Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	believe_v	faith_n	mercy_n	2,035	5	6.4567	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A81239	Deliverance-obstruction: or, The set-backs of reformation. Discovered in a sermon before the Right Honourable the House of Peers, in Parliament now assembled. Upon the monthly fast, March 25. 1646. / By Tho. Case, preacher in Milkstreet London, and one of the Assembly of Divines.	Case, Thomas, 1598-1682.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Lords.	1646 (1646)	Wing C827; Thomason E329_9; ESTC R200694	36,291	48

that doth such things or shall he break the Covenant and be delivered You know who said so and upon what occasion 8. Be humbled for old Superstitions Eighthly Be humbled I beseech you for former Superstitions It concerns you that are the Nobles of the Land and all that are call'd to be our Reformers as well as the Ministers of the Gospel to be deeply sensible of your former Compliances with Episcopal Superstitions and Idolatrous mixtures in the Worship of God It is the very Law upon which God hath engaged himself to take off the vail from before Reformers eyes Ezek. 43.11 If they be ashamed of all that they have done shew them the form of the house and the fashion thereof the goings out thereof and the comings in thereof and all the forms thereof and all the Ordinances thereof and all the forms thereof and all the Laws thereof and write it in their sight c. Who knows whether our Unhumblednesse for these things be not the cause that the Curtain is not yet drawn 9. Be tender of Christs prerogative Ninthly Be tender of Christs Prerogative You are very jealous of your own Priviledges whoso toucheth them toucheth the apple of your eye Do you think Jesus Christ will not be as jealous of his own Prerogative And oh if you should do any thing which the Parliament in heaven that upper House for I know you look upon your selves but as the nether House of Parliament should vote a breach of Priviledge a trespasse upon the Prerogative Royal of the King of Saints how would ye be able to answer it in the day of Accounts Oh therefore see I beseech you to these things 1. That Christs person be adored that men honour the Son Joh. 5.23 even as they bonour the Father 2. That his Ordinances be preserved in their purity 3. That his Officers be preserved in their power 4. That his Offices be preserved in their latitude 5. That all his Administrations and Censures be put into faithful and proper hands If we come into your Houses we see no confusion there The Groom doth not usurp the Steward's Office The Cook doth not croud into the Bed-chamber The Secretary doth not do the Chaplain's work Even so Christ hath ordained that in his House all things be done in decency and in order 1 Cor. 14.40 Vers 32. and that the spirit of the Prophets be subject to the Prophets 10. Look to Self-Reformation In the Tenth and last place Especially look to Self-reformation Reform your Persons reform your Families say as Joshua I and my house will serve the Lord. Do as Jacob did who when he went to build an Altar to the Lord Josh 24.15 said to his family Put away the strange gods that are among you and be clean and change your garments If they will not put away their strange gods their lying their swearing their whoredoms their Sabbath-breaking c. Do you put them away Say with David He that walketh in a perfect way shall serve me Psal 101.6 He that worketh deceit shall not dwell in my house he that telleth lyes shall not tarry in my sight c. And for your selves 7. I will walk in my house with a perfect heart Verse 2. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes c. It was David's resolution 3. when he came to the Kingdom and set upon the work of Reformation he resolved he would begin at home Oh shew your selves the sons of Jacob the line of David An Vnreformed Reformer is a drie Sea a dark Sun a cold Fire an ungood God Contractio in adjecto a Monster among men a devil among Saints a what not Oh that we could see Religion in your families the power of godlinesse in your persons Noble-mens houses paterns of Pietie then should we hope God meant to do England good indeed Finde me a man and I will pardon it In a word Jer. 5. Noble Peers and Patriots you have in your hands the fairest opportunity and the richest advantages to make Christ glorious the Church beautiful the State honourable your Names precious your selves so many Moses's and Joshua's the Saviours of the People that ever Nobility or Parliament had Oh take heed of sinning away such an opportunity One word to all that stand before God this day To All. and the whole people of this Land and I have done Despair not 1. Despair not though you may see the work at many a losse and many a dead-lift as you have seen it already When was it otherwise Call for the Chronicles read over the Stories of all Church-deliverances when was it otherwise If ye will not believe Isai 7.9 surely you shall not be established Know this a Deliverance of Gods promising and setting on foot shall go on in spite of all Set-backs and opposition there is Comfort Ob. I but we have no promise for our Deliverance as Israel had for theirs Answ 1. If we had an unbelieving heart will be an unbelieving heart in spite of promises It is not a promise will make us believe if we want faith As long as we have Israel's heart we should doubt though we had Israel's promise 2. Note this in the Second place that Special yea personal Promises made to the Saints in Scripture are ours so far as Their straits are ours Their work ours Their faith ours Their concernments ours I had never look'd for my share in Joshua's promise had not the Holy Ghost taught me to apply it Be content with such things as you have for he hath said Heb. 13.5 ex Josh 1.5 I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE NOR FORSAKE THEE 3. There be standing Promises in Scripture which are the Magazine of the Church thorowout all her descents and Generations 4. Know this also that Scripture Command supplies the want of Scripture Promise Go with me to Heb. 11.13 and ye shall finde Abraham with his staff in his hand and his sandals on his feet and his loyns girt Please to let me ask him Two or three questions by the way see what he will answer Reverend Patriarch Whither are you going Answ I know not When shall you return Answ I know not How will you subsist Answ I know not He is in haste as well as we and therefore I 'll ask him but one question more Abraham Why then do you go at such UNCERTAINTIES To this he will answer I go not upon uncertainties I have a call I have a Command and that will secure my person and bear my charges By faith Abraham when he was CALLED to go into a place which be should after receive for an inheritance OBEYED and went out NOT KNOWING WHITHER HE WENT Heb. 11.8 3. Christians observe a Call is as good as a Promise at any time With a Call a man may travel from one end of the world to another though he hath not a peny in his purse And whether or no you have a Call a Warrant a Scripture-Command for what you do I hope it is not now to dispute 5. But lastly we have not onely a Call but a Promise not in general onely but in special The whole Book of the Revelation is nothing else but one great Promise of the downfall of Antichrist and Gospel-Reformation and that is the work Parliament and Kingdom have now in hand in these three Nations Be of good courage both it and you that are faithful and called and chosen are in the hands of a God that knows how to carry on his Work not onely against but by the opposition of men and devils 2. Obstruct not hinder not the work 2. Onely therefore in the next and last place Take heed that none of you be obstructions in the way your selves labour to remove the hinderances that lie at your door what they are you saw before Studie to promote this great Designe by your counsel purses persons prayers REFORMATION with all you have and all you are and the work is done at least your work is done Here is our exceeding mistake and mischief We stand like Jacob's sons looking one upon another and can very hardly be brought to think Ecces 9.18 that one mans Sin can do much harm or one mans Reformation can do much good But be not deceived Brethren God is not mocked Achan was but one and yet he troubled Israel Jonah was but one and yet he had gone nigh to have sunk the Ship Adam but one and yet he sunk all the world In a word the holy Ghost will tell you One sinner destroys much good And if thou should be that one or one amongst many how wilt thou look when thou shalt see the Kingdom afire about thine ears with the flames which thou hast kindled And when thou art buried in her ashes this shall be thy Inscription that shall stand till Dooms day Here lies a State-murderer a Church-killer a Destroyer of himself and of Reformation On the other side remember for your encouragement Joshua was but one and yet he brought Israel to Canaan Caleb was but one and yet he still'd the people Phineas was but one and yet he turned away Gods wrath Paul was but one and yet he saved the ship Rom. 5.16 17 18 19. Isa 63.3 Jer. 5.1 Job 22.30 and Christ Jesus the second Adam was but one and yet he redeemed the world I trod the wine-presse alone c. In a word you hear God promising Finde me one man and I will pardon and the holy Ghost telling us He shall deliver the Island of the innocent and it is saved by the purenesse of thy hands And if thou shouldst be that one or one of those few what an honour would it be to be called The Repairer of the breaches the Restorer of the desolate paths to dwell in the Saviour of Church and State Isa 58.12 Obad. v. ult However Happie yea thrice happie shall he be called that can be able to say when he comes to give up his Account Lord I have done my best to promote Reformation and to save the Kingdom FINIS

of tongues Mark 3 25. neither can the house divided stand long 6. By Carnal confidence Jer. 17.5 Sixthly as much have they disadvantaged themselves by Carnal confidence a sin not onely cross'd but curs'd Thus saith the Lord Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm Why The reason follows whose heart departeth from the Lord. Look how much men DEIFIE men by so much they UNGOD Jehovah by how much a people IDOLIZE Parliaments or Armies or the best of Creature-helps by so much they withdraw their confidence and dependance from the Rock of Ages and therefore for this doth God oftentimes infatuate Counsels and blast all the beauty and strength of a people wherein ther trusted The wisdom of their wisemen shall perish Isa 29 14. and the understanding of the prudent shall be hid Chap. 20.5 They shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and of Egypt their glory Alas can a people prosper that have forsaken their strength for weaknesse that have exchanged God for the Creature Can a designe thrive that is under a Curse Therefore cries the Prophet in the ears of all the world Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils Isa 2.22 for wherein is he to be accounted of And therefore on the contrary when Israel after her Captivity is put into a thriving posture she is brought in repenting of and disclaiming all her Creature-confidences with the Spouse in the Canticles coming up from the wildernesse of Captivity LEANING UPON HER BELOVED Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon horses Hos 14.2.3 neither will we say any more to the work of our hands You are our gods she had said so before but she will say so no more for with thee the fatherlesse findeth mercy We break our stays by leaning too hard upon them Seventhly by undervaluing thoughts of a Deliverance or Reformation An ignorant inadvertency of the worth of such a mercy is very distastful unto God Oh Jerusalem Luke 19.42 hadst thou known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace HADST THOU KNOWN the worth HADST THOU KNOWN the necessity God will have a people know what he doth for them God will have a deliverance valued before he perfect it When Garlick and Onions are as good as milk and honey when trading and lands and riches and honours c. be as good as a Reformation and men can take up with these and let Reformation go its own pace and come at leasure if at all Let them wander saith God in the wildernesse till they know what CANAAN IS WORTH Hos 5. ult I will go and return to my place till they seek my face in their affliction they will seek me early This I suppose is that account given why the Reformation in good Jehoshaphat's time was not a thorow-Reformation Though much was done Chro. 20.33 Howbeit the high places were not taken away for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers I come now to the Third Spring-head of Reasons or Causes arising from The Deliverers obstructions in Deliverers ●art For certainly the work of Deliverance and Reformation may stick long upon the hands of them that are to be the Deliverers and Reformers of a people Yea you may observe it sometimes God hath more trouble to speak after the manner of men to deliver a people from their Deliverers then he hath to deliver them from the enemies of their deliverance yea though the work be intrusted in the hands of a Moses and an Aaron God hath enough to do to keep them from spoiling of it a great part of the Deliverance is to deliver a people from their Deliverers before he deliver them by them So little is God beholding to second Causes You shall see it in the Instances or Causes Take in the first place Luthers account There be three things saith Luther that are the bane of Christian Religion Melch. Ad. in vita Luth. p. 151 〈◊〉 Oblivio bene●●ctorum ab E●●angelio acce●●torum 〈◊〉 Deinde secu●itas quae passim ubique regnat and therefore much more of a REFORMATION First Forgetfulnesse of former mercies Secondly for I will put them together Security They were both the sins of as famous a Reformer as ever the Church of God knew Hezekiah's for which the work of Reformation and the whole Kingdom suffer'd deeply I 'll but read you the Text But Hezekiah RENDRED NOT AGAIN ACCORDING TO THE BENEFIT DONE UNTO HIM Chro. 37.25 for his heart was lifted up therefore THERE WAS WRATH upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem Unthankfulnesse and Pride had like to have undone all that he had done Oh when Reformers forget old Mercies and old Deliverances and them it may be that God hath used as Instruments of them and new mercies and successes serve but to make them secure and swell them with pride to overlook their Brethren and overvalue themselves to think themselves no longer Stewards but Lords not onely petty kings but little gods to do what they PLEASE in the work and with the people of God this shakes the very foundation of Church and State God is highly displeased You have a sad instance in Vzziah of whom the holy Ghost records 2 Chro. 26.15 16. He was marvellously helped till he was strong But when he was strong his heart was lifted up to his destruction for he transgressed against the Lord his God and went in to the Temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the Altar of Incense Alas how was the man and all the worthy things he had done for Church and State of which you may read from the beginning of the Chapter forward even lost in Pride Vnthankfulnesse and Security Sapientia mundi qua vult omnia redigere in ordinem publicae utilitati impiis consiliis mederi Exod. 32.22 23 24. 1 King 12. from vers 26 to the end of the Chap. Joh. 11.48 Thirdly Carnal policie worldly wisedom which applies fleshly medicines to Spiritual distempers when men will cast the affairs of Christs Kingdom in the moulds and models of humane policie and principles Aaron he will make a GOLDEN CALF to still the people and secure his own life and Jeroboam will make two ordain Offices Feasts Worship which never come into Gods heart to secure the Kingdom to himself though by this very means he lost it The Builders in Christs time would not own Christ for their King and Deliverer for fear of forfeiting their kingdom to the Romanes and thereby ran upon that very mischief they would avoid yea they lost Two Kingdoms while they would secure one So dangerous a thing it is when men will be wiser then God or at least then God would have them HUMANE POLICY before Scripture-precept or Scripture-patern is nothing else but DISLOYALTY it gives God counsel when God looks for obedience Fourth sin Vnprayerfulnes