Selected quad for the lemma: ground_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	hear_v	heart_n	word_n	4,417	5	5.4372	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A04151	Gods call, for mans heart in 1 Knowledge, 2 Loue, 3 Feare, 4 Confidence, 5 Singing of Psalmes, 6 Prayer, 7 Hearing the word. 8 Receiuing the Sacraments. Deliuered in a sermon, by Abraham Iackson, Master of Arts, and preacher of Gods word at Chelsey, neere London.	Jackson, Abraham, 1589-1646?	1618 (1618)	STC 14294; ESTC S119409	15,280	54

5. Singing of Psalmes When the Lord calles for our Hearts hee calles for our hearts in singing when we sing Psalmes we must sing with our hearts To this the holy Ghost exhorts vs by the pen of the Apostle Col. 3.16 when hee bids vs Sing to the Lord with a grace in our hearts M. Byfield super locum that is as a learned iudicious Diuine expounds it Wee must exercise the graces of our hearts in singing Wee must sing to the Lord that is with an eye to his glory with sence of his presence with commemoration of his blessings and wee must sing with our hearts not with our tongues onely outwardly for ostentation but with vnderstanding Psa 47.7 with sence and feeling Hence is it that our hearts are to be prepared before wee sing Psal 57.7 and hence is it that Dauid bids his tongue awake Psal 57.8 noting that he obserued in men a lethargie not a hoarsenesse in voyce but a slumber in heart when they vsed the voyce We must therefore sing to the Lord with our hearts yea with the graces of our hearts that is with a holy ioy Psal 9.2 with trust in Gods mercyes Psal 13.5 with a holy commemoration of his benefits Ps 47.6 yea with the prayer and desires of our hearts that our words in singing may be acceptable Psal 104.33.34 Perswading our selues that it is not the sweet voyce but the zealous vow not the harmonious sound but the hearts soundnesse that makes melodie in the eares of God exprest by the Poet thus Non vox sed votum non musica chordula sed cor Non clamans sed amans clangit in aure Dei But if we sing Psalmes as we doe common Songs and Ballads more to delight our owne others eares then to testifie our gratefull acknowledgement of Gods mercyes If we sing more for ordinary recreation then for zealous deuotion If we respect more the musick then the matter If wee care not how harsh the intention of our hearts be so our voyces be tunable wee sing not to the Lord with such a grace in our hearts as hee requires wee giue him not our hearts in singing of Psalmes 6 6. Prayer The Lord calles for our hearts in Prayer When we pray we must pray with our hearts This Dauid knew well when in Psal 51.17 hee saith that God will not despise a broken and contrite heart Whence I obserue that because the prayers which proceede from a broken and contrite heart are neuer slighted by the Lord when wee pray if we hope to speede we must pray with a broken heart with a wounded spirit When wee offer vp any petition to the Lord if we expect an answere wee must offer vp our hearts For if we offer our lips insteade of our hearts it is no meruaile if God giue vs stones instead of bread that is a shadow of comfort instead of reall comfort Non labia vitulorum sed vituli labiorum It is not the calues lippes but the calues of our lippes Ose 14.3 that are acceptable to God Ille magis gratae laetatur mentis odore Quam consecrato sanguine mille boum Hee is more delighted with the sweet odour of a gratefull brest then with the sacrificed bloud of a thousand Oxen. God is not like a childe to be wonne with faire words nor like the people of Tyrus and Sydon Act. 12.21.22 that were rauished with Herods eloquent Oration for hee esteemes no more of the quaintest oratorie if it come not from the heart then of the lowing of an oxe or the houling of a dog It is not the length or well-coucht phrases in a prayer but the zealous heart of him that prayes which God regards for hee esteemed more of the Publicanes foure words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O. God be mercifull to me a sinner Luke 18.13 and of Dauids three sillables Peccaui I haue sinned nay of the Haimorisses touch though without words or sillables because they proceeded from a broken and wounded spirit then of the Pharises long and tedious gratulation Lu. 18.9 c. If then when thou feelest within thee a trouble of conscience thou goest to God in priuate and with Hanna pourest out thy soule before him 1 Sam. 1.19 If with Dauid thou supplicate and cry vnto him with thy whole heart Ps 119.58.145 If with Ieremie thou lift vp thy heart with thy hands and poure it out like water before his face Lam. 2.19 3.41 doubt not but he will accept thy sacrifice yea though thou want words to expresse thy suite if thou canst sobbe and sigh though thou be not able to vtter thy minde thou maist be perswaded that the Spirit vnderstandeth thy meaning and that those bitter sighes and sobbes comming from the Spirit will preuaile with God for the obtaining of thy petition for why a broken and contrite heart the Lord will not despise when thou praiest therefore pray with thy heart 7 7. Hearing of the Word The Lord requires our hearts in the hearing of his Word and therefore in Luk. 8.15 he makes the hearing of the Word with a good heart a note of the best hearers comparing them to the best ground that brings forth the best fruit Hence it is also that Dauid inclined his heart vnto Gods Testimonies Ps 119.36 and hid his word in his heart that he might not sinne Ps 119.11 When then we come to Church we should settle our harts that is our ●ffections our zeales our attentions to heare the Word either redde or preached When Christ puts his hand to the hole of the dore our hearts should with the spouse in the Canticles be affectioned towards him When he talkes with vs by the way of this our pilgrimage our hearts with the two Disciples that went to Emaus should burne within vs. When the Minister of Gods word is deliuering his message which the Lord hath put into his mouth we should with the noble Emperour Constantine Euseb de vita Constant lib. 3. cap. 17. cap. 33. be so rauished with those things which we heare as that we attend to nothing else Our thoughts should not be distracted with variety of worldly businesses our eyes should not be possest with slumber our taste in respect of the Word should not be like old Barzillais without relish we must not thinke of Sermons as Naaman did of Iordan 2 King 5.11 but we must haue them in a reuerend regard we must settle our selues to heare and heare to vnderstand and vnderstand to practice and practice to attaine an habituall obedience to the precepts of holy life 8 8. Receiuing the Sacraments Lastly the Lord would haue vs offer vp our hearts vnto him when we receiue the Sacrament It is not then but vpon good ground that the Minister before the administration of the Lords Supper exhorts the people to lift vp their hearts Ministers exhortation before the Communion and the people answere wee lift them vp vnto the Lord or to

vse the words of the Prophet Ps 25.1 Vnto thee O Lord lift we vp our soules Well is it then which the Church of Scotland saith that the onely way to receiue the Lords Supper worthily is to lift vp our minds by faith aboue all things worldly and sensible and thereby to enter into heauen that we may finde and receiue Christ where he dwelleth We must not thinke as the Papists vainely imagine that we hold Christ bodily in our hands and masticate him in our mouthes when we receiue and eat the Bread but receiuing the Bread and Wine as the symboles of his body and bloud we should lift vp our hearts to heauen where he sitteth at the right hand of his father and where he must continue till the time that all things are restored Act. 3.21 And thus much be spoken of the matter of Gods demand namely of that which he requires at our hands when he cals for our hearts My Sonne giue mee thy heart that is apply thy heart vnto me in receiuing the Sacraments in hearing the Word in Prayer in singing of Psalmes settle thy heart to depend on me to feare me to loue me to know me Me I say that haue done for thee then any created vnderstanding can conceiue II. And so I passe from the matter what must be giuen to the person that must giue exprest in these words My Sonne The Lord cals for the hearts of his children My Sonne giue me thy heart Whence I obserue that a childe of God owes no lesse to his heauenly father then his heart For if a seruant owe his industry to his maister that paies him his hire if a Sonne owe his obedience to his Parents that prouides him maintenance if a subiect owne his allegiance to his Prince that defends him from theeues in respect of his goods and from murtherers in respect of his life I see no reason why we that stand in the relation of Seruants of Sonnes of Subiects of things of nothing of things worse then nothing vnto God as our Creator our Redeemer or Master our Father our King our Protector or defender should not be so much indebted vnto him as our hearts comes too as our soules comes too as all that is within vs comes too We owe then to God no lesse then our hearts if they were not his due he would neuer demand them Vse for examination By this Doctrine we may examine our selues whether we be the children of God or no for if we can be perswaded in conscience that we owe our hearts to God and accordingly indeauour to pay them we may be certaine that we stand in the relation of sonnes vnto God but if we cannot finde in our hearts to bestow our hearts on God if there be an indisposition in vs to know him to loue him to feare him to trust in him with all our hearts and with all our soules if we can sing with our voyce pray with our lippes heare with our eares receiue the Sacrament with our mouthes and not sing pray heare and receiue the blessed Sacrament with our hearts certainely we cannot as yet take any comfort in Gods election because we cannot certainely be perswaded that we are his sonnes in that we are not willing to pay vnto him that tribute which his sonnes owe vnto him we present not our hearts vnto him by way of gift which is the third circumstance of my Text namely the manner how we are to bestow our hearts on God exprest in this word Giue III. My Sonne giue me thy heart that is giue it mee 1. Instantly without delay 2. Wholy with out reseruation 3. And freely without repining 1. First we must giue our hearts vnto God instantly without delay for so much the words Cedò or Prebe import giue me thy heart presently or out of hand euen before thou goe out of the Church The Lord is impatient of delaies we must therfore be as quick in answering his call as an Eccho in redoubling our voyce This quicknesse was in Dauid when the Lord bad him seeke his face hee answers like an eccho Thy face Lord will I seeke Psal 27.9 Euen so beloued now that the Lord bids vs giue vnto him our hearts let vs instantly answer him O Lord we giue thee our hearts Many would take a day with the Lord for giuing vp their hearts they are loath to part with them vpon the sodaine The poore man would be borne withall till he be rich the rich man till he be sicke the sicke man till he haue recouered his health the healthy and strong man till he be weake the weake and feeble man till he be strong againe the young man till he be old the old man till he feele the signes of death the lasciuious man till his lust be satisfied the enuious man till he be reuenged on his enemie the Merchant till his trade be good the Parent till his children be prouided for the childe till he haue his patrimony in his owne dispose the seruant till he be a master and the master till he haue seruants to his owne likeing and then certainely God shall haue their hearts But Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit Hee that is not willing to part with his heart to day will be lesse willing to morrow For the longer hee suffers his heart to be in the possession of his ease or his profit or his pleasure hee shall with the more difficulty get it out of their fingers to bestow it on God Indeed if it were in our owne powers to take our hearts from pleasure and vanitie giue them to God at our list there might be some colourable reason for delay or if wee had each of vs two hearts wee might aduenture one to see what would come of it But seeing God hath giuen to each of vs one onely heart and that heart not in our own power neither to be stow on God when we wil we shuld be afraid to keepeit from him when hee calles for it Oh then my deare christian Brethren let vs for euer take heed lest if with Argus we listen too long to the Mercury pipe of Gods long-suffering we be cast into a dead sleepe of securitie to the vtter seperation of our hearts from God Delayes as for the most part in our ciuill negotiation with men so euermore and especially in our spirituall commerce with God are very dangerous If God would not haue vs say vnto our neighbour goe and come againe and to morrow I will giue thee if we now haue that which hee desires and wee can well spare Pro. 3.28 much lesse when he himselfe askes our hearts for himselfe will hee be patient of a repulse till to morrow much lesse till a weeke be ouer much lesse till a month be ouer much lesse till a yeere be ouer much lesse till old age and dotage and weakenesse and sicknesse and death seaze vpon vs. Let vs consider Gods case by our