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	place_n	zion_n	14	3	8.6256	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46702	The vvorks of heaven upon earth, or, The eccellencie of praise and thanksgiving in part displayed in a sermon, inlarged into a treatise, preached at Taunton in the county of Somerset May 11. 1648, being the day set apart for the annuall commemoration of the deliverance of that town, by the reliefe which they received on May 11. anno 1645 / by Henry Jeanes ...	Jeanes, Henry, 1611-1662.	1649 (1649)	Wing J513; ESTC R20545	60,248	86

in our praises of God First an intensive greatnes in regard of their number we must be frequent plentifull in the duty we must to use the expression of David Psa 145.7 abundantly utter the memory of Gods great goodnes Secondly there must be an intensive greatnes in our praises in regard of the degree fervour and heat of them They must be high and vehement fervent flaming zealous and affectionate full of life and vigour ' our Spirits must be raised our hearts and tongues enlarged in the performance of this duty Gods glorious name as it is Nehem. 9.5 is exalted above all blessing and praise above our devoutest and most zealous praises and therefore surely faint heartlesse and livelesse praises are so far from reaching him as that they may seem to bee meant of another of a lower object God then is not praised at al if he be not greatly praised Weak and dull praises are dispraises for a person or thing is not honoured or praised unlesse there be some proportion between the honour and praise and the worthines of the person or thing honoured and praised Honour saith Aquinas and we may say the same of praise is nothing else but a testimony of the excellency of a person or thing Now when a testimony is so far from being home and full as that it doth not in any sort reach that for which it is brought there must be either a falshood or a nullity in it It were strange then if cold unzealous and unfervent praises should beare witnes unto the infinite greatnes of God Hence it is that you shall find in Psalm 108. that after David had professed a purpose of praising God v. 1 2 3. he tells you next the proportion that is between the attributes which he praiseth in God and his praise of him The greatnes of the attributes Mercy and Truth we have v. 4. Thy Mercy is great above the heavens and thy Truth reaeheth unto the clouds And there is an answerable greatnes in his praises of God for them vers 5. Be thou exalted O God above the heavens and thy glory above all the earth He wisheth and endeavoureth to exalt him as high in his praises as he is in himselfe to exalt him above the earth above the heaven and the clouds In peace-offerings for thanksgiving levened bread was to be offered Levit. 7.13 now the property of leven is to raise the meale so then the requiring of it might be to signifie that in thanksgiving our hearts are to he raised and elevated above the pitch of nature by spirituall holy and heavenly affections and because it is not possible that our hearts should be lifted up in so high a manner as the nature and number of Gods mercies merit we must supply what is wanting with an holy devout stupor and admiration That place in Psalm 65.1 rendred by our Translators Praise waiteth for thee ô God in Syon is in the originall Praise is silent or silence unto thee to wit out of wonder at the incomprehensiblenes of thy goodnes 't is this that strikes them dumb with admiration as being beyond all not only expressions but also apprehensions Lastly if thanksgiving bee so excellent a duty let it be performed by us entirely wholly and fully and not blemish'd with the omissions of any of its parts which are five Observation Confession Remembrance Valuation Retribution let all these have a place in this your day of thanksgiving and not so much as one of them left out For would it not be pitty that so noble and worthy a worke should bee maimed and defective should want any thing that makes unto its integrity and fulnesse First then Observe narrowly and inquisitively the mercy for the publique acknowledgement whereof wee hold this Assembly take a steady and curious view of all particular circumstances and passages in the Seige that had any thing either of mercy or marvaile in them that so you may digest them into matter of praise and thanksgiving And let not your observation dwell and stay upon an arme of flesh The prudence and resolution of your worthy Governour the golden mettle of your Souldiers and Townsmen the care and speed that was used by the valiant instruments of your reliefe but let it goe higher so high as heaven Observe the mercy and the hand the wisdome power and providence of God therein Besides as he who drew the picture of Antigonus painted onely one side of his face and not the other which was blemished with the want of an eye so doe you as it were over-look all miseries and losses that you sustained by the siege the burning of a great part of your town and goods the slaughter of many of your dearest friends and neighbours and chiefely fix your thoughts upon the many and great mercies that you owe to your deliverance The preservation of your own lives of the most considerable part of the town of most of your goods and many of your friends For all these will serve to heighten and increase the flame of your thanksgiving and therefore the consideration of them should be more permanent and make a deeper impression upon your hearts then the thoughts of any thing that might dampe you joy and lame your praises 2 Next doe not stifle and imprison these thoughts in your hearts but vent them unto others by a ful publication and confession of what God hath herein done for so undeserving a people thereby the better to quicken your selves and stir up others to a zealous performance of the duty 3 And thirdly Lest your joy and thanks for so a great a preservation should in time coole and languish doe you frequently and affectionately reflect upon it that so it may never be buried in a grave of Oblivion Master Burrows relates of the City of Berne that they wrote the day of their deliverance from Antichrist upon pillars with letters of gold But I shall exhort you to a way of preserving the memoriall of your deliverance that shall be lesse chargable but more acceptable unto God Let it be written in your memories with a pen of iron and with the point of a Diamond let it be graven upon the table of your hearts Fourthly Detract nothing from the value and importance of your deliverance but look upon it as a prevention of your utter ruine and desolation as a resurrection from the bottome of danger and doubt if not despaire For who of you but gave all for lost If you will but look back upon your own feares perplexities and misgivings of minde they will informe That if the Lord had not been on your side when men rose up against you when their wrath was kindled against you a red Sea of blood and fire had overwhelmed you had gone over your souls If you consider the progresse that the enemy had made in winning of your Town how he had entred your Line fired severall Streets c. you cannot me thinks but have such an esteem of your preservation as Christ had of the Restauration of Jerusalem Zach. 3.2 Is not this a brand pluck'd out of the fire Florus speaking of the horrible devastation which the people of Rome made of the Country of the Samnites thus expresseth it It a ruinas ipsas urbium diruit ut hodiè Samnium in ipso Samnio requiratur And if you call to minde the bloody and barbarous threats that your adversaries night and day thundred in your ears they will give you a full and undoubted assurance that if they had prevailed the expression would have bin too too appliable unto this place they would have so ruined the very ruines thereof as that in but the succeeding age a man might have looked for Taunton in Taunton and not have found it Fifthly and lastly Bee you studiously inquisitive as David Psalm 116.12 What shall we render unto the Lord for so great and seasonaeble a benefit Why let all your aims and purposes reach as high as Heaven Let Gods glory over-ballance all other ends Let all selfish respects stoop thereunto Doe not think much to part with your lives much lesse with you lusts the diseases and corruptions of your Soules and Lives for a God that hath been so graciously mercifull to you and yours Let the meditation of this deliverance inflame your zeale for Gods cause inlarge your bowels and affection to his Church and People improve and increase your care of obedience and endeavours of mortification stir you up to devote and dedicate all that you have and are to his service and glory FINIS

why you are but as dull and livelesse images which cannot move naturally of themselves all your motion herein is but compulsary from outward respects not flowing from any true inward inclination Secondly the reigne and unmortification of sinne is an estate of slavery and bondage unto sinne Rom 6.16 and therefore inconsistent with thankfulnesse which is of so excellent a nature as that it never lodged in any but free brave and ingenuous bosomes As for base low and servile spirits they are unacquainted with and uncapable of it No man can serve two Masters Matth. 6.24 Now thankesgiving is an immediate and speciall service of God and therefore unperformable by the servants of sinne and Satan Consider the excellency and difficulty of the duty and then tell me whether or no we can possibly performe it without enlarged hearts hearts freed from the commands of sinne and Satan What can a prisoner doe that is laden with Irons and fetters Alas then what can an imprisoned and fettered soule doe in this most great and difficult work of a Christian And thus have you seen how the reigne and unmortification of sinne causeth unthankfulnesse Now there cannot be a baser and viler estate or condition then that of the reigne of sin for it is a deprivation of the best of blessings spirituall and a subjection unto the worst of tyrants a slavery and bondage unto the worst of masters sin and Satan Unthankfulnesse then proceeding therefrom cannot but be most vile base and unworthy In the next place let us specifie those particular sinnes which cause unthankfulnes The first I shall mention shall be hardnes of heart An hard and stony heart whilst such cannot possiby be softned or melted into a gratefull disposition by the greatest sun-shine of Gods most tender mercies Rain you know will seldome stay upon a stone at least it will not sink into a stone even so Gods mercies cannot fasten on the observation settle in the memory of an hard and stony soule they slide away from it as water from a stone However they can make no more impression on its affections then a Seale on wax whilest hard they cannot soak or sink into its joy love and admiration Hardnes of heart begets unthankfulnes and an hard heart is of a very base temper it is an untractable unteachable unsensible unslexable heart and therefore so is an unthankfull heart too Secondly Ignorance is a cause of unthankfulnes ignorance of our selves of God of his blessings He that is ignorant of his own weaknes and unworthines that knows not how unable he is either to procure or deserve mercies he that is ignorant of Gods providence that knows not what stroak it hath in the managery of these inferiour things can reach no further then the Pharise●● thanksgiving Luke 18.11 12 14. which indeed was nothing but a boasting and cracking of mercies He that is not studied in the excellency and sweetnes of blessings will quickly undervalue them and therefore be unthankfull for them Darknes and dimnes in the eys of our mind in discerning blessings will be fellowed with a dumbnes of the tongue and a deadnes of the heart and affections in praising God for them Deutr. 32.6 Doe yee thus requite the Lord ô foolish people and unwise It is folly and unwisedome that makes a people to requite the Lord unthankfully Now ignorance wonderfully debaseth the minde of man Proverb 19. vers 2. that the soule b●e without knowledge is not good it renders a man brutish Psalm 92.6 A brutish man knoweth not neither doth a foole understand this Psalm 32.9 Be not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding To have no understanding is to be as a horse and the mule Thirdly Unbelief is a cause of unthankfulnes for it stayes and rests upon a mans self and the creature and so stops all honour and glory from going to God and Christ Now unbelief is of all sins the most dangerous because it is the edge and sting of all other sinnes that which shackles the guilt of all sinnes upon the conscience Dr. Edward Reynolds treat pag. 496. All sinnes are damnable in their nature and desert but unbeleif makes them to condemn actually in regard of the event Joh. 3.18 36. Fourthly Want of the love of God is a cause of unthankfulnes For how can he that doth not love God above all be more desirous and studious of Gods glory then his own good and can there be a greater sin of omission then not to love the supream and infinite good Fifthly Pride is a cause of unthankfulnes Hos 13. v. 6. Their heart was exalted therefore have they forgot me and to be forgetfull is to be unthankfull 2 Chron. 36.25 But Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done to him for his heart was lifted up This dependance of unthankfulnesse upon pride may be evinced from these two reasons 1 The proud man underrates Gods mercies as not answerable or but answerable unto his own deservings Hence also is it that he looks upon his afflictions as undeserved and therefore as injuries and consequently upon deliverance from them not as mercies but onely as a kinde of restitution and satisfaction so that we may apply unto him that which * Quintus Curtius Craterus informed Alexander with against Philotas Alexander had pardoned Philotas and Craterus bears him in hand that Philotas will not bee so thankfull for his pardon as angry at his accusation Quadam beneficia odimus meruisse mortem confiteri pudet superest ut mallet videri injuriam accepisse quàm vitam Secondly A proud man will rob God of his honour and arrogate it unto himself The proud scholler will ascribe his learning unto his industry the proud souldier his victory unto his sword and p●owes the proud worldling his riches unto his labour and policy he will sacrifice unto his nets burn incense unto his drags as if by them his portion were made fat and his meat plenteous Hab. 1.16 he will say in his heart my power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth Deutr. 8.17 now pride is reckoned up Prov. 6.16 17. amongst the principall objects of Gods hatred and abomination Psal 101.5 Him that hath an high look and a proud heart will I not suffer or I cannot suffer as Ainsworth and others reade it the word suffer is but supplied by the translation as being to be understood in the original t is only Him that hath an high look and a proud heart I will not or I cannot * Dr. Donue Gods abrupt breaking off his speech denoteth the very hight of his indignation against an high look and a proud heart 1 Pet. 5. v. 5. God resist●th the proud Pride puts God upon a defensive war it being an invasion of and an assault upon his Throne and usurpation of his crown and the incommunicable prerogative thereof Another cause of unthankfulnesse is envy then which there can hardly be a

vile affections unnaturall lusts and a reprobate minde Rom. 1.21 c. Were they for their ingratitude given over to such horrible uncleannesse O then to what hardnesse of heart and searednes or cauterizednes of conscience shal we be left unto for ours Were the sonnes of Nature thus punished for being unthankful but for the light of nature what severity then may we expect who pretending our selves to be the sonnes of grace are unthankfull for the glorious light of the Gospel Part of the Argument which Paul useth to prove that in the last dayes perilous times shall come is because men shall be unthankful 2 Tim. 3.1 2. Unthankfulnes makes the times perilous Now the ground or reason of this rigour towards ingratitude is because God wil some way or other be glorified by us for his glory is the supream end of all that we are and have and therefore if we doe not glorifie him actively by our thankes and praises we shall glorifie him passively by our sufferings we shall contribute to his glory if not with our songs here on earth with howling weeping and gnashing of teeth in hell But I shall make a more full and particular proofe of the perill of unthankfulnes from the threatnings and punishments of all the severall parts thereof Secondly by instancing in such punishments as relate unto mercies to wit removall of or a curse upon mercies already enjoyed and thirdly a with-holding of such as are desired and expected First from the threatnings against and punishments of all the severall parts or degrees of unthankfulnes First the not observing of mercies Psalm 28.5 Isai 5.12 13. Secondly the ascribing them unto our selves or receiving and countenancing others ascribing them unto us Herod was smitten by the Angel of the Lord and eaten of wormes because he gave not God the glory of the eloquence for which the people magnified and even deified him Acts 12.23 Thirdly the forgetfulnes of mercies or of God their donor 1. Sam. 12.9 Psalm 106.21 22 23. Ier. 2.6 7 8 9. Hos 13.6 7 8. Forgetfulnes of benefits is so borrid a sin as that for it the Lamb of God becomes as a Lion as a Leopard as a Beare than is bereaved of her Whelps God our mercifull Father becomes a wrathfull and revengefull Judge our Creator and preserver falls to rending of the caule of our hearts to devouring and tearing of us Fourthly the under-valuation of mercies 1 Sam. 2.30 They that despise me shall be lightly esteemed and who soever despiseth the gifts of God despiseth the love and good will of God the giver Rom. 2.4 5. He that despiseth the riches of Gods goodnes forbearance and long-suffering treasureth up unto himselfe wrath against the day of wrath Psalm 106.24 26 27. Because Israel despised the pleasant land of Canaan therefore God lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them in the wildernesse c. Lastly a nonrequitall or an ill requitall of benefits First a non-requitall 2 Chron. 32.25 Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem If publicke persons doe not make retribution unto God for his mercies it drawes downe from heaven not only personall but also nationall plagues The Fig-tree that beareth not fruit doth but cumber the ground and therefore is to be cut downe Luke 13.7 The slothfull and unprofitable servant that did hide his talent in the earth that did not improve and imploy his gifts and mercies for the praise of God was to bee cast out into utter darknes where shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Matth. 25.30 Secondly an ill requitall of blessings Prov. 17.13 Whoso rewardeth evill for good evill shall not depart from his house Whosoever rewardeth evill for good to man much more to God In the words we have a double extent of the punishment of rendring evill for good One in regard of time how long it shall last it shall not onely light or seaze upon him and his Family but it shall never depart from his house Another extent of the punishment is in regard of the object how farre it shall reach not to his own person onely but to his whole House and Family Evill shall not depart from his House The earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it the heart that is plentifully watered from heaven with raine as of Ordinances so of mercies and bringeth not forth hearbs meet for them by whom it is dressed bringeth not forth fruits of well-doing fruits worthy of repentance but beareth thornes and bryers is fruitfull in nothing but lusts and corruptions such an heart is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to bee burned Hebr. 6.7 8. Ezra 9.13 14. Secondly the danger of unthankfulnes may be proved by instancing in such punishments thereof as relate unto mercies to wit first a Removal of or secondly a curse upon mercies already enjoyed and thirdly a with-holding of such as are desired or expected First God punisheth unthankfulnes by removall of mercies already enjoyed In Exod. 14.21 we read of a strong East wind that dryed up the red Sea in a night Unto which I conceive Bernard did allude when he said Serm. 51. super Cant. Ingratitudo est ventus urens siccans sibi fontem pietatis rorem misericordiae fluenta gratiae Ingratitude is a winde that burnes and dryes up the fountaine of piety dew of mercies and streames of grace The Rivers if they did not disburden themselves into the Sea the chiefe mother of all waters would soon grow dry and so should we be quickly empty of all mercies and comforts if wee doe not empty our soules in the praises of Gods goodnes whence as from an infinite Ocean all our mercies and comforts flow The slothfull servant had his Talent taken from him because out of an unthankfull neglect he buried it and did not use and improve it for the glory of God and good of his Church Matth. 25.24 c. From him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath verse 29. that is Gods gifts shall bee taken away from him that doth not thankfully and diligently imploy them Rivet Downham upon the place Hos 4.7 As they were increased so they sinned against me therefore will I change their glory into shame Where we have the unthankfulnes of the Priests of Israel and Gods punishment thereof First their unthankfulnes as they were increased to wit in the outward blessings of this life honours riches so they sinned against me that is by so much the more they sinned against me the more I multiplied my blessings upon them the more they multiplied their sins against me Secondly Gods punishment of this their unthankfulnes Therefore will I change their glory into shame that is I will take away those blessing wherein they glory or I will take away that glory wherein they increased and thereby expose them to

omnium reliquarum virtutum And if we except faith wee may affirme as much of gratitude unto God If wee are taken with an high descent and originall of things why thankfulnesse is the product of the noblest and most divine of graces But can there bee a stronger proofe of its excellency and more prevaling motive unto the love and practise of it then Gods gratious acceptation of it wonderfull complacency in it and extreame jealousie for it shall not we have a very high esteeme of that then which there is nothing dearer unto our God It is you have heard as musick to his eare as sweet wine to his tast as a rich and pretious perfume to his nostrils Can wee then withhold it from him and yet pretend that wee beare any love and respect unto him and professe that wee are his servants and subjects It is the great end of the greatest and most glorious of his workes and mercies and shall we by our unthankfulnesse attempt to frustrate or disappoint God of this his end shall wee stop and withhold from God that which hath been the principal scope of the sweet influences of his goodnesse upon us Are you affected with virtue pleasure or profit why all these kindes of goodnesse as you have heard at large are most eminently applyable unto the grace of thankfulnesse and duty of thanksgiving If you enter into a comparison of it with other graces and duties you shall find it to bee in divers respects unmatchable for of all graces and duties it comes fullest closest and neerest up unto the highest end Gods glory and besides it is more durable then other graces whose exercise and proper acts are of use only in this life but after wee are translated from death unto life thanksgiving will bee our eternall exercise in heaven And therefore let us redeeme as much time as we can for the performance of it here upon earth You have seene how the prayer of petition compared therewith is over ballanced thereby in regard of necessity comfort and dignity And hence David the sweet singer of Israel upon whom the spirit of prayer and supplication was powred in a most abundant measure did yet it seemes more abound in the prayer of thanksgiving then in that of petition For we reade of his praying but thrice a day Psal 55.17 Evening and mourning and at noone will I pray and cry aloud but he makes mention of praising God seaven times a day Psal 119.164 As also in the very depth of the night At mid-night will I rise to give thanks unto thee Psal 119.62 To conclude this use this duty will be a great part of our happinesse in heaven and therefore it is but sit that it should be a cheife part of our businesse here upon earth it is now the musick of Heaven of the blessed Angels and glorified spirits with whome if wee bee not in consort now wee may justly feare everlasting seperation from them hereafter The state of grace is an ●incohation of the state of glory and therefore wee can have no ground to assure our selves that wee shall praise God everlastingly in heaven unlesse heer on earth our hearts bee put in tune and we study and learne the song of Moses and the Lamb. Secondly from the excellency of praise and thanksgiving wee may bee exhorted to observe a due manner in the performance thereof to performe it Preparedly Reverently Zealously and Entirely First Preparedly So excellent divine and glorious a duty cals for the utmost preparation that is possible of our understandings wils and affections and accordingly the Psalmist tels us Psal 65.1 Praise wayteth for thee O God in Sion that is all true members of the Church of which Sion was a type have their hearts in tune in a readinesse and due frame for this worke In Psal 57.7 8. and Psal 108.1 2. We have David making a profession of his both habituall and actuall preparation for it First he professeth how he was habitually fitted and prepared for it vers 7. My heart is fixed or prepared O God my heart is fixed or prepared I will sing and give praise The ingemination of this profession of his preparation for praise denoteth either the absolute and great necessity of it or else his wonderfull exactnesse in it In verse 8. he betakes himselfe unto an actuall preparation for it he awakeneth and rouzeth up all that within or without him may contribute unto the work Awake up my glory awake Psaltery and Harp I my selfe will awake early If the alacrity of the sweet Singer of Israel must be thus awakened to give praise unto God O then what rowzing and stirring up doth not backwardnesse and dulnesse stand in need of In that exhortation of Paul Coloss 4.2 to watch in prayer with thankesgiving the watchfulnesse there required is referred to thankesgiving as well as prayer To fit us for both prayer and thankesgiving we must have both our heads and our hearts wakefull they are both duties of such neere and intimate communion with God as that they are not to bee come unto with drowsie and sleepy soules Thankesgiving is a kinde of Heavenly and Angelicall worship and therefore should not be appreached with earthly hearts In it to aply that speech of Moses Exod. 3.5 wee turn aside to see a great sight Gods greatnesse and goodnesse and therefore put off thy shooes from thy feet all low earthly and sensuall affections So a The new Annotations some allegorize the phrase because the shoo●s being next the earth are usually more foule and dirty Secondly so excellent and divine a duty is to be performed reverently God is fearfull in prayses Exod. 15.11 therefore his praises are to be celebrated with an awfull feare and religious reverence and accordingly Junius and Tremellius render the words Reverendus landibus to be reverenced or feared in prayies And that God is to be reverenced or feared in his praises is plain first because joy a main ingredient of our praises is to be with trembling Psal 2.11 Secondly because the object of our praises mercy and goodnesse should affect us with a filiall feare Psal 130.4 Jer. 33 9. Thirdly so heavenly and glorious a duty is to be performed zealously and devoutly and not perfunctorily or slightly to be slubber'd over Psal 66.2 Sing forth the honour of his name make his praise glorious saith the Psalmist In the originall it is Put glory to his praise it is saith Mollerus as if he should have said Be not dull sluggish or drowsie in the celebration of Gods benefits do not content your selves with ordinary praises let them be in as glorious and honorable a manner as it is possible according unto the utmost of your powers with all your hearts souls strength and might Hither also may you referre those places wherein 't is said that God is greatly to be praised Psa 48.1 Psa 109.30 Psa 145.3 There is an extensive and an intensive greatnesse and both must be found