Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	professor_n	zeal_n	zealous_a	34	3	8.3228	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09443	A godly and learned exposition or commentarie vpon the three first chapters of the Reuelation. Preached in Cambridge by that reuerend and judicious diuine, maister William Perkins, Ann. Dom. 1595. First published for the benefit of Gods Church, by Robert Hill, Bachelor of Diuinitie; Lectures upon the three first chapters of the Revelation	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1606 (1606)	STC 19732; ESTC S114701	362,972	238

yet they will not take paines to reade the same at least in such a constant course as they ought to doe Thirdly the Lords Sabbath is broken for though most men at set times will come into the congregation yet there is not that priuate sanctifying of the Sabbath after the congregations are dissolued which Gods word requireth but men betake themselues to their own affaires and to outward delights to omit those that haue no care at all of sanctifying the Sabbath in any sort Now these persons must needs want both knowledge obedience and all sound grace that will not set apart some time wherein they should employ themselues in Gods word and by these signes it is euident that there is a greeuous disease of negligence in the duties of Religion that infects our congregations Now where this negligence is though coldnesse be not there cannot be zeale and so luke-warmnesse must needs abound II. Signe of luke-warmenesse The Religion of most men is this In the generall calling of a Christian they shew Religion but in the affaires of their particular callings where is religion In the Church they are good Christians but in practise of the duties of their particular callings who sheweth his religion for when as men should practise their callings according to Gods word and true godlynesse they follow the desires of their owne hearts Little conscience is made of lying and oppression that loue and plaine dealing which ought to be between man and man is wanting which prooueth them plainely to bee luke-warme Gospellers III. Signe There bee many that professe themselues to bee luke-warme neither hot nor cold For though all generally come to the hearing of the word and the receiuing of the sacraments yet many when they see some make conscience to become answerable in some measure to the word which they heare and the Sacraments which they receiue doe take vp in their mouthes this slaunder of precizenesse against them mocking them for doing that which in the word sacraments thēselus profes shuld be don These men will not be enemies to the Religion of Christ and they professe themselues not to bee zealous by reproaching zeale in others Therefore they doe more than these Laodiceans did euen professe themselues to bee luke-warme For hee that reproacheth another for zeale in Religion brandeth himselfe with this sinne of Luke-warmenesse And who knowes not how many of this ●ort are euerie where I dare with good conscience say our congregations generally consist of such Now marke what followeth hereupon First that our common professors of religion are in worser case than heathen men Iewes and Turkes that knowe not Christ. This Christ teacheth in preferring cold persons before the luke-warm as if hee should say I had rather thou werest a Pagan than a Professor without zeale And Saint Peter to this purpose speaking of such saith It had beene better they had neuer knowne the way of truth than after they haue known it not to obey the commaundements of God So that vnlesse there be further matter in vs than knowledge and bare profession our case is worse than the case of Iewes and Turkes Religion knowne will not make thee better than them but it is zeale and obedience that must preferre thee before them Secondly from the consideration of our estate I gather that wee are in danger to be spewed out of the mouth of Christ as luke-warme water out of the stomacke This is the punishment heere threatned which was written for our instruction that we might know where luke-warmenesse takes place there this punishment will follow Wee may flatter our selues as the men in the old world did thinke all is well neuer regarding till the iudgement come but the truth is that in regard of this sinne we are in danger to bee cut off from the Church and from true societie with Christ God can doe this sundrie wayes either by bereauing vs of his Gospell and making vs as the heathen or by sending the enemie among vs to destroy and root vs out of this land and euen in our neighbor-countreys and townes hee sets spectacles before vs that by them wee may see how hee can spew vs ou● cut vs off from being a people And thus much of the first fault namely luke-warmenesse Vers. 17. For thou sayst I am rich and made rich and haue need of nothing and knowest not how thou art wretched and miserable and poore blinde and naked Here is the second sin of this Church namely spirituall pride The wordes depend vpon the former as a reason thereof before he charged thē with deadnes in religion and here he painteth out the cause thereof namely spirituall pride of hart As if hee should say thou thinkest thus within thy selfe I am rich for it is the manner of the scripture to expresse the thoughts of men by their speeches because the thoughts of men are as euident to Christ as any mans speeches can bee to another In that Christ doth expresse mens secret thoughts and propound the same in this Booke wee may hence gather that it is a part of Canonicall scripture for it is a priuiledge of the scriptures to set down the thoughts of Countreys of Churches of particular men euen as they cōceiue them This can no man doe in any booke of his owne deuising And hence wee may gather an argumēt against Athiests That scriptures are the word of God because they reueale mens secret thoughts Nowe followeth the thought it selfe of the Angell and people of this Church I am rich that is I haue many excellent gifts and graces of Gods spirite by this effect he expresseth their spirituall pride in ouerweening their estate before God This is a common sinne in the world and euer hath been Christ sayd He came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance by righteous meaning such as think themselues righteous And the proud Pharisie in his prayer which hee conceiued in his heart thought himselfe farre better than the poore Publican or other men And Paul bringeth in the Corinthians thinking proudly of themselues saying We are full and made rich c. This sinne takes place in the Papists at this day who perswade themselus that they can satisfie Gods iustice by temporall works and fulfill the law of God and merite for themselues and for others To come to our selues this same proud thought hath place among vs. First wee think we are rich in regard of knowledg both yong and old scorne to be catechized because they would not seeme to be ignorant some sticke not to professe this pride by bragging thus that they know as much for substance as any man can teach them when as indeed they know nothing but that wich nature wil teach a man Secondly men plead that they haue a most firme saith so as they neuer doubted of Gods mercie which is nothing but the presumption of a proude heart for true faith is troubled with doubting

more though God summon men to repent by his dayly iudgements yet few or none by true humilitie prepare to meete God and to preuent his iudgements Securitie spreads it selfe ouer the whole bodie of our people And this being our case and state it must needes bee that God hath beene long since in comming to vs by his iudgements and a● this day he is still comming because we still decay in loue and other graces and more and more goe on in sinne So that if we thus continue the truth is hee will come shortly vnto vs and that by most fearefull iudgements For this was written to the church of Ephesus to be a direction not onely vnto them but to all churches to the end of the world that be in the like or worser case What shall wee then doe Our dutie is taught vs in these words If not that is if thou repent not Wee must preuent the Lords comming in iudgement by vnfained repentance euery man and euery familie apart must repent priuately and the whole Church openly and publickely no way else wee haue to stay the Lords comming against vs by his fearefull iudgements The second part of this reason is a more particular threatening than the former And will remooue thy candlesticke out of his place Where hee sheweth with what particular iudgement hee will punish this church namely by remoouing away the candlesticke The meaning whereof may bee gathered out of the former chapter where particular churches were called candlestickes therefore here hee threateneth to remooue his church from the citie of Ephesus to take away the Ministerie of his Gospell and the profession thereof and in his iust iudgement to send among them Ignorance Apostacie and Heresie in steed of the knowledge of his truth This particular iudgement must be referred to the first words If not that is if thou repent not this will I doe I will make thee to be no Church and take my Gospell from thee In this particular threatening three points are to bee obserued one concerning the Minister the second concerning the whole body of the church the third concerning euery priuat man Touching the Minister note this If he shall decay in loue to God to his word or to his brethren or if hee lye in any one sinne knowne to himselfe it is a meanes to depriue him either of his calling or of Gods gifts bestowed on him for this threatening is here directed especially vnto the Angell of this Church of Ephesus When Ieremie had beene wanting in deliuering the Lord● will vnto the people partly for feare partly through impatience then the Lord becomes a Prophet vnto him saying If thou returne I will bring thee againe and thou shalt stand before me Whereby hee would giue him to vnderstand That if hee returned not he should cease to be a Prophet vnto him The same thing is true of all Gods Ministers if they decay in loue faile in their dutie or lye in any sinne they must speedily renew themselues by repentance or els God will depriue them either of their calling or of the gifts thereof True repentance and the renewing thereof is needfull vnto all Christians but especially to Gods Ministers if they would continue in his fauour and stand before him becomming his mouth vnto the people The second point concerneth the whole bodie of a Church to wit if a Church or people decay in loue to God to religion and to their brethren or doe lye in any common sinne they procure hereby the remoouing of the gospell from them and the abolishing of true religion The Prophet is a 〈◊〉 sayth the Lord and the man of the spirit i● mad This was a great and fearefull iudgement but mark● the cause All is 〈◊〉 thine iniquitie that is for the sinne of the whole church doth God send foolish Ministers If this bee so then wee haue iust cause in our Church to feare the remoouing of the gospell from vs for there is a generall decay of loue in many and in the most no loue at all Many scorne and contemn true religion and hate the professours thereof In regard whereof wee may wonder at the great patience of God that yet continueth his gospell among vs For God giueth men vp to strong delusion to beleeue lyes because they loue not his truth Wherefore being in this danger our dutie is to vse all good meanes to preuent this iudgement of God which can no other way bee done than by true and vnfained repentance by the whole Church in generall and by euery man apart and euery familie apart For when God shall speake suddenly against a nation or kingdome to root it vp and to destroy it if that people repent of their wickednesse the Lord will repent of the plague and iudgement which hee thought to bring vpon them Ierem. 18. vers 7 8. The third point concerneth euery priuate man and it is this If any man decay in loue or want loue to God and to his brethren or lye in any sin knowne to himselfe This is a meanes to remooue the candlesticke from him to depriue him of his knowledge and other graces of God The affection of loue in the heart is like the watch of the clocke if the watch stand the wheeles stand as the watch goeth fast or softly so goe the wheeles answerably And so it is in man if his loue to God and to his gospell doe encrease then doth his knowledge and other graces of God encrease in his heart but if his loue decay then other graces decay and if loue be gone then farewell all pietie and true religion If we would know the cause of such palpable ignorance as is in many that haue long heard the gospell preached it is nothing but want of loue Heb. 3.12 13. The Holy ghost sheweth by what degrees men come to fall away from God First sinne deceiues them by drawing them to commit it then their hearts are hardened by custome of sinning Thence followes vnbeleefe in maine points of Religion and so they make Apostacie from God and set themselues against his truth Take heed therefore of lying in any sinne for that is the high way to finall Apostacie rather striue to encrease in loue vnto God and vnto his word and so shall all his good graces encrease in thine heart Out of this particular threatening some gather That a man may bee cut off frō Christ fall away finally from true faith and repentance For say they if a whole Church may bee cut off from Christ and become no Church then may any one member of the Church be cut off and become no member But a whole church may bee cut off as here we see and therefore may any one man Answ. This reason is not good there is great difference betweene the state of a whole Church and of one man that is a true member of Christ. For a particular Church is a mixt companie of true professors and dissemblers like

nor hot I would thou werest cold or hot Vers. 16. Therefore because thou art luke-warme and neither cold nor hot it will come to passe that I shall spew thee out of my mouth In these words and so forward to the 21. vers is contayned the substance or matter of this Epistle and it hath two parts A dispraise vers 15.16 17. And Counsell vers 18.19.20 They are dispraised for two vices first luke-warmenesse vers 15.16 Secondly for their pride vers 17. I know thy workes This is a generall reproofe signifying thus much All thy workes are knowne vnto mee and I vtterly dislike them Then followeth the reason of this dislike Thou art neither cold nor hot which is a comparison borrowed from waters wherof there be three sorts hot cold and luke-warme Now hot and cold waters doe not so much annoy the stomacke as luke-warme water doth they are sometimes comfortable to the stomacke but luke-warme water doth disquiet it till it bee cast vp and to these three kindes of waters hee compareth three sorts of men By cold water he vnderstanding such as are enemies to Reliligion as at this day are the Iewes and Turkes and other barbarous people By hot water he vnderstandeth men that are earnest and zealous of the truth So that when hee sayth of this Church Thou art neitheir cold nor hot his meaning is thou art neither an open enemie nor truely zealous of my Gospell I would thou werest cold or hot Christ wisheth not simply that they were enemies vnto him but onely in respect of that estate of luke-warmnes in which they were as if hee should say I had le●er thou werest either cold or hot than thus luke-warme as thou art For if we should vnderstand it simply wee should make Christ to desire that men should bee his enemies By luke-warme men he vnderstandeth a people who are in shew Gods Church but in truth wante the power of godlynesse and the zeale of the spirit Because thou art such saith Christ to this Church therefore I will spew thee out of my mouth that is looke as hee that hath drunke luke-warme water cannot abide it on his stomacke but must needs spew it vp againe so am I wearie of this thy securite I cannot abide it and therefore will I cast thee off from all fellowship with mee and make of thee which art a Church in shew to be no Church Thus we see their fault namely luke-warmenesse the greatnesse whereof hee aggrauates first by comparing it with the extreames cold and hot both which he preferreth before it as may appeare by his wish and desire And secondly by the punishment thereof namely vtter reiection Hereby wee must examine our selues whither this fault may not iustly be charged vpon vs after due triall it will appeare that wee are guiltie of this sinne The which that it may the better appear I will note the seuerall kindes of luke-warme Christians The first luke-warme Professor is the Papist as the tenour of his Religion and the manner of his worship of God doth plainely shewe for hee doth part stakes with Christ in the matter of saluation affirming that he receiueth frō Christ to work out his owne saluation and so assumeth part of Christs glorie to himselfe Secondly all time-seruers are luke-warme Gospellers that is all such as alter their Religion with time and state and of this sort are the bodie of our people who professe themselues to be of the same Religion the Prince is of which sheweth euidently what they will doe in time to come namely turne with the time as their Forefathers haue done The Third sort are the followers of Nicodemus who came to Christ by night onely that is such as say and thinke that they may goe to masse with their bodies if they keep their hearts vnto God these halt betweene two opinions and neither serue God nor Ba●ll Fourthly all Mediators such as will make pacification between the Religion of the Protestant and the Papists so holding our Religion as not caring ●o embrace theirs also because they think they differ not in substance but in circumstances onely Let these pretend what they will they are in heart Laoditians Fiftly all Worldlings which as Christ sayth Luk. 16.13 Serue God and Mammon God and the world by setting their heart vpon riches These men abound euerie where for though they heare God in the ministrie of his word and as it were touch him in the Sacrament yet their hearts are farre from him running after their couetousnesse Ezech. 33.31 and who are such their consciences will witnesse yea their behauiour proclaimes it to the world for though they wil heare the word yet their wit and strength is spent vpon the world and the thinges thereof Sixtly those that professe Christs Reliligion in outward actions of his worship but yet in their liues giue themselues to the common sinnes of the time some to drunkennesse to fornication to couetousnesse or crueltie some to this sinne and some to that To this sort we must referre those that in word approoue Religion and yet their hearts delight is in garnishing themselues with the monstrous brutish and irreligious formes of strange and forraine attire These spend their time and wit in the decking of their bodies and so suffer their soules to goe to wracke when as apparell should bee an occasion to put vs in minde of a shame through sinne and by modest attire we should expresse the vertues of the heart but these hereby professe the vanitie of their minde Now though we be not intangled with these grosse sinnes yet we cannot excuse our selues from this sinne of luke-warmenesse For the want of zeale of Gods glorie of loue to his truth of care to obey his commaundements and to keepe good conscience the want of hatred of sinne what argue all these but luke-warmenes Herein wee must lay our hand vpon our mouth with Iob for wee cannot plead with God no not for this common sinne But that we may be out of all doubt that this sinne of luke-warmenesse hath infected our congregations as it did this Church of Laodicea I will make it plaine by the signes thereof which are common amonge vs that so wee may the better know our fearefull estate The first signe is Negligence in the duties of that true Religion which we professe this appeareth sundrie waies for first howsoeuer wee come to the assemblies where the word is preached yet fewe doe profite there by increase in the knowledge of that Religion which is taught and in the amendment of life This may any man see to be true that hath halfe an eye to looke into the state of our assemblies and mens owne consciences will heerein witnesse against them Againe where Gods word is ordinarily heard there are verie fewe that spend any time in searching out and trying whether the thinges bee so or not which are taught them Nay men wil not be at cost to buy a Bible and if they haue one