Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n
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A25217
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A sermon preach'd to the Societies for Reformation of Manners in the cities of London and Westminster at Salters-Hall, Aug 15, 1698 preached and published at the desire of the said Societies / by Vincent Alsop.
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Alsop, Vincent, 1629 or 30-1703.
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1698
(1698)
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Wing A2920; ESTC R27105
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22,053
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66
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these accounts 1. God is angry with his Servants when they refuse to go when he calls and sends them and yet sometimes he seems angry too though they do go at his call and sending If at least we may judge him angry by Interpretation and Construction when he succeds them not in the thing he sends them about Exod. 4. God calls and sends Moses to bring Israel out of Aegypt Moses whether from a sense of his own unmeetness for the Work or apprehension of the Danger of the Service makes many excuses one while he pleads his own Insufficiency another time that there was some other Person better qualified for the Work And though God refutes all his Objections yet still he is loath to engage till v. 14. the anger of the Lord was kindled against him Well! At last he Addresses himself couragiously to the Service and yet v. 24. It came to pass by the way in the Inn the Lord met him and sought to kill him Mysterious Providence The Lord is angry when his Servant would not go and God is more angry when he goes But let us know that God will have his own work done in his own way Moses is sent upon an Errand of Reforming others but Moses must first Reform his own Family Could he be a meet Person to bring Israel into Covenant when his own Children were out of Covenant Let it give a serious Caution to all of us The Lord will be sanctified in all that draw nigh unto him Levit. 10.3 And if he be not sanctified in our hearts he will be glorified upon the Heads 2. It 's a mysterious Providence that God should reward his Servants for their work when he denys them success in it Isa. 49.4 Then I said I have laboured in vain and spent my strength for nought and in vain yet surely my judgment is with the Lord and my Work with my God Here are two things that may bear up the Spirtis of God's Servants in undertaking and prosecuting his Work whatever the success be 1. Their Iudgment is with the Lord. Man shall not be their Judge and their God will judge them not by the success of their Labours but the integrity of their hearts in undertaking and prosecuting it 2. Their Work is with their God That Labour of Love That Work of Faith wherein they have laid out themselves is with God it lies before him is laid up with him it shall not be lost it s gone before them to the Throne it shall follow after them to Judgment it shall meet them in the day of recompence And this is their great encouragement to be stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the Work of the Lord knowing that their labour shall not be in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 III. I am now come to the Third and and Last Inquiry What may be further done if any thing may yet be done when inveterate Corruptions universal Degeneracy seems to have made the Evils incurable And this has brought me to The APPLICATION Brethren I address my self to you whom our gracious God in Mercy to a Sinful Nation has raised up and distinguisht by a Spirit of Holy Zeal to appear against and give some check to the daring Spirit of Profaneness which has over-spread the Land Iniquity is come in like a flood and God has lifted up a Standard against it Isa. 59.19 We see you labouring against great oppositions and under great discouragements from those Oppositions and you may justly complain with the Prophet Ier. 6.28 29. They are grievous Revolters walking with Slaunders they are Brass and Iron they are all corrupters the Bellows are burnt the Lead is consumed of the Fire the Founder melteth in vain for the Wicked are not plucked a way Now as I pray that God would strengthen your hearts so I will endeavour to strengthen your hands and for this great end do exhort you 1. To look inwards to your own Hearts 2. To look up towards your Faithful God 3. To look outwards to your Discouragements 4. To look upwards again to the Divine Encouragements I. Let me intreat you to look into your own hearts and when you have narrowly made a Scrutiny there and found all right within or set that right which was wrong you may more comfortably look upwards to your God and more couragiously outwards upon all the Oppositions and Discouragements you shall meet with in your Blessed Work from this wretched World §. 1 Look inwards narrowly search your Hearts severely whether they be right with God and for God that is whether the Honour of God be the great commanding end which governs you in this great Undertaking VVhether this be the main Spring the first wheel that gives motion to all your Actions Tho' a good end will not justify an evil Actions yet an evil End will pollute and spoil a good one The best Heart like the best VVatch has need to be often set right and besure you set 'em both right by the Sun and not by the example of other Mens Dials And tho' I hope you did once set them true when you entered upon this good Work yet examine them whether they have not gone wrong in the prosecution of it The heart of Man is an intricate Labyrinth and without the Clew of Divine Directions we may easily lose ourselves lose our way lose our God and the works that we have wrought in the many windings and turnings the secret recesses that are in it When therefore you have searched your selves while you are searching and before you search lift up David's Prayer Ps. 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me know my thoughts and see if there be any evil way in me and lead me in the Way that is everlasting § 2. Look again inwards and examine your selves strictly whether in subordination to the glory of God you desire design and pursue in this good Work the Prosperity and flourishing Estate of your Native Country It was the glory of Nehemiah though it was to the Regret of his malignant Enemies That there was a man come a man to seek the Welfare of the Children of Israel Nehem. 2.10 Do you proceed upon this generous Principle Knowing that Righteoosness exalteth a Nation but Sin is a shame to any People Prov. 14.34 Righteousness infuses Courage and Gallantry into a People but Debauchery makes 'em Cowards Effeminates Enervales Dispirits them A good Conscience is the best shield for a great Confidence Prov. 24.1 The Wicked flee when none pursueth but the Righteous are bold as a lion And though the Spirit of Wine may inspire some Men with a huffing hectoring a blaspheming Valour yet these Debauchers that dare God to his face will turn their backs upon an armed Man Holiness renders a People truly Honourable but Profaneness stains and tarnishes all their Glory renders them despicable in the eyes of judicious Persons Deut. 4.7 What People is there so great who hath God so nigh
unto them in all things that we call upon him for Holiness makes a Nation wise for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom a good understanding have all they that do his Commandments Ps. 111.10 But Wickedness makes it little foolish silly and ridiculous and to make no Figure in the World There is nothing a Nation should be more ambitious of than to out-wit their subtle Enemies to countermine all their Politicks and it is Holiness that infuses this holy Policy 119. 98. Thro' thy Commandments thou hast made me Wiser than my Enemies Let this Ambition therefore fill your Sails to recover the Glory of a Nation which Wickedness has eclipsed To restore the Valour of the Nation which Profaneness has baffled by the vigorous Suppressing that which is the Reproach of any People § 3. Examine your selves further in this your Work Have you cordially espoused the Interest of Christ in opposition to that of the wicked one and the wicked World There are two great Interests which divide the World That of Christ and Holiness that of the Devil and Profaneness These two have been contending from the beginning and whatever the specious pretences have been all the Wars all the Contentions that have been managed ever since were nothing but the Bickerings and Skirmishes of that old enmity put between the two Seeds Gen. 3.15 These Interests can never be reconcil'd Christ glories in the Title of a Saviour and the Devil in that of a Murtherer and Destroyer The Enmity of Satan is founded in this he hates Holiness he envys the happiness of Immortal Souls he therefore hates Christ whose design it is to save those Souls and to deliver them out of his paws The Enemy understands thoroughly his true Interest and can never be mistaken in it Namely to draw over to his Interest poor deluded Souls wherein tho' he cannot hope to mitigate his own Torments by the multitudes of those he draws to Hell with him yet he takes some pleasure in the Revenge he supposes to have got upon Christ by robbing him of the Glory of Saving Sinners Wonder not then that he is so unwearied in going up and down seeking whom he may Seduce for those whom he seduces he devours His Interest therefore lies in the wicked World and in the wickedness of the World For the whole World lies in Wickedness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may be render'd The whole World lies in the Devil Or the whole World as degenerated and gone off from God has espoused the interest of the wicked One Set therefore your hearts true and right in this particular to suppress that of the Devil and to Advance the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ and let not your Zeal transport you against Men but against Sin not against their Persons but their Wickedness the wickedness of the VVorld and that wicked One § 4. Look once more into your Hearts and examine whether that Reformation which you would carry on abroad be begun and proportionably carry'd on in your own Hearts and Houses That so you may give a good example of that Reformation to which you would draw others Assure your selves you will never be able to look the Magistrate in the face before whom you shall appear nor the Offender in the face when he stands as a Delinquent before the Magistrate nor Conscience in the face when you shall view your selves in that glass nor God in the face before whom you must give an account of what you have done for him as well as what you have done against him if it may be Retorted upon you Physician heal thy self before thou pretendest to heal others Look therefore into your own hearts into your own Conversations Look into your Families to your Children and Servants begin your Reformation at home and let David's Rule and Resolution be yours Psal. 101.2 I will behave my self Wisely in a perfect Way I will walk in the mid'st of my House with a perfect Heart Read that whole Psalm and it will fully convince you that the Psalmist was not only a Reforming King over Reformed Subjects But a Reforming Master of a Reformed Family II. Let me now encourage you to look upwards which you may now comfortably and confidently do when you have faithfully and impartially inspected your own hearts And § 1. VVhen you look up to God on high lie very low and be humbled that God has sent you about so excellent a VVork his own VVork and yet crown'd your Endeavours with so slender Success The Wicked will still do wickedly It is an amazing Dispensation that he should so little prosper a VVork so good in it self of so great Concern to his own glory and wherein the Interest of our Lord Jesus does so eminently lie But yet I admire more that Divine Grace which has spirited you with so generous a Principle so noble Zeal that you could go out and still go on in the meer conscience of your duty towards God expecting your Recompence from him alone whatever the success shall be § 2. Look up again to him and bless his Name that he has honoured you in calling you to this Service fitting you in some good measure for it and given some success in it You will say Alas it is but little Account it so and God will have you account it little till you have reformed the whole Nation till all Impiety shall hide its face and stop its mouth But however little the success of your Pious Endeavours shall be it has this great Thing in it That God graciously accepts and approves of your VVork and has put his Seal to it Thus Christ owned the Service of her Mar. 14.6 Let her alone why trouble ye the Woman she has done what she could This was the excellent temper of that holy Mans Spirit Ezra 9.6 8. O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our Heads and our Trespass is gone up to the Heavens yet now for a little space Grace has been shewed us from the Lord our God to have a Remnant to escape and to give us a nail in his Holy Place that our God may lighten our eyes Keep it therefore settled upon your hearts that God's Gleanings are better than the Devil's Vintage God's first Fruits than his Harvest and Christ's small Remnant more precious than his vast multitudes § 3. Lift up your eyes your hands your voice your hearts to God in the Heavens in most servent believing Prayer and give me leave to recommend these few Things as proper materials to fill up your Prayer 1. Pray earnestly that God would strengthen your Hearts and Hands against all discouragements you may meet with in this difficult Service You shall find God more able to encourage than the rage of Men Devils is to discourage you if he will be with you for you no matter who is against you David argu'd thus Ps