Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	bad_a	evil_a	good_a	2,734	5	4.0767	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85329	Londons gate to the Lords Table. Where the eldership doth sit doing their office aright, in discovering and shutting out the ignorant, prophane, and meere civill honest man : in suspending the suspected formall, legall, and antinomisticall professor, and in drawing in the weakest humble beleeving soule. In a dialogue betweene a minister of the Gospell. Alexander an ignorant prophane man. Simon a proud professor. And Matthias an humble penitent. Imprimatur Edmund Calamy.	Fisher, Edward, fl. 1627-1655.	1646 (1646)	Wing F995; Thomason E1213_1; ESTC R210120	58,722	302

good I can to any of you And truly neighbour Simon I was sorry you went away the other day in such a discontented manner for I should have beene glad if you had tarried longer that wee might have had further conference together Sim. Sir I thanke you it may be we may have further conference together about those things before we part but first of all I pray you hearken to our neighbour Alexander for he hath somewhat to say unto you Min. Come neer neighbour Alexander and tell me what you have to say unto me Alex. Sir I do acknowledge that as my neighbour Simon hath said I am a very ignorant man and am now and then subject to drinke more then I should doe and to sweare now and then an Oath when I am vexed but I am sory for it afterwards Now Sir I doe desire to know the reason why I for all this may not be admitted unto the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Min. Because you being an ignorant and sinfull man must needs be an unbeleeving man and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was not instituted and ordained for any unbeleever Alex. But Sir though I be as I have confessed an ignorant and sinfull man yet I hope I am a beleeving man for all that Min. No no that cannot be Alex. Why Sir I pray you is every ignorant and sinfull man an unbeleever Min. No not so neither for there is a twofold Ignorance and a twofold sinfulnesse that is to say there is an ignorance and sinfulnesse in part and an ignorance and sinfulnesse in whole now a man may be ignorant in part and yet have true faith in Christ for the Apostle saith concerning himselfe and other true beleevers We know but in part 1 Cor. 13. 9. yea and a man may be also sinfull in part and yet be a true beleever witnesse the same Apostle when hee saith Rom. 7. 23. I finde a law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and bringing mee into captivity to the law of sinne But if a man bee wholly ignorant of Jesus Christ and of himselfe and of the Sacrament as for ought I yet perceive you are and wholly sinfull as by your own confession it appears you are then it is impossible hee should have true faith in Christ Alex. But Sir I hope I am not wholly ignorant of Jesus Christ nor of my selfe nor of the Sacrament Min. Well because you say so I pray you give me leave to aske you two or three questions and first of all I pray you tell mee what is Jesus Christ Alex. Why he is Gods onely Sonne who was conceived by the holy Ghost and borne of the Virgin Mary Min. But the Scripture saith That GOD hath more sonnes then one as it is written Galat. 3. 26. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus why doe you then say That Christ is Gods onely Sonne Alex. Why I say so because it is so set downe in the Apostles Creed which I am sure I say many a time and often and if it be not true me thinks the Apostles of Christ should not have so set it downe Min. And what is the holy Ghost which you say Christ was conceived by Alex. Why truly Sir the Holy Ghost I think is that good Spirit whereby we are guided and ruled when we live and walke according to Gods will and Commandments Min. And why was Christ conceived by the Holy Ghost Alex. Beleeve me Sir that is too hard a question for me to answer and it would trouble a man that hath much more knowledge then I to answer aright Min. And why do you say that Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary Alex. Why I say so because it is so said in my Creed Min. But why was it meet that he should bee borne of a Virgin rather then of another woman Alex. Truly Sir I know no other reason then that I am perswaded it was the will of God it should be so Min. Well you confesse you are a sinner therefore I pray you tell me how you came to be a sinner Alex. Why by yeelding to the Devils tentations and mine own wicked and corrupt heart as other sinners do I thinke Min. But was you born a sinner Alex. Yea I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me Min. And was you a sinner when you were first created in Adam Alex. Yea surely or else how could I be borne a sinner Min. And what doe you beleeve that Christ hath done for you Alex. Why I do verily beleeve that he died for me Min. But what warrant have you to beleeve that Christ died for you Alex. Why Christ died for sinners and I am a sinner and therefore I doe beleeve that he died for me Min. And do you think that Christ died for all men Alex. Yea indeed if he died for sinners I thinke he must needs die for all men for wee are all sinners Mi. Do you then beleeve that all men shall be saved Alex. No indeed I am not so simple to think that all men shall be saved for as I doe beleeve there is a Heaven for some so do I beleeve there is a Hell for others Min. Why do you then thinke that Christ died in vaine for them that are not saved Alex. No surely I dare not think so Min. But if he died to save them and they bee not saved must it not needs follow that he died for them in vaine Alex. Truly Sir I cannot tell how to answer that it is too hard a question and therefore I pray you aske mee no more such Min. Well then I pray you tell me what is a Sacrament Alex. Why a Sacrament is the Lords Supper Min. And why do you desire to come to the Lords Supper Alex. That I might there worship and serve the Lord. Min. Well neighbour Alexander I might aske you many other questions touching these points but your Answers to these I have already asked you are sufficient to prove that you are wholly ignorant of Christ of your selfe and of the Sacrament for though some of your answers be true yet as wee use to say As good never a whit as never the better Alex. But Sir for ought I see those that have most knowledge in Religion and can talke best of it are as bad in their lives as they that are most ignorant and therefore if I have but a good heart and a good minde as I doubt not but I have I hope I shall doe as well at the last as if I could talke and prate more Min. I but whatsoever you thinke of your selfe and whatever your hopes are the Lord tells you Prov. 19. 2. That without knowledge the heart or minde is not good and although it be possible that a man of great knowledge may have an evill heart of unbeleefe and so perish yet it is without all question that hee who hath no knowledge hath an evil

your heart as that they worke a seperation betwixt it and your Corruptions and therefore without doubt they are as Arrowes shot into your Conscience by the arme of the Almighty Mat. But alas Sir how can there be a seperation made betwixt my heart and my corruptions seeth they still remaine in me Min. Neighbour Mathias if you doe hate loath and abhorre your corruptions as you say you doe and would faine have them subdued as you say you would then beleeve it and make no question of it there is such a seperation made betwixt your heart and your sinnes as that they shall never seperate bebetwixt the Lord and your soule for hatred of evill saith that worthy Saint Doctor Sibbes is a sure and never failing Souls conflict p. 476 Character of a good soule wherefore I beseech you comfort your heart though by reason of the weakenesse of your faith your sinnes be not so subdued as you desire Mat. But alas Sir I feare I have no true faith at all Min. Why did not you tell me even now that you feared the direfull displeasure of God by reason of your sins Mat. Yea indeed Sir I feare he is sore displeased with me by reason of them Min. And doe you not beleeve that Jesus Christ by his obedience hath pacified his anger for you and so reconciled you unto him Mat. Sir I doe beleeve that Jesus Christ hath pacified Gods anger for all that doe beleeve and hath reconciled them unto him but Sir I feare that I doe not beleeve and therefore I feare I am not reconciled unto God Min. But tell me one thing truly Doe you desire to beleeve on the name of Jesus Christ and so be reconciled unto him Mat. Yea I doe desire it from the bottome of my heart Min. Then I beseech you leave off your weeping and let me tell you to your comfort that your desire to beleeve is faith indeed and your Perkins Graine of Mustard-seed p. 21. desire of reconciliation with God in Christ is reconciliation it selfe for any man that is throughly touched for his sinnes and unfainedly desires to have them pardoned and to be reconciled unto God God accepts as reeonciled and hence it is that Christ saith Blessed Mat. 5 6. are they which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied and againe saith he If any Joh. 7. 38. man thirst let him come unto me and drinke so that although as yet you want firme and lively faith yet are you not altogether void of faith for you have the seed conception or bud of faith the immortall seed is cast into the furrowes of your heart therefore wait but a while using the good meanes to this end appointed and you shall see the leaves blossoms and fruit will shortly follow after Mat. But Sir how can these things be for if a desire of faith and reconciliation with God be faith and reconciliation indeed then surely every man and woman have faith and reconciliation with God for what man or woman is it that doth not desire it but I remember the Apostle Paul saith All men have not faith 2 Thess 3. 2. Minister I doe acknowledge that a man in Perkins graine of Mustard-seed p. 18 the state of nature may desire true happinesse as Balaam did who wished to dye the death of the righteous for indeed it is the property of nature to desire the preservation of it selfe but alas all such desires are but naturall desires whereas your desires I am confident are supernaturall desires Mat. I but Sir how shall I be sure that my desires are supernaturall Min. To the intent you may be sure of it I will shew you the true difference betwixt naturall desires and supernaturall desires and therefore I pray you consider that if a mans minde be blinde and his heart untouched and unhumbled then all his desires to beleeve and to be reconciled unto God can be no better then naturall desires and the reason is because that where the minde reveales not the will affects not and if the heart be not touched with so much feare and sorrow as doth loosen it from sinne and makes sinne the sowrest and Christ the sweetest and if there be not so much Humiliation as makes a man deny himselfe and to renounce his owne righteousnesse and performances and so to desire to be found cloathed with the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ there can be no supernaturall desires of faith and reconciliation with God in Christ but if a mans minde be enlightened and his heart touched and humbled as yours is then all his desires of beleeving and reconciliation with God in Christ must needs be supernaturall desires and the reason is because that where the minde is truly enlightened so that a man perceives his miserable estate by reason of his sins and his heart is truly touched cast downe and humbled it withdrawes it selfe from God as much as it can and therefore if there be any spirituall motions whereby the heart is lift up unto God they are without doubt from the Spirit of Perkins graine of Mustard-seed p. 20 God so that although such a heart dare not make out to Christ saith Doctor Sibbs yet is it In his preface to bruised Reed secretly upheld by the spirit of faith shewing it selfe in hidden sighs and groanes unto God and such persons as these saith Master Perkins as have Graine of Mustard-seed p. 38 this weake faith can say indeed That they doe beleeve their sins are pardonable and they doe seriously in their hearts desire that they were pardoned but as yet they cannot say they are without doubt pardoned and this I am confident is your condition Mat. But Sir I feare that my minde was never yet truly enlightened because I am so ignorant and I feare I was never yet truly humbled because I now see that I have not renounced mine owne righteousnesse Min. I pray you tell me was there not a time and that not long since that you did not know that which you now know neither concerning God nor concerning your selfe Mat. Yea indeed Sir I must needs confesse that before I hearkned to the advice of that friend I told you of and read that Booke which I mentioned before I neither knew any thing either concerning my miserable condition by reason of my sins nor yet of any remedy by meanes of Jesus Christ Min. Why then may you truly say with the man in the Gospell I was blinde but now I see for as sure as Jesus Christ did open his naturall eyes so sure hath he opened your spirituall eyes Mat. But alas I have such a small measure of knowledge that I feare my minde is not truly enlightened Min. For answer to this Objection I will onely tell you what a godly and judicious Divine saith and that is this Be not dismayed saith he at the small measure Rogers 〈◊〉 the Sacr● p. 80. of thy knowledge so long as there

Sir if the case stand thus with me then surely I have no cause to be sorry as some are but rather glad that the Parliament have taken such a course that you Ministers and Elders in every Parish shall examine every one before he be admitted to the Sacrament for if it had not beene for that and if all might have come to the Sacrament that would as it was in the Bishops dayes then had I two or three times at the least received the Scrament of late though as it seems it had been to the hazarding of the salvation of my soule But Sir what would you advise mee to do in regard I have heretofore received it divers times Min. Why surely I would advise you to goe unto the Lord by often and fervent prayer beseeching him to pardon and forgive you that and all your other sins for his Sonne Jesus Christs sake and to give you faith to beleeve the pardon and forgivenesse of them and to give you repentance for them and so to make you a new creature And I would also advise you to become a diligent hearer of the Word of God and read it often that so you may come to know your self and Jesus Christ with the nature use and necessity of the Sacrament and by these and other such meanes it may please the Lord to convert your soule and to make you fit to be admitted to the Lords Table and then we shall willingly receive you Alex. Then Sir it seems I may be permitted to heare the Word of God preached Min. Yea indeed I do not only permit you but also exhort you thereunto for that is the speciall meanes which God hath ordained for the converting of soules and for the breeding of grace in the heart of his Elect and therefore I say I doe exhort you yea and I beseech you as you tender the good of your soule have a speciall care of that and when you finde that the Lord hath thereby wrought upon your heart then come before me and the Elders to be examined and in the meane time I will pray for you and so for this time I have done with you Alex. Well then Sir I will take my leave of you and I thanke you for the paines you have taken with me Min. Fare you well neighbour Alexander and I beseech the Lord to convince you of your sinnes and convert you to the faith of Christ Sim. Well Sir now you have pleased mee wondrous well for now I see you will not admit of every ignorant and prophane fellow to come to the Sacrament and truly now I could almost finde in my heart to come in amongst you and joyne my selfe with you were it not for this businesse of Examination but that I cannot approve of and to tell you the truth since I was here with you the other day I met with a friend of mine unto whom I related your conference with our neighbour Zacheus and he said That there was no warrant in Scripture either for Minister or Elders to examine any one before they come to the Sacrament indeed said hee the Apostle exhorts a man to examine himselfe before he come but he doth not exhort any other to examine him neither is there any place of Scripture that warrants it Min. But whosoever your friend was hee is much deceived for the Apostle in exhorting a man to examine himself doth not exclude his examination by another but rather includes it and though there be no place of Scripture that doth expresly require one man to examine another before he come to the Sacrament yet may it bee gathered from Scripture by necessary consequence for I thinke no man will deny but that command of the Lord Deuter. 6. 7. to Parents to Catechise their children and servants and to take an account of their Faith and surely if Ministers 1 Cor. 4. 15 bee spirituall Fathers as indeed they are then by the like reason they are warranted to examine their people and to take an account of their Faith And surely I doe conceive that the practice of those Christians is both warrantable and commendable who in any case of conscience which is not easily determined doe repaire to some godly Minister for his advice and counsell therein considering that the Lord Isai 50. 4. hath given unto them the tongue of the learned that they should know how to speake a word in season And considering also that the Prophet Malachy saith The Priests lips should keep Mal. 2. ● knowledge and men should seeke the Law of God at his mouth and this case of conscience to wit whether a man be fit to partake of the Sacrament yea or no I doe conceive is not very easily determined and therefore as the Eunuch said unto Philip Act. 8. 36. See here is water what doth hinder me to be baptized So I do conceive that it is meet for every man and woman before they receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to goe to some godly Minister or rather now before the Eldership and say I understand that such a day the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is to be administred what doth hinder me to partake thereof and that it is meet for them to answer with Philip If thou beleevest with all thine heart thou maiest and so require him either to make some briefe confession of his Faith as the Eunuch did or else to give an answer to him that shall aske him a reason of the hope that is in him with meeknesse and feare according as the Apostle Peter exhorts Christians to doe 1 Pet. 3. 15. Sim. But Sir would you have a man to do this that hath received the Sacrament many a time already Min. Yea indeed if he never yet did it yea and although he have already done it in private yet do I thinke it meet that hee should goe before the Minister and Elders and do it againe to them more publikely Sim. Indeed Sir I doe confesse it is meet that all Ignorant persons who are not able to examine themselves ought to doe so But as for such as have a great measure of knowledge and so are able to examine themselves I see no need of it at all Min. But I do conceive that it is meet for them also to come to be examined that so the Eldership may have a full satisfaction concerning their fitnesse so far forth as they are able to judge yea and that they themselves may by their approbation bee the better confirmed in the same yea and that the ignorant sort who for want of knowledge are turned backe may have no occasion given them to say That the Ministers and Elders are partiall and that such a man or such a woman would be found as ignotant as they if they were examined Sim. Well Sir I doe now beginne to conceive that it is meet for a godly and learned Minister to examine a man but I neither see it lawfull nor needfull that those whom

he conceives him to be in a fit and sutable disposition to receive him and so accounts him worthy of him and therefore we read in the tenth Chapter of St. Matthewes Gospell that when our Saviour sent forth his Disciples to preach the Gospell that is to say the glad tidings of Justification Sanctification and everlasting Salvation by Jesus Christ he said unto them verse the 11 Into whatsoever City or Towne ye enter enquire who in it is worthy and there abide And if we compare this verse with Luk. 10. 7 8 9. we shall perceive that they and only they were those worthy ones which testified their sight and sence of their owne misery and their desire to receive Christ into their hearts as their only remedy by receiving his Disciples into their houses counting their feet very beautifull for preaching the Gospell of peace and bringing unto them glad tidings of good things these are those poore ones whom our Saviour saith Receive the Gospell Matth. 11. 5. and these are they who mourne under the sight and sence of their owne spirituall wants unto whom he promiseth comfort Mat. 5. 4. and these are they that hunger and thirst for Christs Righteousnesse whom he promiseth to satisfie Matth. 5. 6. Mat. But Sir doe you not thinke that my neighbour Simon hath this fit and sutable disposition wrought in him Min. No I feare not for it doth appeare to me that his owne spirit hath taken occasion from his great knowledge to puffe him up as the Apostles phrase is 1 Cor. 8. 1. yea and it doth appeare to me that it hath taken occasion from his owne righteousnesse to move him to put confidence in himselfe and so he is hindered from seeing and feeling his owne need of Jesus Christ to be made unto him of God wisdome 1 Cor. 1. 30 righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Mat. But Sir how can such a disposition be said to make him unworthy to be admitted to the Lords Table Min. Why even as we when we see a stout and lusty Begger come to crave an Almes and heare him flourish in his Rhetorique and not speake Pro. 18. 23 with suplications as the wise man saith the poore man doth then we doe conceive he is not in a meet and sutable disposition to have an Almes bestowed upon him and therefore we use to say concerning such a one He is not worthy to have an Almes bestowed upon him Even so when the Lord sees a man proud of his knowledge and confident of his owne righteousnesse and deservings and sees not his need of Jesus Christ and so consequently not to desire him then he lookes upon him as one who is in an unfit and unsutable disposition to receive him and therefore accounts him unworthy of him and therefore we read in the 13. Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles that when Paul and Barnabas were in the City of Antioch and preached the glad tidings of the Gospell as the Apostle calls them verse 32. It is said vers 45. that the Jews spake against those things which were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming whereupon Paul and Barnabas waxed bold saith the Text verse 46. and said It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe we turne to the Gentiles Thus you see that these Jewes who doubtlesse were very knowing men in all points of their Religion and also very holy and righteous according to the Law yet because they were proud of their owne knowledge and put confidence in their owne righteousnesse and saw no need of salvation by Christ and so were not in a meet sutable dispositian to receive him the Apostles counted them unworthy of him So likewise we read in the 22. Chapter of St. Matthews Gospell that there were some that were invited to a feast which the King made at the marriage of his Sonne and it is said verse 5. That they made light of it as if they had said taking it in the spirituall sence as the meaning is what tell you us of Christ or of Justification or Sanctification or eternall Salvation to be had by beleeving on Christs name we are Abrahams children we are the people of God we are a righteous Nation and therefore sure of eternall life already and have no need of any such offer whereupon the King said verse 8. The wedding is ready but they that were bidden were not worthy whereby you may also perceive that this unmeet and unsutable disposition in not seeing a want of Christ and so not desiring him did render them unworthy of him Sim. Well Sir I see that you are still falling foule upon me surely Sir I thinke it is strange that you should altogether discourage me and altogether incourage him Min. Why truly neighbour Simon it appeareth to me that you have taken occasion from those good gifts and parts which God hath given you to be puffed up and incouraged in your selfe and it doth 〈…〉 me that he hath taken occasion from those weakenesses and wants that are in him to be cast downe and discouraged in himselfe and therefore I have conceived it very needfull that you should know that Christ accepts none for greatnesse of parts that you may not continue lifted up as you have been because of that which is of so little esteem with him and I also see it very needfull to let him know that Christ refuseth none for weakenesse of parts that he may not continue cast downe and dejected for want of that which Christ doth not so much regard wherefore neighbour Mathias I beseech you to consider what hath been said and take it home to your selfe for your comfort and incouragement Mat. But Sir did not you say to our neighbour Alexander that knowledge must of necessity goe before faith Min. Yea I said so indeed Mat. Why then Sir me thinkes our neighbour Simon should have a great measure of faith because he hath a great measure of knowledge and me thinkes I should have little or no faith because you know I have little or no knowledge and then me thinkes he should be very fit to be admitted to the Sacrament and I very unfit for I remember you said That it is faith that ma●●s a man fit to receive the Sacrament aright Min. I but you must know that this rule holds not touching the measure of knowledge onely except it be also true and sound so that although our neighbour Simon have never so great a measure of knowledge yet if it be not true and sound as I feare it is not then hath he no true faith and therefore is he not fit to be admitted to the Sacrament and although you have but a very small measure of knowledge yet it being true sound as you know I have proved then have you a true faith and therefore are fit to be admitted to the Sacrament Mat.