Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	affection_n	good_a	lord_n	2,843	5	3.5804	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A70248	A sermon preached at the triennial visitation of the right reverend father in God, Richard, L. Bishop of Bath and Wells held at Bridgewater, on the 19th day of August, 1695 / by Matthew Hole ...	Hole, Matthew, 1639 or 40-1730.; Kidder, Richard, 1633-1703.	1696 (1696)	Wing H2413; ESTC R212962	17,819	31

and Diligence and so we are to be taught both how to get and how to use them as we ought These are the gifts But Secondly What does the Apostle mean by the best gifts For that term denotes not only a diversity but a preference of some above others In Answer to which by the best gifts here we are to understand not absolutely the best in every kind but those that were most useful and tended most to the edification of the Church for the Apostle having before asserted Ver. 7. That the manifestation of the Spirit was given to every one to profit withal Whatever most promoted that end was reckoned in the number of the best gifts so that whether the Apostle referred here to the gift of Tongues which was very necessary at that time when the Gospel was to be Preached to People of divers Nations and Languages or whether he had an eye to the gift of Miracles which gave the greatest credit to their Doctrine and begat the highest assent and veneration to it or whatever else were the particular Gifts referr'd to 't is plain the Apostle meant by them such as best edified the Church and consequently by Analogy we are still to reckon those the best gifts whereby we may best profit and edifie our Hearers But Thirdly What is the Apostles meaning in bidding us to covet these Gifts and that earnestly too To covet in Scripture is sometimes taken in a very bad sense and there is one whole Precept in the Decalogue directly levell'd against it Indeed to covet any of our Neighbours Goods or to use any indirect arts to compass them is a vile and detestable piece of Covetousness but to desire the gifts of God for the good of Mankind and to seek to enrich our Mind with the highest and best abilities to promote his Glory is a noble and laudable Ambition and this is what the Apostle here recommends to us But Fourthly What is that more excellent way which he here directs to And yet I shew unto you a more excellent way The words in the Original are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I shew unto you a way to attain to a greater excellency than any the best gifts can advance you to And what 's that Why 't is the Graces of the Spirit as appears by what follows where the Apostle immediately falls upon the excellent Grace of Charity which as it comprizes the Love of God and our Neighbour is the complex or summary of all Christian Graces and to set forth its excellence he presers it far above all other Gifts or Endowments whatever as we shall shew hereafter From the words thus explained we may easily gather these two Propositions I. That the Ministers and Pastors of the Church ought earnestly to covet and labour for the best gifts that is those especially that tend most to the Benefit and Edification of the Church II. That the Graces of the Spirit are more excellent than the Gifts of it and therefore ought to be more earnestly coveted and laboured for These two useful and seasonable Truths shall be the subject of our ensuing Discourse and I begin with the first of them viz. I. That the Ministers and Pastors of the Church ought earnestly to covet and labour for the best gifts that is such especially as conduce most to the Benefit and Edification of their Hearers St. Paul gave this direction with reference to those extraordinary Gifts that were rife in his time that they should covet and seek after the best of them And the Reason being still the same we are concerned likewise even in those ordinary Gifts that are continued to us to desire those most that are likelyest to do most good In treating therefore of this Proposition I must inquire First What are now the best or most beneficial Gifts for the use of the Church And Secondly How we are to covet and seek after them For the First Before I can shew you what are now the most useful and beneficial Gifts for the good of the Church I must put you in mind of four or five Gifts or Talents in Prayer and Preaching which are none of the best though they have been too much affected in our days And the 1. I shall mention of these is The Gift of Extemporary Effusions in Prayer which some have miscalled The gift of Prayer This is not much to be affected nor to be reckon'd in the number of the best gifts for this instead of edifying hath greatly disturbed the Peace of the Church and destroyed the Reverence and Harmony of Publick Worship Solomon who hath been justly reputed the Wisest of Men hath will'd us Not to be rash with our mouth nor hasty to utter any thing before God ●…cl 5.2 but to consider that God is in heaven and we are upon earth therefore our words unto him should be few Meaning that we should never approach the Divine Majesty but with the profoundest Awe and Reverence and that is best signified by few and well weigh'd Expressions in our Addresses to him And therefore a greater than Solomon even our Blessed Saviour himself the Head and Founder of his Church prescribed a Form of Prayer to be used by his Disciples and followers and the Christian Church according to his order hath used the same ever since and likewise composed her Publick Liturgies according to that excellent Platform And thanks be to God our Church hath at this day one of the most pious and best composed Liturgies that is extant in the Christian World so that now we need only bring ardent desires and good affections in the use of it and we need not doubt a gracious answer and acceptance There was indeed in the days of the Apostles an extraordinary gift of Praying by Inspiration called sometimes Praying by the Spirit which was necessary in the beginning of Christianity when as the Apostle tells us They knew not how or what to pray for as they ought but when the Holy Spirit of God had dictated the holy Scriptures wherein we are directed both as to the matter and manner of our Prayers when the sacred Canon was compleated and Publick Prayers composed according to the directions of it then this among other extraordinary Gifts ceased together with the reason of it for the Spirit of God which doth nothing in vain is not wont to give extraordinary assistances when ordinary means will serve the turn So that all the gift of Prayer now remaining in the Church consists not in pouring out many and new words but in the pious Motions and good Affections of the Heart The Spirit helps our infirmities still but how Rom. 8.26 Not by furnishing us with new Phrases and variety of Expressions which God is no way delighted with but with sighs and groans saith the Apostle that cannot be uttered that is by exciting the inward desires and breathings of the Soul after him Hence we read that the poor Publicans short Letany Luke 18 10 11 14. Lord be

doctrine whether it be of God Divinity as one hath well observed on those words is a Science that we are not so much to Study as to Live our selves into It passes into the Head through the Heart and our Knowledge will daily increase by the Love and Practice of what we know for God Almighty delights to communicate his Mind to such as are willing to do it Psal 25.9 14. The secret of the Lord saith the Psalmist is with them that fear him and he will teach them his covenant And elsewhere The meek he will guide in judgment and the humble he will teach his way He is ever ready to reward the least degree of Obedience to his Will with farther discoveries of it And therefore the same ingenious Author hath observed That in old time the Men of extraordinary Revelations were Men of extraordinary Piety too and such had most of the secret Will of God imparted to them that best performed his revealed Will They were the Enochs the Abrahams and the Elijahs and such of whom the Scripture more remarkably testifies that they walked with God And surely he that walketh with another is likely to know more of his Mind than a stranger or one that keeps at a distance from him In short Vertue is the most fruitful Principle of Knowledge and he that doeth what he knows of the Will of God shall be sure to know more of it for to him that hath shall be given saith our Saviour and he shall have abundantly And thus I have done with the first part of our Text having shew'd you what are the best gifts and how we are to covet and seek after them But I must crave a little more of your Patience whilst I shew unto you a more excellent way And this will bring me to the second part of our Text contained in this Proposition II. That the Graces of the Spirit excel the highest and the best Gifts of it And here I could almost wish for the Tongue of an Angel to describe to you this more excellent way and to perswade you to walk in it But St. Paul who was rap't up into the third Heaven hath prevented our wish and extoll'd the single Grace of Charity as high as words can reach above all other Gifts and Endowments whatever for in the next words to our Text he thus delivers himself Could I speak with the tongue of Men and of Angels and had all the Charms of Divine and Humane Eloquence could I dart the brightest Beams of Light into Mens Understanding and by the most powerful Rhetorick command and insinuate into their Affections yet without Charity 1 Cor. 13.1 I am no better than a sounding Brass or a tinkling Cymbal Had I the Gift of Prophecy and understood the deepest Mysteries had I the knowledge of all that is past since the beginning of Time and could foretel things to come to the end of the World yea had I faith strong enough to remove Mountains and to make the Poles of the World to change their place yet in all these accomplishments without Charity I am nothing less than nothing and vanity What could the Tongue of Men or of Angels speak higher in the praise of this Vertue and to extol the Graces above the Gifts of the Spirit But there are three things that will plainly demonstrate the preheminence First The subjects on whom they are bestow'd Secondly The end or use unto which they serve And Thirdly The term of their duration or continuance First The subjects on whom they are bestowed will give Grace vastly the preheminence for Gifts like the Rain and other Common Blessings are showred down promiscuously on the Good and Bad and the Light of the Spirit like that of the Sun shines indifferently both on the Just and Unjust Judas had the Gifts of Prophesie and Miracles as well as the other Apostles and our Saviour hath told us that many will say unto him at the last day Matth. 7.22 Lord Lord have we not prophecyed in thy name And in thy name done many wonderful works Who yet shall be bid to depart from him as workers of Iniquity So that the highest and best Gifts neither find nor give any intrinsick worth to the persons that have them but leave them many times as bad or worse than they found them for many who in Christs Name had cast out Devils will be sentenced by Christ himself to take up their abode for ever with them But Grace on the other hand stamps an excellence on those that receive it for it makes them like unto God and renders them most acceptable to him and therefore is conferred on none but the particular Favourites and Darlings of Heaven 'T is only the excellent ones of the Earth Psal 16.3 as the Psalmist stiles them that walk in this more excellent way when many gifted Brethren will be found in the broad way that leadeth to destruction Grace is that Seal of the Spirit of which the Apostle speaks whereby the Children of God are marked and sealed unto the day of redemption Eph. 4. ●0 'T is by this Seal as the same Apostle tells us ● Tim. 2.9 That the Lord knoweth who are his and by this Sacred Stamp or Signature we too may know whether we belong to him for the Graces of the Spirit are the particular marks and tokens of the Divine Favour which are not communicated to any but the Elect People of God ●at 7.6 The Holy Ghost is not wont to cast these Pearls before Swine nor is this Childrens Bread given unto Dogs No this is reserved as the peculiar Lot and Portion of the Saints and therefore must far surpass those Common Gifts that are shared promiscuously by wicked Men. Secondly The end or use to which they serve will farther give Grace the preheminence above the best gifts Cor. 8. For knowledge saith the Apostle puffeth up and tempts many a Man to Pride and Vanity whereas 't is Charity that edifieth 't is Grace that corrects the swelling quality of Gifts that layes the foundation in Humility and thereby builds us up in our most Holy Faith The greatest Gifts and Abilities if not accompanied with Grace to direct the use of them are so far from edifying that they have in all Ages done the Church the greatest Mischief How many pestilent Errours and Schisms are owing to the greater parts and abilities of Hereticks What ground hath Atheism and Debauchery got in the World by the Influence and Discourses of the finest Wits And as the sharpest Razour cuts deepest so have the quickest Parts made the deepest Wounds in Religion and Mens Souls so pernicious are the effects of their ill management both to the Publick and themselves But Grace is so far from being lyable to these or the like Abuses that it prevents the Evil and corrects the abuses of our Gifts 'T is this puts all their usefulness into them and makes them instead of doing