Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	able_a	lord_n	soul_n	2,372	5	4.9134	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A30696	The necessity and reward of a willing mind a sermon preach'd at Exon before an assembly of ministers of the counties of Devon and Somerset, April 16, 1693 / by John Bush.	Bush, John, fl. 1693.	1693 (1693)	Wing B6231; ESTC R35793	23,643	37

seem so but are soon chang'd from willing to be unwilling and the true Reason why Men do not live more suitable to their own Resolutions is not because they were never willing but because men do change their minds from willing to unwilling for which reason 't is that God desclaimes his being like Man that he should lie or Repent Men will promise what they never Intend to perform this is lying with a witness but besides that they that scorn to do this do Repent that is change their minds God is not such an one we will serve the Lord said the People but you can't serve the Lord said Joshua not that absolutly they could not but because he saw in them a kind of rashness to promise and resolve but they did not enough consider that to do what they promised there was more need of Gods Grace than as yet they were sensible of and without this they could not serve the Lord and it is generally the mistake of good men to think that they shall be able to do what they are willing to do Peter found it so David whose heart was made willing prays that it might be kept so 1 Chron. 29. ●8 Who am I and what is this People that we should be able to offer so willingly keep this Lord for ever in the Imaginations of the thoughts of the hearts of this people and establish their hearts to thee that is thou hast made us willing Lord keep us so the first grace to determine the will may be given and that grace not given which is needfull to performance He worketh to will and to do Phil. 2.13 Paul found it so to will is present with me but how to perform I find not 2. And yet he only is willing whose heart doth stir him up and whose Spirit doth make him willing as 't is said of the Children of Israel Exod. 35.21 29. and they came every one whose heart stirred him up and every one whose Spirit made him willing verse 29. the Children of Israel brought a willing offering to the Lord every Man and Woman whose heart made them willing it is the want of this that God complains of Isa 64.7 none stirreth up himself and the Apostle Paul would have Timothy stir up the gift in him not only the Ministerial but the Sanctifying gift of Gods Grace for though the Grace of God be not made effectual by our own co-operation with it neither is it effectual without our own Concurrence and therefore it is that we are directed to our duty towards Gods Grace and that not only when we have it but that we may obtain it not only to keep our selves awake when God hath awakned but to awake out of sleep that Christ may give us Life Eph. 5.14 for 't is the heart the will in man that is the Fountain of all the good or evil that is in man and under Gods Grace the first mover out of the heart proceeds Murder Fornication and Adultery and a good Man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things as we are never subdued to Gods Grace till the will be subdued so the will is never subdued till it stirs us up to our duty Prov. 2.10 when Wisdom entereth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant to thy Soul then the work succeeds and never till then for as Mr. Fenner saith sincerity lieth in the Will So that as he that would kindle the fire must put the Fewel together and then Blow to it So God working upon us as Rational Creatures doth expect that we do what we may towards our turning to Him and this stirring up our Selves that our hearts may make us Willing holds as to the first Grace by which the Will is determined and as to that Subsequent grace by which it is kept to its duty and in both Respects is Oppos'd 1. To Outward Judgments and Foreign motives which many a man is Influenc'd by whose heart doth not make him willing and when 't is so the thing done though otherwise Good and Praise-worthy hath no acceptance with God for 't is not done willingly that is sincerely Jehu in his access to the Throne of his master Ahab pretended Zeal to the Lord God of Israel and in that pretended zeal pulled down the Altar and Images of Baal and destroyed his Masters house and yet saith God though Jehu did what he was commanded I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu The blood of that Woman as Bad as she was was too good to be spilt upon so low an end as Jehu purposed to himself for it seems it was not Gods Glory but his own security or Revenge or both the like may be said as to custom or example the latter of which though we may Lawfully make a good use of yet when 't is that only or Cheifly that prompts us to our Duty It will never please God and generally He is made Willing by foreign motives the Praise or fear or the example of men that he may not seem singular any thing else that is short of Gods Glory take away that and He goeth no farther as when you take away the weight that made the Clock go it stoppeth 2. And It must be in opposition to the workings of Conscience enlightned but not Renewed for we may have a sense of our Duty when we have no Inclination to its performance I don't say but 't is better to do what is good and to forbear what is Evil though it be only the sense of our Duty without a Willing mind prompting us to it and yet 't is evident enough that this is a sort of Religion which none should rest in conscience when Enlightned but not Sanctified may put Men upon doing something in Religion which is far enough from what the Apostle calls Obeying from the heart take a wicked Man at some Particular times when he is under the Influences of Fear upon a Sick bed and how free doth he seem to be from that rancor and prejudice that before appeared in him Now he is for an Holy Life Resolv'd on a sudden now he is for Prayers and perhaps those Prayers which before he scoff'd at What a change doth this seem to be but yet this Work is but the Operation of an enlightned awakned conscience melted humbled under the sense of Gods Wrath but yet as the metal when in the Fire was soft when out of the Fire grows as hard or harder than before so do they that are only under the operation of fear In their affliction they will seek me early than they will cry arise and save us Jer. 2.26 't is Fear cheifly that works upon Conscience when enlightned only but not Renewed and Sanctified And therefore it is that when what they feared seems upon their Recovery to be at a distance from them they fear it as little as before for fear is not lasting he whose Conscience only doth stir him up to

Religion God Esteems it not so have ye fasted unto me to fast for stuff to pray to be seen of Men to give Alms to be applauded may go a great way in the sight of Men who ought to the praise action without Enquiring into the heart but it hath no other reward than what is here but he that is prompted to his Duty from his own heart hath a Testimony in himself in which he may rejoyce 2 Cor. 1.12 4. And Lastly let us all get this Willing Mind this disposing principle that what we do may be accepted and Rewarded under this head I shall speak in the general to all and Particularly to my brethren in the Ministry 1. All of us have need to Pray and to be Instant with God for this disposition of Mind For First by this means our Duty will be the more easy 't is true Christ hath a Yoak and a Burden but there is nothing that tends more to make it easy to us Motives than the disposedness of our Wills and Hearts unto it 2. The Will being the chief executive faculty where that is there the delight of the Soul followeth and what a desirable disposition will this be when our Duty becomes our Delight that as nature hath provided a delight in doing those things that tend to its preservation such as is the Saline humour in the Palat adjoyning it self with our Meat and Drink so when Grace doth furnish us with a disposition Co natural to our Duty that it shall be our Meat and Drink to do Gods Will How desireable is such a temper get me this and we shall find by experience that the ways of Wisdom are ways of Pleasantness 3. Hereby our Obedience will be more steady and even and we more constant and stedfast in it Ephraim is said to be as a Bullock that was not accustomed to the Yoak not used to work now such a Bullock is sore with his labour and unskilfull in it It makes bawks 't is in and out the main and principal reason of our uneven walking is either the want of a will fix'd and determined to its Duty or not carryed forth with delight in its performance 2. Directions 1. First Beg this disposition by Prayer every good and perfect gift cometh from above this especially if we can do it our selves Incline and fix our Wills to our Duty our sin is the greater if we do not but if we cannot do it of our selves as to be sure we cannot our sin is the greater that we are not more earnest and Incessant with God to help us Prayers for the first converting Grace are not alltogether unacceptable to God let us have Grace saith the Apostle that is let us seek it that we may have it let us Pray that we may obtain it and indeed if the natural man could be supposed seriously and heartily to desire this Grace we could not without wronging of God suppose that he would deny him they that have not higher and stronger arguments may plead from such as they have their relation to God as the work of his hands their rational and natural Powers thy hands have made me saith the Psamist give me understandng beg also the continuing and Increase of this first disposing Grace that he that hath made the Willing would keep so and make the more Willing 2. Keep your hearts under a sense of your Duty for tho' the sense of Duty may be urg'd upon us by an enlightned conscience which will leave us short of a willing Mind yet 't is good to feel something in our selves pleading Gods right urging upon us the necessity of our obedience the Apostle did so if against my Will a dispensation is committed to me I must do my Duty Willing or Unwilling it ought to be done though I lose the reward God will not lose his Right 3. Do what you can to make your selves Willing and do what you can to keep your Selves so even in conversion we must not expect that because God can that therefore he should do all though all that Man doth in his conversion doth not make nor is the reason why Grace is effectual in this rather than in that Man this doth not supersede Mans Duty towards God's Grace no but every one should do his own part we can attend the means and we can consider and Remember and though all that do this do not turn to God yet 't is the way to it the Psalmist thought and turned and 't is said all the ends of the Earth shall Remember and turn to the Lord Psal 22.27 and God blames them that they would not frame their doings to turn to the Lord. they would do nothing to promote it Hos 5.4 4. Consider what Encouragements you have from a good God and from a Gracious Covenant wherein sincere endeavours are accepted and involuntary weaknesses are pardoned to them that do their best though it be infinitly short of what is due Mal. 3.17 I will spare them as a Man that spareth his only Son that serveth him 2. And lastly as to my brethren the Ministers all that I have now to say is to my self and you those that would know the reason of our coming together at this time It is this that I have been all this while speaking to viz. To Stir up one another to the Dutys of our calling and to promote the necessary work of our Ministry I do not pretend to dictate to Ministers what is their Duty but yet I consider that that Minister that needs not to be directed what to do may yet be content to be encouraged may need it and will de thankful for it Even St. Paul himself when the brethren from Rome came to meet him at Appij forum and the three Taverns he thanked God and took courage If I could so far serve my Brethren 't is what I aim at And truly whatever our Circumstances are we may do well to consider the Apostles for our Encouragement that we may have this Willing Mind now the Apostle through the perversness of some Men esteemed it his Duty not only to Preach to the Corinthians but to do it for nothing And yet It was not because the Apostle was richer than other men no for being an Apostle and having such a charge upon him he would not have laboured with his own hands for a livelyhood if there had not been a necessity lying upon him to do both to Work and yet to Preach now thanks be to God our Circumstances are not the same and for that reason it is rarely the Duty of a Minister to do as the Apostle did who yet shews the greatest satisfaction in his condition and a full Resolution to stick to his Duty a necessity is laid upon me and yet he would not be without a Willing Mind under that necessity And therefore let our Circumstances be what they will if we can get this disposition of Mind and keep it we shall have cause to