Selected quad for the lemma: act_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	church_n	member_n	visible_a	3,063	5	9.7114	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62903	The absolute necessity of spiritual husbandry in breaking up our fallow ground. Together with a discourse of the terrible coming of Christ, to execute vengeance on all that remain fallow ground, and obey not the gospel. By Samuel Tomlyns, M.A. and minister of the gospel in Marlborough.	Tomlyns, Samuel, 1632 or 3-1700.	1699 (1699)	Wing T1857; ESTC R219739	76,560	161

is required and called for in the Text. For the prosecuting of the Doctrine three things are to be inquired into 1. What it is to break up our Fallow Ground 2. How or by what means it must be broken up 3. Why it is necessary it should be broken up 1. What is it to break up our Fallow ground I Answer It is to be soundly convinced of deeply affected with throughly to be broken and humbled for Sin and the danger and misery of our Natural State This is a Work hard bitter and grievous to Nature to set God's Plow into our very Souls to cut and wound them to make deep and long Furrows in the very Soil of our Hearts We read of renting of the heart Joel 2.13 and of a broken heart and contrite spirit Ps 51.17 This breaking up Fallow Ground is expounded in the next Verse to the Text by mens circumcising themselves to the Lord and taking away the foreskin of the heart Jer. 4.4 This cutting off the foreskin of the Heart is cutting up the Turff of our Soil that hinders the good Seed from taking deep root downwards and springing upwards The Jews were circumcised in Infancy but the thing signified doth not always go along with the Sign they yet wanted the internal and noblest part of that Ordinance they were circumcised in flesh but yet uncircumcised in heart Jer 9. last Tho' Circumcision in the Flesh was an external act whereby Men did acknowledge them Jews and Members of the visible Church yet the Circumcision of the Heart is the Sign and internal Note whereby God doth recognize and own Men to be vital Members of his Church The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart that love the Lord thy God Deut. 30.6 God would give the inward and noblest part of this Ordinance And if Circumcision was a Sign and Seal of God's Circumcising the Heart it must needs be a Sign and Seal of the Covenant of Grace Those that do partake of the outward Sign of the Covenant are thereby obliged to seek after the inward and best part of that Ordinance they have passed under and have been the Subjects of They are not to rest in this That they are circumcised in the Eye and account of Men but they are to pass further and circumcise themselves to the Lord that is so to circumcise themselves that they may appear to and be owned by God as circumcised So they were to circumcise themselves that they may be inclined towards and devoted to the Lord. This Soul Circumcision this taking away the Foreskin of the Heart is the right breaking up of our Fallow Ground The Act of Repentance and Faith is ours but the Grace whereby we Repent and Believe is from God and Christ 2 Tim. 2.25 Acts 5.31 So it is our Duty to Circumcise our Hearts but in all our Endeavours to perform it we must look to the Promise of God Deut. 30.6 and eye the Grace of our Lord Jesus who circumcises the Heart in causing it to put off the Body of the sins of the Flesh Col. 2.11 Jesus Christ tho' he had no Foreskin on his Heart yet he was Circumcised Luk. 2.21 that he might fulfil all Righteousness in himself and be obliged by this Ordinance to the great Work of Circumcising the Hearts of others Col. 2.11 2. How must Men break up their Fallow Ground I Answer There must be a Plough to do this Work There must be a keen and sharp Plow-share that Men may be Converted and return to be God's Husbandry The Word is the Plow considerations taken both from the Law and Gospel must break and wound the Hearts of Men. Moses is indeed a Plow-man but Christ is said to be the Seeds-man he is the Sower that went forth to sow Matt. 13.3 He that sows the good seed is the Son of Man Matt. 13.37 38. He doth not only sow Doctrines but Persons He doth beget a holy Seed Isa 9.6 He washes and renews by his Spirit If Men were convinced of Sin by the Law and not of Righteousness by the Gospel if they were wounded but had no knowledge of a Physician of a Remedy of a way of Salvation this would drive Men to despair sink and overwhelm them with terrors The Word must cut deep it must prick the heart Acts 2.37 It must wound the Soul to the quick that Men may be prepared for the healing Remedies and sweet Consolations of Jesus Christ Weighty humbling awakening Considerations must be put and kept on the Heart and sink deep into the Soul such as these following Truths 1. This should affect and wound the Heart that as we descend from the First Adam we are all born Flesh John 3.6 That which is born of the shesh is flesh Tho' the Soul be a spirit in its nature yet it is flesh in its inclination disposition ends and aims What a debasing humbling expression is that My spirit shall not always strive with man for that he also is flesh Gen. 6.3 The Mind of Man is strangely Carnalized sunk into and swallowed up in the Flesh it doth not mind its own Concerns or remember its own Interest it is only a servant to a Steward and Caterer for the Body as if a Man should be wholly taken up in thatching supporting repairing of his Cottage but should neglect or forget to provide Food and Raiment for himself O that Men should gratify their senses please pamper and indulge their Flesh and put all their happiness on an inch on a moment of Time and not regard Spiritual Blessings in Heaven Eph. 1.3 or value a Feast in Glory How dreadfully bad is it to make light Matt. 22.5 of the Feast that infinite Wisdom contrived and infinite Love hath provided For Men not to regard the Purchase the Son of God hath made the Ransom he hath paid the Legacies he hath bequeathed A Carnal Creature sees no worth or excellency tastes no sweetness takes no deught in Spiritual and Eternal Things they are dry sapless hungry Notions yea as vain fancies to him Men understand only Carnally there is flesh in the mind Col. 2.18 Nicodemus tho' he was a Master and Teacher in Israel yet did not understand the Doctrine of Regeneration but thought Christ meant a Man must enter a second time into his Mothers Womb and be born again from thence John 3.3 4 9. The Will and Affections also are Flesh When Christ did discourse with the Woman of Samaria of Water for her Soul she puts a Carnal sense on Christ's words she desires that Christ would give her of this water that she might come no more to that Well to draw but might be eas'd of a great labour and trouble 2. This Truth should wound the Heart That by Nature we are spiritually dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2.1 4. not only sick but dead in sin That foreskin that is on our Hearts is the very death of our Souls Col. 2.13 You that were dead in the uncircumcision of your