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A19716 The care of a Christian conscience Ten sermons on the 25 psalme, preached in Tewkesburie in the countie of Gloucester, By Richard Curtis. Curteys, Richard, 1532?-1582. 1600 (1600) STC 6134; ESTC S111010 79,468 216

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tokens of the horrible vengeance that is prepared for them at the latter day You sée then that many men are touched with Gods hand which notwithstanding are accursed For they begin their hell in this world as we haue examples of all them that amend not their wicked life when God sendeth afflictions vpon them but a man shal sée them take a corner and stand barking like dogges although they can do no more yet they cease not to shew continuall madnesse or else they are like horse and mule like restie Iades or finally Psal 32.9 they are altogether ouer-sotted so that they know not their owne harme or miserie I meane as to consider the hand that striketh they will crie out Alas and they féele the blowes yet they thinke neuer the more vpon Gods hand neither know they how it is hée that visiteth them Wée sée then before our eyes that many men are the more vnhappy for being chastised at Gods hand because they profite not in his schoole nor yet take any good by his corrections Let vs assure our selues that when God maketh vs to féele his hand so as wée are humbled vnder it he giueth vs a speciall benefit and it is a priuiledge that he giueth to none but to his owne children When we féele the corrections which hée sendeth vs and also are thereby taught to mislike of our selues for our offences to sigh and grone for them before him and to flie to his mercy for refuge it is a token that he hath wrought in our hearts by his holy Spirite For it is too high a point of wisedome to grow in the mind of man it must procéed of the frée goodnes of our God the holy Ghost must first haue softened that cursed hardnes and stubbornes whereunto wée are enclined of nature euer since the transgression of our first parents Adam and Eue. Let vs marke then out of this branch of Dauids prayer In his great afflictions and trauell vexations both of bodie and Spirit which inward griefes procéeded from the remorse of sinne wherewith he was gréeued and tormented that Gods children are not stubborne vnder his hand but are ouermastered and tamed by the working of the holy Ghost to the intent they should not striue against the afflictions which hée sent vnto them But yet wil this saying séeme strāge after the opinion of the flesh for whatsoeuer afflictions or tribulations fal out otherwise then we would haue them wée terme them aduersities When we suffer any hunger thirst cold or heate wée say that euery one of these is an aduersitie Why so The reason is because wée would willingly haue our owne appetites and desires fulfilled in all things And in good sooth this manner of speach to say that the afflictions and tribulations that GOD sendeth vpon vs are aduersities that is to say things against vs is not without reason Neuerthelesse we must vnderstand the end of them namely that Gods scourging of vs is because of our sinnes And therefore by flattering our selues let vs not beguile our selues Furthermore I haue already preached vnto you not onely that it is requisite for vs to consider that Gods scourging of vs is because he hateth sinne and that his summoning of vs before him is to make vs to feele him to be our Iudge but also that we had néede of him to reach out his armes vnto vs and to shew vs that he is ready to be at one with vs whensoeuer wee shall come to him by true repentance So then we perceiue that they whom God chasteneth are happie notwithstanding that we shunne aduersitie as much as we possibly can Also we shall neuer consent to this doctrine to receyue it with our hearts vntill that faith hath made vs to behold the goodnesse of God which hee vseth towards his seruants when hee draweth them backe to himselfe And that we may the better comprehend this let vs marke what becommeth of men when God leaueth them to themselues maketh none accompt of clensing them from their sinnes Looke vpon a man that is giuen to al euill for example a despiser of God If God permit him and chastise him not you shall see him harden himselfe the Deuill shall cary him still farther and farther and therefore it had béene much better for him that he had béene chastised sooner And so the greatest hurt that can light vpon vs is God to suffer vs to welter in our owne wickednes for then must we néeds rotte away in it in the end Looke vpon mine afflictions Text. Doct. 2 2. Doctr. This example of Dauids teacheth vs that in all our miseries we must séeke reliefe onely at Gods hands The Reason is Because first hée hath so commaunded Psal 50.15 Secondly all power to help is onely in his hands 2. Chron. 20.6 And Iehoshaphat said O Lord God of our fathers art not thou God in heauen and raignest not thou ouer all the kingdoms of the heathē in thine hād is power might none is able to withstand thee The vse is first In all our distresses to séeke only to the Lord and that alone by such lawful meanes as he hath warranted in his word Secondly to reproue them that séeke to be relieued by Saincts Angels or any other in heauen then God alone Also them that séeme to séeke only to the true God but vse vnlawfull meanes to haue his helpe as by Coniurers Witches or such like The holy Scriptures forbid all séeking to Sorcerers Witches Astrologers Enchanters Wisards Fortune-tellers such like All which each séekers vnto them al that any thing trust in thē are abominable before the Lord. These vnlawfull artes hinder the kingdome of heauen They are of diuers sortes all which may most fitly be referred to two heads The first are soothsaiers diuiners wizzards iuglers gessers before what shall come after witches by which all vnlawful artes are forbidden Michah 5.2 And I will cut off thine enchaunters out of thine hand and thou shalt haue no more soothsayers In the Hebrue they are called Ceschaphim and Megnonemin They are called Ceschaphim Iuglers or Couzeners such as with Legerdemain deceiue delude the eie-sight but principally in this place the Prophet meaneth such which by witchcraft that is by Magical artes do hold bewitch the sights of mē that they séeme to do those things which in déed they do not or if they be done by the workings of Sathan they are wrought Of this sort were the sorcerers of Egypt Exod. 7.10 Then went Moses and Aaron vnto Pharaoh did as the Lord commaunded and Aaron cast forth his rod before Pharaoh and before his seruants and it was turned into a Serpent vers 11. Then Pharaoh called for the wisemē It seemeth that these were Iannes and Iambres 2. Tim. 3 8. So euer the wicked maliciously resist the truth of God sorcerers those charmers also of Egypt did in like manner with their enchantments vers 12.
honors and reputations among men which all are vaine We sée after what sort men comfort themselues namely by forgetting God For it séemeth to them to be a melancholy matter to think vpon him And in sooth how many are there that wil say stoutly enough We are good Christians and yet notwithstanding when they entend to be merrie they driue away all thought of God and eternal life and not onely so but also offend God of set purpose After what maner They cannot be merry dut in doing euil Seing then that the nature of men is such that wée be attainted with that disease let vs looke well to our selues and be sure that our mirth shall not be blessed from aboue except we be assured of the remissiō of our sins Therfore if we haue Gods fauour and pray to him therein consisteth true gladnes which is approued of God is eternal will bring vs to euerlasting saluation But so long as we know not in what case we are in with our God nor seeke to be reconciled to him but lie rowting still in our owne filthines the more we desire to be merry the more we kindle Gods vēgeance against vs the more we encrease still the fire of his wrath we plunge our selues the déeper into his bottomles pittes We see then that it is more thē néedfull that it should be shewed vs how much it standeth vs in hand to be well assured of Gods mercifulnesse towards vs. And that also is the cause why the holy Scripture when it treateth of giuing ioy and comfort to vs doth alwaies set before vs the fauour of God Isa 49.13 Reioyce O heauens and be ioyful O earth brast forth into praise O moūtaines for God hath comforted his people and will haue mercy vpon his afflicted Isa 44.23 Reioyce ye heauens for the Lord hath done it showte yee lower parts of the earth brast forth into praises ye mountaines O forest euery tree therein for the Lord hath redeemed Iaakob and wil be glorified in Israel Isa 52.1 Arise arise put on thy strength O Sion put on the garments of thy beauty O Ierusalem the holy one for hēceforth there shall no more come into thee the vncircūcised the vncleane Isa 60.1.2 3. c. thoroughout Luc. 2.10 11. to the end of the Chapt. Zach. 9.9 Reioice greatly O daughter Siō showt for ioy O daughter Ierusalem behold thy King cōmeth to thee he is iust and saueth himselfe poore and riding on an Asse and vpon a colt the foale of an Asse Hereby we are taught that we must néeds be in trouble vnquietnes so long as we know not whether we be in Gods fauour True it is that the wicked will séeke meanes enough to make thēselues merry they ruffle it out you sée in despising God but howsoeuer the world goe with them yet he sendeth them such prickings and torments of mindes so as they be grieuously distressed and if they daūce it is as Moses saith namely that yet neuertheles sinne lieth at the doore that is tormenteth their consciences there waiteth for them like a dogge that waiteth for his master Yée sée then that the wicked may ruffle it out but yet can they not goe out of their doores without gnawing of their consciences and GOD must still hold them at that bay Therefore so much the more ought wee to thinke vpon this doctrine that we turne not our backe vnto God nor burie our sinnes when wée would haue peace but that wée alwaies haue some promise of GOD to comfort vs. And when wée sée that GOD allureth vs to saluation let vs be glad thereof for then shall our gladnesse be blessed And if wée haue the taste that GOD is our louing Father it will swéeten yea it will sanctifie all our ioyes but without it wée must néeds quayle and there is no other meanes for vs truely and in deed to reioice Marke this Also let vs consider that the onely grace of God ought to suffice vs although we haue neuer so many sorrowes mixt with it according as God will exercise vs. For he in this our fraile life will not send vs full ioy so as we may laugh with open mouth as they say yet not withstanding it behoueth vs to reioyce in this certainty that we haue him to our good and louing father and that we shal find mercy with him Then if we haue this grace to call vpon God and can assure our selues that the gate is open to vs and that we in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ shall haue accesse vnto him I say if wée can haue that boldnesse not through our owne rashnesse but that he hath vouchsafed to open his holy mouth to witnesse his loue to vs which thing he doth when to vs his holy Gospell is preached then notwithstanding that many and infinite were our temptations and afflictions yet he will comfort vs and she we himselfe as a kind comfortable and louing father vnto vs. Psal 25.10 All the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth vnto such as keepe his couenaunt and his testimonies The 2. part of the 4. Sermon The sence is THe faithfull the children of GOD which onely kéepe his couenaunt and testimonies shall surely taste and féele in this life and in that to come both his eternall and swéete mercy and his perpetuall and constant truth of his promises Doct. 1 1. Doct. They onely which remaine in and obserue the couenants and testimonies of God shal taste and féele that all the pathes of the Lord are mercy and truth to them The Reason is God hath so promised Psal 50.23 To him that disposeth his way will I shew the saluation of God Vse The Vse is That we neuer can assure our selues of Gods mercie and his promises of fauour except we endeuour to kéepe his couenant and testimonies which his law containeth consisting of two tables The first concerning our dutie towards GOD immediately which I haue oftentimes heretofore handled and the second concerning our neighbours And that I may the better comfort you with assuraunce of Gods mercy and truth which GOD graunteth to none but to them that leade a godly and charitable life and that except you doe good workes you cannot assure your selues of Gods mercy I purpose the rather to insist vpon this necessarie vse of the doctrine that I might thereby exhort you to good workes that you may féele the fauour and goodnesse of GOD thereby towards you Our Sauiour Christ in the 25. of S. Math setteth down a Catalogue of good workes among which hee accompteth To féede the hungrie To giue drinke to the thirstie To cloth the naked To visite the sicke and prisoners To lodge the barbourlesse Gen. 18.1 2 3. To entertaine straungers and waifaring men not the least This did good Abraham wel vnderstand and practise who sate in his tent doore in the heate of the day of purpose to inuite and call in straungers and wayfaring
For they cast downe euery man his rodde they were turned into serpents but Aarons rodde deuoured their rodde Exod. 8.7 And the sorcerers also did likewise with their sorceries and brought frogs vpon the land of Egypt And of this sort was Simon Magus of Samaria of whome Luke in the 8. chapter of the Acts recordeth And of this sort are all Enchanters Coniurers which vse the seruice and worke of the Deuil to bring their matters to passe and as many as vnder the pretence of Religiō with false doctrine deceyue the mindes of men that the truth they cannot sée nor discerne or that by vnlawfull meanes apply and minister their medicines and Phisicke whyle they vse Exorcismes or do hang about the necks of the sicke enchaunted hearbes or rootes or any other thing of the like sort August de Doctrina Christiana lib. 2. cap. 20. This beastly superstition the wisest of the heathen did as it appéereth greatly dislike and abhorre Theophrastus as Plutarch writeth noted Pericles who being sicke shewed vnto a friend of his who came to visite him certaine enchantments which by certaine women were tied about his necke and by that he iudged him to be of as badde a mind as a man could be seing that such madnesse he regarded Yet at this day such as vse manifest impiety and such as abuse the sacred name of God in their deuilish sorceries among Christians O lamentable are suffered vnpunished The other sort are called Megnonenim whom we call Diuiners The Etimon of the word is of diuers significations among the Hebrues Some deriue the word of Gnanah to answere to speake to testifie Isa 3.9.26.5 Deuter. 19.18 And this they thinke they are called because beyng asked they giue answeres as Apollos Interpreters vsed to do Some deduce the roote thereof of Gnanan a clowde Ezech. 1.4 who are so called because they prophesie of things to come by the celestiall influences or by the positions or situations of the Starres Some called them so of the roote Gnanah which signifieth a determinate appointed time Wherupon they are called Gnonemin which make computations of tymes and houres and of certaine signes do gather what at sometime can be begunne when euent of things as they say shall be Notwithstanding herein they all agrée that the Prophet speaketh of Diuiners which curiously enquire to know things both secret and to come by exercising curious and vnlawfull Artes. Vayne curiositie and heady rashnesse haue found out many artes of prophecyings whose names argue the vanity and incredible boldnesse of mans witte Of which sort are Necromātia Necromantia which is Diuination by calling of Spirites Hydromantia Hydromantia Diuination by calling Spirites out of the waters Pyromāiia Pyromantia Diuination by fire Coscinomantia Coscinomantia Diuination made by a siue Geomantia Geomantia working in sorcery by circles and prickes in the earth Cataptromantia Cataptromantia Diuination which is made by a glasse and diuers others which are so called by the instruments that they vse Aruspices Of this sort are Bowelgazers to foretell things to come Exorcists whom the Deuill doth easily draw to be ministers of his impiety whereby he may the more easily draw men away from God and his holy word And although these Artes were in a manner odious among the wise and studious yet they gaue themselues many of them to the studie of Astrologie whereby they by the starres foretelling things to come got vnto themselues a great name to be accompted wisemen But let vs obserue and marke that these artes are of that sort that if wée vse them they will hinder vs for entering into the kingdome of heauen Leuiticus 20.6 If any turne after such as worke with Spirites and after soothsayers to goe a whoring after them then will I set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people Leuit. 19.26 You shall not vse witchcraft nor obserue times Leuit. 19.31 Yee shall not regard them that worke with Spirites neyther Soothsayers yee shall not seeke to them to be defiled by thē I am the Lord your God Deut. 18.9 When thou shalt come into the land which the Lord thy GOD giueth thee thou shalt not learne to do after the abominations of those nations verse 10. Let none bee found among you that maketh his sonne or his daughters to goe through the fire or that vseth witchcraft or a regarder of times or a marker of the flying of fowles or a Sorcerer verse 11. Or a charmer or that counselleth with spirits or a soothsayer or that asketh counsell at the dead verse 12. For all that doe such things are abomination to the Lord and because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth cast them out before thee The causes of Gods seuerity against such great and gréeuous sinners are waighty For first it is an inexcusable rashnes and presumption to search out the knowledge of those things which the Lord will not haue to be knowen This rash presumption is condemned by our Sauiour Christ himselfe in the Acts 1.7 when he answered to his Disciples asking him Lord wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome to Israel And hee said vnto them It is not for you to know the time or the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power Secondly it derogateth from the goodnesse and glorie of God as though that the Lord had not faithfully taught all things in the sacred Scriptures which were necessarie to be knowne of vs. Thirdly it taketh from Christ that honour which is due to him which of God is giuen a Doctor and teacher vnto vs and in whome all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge are hidde as Paul teacheth To conclude therefore this poynt let vs not séeke vnto them but vnto our God in our afflictions then will he help vs and deliuer vs out of our miseries for hee is a God of power and therefore is able a God of mercie and therefore is willing to deliuer vs out of trouble for as a father hath pitie vpon his children so is the Lord merciful to those that trust in him The ninth Sermon vpon the 25. Psalme verses 19 20. 19. Behold mine enemies for they are many and they hate mee with cruell hatred The sence is O Lord my God although I haue bin thy seruant yet sathan hath raised vp many aduersaries mortall enemies against mee who deadly cruelly and most tyrannously detest and hate mee so that except thou be good and gratious vnto mee to protect and defend me I shall surely perish Doct. 1 1. Doct. God is accustomed to whip his childrē for their sinnes by the multitude of Infidels that hate the truth Isai 10.5 O Asshur saith the Lord by the Prophet the rod of my wrath and the staffe in their hands is mine indignation verse 6. I will send him to a dissembling nation and I will giue him a charge against