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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	faith_n	hear_v	preach_n	3,029	5	10.8817	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B00700	A godly and fruitful exposition on the twenty five psalme, the second of the penteniials [sic]. Seruing especially for the direction and comfort of all persons, who are either troubled in minde, diseased in bodie, or persecuted by the wicked. / by A. Symson, pastor of the church at Dalkeith in Scotland.	Simson, Archibald, 1564-1628.	1622 (1622)	STC 22565.5; ESTC S107781	90,612	198

ioy greatest from hell and death is he freed to life in heauen is he brought What can make men more glad then this if he will beleeue No offers can satisfie the minde of a prisoner appointed to death vnlesse his remission be proclaimed and giuen him Simil. so all the ioyes in the world will not satisfie a conscience till he heare that his sins are forgiuen him Psal 4.8 This ioy Dauid compareth with the ioy of worldlings who reioyced in their corne and wine and saith that he had more ioy then they had and more peace of conscience This ioy eateth vp all false ioyes that men haue in sinne True ioy eateth vp false ioyes Exod. 7.12 as the rod of Aaron did the rods of the Egyptians For it is not possible that men can haue both ioy in God godlinesse and in sin for the one will euer quench the other as water doth fire Nothing can alter this true ioy All other ioyes wil alter whatsoeuer they be but nothing can take this ioy from vs. Not tribulation we reioyce in the midst of tribulation Not death no paine no hatred of men no persecution all these rather increase it Acts 5.41 We reioyce with the Apostles that we are thought worthy to suffer for the word of God Why do worldlings call vs melancholious persons and too precise that we cannot do away with an idle word Ioh. 4.32 let be an idle action let them say what they please we say as Christ said to his disciples he had meare they knew not so we haue ioy that they know not of That which is thy ioy O hypocrite that is my sorrow I laugh with Democritus at that Democritus alwayes laughed Heraclitus alwayes weeped Iam. 5.1 for which thou weepest I weepe with Heraclitus at that whereat thou laughest Wo to them that laugh for they shall weepe Howle ye rich men saith the Apostle Make me to heare The person frō whom he seeketh this ioy is God make me to heare saith he whereby he would teach vs Doctrine Spirituall ioy proceedeth from God that this ioy cometh onely from God it is he who is the fountain of ioy and all pleasure for all good things come from aboue Naturall ioyes proceed from a naturall and fleshly fountain spirituall ioyes spring only from God so he who seeketh these ioyes beneath seeketh hot water vnder cold ice Can any good thing come out of Nazareth can any grace come from a gracelesse ground Ioh. 1.46 ● The instrument by which he seeketh ioy to be conueyed to him is the hearing of that word Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee There is none other ordinary meanes by which God will worke or euer hath wrought ioy to the troubled heart then by his word preached by the mouth of his seruants and beleeued by Christians The word of God is the cause of this ioy Act. 16.14 Faith commeth by hearing God opened the heart of Lydia He that hath eares to heare let him heare I haue giuen eyes and they do not perceiue eares to heare do not vnderstand their eares are heauie c. Preaching of the word is a necessary instrumēt by which spiritual gracesis cōveied into our harts God craueth this oftē in the old new Testament that we should heare his voice And Dauid confesseth that God had prepared his eare Psal 40. God from heauen said This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3.17 heare him If then ye giue an obedient eare to Gods word ye may be assured of this ioy wrought in your hearts after yee haue beleeued the comfortable promises of saluation in Christs blood What thinke ye then of Atheists who will not heare the word but for fashions sake Against Atheists and Papists lothing the word calling those too holy who will heare two Sermons on one Sabbath or of Papists who will no wayes heare the word which may be the meanes of their conuersion Wo to the one and to the other And because they haue refused to heare him of whom they may receiue comfort and instruction therefore the Lord shall refuse to speake to them any longer vnlesse betimes they repent That the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce The effect which he hopeth to receiue of those glad tidings is a restitution of his first estate wherein he found himself wonderfully broken by his sin and affliction and hopeth to be restored by remission and pardon thereof Where he speaketh of the bones he would let vs to vnderstand that there is no strength of nature able to resist the stroke of Gods iustice No strēgth in man able to resist the stroake of Gods iustice For if he beg●n to fight with vs we are vnable to resist The bones are very hard and the strength of man stands in them but if God bring the ●ammer of his wrath it shall be as iron and steele to crush them in peeces being but as potters vessels God cureth none but those whom he hath wounded Which thou hast broken The forme of Gods curing he first woundeth and then healeth He cureth none but those whom his hand hath pierced and he who woundeth can best cure the wound And in this God differeth from man Man woundeth but hath no care to cure God woundeth seeketh to cure for man woundeth but hath no care to cure but when God inflicteth a wound on his children he hath a present remedy appointed to cure the same Let vs therefore be content to be vnder his hand who for sufficient causes crossing vs is euer ready to comfort vs in Iesus Christ May reioyce By this he letteth vs see what would be the effect of his deliuerie euen to burst forth in the praises of his God by his words by his actions Let thy desire to be deliuered frō trouble be to glorifie God by his writings Which should teach vs that in troubler either spirituall or temporall we euer haue this the principall end for which we desire to be deliuered that we may praise and glorifie God Verse 9. Hide thy face from my sins and put away all mine iniquities NOw he reneweth his former suite of the remission of his sins shewing how earnestly he desired the same He is not content once and againe to crie for pardon but many times For he thought otherwise of his sin then we do of ours it touched him at the very heart In this verse he vseth two similitudes one that God would turne away his face from his sinnes next that he would blot out all his iniquities Hide The first similitude is taken from men God cannot see sin in his children who will hide their face from that which they desire not to see And it is certaine God is in euery place and seeth euery thing but he cannot see the sins of his elect children for that intervenient righteousnes of Christ will not suffer him to see any filthinesse

yee are thinking of the earth somtime of your pleasure sometime sleeping sometime yee know not what yee are thinking At preaching yee heare the voyce of a man speaking but say not Amen And sometime your voyce is repeating some idle and deafe sounds your heart no whit being moued Simil. but as a Parrat or Pye vttering incertaine sounds or a Bell sounding it knowes not what so are ye with your mouth praising God your heart being absented from him Faith only fixed on God Lifting vp of the heart presupposeth a former deiection Next his faith is not carried about hither and thither but only fixeth it selfe vpon God Thirdly the lifting vp of the heart presupposeth a former deiection of his soule The soule of man is pressed downe with sinne a 〈◊〉 with the cares of this world which as lead doth the net draweth it so downe that it cannot mount aboue till God send spirituall prayers as corke to the ne● to exalt it Simil. which arise out of faith as the flame doth out of the fire Heb. 12.1 and which must bee free of secular cares and all things pressing downe which sheweth vnto vs that worldlings can no more pray Simil. than a Moule is able to flie But Christians are as Eagles which mount vpward Simil. Seeing then the heart of man by nature is fixed to the earth and of it selfe is no more able to rise there-from Simil. then a stone which is fixed in the ground till God raise it by his power word and workmen it should be our principall petition to the Lord that it would please him to draw vs that we might runne after him that he would exalt and lift vp our hearts that we might raise them vp to heauen and not lie still in the puddle of this earth Here the future tense vsed for the present In the Hebrew it is I will lift vp by a common phrase vsing the future time for the present but he sayes not I lift vp my voice or my hands to thee which both he did for these are in vaine without the heart So Anna the mother of Samuel saies 1 Sam. 1.15 I poured forth my heart in the sight of the Lord as a body without the soule VERSE 2. My God I trust in thee let me not be confounded let not wine enemies reioyce ouer me THe second argument that hee vseth is taken from the person of his aduersaries 2. Argument taken from the person of his aduersaries opposing his faith to their fury Mat 10.13 Psal 20.7 who albeit they were furiously bent against him yet hee onely runneth to God without whose permission they were not able to cause one haire of his head fall to the ground Some seeke for the helpe of men some trust in horses and chariots some goe to Beelzebub and deuils by witches 2 King 1.2 1 Sam. 28.8 but let a true Christian with Dauid here haue his refuge to God I trust in thee Doct. Faith is the ground of prayer Here is faith the root and ground of prayer When Christ bestowed any benefit vpon his patients he asked them Doe ye beleeue Mark 9.23 Mat. 8.13 Simil. and then answered Be it 〈◊〉 thee according to thy faith It is a naturall dependance that all creatures vse this argument to their superiors and masters As my trust is in you helpe me And should not we vse this same to our Lord and say My trust is in thee O Lord therefore help● me He stands vpon the points of his honor will he then cast off his dependants No truly Faith in God a strōg argumēt wherby God is moued to defend vs. Mark 9.23 24. there is no stronger argument to mou● God to defend thee then if thou alledge thy faith in him there is nothing impossible to him that beleeueth Let vs therefore crau● the augmentation of our faith and say Lord increase our faith and then wee need not to doubt but God will giue vs all things His prayer is grounded vpon faith 1 Cor 4.13 Prayer grounded on faith Paul saith I beleeued therefore haue I spoken therefore such prayers as proceed of an incertaine faith are abhomination in the sight of the Lord and scorning of his Maiesty Doe yee not thinke Words without faith and feeling vnprofitable that if wee conceiue words in our owne language if we want a feeling of them that they will bee acceptable to God no indeed but much lesse will they please him Doct. if in an vncouth language wee repeat vaine words Shame the daughter of sinne we know not what Let me not be confounded Shame is the laughter of sinne and a condigne punishment for sinne Rom. 6 2● What fruit had ye then in those ●hings wherewith now ye are ashamed For the ●nd of those things is death But no shame can befall to a Christian Qui credit non erubesce● He that beleeueth shall not be ashamed Doct. Repentāce blotteth out the memory of sinne Heb. 11.31 2 Pet. 2.7 for ●f hee fall in sinne it will by Gods blessing turne to the best to him and his repentance will blot out the memory of his sinne Rachabs faith hath blotted away the remembrance of her whoredome Dauids repentance and Manasses hath blotted out their sinnes Lots righteousnesse is remembred their sinne is not shamefull for God honoured them with such vertues as tooke away the filthinesse of their sinne Simil. If a gold ring should fall in the mire the price of the gold remaines and the dirt may soone be wiped away Albeit Iacobs thigh made him to halt Gen. 32.3 yet the strength of his armes who wrastled with the Angell his reuelations that he got and his holinesse made not that to bee thought a deformity in him Simil. Doct. The afflictions of Gods children are honorable what the worse is a Captaine for a scarre in his face whose valorous armes haue beene so well tried Next his afflictions and persecutions cannot bee shamefull but honourable for the Apostles themselues thought it great honour to be beaten 〈◊〉 3.41 to be beaten yea to bee scourged for Christs sake They now are crowned with martyrdome who to the worlds opinion haue suffered as euill doers Let not mine enemies reioyce ouer me The deuils reioyce at euill Luke 15.10 The wicked doe imitate the nature of the deuill for he is neuer glad but at the destruction of sinners as the Angels reioyce at their conuersion whereby ye may trie if yee be a true Christian The triall of a Christian by cōpassion 2 Cor. 11.29 if ye lament with those that lament and haue compassion on them and say with the Apostle Saint Paul Quis affligitur ego non vr●r Who is afflicted and I doe not burne Gods children haue many enemies hee is not one of Gods lambes if he haue not a Lyon or a dogge to pursue him Doct. Gods children

viam the Fathers learned of the Scriptures A desire to be taught presu●poseth an ignorance Simil. let vs learn of them the way Teach me thy pathes this presupposeth that men are ignorant by nature for euen as strangers put in a Wildernesse where there is no straight way could very hardly discerne vvhat vvay to take but vvould bee a prey to Beasts and Brigands so are men by nature ignorant of God Act 8.31 The Eunuch said to Philip How can I vnderstand without an Interpreter Nature may teach thee vvayes to maintaine this life but the vvay to heauen there is no reason that can perswade or teach it commeth by diuine inspiration Mat. 16.17 Blessed art thou Simon sonne of Iona flesh and bloud hath not reuealed it vnto thee but my Father that is in heauen The Philosophers and Astrologians vvho vvere quicke in iudging things naturall were but blind in grace I thanke thee Father thou hast hid it from wise men Mat 11.25 and reuealed it to babes The Scripture is as the Starre that leadeth vs to Bethleem Mat. 2 9. This is a great humility in Dauid that being a King and a Prophet yet he would learn this Lesson to serue God let Preachers euer bee learning Socrates said at his death Hoc vnum scio me nihil scire I know this one thing that I know nothing Note a conceit of knowledge is a marke of ignorance Hee repeats this vvord teach mee often vvhereby hee acknowledges that the chiefe lesson hee vvish●●h to learne to make him wise is to know how to serue God by his word and of this wisedome in the 119 Psalm he affirmeth that it will make him wiser then his enemies then his masters then his ancients By the word teach Doctr. Preaching of the word of God is the ●●dinarie ●eant of Sa●●ation Luk 4. hee would teach vs that the ordinary meanes of Saluation and knowledge is the word preached How can they beleeue without preaching not by reading mumbling Masses c. but by liuely preaching Christ preached so in the Temple when he tooke the Booke from the Reader Brethren haue yee any word of exhortation for the people Preach in season and out of season Act. 13 1● The repetition of the words shew mee teach mee lead mee teach me declares the instancie that hee vsed to heare the word more sweet then honey Ps 119 10● Ps 88.10 yea better then his appointed foode so that hee desired that hee might bee but a doore-keeper in the house of the Lord. This his affection to the word hee declareth by repeating it in the 119 Psalme 175. times The great ignorance which is among vs springeth from a want of desire to heare Ignoranc● springeth from wan● of desire to be tought Luk. 24.31 The two Disciples said Did not our heart burne within vs all the time l●● spake to vs VERSE 5. Lead mee forth in thy truth and teach mee for thou art the God of my Saluation in thee doe I trust all the day HEe craues not onely to be taught the truth and the way Act Doct. but to bee led and directed in the way It is not sufficient to be taught the way vnlesse we be led into it Ma that God may not onely point it out to him but conuoy him thereunto and keepe him from going out of it for albeit we be entred in the way of grace if God would not perfect that worke wee would fall euery moment therefore hee worketh in vs to will and perfi●e and hee who began Ma can crowne also the worke hee is the staffe to which wee must leane M● and of which wee must take hold knowledge is not sufficient without practice God must make vs to walke in the way wee know Our knowledge will bee a dittay against vs if wee walke not in the way wee know Luk 12 47 for hee that knowes the will of his master and doeth not the same shall haue double stripes For thou art the God of my saluation The Argument by which hee would moue God to teach him his wayes is taken from the person of God whom hee calleth the God of his saluation and his owne person who is saued in that hee beleeues in him and the adiunct of faith which is constancie and perseuerance all the day The Argument is taken from the Office of a Sauiour to guide them whom hee hath deliuered and saued but thou hast saued mee therefore guide me Doct. All in condemnation without Christ First in that hee calleth him the God of his saluation hee would let vs see that we are all in condemnation without Christ all are inclosed vnder sinne that God might be mercifull to them Rom 11.32 Doct. No man or Angel can saue vs but God Psal 3.8 Ps●l 71.19 Psal 136.11.13 c. And vvhere hee calleth him the God of his saluation hee importeth that it was not in the power of Man or Angell to saue him but in Gods who behoued to take it vpon himselfe to deliuer him from temporall and spirituall dangers Saluation onely belongeth to the Lord What God is like our God who deliuereth vs from our enemies as hee brought the Israelites out of Egypt led them through the red Sea fought all their battels rebuked Kings for their sakes What euer deliuery comes to vs comes by God whateuer instrument hee vseth in the same he saues vs and not wee our selues neither chariots nor horses Note The consideration of this should moue vs to be thankfull to him Moses Ioshua Sampson c. were typicall Sauiours but God was the great Sauiour who saued his people Next if God be the onely and sole Sauiour of our bodies in sauing them from diseases and of our liues in sauing them from our enemies should any seeke saluation to his soule but from him for if a temporary deliuery cannot come but by him what deuillish doctrine is it to teach that saluation can come by any other Seeing then saluation onely belongs to the Lord let vs runne to him and seeke it at his hands who is onely able to performe and bring it to vs. Seeke it not at Saints but at the King of Saints In thee doe I trust There is described the powerfull instrument apprehending Gods mercies euen faith adorned with his chiefe quality Constancy crowneth all our v●rtues constancy for all the day signifieth as much as continually for there is no vertue in man which can be responsable to God if it be not ioyned with constancie Ye must wait patiently beleeue confidently seeke knocke aske hold vp your hands without fainting strengthen your weake hands and feeble knees Gen. 32.24 He abode with Iacob the heat of the day and the cold of the morning God and shrinked not till the Lord came at last and we must abide to the end of the day of our life Many begin in the morning of their

and this sense failing him for a while he desireth that it may be repaired and restored to him And God iustly dealeth this way with men For when they abuse the time of his gracious visitation he letteth them feele themselues what they are without him Therefore he is glad to seeke now with the prodigall sonne a restitution of the thing losed Stablish me He craueth now the gift of confirmation as though he would say Albeit thou wouldst bestow all the former benefits of remission of my sin of sanctification and ioy proceeding therefrom yet I am likely to lose them vnlesse it would please thee to confirme and strengthen me to the end Therefore he craueth to be stablished by the Spirit and he addeth an epithete to that Spirit calling it his free Spirit Our Lord was reproched for his frequencle with sinners they called him a drunkard because he dranke with them Luk. 2.16 and a glutton because he eated with them Who would reproue a Physitian which frequenteth with patients and who would reproue a Preacher who haunteth and conuerseth with penitents Simil. not to peruert but conuert them Thy free Spirit He letteth vs see that this stabilitie commeth by no other meanes but by the Spirit of God as oftentimes he doth make mention in this Psalme The title which he giueth to the Spirit is a free Spirit The Spirit is free in himselfe neither can he be limited so those who haue him cannot be bounded by any humane deuice or presumption The Spirit is free in himselfe The winde bloweth whither it pleaseth and shall not the Spirit haue libertie to blow whither he pleaseth N● man seeth the wind yet it bloweth and ouerthroweth great houses and trees and ye● they will binde the word of God This 〈◊〉 speake not that I would wish any to pretend the Spirit and alledge for whatsoeue● thing they say a warrant of the Spirit thu● keeping that libertie to be a pretence an● sauegard of their imaginations as the Ana●baptists say but there is no warrant fo● such riot for the Spirit seeketh nothin● ●ut by the word Christian libertie is to serue God Neither can this Christian libertie be a ●retence for Atheists who vnder couert of Christian libertie doe what they please ●pend their time in all maner of riot Our ●ibertie is to serue God not sinne from the ●ondage whereof we are made free Verse 13. Then shall I teach thy wayes vnto the wicked and sinners shall be connerted vnto thee NOw followeth his promise 1. that he will be a Preacher 2. to whom to the ●icked 3. what shall be the effect of his la●ours sinners shall be conuerted to God Then shall I teach the wicked He mindeth ●ot to hide his talent but to put it forth to ●is masters aduantage So this is a sure mark of one who hath Gods mercie that he will ●ot keep it priuate but publish it and make 〈◊〉 knowne to others Which is a dutie ne●essarily craued in vs Doctrine Euery Christian should cōmunicat their gift for the profit of the Church that we should be digent to communicate our gift to the vtitie of the Church Worldly men put out ●eir mony for their owne aduantage and ●ould not spirituall men put forth the ●ords gifts for his aduantage Dauid a Kiing is not ashamed to be a teacher of repentance and mercie which he felt himselfe So none in all the world should be ashamed of the holy ministerie Saint Paul saith None should be ashamed of the holy ministery 1. Cor. 9.16 No●… Vae mihi si non praedicauero Wo be to me if I preach not the Gospell Those who are ashamed to preach publish their sins let them be ashamed to sinne Thy wayes But what is his text he teacheth thy wayes not mens traditions which can in no wise either assure or pacifie the conscience Dauid was not so bold to put in his wayes with Gods wayes Gods ways are the wayes prescribed in his word God● wayes are the ways prescribed in his word● which are perfect iust and holy wayes Bu● when men will bring in the altar of Dama●cus opposing it to the true altar they remember not that God brought lepros●… on the Kings face 2. Kin. 16.13 till he was expelled ou● of the Temple This is a rule to Prince that they teach the people and make the● to be taught onely the wayes of God an● bring not in mens traditions and make mixture of them with the holy Scripture which here Dauid shunneth But whom teacheth he The wicked si●ners those who are in the very bonds an● hands of the Diuel these be the proper m●…er vpon which Gods word worketh Hypocrites set not by such lessons but poore miserable creatures who see by the word that they are worthy of hell then they are touched with a remorse and would be very glad to go to heauen So the physicke is lost which is not bestowed on such as are sensible of their owne sores And sinners shall be conuerted vnto thee He perswadeth himselfe that his doctrine ●hall be effectual forasmuch as it shal work ●he conuersion of sinners The word can doe more then any thing Esa 53.1 Rom. 1.16 O the wonderful ●ower of Gods word that it can do that which all the world could not do It is the ●rme of the Lord To whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed saith Isaias It is the power of God to saluation saith Paul No doctrine ●an worke faith in man but the worke whereto it perswadeth him not forceth ●im Conuersiō presupposeth auersiō Conuersion prefupposeth auersion The ●se of the word is to conuert them that are ●uerted or perueted as the shepheard brin●eth home the wandring sheepe Which ●eerly argueth the necessitie of the word ●nd teachers thereof so profitable as with●ut which sinners cannot be conuerted to ●od for no other instrument can conuert them and they cannot conuert themselues This teacheth Ministers to be diligent in their calling if they would shine as starres in heauen Dan. 12.3 they must labour to conuert sinners Verse 14. Deliuer me from blood O God which art the Gods of my saluation and my tongue shall sing ioyfully of thy righteousnesse HAuing before so often begged pardon for all his sinnes in generall he now particularly confesseth which of all his sins grieued him most The shedding of innocēt blud Dauids greatest sin which he setteth downe to be innocent blood and therefore he craueth to be deliuered from the burden of it from the terrors of an accusing conscience the cries which it sendeth vp to God This verse hath a petition and a promise In the petition two things 1. of whom he beggeth this petition 2. what he seeketh to be deliuered from blood O God the God of my saluation His doubling and repeating the name of God sheweth vnto vs that he taketh hold on God with both his hands and it declareth his vehemencie and earnestnesse