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	thought_n	2,136	5	6.6030	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65716	Three sermons preach'd at Salisbury the first, A.D. 1680, and again before the militia, at their going against the late Duke of Monmouth ... the second preach'd before the Right Reverend Father in God, Seth, Lord Bishop of Sarum, A.D. 1681 ... the third, preach'd A.D. 1683, at the election of the mayor ... / by Daniel Whitby.	Whitby, Daniel, 1638-1726.	1685 (1685)	Wing W1737; ESTC R28389	88,809	79

they daily went to offer up their Prayers their Sacrifices their Oblations and Thanksgivings for his peculiar Mercies to them and whilst they constantly performed these things they thought God could not but be pleased with their Persons and that their Sacrifices would be a full Attonement for their Sins when they had bowed down their Heads like a Bulrush when they had wept and fasted before God although they did not loose the Bands of Wickedness they take upon them the Boldness to expostulate the case with God and murmur that their Services were not accepted Isa 58.3 for wherefore say they have we fasted and thou seest not wherefore have we afflicted our Souls and thou takest no knowledge To such a height of Confidence were they arrived from the Performance of these Duties And therefore God seems much concern'd to let them know that he delighted not in their Oblations Amos 5.21 that he hated and despised their Feast-days and would not smell in their solemn Assemblies that their burnt Offerings were not acceptable Jer. 6.20 Isa 66.3 nor their Sacrifices sweet unto him that he that killed an Oxewas as if he slew a Man he that sacrificed a Lamb as if he cut off a Dogs Neck he that offered an Oblation as if he offered Swines Blood and he that burned Incense as if he blessed an Idol Hence doth he call upon them with great earnestness to put away the evil of their doings to loose the bands of Wickedness Isa 58.6 Mi● 6.10 11. to undoe the heavy Burthens to let the oppressed go free and to break every Yoke to put away the Treasures of Wickedness kept in the Houses of the wicked the scant Measure the wicked Balance and the Bag of deceitful Weights not to oppress the Widow nor the Fatherless the Stranger or the Poor nor to imagine evil in their Hearts against their Neighbour To learn to do well Isa 1.17 to seek Judgment relieve the oppressed judge the Fatherless plead for the Widow Amos 5.24 to let Judgment run down as Waters and Righteousness as a mighty Stream to deal their Bread to the hungry and bring the Poor that are cast out Isa 58.7 into their Houses when they see the naked to cover him and not to hide themselves from their own Flesh Zech. 7.9 to execute true Judgment and shew Mercy and Compassion every Man to his Brother Whence we may learn these three Particulars 1. That we are very prone to rest in the performance of these outward Duties and to be confident that they will purchase for us the Favour of the God of Heaven although we do not add unto them those inward Fruits of Righteousness in which the Power of true Godliness consists for wherefore was our Lord and all these holy Prophets so concerned to warn men of this great Mistake were they not very prone to fall into it 2. That we are naturally averse from those spiritual Duties in which the Life and Power of true Godliness consists for were it otherwise why do the Holy Prophets and our dear Lord so oft inculcate and with such Vehemence exhort men to perform them And 3. That the Form of Godliness without the Power of it will be so far from ministring to our Acceptance here or Happiness hereafter that it will be thrown back as Dung into our Faces and be the greatest Aggravation of our future doom for if God so despised and with so great Abomination did reject the Service of the Jews when 't was not joyned with Obedience and inward Purity with Acts of Charity and Justice albeit their Religion was full of Shadows and of outward Ceremonies how much more will he loath the Service of the formal Christian from whom he chiefly doth require a spiritual Worship and an inward Holiness And oh what pity is it that we who do so much to go to Heaven should do it to so bad or little purpose that we should wholly lose the benefit and comfort of all our Prayers and Fastings Hearing and Reading for want of Care to do what we do hear and read and by our Prayers and Fastings seem desirous to do or that for want of doing more we should provoke God to reject with Hatred and Abomination what we have already done We being therefore apt to lie under these sad Mistakes which tend to the destruction of our precious Souls can any of us take it ill that we are thus forewarned of them Is it not reasonable to press us to perform those things which are so necessary to our Salvation and Acceptance with God and from which we are naturally so averse Wherefore Beloved let me beseech you not to rest in any outward Form of Godliness but to advance unto the Power of it by the subjection of your Wills unto the Will of God and a prevailing Love unto him by the due Moderation of your Passions and Affections and the Purification of your Hearts from Anger Malice Envy uncharitable Censures Pride and Self-conceit unclean and wicked Thoughts Let us be careful that our Piety express it self in constant Acts of universal Charity and Mercy Justice and upright Conversation towards Men and in a peaceable Frame of Spirit for if we only do express it by listing of our selves to such a Party or Perswasion or being zealous for it by going to the Church hearing a Sermon there repeating it at home fasting receiving of the Sacrament and leave these greater things undone we only mock God with an outward Shew but if unto this Form we add those things in which the Life of Piety consists we have obtained that Godliness which hath the Promise of this Life and that which is to come A SERMON PREACH'D Before the Militia of the County of Wilts at their marching against MONMOVTH TITUS 3.1 Put them in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers and obey Magistrates WE read in Suidas that the Cretians concerning whom St. Paul gives this Command to Titus were prone to stir up one another to Sedition and that the Preservation of their Liberties was the Pretence for their seditious Practices moreover in that Island dwelt swarms of Jews and judaizing Christians who were Titus 1.9 saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men of a Refractory and Seditious Spirit One of their wicked and seditious Principles was this Vide 1 Tim. 6.1 3. 1 Pet. 2.18 That Servants were exempted from all Obligations of Obedience to their wicked Masters on which Account St. Peter in his Epistle to the dispersed Jews saith thus Servants 1 Pet. 2.18 be subject to your Masters in all fear not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward Another of their Rebellious Principles was this That Christians were not obliged to submit or yield Obedience to Heathen Governours for such they deem'd unworthy of that Honour who were the Enemies of the true God and his Religion To cure this Distemper which tended to reproach Christianity

which is given him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Guide and Moderator of that Appetite viz. that Reason which the Wiseman stiles the Candle of the Lord. Prov. 20.27 When therefore we do act according to the Directions of this Guide when we permit the inward Principle to govern all our Appetites and Passions we must act regularly or in the Language of the Ancients 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But when we follow the Inclinations of our blind Affections and ungovern'd Passions our Actions must be sinful and irregular and therefore Virtue is by the great Philosopher defin'd to be the observing of the mein in all our Passions according to the Rules of Prudence When therefore our Religion hath prevail'd over our irascible Passions and made us meek sedate and peaceable patient long-suffering and ready to forgive when it will not permit us to retain Envy and Malice Hatred and Anger in our Breasts or vent our Choler in reviling clamorous calumniating or bitter Words which are all fleshly Lusts or their Productions when it hath fill'd our Souls with Love Gal. 5.22 Kindness Goodness Bowels of Mercy and Compassion towards all Mankind which are the Fruits of the good Spirit when it hath so far moderated our concupiscible Passions that we love nothing but in subordination to God have no great zeal or hatred against any thing but as it tends to his Dishonour and our Souls Estrangement from him desire and hope for nothing in the World but with Submission to him and fear nothing so much as to offend him when we can readily abstain from any sensual Pleasure quit any outward Comforts without excess of Sorrow and be content to want or to enjoy all worldly things as seemeth best to Providence to give or to deny them then have we the true Power of Godliness That this was anciently esteemed the genuine effect of true Religion we learn from that Expression of Lactantius Da mihi virum qui sit iracundus c. l. 3. c. 26. Give me an angry fierce and foul-mouthed Person with a few Words of God he shall become as mild and gentle as a Lamb. Give me a covetous griping Person this Word will make him liberal and open handed 't will make him who once trembled at the Thoughts of Death and Pain to contemn both the Cross and Flames 't will make the lustful and adulterous Ruffian to become sober chaste and continent the cruel bloody Man be kind and merciful and the unjust to give every one his due Tanta divinae sapientiae vis est ut in hominis pectus infusa matrem delictorum stultitiam uno semel impetu expellat Of such a Power is this heavenly Wisdom that being once embraced it instantly expels that Folly which is the Mother of all Vice 2. The Power of Godliness consists in self-denial and the entire Subjection of our Wills unto the Will of God If any Man will come after me Mark 8.34 saith Christ he must deny himself take up his Cross and follow me i. e. If he would be indeed a Christian he must put on a stedfast Resolution to quit all the Enjoyments Honours and Pleasures of the World his dearest Relatives and even Life it self if it be needful for my sake he must take up his Cross submitting his own Will unto the Will of Providence and being ready patiently to suffer any fiery Tryals for the sake of Christ and he must follow me yielding Obedience to my Will of Precept The Weapons of our Warfare saith St. Paul 2 Cor. 10.4 5. are powerful to the pulling down of strong Holds removing all that opposition which is in our Hearts Wills and Affections to a holy Life and casting down 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all pride of Soul which will not suffer it to yield all carnal Reasonings which Flesh and Blood suggest against Obedience to the Laws of God And what is all Impiety but the opposing of our Wills unto the Will of God and wherein doth consist the substance of Religion but in Obedience to and in Compliance with his Precepts which are the Indications of his Will What therefore can true Piety import but the surrendring up our Wills unto the Conduct of the Will of God What is that self-denial which the Scripture calls for as the great Duty of Christianity but the submission of our Wills unto our Master's Pleasure in those things which seem most grievous to Flesh and Blood and most to thwart our Pleasures and our worldly Appetites And what is it to mortifie our fleshly Lusts but to reduce all these Desires and Affections to a compliance with God's Will of Precept And this is in effect the same with placing Godliness in a prevailing Love to God which Love to God with all our Hearts and all our Souls Mat. 22.37 38. is saith our Lord the greatest and the first Commandment 'T is that from which all other Duties which we owe to God will naturally flow for what can be more natural than cheerfully to serve the Person whom we chiefly love and carefully avoid what we conceive displeasing to him If we love Pleasure more than God saith our Apostle here 2 Tim. 3.4 we only have the Form of Godliness and what he saith of Pleasures may with like reason be affirmed of Honours and Enjoyments Friends and Relatives or any other worldly thing we do but hypocritically profess to love God 1 John 2.15 if we love any of them more than him and therefore by the Rule of Contraries then must we have the Power of Godliness when our Affection to God is greater than our Love to any of these things Now when is Love to God so prevalent but when it doth effectually move us to part with our beloved Dalilahs to cut off Hands and pluck out Eyes i. e. to quit those Pleasures and Enjoyments for his sake which seem as useful and desirable as an Hand or Eye When therefore we so live that in the general Course or Tenor of our Lives we seek not our own Honour but the Honour of God we do not study how to please our selves in worldly matters but rather do endeavour to walk before God unto all well-pleasing when we engage as well in Duties which are prejudicial to our worldly Interests and full of Hazards as those which minister unto our Pleasure and Advantage and are entirely resolved whether it be good or whether it be bad easie or difficult pleasing or irksome unto Flesh and Blood we will obey the Voice of the Lord and act up to that Resolution then do we in our Lives express the Power of Godliness 3. As Godliness doth in the larger acceptation of the Word include Justice and Charity towards our Neighbours so where the Power of it doth reside it will express it self in conscientious performance of these Duties to him it will possess us with a fervent Love to all Mankind to Friend and Foe to those who hate as

the only true Religion then in being that he would not allow the Exercise thereof at Rome but did inflict great Penalties on the Professors of it under his Government the Images of Caesar were brought into Jerusalem by Pilate as an Affront to their Religion and the Treasures of the Temple were seiz'd upon He by his President did crucifie the Holy Jesus and killed with the Sword St. James the first of Christian Bishops there so great an Adversary was he to the Christian Faith and yet our Saviour owns that his Authority even against himself was from above John 19.11 and that it was not lawful in defence of his own Person to take up the Sword against him Claudius was a debauched and vicious Person and barbarously cruel Suetonius declares that he was a very Prodigy of Lust that he was of a most salvage c. 33 34 37. c. 25. bloody Temper he was so great an Enemy to the right Worship of the only true God that under the Name of Jews he banished the Christians from Rome Suet. c. 16. Tacit. l. 15. p. 363. At the Command of Nero the Christians were exposed to the most exquisite Punishments saith Tacitus they were torn in pieces of Dogs and nailed to the Cross or being roul'd in Pitch were so committed to the Flames and made to serve the use of Torches in the Night These were the Persons which the Christians of that Age in Scripture are forbidden to resist and were commanded to obey in all things lawful to be done So that from hence these two Conclusions will arise First That Christians must be subject to their Civil Magistrates and in no Cases are allowed or authorised forcibly to resist or to bear Arms against them Secondly That in all lawful Matters they stand bound to yield active Obedience to the Commands of their Superiours And First That Christians must be subject to their Civil Magistrates and in no Cases are allowed or authorised forcibly to resist or take up Arms against them may be evident 1. From those Expressions of the Old Testament which reprehend and positively condemn all evil Speeches of the Higher Powers which say Thou shalt not revile the Gods Exod. 22.28 nor speak Evil of the Ruler of thy People against which Text St. Paul confesseth he offended when he said to the High-Priest God shall smite thee thou whited Wall altho that High-Priest even then commanded that St. Paul should be smitten contrary to the Law Acts 23.3 and so was an unrighteous Judge And seeing by occasion of the Misgovernment of evil Princes Men through impatience of Spirit might be apt to break forth into disloyal Thoughts and undutiful Affections to them even when Fear restrains them from seditious Speeches or rebellious Practices the Wise-man strictly doth prohibit even these Risings of the Heart against them saying Eccles 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy Thoughts do not wish any Evil to his Person Crown or Government no not in thy most secret and inward Thoughts Now hence I argue thus If we may not speak Evil of the Ruler of the People much less may we act Evil against him if we may not revile him with the Tongue we may not smite him with the Fist if we may not say unto him thou art wicked Job 34.18 we cannot surely judge or pass the Sentence on him as a wicked Person and much less may we punish him as such if we may not have an undutiful or disloyal Thought of him much less may we do an undutiful or disloyal Act towards him 2. This will be farther evident from the Deportment of the Man after God's own Heart towards King Saul for God himself had stablished this Law Deut. 17.15 Thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall chuse he also had rejected Saul and his whole Family from ruling over Israel 1 Sam. 15.26.16.12 The Lord hath rejected thee saith Samuel to Saul from being King he hath rent the Kingdom from thee and hath given it to a Neighbour of thine that is better than thou he saith not that hereafter he would rend it from him 1 Sam. 15.28 30. but more expresly this day the Lord hath done it All this is said by the same Prophet in the Name of the same God who chose Saul King and before all the People Again God saith to Samuel not only that he had rejected Saul from reigning over Israel but also that he had provided for himself another King whom instantly he sends him to anoint without any Expressions of Reservation for the Life of Saul and instantly upon this Unction the Spirit of the Lord the Spirit of Wisdom 1 Sam. 16.13 14. Counsel and Government came upon David from that day forward and departed from Saul He also was accepted in the sight of all the People and what more plausible Pretences could be offered of Failure on the part of Saul or of the actual investing of David in the Kingly Government After all this Saul persecutes him out of his Dominions and drove him out from abiding in the Inheritance of the Lord saying Go serve other Gods 1 Sam. ●6 19 ch 18.11 ch 19.11 ch 20.31 ch 24.11 Ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He casts a Javelin at him to smite him to the Wall sends Messengers to his House to watch him and slay him in the Morning He declares that he shall surely die and in pursuance of that bloody Resolution he hunted him as a Partridge in the Wilderness and pursued his Life to take it away all this he did against him tho there was neither Evil nor Transgression nor Rebellion in his hand So that no subject in the World could have a better Plea for self-defence or taking up the Sword on the Account of the tyrannical Deportment of a King than he had against Saul and yet behold with what * This is an Instance on which the Fathers much insist and often urge for the Suppression of all Rebellious Attempts and Practices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Hom. 1. in David Soul to 8. p. 16. lin 27 38. Basil of Sileucia introduces David speaking thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orat. 16. Optatus makes him speak thus Sine causa me victoria provo●●s frustra me occasio in triumphos invitas volebam hostem vincere sed prius est divina praecepta servare non inquit mittam manus in unctum domini repressit cum gladio manum dum timuit oleum servavit inimicum adv Parmen l. 2. p. 60. Abhorrence and Detestation he looks upon the stretching forth his hand against him Chalilah li Mejehovah 1 Sa. 24.6 Abomination will be charged upon me from the Lord if I stretch forth my Hand against the Lord 's Anointed and again ch 26.11 ch 24.5 The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my Hand against the Lord 's Anointed yea no sooner had he cut

by the profane and wicked Man And therefore 't is not to be wondered that Providence should rather chuse to countenance even this Form of Godliness than to permit that profane Spirit to reign which doth so horribly blaspheme the Name and Doctrine of our Lord and Saviour And if our Church and Kingdom be still in danger from the Scribe and Pharisee they are as much in danger from the Publican and Sinner 3. What hath been said will be sufficient to convince us of the Hypocrisie of some among us who have past for very Godly and Religious Persons The Context clearly doth pronounce this Sentence upon the covetous the proud 2 Tim. 3.2 3 4. and the high-minded on the Blasphemer or evil-speaker and the false Accuser on the incontinent unholy and despiser of them that are good on the fierce heady cruel and on the Lovers of themselves or of their Pleasures more than God and if these Men in this our Nation were excluded from the number of sincere upright Christians as at the last day they will be how small would be the remnant of the true Israelites This Sentence is particularly denounced against those Godly Traitors v. 4. and those Religious Rebels v. 3. whose Zeal for God and the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom as they blasphemously pretended engaged them in that Resistance of the Higher Powers on which the Scriptures doth pronounce Damnation I know not any Persons who more pretended Godliness than they they had their monthly Fasts to beg a Blessing on their Rebellious Enterprises and their Thansgivings that they were prosperous Rebels they would pray long and preach long and would be very scrupulous in lesser matters but being Traytors and disobedient both to their sacred and civil Governours being Truce-breakers and Violaters of the Oaths of their Allegiance they had saith the Apostle only a Form of Godliness but they denied the Power thereof Now the Power of Godliness as it here stands opposed to the Form doth signifie the Virtue and the Efficacy of it to produce within us those Actions and Dispositions which evidence that we are truly godly and which the Scripture calls the Fruits of Righteousness for as the Power of Fire or of the Sun denotes the Virtue which these Creatures have to scorch burn melt or to perform any other Action suitable unto the nature of those Powers even so the Power of Godliness must be supposed to import the Efficacy of it to produce within us those Effects wherein the Truth of Godliness consists Now 1. The Power of Godliness consists in the due Regulation of our Passions and Affections and the Subjection of them to the Rules of Reason enlightned by the Word of God For first What is the ground of all that Atheism and Irreligion which is in the World but an irregularity of these our fleshly Appetites and Passions a dissolute and sensual Life being the Cause as well as the Result of Atheism it being that which doth provoke the righteous God to give men up to strong Delusions 2 Thess 2.11 2 Cor. 4.4 or to the Power of the Prince of Darkness and that which renders it their Interest that there should be and therefore causeth it to be their Judgment that there is no future Punishments What are all sinful Lusts but Eph. 2.3 Gal. 5.24 Rom. 8.7 in the Scripture Language 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lustings of the Flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Passions the Desires the Wisdom of the Flesh or sensual Appetite exalting of it self against the Wisdom of the Spirit or the prescriptions of right Reason What are those fleshly Lusts which we are call'd to mortifie that we may live but those Irregularities of our concupiscible Passions which move us to pursue what seemeth grateful to our Senses viz. Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness Drunkenness Intemperance Revelling Gal. 5.19 21. Theft Covetousness Rapaciousness 1 Cor. 6.9 and the extravagances of our irascible Passions viz. Hatred and Envy Emulation Wrath Anger and Bitterness of Spirit Gal. 5.19 21. Eph. 4.31 with their intemperate Effects Strife Variance Schism Sedition Murther reviling clamorous blaspheming Speeches and Pride which saith the Wiseman Prov. 13.10 do provoke us to them Whence is it that the wicked Man is still in Scripture call'd the Fool whence is he said to sin against the Dictatesof his Conscience but that he acts in Contradiction to his enlightned Reason And on the other hand what is the business of Religion as it is represented by St. Paul but to instruct us to perform 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a reasonable Service Rom. 12.1 What is the difference betwixt that Wisdom which is from above and that which saith St. James is eacthly sensual Jam. 3.15 v. 14. and devilish but that this last is still attended with bitter Zeal and a contentious Spirit whereas the heavenly Wisdom is chaste and peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated v. 17. The power of Godliness is often said in Scripture to express it self in the Purification of the Heart The Fear of the Lord is pure Psal 19.9 The Circumcision of the Heart is that which doth alone commend us to God and make us truly what we do outwardly profess to be Rom. 2.29 This is of absolute Necessity to our Enjoyment of the God of Purity for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Purification none shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Matth. 5.8 Matt. 12.34 and of that Beatifick Vision none who have purity of Heart can fail And seeing as our Saviour saith out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh and out of that defiled Fountain the Streams of evil Actions flow the pure Heart must produce purity of Life and Conversation and the impure Heart must sometimes shew it self in Actions suitable to its nature Now what is it that doth defile the Heart Matth. 5.8 Mark 7.27 but those corrupt Affections which are in it What is it therefore to be pure in heart but to be free from those inordinate Affections and unbridled Passions Again what is it to live godly but to be Men of upright perfect Hearts toward God to keep a good and honest Conscience And what is this but to act suitably to the Convictions of our Reasons enlightned by the Word of God Lastly What is it to live godly but so to live as that we crucifie the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts Rom. 8.13 for If we live after the Flesh we shall die but if through the Spirit we mortifie the deeds of the Flesh we shall live Now what is it to mortifie these Lusts but to curb their irrational Extravagances or keep them in due mein or in subjection to the Laws of Prudence Man Aristot Moral Eudsin l. 7. c. 15. say the Ancients doth consist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of something in him which must be ruled and moderated and that say they is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sensual Appetite and something