Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	according_a	know_v	way_n	2,112	5	4.8664	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A62590	A sermon preached before the King, Febr. 26th 1674/5 John Tillotson ...	Tillotson, John, 1630-1694.	1675 (1675)	Wing T1227; ESTC R10018	12,574	38

pieces and there be none to deliver 3. Consideration is that which we must all come to one time or other Time will come when we shall consider and cannot help it when we shall not be able to divert our thoughts from those things which we are now so loth to think upon Our consciences will take their opportunity to bring our ways to remembrance when some great calamity or affliction is upon us Thus it was with the Prodigal when he was brought to the very last extremity and was ready to perish for hunger then he came to himself When we come to dye then we shall think of our ways with trouble and vexation enough And how glad would we then be that we had time to consider them And perhaps while we are wishing for more time Eternity will swallow us up To be sure in the other world a great part of the misery of wicked men will consist in furious reflections upon themselves and the evil actions of their lives 'T is said of the Rich voluptuous man in the Parable that in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments as if he had never considered and bethought himself till that time But alas it will then be too late to consider For then consideration will do us no good it will serve to no other purpose but to aggravate our misery and to multiply our stings and to give new life and rage to those Vultures which will perpetually prey upon our hearts But how much a wiser course would it be to consider these things in time in order to our eternal peace and comfort to think of them while we may redress them and avoid the dismal consequences of them than when our case is desperate and past remedy And now what can I say more to perswade every one of us to a consideration of our own ways We are generally apt to busie our selves in observing the errors and miscarriages of our neighbours and are forward to mark and censure the faults and follies of other men but how few descend into themselves and turn their eyes inward and say What have I done 'T is an excellent saying of Antoninus the great Emperour and Philosopher No man was ever unhappy for not prying into the actions and condition of other men but that man is necessarily unhappy who doth not observe himself and consider the state of his own soul This is our proper work and now is a proper season for it when we pretend to God and men to set apart a solemn time for the examination of our selves and for a serious review of our lives in order to humiliation and repentance to the reforming and amendment of what is amiss And though we would venture to dissemble with men yet let us not dissemble with God also For shall not he that pondereth the heart consider it and he that keepeth thy soul shall not he know it and shall not he render to every man according to his ways I know it is a very unpleasant work which I am now putting you upon and therefore no wonder that men are generally so backward to it because it will of necessity give some present disturbance to their minds They whose lives have been very vicious are so odious a sight so horrid a spectacle to themselves that they cannot endure to reflect upon their own ways of all things in the world they hate Consideration and are ready to say to it as the evil Spirit did in the Gospel to our Saviour What have I to do with thee Art thou come to torment me before the time But let not this affright us from it for whatever trouble it may cause at present it is the only way to prevent the anguish and the torments of Eternity The things which I have offered to your consideration are of huge moment and importance They do not concern your bodies and estates but that which is more truly your selves your immortal souls the dearest and most durable part of your selves and they do not concern us for a little while but for ever Let me therefore bespeak your most serious regard to them in the words of Moses to the People of Israel after he had set the Law of God before them together with the blessings promised to obedience and the terrible curses threatned to the transgression of it Deut. 32. 46. Set your hearts to the words which I testifie to you this day for it is not a vain thing because it is your life Your life your eternal life and happiness depends upon it And besides a tender regard to your selves and your own interests which methinks every man out of a natural desire of being happy and dread of being miserable should be forward enough to consider Be pleased likewise to lay to heart the influence of your example upon others I speak now to a great many Persons the eminence of whose rank and quality renders their examples so powerful as to be able almost to give authority either to Virtue or Vice People take their fashions from you as to the habits of their minds as well as their bodies So that upon you chiefely depends the ruine or reformation of manners our hopes or despair of a better world What way soever you go you are followed by troops If you run any sinful or dangerous course you cannot perish alone in your iniquity but thousands will fall by your side and ten thousands at your right hands And on the contrary 't is very much in your power and I hope in your wills and designs to be the sovereign restorers of piety and virtue to a degenerate Age. It is our part indeed to exhort men to their duty but 't is you that would be the powerful and effectual Preachers of righteousness We may endeavour to make men proselytes to virtue but you would infallibly draw disciples after you We may try to perswade but you could certainly prevail either to make men good or to restrain them from being so bad Therefore consider your ways for the sake of others as well as your selves Consider what you have done and then consider what is fit for you to do and if you do it not what will be the end of these things And to help you forward in this work it is not necessary that I should rip up the vices of the Age and set mens sins in order before them It is much better that you your selves should call your own ways to remembrance We have every one a faithful Monitor and Witness in our own breasts who if we will but hearken to him will deal impartially with us and privately tell us the errors of our lives To this Monitor I refer you and to the grace of God to make his admonitions effectual Let us then every one of us in the fear of God search and try our ways and turn unto the Lord. Let us take to our selves words and say to God with those true Penitents in Scripture I have sinned what shall be done unto thee O thou preserver of men Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth I will abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes For surely it is meet to be said unto God I will not offend any more that which I know not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do no more O that there were such an heart in us O that we were wise that we understood this that we would consider our later end And God of his infinite mercy inspire into every one of our hearts this holy and happy resolution for the sake of our blessed Saviour and Redeemer to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory now and for ever Amen