Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	heart_n	lord_n	mercy_n	12,915	5	6.4518	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10944	Samuels encounter with Saul. I Sam. chap. 15 from ver. 13 to ver. 30. Preached and penned, by that worthy seruant of God, Mr. Richard Rogers, late preacher of Wetherfield, in Essex. And published word for word, according to this owne coppy, finished before his death	Rogers, Richard, 1550?-1618.; Egerton, Stephen, 1555?-1621?	1620 (1620)	STC 21214; ESTC S100043	91,140	398

they waxed full an hony-comb was not pleasant vnto them vnto whom somtime euery common instruction had been sweet and sauoury And to speak more particularly how many at their entring into the dealings of the world and their fathers inheritance other in seeking marriages and some liuing in hope of commodities and preferment and others in their sicke beds haue seriously couenanted that if God would now grant them the desire of their harts they would euer after glorifie him and say that he had done great things for them Who yet when they haue enioyed their desires haue soone forgot their hot rash vowes and haue some of them bestowed those benefites of God vpon their lusts and others haue eaten their word and haue made light of those things which before they so earnestly desired wished for as namely in the marriages of the most we see daily it is verefied and so of all sorts it may be said when they haue gotte that which they desired they haue become altogether other men Therefore they may much reioyce who can hold that constancie that they can thinke it meete that all they haue should honour God and whatsoeuer they enioy they can remember that once they had nothing and therefore that they should not lift vp themselues which is foolishnes saying they haue receiued it nor prouoke God by vnthankfulnes to strippe them off all and to giue them ouer as the other doe whose last estate should be worse then their beginning whereas if there had beene no other reason to perswade them to constancy in care of godly liuing this might haue beene sufficient to them that their cause had sometime beene farre better and that they had sometime beene glad namely in their meaner estate to make promises to God of better seruice though now they had shamefully neglected it Doct. 7. The greater and more our blessiings haue bene the greater shall our accompt be An other thing in these three verses let vs marke and learne that seeing God calleth him to an account for the vse of his benefites for that he yeilded not to him the fruite of them that hee will require at our hands how we haue vsed the good things that he bestoweth on vs For thus he saith I aduanced thee did greatt hings for thee in respect of many others And why for any worthines of thine no but that I might haue thee more attendant to me and at commandement and aboue many other seruiceable vnto mee yet thou hast in this great charge of destroying vtterly this cursed nation of the Amalakites cast my commandement behinde thee And so he said to Dauid Ieroboam and others So that when men come to receiue at Gods hands any benefites they should not only thinke of the sweetnes and greatnes of them and how they be inriched by him which is the next way to make them proud and high minded as we see in the boasting Pharisie but we should know that there goeth alwaies a charge and a burthen with them as that God looketh that their hearts should bee knitte to him who hath blessed them vndeseruedly aboue others Which Dauid acknowledged and teacheth all others the same when he saith to Michaell his wife mocking him for honouring of God in dancing before the Arke and reioycing that it was brought home vnto his Cittie This that I doe saith he is for no worldly affection but for the zeale that I beare to Gods glory who chose me rather then thy father and all his house and commanded me to be ruler ouer the people of the Lord. He confessed that seeing God had so honoured him he was bound and could not chuse but he must honour God againe which was the end and cause why he had aduanced him Whereby we may see that God doth looke for it at mens hands that they should be knit to him and wholly at his pleasure when he bestoweth these benefites vpon rhem which their best friends and mightiest potentates cannot and wee must knowe that God doth where he giueth much look for much againe and vpon whome he bestoweth his talents he looketh that they should faithfully and diligently occupie and imploy the same And who is so ignorant that he knoweth not this that when men of abillitie cast their fauour vpon any or benefite them vndeseruedly rather then others that they looke for kindenes good will againe though for no recompence more then in a common manner And if all grant that this is so cleere that it needeth little proofe that where more is receiued of God they owe more to him againe and so are bound to set forth his glory who hath raised them from the dunghill to great liberties and prerogatiues how shall men euer be able to answere this that whereas they receiue all that they haue of Gods meere liberality and bounty yet they feele not nor finde themselues in any sort affected and knit to him or to seeke to please him by doing the things which hee commandeth neither wonder at his fauours to them rather then to many others so to prouoke themselues with a thankfull heart to say as the Prophet did what shall I render the Lord for all his mercies bestowed on me And againe when they see their backwardnes and slownes in such duties then to stirre vp themselues and to say with him in another place O my soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy name And if when they haue done all that they can say they are but vnprofitable seruants as Christ tells them what are they that doe not goe about to doe that which they might well doe neither once accuse themselues though they be idle and burying their tallants in the ground I say therefore that men that liue in this our age to receiue so much at Gods hands as health wealth liberty peace the Gospell with many such shall neuer be able to answere it to God when notwithstanding all these they haue no zeale for his glorie they obey not his Gospell they bring not forth fruit as they might now if at any time They are not like but worse then the Oxe and the Asse who knowe their owners and their masters cribbe and as the Horse and Mule who haue no vnderstanding to see what they owe to him Our fathers and brethren of happie memorie in the late dayes of Queene Mary could reioyce with thankes for his mercies bestowed on them that God by his prouidence granted them to be fellow-prisoners together within the same walls wee haue libertie not to be ioyned together in the same prison but to inioy together the benefites of the Lords Sabbaths in publique and priuate and to keepe hollyday in his house and it is noysome and wearisome to vs yea we sit safely vnder our vine and vnder our fig-tree liuing peaceably in our owne houses with all the commoditie and comfort that may be

vpon it the words I say shew sufficiently when the prophet saith hath the Lord as great pleasure in burnt offrings as that his voyce should bee obeyed againe where he compareth his disobedience to rebellion and witchcraft The prophet Esay doth in the first chapter in most odious manner reprooue the people though they offred to the Lord sacrifice seeing they were disobedient Doe you offer to mee the multitude of your sacrifices I am full of your burnt offrings saith the Lord I haue no pleasure in the blood of your lambes and goates and that ye come to appeare before mee who required this at your hands with many like speaches and yet wee know as hath bene said that God commanded all such things But why then doth he thus refuse them at their hands and say he will shut his eyes when they stretch out their hands vnto him and when they poure out many prayers vnto him he will not heare them This he saith vnto them not simply because hee did dislike the things themselues but for that their workes were euil who offred these things and they did not obey the Lord in other things which he commanded them and therfore he saith wash you make you cleane take away the euill of your workes from before mine eyes and cease to doe euill or else offer me none of your prayers nor sacrifice such a thing it is to disobey the commandements of God that they which doe so although they should offer to God their prayers and praises and partake the word and Sacraments yet he will not accept them at their hands but cast them backe in their faces as dunge as not heere only but in many other places he bewrayeth his vtter detestation of such kinde of worshipping him but behold now he goeth further in disgracing disobedience for he saith it is as witchcraft and Idolatrie so in Psal 50. he maketh it odious saying what hast thou to do to take my name into thy mouth and hatest to be reformed And in the Prouerbs he that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law euen his prayer is an abhominacion vnto the Lord. With which agreeth that of the Apostle to the Romans he is not a Iewe which hath the outward circumcision in the flesh but inward in the heart Out of all which it is cleere and euident that if a man be not vnfainedly resolued to bee subiect vnto God and obedient to his will in vaine doth he make a shew and profession therof Now to bee obedient in some things and in other to be vndutifull wee know is no obedience but contempt of God for which cause Saint Iames saith he that keepeth the whole Law and breaketh any one point of it is guilty of all for he that will be vnconscionable in one declareth that he dare prouoke God and set light by his authoritie in other points who gaue him his Law and if he dare transgresse in one and take libertie therein to himselfe who doubteth but hee will do the same in another so that he that is not affraid to offend in one thing euen the least knowing it to be eeuil may wel be said to haue no feare to offend in any of all no not the greatest So truly hath our Sauiour giuen testimony to this saying He that is faithfull in the least is faithfull also in much and he that is vniust in the least is vniust in much So necessarily hath God ioyned the obeying of one with the obeying of the rest and the renouncing of one sinne with the renouncing of all other as he saith by saint Iames he that said thou shalt not commit adulterie said also thou shalt not kill now though thou doest none adulterie yet if thou killest thou art a transgressor of the Law This is not alleadged by the Apostle nor mencioned by mee as though we affirmed that any man can keepe the Law or all the commandements except some one but to teach that there is no carefull obeying of one in him who hath not care and doth not endeauour to obey all and so doe all other scriptures meane when they require obedience as well as this present text of ours they require it in one part of the commandement as well as in another and not generally but particularly neither in one or some fewe but in all For else we might endeauour to serue God in somethings and disobey him in others which were an abusing of the doctrine of the holy profession of the gospell which if it be so then it followeth that all which worship God outwardly and would be taken to be religious and looke not to their particular wayes are deceiued and lie still in darknes and God they please not but shall be challenged of him for workers of iniquitie which the more I consider the more I marueile at it because the greatest part take no knowledge of any such thing for they that draw themselues from nothing that they lust after neither feare to offend before they do euill nor tremble for it when they haue done euery one saying what haue I done If they quarrell braule reuenge deceiue slaunder lie maintaine sinne in other or doe any such like sinne it is but their ordinarie and common course It is rare with them to be pricked in conscience for any thing they doe amisse and as for the outward seruice the Lord is not pleased with it when his voyce is not obeyed as the prophet Micah said vnto them who bare great shews yet they sought to please God enquiring thus Wherwith shall wee appeare before the Lord and bow our selues before the high God shall we come before him with burnt offrings will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rammes or with tenne thousand riuers of oyle shall wee giue our first borne for our transgression euen the fruite of our body for the sinne of our soule The Prophet answereth he hath shewed thee O man what the Lord requireth and what is good surely to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God Which plainely teacheth vs that if men must bee so farre from committing wickednes that it is required of all that will please God to obey him in the duties of both tables how farre are they out of fauour with him who in stead of obeying in both doe grossely and wittingly disobey in both and repent of neither And if they be not in fauour with God who offend thus as I haue said that is who regard not to please God in all things euen one as another where shall they appeare who defend that they neede not doe so yea raile on such as dare not goe so farre as they in sinning bayting them with the odious name of Puritane seeing they make some conscience of sinne and desire to offer obedience to God in one part of their life as well as in another and thinke their prayers hearing and confession of

God and departeth from euill for the multitude runneth headlong to sinne it is agreeable to their nature and whereas the well ordering of the heart and good gouernment of the soule is the light of the whole life to direct it aright as the eye is the light of the body to carry it all such light and spirituall gouernment of the soule is for the most part farre of from the people and therefore the way of truth they cannot follow but runne together to that which blinde reason and the lust of the heart leadeth them vnto And this is the cause why at this day there is such an vniuersall consent almost in all places to that which is euill For although through Gods mercy light is come into the world yea to this Land and the blessed gospell and glad tydings of saluation is reuealed maintained and by his Maiesties highnes defended amongst vs and by his royall authority commandment preached thorough his dominion yet as it is said men loue darkenes more then light because their deeds are euill and hereby it is that inferior magistrates in many places doe not countenance and further the syncere preaching of it incouraging as they ought with all their abillity both preacher and people but rather iustle it out from among them and content themselues with the bare reading of the scriptures And heere of it is that the ministers themselues who haue not the power of the gospell working in them and subduing themselues and therefore louing profit pleasure and preferment more then godlines cannot nor will not take paines to enlighten and reforme others and to beate downe the workes of darknes and of the diuell among them And heereof consequently it ariseth that the people remaine in ignorance and bondage to their euill lusts More particularly to come nearer to our selues hereof it is that common discorders and open abominations remaine among vs now after 60. yeares preaching in this land which should bee the Land of the righteous and hereby it is that heathenish games lobbes of misrule with money dauncings are still retayned in some parts of it with Atheisme grosse prophanenes yea euen on the sabboth it selfe and that in time of diuine seruice prayer and preaching are by troupes and companiships practised and defended And the grossest sinnes as popery adultery drunkennes oppressing deceiuing haue so many fauorites with like abhomination that it may cleerely be seen there wants no consent in any of them but the practisers are so many and well knowne that as all trades in London of any reckoning haue their companies which professe maintaine and liue by them as the company of Mercers the company of Goldsmithes Merchant Taylors Drapers and the like so ye may reckon vp in all kindes of sinne among vs such is the consent therein and so great and common are the fellowships of them the comepany of whoremongers the companie of Idolaters the company of theeues the company of malice bearers the company of slaunderers and lyars with such a rabble of many others that yee may see consent and companie enough in euery kinde of sin Oh it cannot be expressed how soone one followeth another in euill and how soone one consenteth to another in his sinne yea and that which is an increase of this sinne and filleth the world with sin so are these companyshipps in diuerse kindes of sinne not only firme and sure in themselues but so alyed and neare a kinne one to another that if one of them were too weake alone by himselfe to stand and vphold it selfe yet it should bee vpholden and strengthened by another And if the power of the word of God were so entertained and embraced in any place citie or towne that it were like to breake of any part of bad fellowship in any one kinde of sinne all the rest are ready to band themselues together against that preaching to vphold any sinne or company onship which were falling and decaying the ryotous will helpe to vphold the couetous and the mallicious the flatterer and the proud will plead for the vsurer and one for another to deface the preacher though one haue no great conuersing with the other but rather some way nipping the other secretly that as Herod and Pilate were at contention one with another yet could both set themselues against Christ so can the carnall protestant ioyne himselfe with the Church papist to rayle on and deface the effectuall and powerfull preaching of Christ and the zealous professors of it yea I say more such force hath consent in sinne to worke mischiefe and to infect where it goeth that it fastneth euen vpon such as haue shewed some good countenance to the gospell and haue beene iudged to loue it from their hearts so truly it is said of our Sauiour that the abundance of iniquitie causeth the loue of many to waxe cold for when one seeth another take a course that liketh flesh and the same to be allowed and maintained by many what grace haue the best christians neede of to keepe themselues in that they walke not after the same excesse of ryot that others doe and what is there to hold men in but the preaching of the gospell from prophanenes from much loosenes ignorance and dissolutenes thereby And yet few haue that sounding in their eares especially in any great power and yet where it hath any it is soone resisted and beaten backe What is then to be done but that such as haue eares to heare knowing this take heede to themselues and follow not the multitude to doe euill but depart from the steppes companies and acquaintance of such and say with the valiant man Iosuah though there bee neuer so many of them yet I and mine will feare the Lord. VERSE 22.23 And Samuell said Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voyce of the LORD Behold to obey is better then sacrifice and to hearken then the fat of rammes For rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and stubburnnesse is as iniquitie and idolatrie because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD he hath also rejected thee from being king WEe haue heard Sauls answere wherein he would haue couered the fault which hee could not denie altogether saying it was to honour God which they did meaning the beastes were reserued to be offered to him for sacrifice and therefore the fault he hoped was not great for he had he said obeyed the Lord gon the way which he had commanded him This answer therefore of his in both points the Prophet sheweth to be but glosing and dawbing with vntempered mortar and therefore not able to stand him in any stead For know saith he that as concerning the sacrifice which thou speakest of if thou haddest meant indeed to haue offred it to the Lord which yet thou diddest not but reserued the beasts as a pray to thine own behoofe yet if thou haddest meant to offer them for sacrifice

many a one is seen to be hanged for the trespasse which another is guiltie of This was farre from Dauid when the pestilence was on the people for his numbring of them He said vnto the Lord when he saw the Angell smite the people behold I haue sinned and done wickedly but these sheepe what haue they done Let thine hand I pray thee be against mee and my fathers house Euen so Paul wished in his bonds that all were as he that is true christians but without his bands he could willingly wish them the commoditie that he himselfe enioyed but without the smart that he sufteyned And so an vpright hearted christian cannot finde in his heart to suffer another man to beare his burthen nor to smart for his fault neither hath any pleasure to ease himselfe by other mens paine and sorrow Rather he beareth the burthens of others then disburthens himselfe vpon the innocent So neither can he hurt wrong and oppresse another for his owne benefite much lesse then can or dare he liue by the sinnes of other men as many doe nor pill oppresse defraud the poore with hard impositions racked rents hard penny worths when he knoweth they cannot beare them but must needes faint and shrinke vnder their burthens Alas what comfort can a man take in the commoditie that hee wringeth from the poore who should relieue and giue to him ●●ther And yet behold there is no difference betwixt poore and rich made so as they who deale with them may haue aduantage by them Heerein men are like vnto Saul who falsely accused the people of that which he himselfe was guilty of and made them transgressors whereas himselfe had faulted and deserued the punishment But let vs beare our owne burden and bee not so hard harted as to hurt the innocent Doct. 14. Hypocrites extenuate their sinne THE THIRD SERMON VERSE 21. But the people tooke of the spoile sheepe and oxen the chiefe of the things which should haue beene vtterly destroyed to sacrifice vnto the LORD thy God in Gilgal SAul knowing himselfe faultie in that which he layed to the people doth make light of it It teacheth vs when the hypocrites conscience is accused and found guilty it doth what it can to extenuate the sinne and make it seeme nothing The reason is because it is not repented of but the offender purposeth to lye still in it and while it is so he loueth not to heare it made odious and to be aggrauated whereas they who turne to God in truth aggrauate it to the vtmost that they can and why so surely because they neuer purpose to commit or to haue to doe with it any more as we see in Dauid and in Paul In all this Saul knew hee spake vntruly for the cattle was not reserued to bee offred in sacrifice but as Samuell charged him to his owne vse and yet when he sawe no other way to make his part good he did it by a lie which he thought could not be knowne It teacheth vs that he who dareth doe euill and sinne against his conscience will if he be put to it hide his sinne with a lie As we see it is bred in nature to doe so for little children if they be charged with a fault will make it away with a lye But what lye made Saul I say a cunning lye that Samuell could not knowe except God had reuealed it to him For who knew what he meant to doe but himselfe yet some lyes others know to be lyes and are as other fruites of the flesh manifest Doct. 15. The multude consenteth in euill without any scruple But to leaue Saul a little because I spake of his shifting before and to come to the people though it bee cleare that his fault was great in this matter yea and cheefe yet we see how readily the people as it were with one voyce consent to him and become partakers of his sinne whatsoeuer the Lord by the Prophet had charged to the contrary but if any obiect how did the people know that there was any such charge giuen of God by the Prophet of killing the Amalakites I answere it was giuen openly not secretly when Samuell met Saul so that who would might heare it besides Saul went about it immediately gathering the people together for that purpose and therefore they could not chuse but know why they came together and did beginne in good manner to execute the said charge in killing the people and destroying the cattle but yet they consented to the sauing of the best of them contrary to the expresse commandement of the Lord which was that they should destroy them all so easie a matter it is to consent and agree together in euill that many shall be as one man in the executing of the same Which if it were but in some one instance or few the lesse might be said of it But in what almost shall ye finde it otherwise For proofe by enumeracion of many particulars When the Angels of God came to destroy Sodome separating Lot and his houshold who beleeued it and therefore regarded it Yea rather did they not all mocke at his words resist and oppose themselues against Gods message till they were smitten blinde insomuch that his kinsemen whome hee would haue perswaded in more especial manner jested and derided him for his labour and in the absence of Moses 40. dayes from the people how did they consent together to make a molten Calfe and to daunce before it committing idolatry with it insomuch that they compelled Aaron himselfe to yeild vnto them And when the posterity of that people many hundreth yeares after was set on a m●dde moode to forsake the ordinance of God in being ruled by Iudges as they had a long time beene but would haue a King to rule ouer them as other nations had who might disswade them from it were there any of themselues heard to quiet and pacifie the mindes of the rest and to hold them in obedience to the commandement of God insomuch as when Samuell was sent from God to forbid them yea and if they needs would haue their wil to tell them they should pay deare for it was there any tribe or family that desisted and kept silence that the Prophet might carry the names of such before the Lord no but one was as another yea they knotted and banded themselues against the message till God from heauen by an vnwonted thunder and tempest extraordinarily euen in their wheat-haruest when the aire was still and the weather faire flayted and terrefied them and made them to see their boldnes and wilfull disobedience and to confesse that they had sinned and especially in asking themselues a King And therefore God bringeth in Iob as an odde man among other that when the people went as a streame after euill he with-drew himselfe and depar●ed from it Hast thou considered my seruant Iob saith the Lord to Sathan how he feareth