Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	accept_v	sacrifice_n	zion_n	99	3	9.0048	4	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

that is that the sacrifices of old could not worke by themselues remission of sinnes but onely did represent and prefigure the onely sacrific● of our Redeemer Then as he saith truly their sacrifices ex opere operato by the external working of them cannot giue remissio● of sins What reason then hath he to affirm that the Sacrament of the new Testamen conferreth grace by the very externall giuing thereof Lorinus against himselfe seeing that same thing wa● prefigureted by their sacrifices which is represented by our Sacraments that is Christ● blood both in Baptisme and in the Lords Supper Verse 17. The sacrifices of the Lord are 〈◊〉 contrite spirit a contrite and broken heart O God thou wilt no● despise WHen he hath remoued that which God misliked and refused now he placeth that which God liketh and receiueth that is the sacrifice of a contrite spirit In the plurall number called sacrifices that is this one for 〈◊〉 A broken heart is such a heart which is humbled through a sight and sense of sin What a broken h●ar● is For it is needfull that as we haue worne our heart by finne so our heart should be worne againe by repentance and sorrow for sinne and that we should take paines to subdue our hearts and all the thoughts thereof and bring them captiue to Gods obedience That is that poore spirit of which Matthew speaketh Mat. 5.3 Esa 66.2 Isaias speaketh of the spirit that trembleth at Gods word Why sacrifices in the plurall number This caus d Dauid to put the word sacrifices in the plurall number that he might expresse the better that one contrite heart which is the sacrifice of repentance alone suffiseth for all legall sacrifices If he had said that a contrite heart is a sweet smelling sacrifice they might haue excepted that so are many others as the papists do mixe their works with the grace of God But Dauid excludeth purposlie all sacrifices and sheweth that what euer sacrifices God respecteth are comprehended vnder a penitent heart beleeuing in Christs bloud and seeking mercie for the same This sort of people are called mourners in Sion who mourne to God for their owne sinnes and the sinnes of the people who powre out their heart with their teares to God who doe lament for the affliction of Ioseph Oh what cause haue we to lament this day for our sinnes and to breake our hearts for the persecution of the Church in euery place Let our feasting be turned into fasting our laughter in teares Mourne with Ieremiah for the desolation of Sion Nota. A contrite and broken heart thou wilt not despise Here he encourageth the penitent sinner who may be affraied to appeare before the Tribunall of God in regard of the conscience of his sinne and be feared that God will not accept him howsoeuer he be humbled Him here he encourageth God will not despise a troubled heart yea rather he will like it and manifest his skill in healing and comforting it God liketh a troubled heart To which agree all those places in Isaias which comfort the Church those sweet inuitations of Christ to the laden and wearie to come vnto him and to those that were athirst and he that calleth vpon vs will not reiect and cast vs away The Lord is nigh to them that be of a contrite spirit Psal 144.8 Who speake to him in the bitternesse of their soule Iob. 10.1 Crying like the Dragon or Ostrich Mich. 1.8 Who cry wonderfull being ouercomed by the Elephants As Saint Ierome saieth who slay their affections and offer them as a sacrifice to God as the Magdalen Peter other Saints who forsake their former lusts and say with a certaine young man who being temped by an harlot and seeming to be ignorant who she was she said ego sum it is I he answered ego non sum it is not I for he was conuerted by repentance If thou would prevaile with God Pro. 23.26 giue him thine whole heart if thou doe any thing for God doe it with thine heart 2. Chro. 31 21 seeke him with thine whole heart loue him feare him pray to him turne to him obey him with thine whole heart Deut. 10 12. Rom. 6.17 Ier. 32.40 Ioel. 2 12. Psal 119.145 Their heart is deuided saith the Lord of hoste now shall they perish Hos 10. ● God is one and vndeuided and craueth an heart one and whole in affection and rent onely by de●ection nothing can breake God but a broken heart The string can bow the bowe the fire can temper and molifie the steele the goates bloud the adamant and the heart contrite can moue God saith Mantuan in these verses Virga recens Zephyris neruo curuabitur arcus Igne chalybs adamas sangnine corde Deus Finallie obserue that albeit repentance doth make a contrite heart and as I said before we should take such paine on our contrition that we should not let any thought of our heart escape vnrepented mourned for yet the onely hammer which must burst our soules is the word of God The word of God bruseth the heart which bruseth the rockes of a stonie heart Simil. and maketh an heart of flesh And as out of rags being brused is brought forth fine paper so is a troubled heart brused with sorrow for sin turned into a gratious subiect whereinto God may worke and write his law And as the poole of Bethsaida being troubled Ioh. 5.4 brought health to mens bodies so doth the conscience afflicted by God bring certaine health and saluation to soule and body Saint Ambrose sayeth that repentance is so difficult and hard a matter that he hath oftner found mo who liued innocently then who did truely repent It is written of Augustine that he caused the psalmes of repentance to be put on the wall ouer against him before he died and reaped aboundantly reading them ten daies at which time none came to him but either the phisitians or his refreshment Seeing therefore God liketh this sacrifice of a contrite heart without which none other thing will please him let vs take the bests of our affections seperate them from their olde pleasures to God bind them by the coards of the word lay them downe at his feete and slay them and that sacrifice shall please him offer thy selfe a liuing sacrifice and be assured God will accept of thee and neuer reiect thee not thine offering other sacrifices die being offered Nota. but we by offering our selues to God yet liue Verse 18. Be fauourable vnto Zion for thy good pleasure build the walles of Ierusalem HE hath prayed for mercie to himselfe now he praieth for the Church which he hath offended by his sinne and vpon which he had brought such euills that it would please God to be mercifull to her ●uild vp her walles and repaire her ruines No man can truely pray for himselfe vnles he pray for the church No man can truely pray for

inuisible walles of his protection so he hath outward defences to maintaine his Church he is master of it yea master builder and sendeth forth seruants whom he strengtheneth for the building of his worke I see many pulling downe the walles yea with Edom in the destroying of Ierusalem crying sacke sacke Psal 137.7 raze raze vp the foundation Few with ●●chemiah mourning for the ruines of Gods house in all parts and helping to restore them Let vs therefore goe to the God of Dauid who albeit he was king of the towne and began to build the citie and walles and laid materials to the Temple yet he knew that the labourers wrought in vaine vnlesse the Lord of heauen builded the citie Lord repaire the decaies of thy Church for thy Christs sake For thy good pleasure He findeth the ground of all that perfection to be in God himselfe and his good fauour and not in men or their merits for as the whole building of the Church is the onely worke of God so is the reparation of her ruines onely belonging to himselfe It belongeth to God to build the Church Men might haue builded with stone and bricke the exterio● walles but it is proper to God to build his spirituall Church And this is a token that God hath pleasure in his Church when he is building it sending good builders materialls of spirituall graces fortifiers as Cyrus and Darius good Princes Nehemiah good gouernours Esdra and good Priests And our obedient and carefull people who do take the sword in one hand and the instrument of building in the other that the Lords Ierusalem may be edified But when his fauour is departed then in his wrath he giueth Princes Gouernours Nobles Preachers and people who striue either to hinder the building or to pull downe the building to build vp Iericho and cast downe Ierusalem Dauid he craueth that God may be fauorable according to his good pleasure for the building of the Church dependeth vpon Gods good will and pleasure who when he liketh his Church can aduance her and when he is displeased with her cast her downe It appeareth euidently now that God is angrie with his Church in all parts of Christendome when he is pulling downe and not raising vp his Church we haue prouoked his wrath against vs and his soule abhorreth our hipocriticall profession and our wicked conuersation Verse 19. Then shalt thou accept the sacrifices of righteousnesse euen the burnt offering and oblation then shall they offer calues vpon thine altar THis is the promise of thankefulnesse to God wherein is set downe a correspondence or restipulation betwixt the people who shall offer sacrifices and God who will accept them And Gods seruice then goeth well when we offer willingly and God accepteth gladly Then Marke the time If our sinnes be forgiuen vs God will heare our praiers Gen. 4.5 when God hath beene fauorable to his Church in forgiuing her sinnes then he will accept the offerings For pray what ye please and distribute to the poore if God doe not like of it all is in vaine Caine offered sacrifices but the Lord accepted them not because he hated his cruell heart Abel offered i● faith and was accepted But how shall ye know if your offerings be acceptable to God seeing there is no fire to fall downe from heauen as that which burnt vp Elias sacrifice ● Ki 18.34 Yee shall know that albeit an elementarie or materiall fire falleth not downe yet the fire of the Spirit falleth on our hearts Nota. the fire burning vp the drosse of our corruptions by vnfained repentance warmeing our hearts with the loue of God kindling our hearts with a zeale of Gods glorie This is the fire which will fall downe from heauen vpon our soules which sensiblie we feele if the Lord heare our prayers The sacrifices of righteousnesse Some expound these offerings to be such as agree to his will I reuerence their iudgement but I see not how that exposition can agree with the text But it may be expounded of that righteousnesse which we ought to doe to our neighbours as we offer a sacrifice of a contrite heart the calues of our lippes by praises and these are the sacrifices of righteousnesse by our hands so that heart tongue hand should be all offered to God for God liketh well of righteous dealing● 〈◊〉 our hand be not defiled with thirst co●●ousnesse oppression which if we sacrifice to Sathan by sinne let vs not lift to God by prayer but lift vp pure hands wash our hands in innocencie and then compasse Gods altar It would seem to be some differenc Obiect wher God said he would haue none of their sacrifices and now they promise sacrifices Indeed if the sacrifices be onely externall Solu what accounteth God of them if they want mercie and righteousnesse for he will haue mercie and not sacrifice Therefore let externall and internall worship be conioyned and then God will like best of it but being seperated from spirituall offerings it is abominable and a burden to the Lord. Which be the sacrifices of righteousnes The alter Iesus Christ by whom we must offer our prayers to the Father The sacrifices of righteousnesse are those which be lawfull and are commanded by God They shall offer calues vpon thine altar The calues are the calues of the lippes the alter Iesus Christ who was both represented by the brasen altar and by the golden ●●lter For no sacrifice or prayer could euer ●●e acceptable to God vnlesse it were offered vpon Iesus Christ for he is sacrificium sacerdes et altare Augustine saith he is the Priest the Altar and the Sacrifice the offerer the thing offered and the altar vpon which it is offered 〈◊〉 All the mosaicall altars are abrogated because the sacrifice is made The heathnish altars haue no place The popish altars are abominable after the apish imitation of the Iewish altars they would offer that incrementum sacrificium missa without any warrand of Gods word It is enough for vs to offer not Christ to the Father but our prayers by Christ to the Father who will smell a sweet sauour of rest of all our peticions and thankes which are presented vpon Christ and for thirst of him Lord keep vs from the altar of Damascus and let vs offer all our offences vpon Iesus Christ with whom we shall be very heartily welcome to God Amen

be thought or called religious God loueth truth as he hateth all falsehood for he is truth Ego sum veritas via vita Ioh. 14.6 He loueth truth in our profession truth in our ciuill life truth in our profession is that which he hath commanded in his word truth in our ciuill life is that which agreeth with dutie of ciuill conuersation without fraud deceit or guile which is different from Gods nature and resembleth the diuell who is a deceiuer In the inward affections It is not a superficiall or scroofe-worship which God regardeth For Cains sacrifice outwardly was as pleasant as Abels Gen. 4.4 ● but God looked to their hearts accepted the one and reiected the other God aboue all things craueth the heart My sonne giue me thine heart God wil be worshipped in spirit and veritie Pro. 23.26 Therefore hast thou taught me wisedome in the secret of mine heart He amplifieth his sin by this circumstance that he did it not as an ignorant but as one who was enlightned with knowledge and besides he had priuate informations and intelligence from God in his heart and tasted of the heauenly doctrine yea it was rooted and fixed in his heart yet like a bruite beast he was caried to that filthy lust and so was inexcusable and suffocated the light of the Spirit which he had receiued He had informations giuen by God but he had not grace to follow them which so much the more made him inexcusable that he was taught Christians perish not for want of informatiō but for contemning the warnings they get God must teach vs. and would not obey So Christians shal not perish for lack of information but because they do not obey the warnings which they get This age hath heard many lessons and God hath manifested his whole will vnto them but because they obey them not their knowledge shal augment their paines God he must be our great Doctor and Teacher we must be Theodidactoi taught of God Neither nature learning experience practise or age can teach vs wisedome onely Gods word must teach vs. Nature preuailed among the Philosophers but that neuer led them to God For all the principles of our faith are contrary to nature sense and reason What is more against naturall reason then these points of our religion God was made man a virgin hath borne a childe a crucified man saued the world a dead man arose c. in these and such we must be taught from aboue by God God teacheth by the ministerie of his word God he teacheth by the ministery of his word which whosoeuer contemneth refuseth the meanes of his saluation but that ministery will not be sufficient without diuine inspiration 1. Cor. 3.6 Paul may plant Apollo may water but God giueth the increase Bellarmine translateth the Hebrew word which he granteth signifieth abscondita incerta and so doth Lorinus those doubting Doctors would haue the mysteries of the Scriptures vncertaine and doubtfull Not● There is great diuersitie of iudgements among men what is true wisedome These are of the Lord is true wisdome Eccles 1.2 but if ye would enquire at the wisest man that euer liued he will tell you that hauing examined all things vnder heauen he found all things to be but vanitie and vexation of spirit and that true wisedom consisted only in the feare of God and keeping his commandements The feare of the Lord is the instruction of wisedome Pro. 15.33 all other wisedome is foolishnesse Verse 7. Purge me with hyssope and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow HE is not contented simply to craue pardon once or twice but many times yea he multiplieth his suites by metaphors allegories and such borrowed speeches signifying how deeply he was wounded with his sin that he would haue himselfe assured and confirmed in the remission thereof and now he borroweth a similitude from the washings and purgations vsed in the Leuiticall law desiring that God would looke on his miseries who was a leprous man by sin and a filthy polluted sinner that hee might be washed in the blood of Christ prefigured by the Mosaicall washings Purge me with hyssope Three times made mention of hysop Exo. 12.22 There is made mention of hyssope where it was vsed in three places first in the 12. of Exodus at the institution of the Passeouer where the blood of the Lambe was appointed to be sprinkled vpon the doore checkes with a bunch of hyssope bound with a scarlet lace The blood signified Christs blood the bunch of hyssope the sauing and the scarlet lace his blood died which bound the bunch all hauing their spirituall significations For the blood no doubt signified the blood of that vndefiled Lambe shed from the beginning of the world The hyssope the instrument applying his blood by faith The scarlet lace the communion of the Saints who are bound by loue the bond of perfection and sprinkled with that same blood to the remission of sins And so the blood which washeth faith which applieth and the lace that coupleth are all one Christ by faith and loue receiued to the purgation of all Christians The second place Leuit. 17. is the purgation of the Leper wherein the blood of the sparrow the bunch of hyssope and the scarlet lace are likewise mentioned and differeth nothing but in this in the first was the Lambe here the Sparrow which is all one for euen as the Lamb is among beasts so is the Sparrow base and simple amongst fowles to which Dauid compareth himself I am as a sparrow on the house top sitting aloue Psal 102.7 so we must be sprinkled with his blood which being contemptible to men was acceptable to God The third was Numb 19. about the red Cow which must haue hyssope dipped in the blood thereof And Christ is compared ●o the Cow or fat calfe which being in so great a price with the Father was giuen ●o death for the saluation of our foules The hyssope hath many things wherein ●t representeth Christ very nigh Wherein hysop representeth Christ 1. Kin. 43● for first it ●s obscure humble and abiect so that Salomon is said to haue written of all trees from ●he Cedar the highest tree opposed to the hyssope springing out of the wall that is to be basest and most common growing amongst stones not standing of mans indu●trie to plant them as other trees doe So Christ in whom we beleeue was contemp●ible a worme not a man despised Psal 2● in him was no beautie riches or earthly honours which maketh men to come in credit and account Next the hyssope is bitter and fowre ●ot pleasant to the drinkers so the crosse of Christ by which our affections are mor●ified is very odious to the flesh and agreeth not with its taste His crosse is therefore 〈◊〉 ●tumbling blocke to the Iewes and folly to the Gentiles Thirdly albeit it be sowre yet it is most wholesome so

himselfe ●nlesse he pray for the Church also as Da●id doth in many Psalmes If a man be a ●ensible member of the body it is not pos●●ble but the euills which befall to any one ●ember let be all touch not him to the heart as it were done to himselfe In this verse are three things contained first for whom he prayeth for Sion and Ierusalem secondly what he suiteth Gods fauour thirdly out of what ground for thy good pleasure But before we enter to any of these particulars we haue some generalls necessarely to be marked The chiefe care of princes should be for the Church First that the chiefe care of Princes should be the weale of the Church The Church is as the heart in the body which being troubled of necessitie the body must be in danger if ye loue your head keepe your heart The Church nurisheth the heart bloud of Christ in her bosome The Church is as the heart the rest of the members haue also their owne offices but she hath the chiefest office being the most noble part and who should maintaine her more then the head who hath all the sences infixed therein and from which all the members sinewes and veines take their life And what grea●er honour can they haue then to be nursing fathers of the Church If a king concredite his child and his first borne to be nourished by any of his subiects may not that subiect thinke he hath gotten great honour Simil. and may expect for his trauell great commoditie and when a king hath receiued Gods first borne for Israel is his first borne in his custodie may he not thinke he hath gotten great glorie and if he neglect his first borne shall he not receiue great infamie Those who are greatest officers in a kingdome as Chancelour Chamberlane President Secretarie and men of estate are in greatest estimation and credite and shall not great men thinke they are greatlie obliged to God who hath made them administrators of his kingdome whose standing is the weale of the Church the principall e●tate of their Common-weale if it stand then they stand if it fall they fall for their subiects obey them more for conscience then for any terrour or feare of their lawes Then it is best for them to be religious and to propagate holie religion for their owne standing The Romans wrought more by religion then the sword The auncient Romans Lacedemonians Athenians were most carefull of religion ●ecause they affirmed that they wrought more by deuotion then they were able to ●oe by the sword This was their good po●cie as Plutarch amplie reciteth in his Historie Then when Princes inuade religion and draw the people to atheisme see if they be not gratest enemies to themselues to their estate and posteritie The Turke and other polititions may giue Christian princes sufficient proofes of this my assertion as also if examples of Dauid Let princes follow Dauids example Solomon Iosias Ezechia Constantine Theodosius may moue them whose posteritie hath brought eternall renowne vnto them and if not let Iulian affray them and wicked princes like vnto him The care of religion a princes chiefest safeguard The care of religion and to be a religious prince is the greatest safeguard to a prince For religion hath Gods maintainnance and God hath shewen his mightie hand for Ezechia against Senacherib and for Dauid against all his enemies for Queen Elizabeth who died in peace notwithstanding all the maginations of her enemies and for our dread Soueraigne Lord King Iames Princes religious bring wealth to their subiects against all the horrible and monstrous designes of his enemies Princes maintaining religion bring great wealth to themselues and to their subiects as Solomon did when gold was as dust and siluer as the stones Next 1. King 10.21 the Church being vnder continual danger should be helped by princes The Church being troubled should be helped by princes Since the Church is the princes depositum which God gaue to their custodie they ought to haue a chiefe regard of her The fatherlesse widow and orphans are concredited to them much more they should defend the Church because the deuill and his instruments and her fight against her and who should maintaine her but princes who are set in authoritie onely for her cause to debate and take her part against all the world Her enemies are more then notorious she was neuer at rest her enemies are assaulting her continually hell hath broken loose against her in these latter daies princes haue put their diadems on the hornes of the beast people are rageing And seeing that eternall spouse of God is so hated of the world should not princes with Dauid procure her welfare euen to their vttermost Princes who would fight well must pray well Princes must by prayer and power support the Church Prayer hath more power then armour Therefore princes who would fight well must pray well Moses did more with his hands lifted vp to God then Iosua did with his sword Exo. 17.11 Gen 32.28 Israel wrestled with God gat his name by prayer for otherwaies he could not haue preuailed with such a maiestie Therefore princes who be athiests can neuer be good to the Church and no maruell because they know not what prayer is Wicked princes cannot abase themselues so low as to pray to a superiour but Dauid who will be renowned for euer not onely prayeth but biddeth the people pray for the peace of Ierusalem In a word the chiefe armour of the Church and all Church wardens and Church defenders are spirituall Arma militia non sunt carnalia The weapons of our warrefare are not carnall but spirituall Be fauourable vnto Zion He prayeth for Sion and Ierusalem this is a noueltie should the king pray for the Church I thinke the Church should pray for the king Yea but this king thinketh that all his prosperitie standeth in the weale of the Church and therefore he as the most principall member thereof prayeth for her What Sion and Ierusalem were and what they signified The Church is represented by the names of Sion and Ierusalem Sion was the mountaine vpon which the fort and Temple were builded Ierusalem was the cittie But these two haue spirituall interpretations being shaddowes of things to come as all the Fathers confesse Sion was a mountain in the holy land which the Lord loued more then all mountaines He might haue chosen Olimpus for height Basan for fatnesse And what was Sion it is to be seene yet there are many bigger stronger and fairer mountaines in Scotland then was Sion I will compare it to Authur-seate at Edinburrough how commeth it to passe that the Lord chooseth it before all mountaines What but because he loued it and made it a place of his habitation there he built a Church out of it he will let the law yea the Gospell came to all nations mount Sion is a place so firmely fixed