Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	apply_v	day_n	wisdom_n	2,551	5	6.9944	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77148	Good counsell for evil times. Or, A plain sermon preached at Pauls in London, April 16. 1648. / By Edw: Bowles M.A. of Katherin-Hall Cambridge. Printed by the desire and order of the Lord Maior and aldermen of that famous city.	Bowles, Edward, 1613-1662.	1648 (1648)	Wing B3872; Thomason E435_35; ESTC R204201	25,559	35

find unthankfulnesse among them Ingratitudo est ventus urens exiccans it is a dry and parching winde from the wildernesse that blasts and wastes all our mercies It 's true the dayes are evill but yet they are not so bad but they afford matter of praise if we did not want hearts more then mercies These times are like those mentioned Zach. 14. 6. neither clear nor dark night nor day If we would have it light in the evening set not unwholsome and unthankfull vapours ascend from us Our times are checker'd with white and black let not us by unthankfulnesse blot our the white and make them worse There are mercies in our Parliament in our Armies in our Liberties in our degree of Reformation if ill humors were not fallen into our eyes so as not to see them when the miseries which these mercies yet in some measure prevent we shall find and confesse them so Blessed be God we are not in so ill a condition as Israel in the first dayes of Asa when they were without the true God without a teaching Priest and without Law We have the knowledge of the true God dispersed among us more then ever more preaching Ministers more good Laws then formerly though it is true that E●ror hath crowded in at the same doore of Liberty where Truth entred yet let us not d●own all our deliverances in discontents the degrees of mercie that are vouchsafed us let them not be swallowed up with murmuring and impatience let us not so requite the Lord like a foolish people and unwise lest he withdraw his hand from our protection and leave us to eat the frut of our own wayes which is a forfeiture of favour by our follies If our prayers could be carried on with these wheels there might be good hope they should be as the sword of Saul and the bowe of Jonathan which returned not empty And thus have I detained you with these plain though not impertinent truths and lest I should shut up without any thing of the main Proposition in the text give me leave at least to explain it and let your wisdom and goodnesse apply it The Truth is this That it becomes and behoves a Christian to walk circumspectly and redeem the time in evill dayes It would here be enquired what it is to walk circumspectly the word in the originall is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which Etymologists say may be derived from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to go to the utmost or height to be accurate or exact and I think it may contain three things 1. To walk to the utmost of the rule to the very corners and extents of the word of God without making any willing dispensations in sin to commit or duty to omit This David speaks of himself Psal. 119. 108. I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way And herein was Jehu defective 2 King 10. 31. he was exact in destroying Ahab and Baal but he departed not from the sin of Jeroboam therefore it 's said he took no heed he was not circumspect to walk in the way of the Lord Not to walk exactly in this gives the Lord occasion to complain as of the Church of Sardis I have not found thy works {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} perfect or filled up before God there are gaps or spaces in thy obedience 2. It is to walk {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the utmost in respect of strength that is in doing that which is commanded to lay out the ut most of those parts gifts graces that God hath given us A Minister walks exactly in his Ministery when he obeys the precepts of Paul to Timothy 1 Ep. 4. 13. in meditating on divine things and giving himself wholly to them A Christian then walks exactly when he doth not onely pray read but do it diligently watchfully A man cannot live at the height of his estate nor walk at the top of his naturall strength it will waste him soon because those things have defectible principles but it is otherwise in spirituall things which we derive from an abounding and abiding life hid with Christ in God a Christian may run and not be weary because in the Lord he hath righteousnesse and strength Let us therefore do our best and we shall do better Be not slothfull in businesse but fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. 3. To walk circumspectly or accurately seems to imply something more and that is walking wisely the two things already mentioned make up honest walking as when we walk to the utmost of the rule for the matter and the utmost of our spirituall strength for the manner of our obedience but wise walking is aliquid amplius that is there are divers circumstances attending actions as time place company person and such like which have a strong influence into actions sometimes to alter the very nature of them Now he that would walk circumspectly or accurately must look so to the circumstances of his actions as to set them off with the best advantage as may be and therefore that which is here called walking circumspectly is called Walking wisely toward them that are without Col. 4. 5. It is the part of wisdom to reduce knowledge to profitable and seasonable action And happie is he that can walk thus circumspectly for howsoever the vain world brands exact walkers with the title of precise fools yet the holy Ghost passes a contrary censure and declares circumspect walking wise walking and indeed the loose walker will be found the greatest fool a fool at his latter end Jer. 17. 11. Know therefore that it becomes us all to walk circumspectly it is our credit and the credit of the Gospel that we do so Then shall we not be ashamed when we have respect to all the Commandments when we do the great things of the Law and leave not the lesser undone Matth. 23. 23 24. And also it behoves us it 's for our profit as well as our credit it tends exceedingly to our peace which is most worth looking after in times of trouble it will be a great support in the evill day to say with Paul 2 Cor. 1. 12. This is my rejoycing the testimony of my conscience that in all simplicity and godly sincerity n●t according to fleshly wisdom but the grace of God I have had my conversation As young lustie men laugh at others who have payd dear for their intemperance when they see them cautious in their diet and hit them in the teeth with the Proverb Qui vivit medicè vivit miserè but when gouts and rheumes come upon them they blame their own folly So will it be with carnall and carelesse Christians who laugh at them that are scrupulous and make conscience of things which they so easily swallow they will find them bitternesse in the end Let us therefore walk circumspectly A word also of the last redeeming the time or opportunity {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which imports three things likewise 1 A price for it must be bought 2. A losse for it must not be barely bought but redeemed 3. An use for what we buy or redeem it is to be supposed we buy it for some use The practick hereof is this That whereas every man is guilty of losse of time and hath morgaged a great part of this precious treasure to sin Satan and the world let him be carefull to redeem it to buy it out of their hands though with the losse of ease pleasure profit plenty or any other thing and having so redeemed it to employ and improve it to the honour of God with whom we are so infinitely behind in point of service and the working out our own salvation with fear and trembling Let not therefore men talk idlely of driving away Time which the Apostle speaks of redeeming when did you ever meet with any man so wretchedly unthifty as to say What shall I do with my land with my money it burns in my purse Yet such and worse is the madnesse and folly of those unthrifts who talk of driving away time which is more precious then gold and silver which passes so swiftly slily and irrecoverably especially in such dangerous and tickle times as these are when our times liberties and opportunities hang continually in doubt before us Whatsoever vain men say now of passing away time if God awake their hearts it will be one of their greatest troubles that they have so spent it and one of their most earnest though vain wishes to recall it Know therefore that as Solomon saith to every purpose there is a time so to every time there is a purpose there are no ferie in idle dayes or houres in the Calendar of heaven but God hath appointed every day and houre to be filled up with something that is either work or tends to it Labour therefore so to improve time as you confidently look over unto eternity and not fear when the Angel shall stand on the earth and lift up his hand to heaven and swear by him that liveth for ever that time shall be no more Lord teach us so to number our dayes as to apply our hearts to wisdome and to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure that so an abundant entrance may be administred unto us into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour FINIS Moderata durant 2 Cor. 11. 28. Matth. 12. 33. 1 Cor. 3. 10 11 Prop. 1. I●● 17. 17. 18. Gen. 47 9. 1 Chron 12. 32. Matth 24. 1 Tim. 1 19. Psal. 82. Levit. 26. Micah 2. 3. Psal. 55. 14. Iam. 3. 16. The way to better evill times Negatively ● Pet. 3. 10. 1 Sam. 24. 1 Neh. 13. 22. Ier. 2. 2. Mal. 3 17. Psal 65. 7. Matth. 15 13. Eph. 1. 13. Prov. 23 23. Zech 8. 16. 19. Isa. 39. 8. 2 Chron 11. 17. Matth. 25 45. Ier. 11. 12. Heb. 5. 9. Prov. 11. 18. Psal. 112. 4. Psal. 112. 7. Psal. 32. 9. Ier. 13. 13 14. 2 Sam 24 24. Iam. 1. Heb. 3. 17. 18. Psal. 78. 32. 33. Ier. 3 25. Ier. 13. 16. Prov. 15. 1. Phil. 4 6. 2 Chron 15. 3 Prop. 2. Psal. 119. 6. Rev. 10. 6. 2 Pet. 1. 10. 11

heaven and not allowed for the lot of this pilgrimage and if differences were wisely distinguished we should have more peace and never the lesse Truth among us But that way should be given to a licencious lawlesse boundlesse Vorstian libertas Prophetandi as it s called that every one whose brain is big of some new conceit or the transmigration of an old error should have the Midwifery of a Toleration to produce and propagate it how soone would it turn both Church and Kingdome into a Babel of confusion The fruits of this practise have been found in Poland and Transilvania And whereas it is usually objected that some place neerer hand flourishes notwithstanding this I answer or rather aske in what they flourish is it in the life and power of Religion or in other things onely And let it also be considered whether this indifferency connivence there hath not given advantage to a secret and subtill enemy to undermine the very foundations of their liberty the issues whereof may too soon appear Where all Religions or all things called religion are exercised the product is commonly no religion or a prevalency of the worst Therfore never let us think to establish our selves with those things for which other Churches have been threatned and probably wasted as of Thyatira and Pergamus Rev. 2. 14. 20. 5. To these I may adde a fifth consideration and its this No violent or sudden change of Civill Government according to the Idea's and chimeraes in the minds of more witty then wise men is likely to better these times If things could be acted as easily as imagined and compassed as soon as contrived it were another matter But revolutions of times and States are the fancies of men but the works of God It is said indeed of some that they shall think to change times and Laws Dan. 7. 27. but it 's the power and priviledge of the most high to change times and seasons to remove Kings and set up Kings Dan. 2. 21. The weight of Kingdoms is too great to be turned by the weak engine of humane invention God uses to suit providences and spirits of men to great works when he intends them and it 's he that makes agreements of people and not a few of the many And those dreams of parity in Civill affairs is unequall and impossible Philosophers say of naturall bodies Non datur temperamentum ad pondus because that body could consist no where were there not a predominant element to determine it It 's as true of civill and politick bodies Those that now are for equality while they are inferiour would be for superiority when things were equall if the Vine and the Olive were taken away the Bramble would rule over the trees for some body will Thus we see what will not do the businesse so much desired let us briefly consider what will And to this purpose know in one word Reformation would do the work and that 1. In Religion the settling the affairs of which would have a very great influence into an alteration of times for the better For not onely men that have the power but even all that have the form of it will be ill at ease till it be established And more especially it being acknowledged that the God of heaven hath the soveraignty of times and seasons in his hand this must necessarily be granted that to procure better times must be to comply with that which the Lord looks upon as his main interest if I may call it so which is the ordering the affairs of his Church and that in Doctrine and Worship Truth is a glorious beam of the Sun of righteousnesse I mean Gospel truth the Word of truth the Gospel of salvation which God is very choice of how slightly soever men may esteeme it and tosse it at their pleasure the foundation of that stately structure was layd in the blood of his Son and hath been raised by the blood of his Saints and who so would have the eye and heart of God to be toward them must have theirs to his truth To the bettering therefore of these dayes how usefull and acceptable would it be how pleasing to God and profitable to men if the more grosse injuries and affronts offered to the truth of God were more discountenanced and punished especially if pertinacy and contumacy be added thereunto And so to make a graduall progresse to a more full vindication of it by a mixture of power and means of information There are some damnable heresies that bring swift destruction to persons and places and there must not be delay in them there are opinions and practises against the light of nature and evident light of Scripture that have been broached in these licentious times which can hardly pretend to conscience which should be carefully repressed Let not men be afraid of endangering peace by asserting truth If it were so yet it were no just plea because we are bid to buy the truth but not to sell it no not for peace though that be a pearl it 's not the pearl of price but it will not be so beside the meraphisicall relation of verum and bonum you will find a frequent connexion of them in Scripture Truth and peace So for Worship much hath been done by Authority that way for the draining of it from the muddy mixtures of humane ceremony and invention Onely the coldnesse of inferior offi●ers trusted with execution of Laws together with the corruption of men addicted to the easinesse of externals in Religion have rendred them in a great measure unprofitable so tha● men are left still halting betwixt God and Baal saying 〈◊〉 after a new fashion and holding the people in hand that there is yet hope of a re-establishment of former customes whereby an intolerable envy and mischievous prejudice is raised against them who practise Reformation And that God may be pleased in worship you must look not onely to avoid superstition but formality also the usuall bane of Religion in places where it is much professed Remember that God is a Spirit bare words and externals hold no communion with him he will be worshipped sutably that is in spirit and in truth I doubt the quarrell mentioned Isa. 29. 13. is executed upon us and upon the same ground we have in our ordinary and extraordinary duties too frequently honoured God with our lips when our hearts have been far from him and therefore is the wisedome of the wise men perished and the understanding of the prudent hidden And as a fence to both these how necessary also were it that Government were settled according as the most considerable part of Godly men have advised Let it not be looked upon as too rigorous it is not found so in other places where it is exercised remember whose language it is Let us break their bands in sunder but lest this Scripture should be misapplyed let men take heed of putting of their own rules under the notion