Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	beseech_v	lord_n	please_v	3,659	5	7.7912	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09950	The breast-plate of faith and love. A treatise, wherein the ground and exercise of faith and love, as they are set upon Christ their object, and as they are expressed in good workes, is explained. / Delivered in 18 sermons upon three severall texts, by the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty, Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635, ed.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670, ed.	1630 (1630)	STC 20208; ESTC S105956	328,230	606

thus prepared now let the Gospell come and welcome Now a mans heart is fit to be wrought on Why what doeth the Gospell The Gospell comes and tells you that the Lord Iesus is willing to be your Redeemer is willing to be your Lord he is content to be yours If you will take him you shall have him and all his Now when a mans heart is broken you cannot bring him better newes Indeede till then you may goe and preach the Gospell long enough you may propound Christ to men they will not take him But when we propound him thus to a heart prepared thus to him that is poore in spirit to him that hath his heart wounded in the sense of his sinnes and of Gods wrath now I I say hee is willing to come in hee is willing to take Christ as a Lord as a husband when that is done that Christ hath discovered his will to take them and they resolve to take him then there ariseth a holy a constant conjugall loue wherein they are rooted and grounded This is the love we are now to speake of So that to prepare us to love Christ wee must come to looke on him as upon that which is sutable and agreeable to us And againe as one that is willing to receiue us And that you must marke diligently Therefore wee will give you this definition of loue out of that which hath been said It is an holy disposition of the heart rising from faith whereby wee cleave to the Lord with a purpose of heart to serve him and to please him in all things When these two things are joyned that a man is humbled and lookes on Christ as one that is now fit for him And secondly hee is perswaded that Christ is willing to take him when this is done a man receiues Christ by faith And from this faith this loue issues Whence this is specially to be marked and it is a matter of much moment That to loue the Lord it is not onely required that you be perswaded that he is well affected to you that he is willing to receive you for that men may haue which say that Christ is mercifull and ready to forgiue and so they think but yet they loue him not Therefore I say it is not onely required that you looke on Christ as upon one that is well affected and propitious to you but also that you looke on him as one that is sutable and agreeable to you for both these must concurre to incline your hearts to loue him you must I say both looke on him as one that is fit for you as a good that is agreeable to you And also you must be perswaded that he is willing to receiue you Now the first indeed is the maine This second that Christ is willing to forgiue you and to receiue you though it be weake it may be such as is a true faith and may beget loue when a man lookes on any other men that he loues if he see so much excellency in them as that he longs after them and desires them though he thinks there be a backwardnes in them to love him yet if there be some probability that they are likely to loue him he may come so farre as to embrace them in his affections and haue a desire to them though it be true as that perswasion is stronger so their loue is more neere for faith and love grow together Indeede if there were an utter aversnesse if there were enmity as it were impossible to remoue it then we could not loue but hate even as Cain and Iudas did But I say that is a thing you must especially marke that faith doth not consist in being perswaded that Christ or God through Christ is willing to forgiue you your sinnes or to receiue you to mercy but in this your judgement must be rectified that is to know that you are to looke on Christ as one that is sutable and agreeable to you as one to whom you haue an inward inclination as one that is fit for you This is the maine thing the other easily followes to be perswaded that he is willing to forgiue us and that he is willing to loue us therefore whereas it may be you haue thought that to beleeue that God is willing to forgiue you your sinnes is faith I dare be bold to say it is not full faith you may haue it and yet not savingly beleeue you may haue it and yet not be true beleevers This I make cleare by this argument That which begets no loue is not faith But you may be perswaded that Christ is willing to forgiue you your sinnes and yet not love him as a prisoner may be perswaded that the Iudge is willing to pardon him and yet for all this hee may not love the Iudge for loue as I tolde you comes from some sutablenesse some agreablenesse betweene the party that loues and the party that is loved Againe you shall finde this by experience A man may be perswaded that he is in a good estate that he shall be saved and that his sinnes are forgiven him and yet for all this he may be an unregenerate man he may be a man that hath no life of grace in him I say we see oft in experience many men applaud themselves in their good persuasion and they die peaceably and quietly and all is well they thinke God hath forgiven them and yet we finde there is no loue in them nor no fruite of loue Againe on the other side a man that hath his heart broken with the sense of his sinnes may hunger after righteousnesse and after Christ he may long after the Lord himselfe that he desires him more than any thing in the world and yet there is but a weake perswasion that the Lord will receiue him and forgiue him his sins I say this man may be a true beleever though he be not yet so fully perswaded that Christ will forgiue him when the other is no true beleever as I said to you before As when one loues another man or woman if hee looke on him as one that is sutable to him if hee thinke it be but by good probability and likelihood I shall obtaine their loue though I haue not yet a full assurance of it I say there may be an affection of loue And thence I confirme that which I said to you that faith that hath beene joyned with it is true and that faith that is disjoyned from loue is not true So I say such a disposition of heart as lookes on Christ as one whom he longs after he lookes on him as on a husband as one whom he is willing to match with that he can say truely This is the best husband for me in all the world though yet I have not wooed him though yet I have not a full assurance of his affection to mee as I would have I say this will certifie your judgement and withall it will comfort you

to obtaine he spares no laboure no cost he cares not what he doth so he may get it much labour seemes little to him many yeares seeme a few dayes hee cares not what he doth so hee obtaine it he is diligent and laborious Doe you take this paines to draw neere to God to get grace to excell in it Are you willing to put your selves to it to denie your selves in your ease to take some time from other businesses and to bestow it this way are you content to put your selves to a harder taske to forbeare things that are pleasant according to the flesh to take paines for the Lord If you love God it will make you diligent A man will take paines to get the thing he loves Besides love is an affection that would enjoy presently the thing it loves it cannot endure deferring And therefore when a man professeth he loves the Lord and yet will deferre to come in saying I wil serve the Lord perfectly but not yet not till my youth be a little more over not till things be thus and thus with me then I will it is certain thou lovest him not for it is true of every affection that which is a true and right affection that which is an hearty affection it is present If a man desire any thing he would have it presently hope would be presently satisfied and therefore hope deferred is griefe and love deferred is a great griefe So that if you finde a disposition to put it off in your selves I will doe it but not yet certainly you love not the Lord. It may be if you were sure to die within a week or a month what men would you be how perfectly would you walke with God how would you have your hearts weaned from the world more than they be Well if you love the Lord you will doe as much presently though much of your life remaine for love is a present affection it cannot endure deferring but it would have full communion and that speedily and presently so is it with that affection where you finde it Againe if you examine your selves further if you have this love in you you may know it by this Love is a thing th●t is well pleased with it selfe as we say Love desires no wages that is it carries meate in the mouth of it it is wages enough to it selfe it hath sweetnesse enough in it selfe it desires no addition So it is when a man loves Love payes it selfe I say it is its owne wages And therefore if you love the Lord you shall know it by this you serve him and serve him with all your might with all your strength though he should give you no wages Iacob as you know served for Rachel the very having her was wages enough So if you love the Lord the very enjoying of the Lord the very having communion with the Lord the very having the assurance of his favour that you might say My Beloved is mine and I am my Beloveds this is wages enough to a man that loves indeed to such a man though there were not heaven to follow though there were not a present reward nor a future yet he would love the Lord and if he loue him there will be a delight to serve him and enough to him is the Lords favour as Christ saith It is my meate and drinke to doe my Fathers will that is though there were no other meate and drinke though there were no other wages yet this was as pleasant to him as eating and drinking Aske thine owne breast whether in any thing thou lovest if the very enjoying of that though there were no other wages superadded if that were not motiue enough if it were not comfort enough and wages enough to you to doe it But besides all this to name one more if you loue the Lord it will make you it will constraine you to please him it will put such necessity upon you to obey him in all things to doe what he requires whatsoever is for his advantage that you cannot chuse but doe it as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5. The Love of Christ constraines us What is the meaning of that That is I cannot choose but doe it it makes a man doe it whether he will or no it is like fire in his breast he cares for no shame it makes him goe through thicke and thin the loue of Christ constraines us It is true I confesse I may lose my reputation you may reckon me a mad man some men doe thinke me so but that is all one I must doe it the loue of Christ constraines me So that where loue is it is such a strong impulsiue in the heart it carries one on to serue and please the Lord in all things that he cannot choose but doe it As a man that is carried in a strong streame or as one that is carried in a crowde or as one that is carried in the hands of a strong man so a man is carried with this affection that hee cannot choose You will say this is strange that loue should compell it doth nothing lesse It is true You must know when the Apostle saith The love of Christ constraines me it is a Metonomy from the effect that is loue makes me doe it in that manner as a man that is compelled that is the meaning of it so it hath the same effect that compulsion hath though there be nothing more different from compulsion than loue And therefore know that of loue that it is such a change as drawes one to serue the Lord out of an inward attractiue thence I take that note of loue such a thing as puts it on such a thing as riseth from an inward inclination of the mind frō an inward principle so that there is no other spurre no other attractiue but the amiablenesse of the object Now when a man shall finde this in himselfe that hee hath all these hee findes that hee hath such a sensible loue that hee knowes hee loves the Lord Iesus Againe hee findes an earnest desire to be in company with him to walke with the Lord from day to day Againe hee is exceeding laborious and diligent to get this love to get this assurance of favour and to excell in that grace without which he knowes he cannot please him Againe when the affection is present you would haue communion with the Lord and you would not haue it deferred Againe when a man shall be well pleased with that hee doth it is enough that hee hath the Lord himselfe though there were no other wages And when hee findes such a strong impulsiue in him in his owne heart that carries him on to serue the Lord that hee cannot choose but doe it then you loue the Lord And if you loue the Lord you are in Christ. But if these things be not in you you doe not loue him and then what is your condition You know what the Apostle saith Hee

that loves not let him bee accursed let him bee had in execration to the death I should prosecute it further and shew the reasons why wee should loue the Lord as there is great reason But that I must deferre till the afternoone FINIS THE SECOND SERMON GALLAT 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love THE last tryall of our love to Christ was its constraining vertue love will constraine you to serve him you cannot choose but doe it it so constraines a man as the weight of a stone compelleth it to goe to the center as the lightnesse of the fire compells it to ascend up for such a thing is love a strong inclination of the heart when the soule puts it selfe on any thing from an inward principle from a bottome of its owne when it is carried on with no other motive but the amiablenes of the object Now to conclude this wee must beseech you to consider your owne condition and examine your selves by these rules that you may be able to say as Peter said Lord thou knowest I love thee that is to have such an assurance that your hearts may be well affected towards Christ Iesus that you may love him that you may be able to say to God who knowes our hearts searcheth our reines that knowes all the windings and turnings of your soules Lord thou knowest that I love thee Since it is a matter of such moment wee should be carefull to examine if we finde that we have not yet this love for we must know that all that we have all that we doe it will nothing availe us but faith which worketh by love And if you object why doe ye preach damnation to us doe you tell us we are in an evill condition for want of this love I answere it is profitable for you while you are in such a condition to have it preached it is good for you to speake this damnation to your selves that while yet there is hope you may seek to be healed that you may be translated into another condition that you may not perish in the evill day when there shal be neither hope nor helpe for you For you must know that when wee deliver you these signes of examining your selves our end is not to grieue you this doctrine tends not to destruction but to discover to you your owne hearts that you may know your owne condition that if you want it you may seek after it If therefore you finde a want of this love that we will doe next shall be to shew you what reason you have to love the Lord Iesus for there is no better way to get it in you than to describe him to you to shew you what cause there is of loving him if wee were able to present him to you as he is we should effect this thing but that must be the worke of the holy Ghost notwithstanding we will briefly open to you such reasons as we finde used in the Scriptures And first let this moue you to loue him that he is worthy to be beloved as David speakes Psal. 18.3 The Lord is worthy to be praised so wee may say the Lord is worthy to be loved for what is it that makes any thing worthy of loue it is the excellency that we finde there Now in the Lord there is all kinde of excellency whatsoever there is that is amiable under the Sunne all that you shall finde in him more abundantly If ever you see any thing in any creature any thing amiable in man if ever you saw any beauty any vertue any excellency all these must be more abundant in him that made these creatures And therefore if you haue a loue as there is no man without some loue or other some creature seemes beautifull to you thinke with your selues this is more in the Lord. If ever you see excellency in any man if ever you see any noblenesse any holinesse any excellency of disposition know that it is more abundant in the Lord Iesus Let these rivers leade you to that Ocean to that abundance of excellency that is in the Lord. And if you loue any creature let it be with a little loue let your affection be proportionable to the object as it exceedes in the Lord so let your loue exceede towards him to loue him with all your soule and all your strength And know this that hee hath not onely that in an omnipotent manner that is but sprinkled among the creatures they haue but a sparke but a drop of it but also there is this in the Lord that there is nothing in him but that which is amiable every creature hath some imperfection in it there is somewhat in it may cause aversation in you there is no man but hath some weaknesse but hath some infirmity there is no creature but it hath some want some defect in it but in the Lord there is no want there is nothing to put you off but as the Church saith Cant. 5. He is wholly delectable that is there is nothing in him but that which is amiable That would be a very profitable thing for us in this case often to thinke on the Lord Iesus to present him to our selues in our thoughts as the Spouse doth Cant. 5. shee considers her wellbeloved is the fairest of ten thousand so wee should beholde the person of our husband You know it is but a harlottry loue to consider what wee haue by our husband to consider what riches he brings what honour and not often to contemplate upon his person and upon his vertue and excellency wee should learne to doe this with the Lord that wee may loue him Therefore that wee may helpe you a little in this contemplation wee will shew you how the Lord hath described himselfe Exod. 34.4 when the Lord describes himselfe to Moses thus he declares his owne name The Lord Iehovah strong mercifull gracious long-suffering abundant in kindnesse and in truth reserving mercies for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne c. Wee will a little open to you this description that the Lord giues us of himselfe that so you may learne to know what hee is for the way to loue the Lord is to know him and indeed therefore we loue him not because we know him not there is no other reason why in heaven when we shall come to be present with him wee shall loue him so abundantly but because wee shall know him face to face that is the reason the Angels and the Saints loue most And of every man amongst the Saints hee that knowes most loues most Therefore it should be your labour to know the Lord. But to open as I say this description unto you First he is Iehovah that is hee is a constant friend to whomsoever he is a friend he is alway the same for that is another name by which the Lord describes himselfe to Moses when he sends him

that is not argument enough Thou wilt say because they doe not answer that which in their profession they make shew to be If that be the reason why doest thou not pitch thy hatred upon those that are found to be so And to conclude this you must know that no man speakes against religion or hates religion under its owne notions under its owne name but something else must be put upon it the name of hypocrisie or the like And it is the common condition of men whose hearts are not upright that they are not able to judge aright of the wayes of God a man that hath not grace himselfe cannot possibly judge aright of grace in others but I hasten I must now proceede in the point I formerly began to insist on namely in shewing you the meanes of getting this love and of increasing it I shewed formerly somes meanes to get this love and to increase it As first prayer for it is the gift of the Spirit Secondly to beseech the Lord to shew himselfe to you We will add but one now at this time to shew you the way more fully to obtaine this love If you would love the Lord remove the impediments What are those They are two Strangenes and uncircumcision of heart or worldly mindednesse First strangenesse is agreat impediment to love It is an observation that the Philosophers hath that strangenes when we doe not salute and converse one with another is a meanes of dissolving friendship so in this case when there growes a strangenesse betweene God and vs it unties and loosens that love and communion that should be betweene us Therefore if you would preserve your love to the Lord suffer not your hearts to sit loose from him suffer not a strangenes to grow betweene God and you For strangenesse breeds fearfulnesse and fearefulnesse looseneth love as boldnesse is the parent and nurse of love and that which increaseth it Besides when there growes a strangenesse betweene God and us wee begin not to know the Lord there growes an ignorance and so there is an intermission of those reciprocall offices of love betweene us that even as it is among the Saints the forsaking of their fellowship looseneth their love and so stoppeth the intercourse of good duties that should be among them so it is with the Lord. And therefore if you would maintaine love with the Lord draw neare to him and he will draw neare to you How shall we doe that By speaking much to him by hearing him speake to us by retiring to him upon all occasions for consolation and comfort If thou receive any injurie from men wrangle not with them but doe as David did betake thy selfe to prayer take heede of sinne for that of all other things will breede a strangenesse betweene God and thee and if you doe fall out seeke to be reconciled againe as soone as may be labour to entertaine a continuall commerce betweene God and thy selfe observe constantly his dealing with thee and observe againe thy carriage towards hm this will breede a familiarity betweene God and thee And above all be much in prayer for that in a speciall manner maintaines and increaseth this communion and familiaritie betweene the Lord and thee Againe the other thing that hinders is uncircumcision of heart or worldly-mindednesse in Deut. 30.6 I will circumcise your hearts and you shall love me with all your soules and with all your hearts As if he should say that which keepes you from loving me from delighting in mee is the uncircumcision of your hearts that is your worldly lusts and worldly cares and worldly desires when these abound in our hearts they keepe us from loving the Lord Therefore in 1 Iohn 2. If you love the world the love of the Father is not in you Come to any particular and you shall finde it so if you love wealth you cannot love the Lord if you love pleasures if you love praise with men if you love honours c. you cannot love the Lord the love of God and vaine glorie the love of God and covetousnesse will not stand together Therefore if you will love the Lord you must have your hearts circumcised that is you must have these sinfull lusts cut off for nothing quencheth love so much as these You know the love of an adulterer quencheth the conjugall love of the wife to the husband your love of the world is adulterie the Scripture calls it so therefore if you love that it will quench your love to the Lord. You will say May we not love the things of the world Yes my brethren onely take heede that it be not an adulterous love How shall we know that You shall know it by this if it doe lessen your love to God You may know whether your love to any creature to any sport or recreation be adulterous or no. A chast wife may love many men besides her husband but if it once begin to lessen her love to her husband that is an adulterous love Therefore if you would love the Lord aright be sure to cut off this for it breedes a distance betweene God and you As it is said of Absolom when the hearts of the people went with Absolom they fell from David the King so when our hearts are stollen away with the love of earthlie things our love to the Lord is lessened with it Therefore I say if you will love the Lord aright you must be carefull to remove this for the cares of the world the lusts and diverse pleasures these choake the love of the Lord they are the greatest quench-coales of any other Loue you know is of an uniting qualitie when any thing lieth betweene God and us that you may be sure will hinder our love Now there are many things that lye betweene God and us Some things lie in our understandings temptations to atheisme temptations to thinke that the Scriptures are not true temptations to judge amisse of God in any thing temptations to doubt of the favour of God These lie in the understanding betweene God and us and are contrary to love for love uniteth But in the will there lyeth much more sometimes vaine hopes sometimes vaine feares sometimes one thing sometimes another If there be any inordinate lust after any creature after any thing in the world it lieth betweene God and us and makes a separation betweene us and till that be removed God and we cannot come together till there be an union wee cannot fully love Therefore if you would love the Lord have your hearts circumcised that is have those things removed out of your understanding and out of your will Take away those obstacles that lie betweene God and you And if you cannot doe it your selves goe to Christ it is he that circumciseth us with the circumcision made without hands Againe when you have done this that you may grow in love to the Lord

THE BREAST-PLATE OF FAITH AND LOVE A Treatise Wherein the ground and exercise of FAITH and LOVE as they are set upon Christ their Object and as they are expressed in Good Workes is explained Delivered In 18. Sermons upon three severall Texts By the late faithfull and worthy Minister of Iesus Christ IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Divinity Chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes Inne But let us who are of the day be sober putting on the breastplate of Faith and Love 1 Thes 5.8 What will it profit my Brethren if a man say he have faith and hath not workes Can faith save him Iames 2.14 LONDON Printed by W. I. for Nicolas Bourne and are to be solde at the South Entrance of the Royall Exchange 1630 ILLVSTRISSIMO NOBILISSIMOQVE VIRO ROBERTO COMITI WARVVICENCI IOHANNIS PRESTONI S. T. D. ET COLLEGII IMMANVELIS Q. MAGISTRI CVIVS TVTELAE DVM IN VIVIS ESSET PRIMOGENITVM SVVM IN DISCIPLINAM ET LITERIS EXPOLIENDVM TRADIDIT POSTHVMORVM TRACTATVVM PARTEM DE NATVRA FIDEI EIVSQVE EFFICACIA DEQVE AMORE ET OPERIBVS BONIS DEVOTISSIMI TAM AVTHORIS DVM VIVERET QVAM IPSORVM QVI SVPERSVNT OBSEQVII TESTIMONIVM M. D. D. D. RICHARDVS SIBS IOHANNES DAVENPORT To the Christian Reader Christian Reader INnumerable are the sleights of Satan to hinder a Christian in his course towards Heaven by exciting the corruption of his own heart to disturbe him when he is about to doe any good or by discouraging him with inward terrours when he would solace himselfe with heavenly comforts or by disheartening him under the feares of sufferings when hee should be resolute in a good cause A type whereof were the Israelites whose servitude was redoubled when they turned themselves to forsake Aegypt Wherefore we have much neede of Christian fortitude according to that direction Watch ye stand fast quit your selves like men especially since Satan like a Serpentine Crocodile pursued is by resistance put to flight But as in warres which the Philistines knew well in putting their hope in Goliah the chiefe strength of the Souldiers lyeth in their Captaine so in spirituall conflicts all a Christians strength is in Christ and from him For before our conversion we were of no strength since our conversion we are not sufficient of our selves to think a good thought And to worke out from the Saints all selfe-confidence God by their falls teacheth them To rejoyce in the Lord Iesus and to have no confidence in the flesh Whatsoever Christ hath for us is made ours by Faith which is the hand of the soule enriching it by receiving Christ who is the treasure hid in the field and with him those unsearchable riches of grace which are revealed and offered in the Gospell Yea it is part of our spirituall armour That which was fabulously spoken of the race of Gyants is truly said of a Christian hee is borne with his armour upon him as soone as hee is regenerate hee is armed It s called a Breast-plate because it preserves the heart a long large shield as the word signifieth which is usefull to defend the whole man from all sorts of assaults Which part of spirituall armor and how it is to be managed is declared in the former part of the ensuing Treatise in ten Sermons Now as all rivers returne into the sea whence they came so the beleeving soule having received all from Christ returneth all to Christ. For thus the beleever reasoneth Was Gods undeserved unexpected love such to me that he spared not his onely begotten Sonne but gave him to die for mee It s but aequall that I should live to him die for him bring in my strength time gifts liberty all that I have all that I am in his service to his glory That affection whence these resolutions arise is called Love which so inclineth the soule that it moveth in a direct line towards that obiect wherein it expecteth contentment The soule is miserably deluded in pursuing the winde and in taking ayme at a flying fowle whilest it seekes happinesse in any creature which appeares in the restlesnesse of those irregular agitations and endlesse motions of the mindes of ambitious voluptuous and covetous persons whose frame of spirit is like the lower part of the elementary region the seate of windes tempests and earthquakes full of unquietnesse whilest the beleevers soule like that part towards heaven which is alwayes peaceable and still enioyeth true rest and ioy And indeed the perfection of our spirits cannot be but in union with the chiefe of spirits which communicateth his goodnesse to the creature according to its capacity This affection of Love as it reflecteth upon Christ being a fruit and effect of his love to us apprehended by faith is the subiect of the second part of the following Treatise in 7. Sermons The iudicious Authour out of a piercing insight into the methods of the Tempter knowing upon what rockes the faith of many suffers shipwracke that neither the weak Christian might lose the comfort of his faith through want of evidences nor the presumptuous rest upon a fancy in stead of faith nor the adversaries be emboldened to cast upon us by reason of this doctrine of Iustification by faith onely their wonted nicknames of Soli-fidians and Nulli-fidians throughout the whole Treatise and more especially in the last Sermon he discourseth of good Workes as they arise from faith and love This is the summe of the faithfull and fruitfull labours of this Reverend learned and godly Minister of the Gospell who whilest he lived was an example of the life of faith and love and of good workes to so many as were acquainted with his aequall and even walking in the wayes of God in the severall turnings and occasions of his life But it will be too much iniury to the godly Reader to be detained longer in the porch Wee now dismisse thee to the reading of this profitable worke beseeching God to increase faith and to perfect love in thy heart that thou maist be fruitfull in good workes Thine in our Lord Iesus Christ RICHARD SIBS IOHN DAVENPORT OF FAITH The first Sermon ROM 1.17 For by it the righteousnesse of God is reuealed from Faith to Faith As it is written The iust shall liue by Faith IN the words I haue read vnto you Paul tels them that he is not ashamed of the Gospell of CHRIST For it was a shame to him partly because the very substance of the Gospell was then persecution and partly because he was plaine in speech hee came not with excellency of words or mans wisedome and therefore you may obserue what adoe he had to defend himselfe in his Epistles to the Corinthians a wise people who partly hated and partly despised his manner of deliuery but saith hee I am not ashamed of it for it is the power of God to saluation it is that which being receiued will bring men to heauen being rejected

children and loath to rise but you must knocke and knocke againe and as it was with the vniust Iudge importunity must doe it though your desire be strong yet for a time in his ordinary course he withholds and turnes a deafe eare to try if thou hast an eager desire for if it ceases quickly he should haue lost his labour in bestowing Christ on thee But if nothing will make thee giue ouer if thou wilt beseech him and giue him no rest I 'le assure thee GOD cannot deny thee and the longer he holdeth thee off the better answer thou shalt haue at the end And when thou hast CHRIST thou hast that that cannot be expressed for with him thou hast all things When you haue him you may goe to him for Justification and say LORD giue me remission of sinnes I haue CHRIST and thou hast promised that all that are in CHRIST shall haue pardon that they shall haue thy Spirit and be made new creatures now LORD fulfill these promises If say It is a condition beyond expression next to that we shall haue in heauen and farre aboue that which any Prince or Potentate in the World hath farre beyond that which any man that swims in pleasures and abundance of wealth hath which if it were knowne would by all the World be sought after Therefore when you heare of such a condition offered take heede of refusing it for if you doe your sinne is haynous and your condemnation will be iust The second Vse I will onely name Consider what it is to refuse yea what it is to deferre your acceptance of it GOD may take your deferring for a denyall you that thinke Well I will take it but not yet take heede lest you neuer haue such an opportunity againe I say be exhorted be moued be besought to take it This I speake to you that be humble to so many among you as haue broken hearts others may take him if they will but they will not they mind not this Doctrine they regard not things of this nature they will when they lye a dying but now they haue something else to doe But you that mourne in Sion you that haue broken hearts that know the bitternesse of sinne to such as you is this Word of Saluation sent The others haue nothing to doe with it and let them not thinke much to be excluded for CHRIST excludes them Come to me all ye that are heauy laden and ye shall finde rest Not but the others shall haue him if they will come but they will not take him on the precedent conditions named before It may be they would haue redemption and freedome and saluation by him but they will not take him for their King They that bee humble that haue their hearts wounded with the sense of sinne are willing to take him on his owne termes to keepe his Commandements and not thinke them grieuous to beare his burden and thinke it light to take his yoke and count it easie to giue all they haue for him and to thinke all too little to suffer persecution for his sake and to reioyce in it to bee content to be scoffed at and hated of men to doe to suffer any thing for his sake and when all this is done to regard it as nothing to reckon themselues vnprofitable seruants to account of all as not worthy of him Therefore be not thou shye in taking of him for you haue free liberty But before I dismisse you let me speake a word to you that be not yet humble let mee beseech you to consider 3. things to mooue you First the great danger that is in not taking of him If you could be well without him you might sit still as you are but you shall dye for want of him If a Wife can liue without a Husband she may stay vnmarried But when a mans case is this I see without CHRIST I must perish I must lose my life that is the penalty such is the danger if I refuse him me thinkes this should moue him Secondly as the danger of refusing him so consider the benefit of taking him if you will haue him you shall with him haue a Kingdome you shall change for the better for whatsoeuer you part withall you shall haue an hundred fold in this life if you forgoe any pleasure or lust you shall haue for it the ioy of the Holy Ghost farre exceeding them If you part with riches you shall be truely rich in another world yea you shall there haue a Treasure If you lose friends you shall haue GOD for your friend and shall be a Fauourite in the Court of Heauen In a word you shall haue an hundred fold 3. You shall bee sure to haue it you shall not be deceiued for God hath put out his word he hath declared that to be his will and it stands now with his Iustice as well as with his mercie to giue Christ his Word is a corner stone and you may build on it Nay by 2. immutable things he hath confirm'd it his Word and his Oath and Heauen and Earth may passe but they shall not passe you may build on them to haue Christ and saluation by him When Paul had deliuered Gods minde if an Angell from Heauen should tell them the foundation is sandy nay if he himselfe should preach another doctrine they were not to beleeue him Therefore if you will take him and haue him trust perfectly in the grace that is reuealed by Iesus Christ doe it not by halues It may be I shall be saued it may be not thou maist build on it thou maist venture thy life on it All these things considered the greatnesse of the danger in refusing of the benefit in accepting and if it be thus sure if wee will take him then put it to venture why doe you stand off What can wee say more to perswade you If you will take him and this righteousnesse you may haue it GOD hath committed this to vs what we loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heauen He hath giuen vs the Keyes of Heauen and Hell and if we open the Gates of Heauen to any they shall stand open but now in the preaching of the Word the Gates of Heauen stand open to euery one of you Therefore come in while it is called to day before the Sunne set on you as you know not how soone it may Indeed if wee had not made the offer the danger had beene ours and wee should haue perished for your sakes but seeing we haue made manifest the whole Councell of GOD wee are now free from the blood of euery one of you for wee haue made knowne the will of GOD to the full you know what is offered to you and if you take him not your blood shall be on your owne heads Therefore consider whether you will take him or refuse him that is the question Will you take him or not take him You that now refuse and slight this