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	love_n	spirit_n	3,252	5	4.8189	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25248	Redeeming the time a sermon preached at Preston in Lancashire, January 4th, 1657 at the funeral of the honourable lady, the Lady Margaret Houghton / by Isaac Ambrose.	Ambrose, Isaac, 1604-1664.; Houghton, Margaret, Lady, d. 1657.	1674 (1674)	Wing A2969; ESTC R29590	26,695	20

on him in the night-watches And Paul's charge to Timothy was to meditate upon spiritual things and to give himself wholly to them Or if you 'l have another proof for the evening-season not only was it Isaac's time but David's time Mine eyes prevent the night-watches that I might meditate in thy word Psal 119.148 3. The evening is a season for self-examination This is another glorious ordinance which many Christians use occasionally and against some good time but to set some time apart for this every evening and that in conscience as they do for reading the word and Prayer where is the Christian almost to be found I am sure it was David's charge Commune with your own heart upon your bed and be still And agreeable to this was his practice Psal 4.4 I call to remembrance my song in the night I commune with my own heart and my spirit made diligent search Chrysostom on these words of David Psal 77.6 What means this saith he commune with your own hearts upon your bed Post doenam Chrysost Expos in Psa 4.4 thus answers himself after supper-time when ye are going to sleep and are ready to ly down on bed and have great quiet and silence without the presence or disturbance of any then erect a tribunal for the conscience And when neither friend disturbs you Docuerant nos saepe patres nostri c. Dovoth tom 1. nor servants provoke you nor multitudes of business do press upon you then take an account of your life what you have done in the day-time before And Dorotheus layes it down as a rule which the Christians of his time had learned of their fore-fathers that in the evening they should question themselves how they had passed the day Biblioth Pot● p. 14. Oh that Christians now would Sum up their accounts at the foot of every page I mean that they would call themselves to scrutiny every evening when they are ready to compose themselves to sleep as to the little Images of Death 4. The evening is a season to consider my Priviledges in Christ Psal 48. When David was ready for his Bed I will lay me down in peace and sleep saith he for thou Lord only makest me dwell in safety See how he speaks of peace and rest and sleep and safety all these were Priviledges Me thinks it is a sweet conclusion of a good dayes work and a blessed farewel to the World if this evening were my last and that immediately I must go to God to consider of some of those glorious Priviledges in God and Christ I might instance in my peace and rest and sleep and safety by vertue of a promise or covenant of Grace or I might instance in my Election Redemption Reconciliation Adoption Sanctification Glorification But because these are commonly handled and our communion with God and Christ and the spirit of Christ is the most ravishing Priviledge in this World my soul carries me out for the present to pitch on this * Dr. Owens communion God the Father Son and Holy Ghost One of our Worthies hath writ eminenly on it and for a taste of his excellent work the sweeting of my last thoughts with such an excellent subject I shall contract it thus 1. I would consider my communion with God the Father in love This the Father peculiarly fixes upon the Saints and this they are immediately to eye him in God is love Christians walk of times with exceeding troubled hearts concerning the thoughts of the Father towards them they are well perswaded of the Lord Christ and his good will the difficulty lies in what is their acceptance with the Father what is his heart towards them Now here is the work of the Gospel to discover the love of the Father this is the will of God that he may alwayes be eyed as being kind tender loving yea as the Fountain and Spring of all gracious Communications and fruits of love and when Christians apprehend this that God is love and so rest upon him and delight in him as such then have they communion with the Father in love Now for the exercise of my soul in this blessed communion the directions are such as these 1. I must eye the Father as Love I must not look on him as one that is alwayes angry but as one most kind and tender in himself and as one that hath had thoughts of kindness towards his Saints from everlasting 2. I must so eye the love of the Father as to receive it by faith I must believe this love of God as for my self Certainly his love is not mine nor will it be mine in the sweetness of it untill it be so received Either I must know it assent to it embrace it and have all my affections filled with it or it will be in vain as to my Communion with God the Father 3. This love must have its proper fruit and efficacy upon my heart in a return of love to him again To this purpose God loves that he may be beloved this is the return that he demands Pro. 23.26 My son give me thy heart thy affections thy love O the Priviledge of Saints they have meat to eat that the World knows not of they have close communion and fellowship with the Father they deal with him in the interchange of love so that every one of them may say If I have hatred in the World I will goe where I am sure of love though all others are hard to me yet my Father is tender and full of compassion I will goe to him and satisfie my self in him 4. I would consider of my communion with God the Son in grace So the Apostle speaking of our communion with him as Mediator concludes his Epistles 1 Cor. 6.23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Not to mention any other grace Gal 6.18 but his perchased grace of justification or acceptation with God the directions for this Communion are such as these Ephes 6.24 I must eye Christ's doings and sufferings not as for himself but for his Saints Phil. 4.23 and for their Righteousness He was made under the Law Gal. 4.4 5. that we might receive the adoption of Sons And he bare our sins in his body on the Tree 1 Thess 5.28 This was the end of Christ's life and death to work out a compleat Righteousness for believers 2 Thess 3.18 Gal. 4.2 as to a perfect acceptation before God 1 Pet. 2 24. I must approve of this Righteousness of Christ as that alone which is absolutely compleat and able to make me acceptable before God Of this I am convinced that if I die this night there is a necessity of a Righteousness wherewith I must appear before God and if I have nothing to commend me unto God but my own Righteousness oh how should I appear before his glory there is no other name but Christ

and if so how is it possible for me to redeem the time I answer 1. By way of Concession I believe there is a day of grace indeed and if that Sun set it will never never rise again If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the things belonging to thy peace but now are they hid from thine eyes Luk. 19 4● q. d. Now is the gate of mercy shut there is no means of grace or Salvation for ever hereafter to be hoped for As there is no Market or Fair-day that lasteth alwayes if the Country will not come in the Trades-man will at last put up his wares So the Lord's standing may be open and his shop set wide for such and such a time but if Souls will not come in and buy without mony and without price he will at last put up his wares all his jewels of grace and then be gone 2. Though it be true that there is a day of grace and that this day may set yet in respect of us the Ministers of Christ we cannot determine it and therefore so long as you live we call still oh repent oh redeem your time I may add in respect of your selves it is not in you to know the times and seasons which God hath put in his own power Act. 1.7 And the commandement of Faith standing in force on you so long as you live and thereforce you are still to look to your Duty of redeeming the time 3. It may be this day this night this Sermon this very hour may be thy day of grace Hearken is not Christ's Spirit now a knocking is not Christ himself now offering mercy to thy Soul O ye sons of men that have mis-improved your time will ye now at least in this your day he wise to Salvation why now I call to your hearts now I command you to open your everlasting doors that I the King of Glory may come in oh let this be the time of love Come give me your hearts and now redeem the time Away away with all objections scruples cavils that may hinder this Duty and now even now hearken to this voice of Christ or of the Spirit of Christ that your Souls may live 3. Must time be redeemed Then for some Rules or Directions how we must redeem it Rule 1. Vse 3. A void we every thing that would hinder us from taking the opportunity What those things are you have heard before as ignorance sloth and love of fleshly liberty Many other particulars might be enumerated but chiefly and especially foregoe we these Rule 2. Repent we of all former mis-improvings of our time There is no other way of recompensing former unfruitfulness but by repentance and after diligence This is the scond table after shipwrack in this way we may redeem or buy back again the time that is past The very word resipiscentia signifies to be wise again after all our former follies Oh that ever any should be so unworthy as to decry this godly-Gospel-golden Rule Rule 3. Live we every day as if every day were the last day we had to live This Rule or direction is so comprehensive that I must needs break it into particulars Suppose then I were to begin this day and that I look't on this day as the last day of my life how should I redeem my time or spend this day I answer 1. My first and morning-thoughts should be on God or on something in order to his service Psal 130.6 My Soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the Morning Isa 23.2 O Lord be gracious to me I have waited for thee be thou my arm every Morning Psal 59.16 I will sing of thy power I will sing aloud of thy mercy in thy Morning It is good to give thanks unto the Lord. Psal 92.1 2. and to sing praises unto thy name O most high to shew forth thy loving kindness in the Morning Psal 139.17 How pretious are thy thoughs unto me O God when I awake I am still with thee Now these Morning-thoughts may be spent either in a way of Meditation Isa 26. or of Prayer and my Duties lie in both 2. I should meditate I shall not determine whether Morning or Evening may be more suitable for set deliberate and solemn meditation onely this I affirm that either a solemn or an occasional meditation is a Morning-duty In some sort meditation and prayer should ever go together Psal 5.1 2.3 and David thus couples them Give ear to my words O Lord consider my meditation hearken to the voice of my cry My voice shalt thou hear in the Morning O Lord in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee Now these Morning-meditations if occasional or ejaculatory may be on such Objects as these 1. Upon my first waking I may think on that Morning of my Resurrection when the Lord will awake me from the dust it is but a while till the trump shall sound Awake Isa 29.19 and sing ye that dwell in the dust for thy dew is as the dew of herbs and then shall the earth cast out her dead 2. Upon sight of the Morning-sun I may think on that Sun of Righteousness that enlightens Heaven The Sun that shines on me was only created for this nether World and yet how glorious is it Oh then what light is there in that City above that hath no need of Sun Re. 21.23 or Moon or Star for the glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof 3. Upon the putting on of my apparel I may think on that garment of Righteousness where with my soul either is or should be cloathed Alas what is this outward Robe but a Rag or at best an excrement of dead worms of which I have little reason to be proud But my Souls Robe is as a garment cut out of the Sun Rev. 12.1 and put upon me And there appeared a great wonder in Heaven a woman cloathed with the Sun Oh that I may be cloathed with that Sun of Righteousness or with that Rightousness of the Son of God that I may appear before God as I am in him pure and spotless I shall not instance in any other objects of my Mornings meditation onely if I find my spirit most active and fit for meditation at such a time I should then go on and spare more time for set deliberate and solemn meditations 2. I should pray and to this Duty I may joyn the reading of the Word That this is a mornings Duty the Scripture is express Psal 5.3 In the Morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up Psal 88.13 And in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee And evening and morning and at noon will I pray and crie aloud Psal 55.17 and he shall hear my voice It is true that Prayer and reading of the Word are two distinct exercises

or flourishing time as I am a stranger to it so I believe she had or might have her failings in that time The temptations of honour riches prosperity and youth are stronger than most imagine and therefore prayed David Remember not the sins of my youth Psal 25.7 and all that are honourable may pray Remember not the sins of my honour nobility and greatness in the world For my part I shall not take notice of these things or of those times but rather speak of her redeeming the time since that time that forsaking the World in great measure she gave up her self in a more retired and solitary way to serve her God Now then if here I begin She hath for these many years redeemed her time as thus 1. In life 2. In Death 1. In life it will appear in her general and particular calling For the first ordinarily every Morning and every evening she was exercised in those duties of Meditation and Prayer This was her course not by fits and starts but daily in her pleasant Walks or private Chamber she spent both her early and later houres in Communion with God Nor speak I this by report onely for of her goodness and bounty she was pleased every Spring to invite me to her House and by this meanes I was acquainted with her constant course Indeed I was the more willing to embrace her welcome because her House seemed to me as a Colledge for Religion or as a retirement from the noises and more frequeent Temptations of the World and this gave her and me and all that pleased an happy opportunity to continue our devotions without interruption Some Books she had for contemplation others for an Holy conversation others for meditation others for devotion of all sorts some and of all these sorts she made some use but of all books for constant use and practice she preferred the Bible telling me often that other Books had their use and delight till with often reading they became more ordinary and then they seemed to lose of their former lustre glory and excellency but the Bible was in her often-reading ever fresh and green and new She found in it still such per petual streams of Holy Heavenly and Spiritual delights that as Teriullian said she could not but admire and a dore the fulness of the Scriptures 2. Ordinarily she spent the rest of the day in her works of the needle with her maids about her Or if other things of Houswifery had interposed she was never so transported with honour as to scorn her duty in the way of a particular calling Well she had learnt that idleness was the rust and canker of the soul the Devils cushion pillow chief reposal his very tide-time of Temptation and therefore with conscience and faithfulness she was diligent in her particular as well as general calling Now and then she would have visited poor cottages and relieved their necessities but ever was she courteous to the Neighbourhood and careful in the affairs of her own House Take all together and for ought I know she might be a pattern to most of the Ladies in our Nation or at least as a bright Morning-star amongst other stars 2. She redeemed her time in death or near her death now indeed she was taken off her particular calling and therefore this time she spent as she could for sickness in the exercise of spiritual duties and spiritual graces For duties she was much in them of which we speak before and for graces she shined and was most eminent in such as these As 1. In meekness She was of a meek and quiet spirit seldome have I seen her exorbitant in passions but often have I seen her amidst provocations quiet meek gentle and easie to be intreated In her sickness she carried it as a lamb not a word of passion or peevishness issued out of her lips so far as I observed The very Image of Christ was in this respect drawn fair within her Learn of me for I am meek Matth. 11.29 Christ a meek Christ and she a meek creature 2. In humility She was of high descent and sprung of Royal blood yet humble in heart and lowly in spirit She never scorned the poorest Creature but often stooped to wonderful condescentions as I conceived In her sickness as well as death she laid her honor in the dust She was far from the opinion of them that think humility a debasement and meekness a derogation from their repute no no she had othewise learned of Christ humility was her Ornament and therewith she decked her self in the Apostles language 1 Pet. 5.5 or cloathed her self both in health and in sickness when she could put on no other cloathing Hence she was stiled by some the humble harmless Lady 3. In patience submission and contentedness of spirit to be at God's disposal She had a sore sickness and because of her former health it was to her the sorer Of many years before she had not layn sick in Bed one day but many a turn had she took in her Walks and Gallery and through much exercise in that way she had the advantage both of her health and communion with God but now the Lord laid her on a Bed of sickness not for a day or two or three or four but for a long while together She that before had walked with God was now God's prisoner and such was the nature of the sickness that she could not stir nor move one foot yet was she patient and submisive to God's hand she kissed the rod she learnt the Churches lesson I will bare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Micah 7.9 She never murmured not repined one whit but as she was taught so she learnt and conformed to that frame of Eli and David Lord here I am do with me as seems good in thine own eyes 4. In faith She was ever and anon during her sickness acting faith often she acknowledged her own nothingness vileness wretchedness that she was of little faith and of no ability in respect of her self to help her self Indeed her weakness in faith in grace and in all performances was her constant complaint and this made me to mind her of that promise that he would not quench the smoaking flax nor break the bruised reed until he brought forth judgement unto victory Mat. 12.20 Some others I have seen most confident in their sickness of salvation whom though I dare not censure beause unacquainted with their grounds yet I ingenously acknowledge that I like dearly of an humble trembling self-condemning frame Sure I am that they who are vilest in their own eyes are persons in whom God most delighteth I remember how Paul in Scripture bespattered himself but are not those passages his beauty-pots Give me a man amongst you that will lick the dust of Jesus feet and I dare say of such a one that Christ will take him into his armes and lay him in his bosome it was