Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	heart_n	lord_n	love_n	2,424	5	5.1729	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81043	A briefe discourse touching a broken heart In which the nature, causes, and signes of it are solidly treated of; as also, its acceptablenesse to God; together with many other motives pressing us to labour after the procurement of it, and the means leading thereunto: Being the summe and substance of certain sermons preached by Mr. Daniel Carwardine, late minister of Eling in the county of Middlesex. And since his death put forth by S.R. a friend of his. Whereunto is annexed, a confession of faith by Mr. Samuel Rowles, late fellow of Trinity-Colledge in Cambridge. And now minister of Thistleworth in the county of Middlesex.	Carwardine, Daniel, b. 1600 or 1601.; Rowles, Samuel, fl. 1652.	1652 (1652)	Wing C720; ESTC R230173	37,786	142

as we sometimes say of children they are spoyled with kindnesse It is not so apt to be puffed up with mercies and to turne them into wantonnesse as others are 3. It receiveth mercy most thankfully and in that respect is most fit for mercy Beggars by how much lower they are brought thorough want by so much more thankefull will they be for any small almes that is given them whereas those that are not sensible of much want begin to looke bigge if you offer them a small matter 4. Broken hearted Christians make the best use and improvements of their mercies and therefore are most fit for mercy They who thinke themselves most unworthy to receive are alwayes most carefull what and how to render c. 5. The fifth benefit of a soft heart is a soft heart is most fit to doe any thing that is good as to pray heare receive the Lords supper or performe any other duty acceptably Indeed no heart but a soft heart is fit for duties or can performe them as they ought to be performed Prayer that proceedes not from a broken and contrite heart though it be joyned with fasting is as no prayer no fast in the sight of God If we be frequent in hearing the word and have not our hearts broken and humbled thereby we lose the benefit of that duty So likewise if we come to the Lords Table and then behold the body of Christ brokē with unbroken hearts we shall goe away as empty as we came and do God as little service in coming as if we had staid away And it must needs be so that a soft heart should be most fit for duty because an humble self abasing temper is the best posture for the soule to draw nigh to God and not onely so but this is further observable namely that humility and brokennesse of soule fills men with zeal and activity for God an humble heart thus thinkes with it selfe I have hitherto beene very unprofitable it is little service scarce worth speaking of that God hath had from me as yet Oh how shall I redeeme time for God how shall I make amends for my former basenesse and uselesnesse If God will but honour my utmost endeavour to be any wayes instrumentall for his glory how happy shall I account my selfe c. 6. The sixth and last benefit of a soft heart is that it doth fit for a Kingdome for Heaven and happinesse We read of being made meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light now brokennesse of a heart is a thing greatly conducing to the meetnesse for an inheritance in light there spoken of And that it is so will appeare if we shall but consider what is the worke and employment of Saints and Angels in Heaven Is it not to admire and adore God and to sing everlasting Hallelujahs Now who so fit to praise and to admire God as broken hearted humble men I can but thinke how poore humble hearted Christians will stand amazed and astonished at the day of judgement when God shall call them to his right hand when Christ shall bid them sit downe together with him and judge the world Do you thinke they will not be full of such thoughts as these Alas what were we or what are we that God should thus delight to honour us that we should be made Kings and Queenes unto God when thousands of the great ones of the world are cast downe to hell Surely they will cry out Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy name be all the Praise and Glory For by grace we are saved by free grace alone are we saved Hallelujah Thus have we set before you the severall benefits of a soft heart so much shall suffice by way of motives to put us upon endeavouring after the getting of soft hearts Qu. But peradventure some will be ready to aske How may we come by soft hearts which we have heard to be sacrifices so acceptable to God By what meanes may we attaine thereunto Ans That it may be attained in the use of meanes such Scriptures seeme to signifie wherein God cals upon us to rend our hearts and to plow up the fallow ground of our hearts c. Now the meanes to be used are as follow 1. Meanes We must attend upon the word of God For that is Gods hammer to breake the heart and we must heare it with reverence faith and diligence else it will harden our hearts and encrease our condemnation It had wont to be no strange thing to heare of hard hearts broken by the power of Gods word sometimes severall in some one towne or village and that within the space of a few years There is the same efficacy in the word now as was then were it not that the prejudice which is in the minds of men against it and great neglect and contempt of it did intercept the benefit which they might otherwise receive by it That it is the proper worke of the word of God to soften mens hearts I meane as an instrument in the hand of the spirit I may make appeare from this experiment you see when the word of God doth not soften mens hearts usually nothing else doth the worke remaines undone Men ordinarily carry hard hearts with them to their graves when they will not make use of the word of God wherewith to breake them See Heb. 4 12. The word of God is quick and powerfull and sharper then any two edged sword piersing even to the dividing of soul spirit and of the joynts and marrow c. David prayes that God would sanctifie him by his truth his word is truth Now brokennesse of heart is a great part of sanctification c. 2. Meane we must take away that or those sins which doe harden our hearts Sin is the great cause of hardnesse of heart It is like some evill humour which is got to a head and causeth a great swelling and hardnesse There is no mollifying the place until such time as the evill humour which is in it be either dissolved or dissipated There are some kinde of sins which doe more especially conduce to hardning of mens hearts as for example scandalous sins sins against knowledge sins which have much of a mans understanding and will in them deliberate sins sins committed upon very slender temptations delightfull sins customary sins sins which begin to justifie themselves and to put men upon pleading their cause or at leastwise extenuating and making light of them It is impossible for a man to keepe a tender conscience if he will entertaine any one sinne as his constant welcome guest I might shew you severall wayes whereby sinne doth harden mens hearts One is this any sinne that a man doth allow himself doth as it were shade his soule that is keepe off the warme beames of the light of Gods countenance which would otherwise shine upon it you see how it is with the high wayes such as lye open

wils affections consciences memory wretchedly broken by that fall so that they are nothing like to what they would have been if man had stood in his primitive glory and excellency We have now broken apprehensions of things leaking memories like to broken vessels broken inclinations to good in our wils like bowles that are not halfe biassed If we looke upon the law of God hath not that beene miserably broken by us and yet is from day to day Our duties and performances are they not for the most part yea altogether broken and imperfect things like children borne before their full time weakely heartlesse things Our very graces are they not broken and imperfect habits full of mixture and adulteration our Faith mixed and as it were sophisticated with unbeliefe our humility with pride our self-deniall with self-seeking If we looke upon those creatures which are below us is not their primitive excellency greatly abated and impaired by the fall of man as the Apostle intimates when be saith That the whole creation is made subject to vanity by reason of him who hath subjected it that is to say sinfull man As for the Civill State in how broken and unsettled a condition that is for the present I neede not tell thee for that is the breach whereof the generallity of men are but too too sensible And as for the Church of God it selfe is not that in a broken shattered condition now if ever are not professors of Religion all to pieces almost in every place I had almost compared the condition of the Church at present to a ship that is wracke here swims one planke there another It may be scarce two whole planks to be found together The Lord helps us what sad and numerous or rather innumerable breaches are in the midst of us at this day And yet alas our hard hearts do stil remaine unbroken Adde to all that hath been spoken that thou who readest this booke hast it may be many breaches in thy holinesse many in thy peace severall breaches in thy name estate friends and comforts of every kinde and yet perhaps after all this a heart in a greate measure hard and unbroken It it great pity that should not be broken of all the rest were that broken as it should be it would conduce to the making of all the rest whole againe It is indeed a difficult worke to breake a hard heart but thorough Christ enabling thee thou mayest doe that and all things else be strong therefore in the Lord and in the power of his might and so goe forth to encounter this mighty Gyant thy hard heart I meane Wrestle with God in prayer for a soft heart and resolve not to let him goe till he have blessed thee therewith as Jacob did in another case Begge of him who triumphed over principallities and powers and made an open shew of them upon his Crosse which was the time of his greatest humiliation that being now exalted to the right hand of his Father he would enable thee to triumph over thy hard heart which is his enemy no lesse then thine and to make thee more then conquerour on that behalfe He that hath promised to break the Serpents head can with greatest ease break thy heart And who can tell but that he may please to doe it at least in part with the little hammer of this ensuing discourse if thou be willing to come under the stroke of it If this little Treatise with the blessing of God upon it shall prosper in thy hands or heart rather as I desire with all my soule it may give God the glory and seeing the author himselfe is where thy prayers cannot reach him where and where only the people of God are indeed above all such duties and ordinances I mean heaven substitute me in his roome as the object of thy hearty remembrances at the throne of grace which if thou shalt please to doe I shall thinke my selfe well appayed for my poore endeavours in the perfecting and publishing of it for thy use and benefit as also obliged to be further serviceable to thee as God shal hereafter enable me Farewell Thine in the service of the Gospel SAMUEL ROWLES From my Study in Thistleworth March 26. 1652. A TREATISE OF Brokennesse of Heart Psal 51.17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise THe title of this Psalm sheweth us both the Author or rather Penman and occasion of it being stiled a Psalm of David when Nathan the Prophet came unto him after he had gone into Bathsheba which story you may reade at large in 2 Sam 12.1 and so onwards The Psalm it selfe doth excellently suite the occasion being full of humble and sorrowfull acknowledgement of the greatnesse of his offence as you may see verse 3 4. I acknowledge my transgressions and my sinne is ever before me Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight c. so likewise in other verses of the chapter And as he condemnes himselfe so likewise doth he expressely own the righteousnesse of God in the judgement which was denounced against him as it is written vers 4. That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest and be cleare when thou judgest You have also in severall verses of this Psalm earnest supplications made unto God doubtlesse with strong sighs and groanes by this holy penitent Prophet as in the first place that God would take away the guilt of his sinne so vers 1. According to thy tender mercyes blot out my transgressions 2. That God would take away the filth of his sinne so vers 2. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquities and cleanse me from my sinne 3. That God would preserve him from relapsing into the same sinne or sinnes of like nature for which purpose he prayes v. 10. that God would create in him a cleane heart probably in reference to his uncleane sin And in the 14 vers that God would deliver him from bloud-guiltinesse probably with relacion to his having shed the innocent bloud of Vriah In the fourth place he begs of God to restore unto him the joy of his salvation to make him heare joy and gladnesse that the bones which he had broken might rejoyce Furthermore he promiseth unto God that if he will doe for him according to the tenor of his requests namely pardon his sinne he will thorough his grace inabling him teach transgressors his wayes and be instrumentall that sinners may be converted to him vers 13 as also that his tongue shall sing aloud of his righteousnesse and his mouth shall shew forth his praise vers 14 15. If God did so much regard sacrifice and burnt offrings he saith he would not spare for them vers 16. Thou desirest not sacrifice else would I give it If thousands of rams and whole rivers of oyle might have beene acceptable to God he would have offered them with all his heart But he knew there

thinke every good thing too good for them as he that said he was lesse then the least of all the mercyes of God The reason why men are so hardly brought to deny themselves in any thing which may any wayes gratifie them is this namely because thorough the selfe-love that is in them they doe thinke nothing too good for themselves Now when humility and broken heartednesse hath once taken men of from this conceipt and made them to thinke the quite contrary namely that every thing is too good for them they can safely deny themselves in this or that which they would otherwise seeke to enjoy By how much more of selfe denyall is in any man by so much more is there in him of broken heartednesse and by how much more of broken heartednesse by so much more of selfe denyall You know that famous instance of the Prodigall returning to his father with a broken heart Father saith he Jam unworthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired servants A broken heart will deny it selfe in many things as for example not onely in the pleasure which it might have in repeating sins formerly committed against which it doth firmly resolve in the strength of Christ but also in those lawfull actions which may any waies give occasion unto relapsing into former sins or be any appearance of setting their faces towards them Yea such a person wil be apt to deny himselfe in the lawfull use of that which he hath formerly abused through excesse as wine company recreation c. 5. It consists in or rather is alwaies accompanied with self accusing and condemning before God Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth wil speake Persons that are full of self judging wil fall to self accusing and from thence to self condemning The divel who is called the accuser of the brethren might spare himselfe that labour forasmuch as broken hearted sinners are as forward to accuse themselves as he can be How highly doth Paul charge himselfe whom he cals the greatest of sinners David doth much accuse himselfe in this and severall other Psalms and condemn himself also For then is a man said to condemn himself when he acknowledgeth that God were most just if he should condemn him in respect of any argument which can be drawn from himselfe to the contrary what may be alledged to the contrary in reference to his surety Jesus Christ is another matter c. Men that Pharisee like doe stand upon their terms and goe about to justifie themselves before God I do not speak of pleading their sincerity for that is lawful in some cases but rather their innocency in a great degree as if they were no great sinners but like the cloud which the Prophet Malachy saw at the first of the bignesse of a mans hand sinners of a small size I say they who so justifie themselves may talke much of broken heartednesse but they never knew indeed and in truth what it meant Men that take up a new fashioned kinde of praying new in reference to those prayers which are recorded in the word as also which have beene used amongst Gods people generally leaving out the confession of sinne and taking of shame to themselves for it it is to be feared have their hearts little broken in that duty Sixthly broken heartednesse consists in selfe abhorrence as was instanced before in Job A man that hath a noysome disease upon him as an overspreading leprosie c is not onely offensive to others but also loathsome to himselfe He is an abomination to himselfe so that he could even leape out of his skin if he knew how So it is with broken hearted sinners they are even an abhorring to themselves by reason of the leprosie of sinne which cleaves to them Hence Paul cryed out O wretched man who should deliver him from his body of death which he carryed about with him Because he could not tell how sinne and his body could otherwise be parted then by parting soule and body he did long to be rid of his very body As a man that is given to cleanlinesse if any vermine come neere him begins to be sicke of him selfe or at leastwise of his cloathes and longs till he be shifted So Paul did long to put off his mortall body because the loathsome vermine of sinne did breede in it doe what he could and to put on immortality in which condition all filth would be done away You know sinne is mitted As it is amongst friends in the world though they truly love each other yet because there are certaine differences betweene them for the present uncompremised such courtesies as may be offered on either hand for the present will not be accepted It is the complaint of the Church unto God Lament 3.44 Thou hast covered thy selfe with a cloud that our prayers should not passe thorough It was a time in which God had led his people into captivity for the hardnesse of their hearts and it should seeme that was not all but he did also for the present stoppe his eares against their prayers looking upon them as yet not sufficiently humbled and heart broken for their sinnes 4. Vse This should put us upon examination whether we have broken hearts or not And believe it there hath beene much said to put us upon diligent inquiry thereinto forasmuch as we have proved it to be a sacrifice well pleasing unto God Who would not think it worth his while to enquire whether himselfe and his services be such as God accepts Quest But how may we come to know whether our hearts be truly broken for sinne or not Ans For the discovery hereof you may have recourse unto the description of broken heartednesse laid downe in the beginning of this discourse in which we told you that brokennesse of heart did consist in these severall particulars namely in a thorough conviction of the ugly nature of sin Now put the question to your hearts are you convinced of the evill of sinne after such a manner as is there described nextly in being really ashamed of sinne Now doe you finde this also viz. that sinne is matter of great shame and confusion of face to you that you looke upon sinne as that which is your great reproach Thirdly what mourning and relenting of heart is there in you for the commission of sinne is it matter of griefe and lamentation to you Fourthly hath the sight and apprehension of your sinnes brought you to the unfained deniall of your selves looking upon your selves as lesse then the least of the mercies of God by reason of them Fifthly are you come to that passe as even to loath abhor and be weary of your selves by reason of sinne Sixthly doe we judge accuse and condemne our selves before God sincerely for sinne adde hereto a seventh signe of broken heartednesse which hath not as yet beene mentioned and that is doe we really pitty those that hang downe their heads and are perplexed

those same things as in a glasse we may as well know a man by the representation of him in a glasse as if we should see him face to face and with open face too which may signifie more light shining into the understandings of men under the Gospell then did in the time of the law and to behold the glory of God whereas they saw little of it in comparison 3. Efficacy 3. In point of efficacy the new Testament administration of the Gospell doth excell But believers in the old Testament were generally as trees growing in the shade except some few worthyes such as Abraham and David Whereas believers under the new Testament dispensation are as trees growing in such places where the influence of the warm beames of the Sun may come at them without hinderance or interposition Hence the time of the old Testament is called the time before the comming of Faith Gal. 3.23 Before Faith came i. e. in that plenty that it comes in the time of the new Testament we were shut up unto the Faith which should afterwards be revealed All which expressions doe speake the old Testament administration of the Covenant of grace to have beene lesse effectuall then is the new some thinke that place Zach. 12.8 He that is feeble shall be as David and the house of David shall be as God as the Angell of God before them I say some thinke that it is a promise of that eminency of grace which shall be in believers in the time of the new Testament above what was in the generallity of old Testament believers 4. 4. Change of Seales a a fourth difference The administration of the Covenant of grace under the new Testament differeth from that of the old in respect of the alteration of seales of which we have spoken already Thus have I declared my perswasions touching the Covenant of grace and the severall things belonging thereunto After the publication of the foresaid Covenant in that first promise the seed of the woman shall breake the head of the Serp●nt God was pleased by severall piece-meales and in severall manners to make knowne himselfe to those who lived in the infancy of the world declaring himselfe to them sometimes by a voyce from Heaven as the law was given from Mount Sinai sometimes by visions other times by dreames other times by prophecies sometimes by inspiration of things not propheticall which things were afterwards written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come that we thorough Faith and patience might inherit the promises Scriptures which writings are commonly knowne by the name of the Bible or holy scriptures concerning which I thus believe namely that they were inspired by God and left as a rule of faith and manners so to continue to the worlds end and are able to make the man of God perfect to every good word and worke As also that we who live under the Gospel ought still to have respect unto that part of Scripture which is called the old Testament My reasons for it are these 1. That exhortation of Christ Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures Reasons why the old Testament should be still respected which is meant of the old Testament for then they had no other for in them yee thinke that is you your selves are perswaded as well as the truth is that yee have eternall life that is the way to eternall life which is Christ himselfe declared to you as appeareth to be the meaning by the following words and they are they which testifie of me Who dare reject that word which gives testimony to Christ if you say that the ceremoniall law did so I answer that the observation of it now would be a witnessing against Christ as if he were not already come in the flesh but expected hereafter and therefore it is abolished 2. The identity or samenesse of the old and new Testament is another reason why I contend for having respect to it The old and new Testament doe both treate of the same subject namely Christ and the way of salvation by Faith in him though with some difference of circumstance c. It is said that unto Christ did all the prophets beare witnesse 3. The frequent quotations which are in the new Testament out ot the old as if Christ himselfe and his Apostles had but commented upon the old Testament and would not urge things upon the beliefe of those to whom they Preached without good warrant and testimony from Moses and the Prophets 4. I am induced to have respect to the old Testament from this undeniable principle namely that as it is dangerous to plant what God hath not planted so much more dangerous to plucke up what God hath planted till he begin to doe it with his own right hand Now we doe estranging them to the world affecting them to and enflaming them for God 2. Touching the duties of men towards God The duties of men towards God I thus believe viz. That all sorts of men are bound to love feare serve and trust in him with all their hearts and soules by vertue of their being received from him in conjunction with all other mercyes as also for the continued preservation which is equivalent to a continuall creation of their beings and wel-beings But that there is a double tye upon believers to give up their whole selves souls and bodies unto God For they are least of all their own being Gods not onely by creation and forfeiture as all wicked men are but by redemption also he having bought them with a price The manner in which they are to serve God for the externall part of it I conceive to be in the way of his ordinances viz by praying reading Singing of Psalms what it is hearing meditating singing of Psalmes which is meditating and praising of God with the voyce lifted up for the expressing and provoking of greater cheerefulnesse and affording further leisure by due pausing and treatable delivery for divine consideration not to omit attendance upon God in the sacraments of baptisme and the Lords supper Right manner of performing duties what it is As for the manner of performing these duties in which the life and spirit of religion doth consist they are to be done in Faith from Gospell motives to spirituall ends by way of testifying our thankefulnesse and the rule of them is to be the word of God I might adde that God is to be served in the exercise of all graces as Faith humility patience self-denyall zeale Expectations of men from God Of all men c. which are the fruits of the spirit of God within us Lastly I shall conclude with my perswasions touching what men are to expect from God 1. In generall 2. In speciall In the generall all men are to looke for a summons by death to a particular appearance and accompt for the resurrection of their bodies after they have laine awhile in the grave for a citall of soule and body to appeare before God at the day of the great Assize to give an account of the deedes done in their bodies These things are to be expected in common both of good and bad Of wicked men But to descend to particulars As for men continuing in unbeliefe and impenitency I know nothing belongs to them but a certaine dreadfull expectation of fury and vengeance to be poured out upon all the adversaries and that having compassed themselves with sparkes they should have this at length at Gods hand namely to lye downe in sorrow and that their soules being at the great day reunited to their bodies should return to hell whence they came the Sentence of eternall condemnation being irrecoverably past upon them Depart yee cursed c. Of good men in respect of the present life and of that which is to come But as for Believers they have something to expect from God here and something hereafter Here they expect some things for themselves and other things for the Church for themselves the keeping of them by the power of God to salvation the peace of God to guard their hearts For the Church The presence of Christ with it by his spirit to the worlds end the breaking of the Serpents head and putting downe of the man of sinne and all other enemies of Christ which shall be made his footstoole For hereafter they expect that their soules being joyned to their bodies which shall be made conformable to the glorious body of Christ shall re-enter into their mansions of glory being an intire glorified essence whereas but a part of them was before in glory having heard their judge who is also their redeemer and surety thus pronounce concerning them Well done good and faithfull servants enter into your Masters Joy FINIS