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
A45205	Dorcas revived the second time: or a sermon preached at the funerals of Mrs. Anne Mickle-thwait the one and twentieth of March 1658.	Hunter, Josiah, minister in York.	1656 (1656)	Wing H3765B; ESTC R224179	44,466	48

precious to be but drosse and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ her Lord. 3 Phil. 7 8. More particularly She was full of the Grace of Faith and therefore notably well acquainted with the promises Pabulum fidei which are the food of Faith A diligent attender on the word Organum fidei 10 Rom. 17. Nutrimentum fidei the instrument of Faith An earnest desirer and a most conscientious frequenter of the Lords Supper the means to increase it and by reading the promises hearing the Word receiving the Sacrament joyned with a special Act of application in them all she had attained to a kind of Plerophorie a full assurance of Faith 10 Heb. 22. When she was now Sick she told me that since her conversion she had at several times many doubts and fears arising in her Heart Satan desired to Winnow her as Wheat but said she my Faith failed not God did enable her still to hold fast her integrity 22 Luk 31.32 2 Iob. 3. and Satans shaking her with his temptations did but help to establish her the more afterwards and well indeed might she hold fast the integrity of her Faith who continued to hold fast the integrity of her Obedience walking as Elizabeth in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord blameless 1 Luke 6. making such Conscience of the discharge both of her personal and relative duties that so farr as I have observed or been acquainted though many Daughters have done vertuously yet she excelled them all The strength of Faith is best judged of 31 Prov. 29. when brought to the Tryal And I shall never forget her deportment under the sad death of her most dear Husband Mrs. Stillington When I took upon me the boldnesse to ask her in private her Daughter being then only present whether she did under this affliction doubt of Gods Fatherly love or whether the guilt of any Sin but those which are called Sins of dayly incursion Quotidianae incursionis Te●t pressing her Conscience did render the affliction more bitter her answer was she did not doubt she was assured of Gods love She looked on God at that time as an angry Father but she had ever found him and then knew him to be a loving Father And for the guilt of any Sin pressing her Conscience she acknowledged that her infirmities were many 1 Nehem. 11. 119 Psal 5. and though her desire was to fear Gods name and to direct her wayes according to his Statutes Yet she was defective in many things and fell short of her duty that was her grief of her desire likewise that was her comfort but she professed that her Conscience did not accuse her of any wicked or willful disobedience 119 Psal 104. 119 Psal 6. she hated every false way and had respect unto all Gods Commandements at all times 79 Psal 8. only she feared that in this affliction God might remember former iniquities long since committed which it may be she had not throughly humbled her self for I asked her then why she was so sorrowful the substance of her reply was that she thought a more than ordinary measure of sorrow was in such cases lawful being warranted out of the Scripture by the examples of good men and also convenient to express the sense of Gods hand upon her but yet she desired she said and would endeavour so to restrain her grief that it might neither offend others nor dishonour God Being thus full of the grace of faith she could not but be full of love seeing faith where it is works by love A great lover she was of the ordinances 5 Galat. 6. a lover likewise of Gods people her delight was in the Saints of the earth in her eyes a vile person was contemned 16 Psal 3. 15 Psal 4. Christum hospitantem in Augustino but she honoured them that fear the Lord where she saw any thing of Christ she loved the person as Ambrose loved Christ dwelling in Augustine I think one of the greatest arguments of a mans love to Christ is when it puts him upon endeavours to gain others to the love of him and in this very thing she spent most of her time wherein through Gods blessing she laboured with such successe that beside her natural daughters I doubt not but she hath many other daughters in the faith 1 Tim. 1.2 who may arise up and call her blessed such whom she was a special instrument either to beget unto Christ 31 Prov. 28. or afterwards to build up in their holy faith She was full of the spirit of prayer and supplication in which duty she was very frequent according to the injunction of scripture 12 Za. 10. 4 Colos 2. 1 Thes 5.17 and though she was not an Euchite so as to neglect all other duties of her calling yet she remembred that all things are sanctifyed by prayer 1 Tim. 4.5 and therefore would never omit it Nazianzen would have men so much in this duty that they might be able to shew the wounds of the knees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and there is a figure in the Heavens which Astronomers call in the knees Sure I am this Gentlewoman if any might have shewed the wounds of the knees for set aside her private and family devotions I have seen her my self once twice more than the third time in private meetings use this gesture for four or five houres together and though age and her infirmities might have tolerated her another posture yet I have observed to my admiration that for so long time she hath seldome changed her gesture when others more young and strong have made use of their liberty to sit or stand 12 Rom. 12. It is not enough that we be frequent in prayer unlesse fervent no more did this servant of God think it The Orator said once of the Athenians comparing them to men running up an hill they breath much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but have little strength so many men in prayer breath much but have little strength whereas Basil would have us with an holy impudence to make God ashamed 32 G●n 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he cannot look us in the face if he deny our importunity Such a powerfull faculty had this Gentlewoman in prayer as I have heard those that lived with her acknowledge and admire One thing of her practise in this duty I may not omit and that is she used to go to prayer with her children alwayes about five of the clock in the afternoon and then examined them and because she was sensible how much the welfare of the Church depends upon Gods guidance of the Governours thereof therefore in her devotions she never forgot to pray for the King and taught her Children while they were yet young to do so 1 Tim. 2.2 She was full of humility which is the grace of all other graces

The words contain in them the description of a good Woman of the Primitive times a Woman that excell'd most of our Women now as much as those times for Purity and Integrity excel ours those times were more Pure and Savouring of Christian simplicity than ours though not so pleasant and delicate and so it is likely were their Women Concerning her in the Text you may observe 1st her Sex a VVoman 2d her Name Tabitha or Dorcas 3d. the Place of her Residence Joppa 4th her Profession a Disciple 5th her Practice full of good VVorks and Almes-deeds which she did Lastly her Sicknesse and Death And it came to passe in those days that she was Sick and Dyed Something of each of these Her Sex a Woman That is observed to be true of Women which is spoken of Jeremiahs Figs those that were good were very good 1 Kin. 21.25 2 Chron. 22.10 those that were evil very evil 24 Jer. 3. So those Women which we read of in Scripture that were wicked were very wicked as Jezebel and Athaliah but those that were good very good as Mary Anna Elizabeth and Dorcas whatever may be Salomons meaning 7 Eccl. 28. Yet it is easie to observe that the New Testament affords good store of good Women therefore when Soloman saith that he had not found one Woman amongst a thousand perhaps he meaneth not one good VVoman amongst his thousand VVives and Concubines that he had 1 Kin. 11.3 Or else his meaning is that in respect of the discovery of Hearts and Natures whether in good or evil it is harder to find out throughly the perfect disposition of a VVoman than of a Man Take his words in the most rigorous manner and all that can be with soundnesse gathered from them is that good VVomen are rarer than good Men grant it yet when they are good they are as we say rarely 2 Luke 37. 1 Luke 6. 15 Mat. 28.16 Act. 14.15 9 Act. 39. 2 Tim. 1.5 2 Epist Joh. 4. that is very good and do equal if not exceed men How famous is Anna for her Devotion Elizabeth for her blamelesse Conversation the Canaanitish VVoman for her Faith Lydia for her diligent attendance unto the VVord Dorcas for her Charity Lois and Eunice for their pious education of Timothy The Elect Lady and her Children for walking in the Truth And though Eve eat that Fruit which occasioned the fall of Man-kind yet Mary bare and brought forth that Fruit which hath raised and restored Man to a greater happinesse than he lost 1 Luk. 48. and therefore all Generations call her blessed I care not for making Comparisons between Men and Women seeing they are both one in respect of Nature and differ only in Sex Let those that please themselves in playing upon Women remember that when God created Man he made them Male and Female 1 Gen. 27. and both after his own Image I will only say this that if God send Man to School to Learn of such a despicable Creature as the Pismire 6 Prov. 6. Let him not think it any disparagement to learn sometimes of a Woman especially such an eminent and vertuous Woman as Dorcas Paul the great Preacher of the Gentiles disdaineth not to acknowledge Priscilla one of his helpers in Christ Jesus 16 Rom. 3. And there are writings of Learned Men extant de illustribus Foeminis as well as de illustribus Viris I will shut up this with one word of exhortation to women for should I not exhort women to be as good as they have been I might be thought to flatter them I would have you know therefore that whilst I commend women that have been good my purpose is not to flatter those that are not good or at least not so good as the Holy women in old time who trusted in God and adorned themselves not with plaiting of hair wearing of Gold putting on of Apparel so much as with the adorning of the hidden man of the Heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 1 Pet. 3.3 4 5. I would have women therefore for their encouragement to take notice that they have as fair Copies of their own to write after as notable Patterns of their own Sex to imitate as men have Study therefore to be as Modest Meek Humble Obedient Chast Temperate Devout and Charitable as the Holy women of old time that you may deserve such an Honourable Testimony as the Holy Ghost giveth unto Dorcas VVhether Dorcas was Maid VVife or VVidow is to us uncertain nor is it much material to enquire Labour yee to be full of good works as she was and it shall be your Honour and an Honour to your Sex be your Estate what it will So much of the first particular The second follows and that is her Name Tabitha which by interpretation is called Dorcas Dorcas now stands in need of interpretation as Tabitha did then Tabitha is a Syriack word Dorcas a Greek word they both signifie in English a Roe or Goat Many Parents I suppose have given their Children since this name for Dorcas sake but why Dorcas Parents should choose to call her so may seem strange to us who are ignorant of the reason However let us not be offended at the name when we can find no fault with the Person with God there is no respect of persons much lesse of names but if it were before verbum Soeculi it is now become verbum Ecclesiae 10 Act. 34. Jacob signifies a supplanter or deceiver yet God disdaineth not to call himself the God of Jacob. The Person if good dignifies the Name be it never so mean and the Name though never so good cannot dignifie the Person if he be evil and unworthy Abel was a good man yet his name signifies vanity Lydia was a vertuous woman yet her name signifies a standing Pool Absalom was a traiterous and troublesome Son yet his name signifies a Father of Peace and Michol the Daughter of Saul was none of the best women yet her name signifies one who is perfect To be sure it can be no disparagement to Dorcas to be so called seeing the Church compareth Christ to that thing which her name imports scil a Roe 2 Cant. 9. And the Roe is commended to us in Scripture for a loving pleasant Creature 5 Prov. 19. Thus much we may take notice of that the Lord knoweth every one that belongs to him by name which he reckons unto Moses as a special favour 33 Ex. 17. And when the famous names of the wicked shall rot the obscurest names of his own people shall be had in everlasting remembrance 10 Prov. 7. 112. Psal 6. The place of her Residence Joppa Joppa was a Town situated by the Sea side Port-Towns have been observed to be great inlets to the Gospel it was part of the inheritance of the Tribe of Dan formerly known