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	spirit_n	word_n	2,192	5	4.1799	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52601	Two speeches delivered before the subscribing of the Covenant, the 25. of September, at St. Margarets in Westminster the one by Mr. Philip Nye, the other by Mr. Alexander Henderson.	Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.; Henderson, Alexander, 1583?-1646.	1643 (1643)	Wing N1501; ESTC R4609	13,718	26

amongst us Come therefore I speak in the words of the Prophet let us joyne our selves to the Lord and one to another and each to all in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten We are now entring upon a work of the greatest moment and concernement to us and to our posterity after us that ever was undertaken by any of us or any of our Forefathers before us or neighbouring Nations about us if the Lord shall blesse this our beginning it will bee a happie day and we shall be a happy people An Oath is a duty of the first commandment and therfore of the highest and noblest order and rank of duties therefore must come foorth attended with choycest graces especially with these two humility and fear Fear not onely of God which ought to bee in an eminent measure Gen. 31. 53. Iacob swear by the feare of his father Isaac as if hee coveted to inherit his fathers grace as well as his fathers God But also feare of an Oath it being a dreadfull duty and hath this peculiar it is established by the Oath of God I have sworne that unto mee every tongue shall sweare Isa 45. 23. It is made the very Character of a Saint hee feares an Oath Eccles. 9. 2. Humility is another grace requisite set your hearts before God in an humble obedient frame Deut. 6. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him and sweare by his Name The Apostle Paul was sensible of this engagement even in the very act of this duetie Rom 1. 9 I call God to witnesse whom I serve in my spirit Although it be a work of the lips yet the heart and the whole man must be interessed if we expect this worship to be acceptable Psal. 119 108. Accept the free will offering of my mouth and teach me thy judgements Also it must bee done in the greatest simplicity and plainnesse of spirit in respect of those with whom wee Covenant We call God as a witnesse betwixt us who searcheth the heart With him is wisedome and strength the deceived deceiver is his Iob 12. 19. He hath wisedome to discover and strength to punish if our hearts be not upright to our Brethren in this matter Let us be contented with this that the words of our Covenant be bands it may not be so much as in the desire of our harts that they should become snares no not to the weakest and simplest person that joyneth with us In the whole work make your addresse unto God as Iacob did to his 〈…〉 there bee the like fear and jealousie over your spirits Gen. 27. 12. My Father peradventure will feel me and I shall seem to him as a deceiver and I shall bring a curse upon me and not a blessing I take liberty with more earnestnesse to presse this care upon you because I have observed Oaths and Covenants have been undertaken by us formerly and by the command of authority the fruit whereof though great yet not answered our expectation the Lord surely hath been displeased with the slightnesse of our hearts in the work I beseech you bee more watchfull and stirre up your hearts with more industry this day then ever before As it is the last Oath you are likely to take in this kinde so it is our last refuge tabula post naufragium If this help not wee are likely to remaine to our dying day an unhappy people but if otherwise You will indeed sweare with all your hearts and seek the Lord with your whole desire God will bee found and give you rest round about 2 Chor. 15 15. And having sworn and entred into this solemne engagement to God and man make conscience to doe accordingly otherwise it is better thou shouldest not vow Ecclesiast 5. As it is said of fasting it is not the bowing down of the head for a day so of this solemne swearing it is not the lifting up of the hand for a day but an honest and faithfull endeavouring after the contents of this Covenant all our dayes A truce breaker is reckoned up amongst the vilest of Christians 2. Tim. 3. 3. so a Covenant-breaker is listed amongst the worst of Heathens Rom. 1. 31 But hee that sweareth and changeth not though he swear to his hurt that is he that wil keep his Covenant and Oath though the contents of it prove not for him nay possibly against him yet hee will keep it for his Oaths sake such a one shall have his habitation with the most High and dwell in his Tabernacle Psal. 15. And as for you Reverend Brethren that are Ministers of the Gospel there is yet another obligation will lie upon you let us look to our selves and make provision to walk answerable to this our Covenant for the Gospels sake it will reflect a great aspertion upon the truth of the Gospel if wee should bee false or unconstant in any word or purpose though in a matter of lesse consequence as you can easily collect from that apology of Paul 2 Cor. 1 17 18. how much more in such a case as this is if we should bee found to purpose nay more to vow and covenant and swear and all this according unto the flesh and with us there should be notwithstanding all these obligations yea yea and nay nay That we may all who take the Covenant this day he constant immoveable and abound in this work of the Lord that we may not start aside or give back or goe on uncomfortably there is a twofold grace or qualification to bee laboured after 1 Wee must get courage spirits that are bold and resolute It is said in Haggai that the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel Governour of Iudah and the spirit of Ioshua the High Priest and the spirit of all the remnant of the people and they came and did work in the house of the Lord the vvork of Gods house Reformation-work especially is a stirring work read Stories you finde not anywhere Reformation made in any age either in Doctrine or Discipline without great stirre and opposition This was foretold by the same Prophet Chap. 2. vers. 7. the promise is Hee will fill his house with glory but what goeth before vers 6 Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the Earth and the Sea and the dry land that is all Nations as in the words following This place is applyed Heb 12 to the removing Jewish Rites the moveables of Gods house The like you 〈◊〉 in the Apostles times Acts 17 the truth bei●● preached some beleeved others did not here beginnet● the stirre vers. 6. those that beleeved not tooke unt● themselves certaine lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a company and set all the City in an uproare and vvhen they had done so complained of the brethren to the Rulers as men that turn the world upside down ver. 6 Read also Acts 21. 27 30. 31. In such a work therefore men had need bee of

in the end bring forth a Covenant as the onely meane after all other have been assayed for the deliverance of England and Ireland out of the deeps of affliction preservation of the Church and Kingdome of Scotland from the extremity of miserie and the safety of our Native King and Kingdomes from destruction and desolation This is the manifold necessity which Nature Religion Loyaltie and Love hath laid upon them Nor is it unknown in this Honourable Reverend and wise Audience what errours and heresies in doctrine what Superstition and idolatrie in Worshippe what Usurpation and Tyrannie in Government what cruelty against the soules and bodies of the saints have been set on foot exercised and executed for many Generations and now of late by the Romane Church all which we hope through the blessing of God upon this work shal be brought to an end Had the Pope at Rome the knowledge of what is doing this day in England and were this Covenant written on the Plaster of the wall over against him where he sitteth Belshazzar-like in his sacralegious pomp it would make his heart to tremble his countenance to change his head and Miter to shake his joynts to loose and all his Cardinals and Prelates to be astonished When the Reformed Churches which by their Letters have been exciting us to Christian Communion and Sympathie in this time of the danger of Religion and distresse of the Godly shall heare of this blessed conjunction for uniformity in Religion according to the word of God and the defence thereof it shall quicken their hearts against the heavinesse of oppressing sorrows and feare and be no other than a beginning of a Jubilee and joyfull deliverance unto them from the Antichristian yoke and tyrannie Upon these and the like considerations wee are verie confident that the Church and Kingdome of Scotland will most chearfully joyne in this Covenant at the first motion whereof their bowels were moved within them And to give testimony of this our confidence we who are Commissioners from the Generall Assembly although we have no particular and expresse Commission for that end not from want of willingnesse but of foresight offer to joyn our hearts and hands unto it being assured that the Lord in his own time wil against all opposition even against the gates of Hell crown it with a blessing from Heaven The word of God is for it as you have been now resolved by the consent and testimonie of a Reverend Assembly of so many godly learned and great Divines In your own sense and experience you will find that although while you are assaulted or exercised with worldly cares and fears your 〈…〉 other times when upon seeking of God in private or publike as in the evening of a wel spent Sabbath or day of Fast and Humiliation your disposition is more spiritual and leaving the world behind you you have found accesse unto God through Jesus Christ the bent and inclinations of your hearts will be strongest to go throgh with this work It is a good testimony that our designes and wayes are agreeable to the will of God if we affect them most when our hearts are furthest from the world and our temper is most spirituall and heavenly and least carnall and earthly As the Word of God so the prayers of the people of God in all the Reformed Churches are for us and on our side It were more terrible then an Army to hear that there were any fervent supplications to God against us blasphemies curses and horrid imprecations there be proceeding from another spirit and that is all That Divine Providence also which hath maintained this Cause and supported his Servants in a marvellous manner unto this day and which this time past hath kept things in an equall ballance and vicissitud of successe will we trust from this day-forth through the weight of this Covenant cast the ballance and make Religion and Righteousnesse to prevail to the glory of God the honour of our King the confusion of our common enemies and the comfort and safety of the people of God Which he grant who is able to doe above any thing that we can ask or think FINIS