Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	work_n	world_n	worldly_a	90	3	7.7937	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A27259	Psychomachia, or, The soules conflict with the sins of vain glory, coldnesse in professing Christ, envie, photinianism (of the last resurrection), ingratitude, unpreparednes to meet the Lord, revenge, forgetfulness of God : pourtrayed in eight severall sermons, six whereof were delivered at St. Maries, and Christ-Church in Oxford, and two at Sherburn in Glocestershire / Henry Beesley ...	Beesley, Henry, 1605-1675.	1656 (1656)	Wing B1691; ESTC R13325	163,090	260

to be as children tossed to and fro and carried about with every whifling wind of doctrine H ● 1● 23. by the slight of men but to hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithfull that hath promised M ●● 5.1●.1● a blessed reward to all that suffer for him and his righteousnesse even a crown of glorious immortalitie Heb. 12.3 And lest we be wearied and faint in our minds consider we him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himselfe and yet this notwithstanding gave not over to do the the worke he had in hand but as for this cause he came into the world that he might bear witness unto the truth J ● 1● ●7 so when he was to leave the world 1 T●● 6.13 he witnessed as saith the Apostle before Pontius Pilate a good confession and confirmed the truth of his doctrine by a dolorous 〈…〉 9 and bloudy death Quantaflibet nobis anxietatem pateras vitae praesentis propinet afflictio c. as Sydonius exp●esseth let the world present us with never so great a Cup of afflictions it is but litle if we remember how much our Saviour dranke at the Cross Nor should we need any other cordial to refresh us in our suffrings but that wherewith Peter is said by Clemens Clem. strom 7. to comfort his wife when he saw her led to martyrdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remember the Lord whose Disciples if we be we must not think to speed better then our master No he tells us it is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master Math. 10.25 and we to hold our selves highly honoured to drink of that cup wherein he hath drank before us nay to rejoyce in as much as we are partakers of the sufferings of Christ 1 Pe● 4. ●3 that when his glory shall be revealed we may be glad also with exceeding joy for if we suffer with him we shall reign with him If we follow him by the way 2. Tim. 2.12 Phil. 3.10 of his Cross being made conformable unto his death it will bring us where he is to be partakers of his glory But that is a vobis datum est too we cannot have it of our selves it must be given us in the behalfe of Christ not onely to beleeve on him but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1.29 Unto him then to make our humble request O Blessed Jesus Author and finisher of our faith who hast given us the grace to beleeve on thee Hebr. 12.2 give us also the courage to confesse thee and as thou hast enlightned our mindes with the knowledge of thy truth so enflame our affections with the zeal of it that whether by life or by death we may glorifie thy name and nothing be able to separate us from the love of thee for thou onely art Holy Rom. 8.35 thou onely art the Lord thou onely O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most high in the Glory of God the Father AMEN SERM. III. Matth. 20.15 Is thine eye evill because I am good IT is pitty that goodnesse should give an offence or be troubled to justify her worthy proceedings and yet such is her fate with evill men that make * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perynd py●h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vertue the ground of their hatred and disparage it all rhey can with foule Menand detraction you have here the truth of this complaint represented in a parable the parable of an housholder that hired labourers into his Vineyard who for giving alike wages unto some that came last is blamed by the first of dealing unjustly but innocence is never unprovided of reasons either for the defence of her selfe or the conviction of gain-sayers It was his bargain he saith with them he had agreed for so much and so they could demand no more then besides what he gave was his own and therefore why not as much to these as to themselves and none to controll him for it and thus having cleared himselfe from their false imputation he now charged them with a fault indeed their envious repining and this occasioned by his good deeds there eye was evil because he was good In which words he so reprehends their envie as he seekes to amend it and this by displaying unto them the state and condition of that wicked passion Division 1. In the Organ and instrument by which it worketh Oculus the Eye 2. In the nature and qualitie of which it consisteth Malus Evil. 3. In the motive and occasion from which it proceedeth Quia ego bonas sum because I am good These parts ad oculum the text presents from thence we have the draught or portracture as it were of a picture laid before us and that so accurate as none can presume to mend it our labour is onely to fill up each part as the grace of God shall enable us desiring there be in none here present an Evill Eye Mat. 6.23 to sensure the limners imperfections but in all a single eye to make the best use of them for the amending of their own I begin with the Organ or instrument of envie that is the Eye Part 1. The Instrument MAn at his creation was an uniform and entire his creatur soul and body like a wel tun'd instrument sounded nothing but the praise of his maker and his own felicitie but being once subdued by sin he fel at discord with himselfe laboured his own destruction And as in the besieging of a City those Forts and Bulwarks that lately defended her but now surprized by the Enemy help to better and demolish her 〈◊〉 122.3 so in ruining of man built once as a City that is at unity in it selfe those members and faculties that were the chief agents of his happinesse became now the Engins of his misery I will instance onely in the eye a member abounding with so much excellency and withall so much iniquity that I know not whether it may more invite your admiration or your sorrow An Organ so divine that the misticall Egyptians could not find a fitter hieroglyphick to expresse the divine all-seeing providence C●rl Rhod. lib. ● cap. 28. But the Stoicks unable to satisfy their wondring without the help of idolatrie entitled it a very God as if to be sure of a present deitie they would have their Heaven of Gods about them But without such wild Hyperbole's it is praise enough that which may consist with pietie and for this we find an instance in St. Chrisostom Chrysost ad Antioch h●● 11. who chose this part above the rest to assert the power and wisdome of God that from so vile a matter as earth which affordeth brick and tiles could extract so goodly a piece as is the eye that for its majestie strikes an awfulnesse in the beholders and besides endued it with such vertue as within so narrow a compasse to comprehend so many objects

man might better have said it of this age Sene●a Epist 106. literarum intemperantia laboramus when most are for that which St. Paul termeth Oppositions of science or the science of opposition 1 Tim. 6.20 and few for the conscience of Christian duties to informe the head with curious notions not reforme the life by true repentance Divinitie for the form thereof is in every womans mouth to be arguing or rather * verse eodem babling the Apostles word in the highest and deepest mysteries Gods secret decrees can not escape them they make but a shallow of that great deep and can found it to the bottom but for the power of it when all is done it is but talke a zeale that vapours out in words and thus Religion in effect becomes a Comedie or an art of pure dissembling the discourse whereof hath so filled the world Sir W Ralegh preface as it hath well neare driven the practise of it out of the world But if St. Cyprian may be heard nihil prodest verbis proferre virtutem factis destruere veritatem it availeth nothing to build religion with our tongues and destroy it with our deeds to professe a beleeving on Christ with our mouths but in works to deny him So it may be done no lesse Ioh A●nd de vero Christ l. ● c 9. 2 Pet. 2.22 and such there were of whom the Apostle St. Peter and Jude do both complaine ungodly men that turned the grace of God into wantonesse and so denied the Lord that bought them Nay such there be in this last age the the lawlesse libertine that transformeth Christian liberty into carnal licentiousnesse and returneth to his wallow Z●ch 13.1 because of the fountain that Zechary mentions opened for sin and for uncleannesse the presumptuous Predestinarian that holds himselfe to be in Christ without feeling any change in himselfe by repentance from dead works and that have he but faith Heb. 6.1 live how he list he can not chuse but be saved Now what is this else but Ethnicum agere sub nomine Christiani To walk as other Gentiles walke Eph 4.18 in the vanity of their minds being alienated from the life of God! nay worse then these if the judgment of Salvian may be credited atrocius sub sancti nominis professione peccamus we offend more hainously being invested with a sacred Title the higher our prerogative is so much the greater is our fault for the very religion that we professe helps to aggravate our sin and to make it much more sinfull there may be some excuse for ignorance the chief of sinners as he calls himselfe obtayned mercy to nomine because he sinned ignorantly in unbelief 1 Tim. 1.13 but contempt of wilfull sin will not find such easy pardon Scienti non facienti saith St. Iames Iam. ● 17 To him that knoweth to do good and doth it not it is the encreasing of his sin consequenly of his punishment to be seen by the Servant that knew his Lords will and did not accordingly Luke 2.47 It is that which Nacianzen so passionately bewailed under the person of such wretches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 woe unto me that ever I was cleansed if after my cleansing I am fouled againe Orat. 24. if I see those Heathen that are not baptized cleaner and purer than my selfe It is no more than St Peter warranteth It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousnesse 2 P●t 2.21 then after they have known it to tu ne away Too many such Apostates there be among us that for every trifling circumstance are so ready to part with Christ for a momentany flash of sensuall pleasure for a little dust of shining clay G Parisiens de Moribus cap. 4. Act. 3.14 for a vaine blast of popular praise which is all one as with the Jewes to dery the Holy one and the just and preferre a Barrabbas any wicked lust before him This is worse yet then we can charge our Rulers withall we can not blame them for staining their profession with a vitious conversation all their fault was not confessing for fear of men what they beleeved concerning Christ not that perchance they were utterly dumb or speechlesse that way but because their confession was not free and ingenious the Evangelist brands them for non professours as a point of abatement in the praise of their faith Calvin h c Wherein had they been rightly grounded at their first entrance thereinto Augustin on the place they would have profited so well as to have conquered the love of humane praise to have fixed their glorying with St. Paul in the Crosse of Christ and to esteem all the pompe of the world beneath it * Ad hoc enim et ipse dominus Crucem suam ubi eum dementia superbae impietatis irrisit in e●rum qui in illum crederent frontibus fi●it ubi est quo dammodo sedes verecundior ●t de nomine ejus fides non erubescat Augustin ibidem for to this end our Lord was pleased for the confounding of proud impietie to consigne his Crosse on the forehead of his servants on that very part which is as it were the seat of shame facednesse in token that they should not be ashamed to confesse the faith of Christ crucifyed and manfully to fight under his banner against sin the world and the Devil And such was the zeale of the primitive Christians the noble Army of Martyrs and Confessors whose heart was warmed with the reaking bloud of Christ they thought nothing to much to loose or suffer for the Testimony of his truth Multò avidiùs t●nc mortyria gloriosis mortilus quaerebant quam c. Sulp. Sev. lib. 2. seeking more earnestly the glory of Martyrdome then the most ambitious to aspire unto the height of wordly glory It is that which may exercise our thoughts in wondring how they should suffer what they did with so much chearfulnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sozom. lib. 1. cap 1. as though it had been in other bodyes considering they had no more to move them thereunto then what we reckon our selves to have that is a good Captain to lead and encourage them a righteous cause to prompt and embolden them a gracious God to relieve and succour them and a glorious Heaven to receive and reward them But what shall we think then of these poor s ules that wanting all these yet endured no lesse torments such as we find in the Heathen Martyrologie as Zeno Socrates Anaxarchus c that sealed such leane and barren truths as Phylosophy taught them with the expence of their dearest blood Hac non sine causa dominus in seculum admisit so thought Tertullian Tertullian ad Marty●●s these examples God permitted to be in the world not without some speciall providence but either to exhort us in this our day or to confound

us in the great day if we feare to suffer for saving truth what they affected for lying vanitie But here there is some c●use to fear that if our courage were to be layd with theirs in the ballance it would be found much too light Indeed we have no present occasion to make experiment of our valour in this kind living under no Pagan Princes or persecuting Tyrants N●n ●nim sunt Pagani principes n●● T●●anni persecutores non sang ●●●●●lorum fundit ●r nec fides s ●●●●●i●s comp●obatur Salvian de Gu●● lib. 3. such as might summon us to a bloudy tryall to attest our faith by suffering for it Nay on the contrary not to confesse Christ in some sort now is all the danger lest we should suffer that which amounteth unto a putting out of the Synagogue but yet however there is matter enough to exercise our Christian fortitude there be some things as odious to the men of this age as the name of Christian was or could be two Jew or Gentile Mr. Her●us fi●st sermon on the Eunu●h ba●ti●ed 1 P●● 4 4. as namely for a man to make conscience of his way●s to walk more circumspectly then the common sort to be strict in those things wherein others take more libertie and not to run with them into the same excesse of riot this the Apostle expresly notes to be an occasion for the Christians to be evil spoken of by the Gentiles cap 3. v. 16. having nothing else to accuse in them but their good conversation in Christ and this hath ever been cause enough for the righteous to be hated sojourning as they do in Mesech Psal ●10 95 in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation esse jam inter nocentes innoxium crimen est c. Among vitious persons to be vertuous is a crime saith S. Cyprian Cyprian Epist secunda lib. 2. W sdom 2. ●5 not to imitate evil mem is to offend them They in Wisdome are not ashamed to professe it He is grievous unto us even to behold him for his life is not like other ●ens His wayes are of another fashion he upbraideth us with our offending the law Such an upbraiding is the good vers 12. innocent life to corrupt and depraved manners Peccantium frontem etsi not verbis tamen ipsa vita genere dissimi●i verberat Cur en●m sint aliqui intempestivè boni qui corruptis m●rib●s pu●licis convitium bo●o vivendo facia●t ● lactantius lib. 5. cap. 9. it is Lactantius the pious mans life though his tongue be silent rebukes the offendor not to have fellowship with the works of darkness is to reprove them In regard hereof Eph. 5 1 the mocks and floutings of gracelesse persons may beare the name of persecution by the authoritie of St Paul so terming the carriage of Ismael toward Isaac which though it were no more then mocking that we read of Gen. 21.9 The Apostle stileth it persecution G●l ● 29 and applyeth it to the state of the Christian Church Nun quam deest tribulatio persecutionis si nunquam deset observantia pietatis le● s 8. de quad as then it was Even so it is now was so then and will ever so be so long as there be any borne after the flesh they will be presecuting those that be borne after the spirit there is no avoyding it 2 Tim. 3.12 All that will live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer persecution Vis probare verum esse quod dictum est incipe piè vivere in Christo Aug. in ps 5● more or lesse it is part of the Crosse that Christ left to be the portion of his Disciples Rev. ●3 ●0 Here is the patience and the fa●th of the Saints if we that profess our selves to be Christians 1 Pet. 4. ●6 and ● 17 can be content to suffer as Christians that is for well doing and glorifie God on this behalfe not regarding what we may loose in credit favour or preferment not reckoning of the reproach V 14. or scorn that can be cast on us for the name of Christ this will testify that we are Christians indeed and not falsely so called All which we promised and much more at our first entrance into Christianitie cum ad hanc sectam utique suscepta conditione ejus paecti venerimus as saith Tertullian Tertullian ad Scap. when by solemn oath and couenant we engaged our selves upon this warfare to continue Christs faithfull Souldiers unto our lives end 2. Tim. ● 3. Where is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the Apostle speaks of the enduring hardness as good Souldiers of Iesus Christ 2. Sam. 6● 20. Acts 17. when every small affront appals us the scornes of Michal the Athenians mocking quencheth the smoaking flaxe of our zeal makes us ashamed of our forwardnes in the profession of religion nay see the perverseness The fore head of brasse in the acting of sin is more tender then flesh in defence of Christ can suffer his name to be dishonoured with horrid blasphemie his body all torn and mangled afresh with cursed oaths his truth empaired with impious absurdities and never once open their mouths in his just vindication Toward these baptized Atheists Clem strom 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Clemens speaks unchristing our Saviour what lyes in them and unchristning our holy profession we are it must be confessed too patient In zeale to the glory of God Babylon hath exceeded Sion we want that decree of Nebuchadnezzar Mr. Hooker Eccl. pol. lib. 5. Dan. 3.29 the fury of this his wicked brood hath the reines too much at libertie the venom of their poisoned hearts breaketh out at their mouths to the anoyance of many others Now what is this else but as one sayes well to shew our selves Gods against God R●legh and slaves towards men to side with flesh and its corruption against Christ and his spirit and how shall we think to looke him in the face when he shall come in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels Mark 8.38 Rev. 6.26 but even call to the mountaines to fall on us and to hide us from the wrath of the lambe Knowing therefore this terrour of the Lord we perswade men 2 Cor. 5.11 those that have reason to be perswaded not to eclipse the bright Sun-shine of his truth with earthly affections not to be ashamed of confessing that which with all our study we endeavour to know and in knowing whereof we account our chief felicitie Not to make religion a cloake for the weather to put off and on upon occasion as will best sute with our worldly ends I but to count Godlinesse our greatest gaine 1 Tim. 6.6 what ever we loose by it in outward respects P●● 3.8 to esteem all things else in the world but losse and dung for the excellencie of the knowledge of Jesus Christ E●● 1.14 Not