Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	scripture_n	speak_v	word_n	9,140	5	4.5911	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A45388	A good minister of Jesus Christ a funeral sermon for the Reverend Richard Steel, a faithful and useful minister of the Gospel, delivered Novemb. 27, 1692 / by George Hamond ...	Hamond, George, 1620-1705.; Steele, Richard, 1629-1692.	1693 (1693)	Wing H503; ESTC R13664	27,427	111

or convince those who are not ashamed of Impertinencies Non-sense or most gross Absurdities But when the Truths of God are to be vindicated The Faith which was at once delivered to the Saints to be contended for and Holiness to be propugned the good Minister of Jesus Christ should be bold as a Lion and pray earnestly to God for that Grace which was promised to the Prophet Ezekiel Chap. 3. ver 8 9. Behold I have made thy Face strong against their Faces and thy Forehead against their Foreheads as an Adamant harder than a Flint have I made thy Forehead Fear them not neither be dismaid at their Looks though they be a rebellious House This may suffice for the active Sense and this way doth the Syriac Version look Shew thy self a Work-man without Confusion and many of the Greek Commentators are reported to concur therein But there is also a passive Sense which may well be admitted and that our own Translators do prefer and as I think doth best sute with the Contexture of the Apostle's Discourse That a good Minister should so carry it in all his Ministerial Work that he need not be ashamed The Apostle doth apparently insist upon that Antithesis which is between a contentious Sophister who strives about Words that are unprofitable and vain and a Work-man that needeth not be ashamed When the Design and Management of a fallacious fiery Disputation is detected the Work-man hath abundant cause to be ashamed for his Folly will be made manifest to all Men. But when the good Minister's Work is most narrowly searched and sifted he may hold up his Face without spot yea his Infirmities being graciously covered and pardoned he may have confidence and not be ashamed before Christ at his Coming This may suffice for the third Property of a good Minister of Jesus Christ He is a Work-man that needeth not to be ashamed 4thly The Character of a good Minister of Jesus Christ is concluded with this Property That he is one who rightly divides the Word of Truth For the clearing of this two Things are to be attended unto which may be dispatched with convenient Brevity 1. What is the Subject or Matter about which his principal Study and Labour is to be employed and that is The Word of Truth 2. What is incumbent upon him with respect to the Word of Truth and that is That he rightly divide it 1. It is the Word of Truth in and about which the Thoughts and Studies of a good Minister of Jesus Christ are to be exercised Not in doubtful Disputations nor in the bare Opinions and Dictates of Men though of great Reputation and Authority Much less in framing cunningly devised Fables or golden Legends which may raise in the Ignorant and Credulous Admiration Superstition and Rapture but in the Considerate and Prudent Disdain and Indignation The Apostle hath informed us How the great Apostacy from the Christian Faith was to be managed and carried on 1 Tim. 4. 1 2. By giving heed to seducing Spirits and Doctrines of Devils speaking Lies in Hypocrisy but the good Minister must firmly and entirely adhere to the Word of Truth The great Repository whereof is the Holy Scripture which bears upon it that glorious Inscription The Scripture of Truth Dan. 10. 21. and the VVord of Truth the Gospel of Salvation Eph. 1. 13. and again The VVord of the Truth of the Gospel From hence must the good Minister derive confirm and improve all his Doctrine For the whole Scripture is given by Inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness That the Man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to all good VVorks They then offer an intolerable Affront to the Divine Majesty who speak wickedly for God or talk deceitfully for him Job 13. 7. 2. What is the proper Work of a good Minister of Christ wherein he is to be occupied with reference to this Word of Truth and that is rightly to divide it which cannot be understood in a literal but in a metaphorical Sense The Conjectures of Men about the explicating of the Metaphor have been various Some think it spoken in way of Allusion to the Priest's cutting abroad and dividing the Sacrifices into their several Parts in which they were very curious and exact Others conceive that the Apostle hath respect to those Sections into which the Book of the Law was divided by the Jews in order to their reading of it in their Synagogues Others think the Metaphor to be taken from Mothers or Nurses who cut the Meat which they give their Children into small pieces that they may the better receive and digest it But not to insist upon the Critical Part I think the Sense and Meaning is well expressed by the vulgar Latin Rightly handling the VVord of Truth and by the Syriac Rightly preaching But if we expect something instructive from the Metaphor made use of I suppose it may afford us some light if compare these Passages of Scripture together 1. The Apostle doth stile the Ministers of Christ Stewards of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4. 1. 2. Our Saviour assigns this as one Property of a good and faithful Steward who is set over the Houshold that he may give to every one their portion of Meat in due season Luk. 12. 42. distributing to every one their proper Dimensum or Allotment as Exod 16. 16. Every Man according to his Eating Herein then lies much of the good Minister's Prudence Care and Tenderness so to divide the Word of Truth that every one may have their proper Portion He must provide Milk for Babes and strong Meat for them that are of full Age Heb. 5. 13 14. accommodating his Teaching to the Necessities and Capacities of the Hearers In this their Lord and Master Christ went before them and hath left them an Example For he spake the Word as the People were able to hear i. e. to understand and profit by it Mar. 4. 33. It is a singular Grace or Mercy that God bestows on his Ministers The Tongue of the Learned that they should speak a Word in season A Word in season to the Weary that they may be refreshed A Word in season to the Sorrowful that they may be comforted A Word to the Doubting that they may be setled and established A Word to the Secure and Impenitent that they may be awakened and convinced and so to others as their Case and Condition may require for then is the Word of Truth rightly divided And thus I have endeavoured to represent before you the Delineation of a good Minister of Jesus Christ according to those four Properties which are suggested in and from the Text. And now if ye have attended unto and duly considered that Character which hath been given of a good Minister I presume that many of you will be apprehensive that it was not without reason that I intimated in the

must not strive but be gentle unto all Men apt to teach patient In Meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth The contentious Wrangler is one who will dispute every thing to the shaking of the very Foundations of Religion but would have nothing settled or determined It was the grave Aphorism of a Person of great Experience among us That the Itch of Disputing bred the Scab in the Church It must needs be very grievous to such as love Truth and Peace to see so many Volumes of Controversal Writings in which the contending Parties do asperse and damn one another and yet when the Matter in debate is calmly stated it will appear in several Instances that it is only a Strife about Words that fills up a great part of the Wrangle And therefore did we attend unto that which the Apostle here declares we might find enough to make a sober Person to be for ever out of love with all hot and furious Contentions for he fixeth two black and disgraceful Blots upon them 1. That these strifes about VVords are unprofitable They have in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They have nothing in them that may make a Man wiser or better And to disparage them the more he adds Titus 3. 9. That they are unprofitable and vain Every discreet Person before he engage in any Undertaking of consequence will deliberate and consider Cui bono What Advantage or Benefit is to be expected It is a very serious Question and fit to be propounded to many Disputers To what End do they pester the Church of God with their needless unprofitable and vain Controversies and thereby disorder themselves and disturb others Whatsoever doth not edify is without the Compass of the Charge and Employment of a good Minister of Jesus Christ. He hath Work enough to do about things necessary and profitable 'T is possible that some other things may be lawful yet if they be not expedient if they do not edify he may let them alone and not meddle with them I could heartily wish that the Apostolical Canon were better observed by us all 1 Cor. 14. 26. Let all things be done to edifying 2. Though it might be sufficient to caution us against Strifes about Words to tell us That they are unprofitable and vain yet to beget in us a greater Aversation to them the Apostle adds That they are very mischievous for they subvert the Hearers and will increase to more Ungodliness The Work of a good Minister of Jesus Christ is to build up his Hearers in Knowledg Faith Holiness and Comfort and to that end to nourish them with the sound Doctrine of the Grace of God Acts 20. 32. And now Brethren I commend you to God and to the VVord of his Grace which is able to build you up They are then the Ministers of Satan who make it their business to subvert their Hearers To turn them upside down as the Word signifies Matth. 21. 12. And overthrew the Tables of the Money-Changers Satan is half sure to make a Prey of such as he hath so unsetled as that they have no stable Foundation to bottom upon VVhen Men become Scepticks in the Essentials of Religion they are in the next Disposition to become Atheists And such Instruments of Satan as will serve him to subvert their Hearers will also lend him their Help aedificare in Gehennam to build them up for Hell and the effectual way to do so is for them to deride and ridicule all serious Godliness and to flatter or harden Men in their vicious Courses and then ye may be sure they will be good or rather bad Proficients in the School of the Devil for they grow worse and worse In brief It is the Devil who is the greatest Gainer by unprofitable Sermons and furious Contentions For by them the Spirits of Men are exasperated the secure Sinners are hardened Charity is expelled Divisions are perpetuated edifying Doctrine is excluded and every evil Work befriended For where Envying and Strife are maintained there will be Confusion and every evil VVork Having said so much of the bad Minister whom we could not but take notice of the Apostle pointing him out to us we shall dismiss him and commend to you the Apostle's Admonition 2 Tim. 3. 5. Having a Form of Godliness but denying the Power thereof from such turn away And now we shall prosecute the fair and amiable Character of a good Minister of Jesus Christ as the Apostle here lays it before Timothy for his Imitation q. d. O my Son Timothy be not thou like unto those Affecters of Vain-glory and Applause who by Wit and Sophistry will undertake to prove and disprove whatsoever their Humour or Interest shall prompt them unto Their Words may be copious and well placed their Periods handsom and of an artificial Composure But what will all this advantage the Doctrine which is according to Godliness Nay you may be sure their frivolous Disputes and fiery Contentions will obstruct it Therefore do thou O Man of God bid defiance to Pride and Passion And do thou follow after Righteousness Godliness Faith Love Patience Meekness Give Attendance to Reading to Exhortation to Doctrine Take heed to thy self and to thy Doctrine continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee And to sum up all study to shew thy self approved unto God a Work-man that need not be ashamed rightly dividing the VVord of Truth If thou observe these things thou shalt be a good Minister of Jesus Christ That ye may then have a more clear and distinct View of such an excellent Person as the Apostle here delineates I shall endeavour to represent him in his several graceful Properties as they are laid before us in the Text e. gr 1. A good Minister of Jesus Christ is one who is very studious and industrious One that sincerely designs and sedulously endeavours with Fidelity to discharge that Trust which is reposed in him by God And he that doth so may be confident of his Assistance and Blessing in his Work 1 Tim. 1. 12. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful putting me into the Ministry This Property of a good Minister may be extracted out of that Monitory Word which the Apostle here makes use of and is by our Translation render'd Study by the vulgar Latin Be very careful by another having an eye to the Primitive Theme Make haste We may take in all and then the Sense will be more pregnant q. d. Lose no time but presently set about and effectually bestir thy self in the Execution of thy Ministerial Office and Duty Excite and preserve in thy self such an active and vigorous Frame of Spirit as stands in opposition to Slothfulness Rom. 12. 11. Not slothful in Business

Office of a Pastor The Shepherd's Work in the literal Sense is very busy and toilsom Jacob who had been long exercised in it gives this account of it Gen. 31. 40. Thus was I in the day the Drought consumed me and the Frost by night and my Sleep departed from me Neither can we suppose that a Shepherd in the Metaphorical Sense should exonerate himself of all Care and indulge himself in his Ease It was never known that a Title to an Office should discharge a Man from his proper Work and Employment We may infer what God requires and expects from those whom he constitutes Shepherds whether in a Political or in an Ecclesiastical Sense by the sharp Reproofs and severe Menaces which he useth against the Negligent Ezek. 34. 2 3 4. Son of Man prophesy against the Shepherds of Israel prophesy and say unto them Thus saith the Lord against the Shepherds VVo to the Shepherds of Israel that feed themselves Should not the Shepherds feed the Flock The Diseased have ye not strengthened neither have ye healed that which was sick neither have ye bound up that which was broken neither have ye brought again that which was driven away neither have ye sought that which was lost but with Force and with Crueley have ye ruled them I should desire no more of any Man that thinks a Pastor's Life to be a Life of Ease and Divertisement than to make experiment though it be but among a few and those well-disposed People and he shall quickly find how much his Work will daily grow upon his hands To satisfy the Doubting and Scrupulous To set in joint the Bones which have been dislocated or broken by the Falls of such as have been overtaken or surprized by Sin To bear with the Infirmities Slowness of Capacity and Untowardness of such as he labours to instruct To apply sutable Remedies to their various Spiritual Distempers To look after and bring back such as have gone astray either through their own Levity or the Craftiness of Seducers With Patience Pity and Compassion to bear with those that oppose themselves And besides all this meekly to treat the Petulant and Exorbitant and to cicure or tame such as have altogether broken the Yoke and burst the Bonds 3. They are called Servants or Ministers Sometimes with respect to the Subject or Matter of their Ministration and so they are stiled Ministers of the Word Luk. 1. 2. Even as they delivered them to us which from the beginning were Eye-witnesses and Ministers of the Word Sometimes to set forth their Relation to their Lord and Master to whom or in whose Service they do minister So they are the Ministers of Christ 1 Cor. 4. 1. Let a Man so account of us as of the Ministers of Christ The Word made use of in the original Greek translated Minister doth primarily signify a Rower one that doth tug and sweat at the Oar The Poet could say That they who handle the Oar stand in need of two things Of God to help them with a good Wind and of their own Labour The Appellation then of a Rower being in a Metaphorical Sense applied to a Servant or Minister of Christ may admonish him to continue his Care and Industry without any intermission for ordinarily the Wind and Tide are against him And when it is so if the Rower sit still but a little his Vessel may be carried far backward and he may lose more in one Hour than he can recover in many If a Minister be remiss when false Doctrines or Immoralities in Practice like a Tempest bear down all before them such Disorders will quickly follow as will not soon or easily be rectified or reformed Let him therefore animate himself with the Apostle's Spirit and Resolution Gal. 2. 5. To whom we gave place by Subjection no not for an hour that the Truth of the Gospel might continue with you 4. They are frequently stiled Ministers or Servants but by a Word differing very much in the Original from the former which also doth engage them to much Diligence and hard Labour and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Word is used sometimes in the strict Acceptation and then it is rendred a Deacon as 1 Tim. 3. 8. Likewise also must the Deacons be grave The occasion of erecting that Order in the Church ye may find recorded in Acts 6. and their proper Work was To take care of and to manage the Stock of the Church and this in ver 2. is set forth by their serving of Tables but the Use of the Word in the larger Acceptation is far more frequent to denote A Minister of the New-Testament 2 Cor. 3. 6. The Minister of God 2 Cor. 6. 4. A Minister of Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 4. 6. That which I intend by adding this Appellation is as a farther Demonstration That the Calling of a good Minister requires much Industry and Diligence in those who will discharge their Duty with Fidelity for the Verb from which the Word which we render Minister is derived doth signify to make haste or to work Thus ye have had an Account of this Property of a good Minister of Jesus Christ That he is a Workman To which I have added four Titles more of the same import because this seems most conspicuous and eminent in that Character which the Text sets upon him And there remains a little more to be spoken touching that Adjunct which is added concerning him For the Apostle did not satisfy himself with calling him a Work-man but in a way of Illustration or Amplification he subjoins That he is a Work-man that need not be ashamed The Text hath it in one Word unashamed and this leads Interpreters into several ways of explaining the Sense and Meaning of it For some understand it actively A good Minister must be a well-resolved Person that no Shame Disgrace or Reproaches of Men should daunt or discourage him from professing or preaching the Gospel The Apostle Paul was well fortified against those Impressions which Shame might make upon weaker Minds for he saith Rom. 1. 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and often mentioneth his Parrhesia His speaking openly with Liberty and Confidence as Acts 9. 29. And he spake boldly in the Name of the Lord Jesus Acts 13. 46. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said Neither could all the Calumnies raised against him nor Injuries done him make him ashamed 2 Tim. 1. 12. For which Cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed Impudence is indeed most hateful in an evil Matter and draws down the Wrath of God upon brazen-faced Sinners Jer. 6. 15. Were they ashamed when they had committed Abomination nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush therefore they shall fall among them that fall He hath an hard Province who is diepute with Ignorance when it is patronized by Impudence For how shall he instruct