Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	action_n	thought_n	word_n	3,480	5	3.9407	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56307	A serious exhortation to an holy life, or conversation With a clear discovery of the nature of it, what it is. The means of attaining it. The trials of it, how it may be known. The motives, or inducements to it. Or, a profitable companion for conversion. Confirmation. Illumination. Consolation. By Robert Purnell.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1663 (1663)	Wing P4240; ESTC R222001	22,777	109

four things about an holy Conversation 1. The nature of it what it is 2. The means of attaining it 3. The trials of it how it may be known 4. The motives or inducements to it The nature of it what it is It is an heedful observing the word of God to be our Rule and his glory our aim in all our thoughts resolutions words and actions or ● life ordered according to the Word of God in holiness and righteousnesse Psal 119. 9. Luke 1. 75. In a word an holy Life is the product or effect of a Work of Grace in our hearts whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God and are enabled more and more to dye unto sin and to live unto righteousness Ephes 4. 14. compared with Rom. 6. 4 6. An holy Life and Conversation hath two companions Universality and Sincerity 1 Tim. 1. 5. Now the end of the Commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned Out of a pure heart not absolutely and compleatly purified from all sin but comparatively by way of justification Psal 51. 7. when we finde conscience give a comfortable testimony of the hearts simplicity and godly sincerity in whatsoever it doth Of a good conscience that is not naturally good but spiritually and supernaturally good being purged by Christs Blood from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. Of Faith unfeigned without hypocrisie now faith is then unfeigned when it hath the true nature of faith in it when it purifies the heart Acts 15. 9. and when it doth overcome the Devil and the world 1 John 5. 4. so that in all our walkings be sure to have an eye upon these three things Be sure you do what you do from a right ground or principal otherwise it may be said both of thee and me as it is said of Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. 7 8 9. He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart Be sure you act by a right Rule some make their own Wills their rule others make the Traditions and Examples of men their rule others make the Light within the rule but a Christian is to make the Word of God his Rule and so walk and act as we have Christ the Prophets and Apostles for our Example that we may go out by the foot-steps of the Flock Be sure thou hast right ends low base ends spoil the highestundertakings so for proof hereof 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whatsoever you do let all be done to the glory of God compared with Col. 3. 17. Phil. 1. 16. and so we shall act from a right ground by a right rule to a right end 1. We should keep our hearts with Solomons diligence Prov. 4. 24. 2. We should keep our eyes with Jobs Covenant Job 31. 1. 3. We should keep our Tongues with Davids Bridle Psal 39. 7. 4. We should keep our foot with Solomons guard Eccles 5. 1. In a word we should not trust any member without its keeper that so we might carry our selves in all estates in all conditions under all administrations both to God and his People and our relations as becometh an obedient Christian Consider we are his workmanship let us not defile it or deface it we are in his presence let us not pollute it by unholy and impure actions Consider we are of the same houshold with God he is with us in our natural actions to preserve us in our recreations to restrain us in our publick actions to approve or reprove us in our private to observe us in our steps to watch by us in our watching to refresh us The means of attaining an holy Life and conversation I might instance in many but I shall reduce all to these five heads Be throughly convinced and fully perswaded of the necessity of it Pray earnestly and frequently to the Lord to put thee upon it and to help thee in it Meditate daily of the hour of Death the day of Judgement the joyes of Heaven the torments of Hell and the eternity of both Think much on the great dishonour which an unholy life doth cast upon God Keep thy watch and endeavour to abstain from all appearance of evil Be throughly convinced and fully perswaded of the necessity of it viz. ground this in the bottom of thine heart that without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. No unclean person shall enter into the Kingdom of God Rev. 21 27. c. Because holiness and sanctification is the way in which the Lords people shall be saved I do not say that this is the way by which but the way in which he hath chosen us to salvation saith the Scripture through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thes 2. 13. Pray earnestly and frequently to the Lord to put thee upon it and to help thee in it Psal 119. 5. Oh! that my wayes were directed to keep thy Statutes then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments Jer. 10. 23. We have need to seek to the Lord for help for it is not in man to direct his steps Prov. 3. 6. In all thy wayes acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths Prov. 16. 9. A mans heart may devise his way but the Lord directeth his steps without whom we can do nothing 2 Cor. 3. 5. Meditate of the hour of Death day of Judgement Torments of Hell and the Joyes of Heaven and the Eternity of both if the love of Christ doth not or will not constrain if the fear of punishment will not compell Lord what will become of us If great love great mercy great forbearance great entreaties great and long waitings great wages will not prevail with us to lead an holy Life I know not what will surely we can never serve such another Master as God is for he doth not onely give us wages but doth our work for us Think much upon the great dishonour that an unholy life doth cast upon God In a word it doth cast a treble dishonour on God viz. In its malignity as being most contrary to the pure unspotted perfect and holy nature of God sinne is as contrary to God as light to darkness and Hell to Heaven In its obstinacy it opposeth the command of God slights the will of God and contradicts the design of God and brings externall internal and eternal misery upon the creature upon persons and Nations In its choice a sinner in living an unholy life chooseth a base lust a venomous sin a crooked way before the new and living way the sure and safe way the true and only way that leadeth unto life and blessednesse In a word an unholy life puts God upon complaining the Spirit upon grieving and Christ upon bleeding besides it opens the mouths of enemies and grieves the people of God Let us keep up our watch and stand upon our guard and at least

4. 5. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Titus 3. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us Rom. 11. 6. And if it be by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace so that the righteousness whereby we are justified before God is a perfect righteousness which is the righteousnesse of Christ alone Heb. 1. 8 Mat. 6. 33. Rom. 4. 6. So again Psal 71. 15 16 19 24. and Isa 45. 24. Surely shall one say in the Lord have I righteousness and strength I will saith David make mention of thy righteousness even of thine onely So that in this Justice and Mercy as Psal 85. 10. both meet together Justice in that God will not justifie a sinner without a perfect righteousness and yet Mercy in that he will accept such a righteousness that is neither in him nor done by him but by his surety for him There are these eight points or heads in this Doctrine of Free Grace This Doctrine is the Foundation and Basis of all Christian Religion This Doctrine is the inlet of all Divine peace and consolation This is the root and spring of all Gospel obedience This is the great stop and bar to keep out all floods of error This Doctrine is the main support of the Soul under all trials This is the great Doctrine by which Arminianisme and Popery is overthrown This is the Doctrine against which Satan doth most War endeavouring either to pervert or to corrupt it This Doctrine is one of the hardest to be learned it being above the reach of nature To begin with the first of these This Doctrine is the foundation and basis of the true Christian Religion as doth appear by these few instances Our Election is the Election of Grace and according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1. 4 5. Our Vocation is according to his Grace 2 Tim. 1. 9. Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace c. Regeneration is of Gods own will Jam. 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth Faith it self is the gift of God Philip. 1. 29 Ephes 2. 8. Our justification is freely by his Grace Rom. 3. 24. and a free gift Romans 5. 15. Forgiveness of all our sinnes is according to the riches of his Grace Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his Blood even the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace Eternal life is the gift of God Rom. 6. 23. The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord see Acts 15. 11. Now if any shall ask why God should discover this great mystery which was kept secret since the world began to us who are sinners of the Gentiles who in time past served dumb idols or why God should be found of them that sought him not or made manifest to them that asked not after him I can give no other answer then that 1 Cor. 1. 29. That no flesh should glory in his presence or that Mat. 11. 25 26. Even so Father because it seemed good in thy sight As this Doctrine is the foundation and basis of the true Religion so in the second place it is the root and spring of all Divine peace and consolation Now peace and joy comes into the soul by these veins By the vein of our acquainting our selves with him Job 22. 21. By the vein of believing in him Romans 5. 1. Rom. 15. 13. By the vein of staying our selves upon him Isaiah 26. 3. And so much for the second head This Doctrine is the root and spring of all Gospel obedience how do men write of a serious exhortation to an holy life and conversation if they discover not the way to it Our Saviour saith the tree must be made good before the fruit can be good The Branch cannot bear fruit except it abide in the vine Joh. 15. 4. so that this Doctrine is the root and spring of all true obedience for this Doctrine being received and retained works these five things in the heart and soul viz. Faith Love Fear Willingness and Chearfulness and from these as from five springs doth Gospel-obedience flow True obedience doth flow from faith whence it is called the obedience of faith Rom. 16. 26. So also love constrains them in whom it is to walk holily John 14. 23. If a man love me he will keep my words Psalm 26. 3 4. For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth True obedience doth spring from an holy fear Psal 119. 161. My heart doth stand in awe of thy words so Noah being warned of God was moved with fear and prepared an Ark Heb. 11. 7. As it springs from Faith Love and Fear so it ariseth from a willing minde Psal 27. 8. When thou saidest seek ye my face my heart answered Lord thy face will I seek Gospel-obedience is or ought to be performed chearfully or delightfully Psalm 40. 8. Thy Law is in my heart as well as in thy book I delight to do thy will O God By all which it doth appear that this Doctrine of Grace is the root and spring of an holy Conversation seeing in God are all our springs and from him are all our supplies to enable us to perform any duty to exercise any grace to subdue any lust to resist any temptation to bear any affliction In a word the Lord tells us without him we can do nothing This Doctrine of Free Grace is the great stop and barre to keep out all false Doctrines and floods of Errors The floods of all Error flow in at the door of ignorance and specially ignorance of this very thing viz. the Error of the Papist the Quaker the Arminian together with all the instability formality legallity that more or less is found amongst people of all perswasions or at least most of them springs into them at the door of the ignorance of this precious Doctrine of Free Grace Now for a remedy herein let every Christian study pray enquire for and stand fast in the Free Grace of God see that blessed place 1 Pet. 5. 12. Exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein you stand Rom. 5. 2. By whom we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand so that it is most clear and plain that their standing in this grace did fence them from all false Doctrines and erroneous Opinions whilst others that were ignorant of this Doctrine remain seeking their salvation partly by Grace and partly by Works as Rom. 9. 32. Wherefore because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law for they stumbled at the stumbling-stone c. This Doctrine is a main support of a soul under all

it For drawing others to sin by your bad examples and courses For not reproving others for their sin as if thou wast afraid to speak for God against those that dishonoured him For a world of precious time which thou hast mis-spent in the world For a multitude of secret unknown sins committed in thy childe-hood youth and man-hood all thy omissions and commissions will then come into thy minde There comes in a long Bill which thou never dreamedst of much less couldest repent of ignorance will be no plea in this Court all our sinfull thoughts resolutions words and actions together with all our commissions and omissions stand up and bear testimony against thee Oh! consider if ever any Bill were like unto this I could almost say to the Reader as Nathan to David Thou art the man It is true that in Courts of Justice exceptions against Witnesses are sometimes allowed but thou canst except against none here unless it be the devil but if thou cashire his testimony what canst thou say against thy partners in sin do not they know all thy wayes what canst thou say against good men that with grief of heart beheld thy sinful courses what canst thou say against good Angels that will not belye thee what canst thou say against thine own conscience what canst thou say against the true and all-knowing God that cannot lye Then hear the sentence Mat. 25. 41. Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels 3. Let us a little consider the torments which he is like to suffer in Hell there shall be punishment without pitty misery without mercy sorrow without succour crying without comfort mischief without measure torment without ease where the worme dieth not and the fire is never quenched in which flame thou shalt ever be burning and never consumed ever dying and never dye but here thou shalt be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power and so here for want of an holy Conversation thou hast changed Heavens felicity for Hells fury it is better to creep towards Heaven though through the valley of tears than to gallop towards Hell upon the mountains of pleasure Consider the duration of that miserable estate Mat. 25. 41. Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire this eternal condition admits of no alteration decay or consumption future hopes or expectation waste or diminution mans eternal condition admits of no mixture or moderation events or issues of Providence mans eternal condition admits of no comparison or revocation there is no sounding a retreat after we are lanched into this Ocean millions of ages past away yet not a minute wasted this is utter darkness and blackness of darkness weeping and gnashing of teeth the worm that never dyeth the fire that never goeth forth c. and all this is but the effect and product of an unholy Conversation I hope by this time the Reader of these lines findeth a necessity of a serious exhortation to an holy life and conversation Now to avoid all these miseries consider what is before written and these few things following after and so I close up this little piece not doubting but by Gods blessing thou mayest gain much by it Now then if thou wouldst avoid Hells misery and obtain Heavens felicity learn these few things and put them in practice Keep thy heart with Solomons diligence Pro. 4. 24. Keep thine eyes with Jobs Covenant Job 31. 1. Keep thy tongue with Davids Bridle Psal 39. 7. Keep thy foot with Solomons guard Eccles 5. 1. That thou and I may do so let us put on the whole Armour of God and not trust any member without its keeper Have a care of spending precious time about things unprofitable or impossible for mans idle time is the Devils busie time Therefore seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Let thy thoughts which are the first blossom of thy soul be awful and godly 2 Cor. 10. 5. Let thy speech and talk be seasoned with grace let it be little and true profitable seasonable and savoury Prov. 10. 21. Let thy works be profitable holy charitable and measurable Let thy carriage or manners be grave courteous and chearful Let thy diet be moderate and temperate bring thine appetite under a rule of reason that it exceed not the bounds of moderation when thou makest a feast be not like Dives who fared deliciously nor like Martha troubled about many dishes or varieties Be content with thine allowance if thou canst not raise thy estate to thy minde let us stoop our mindes to our estates Let thy apparel be sober neat and comely be rather too sparing then over lavishing rather abridge thy self of somewhat thou mightest have then abound rather come short of thine allowance then any whit at all to exceed it Let thy recreation be lawful brief seldom and seasonable Let thy companions be chiefly those that are godly beware of too deep familiarity with wicked ones for they will talk much to little purpose see Prov. 4. 14. Let thy sleep be moderate quiet and seasonable lie not down to sleep in thy sins neither sinne in thy sleep Let thy prayers be short fervent frequent and devout remember Christ prayed often and briefly and commands us to learn of him Have a care of spending so much time and pains about the form of godliness as to neglect the power Charge thy memory to retain the best things not forgetting Death Judgement Punishment or Glory If thou wilt live and dye in a continual peace maintain a continual warre against the world the flesh and the Devil if ever we come to Heaven we must fight our every step of our way step by step as a Ship cuts out its way in the Sea Endeavour alwayes to keep thine heart in such a frame that thou mayest be ready to receive or do good Endeavour to warn them that are unruly comfort the feeble minded support the weak be patient towards all men 1 Thes 5. 14. Let the Word of God be thy rule his glory thy aim his Spirit thy guide his Angels thy guard his Promises thy support his People thy companions his Ordinances thy delight As we do approve of the end which the Almighty aims at which is the glory of his Name and the good of his people so we should like and assent to the way which he doth act in to accomplish the same which is sometimes by means sometimes without means sometimes contrary to means sometimes by small means and inconsiderable Seriously consider that general which takes in all the former particular rules Phil. 4. 8. Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think on these things so as to walk in them or observe and do them so shalt thou have prudence to guide thy thoughts to order and grace thy speech to help thee to understand things present to guess at things to come to recall matters past to possess that you do want to live long in a little time and to carry thy self in all states in all conditions under all administrations both to God and his people and thy relations as a righteous obedient Christian It is reported of Alexanders body that it was of such an exact and excellent constitution that it gave a sweet scent like a perfume so should a Christians conversation be a sweet smelling savour both to God and man so then thou shalt not be afraid to dye nor ashamed to live Therefore let us spend more time and pains about that which will make us live happily and dye comfortably and reign with Christ eternally We may assure our selves it is not the knowing man nor the talking man but the doing man that at last will be found the happiest man for if our knowledge be not turned into practice the more knowledge we have the more miserable shall we be Although no man merits assurance by obedience yet God usually crowns obedience with assurance An unholy Professour shall alwayes want these things viz. Comfort and Content Confidence and Assurance Read and consider these Scriptures and I have done leaving thee to him that never forsakes his The Scriptures follow viz. Hebrews 6. 8. But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Matthew 3. 10. Now the axe is laid to the root of the tree therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire 1 Thessalonians 4. 1. Furthermore then we beseech you brethren and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God so ye would abound more and more for this is the will of God even your sanctification verse 3. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour Hebrews 13. 20. 21. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ the great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen