Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A94063
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Lydia's heart opened: or, divine mercy magnified in the conversion of a sinner by the Gospel Being the sum of several sermons preaced lately by James Strong, M.A. and Minister of the Gospel.
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Strong, James, 1618 or 19-1694.
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1675
(1675)
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Wing S5993; ESTC R232916
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38,722
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113
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the heart of sin so it opens the heart to Christ unbelief bolts the door against him but Faith unlocks it Christ could not do many mighty works in Nazareth because of their unbelief away then with all sinful fears Though we have many misgivings within us yet lament them with bitterness and cry out I believe Lord help my unbelief Mind that blessed promise Mat. 2l 22 Whatsoever you ask believing it shall be given you 7. Lastly get your hearts warmed with the grace of Love though they are cold by nature yet beg a spark of this Heavenly fire from Heaven Love is of a dilating and widening nature it makes room in the heart for Christ read Joh. 14.23 If any man love me he will keep my word and my Father will come to him and we will dwell with him Can we possibly bolt the door and keep out him whom we love no the love of God will constrain us to let him in and entertain him 2 Cor. 5.14 The word there used signifies to streighten or to keep in but that is from other things as from sin and the world that so the soul may be the more free for God Oh then that the measure of our love to Christ might be beyond measure this one rule if practised would do the work for all God never parts from that soul where there is but love to entertain him Vse 6. Lastly its matter of unspeakable comfort to as many as with Lydia have their hearts opened Oh what heavenly peace and security what rivers of spiritual pleasure and joy should overflow our hearts as soon as God hath opened them Hath God opened thy heart know that God hath brought Heaven into thy heart now and the same God will bring thee into Heaven shortly When Lydia's heart was opened how was her joy increased and her affections enlarged we read she sought acquaintance with the Apostles she could no longer be a stranger to them who had been the instruments of her Conversion but besought them earnestly saying If you have judged me faithful to the Lord come into my house and abide there and she constrained us Her heart could not hold her comfort but must now impart some of it to them from whom she had received it If any of us have shared with Lydia in the Grace of the Gospel make a little room more in these narrow hearts of yours to entertain some part of her comforts also Q. You will tell me you would willingly but you doubt whether your heart be opened or no A. For your resolution you may know that your heart is opened by God If you find your love and your affections carried out to God above all things in Ezek. 44.2 where the Prophet describes the New Jerusalem We read the Lord brought him to the East-gate of the Sanctuary and said unto him This gate shall be shut and shall not be opened and no man shall enter in by it because the Lord God of Israel hath entered by it This gate is a figure of the heart which being once opened to God must be opened to nothing else We may know then that our heart is opened to God when 't is shut to all vanities in the world God will have all the heart or none nothing must share with him a heart possessed by God loves nothing but God or for God 2. If our heart be opened to God it will cast out all sin as when the graves were opened at Christs death we read they sent forth their dead the dead bodies arose as soon as the graves were opened so 't will be in a soul that is opened to Christ it will cast out all dead works works of sin and darkness If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin 3. A heart opened to Christ will send forth all sorts of spiritual Graces duties and performances as 't is with the Earth while it lies bound up and frozen in the Winter it 's barren and brings forth nothing but as soon as the spring warms it with the Sun and opens it it sends forth all sweet herbs and flowers even thus we may know that Christ is within us by the Graces and gracious performances that are without Christ is a living root a root that never ceases but like Aaron's rod is always blooming and blossoming 4. Where the heart is opened to Christ all is opened all the parts and powers of the whole man God is so entertained into one part that he is kept out of none 't is all suitable where God hath opened the heart A taste you may have in these Particulars 1. There 's an open ear to hear the Word of God till God hath taken possession of the heart we are like the deaf Adder that stop our ears to the voice of Gods sweet charmers Isa 29.18 In that day shall the deaf hear the words of this Book and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and darkness 1 The blind and deaf Gentiles shall in the days of the Gospel be both enlightned and enlivened with saving knowledg whensoever God commands men to return from iniquity he openeth their ears to discipline Job 36.10 Gods Word comes with authority and makes its own way to make room for Christ when once he hath taken hold of the heart 2. There 's an open eye to see the will and mind of God we are all by nature as well blind as deaf in things that are spiritual but God makes the eyes of the blind to see as well as the ears of the deaf to hear Isa 35.5 that is God so far enlightens our understanddings that the mysteries of Salvation are revealed and made clear to us Gods Word comes now with a Commission when it goeth forth it gives light and understanding to the simple Gods redeemed shall never miscarry thorow ignorance They have an unction from the holy one and know all things 1 Job 2.20 1 Whatsoever is necessary to Salvation in lesser errors Believers may be intangled but in Fundamentals they shall never If any man be a doer of Gods will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God Job 7.17 3. There 's an open hand to do the work of God such whose hearts God hath opened are not only hearers of the Word but doers also such a one shews his Faith by his Works you may see what such a one is within by what he is without Like Noah's Ark he is pitcht within and without there 's grace within and grace without he shews by a good conversation his works in meekness and wisdom Jam. 3.13 4. Lastly where God hath opened the heart there is also an open mouth to praise God This is added to compleat the work Isa 35.6 God promises to make the tongue of the dumb to sing Such souls whom God hath visited in mercy are not able to conceal either Gods mercies or their own comforts no they must speak of the loving-kindness of God though it be
that Christ dwells in them by faith and sith they have good evidences that they are such what need more ado for them A. There are divers degrees and measures of Grace whereby Christ dwells in his Elect and though we have already opened to him yet 't is our duty to open wider still Our case is like that of the blind-man whom Christ cured in the Gospel who after the first touch saw men as trees walking but Christ touches his eyes again and then he saw plainly Mar. 8.25 'T is just so with the best of Gods Saints Alas we have but a little of the Power and Spirit of Christ at our first acquaintance with him and therefore we must evermore widen our hearts and make more room to entertain him Arg. 5. Consider the many engagements God hath laid upon us to open our hearts to him God hath opened his heart to us he hath not lockt up the Mysteries of the Gospel in secresie No as we read of Sampson for the love he bore to Delilah he told her all his heart so hath God to us he hath kept nothing from us that may make us wise to Salvation The Apostle tells the Church of Ephesus That he had shewed them all the counsel of God Act. 20.27 And that the will of God was never revealed to other ages as now it is revealed to us Eph. 3.5 2. God hath opened Heaven to us that for sin was shut against all Adams posterity for as Adam sinning was driven out of an Earthly Paradise so was he also out of the Heavenly Paradise and Christ came from Heaven and suffered death for us that he might open a way for us again into Heaven therefore he is called our forerunner Heb. 6.20 Whither our forerunner is entered in for us The Holy of Holies in the Sanctuary was a type of Heaven this holy place was severed or parted from the body of the Sanctuary by a veil at Christs death we read this veil rent in twain Mat. 17.51 hereby shewing us that Christ by his death hath made an open way for us into the Holy of Holies in Heaven God hath paved us a way in the blood of his Son and now we may come with boldness 3. God opens his ears to our prayers Isa 37.17 his eyes to distresses Exod. 3.7 I have surely seen the affliction of my people Israel which are in Egypt and have heard their cry c. He hears his peoples prayers and their enemies threats he hears the railing of Rabshekah the cursing of Shimei and the least injuries that are plotted against the just shall not we open our heart to him 4. He hath opened hell and the grave for us We read when Christ suffered at the Resurrection many dead bodies of the Saints which slept arose with him Mat. 27.53 to assure us that he hath the keys of hell and of death and that he will not leave the dust of his Saints for ever under the power of death No I know thou wilt not leave my soul in the grave c. Psal 16. The grave until Christs Resurrection was an impregnable hold and from thence had been no redemption had not Christ opened it for our deliverance 5. God opens his hand to us daily in the gifts of his bounty God comes loaden with plenty of all good things He openeth his hand and filleth every living thing with goodness whatever wants the poor creature sustains God alone supplys them all Oh shall God open so much to us and shall we not open our hearts to him it would be horrid ingratitude should we thus requite the Lord. The duty though most reasonable yet it 's difficult these Directions improved may make it easie Direct 1. Be faithful and diligent in searching into the state of your hearts know that there are a thousand deceits that lodg and lurk in the hearts of the sons of men The Psalmist tells us That the ungodly boasteth of his hearts desire When Solomon assures us That the soul of the wicked desireth evil Prov. 21.10 O let not your treacherous hearts deceive you pose your selves with such serious Questions as these Heart what is thy case how is it with thee tell me faithfully whether thou art the old heart or the new whose Image dost thou bear Christs or Satans Art thou a dead heart or a living hast thou been ever new-made or no hast thou new affections new motions and desires or no tell me hath Christ taken possession of thee or not These would be close Questions if our hearts were held closly to answer them Know you not saith the Apostle that Christ is in you except you are reprobates 2. If you find not Christ within you mourn over your empty hearts What a lamentation did Mary make when she found the grave empty when she sought Christ Ah they have taken away my Lord c. Much more reason have we to break our hearts with sorrow if upon a serious search we find not Christ in our heart Oh cry out Sin and Satan have robbed me of my dearest Saviour no tokens or footsteps of Christ to be seen in me 3. Seek Christ diligently imitate the Church in a like case who sought Christ Jesus at home and abroad by night upon her bed she sought him whom her soul loved arose and went about the City and enquires of the Watchmen and all to find her Beloved Cant. 1.5 4. Be gleaning in Gods field the Ordinances of God are a spiritual harness where you may fill your empty sacks as Joseph did his Brethrens Ruth gleaned in Boaz's field among the sheaves and reapers and so returned laden Christs Ordinances are like Israels Camp where the Heavenly Manna falls If your souls are sick of love to Christ here he 's present to refresh you with flagons of spiritual liquor far better than wine Take then Christs own counsel get forth by the footsteps of the flock and feed your kids beside the shepherds tents Cant. 1.8 The Prophet calls the Word a hammer come under this hammer and there 's hope of opening Again the word is Christ's voice and 't is worth our observation that the Church first cried out It is the voice of my Beloved that knocketh before she opened Cant. 5.2 5. Affect your hearts with the incomparable excellencies of Christ We are all in a deep sleep by nature and who will rise and open to one whom he doth not know Observe when Christ sollicited his Church she had never stirred out of that deep slumber she was in and opened to him had she not been thorowly convinced of those rare endowments that were in him witness that rare description she makes of him from the 10. v. to the end of that Cant. 5. the daughters of Jerusalem wondered she troubled her self so much about her Beloved to whom she replys Do you wonder my beloved is white and ruddy and the chiefest among ten thousand c. 6. Labour for Faith as for Heaven it self as Faith empties