Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n
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A90042
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A new years-gift, or A token of love to all persons of what perswasion soever. By a Friend, and lover of all men.
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Friend and lover of all men.
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1693
(1693)
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Wing N813A; ESTC R231377
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12,789
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16
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me by any of my fellow Christians begging of God to set you free as I my self also desire to be set free by you all for any thing whereby I may have offended you against the bent and inclination of my Soul and that Spark of Love which is in it which would not offend any one Pray bear with my Repetitions for it is from the abundance of the heart that my mouth speaketh and Love is Mat. 12. 34. never weary of shewing her good will to all Men. This Divine Love and Charity is the true Principle of on Evangelical Life without which no person can live so as becomes the Gospel of Christ Of how great value therefore is this love Of whom we may say as Solomon saith of Wisdom She is better than Rubies and all the things that may he desired are not to be compared to her Prov. 8. 11. Love is of such an Attractive and Assimilative Vertue that she changeth all things she toucheth into her own Nature she is the true Philosophers Stone that changeth all baser Mettals into Gold Mat. 13. 44 45. she is the Pearl of great Price and the Treasure hid in the Field in order to the purchasing of which the wise Merchant sells all Ephes 3. 19. 1 John 4. 16. Oh Love Love who can take thy dimensions who can comprehend thee For God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Where this Love is not found neither is God there tho a Man should shine never so glorious with all Parts Gifts and deep Cor. 13. 2 Pet. 1. 1. Gal. 5. 6. Learning all would signifie nothing without this Pretious Faith it self is of no account except it work by love Wherefore O Christians let us be led by this Spirit of Love and readily obey the Commandment of our Lord who saith Love your Enemies bless them that curse you c. Matth. 5. 44. And you that call your selves Protestants and profess the same Religion be entreated by the love of Christ who died for All to be Enemies to None especially of your own Brethren that would fain live in love and peace with you Why should you fall out by the way and be at variance Gen. 45. 24. with your Brethren that cannot comply with you in all things that you think lawful and they may be so to you tho not to them for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Rom. 14. 2 3 4 10 11 12 13 23. One believeth that he may eat all things and another who is weak eateth Herbs Let none of you therefore judge his Brother but rather bear with one another in love They whose Hearts are sincere and truly love God will never be angry with their Brethren that are stronger and see further than they do or are more able to promote the Glory of God and the Good of their Neighbour than they are The holy Man Moses when his Servant told him that some of the People Prophesyed in the Camp Num. 11. 27 28 29. was so far from being jealous upon that account that he rejoyced and said Would to God that all the People of the Lord were Prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them And the Apostle St. Paul declares that tho there were some that preached Phil. 1. 15. 18. Christ even of Envy and Strife yet that therein he rejoyced and would rejoyce We see how far different these holy Saints were from the Spirit of those who are Envious at the Gifts of others not to say worse For I would rather heal all Breaches than make them wider and with the Mantle of Love hide the nakedness of my Fathers and Brethren and heap Coals of Divine Charity upon their heads to melt their hearts and to induce them to love the Lord and his People This is that which my Spirit groans for to have all set at liberty by the Spirit of Love and Peace that Brethren Psal 133. may dwell together in Unity Nay what is more my Spirit groans for the whole Creation that it may be delivered Rom. 8. 19. to 28. from the Bondage of Corruption into the glorious liberty of the sons of God for through sin it is made subject to Bondage and Misery My Prayer is to Almighty God who at first made this Universe so glorious that he would be pleased to restore it to its first Beauty and Purity as it was before the Fall then 2 Pet. 3. 13. shall the New Heaven and the New Earth appear not only inwardly in Man but also in the outward Creation that we may once more see and enjoy the Divine Harmony between Heaven and Earth when the Morning Stars shall sing Job 38. 17. Isa 11. 9. together and all the sons of God shout for joy Then shall the Knowledge of the Lord cover the Earth as Waters cover the Isa 30. 36. Sea And the Light of the Moon shall be as the Light of the Sun and the Light of the Sun shall be seven fold as the Light of seven days But before this glorious Day appears the Lord will debate with his People and not with-hold his Rough Isa 27. 8. 9. Wind in the day of his East VVind that he may winnow them from their Chaff but all this will be only to make way for this Day by purging away the Iniquity of Jacob and taking away his sin For we are not fit to be made Partakers of this Great Redemption Act. 3. 19. 1 Cor. 6. 14. which is the Time of Refreshment till this be done for Light and Darkness cannot agree together Holiness and Sin cannot be inmates of the same Soul Therefore let us pray that this New Year we may see the Destruction of Sin in us tho we may before this Work be accomplished pass through his Fire which is in Zion and endure his Furnace which is in Jerusalem Wherefore let none of Isa 31. 9. us flatter our selves ever to be delivered save only this way for the Lord will throughly purge his Floor There is Luk. 3. 17. a Purifying VVork must go before the Times of Refreshment Mat. 3. 2 1. And therefore let us all turn inwards judging our selves searching our own hearts before the Lord comes to judge and search us and let us not cry Peace Peace as long as we go on in a Course of sinning without Controle but let us rather resolve in the strength of the Lord to fight this Man of Sin resisting even unto Blood Let us this New Heb. 12. 4. Year engage in this holy Warfare more couragiously than ever let us fight against sin not only now and then but at all times and in all places and against all manner of sins whether Bodily or Spiritual which are more hid Let us remember that we are Christians who by their Baptism are engaged to fight against the world the flesh and the Devil This is
this my Talent by the Blessing of God upon it and your Prayers may be encreased to two at the last Day when the Lord shall say Well done good and faithful Servant enter Mat. 25. 21. into the joy of thy Lord. Amen Lord so be it Hallelujah What shall I say to you my Fellow Christians and Men of Good Will who truly fear God tho you differ in Judgment and what shall I wish you this New Year but that you may all agree in one to serve the Lord in Spirit and in Truth and Rom. 7. 6. not in the oldness of the Letter that you may be all built up into an Holy Temple for Christ to dwell in and become a Royal Pristhood partakers of the Blessings of the Priests and Levites of Old in the Spirit And herewith I shall end this my New Years Gift turning these my Wishes into Prayers to God for you all Deut. 33. 11. Bless Lord his Substance and accept the Work of his hands smite through the Loins of them that rise against him and of them that hate him that they rise not again The Lord hear thee in the day of Trouble the Name of the God of Jacob defend thee Ps 20. 1 2. send thee help from the Sanctuary and strengthen thee out of Zion O England live for ever but let no more Enmity live in the midst of thee Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to live together in Unity Ps 133. 1. This is the way to bring that Blessing upon thee mentioned by the Prophet when he saith Surely his Salvation is nigh them that fear him that Glory Psalm 85. 9 10 11 12. may dwell in our Land Mercy and Truth shall meet together Righteousness and Peace shall kiss each other Truth shall spring out of the Earth and Righteousness shall look down from Heaven Yea the Lord shall give that which is good and our Land shall yield her Increase Amen Lord let this be the Portion of England yea of thy whole Church all the World over Amen Hallelujah A NOSEGAY presented by the Hand of Love to all the Well-wishers of ZION WAlking in the Paradisical Garden of the Scriptures I have gathered here and there several Flowers to present to you that are Well-wishers of Zion and that prefer Jerusalem above your chiefest Joys Psal 137. 6. Mic. 6. 8. 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. 1 Cor. 13. 4 5 6. Gal. 5. 22 23 24. James 3. 17 18. Cant. 1. that you may all this New Year and many more smell the most sweet and refreshing Odour of this Nosegay of Divine Graces which the whole Scripture especially those places in the Margent point to springing up in you in the life and power of them But above all those other Flowers which breath sweetness and life let me recommend to you and my self the Rose of Sharon and the Lilly of the Valleys These are the Flowers that will revive and quicken you in the time of Deadness refresh and comfort you in the time of Trouble and sweeten you in Bitterness and Anguish This Rose will tincture all the Faculties and Powers of your Souls with its Holy Fire and Redness and this Lilly of the Valley will perfume you throughout with its sweet Meekness and Innocence the one will make you all flaming with the Divine Love the other will procure you the ornament of a meek Spirit and deep Humility which in the sight of God are of great price 2 Pet. 1. 4. In a word they will make you Partakers of the Nature of Christ the Rose representing his Divine Nature and the Lilly his Holy Humanity Surely Beloved you that ask the way to Zion with your faces thitherward who take pleasure in her Stones and favour her Dust Jer. 50. 5. Ps 132. 14. will fall in love with this Nosegay as soon as you begin to perceive the sweet Odour of it the Power and Spirit thereof will transport you so as that you will hardly know where you are by reason of the surpassing sweetness and comfort this Rose and Lilly will afford you If that Woman in the Gospel receiv'd Vertue from a Touch only of Christs Garment for the cure of her inveterate Malady what will not your Souls find in this sweet Rose of Sharon in this humble Lilly of the Valleys What Diseases what Evil can stand against this powerful Antidote this Divine Mixture and Composition of Red and White of the Divine and Humane Nature The Divine conveighing the strong force of Love and the Humane sweet Meekness and lovely Humility Strong Faith and earnest Longing after this Divine Nature will make all that is his to be yours For he is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption Hear therefore ye that go from strength to strength in Zion Ps 84. 7. the Voice of your Beloved calling upon you Rise up my Cant. 2. 10. Love my Fair One and come away Come away from Vanity come away from Gain and Profit yea come away from all things that steal away thy heart from me and bid an eternal Farewell to all the love of the World and let me see Cant. 2. 14. thy countenance and let me hear thy voice for then sweet shall be thy voice to me and thy countenance comely Yea I will never leave thee nor forsake thee I will be unto thee All Things Hebr. 13. 5. Thou shalt taste of my sweetness and be refreshed with the water of life which I will give thee if thou wilt continue and persevere Mat. 10. 38. Mark 8. 34. Hebr. 12. 5. 10. Luke 22. 30. Rev. 3. 21. in my ways Denying thy self and taking up thy Cross daily and following me and taking patiently my fatherly correction of thee seeing that my only aim therein is to make thee Partaker of my Holiness And after I have thus fitted and prepared thee thou shalt eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom For to him that overcometh will I give to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne PRAYER O Sweet Rose of Sharon that hast been dyed in thine Isaiah 63. 1. own Blood to take away the Spots of Sin that had stained all Mankind have mercy on my Soul that is all over defiled by Original and Actual Sin and wash me in that pretious Blood of thine wherewith thou wast cover'd all over in the Garden and on the Cross O let me never forget that inconceivable Love of thine which made thee willingly to bear the Cruelty of Man the rage of Hell and the Rom. 6. 14. wrath of thy Father to deliver me from the Infernal Pit and from the slavery of Sin which is the worst of the two for sin is the cause of Hell Oh what shall I say of thy Love Oh that I might express it in my whole life O Lord thou knowst I can do nothing