Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	act_n	faith_n	word_n	2,409	5	4.5217	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15726	The ground of a Christians life Deliuered in a sermon at Harwood in Lancashire, the first day of December 1618. By Robert Worthington minister of Gods word at Acceington.	Worthington, Robert, minister of Gods word at Acceington.	1620 (1620)	STC 25999; ESTC S103650	35,929	86

henceforth is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnesse He therefore that will be fr●e from the guilt of sin and enioy the promises must constantly without wauering practise the workes of faith for Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Reason 5 Fiftly and lastly the example of the Lords Worthies confirme the truth of our proposed doctrine Abraham walked Genes 17. 1. Genes 5. 24. Genes 6. 9. Acts 13. 22. Iosh 1. 2. before God Henoch with God Noah by Gods owne testimony was an vpright man Moses was his seruant Dauid a man after his owne heart how could this be but that by faith they obeyed sincerely the word of faith Hence the Apostle dare affirme that As many as Galat. 6. 16. walke according to this rule peace shall be vpon them and mercy Therefore without all controuersie it may be concluded that there can be no sound life but the life of faith for Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne I trust by this time easie passage is made for further prosecution of the point proceede we therefore briefly to application Vse 1 In the first place therefore it giueth vs to vnderstand that he must be more then a naturall man that groundeth his actions ordinarily vpon the word for the naturall man perceiueth not the things 1. Cor. 2. 14. of the Spirit of God neither can he know them the Apostle giueth two reasons the one taken from his owne corruptions They are foolishnes vnto him the other from the excellencie of the thing● themselues the which vnsanctified nature cannot be capable of for as they are spirituall so they must be spiritually discerned The vnregenerate man The life of faith not walked by the gifts of Nature onely may be enriched with many and singular gifts as knowledge approbation of the best things yea with inclination towards sincerity What a glistering speculatiue image of holinesse may the natural man be couered with how pregnant in diuine and humane histories He may be stored with varietie of the greatest gifts that Nature can afford him and expresse in action Aristotles morall vertues yet neuer come to be ruled vniuersally by the word but as a bondslaue guided and ruled by his enlightened and checking conscience Achitophels counsell was 2. Sam. 16. 23. like as one had asked counsell at the Oracle of God yet was he without diuine and supernaturall illumination and sanctifying graces of the Spirit So it is that many can speake of God but not in that Euery seruice of god discerneth manner as well as matter holy manner as of God with reuerence and feare Others can talke of the word Sabboth and Saints but without humility delight affection that as good meate may be marred in the making so good words in speaking for Gods word directeth not onely for matter but maner If any man speake saith the Apostle 1. Pet. 4. 1● let him speake as the words of God And. Paul commendeth the Thessalonians for receiuing the Gospell not as it was the word of man but as it was indeede the 1. Thess 2. 13. word of God Hence it is that the regenerate man feareth to vndertake any seruice or worship due vnto his God without an exact preparation that is he summoneth his whole fabricke euery facultie of soule and body insomuch that he saith with Cornelius We are all here in Acts 10. 33. the presence of God He leaueth not vnexamined his faith and loue committing a seuerall office to his seuerall faculties lest his sacrifice should smell vnsauourie in the nostrils of the Almightie no better Esay 66. 3. respected then the cutting off of a dogges necke or the offering vp of swines bloud He forgetteth not that spirituall actions must be done in a spirituall manner lest that wofull prophesie be verified in him as it was in the Pharises This people come neare vnto me with Matt. 15. 8. their lippes but their hearts are farre from me Thus although the carnall Ciuilist dare rush into Gods ordinances and holie seruices as the horse into the battell neuer respecting like the carelesse seruant how his maisters worke be done so it be done yet the tender affected sonne of Adoption sanctified with the graces of Gods Spirit remembreth and registreth that grounded watch-word Take heede to thy foote that is Examine Eccles 4. 17. thy thoughts and affections for whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Furthermore it is required in diuinitie although not in humane learning as philosophie that not onely our actions Gods word mans heart and his actiōs must sympathize must agree with our mindes but our minds must agree with the truth it selfe for it is not enough that a man walke before God but that he walke truly and vprightly with his God For this cause hath our gracious God granted and vouchsafed his Pillar of a Cloud and his Pillar of fire for our certaine guiding in the way of happinesse What better and surer conducts can we haue then his Word and Spirit for what reason cannot do faith can do Wherefore in Christiās must be a double truth truth in affectiō matter the one to manifest gods truth the other our owne Gracelesse men may speake as they thinke their words manifesting the abundance of their hearts but naturall men can neuer speake Gods truth truly What grounds then hath imaginary supposition in the seruice of God or that doctrine of Equiuocation and mentall reseruation hatcht in the Romish Synagogue detested Non etenim falsum i●rare peierare est sed quod ex animi tui sententia iuraueris Cic. de of fic libr. 3. of the very heathens Periury saith one is not so much swearing a thing false as swearing it falsely when heart and words agree not But the parti-coloured Papist may haue out of his Rubricke a tongue for the Prince and an heart for the Pope But let all which set their faces towards Sion know that without knowledge the minde is not Prou. 19. 2. good and that truth is required not onely in the doer but also in the worke it selfe farre surpassing the choisest gifts of nature for Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Againe the secure Naturalist that can shew his gilded Armes painted with the colour of ciuil honestie and the formall hypocrite that is soa●ed vp to an high pitch of confused holinesse these and The life of faith exceedeth pharisaicall righteousnesse and formalitie such like haue framed a repentance of their owne not grounded vpon the Scriptures Many take some paines in the outward performance of religious duties can concurre with Gods faithfull Minister in the strict censures of hellish sinnes yet examine them thorowly in the ground of regeneration I feare in respect of true and liuely experience they will be found as ignorant as Nicodemus yea as vaine as Demas sound mortification will be held martyrdome with their carnall affections whence proceedeth wearinesse dulnesse deadnesse yea fearefull backesliding the

was there any opposition in the Spirit of Christ which was both in Moses and the Prophets 1. Pet. 1. 10. 11 The doctrine of Moses and the Prophets rightly applied very profitable and Christ Of this saluation saith the Apostle the Prophets haue enquired and searched which prophesied of the grace that should come vnto you Searching when or what time the Spirit which testified before of Christ which was in them should declare the sufferings that should come vnto Christ and the glorie that should follow Yea the same Apostle affirmeth that We haue a 2. Pet. 1. 19. most sure word of the Prophets What letteth then but we may attend vnto the sound doctrine of Moses and the Prophets Furthermore the testimonie of the Apostle Paul is pregnant to this purpose who auoucheth That the whole 2. Tim. 3. 16. Corruption needeth correction as well as instruction Reproofes sometimes very needfull Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach improue correct and to instruct in righteousnesse therefore the whole Scripture is necessarie the Christian standing in neede of it either for ground of faith or rule of obedience both in his generall particular calling Like vnto these dreames is the errour of many Libertines who ground vpon that saying in Ieremiah After those dayes Ierem. 31. 33. saith the Lord I will put my Lawes in the● inward parts and write them in their hearts as also vpon that saying of the Apostle Yee are our Epistle written not with inke 2. Cor. 3. 2. 3. but with the Spirit of the liuing God Although it be true that the knowledge of the Law may be written naturally in mens hearts yet he commanded the same to be writtē in two tables of stone For how doth the Lord write this Law in our hearts How doth he seale vp vnto vs the couenant of our reconciliation and regeneration by the finger of his The preaching of the word the conduit pipe to conuey grace into our harts Spirit but by the doctrine of the Law and Gospell preached heard written read meditated Or how could the Apostles call themselues the Preachers of the New Testament if the Gospel could not be preached And in vaine should Christ bid vs Search the Scriptures Iohn 5. 39. Furthermore the Euangelists and Apostles call their doctrine which was the New Testament a Scripture or Writing as appeareth by that testimony of Luke who thought it meete to write Those Luke 1. 3. things which he had diligently searched out Luke 1. 3. as also Iohn witnesseth who saith That these things are written that ye may beleeue Iohn 20. 31. And the Apostle Paul thought it necessary to write as is plaine in his Epistles Phil. 3. 1. Thus we see that the men of God and The Spirit of God in the hearts of his people and his word agree together Ministers of the Gospell wrote by the Spirit the Gospell with inke the hearts of true beleeuers sanctified by the Spirit through the preaching of the Gospel answering correspondently that word which was both written and preached as was euident among those Conuerts at Corinth in whom was manifest the power of the Gospell the preaching of faith being the power of God to saluation to Rom. 1. 16. euery one that doth beleeue We see then by wofull experience that Satan transforming himselfe into an It is the work of Satan to draw men frō Gods word which is the ground of faith Angell of light seeketh to ground many a poore soule vpon seeming shadowes drawing them from the rocke of refuge and certenty namely Moses and the Prophets Euangelists and Apostles of Iesus Christ who haue written and spoken as the Spirit directed and gaue them vtterance Were not therefore the proud Anabaptist fuller of conceit then iudgement he would neuer paraphrase the sacred Scriptures in that manner as he doth as I haue already shewed and will further shew in one instance Christ saith Mathew 5. 34. Sweare not at all therefore Matth. 5. 34. saith he it is not lawfull in any case to sweare Whereas the Lord vpon necessitie hath commended and commanded a lawfull oath warranting the same both by example and precept as appeareth in Deut. 6. 13. Thou shalt feare the Lord thy Deut. 6. 13. God and serue him and shalt sweare by his Name Yea the Apostle testifieth vppon necessity an oath to be a very good thing An oath saith he for confirmation Hebr. 6. 16. is the end of all strife Thus by conceited exposition would this sect of people bring Christ to abrogate his Fathers law and derogate from his Fathers glorie A proud spirit vnfit to expound the Scripture whereas our Sauiour meaneth nothing lesse for his purpose is nothing else but to expound the Law and deliuer it from the grosse corruptions and deprauations He that willingly wresteth the Scripture neither respecteth God nor Christ of the Scribes and Pharises For they taught that the third commandement was to be vnderstood of periurie onely or false swearing therefore our Sauiour sheweth that in this commandement is forbidden not onely periury and false swearing by the Name of God but also all rash and ordinary swearing in our common talke whether by the Name of God or any of his creatures because swearing amisse by them redoundeth to his dishonour He therefore here forbiddeth all needelesse and superfluous All needlesse swearing is much forbidden in the Scripture oathes in our ordinary communication And as these do erre not knowing nor vnderstanding the Scriptures so do many others as namely the Carnall cauiller that ioyneth himselfe with the publike assemblies partaking of the same word and Sacraments with the Saints of God But this man would haue one line to be sufficient vnto saluation for he findeth it written in the Scriptures That Iohn 3. 36. Naturall men would haue all but they would do nothing he which beleeueth in the Sonne hath euerlasting life But if this man reade forward he shall see and finde That he which obeyeth not the Sonne shall not see life Such will like the doctrine of faith but they cannot well brooke the doctrine of repentance But if they attend or list to heare they shall heare Christ to be as rigorous as his Father both in summoning all men Marke 1. 15. Luke 13. 5. to repent as also in threatning woes against impenitents The Apostles as they preach faith so they preach sanctification Acts 2. 38. and amendment of life for it is the absolute will of God that we should 1. Thessal 43 1. Pet. 1. 15. be holy as the Lord our God is holy The whole word of the Lord therefore must be deliuered by the Ministers of the Gospell that the whole courses of mens liues may be guided by the rule of faith Christ and his Apostles did not alwayes Rom. 9. 10. 11 preach faith but according to the dispositions