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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
act_n	john_n	luke_n	mark_v	4,432	5	10.4916	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46526	Compunction or pricking of heart with the time, meanes, nature, necessity, and order of it, and of conversion; with motives, directions, signes, and means of cure of the wounded in heart, with other consequent or concomitant duties, especially self-deniall, all of them gathered from the text, Acts 2.37. and fitted, preached, and applied to his hearers at Dantzick in Pruse-land, in ann. 1641. and partly 1642. Being the sum of 80. sermons. With a post-script concerning these times, and the sutableness of this text and argument to the same, and to the calling of the Jews. By R.J. doctor of divinity.	R. J.	1648 (1648)	Wing J27; ESTC R213600	381,196	433

continuing long and no hurt done to any they took to their old way without any terrour as formerly and asked by strangers what it was It is said they the Whooper of the Wood and made no more of it So it is with sin if we accustome our selves thereunto it brings us to carelesnesse and that to senselesnesse so that at length custome our own and others shall be pleaded and at length is pleaded for and made to justifie wicked acts and made a justification of our wicked practices as we see in those idolatrous women pleading for their Idolatry we will do as we have done Jer. 44.17 So Papists harden themselves in their superstitions and common people in their profaning the Sabboth by their sports may-games and in other their sinfull customes Thus the heart is hardened at length and becomes senselesse Simile even as some parts of the body become through use callous brawny dry and dead a dead and thick skin growing over the flesh which may be pricked or pared without sense of pain as we see in labourers SECT 4. Two moe lets Gods secret vengeance and Hardness of heart with the nature and danger of it and Means to prevent it 5 Gods secret vengeance 5 THere is Gods secret vengeance which wee are to take notice yea to take heed of whereby he gives obstinate and presumptuous sinners over to stupidity and senselesnesse denying and withholding his grace and the blessing of his word and other means from such as have neglected or abused the same whereby he bereaves obstinate sinners of sense Thus he tels Isaiah what the effect of his prophesying should be Go tell this peopple Hear ye indeed but understand not and see yee indeed but perceive no make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavie ●and shut their eyes lest they see with their eys and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed Isa 6.9 10. which terrible doom wee now are the more to be afraid of because it is six times made use of in the New Testament Matth. 13.14 Mark 4.12 Luke 8.10 John 12.40 Acts 28.26 Rom. 11 8. which is more then is done by any other Text of the Old Testament So elsewhere Isa 29.10 The Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep and hath closed your eys the Prophets and your Rulers the Seers hath he covered c. Here my counsell is Take heed you do not so long dally with God smother his truth blind your own eys neglect his call who are taught not to dally with God make light of the offers of his grace despise his threatnings and corrections that you provoke him to curse his own Ordinances to you and give you up to senselesnesse and final impenitency and Indolency Hearken then to his first call Heb. 3.7 and to day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts lest he give you up to finall hardnesse as now it follows 6 The not fearring the judgement of hardness of heart 6. Lastly As fear God who thus by our dallying may be provoked to deprive us of all spirituall sense and feeling so also be afraid of Hardnesse of heart whether acquired and attracted by your own means by your sensuality presumption carelesnesse giving way to beginnings custome of sinning or inflicted by Gods just judgement giving you wholly up to your own lusts or to Satan to harden you Keep so much sense as of all other evils and judgements to be most afraid of this for if God once give a man up to it which if we wil avoid we must fear it is worse then to be given up to the divel so was the Incestuous Corinthian who came to sense of his sin and repented to life and salvation but these are denyed that which they never cared for true sense of sin sorrowing for it and repentance and so are next door to hell it self It is a fearfull judgement and evill which opens her mouth for them they being in condition next to the estate of damned spirits seeing their damnation is sealed upon them and they kept under darknesse and in the insensible chains of the guilt of their sins and of their obstinate hardnesse to the judgement of the great day making men 1Vnpliable to the word stif-necked stony This hard heart is 1. An unpliable heart a dry stiffe and stony heart whereby men become stif-necked wilfull strong-headed like untamed beasts that will not admit of the yoke It is that Adamantine heart spoken of Zech. 7.12 implying a stony hardnesse Physicians would call it a Tophos or a callositie or brawny hardnesse like unto that white hard and dry substance that conglutinates broken bones It is according to S. Paul Ephes 4.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blindnesse or rather hardnesse of heart Such in the soul as when in the body any part of it whether inward as the liver or spleen or outward becomes hard through the dyring up of the inward humidity Dry and seared whether by any infirmity as scirrous tumours or by searing or burning with an hot iron as in beasts which are gelt and then seared or by labour Such is a hard heart being destitute of the moysture of Gods grace and of his spirit a stiffe and obstinate heart which will not bow nor yeeld to Gods word by obedience matth 23.17 It s an impudent heart as Ezek. 2.14 and 3.7 by which men grow worse and worse till they perish Impudent It is an impenitent and unyeelding heart Impenitent like metal unmolten an heart resisting the word and spirit Acts 7.51 It is such a heart as was in the Jews before and now is in them since they are cast off Rom. 11.25 on whom is Cains curse It s a heart of Belial a wicked heart without yoke Deut. 15.9 that Beasts heart which was given to Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 4.16 Howsoever it is a disobedient and gainsaying heart disobedient and unyeelding Rom. 10.21 and makes men so I is such an heart as is not moved at threatnings so as to be broken thereby or at promises so as to be molten by them at judgements inflicted to be humbled or at mercies to rejoyce or be thankfull at injunctions or commands of God to obey or perform them being contrary to the tender heart or fleshy heart which is obedient Contrary to which is the tender heart the soft fleshy and plyable heart such as was in these Converts here who being pricked presently offered themselves ready to obey saying What shall we do so in Paul Lord What wouldst thou have mee to do and in the Jaylour What shall I do to be saved This is the heart of flesh in mercy promised to 〈◊〉 as shall be saved Ezek. 11.19 and. 36.26 The tender heart pliable shewing its tenderssene both to God such as was in good King Josiah 2 Chron. 34.27 whose property is to

truth to abide with us for ever John 14.16 17. to teach us all things and to bring all things to our remembrance whatsoever he had said unto us This is that Spirit speaking in his word It only must be heard which we are to hear Revel 2.7 11 17 -29. This is the word which we only are to hear Why No Word else will profit us Why In one word No other word will profit us without this no conversion see Jer. 23.21 22 -32. Therefore they i.e. such as God sent not but prophesie false dreames and stand not in Gods counsell shall not profit this people at all onely saith God if they had stood in my counsell and had caused my people to hear my words then they should have turned them from their evill way c. 1Vse For teachers to preach no other doctrine Vse 1. For us preachers to direct us as we intend any good to the poeples soules to lay aside all conceits and inventions and doctrines of men our own and others much more to abandon all Doctrines of devills such as are named in 1 Tim 4.1 2 3. and so generally all other Popish and Antichristian doctrines and to preach onely Gods pure word unto his people Vse 2. For hearers 1 Not to depend on Revelations without the word 2. For hearers to desire only such teaching And therefore not to depend upon the teaching of the Spirit by Revelations Inspirations c. without the word but onely according to it Much lesse upon apparition of spirits out of hell supposed Purgatory or yet heaven Luke 16.29 30 31. 2 To take heed first what secondly how they hear Gods word must be heard as his word 2 To take heed what they hear Mark 4.24 If any speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isa 8.19 20. Yet how can they hear Luk. 8.18 they must hear and received it not as the word of men but which it is in trurh as the word of God which effectually and which only effectually worketh in them that beleeve 1 Thess 2.13 where faith also is required in our hearing without which it profits not Heb. 4.1 2. So long as young Samuel ran to old Eli when God indeed spake unto him 1 Sam. 3.4 5 c. 10.11 he had nothing revealed to him but when he could say Speak Lord for thy servant heareth he had the word effectually made known unto him 3 By so hearing it to approve our selves Christs sheep 3. Let us all by hearing onely Christs voyce in the mouth of his faithfull servants approve our selves to be Christs sheep even by this ear-mark Joh. 10.3 27. My sheep hear my voyce c. Let us not be beat from hearing it by such Popish Wolves as will say unto us as the wicked Jewes to the people He hath a Devil and is mad why hear ye him John 10.20 but let us rather reverently set our selves in Gods presence with Cornelius and say as Acts 10.33 We are here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God It is this word of God only thus heard and obeyed James 1.22 23 24 25. which will save our souls 1 Tim. 4.16 John 5.25 Revel 3.20 And as in the Text. 2 The speciall Object of their hearing 2. But more specially What word was this these here heard and which did wound their spirits I answer That which Peter now spake unto them the summe whereof is in the verse before the Text Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye crucified both Lord and Christ Which is according to that main passage in his Sermon verse 23.24 Him being delivered by the determinate counsell and free knowledge of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain Whom God hath raised up and who verse 33. being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the holy Ghost he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear What Word and Doctrine then was that which so wounded and pierced them It s reducible to these two heads First concerning Christ his natures office glory exaltation and dominion Secondly concerning themselves their sin and wickednesse which thus was discovered reproved and they convinced and deeply charged to be the crucifiers of this so gratious a Lord yea of the Messias who was sent unto them and of their Saviour Note Their former blockishnesse and how they came to be convinced This blockishnesse was great before not to know or acknowledge him whom they seemed so long to look for but so to carry themselves towards the Messias which teacheth us for our humbling that the very sight and presence of God and of the things we seem most to long for as every way satisfactory to our desires is not enough to satisfie us unlesse God do further strike in by his grace and powerfull Spirit But now being thus charged and convinced August in Psal 43 began to think say Alas what will become of us seeing he is so great and glorious whom we have slaine For now they see and are convinced who this Jesus was that he is the Lord of glory which they saw not before 1. Cor. 2. Now they see and are convinced of their vilenesse guiltinesse of wrath of their bloody practices and cruelty as having persecuted murthered an innocent of their base and vile unthankfulnesse against so gracious a Saviour Benefactour and Physician who came to save heale and cure them This was the nature of the Doctrine which so wounded them Whence Observe What Doctrine is like to doe the greatest good Answ That which most advanceth Christ and debaseth man Why 1. let us observe and wisely consider What Doctrine or Teaching is that which is likliest to do the greatest good and which is most availeable to conversion and to the salvation of mens soules Here we may conclude it that it is that doctrine which most advanceth Christ and sets forth his glory and the glory of the Father and which withall most debaseth vilifieth convinceth sinfull man letting him see his filthinesse guiltinesse unworthinesse and inabilities Why 1. Because such Doctrine onely sets forth Christ as Christ as a Saviour as a Surety as a Physician as the sole Prophet Priest and King of his Church and so most glorifieth God and Christ in his goodnesse bounty mercy and in the freenesse and power of his saving grace none of which can so gloriously and fully appear as when mans sinfulnesse polution of nature his guiltinesse unworthinesse and impotency is according to truth and the evidence of Gods word laid open to the full 2. Because without such doctrine man will never come to know either God Christ or himself aright whithout such knowledge no salvation because no true or through humiliation self-denial conviction faith c. Vse 1

instrument working by the spirit without the fruit of the word true repentance hath not had as yet any healing or saving work on the soul What vertue is there in that Physick which makes not the Patient sicker then he was and puts him not to pain What healing vertue is in the plaister if it smart not and it s a sure signe that the dislocated or broken bone is not brought right to its place if there be no pain felt in the setting Where no sorrow follows sin where no remorse of conscience is in sinners and come short of Reprobates as not so humbled and sensible as was 1 King Ahab 2 King Pharaoh who confessed his sinne they may justly seem to be in worse case then many who now are deeply plunged into hell How many have we that never hung down the head with King Ahab nor were moved with any denunciation of judgement How many who never yet were so much humbled as King Pharaoh a very reprobate but remain yet obstinate and obdurate they are called upon to let their beloved and gainfull sinnes go and to part with them as he was to let the people of Israel to go out of his land which at length he did though with little thanks being forced thereunto by the extremity of plagues from God but do many of us so much as he Exod. 9 27.28 and 10.16 17. he confessed his sin and said I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked intreat the Lord for it is enough c. and I have sinned against the Lord your God said he to Moses and Aaron and against you sought the prayer of Moses and 12.31 32 33. now therefore forgive and intreat the Lord your God that he may take away this death onely yea at length he did according to Gods command let the people go yea was urgent upon them apprehending nothing but death for him and his who said we be all dead men and dismissing them he said go and at length though forced did obey be gone and blesse me also But have we not many that never yet confest their sinness as he did who never intreated Moses or any faithfull Minister of God to pray for them in all their life who never yet obeyed God or put away their beloved sins neither in love to God nor in fear How many amongst us are there that never see not confess their sin or shew any readiness to turn from their evil way when God stands in their way by his judgements threatned as yet did Balaam Num. 22.34 that never had any such good motions savoury thoughts and speeches as hee had 3 Balaam but wil go on in the very face of God and in despite of his judgements threatned yea it may be also inflicted as Isa 57.17 and so in other sins God meets men in the way of infamy for their uncleanness and yet they wil go on in that way stil in the way of their hatred and plotting mischief against Gods faithful servants and yet they wil on stil in that way which yet Balaam did not for seeing at length the Angel and his sword drawn in his hand hee bowed down his head and fell shat on his face saying I have sinned for he went with a purpose to curse Gods people now therefore if it displease thee Numb 22.31 -34. I wil get mee back again How many who never relent for any wrong they do Gods faithful servants as yet did Saul a reprobate towards David 4 Saul 1 Sam. 24.16 17 18 19. 5. Herod Who never reverence Gods Ministers or hear them gladly or upon hearing reform and do many things as yet did Herod who yet afterwards took off John's head and yet not without sorrow Who never tremble when they hear Discourses and Sermons of righteousness temperance and judgement to come as yet Felix did and yet they I beleeve as unrighteous 6 Felix Acts 24.25 intemperate and lyable to judgement in many other regards as Felix was Nay never complain so much as Cain did 7 Cain either of sin or punishment or of being cast out of Gods presence but rather please themselves in their sins and cast themselves daily out of Gods presence and favour and make themselves unworthy to partake with Gods people in the communion of Saints Yea lastly Have we not many who come short even of Popish penance who never were yet so compunct in heart and troubled in conscience as was Judas 8 Judas who never confessed their sins by name and with aggravation of it as he saying I have sinned in betraying innocent blood neither ever made restitution as he did of goods ill gotten or sought to give satisfaction for any wrong done by them The folly of such secure sinners Oh then the extreme folly and madness of such secure sinners who think themselves in good case and wil hope to be saved as wel as any and yet come short of very reprobates But if those named and such like who shewed more compunction of heart and therein and in their confessions of sins and other works and their certain damnation Jude ver 7. have so far outstripped and gone before you be yet gone to hel to the divel and to destruction and now suffer the vengeance of eternal fire what wil become of you secure and senselesse sinners who feed sport play minde the world use means of unlawful gain without all fear of Gods judgements so much and so often threatned in his name by his ministers and executed by himself on others How shal you escape the damnation of hell where shall you appear who yet shew not such remorse as these reprobates did You must needs then in this your case be thought to be next door to hel and to the estate of damned spirits being so stupified as not to be moved with Gods threatnings no not with his gracious promises and peremptory commands Vnlesse they do not onely outstrip these but all Temporizers whosoever And yet my deerly Beloved whose salvation I long after and do thus seek though you should do as much as these named yea though you should go as far in humiliation sorrow zeal and reformation as either these or any other bare Temporary yea as far as hee did to whom our Saviour said Thou art not far from the Kingdom of heaven even as far as Jehu in zeal against other mens sin as far as Ananias to part with a great portion of thy goods for the publick good of others as far as Demas and Alexander to forsake the world and thy hopes in it and to follow poor Christ yea to venture thy self as Alexander the Coppersmith did in cleaving to the truth as far as Nicolas who was chosen Deacon by the Church for that reverend respect they had of his gifts or lastly as is said as far as Judas who being an Apostle could both pray and preach with great

nor the converted Gentiles that they might beleeve him Thus it is said Rom. 9.30 31 32. That the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse indeed were more openly prophane and had no seeming rithteousness of their own to stand upon have attained to righteousnesse even the righteousness which is of faith they would be beholding to God and Christ for it which the Jewes would not be for it is added But Israel which followed after the law of righteousness hath not attained to the law of righteousnesse These stood not upon any righteousness of their own either in whole or Wherefore Because they sought it not by faith which implies and includes self-deniall in their own righteousnesse but as it were by the works of the Law for they stumbled at that stumbling stone Christ on whom whosoever beleeveth shall not be ashamed v. 33. in part as the proud Jews did They opposed their own works and righteousness against his or at least sought to mighle the one with the other and so their own righteousness failing they had no benefit by the other for if our justification as well as Election on which it depends be not only by faith without the concurrence of our works or worthinesse Rom. 11.5 6. power or what else of ours in the act of justification and so meerly by grace it is not at all by grace And if it be by grace then it is no more of works How doth this concern us all well to consider of This concernes Papists to look to Papists especially and all such others as stand upon somewhat of their own in point of justification conversion or of election yea all such among our selves as are full in our selves Rev. 3.17 18. Oh how happy were it for us and all that are full in themselves if emptying our selves wholly of our selves and especially of all good conceit of our own righteousness holiness devotions prayers good works good meaning and not trusting to any of these things we did seek our acceptation with God only for the righteousness of Christ and not for any of these things as performed by us and accoringly in all things we do seek the justification as of our persons so of our actions and doings from Christ alone and from faith in him that by the white raiment of his righteousness we may get our selves clothed and that the shame of our nakedness do not appear Yea such as to whom holiness is ascribed in any kind It behoves us also in case men ascribe holiness to us by occasion of any thing wherein we are only instruments of God to renounce all and to give God the glory of his own works ever acknowledging our own meanness vileness and unworthiness and that by the example of Paul and Barnabas when they were taken for Gods Acts 14.11 c. 14 15. and of Peter and John who having restored one born lame to his feet stayed the peoples wonder saying Why look ye so earnestly on us as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk Acts 3.12 The like deniall of our selves is required in regard of all our Priviledges Page 313. To this head of things and gifts received I may refer that of priviledges so far as they are spirituall in regard of which we must account our selves nothing and deny our selves in them as Paul did Phil. 3.3 4 5 6 7 8. and as in effect hath been shewed already to which I refer So also all Confidences in the flesh or all those things especially wherein men with some shew of probability may seem to glory or to trust These all are renounced by Paul and confidences whilest he thus speaketh Phil. 3.4 5 6 7. Though I also might have confidence in the flesh If any other man thinketh that hee hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more Then naming many particulars he renounceth all denies himself in them saying But what things were gain to me those I counted losse for Christ Yea doubtlesse I account all things but losse for the excellencie of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord c. But for such Confidences I refer also to what is lately delivered Page 313. And as for spirituall gifts and graces of God received No spirituall gift to be rested in but God is to be acknowledged I conclude that be they those named or for particularity and nature other and not the same yet they are not simply to be rested in and we are to denie our selves in them so far in and with respect to Gods glory as not in any wise to make our selves either the Author or end of them 1. The Author 1. Not the author Which we are taught of Paul who speaking of a main spirituall gift and saving even spirituall life he saith Gal. 2.20 I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me And speaking of ministerial gifts he saith 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am what I am I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me And elsewhere 2 Cor. 3.5 6. Not that we are sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God who also hath made us able Ministers of the New Testament c. And though being forced to commend himself to those who should have commended him 2 Cor. 12.11 he say Innothing am I behind the very chiefest Apostles yet denying himself again he adds by way of correction Though I be nothing 2 The end of them all 2. For the end we must as in the aforesaid instance not preach our selves or to get gain and praise to our selves or to any other base and by end as to please men or to anger and afflict others Gal. 1.10 Phil. 1.15 16. but Christ Jesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake Where the end of the Ministry to be intended by us is the glory of God in Christ 2 Cor. 4 5. and the spirituall good of men If any praise be given to us we must so far deny our selves as not to let it rest with us remembring the example of Herod eaten up of wormes for so doing but to send it up to God and Christ remembring that we are but men and earthen vessels in which this treasure is that the excellency of the power may be of God and v. 7. and not of us If otherwise by preaching we as too many do seek preferment riches honour and lordship or our own praise and applause from men we perhaps may gain that but that shall be all the reward which shall be given us Some Ministers preaching and seeking themselves have lost themselves and so our portion shall be only in this life but oftentimes we