirdly Omnipresence that hee should every where hear our prayers and answer our requests This was one great peece of unreasonableness in the worship of the Heathens that they made choice of such Gods to worship which they themselves acknowledged were confined to particular places and so could not be present to help them under any sudden emergency and because they wanted power their worshippers would remain helpless still though they were present in their very Temples the places of their confinement Now God the God of Israel the Onely Being in the world that is both Omniscient Omnipotent and Omnipresent and therefore Adorability is proper onely to him § 3. This Proposition being thus proved it may easily be improved to convince the Papists of grievous Idolatry in worshipping those things with a Religious Worship which are not proper objects of Adoration as Images Saints and the like As also to condemn the Socinians those great Patrons of Reason of their gross absurdity and unreasonableness in devesting Christ of his Divinity and yet of attributing Divine Worship and Adoration to him notwithstanding hee is held but a Creature But I had rather prevent a mistake and miscarriage amongst ordinary Christians than stand to confute those that are visibly the Disciples of Antichrist as the former or those that have really forfeited the very name of Christians as the Latter The mistake is this when Christ our Mediator God and Man is propounded in Scripture as the Object of our Religious Worship and Adoration less wary minds may be apt to terminate their Worship upon his humane nature When as 't is evident the humane nature and flesh of Christ is not God though it be the flesh of God viz. of God the Son and personally united to him But the personal union of the Divine and Humane Nature in Christ the Mediator doth neither destroy nor confound the proprieties of either but leaves them entire as they are in themselves And Adorability is no less a propriety of the Divine Nature than Omniscience Omnipotence Omnipresence and Eternity are God therefore manifest in the flesh is to be worshipped with a Religious Worship but his flesh ought not thus to be worshipped As the King may be civilly worshipped who wears a Crown or Diadem upon his head and bears a Scepter the emblem of Majesty in his hand yet neither Crown nor Diadem nor Scepter can be said to be honoured with a civil worship And the godly are then said to have worshipped Christ when they knew clearly his Divinity that hee was God as well as Man As the blinde man made whole when Christ had told him hee was the Son of God that cured him Then hee said Joh. 9.37 38 Lord I beleeve and hee worshipped him Thus those that saw Christ walking upon the Sea and quieting of it Mat. 14.33 Then they that were in the Ship came and worshipped him saying of a truth thou art the Son of God See also the example of Peter Luke 5.8 And the Women that sought Christ in the Sepulchre Matth. 28.9 And the Apsstles that were gathered together in the Mount when Christ took his leave of them Vers 17. When they saw him they worshipped him whom they knew now to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead § 4. Before I pass to the next Proposition wee may here from this first learn a true account why Heathenish Worshippers would never admit the Worship of the True God of Israel under the Old Testament or of Jesus Christ revealed under the New Testament dispensation but would willingly entertain the Worship of all other Gods whatsoever One would have thought the True God who truly is the proper object of Adoration might as well have been entertained as any of the false and fained Deities The reason was this because it was very indifferent to Satan after what manner hee was worshipped so hee was but worshipped at all hee could easily admit a multiplicity of Gods But The God of Israel and Jesus Christ when they are worshipped they must be worshipped alone they and none other all else must be excluded it being the first and chiefest of all Gods Commands Thou shalt not have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any other Gods before my face But the Worship of false Gods did not at all hinder but that worship might be given to other Idols so that the kind and degree of it peculiar to each Idoll was but distinguished by their Disciples § 5. Propos 2. Actual Adoration or Worship is due to God from all intelligent creatures by the obligation of nature Actual Adoration and the formal exhibition of Worship is neither essential to God to have it or to the creatures to give it Not to God to have it because God was before there were any creatures to worship and adore him And it

trembles at my Word Isa 66.2 What ever reverence is due to God wee must expresse it by reverencing his VVord Multi enim se Deum reverei timere jactant sed dum negligunt ejus verbum Calv. in Loc. simul se Dei contemptores esse ostendunt For many there are who boast that they reverence and fear God but while they neglect his VVord they do withal shew themselves to bee contemners of God God invites such hearers into his Presence as do tremble at his VVord and will be sure to make them welcome vers 5. Hear the Word of the Lord Vers 5 yee that tremble at his Word Here is the gracious invitation And the end of the verse presents us with the welcome they shall have He shall appear to their joy but their enemies shall bee ashamed We never tremble at Gods Word as we ought if we do not own God speaking to us in it § 5. 2. We must mingle it with Faith If wee would have the Word of God work effectually as Physick for our Souls wee must mingle it with Faith Heb. 4.2 The Word heard proficed them not not being mixed with Faith in them that heard it The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that denotes mixing is a metaphor taken from a potion of Physick according as the ingredients are so it is either medicinable or mortal If we hear the Word of God and do not mingle it with Faith wee turn this wholesome potion into a cup of poyson The VVord separated from Faith profiteth nothing not as if the efficacy of the Word did depend upon us or any thing in us For neither if the whole world and every creature in it should prove a lyer would he cease to be true who cannot lye But the Word discovers its power and efficacy no other wayes than where Faith makes entrance for it into the Soul So the VVord is the Power of God Rom. 1. to all that do beleeve And righteousnesse is revealed in it but it is from Faith to Faith where there is no VVord there can bee no Faith And therefore that is no Faith but Fancy which on the one hand is built upon the traditions of men as the Papists and on the other hand is resolved into the immediate revelations of the Spirit of God as the Enthusiasts and on both hands concordia discors without the written VVord of God 3 VVee must practise it with obedience VVee then let the world know that wee really own what wee hear and cordially embrace it as the VVord of God when we dare not but conforme our lives thereto But yee have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you Ro● 〈◊〉 17. VVee then evidence it that God hath spoken to the heart when wee yeild obedience of the heart to the VVord wee hear § 6. 4. VVee must carefully avoid an immoderate ate hunting after the pleasing of the ear This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 makes us receive truths many times because they are of such a mans stamping and not because they bear Gods image and superscription And hence comes it that many respect truths because of their Apparrel as they of whom St. James speaks respected persons that had a gold Ring and gay Apparrel when men in an ordinary Dresse are neglected Thus do not Gods Truths fare the better many times rather for the Rhetorical Dresse and neat Language they are delivered in than for the Divine Authority they carry with them VVe have many that can say as they of old I am of Paul I am of Apollos sayes another He is an eloquent man another I am of Cephas truths fare the better for such and such mens sakes that Preach them And some there are yea too many that will say They are of Christ they care for no Preachers no Preaching no Publick Ordinances at all But of those that hear constantly how few are there that say they are of God in all their hearing VVhere is the man that cordially sayes I care not how plain the truth be set off I embrace it willingly if it bee a truth of God and receive it with welcome into my heart God grant there were many such hearers in every Congregation in England and then those that now too prophanely sleight the VVord Preached would soon bee enamoured with the love of it when such evidences were given of Gods Presence with it § 7. III Inference Hence both Teachers and Hearers should learn highly to prize the Word of God Oh 't is a token of Gods special Presence VVee may blesse God we are not left without this token and witnesse of Gods Presence amongst us As God doth honour us with his VVord and Presence so should wee honour him with the practise of holinesse and the life of praise Let us blesse God that he hath written his VVord for our direction and that he continues the Preaching of the VVord for our instruction O how glad would the Martyrs of old have been with our freedome of enjoying the publick means of hearing the VVord Read and Preached They that joyfully hugged some few scraps of the Bible in a corner and counted the dark Caverns of the Earth rich Temples when they though secretly and in the night could enjoy the presence of God in his Word Oh how thankful would they have been for such overflowings of mercy as now may be enjoyed which some prophanely abuse and others blasphemously undervalue and wilfully contemn It is a shrewd sign that chose men are either down-right Atheists that will not own any such thing as Gods Presence in his Word or else grosse unbeleevers that never had any experience of it in their own souls that are so far from blessing God for the publick Preaching of the word Quakers that they count Preaching it self the greatest delusion and the way of maintenance for Preachers the greatest oppression in the nation And though some of them are as much against Praying as all are against Preaching yet their constant practise and discourse speak them all unanimously to concenter in this their ungodly Letany FROM PRIESTS and PREACHING and PAYING TITHES GOOD LORD DELIVER US CHAP. IX Gods Presence in his Worship by his ministers The truths of God must be heard though from ungodly Preachers Ministers are Gods Embassadors Stewards of the mysteries of God Four requisites in Gospel Stewards Ministers are Co-workers with God How God and man work together in the conversion of Souls and production of saving Faith § 1. I Now proceed to a Third Argument to prove the presence of God in places of religious worship Arg. 3 God is present in the places of his worship by his Embassadors the Ministers of the Gospel Ministers of the Gospel as well as Ministers of State speak the vertual presence of their Lord and Master When Gods Majesty will not suffer us to see his face and live 'T is Gods mercy to speak to us by his servants the