Selected quad for the lemma: tradition_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
tradition_n	faith_n	word_n	write_a	1,918	5	10.7958	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

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