Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	aaron_n	apostle_n	great_a	17	3	2.7230	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A11603	Sermons experimentall: on Psalmes CXVI. & CXVII. Very vsefull for a vvounded spirit. By William Sclater D.D. sometimes rector of Limsham, and vicar of Pitmister, in Summerset-shire. Published by his son William Sclater Mr. of Arts, late fellow of Kings Colledge in Cambridge, now a priest, and preacher of the Gospel in the city of Exeter, in Devon-shire.	Sclater, William, 1575-1626.; Sclater, William, 1609-1661.	1638 (1638)	STC 21844; ESTC S116824	112,358	217

send me hence Saint Austin Da quod jubes jube quod vis Reasons why it should be so are First It is all the Lord requires of us Deut. 10.12 Secondly It is the Condition of continuing them wherefore when either we grow slack in our acknowledgement or divert our selves to other Authours God is pleased to remove them from us Rom. 1.21 Gentiles cared not to keep God in their acknowledgment therefore Gods gives them over to their own hearts lusts Hos 2.8 9. She knew not that it was I that gave her her corn and wine and oyl c. therefore I will take away my corn in the time thereof Thirdly Adde hereunto that hereto is linked the increase of Gods favours 2 Sam. 12.8 If that had been too little I would have given thee more Oh that there were such hearts in us How would the Lord delight still to do us good marvellous have his favours been in the preservation and deliverances of our State yet what hath it bred but increase of our rebellions Should not the Lord be avenged on such a nation as this It is amongst others a notable presage of our approaching calamity that we have so turned his grace into wantonnesse and as Saint Paul speaks abused his long suffering and bountifulnesse to occasion of hardnesse of heart Rom. 2.5 See then and examine how Gods favours work upon thee It is something not to be despised amongst the testimonies of a gracious disposition to be wrought to acknowledgement and dutifull tendring of our selves unto God you shall never or seldome see that disposition in the unregenerate but the more they apprehend or taste the favours of God the more indulgent they grow to their own lusts Whether it be First That they apprehend not Gods good in them as they in the * Zeph. 1.12 Prophet He will do neither good nor evill Secondly Or whether they think him to work after the necessity of his Nature in loading them with his benefits Thirdly Or whether they think them merited by their own formality and lip-outward-performances Fourthly Or whether they misapprehend the Nature of God making him an Idoll made all of mercy and goodnesse though Saint Paul command to behold the * Rom. 11.22 severity as well as the bounty of God But let such mindes be farre from Gods people Certainly it suits not with grace is not in the ordinary course of it compatible with it Hos 3.5 They shall fear the Lord and his goodnesse and because there is mercy with him Therefore they will fear him Psal 130.4 Thus ye shall discern it in your selves or others excepting the common interruptions that accompany humane infirmity First Every new favour brings accesse to the measure of serviceablenesse to God That which Ichu speaks of Baal Ahab served Baal a little I will serve him much more 2 Kings 10. they much more truly say of their God therefore see the greatest Favourites have been most serviceable Moses more then Aaron or Miriam Num. 12. Saint Paul more then all the Apostles 1 Cor. 15.10 The woman in the Gospel loves much because many sinnes have been forgiven Luke 7. The means to frame our hearts thereto are First Observation and due record of Gods speciall favours to us they are * Lam. 3.23 renewed with every morning if we had the wisdome to keep a Diary of them a daily Register Experto credite they would warm our languishing affections Secondly There is a holy Reminiscentia calling to minde of ancient favours such especially as in times of our ignorance and vanity God bestowed on us even when we knew not God served lusts and divers pleasures how many his loving kindnesses did we experiment David thus fetcheth it Ab ovo Thou art my God even from my youth and on thee have I been cast even since my mothers womb see Saint Austin in his Confessions Thirdly Next see how little we have merited at Gods hand as * Gen. 32.10 Iacob I am lesse then all thy goodnesse and trueth which thou hast shewen me Fourthly How contrary our merits have been as Saint Paul amplifies it Eph. 2. Tit. 3. 1 Tim. 1.15 16. Fiftly How we have requited the Lord Deut. 32.6 since we have received mercy from him Sixtly How notwithstanding our slender retailings God still is pleased to crown us with mercy and loving kindnesse Seventhly How in our best performances we come short of our duties Isa 64.6 Rom. 7.18 so that all we can say is this we would do good yet evill is present Eighthly See how many are behinde us in the favours of God we enjoy He hath not dealt so with other nations Psal 147.20 And my servant Moses is not so Num. 12. Follows now the matter of the Protestation in which observe we the manner of utterance in two things First Rhetoricall Apostrophe Secondly Ingemination expressing either vehemencie of affection or ardour and heat of affection Secondly The grounds of service two First Filius ancillae see Psal 86.16 Secondly Thou hast broken my bonds see Nah. 1.13 Thirdly The expression of it ver 17. I will sacrifice praise We also have causes the same to subscribe and professe our selves the servants of God yea more by many then David here alledgeth for he instanceth in Temporall favours onely First We also are filii ancillae sonnes of his handmaid First Borne children of the Church Secondly Many of us having had Christian education under Christian Parents Certainly these much increase our obligation It is no small favour of God to be borne in the Church of God no slender tie to his service that accrues from our imitation by Baptisme thereunto if ye consider Turks Pagans Infidells what can you say of them but as Saint Paul of Ephesians Chap. 2. They are without God without Christ without hope aliens from the covenants of promise from the common wealth of Israel They do not-derogate from Gods mercy who say That without Gods extraordinary mercy they perish all in their sins die under guilt of eternall damnation Reasons First No name given under heaven whereby we can be saved but onely the * Act 4.12 Name of Iesus Secondly No means to partake him but the knowledge and faith of him The * Isa 53.11 Knowledge of my righteous servant shall justifie many Thirdly No means to know him ordinary but the * Rom. 10.14 Word Nor Creatures nor any Naturall notice can reveale him 1. Cor. 1.21 Secondly If we look back to ancient Times where was a feed of Election the Lord was pleased extraordinarily to grant means of Vocation so to Naa●an he sends him to the Prophet so to the Eunuch he sends him to Hierusalem and Philip to him Act. 8. Secondly If we consider other Assemblies of men that boast themselves to be orthodox Churches of God and are not so will the Blessing farther appear False and erronious faith in Fundamentalibus is as perilous as flat Infidelity for example To beleeve that there

save sinners Saint Peter to Cornelius Act. 10.34 I perceive of a truth that God is no respecter of persons David Psal 147. He bindeth up the broken in heart he tells the number of the starres Why goes he not on in his numeration Devotion wills him to notice this observation Great is our Lord and of great power his understanding is infinite The benefits thence accruing to us are specially two First It is an excellent strengthening of faith concerning all truths God hath revealed touching his Nature and Will ye may observe Gods owne servants sometimes overtaken with doubtings of the Attributes of God of his Mercy and Grace the Prophet Psal 77.7 8. of his Truth Ieremiah Ierem. 15.18 Wilt thou be altogether unto me as a Lyar and as waters that faile Of his Power Zechariah Luke 1. and Sarah Gen. 18. yea Moses who had so often seen the power of God yet at a time doubted Num. 20.12 Here now hath Observation place as a potent means to strengthen our Faith The Nature of God and Conclusions touching it we have delivered in the Scriptures and had we no experiment are bound to beleeve them the evidence of all and arguments demonstrating them we have in his works of Creation and Providence specially in the things that we see wrought before our eyes To this end tends the History of Scripture and had we wisedom we should observe in the daily proceedings of providence towards others towards our selvs what would silence the godlesse thoughts of Infidelity Justice Trueth Power Mercy Goodnesse c. we daily experiment and yet fools as we are observe not No marvell then if in time of Temptation our Faith grows so languishing A second benefit thence issuing is hope of obtaining what ever good thing we experiment according to the promise of God See 1. Sam. 17.36 37. in David and Paul 2. Cor. 1.10 and 2. Tim 4.17 18. David goes farther to time of forefathers Psal 22.4 5. And the reason is good such as the Lord hath been to others to us so will he be to us if we resemble in behaviour I say as Moses Oh that this people were wise Vse that we had all this wisedome to observe the Lords Actions of Justice Mercy Providence Truth Goodnesse to others to our selves There lives not the man on earth but tastes all these in his own person yet how few are they that observe them So of Threatnings Sundry precious Promises are given unto us faith * 2 Pet. 1.3 Peter Not one I dare say but his Children rightly qualified have seen or may see exemplified That he will be a God to the righteous Parents and to their seed who can but observe certainely it ravisheth me to consider and though weak in Faith and much conflicting with doubtings yet it strengthens my Faith to see Gods Grace towards others So of Comminations for Drunkards Whoremongers c. I see it daily exemplified Why doubt I But surely if in our own particulars we would be observant we should much more be fortified David fetcheth it ab ovo from his Birth from the Wombe of his mother * Psal 139.13 On thee was I cast from my mothers wombe thou hast been my God from the wombe I beseech you be exhorted to this point of Prudence beleeve me no more if you see not Athisme Infidelity Distrust Unthankfulnesse Disobedience all evills die in you Two things there are that hinder it First Opinion of fortune in all these Accidents of common life as if there were no providence guiding them yet to a Sparrow our Saviour extends * Mat. 10.29 it yea even to * Pro. 16.33 Lots the things most chanceable Secondly The second hinderance is the ascribing the good or ill successe of our lives to the means if evil to our imprudence or wilfulnes if good to our own wisdome industry whereas alas What is our All except the Lord give the * Psal 127.1 blessing The second thing observable in this passion of devotion is the passionate and devout expression and celebrating with due praise the attributes of God which he had experimented so filled he is with ravishment in the contemplation that interrupts his speech he cannot expresse the benefit but first he celebrates the praise of the attribute like passages you may observe many in reading the Psalmes speeches broken and seemingly interrupting the sentence and making a kinde of solecisme when yet if you truly did understand the affection of a soul truly devout you will finde them most pertinent Ephes 2.4 5. The Apostle intends to remembrance the people of their blessed change of estate from being dead in trespasses and sinnes to spirituall life the speech would have passed full enough for the sense in the simplest commemoration but mark how devotion interposeth God which is rich in mercy of his great love wherewith he loved us hath quickened like see 1 Tim. 1. The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant in faith and love Do you ask me a reason of it and I ask you Why doth the Sunne shine Why doth fire burn No man can give reason of it It is the nature of the creature and this is the nature of devotion Marry if you would ask me a reason why he should so do I could give many but it is impertinent to the point in hand we handle not now matter of duty to urge obedience but matter of property that tends rather to triall And so make use of this point see how thou art affected when thou meditatest the many benefits God hath done to thy soul feelest thou such motions as these thy belly as * Iob 32.19 Elihu speaks is full as bottles of new wine thou must speak to the praise of God else thou breakest as Ieremie I cannot hold it is well and I blesse thy soul my belly saith David Eructabit shall belch out thy praise But on the deadnesse of our indevout hearts in this behalfe We can sometimes speak of the blessings we enjoy from God and perhaps we sometimes expresse our noticing the hand of God teaching these favours to us but shew me the man of Davids spirit that breaks out into the magnifying of the grace or mercy or power or goodnesse of God In a word two faults I observe in this kinde in us First That either we languish in the praise of the God that hath done so great things for us and with a little bare lip-thanks passe over his benefits Secondly Else are not distinct or particular in noticing the speciall attributes we have experimented me thinks I would have a Christian so skilfull in this kinde that he should know to what property of God he should ascribe every benefit he enjoys every work or operation of God to his creatures in some shine wisdome in some goodnesse in some long-suffering in some patience in some grace and mercy in some justice c. But the wisdome of a Christian should be this to be so distinct

carefull to seek God in likelihood such as would have made better use of his mercies as Matth. 11.21 These are grounds of this holy Rhetorique which if by your selves you will work upon by meditation Trust me no more if ye finde them not such as will sweeten Gods favours towards you Reasons pressing the performance meditate these First Nothing sooner stops the fountain and current of Gods bounty then doth unthankfulnes this hazards to an utter deprivall as Rom. 1.21 Secondly Or else the blessing shall be scanted in the measure as to the Jews Amos 8.11 Thirdly or else the blessing continued shall turn to a curse and snare unto thee as riches reserved for hurt Eccles 5.13 The word to harden Isa 6.10 knowledge to aggravate sinne and punishment Ioh. 9.41 Secondly according to the measure of bounty and favour contemned or slighted so usually is the measure of wrath in the day of visitation Matth. 11.23 Jews highliest advanced in Gods favours Never did Nation under the sunne drink deeper of his wrath see Deuter. 28. Levit. 26. And my feet from falling Whether means he into penall misery and mischief or into sinne There is Lapsus moralis as 1 Cor. 10.12 Erre I or would David here be understood of sinning so Psal 73.2 My feet were almost gone my steps had wel-nigh slipt And if I be not deceived the cariage of the Text swayeth to such understanding rising still from the lesse to the greater First It is more bounty to be kept from grief then from death for there is a greater enlargement from misery but it is not more bounty to be kept from the sense of affliction then to be kept from death which is the greatest of temporall evills but it is more bounty in a gracious eye to be kept from sinne then from death Secondly How his eyes from tears If not kept from sinne That had sure cost him many a tear as Peter Matth. 26.75 But understand it De lapsu morali so still riseth the gradation to enlarge Gods bounty yea which I count the greatest blessing in these afflictions he kept me steady in my course of piety and suffered not afflictions to sway my heart from him still in a gracious eye the benefit seems greater to be delivered from sinning then from greatest outward affliction that is the reason Saint Paul Rom. 8.37 triumphs over all afflictions 2 Cor. 11. and 12. He counts them his glory his crown but speaking of the prevailing of corruption in particulars he bemoans himself as the miserablest man alive Rom. 7.24 The reason of this is for that rectitude of judgement is so farre vouchsafed that such men sanctified can discern twixt good and evill twixt evill and evill and in their eye Malum culpae is greater then Malum poenae The evill of sinne then the evill of pain For First That makes evill not this Puniri non est malum comparative scilicet sed fieri poena dignum Secondly In afflictions they know they may retain favour of God not so in sinning Thirdly That opposite to increated this to created goodnesse And besides this hahaving tasted the smart of sinne in the soul as who hath not that is Gods What affliction is comparable to that of an accusing conscience When may we hope to fasten this opinion in our multitude to think sinne greater then povertie then death then bonds c. The source of all sinnes is this in the people that in their sensuallity and Epicurisme they will redeem the least affliction with the greatest sinne Rather then want steal kill what not rather then loose life countrey liberty commit idolatry deny Christ rather then be counted odde or singular runne into any sinne of good-fellowship swear swagger drink and be drunken c. rather then feel a little sicknesse runne to sorcerer rather then a little losse in their goods to a Cunning-man a Witch that is saith Isa 8. from the living to the dead from God to the devill Oh that Christians had learned but what some heathens thought that to be vertuous is more happinesse then to have the wealth of Xerxes the pleasure of the Epicure the Dominions of Alexander the honour of the great Cyrus or Darius That it is more miserable to be vitiously inclined then to endure the poverty of Irus Learn I beseech you learn herein to reform and rectifie your judgements see Ioseph Gen. 39.9 How shall I commit this great wickednesse and sinne against God To this end meditate First The unavailablenesse of all outward benefits to stead us in the day of Gods wrath What then can be like to this Isa 38.3 I have walked before thee in the truth and uprightnesse of my heart Secondly What hazard thou makest of soul for fulfilling the lust of the body thou wilt be enclined to make Moses his choice Heb. 11.25 To suffer afflictions then to enjoy pleasures of sinne Thirdly How do we forget That for all these things the Lord shall bring us to judgement Eccles 11.9 Fourthly Fear him that can cast body and soul into hell Luke 12.5 c. Secondly Try we our selves by this I do not say all grace stands in this for I know a naturall mans judgement may be so farre cleared as to confesse it is greater evill to sinne then to be afflicted and yet it is something as Paul speaks * Phil. 1.10 To dis●ern the things that differ And surely He is not farre from the kingdome of God who hath his judgement thus farre rectified But First In whom judgement so farre works that when the least sinne is offered or a great affliction chuseth rather to be afflicted then to sinne against God he hath in him something supernaturall Secondly He that can more heartily thank God for this that he hath delivered from the power of sinne then from bodily calamities he hath in him something supernaturall Thirdly He whom this meditation calms in his pressure Well though God suffer me thus to be afflicted yet he hath delivered from the power of darknesse he hath kept me from sinning against him and in that meditation findes contentment that man hath in him something supernaturall And tell me thou that art so much discontented at the course of Gods providence in dispensing outward blessings To whether of the two thinkest thou is he most bountifull To thee whom he hath made rich in faith though poor in this world or to those Epicures and worldlings whose bellies he fils with his hid treasure yet suffers to live in dominion of the * 2 Tim. 2.26 Devill Lazarus or the Glutton Say not therefore Gods wayes are not equall even now thou mayest discern betwixt the righteous the unrighteous if thou knowest how to value blessing with blessing and to give the spirituall preheminence above the temporall My feet from falling Yet warily understand Not as if David had not at all sinned under his afflictions for see vers 11. his extravagancie in his passionate censures and story testifies