Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	conscience_n	evil_a	sprinkle_v	3,712	5	10.9699	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76812	The covenant sealed. Or, A treatise of the sacraments of both covenants, polemicall and practicall. Especially of the sacraments of the covenant of grace. In which, the nature of them is laid open, the adæquate subject is largely inquired into, respective to right and proper interest. to fitnesse for admission to actual participation. Their necessity is made known. Their whole use and efficacy is set forth. Their number in Old and New Testament-times is determined. With several necessary and useful corollaries. Together with a brief answer to Reverend Mr. Baxter's apology, in defence of the treatise of the covenant. / By Thomas Blake, M.A. pastor of Tamworth, in the counties of Stafford and Warwick.	Blake, Thomas, 1597?-1657.; Cartwright, Christopher, 1602-1658.	1655 (1655)	Wing B3144; Thomason E846_1; ESTC R4425	638,828	706

conclusion with me is de fide when it is concluded 4. He saies I must have better proof before I can believe that it is assurance of our own sincerity or actual justification which the Apostle calls the full assurance of faith Heb. 10.22 And I think he is the first man amongst orthodox Divines that hath doubted that assurance of acceptance is meant in that place Faith is that grace say the last Annotations whereby we either do or may approach unto God with full assurance of acceptance Is not that boldnesse in our addresses mentioned ver 19. an evident symptome of it And is not sincerity fet forth in those words having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water as the basis or bottome of it not of our acceptance but of our assurance I must hear somewhat more before I can question it There followes 5. And as hardly can I discern assurance of our sincerity in the description of faith Heb. 11.1 unlesse you mean that hope is part of faith and assurance the same with hope both which need more proof Hope may be without assurance and when it is joyned with it yet is not the same thing onely such assurance is a singular help to the exercise of hope And can you not discern a double encomium of faith in those words The first with respect to things past and present as well as things to come where it is said to be The evidence of things not seen Faith makes that evident which otherwise would not be known The other respective to things to come and that not evil but onely good not things feared but hoped expressed in these words Faith is the substance of things hoped for both of them rather expressing what faith does then what faith is and I know not why that speech of hope should be brought in here when it is onely said that the good things hoped for are that which faith realizes to the soul It is said further 6. It is true that faith may be said as you speak to realize salvation to the soul that is when the soul doubteth whether there be indeed such a glory and salvation to be expected and enjoyed by believers as Christ hath promised ere faith apprehendeth it as real or certain and so resolves the doubt And is this all that faith can possibly do and for which this high praise is here given unto it Against this I say First This was expressed in the former branch the evidence of things not seen faith believes a heaven as well as a creation Secondly a faith short of justifying may do this an historical faith assents to the highest dogmatical truthes Thirdly will you have the full assurance of hope Heb. 6.11 to be no other then to get assurance that there is a heaven though we shall never come to heaven which would be a contradiction for hope hath possession in expectation Fourthly doth not our hope enter into that within the vail whither our forerunner is gone before us Heb. 6.19 and are we not saved by hope Rom. 8.24 Faith then being said to be the substance of things hoped for it doth not barely tell us that there is a heaven that is too lank and lean a commendation of it but the office of it is to realize the possession of it to us It followes But when the doubt is whether I be a true believer saith resolves it not Faith hath its hand in the resolving of this doubt in believing from the Scriptures what are the Symptomes or cognizances of true believing and gathering them up by reflex upon it self It followes And when the doubt is whether this certain glory and salvation shall be mine faith onely cooperateth to the resolve of it by affording us one of the propositions but not both and not wholly the conclusion If faith affords us one of the propositions and findes the other in the Scriptures that is to me sufficient It followes 7. I am of Dr. Amesius his mind that it is one of faiths most eminent acts by which it is there described But undoubtedly you were not so in your sixth animadversion when you left it so low as we have heard and made it no more then the faith of wicked men may reach There is added But so think not they that tell us that is none of the instrumental justifying act which is there described But doubtlesse they may very well think so This here mentioned is a more eminent work of faith then that of justifying as a child on a Giants head is further removed from the earth and nearer the clouds then the Giant himself Faith that gives assurance presupposeth the justifying act already done by it self and addes more to it when a man believes savingly there is Certitudo objecti he that believes shall be saved but this here mentioned is Certitudo subjecti when the good hoped for is assured to the soul If there be any other promise made of God for good this work of faith I confesse takes it in and I do not believe that the Apostle doth limit this work of faith to the hope of salvation but I am sure he doth not exclude it that being the chiefest thing in our hope that is undoubtedly chiefly intended and might well by me be mentioned It followes 8. This which you took to be a good answer is that great mistake which hath so hardened the Papists against us and were it not for this point I should not have desired much to have said any thing to you of the rest about conditional sealing as being confident that we mean the same thing in the main If that be that great mistake I am still in the mistake and you are the first man that ever went about to rectifie it but you herein fail that you shew not wherein the mistake lies Those Divines that deny faith to be assurance that were as much as to define a man by such excellencies that are to be found in few men and so to exclude the common pitch of men from the species of mankind do not yet deny but that faith may attain to assurance It followes 9. You forsake them that use to give this answer when you confine it to those onely that with assured grounds and infallible demonstrations can make it good to themselves that they believe i. e. savingly I think that they as well as I confine it to those that you here mention It followes I doubt that answer then will hold but to very few if you mean by assured grounds c. such as they are actually assured are good and demonstrative I believe that strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to life and few there be that find it There are not many we may fear that do savingly believe and many of those are not yet assured that they do believe and to this Mr. Baxter hath spoke abundantly sufficient in his Saints rest It followes 10. Demonstrations

well weighed we may well believe that the Primitive times were not acquainted with the rigour of some persons 4. There is no reason that this Ordinance should stand alone that in all other Ordinances there should be a greater latitude and men in an unregenerate state admitted and not held out with limit to men in whom a life of Sanctification through the Spirit is found and this alone pent up in so narrow a compasse I know somewhat is said for the latitude of some Ordinances that all are received to them because they are Ordinances appointed for conversion of men unconverted But this Plea in many will not serve unregenerate mens admission to prayer to thanksgiving to fasts hath been that I know questioned by few And those that deny that the Lords Supper hath any influence to conversion have not asserted these to have any such efficacy or power unregenerate men then must be admitted to the Supper or else they must be denyed to come to fasts thanks-giving and prayer Here some do distinguish between duties naturally Moral and those that are of meer positive institution Moral duties as prayer thanksgiving c. are confest to belong in general unto all but it is not so as is objected in duties of positive institution they are given with limit to some and are not of universal obligation To which I answer 1. By way of concession positive Precepts bind not all because they are not given to all the Gentile Nations were not tied to the Law of Ceremonies given to the Jewes and meer Heathens are not now tied to our Sacraments 2. For a positive answer I say Positive Precepts were never given in charge with any such distinction as to bind the regenerate and to exclude men in unregeneration Men under sin and in nature are bound to the affirmative part of the second Commandement to observe every way of worship that shall be instituted by God all of which are onely of positive right All Israel were tied to sacrifice as well as to hear and pray it was a sin not to sacrifice as not to fear an oath Eccles 9.2 And all Christians are now under an obligation to the Law of the Sacraments as they are to other duties And as to the thing in hand this distinction of Moral and Positive duties as I conceive is of no use for the positive Command being given there is a Moral tie to yeeld obedience Instance may be given in purely Ceremonial Precepts that are seconded with this sanction I am the Lord Levit. 19.23 24 25. So that when a Precept meerly Ceremonial was broke immediately yet the first Command was broken interpretatively and by way of necessary consequence the Law of nature tied Adam to abstain from the forbidden fruit when God had given him a Precept not to eat of it and the young man in the Gospel was also bound to sell all that he had and give it to the poor when Christ had manifested that it was his pleasure There are texts indeed produced seemingly taken of men under sin from the performance of positive duties as Math. 5.23 24. and as much may be said concerning those that are Moral Ezek. 14.2 3.20.2 3. We read that the sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination Prov. 15.8 21.27 and as much is said of their prayers Prov. 28.9 All which text● sufficiently imply Gods dislike when they are acted by such hands but none of them imply mans disobligation Fifthly This limit of the Lords Supper to regenerate persons as on the one hand it will take with the consciences of many sanctified Christians to hold them back as hath been said even with all that stand short of assurance of grace so on the other hand it will give encouragement to many unsanctified ones to make addresse to it Broken hearts under the body of sin having not yet attained to the light of Gods smiling face will be so severe in their own censure as to hold themselves back The generation of formal Professors pure in their own eyes and not yet cleansed from their filthinesse Prov. 30.11 will flock to it So that we must either find some other more sure rule or else the hearts of many precious ones whom God would not have made sad will be sadned and the hands of many in sin upon their admission will be strengthned Objections answered I know there are Objections even without number multiplyed against this that I have here delivered and such that have taken with very many to carry them to determine the Point in hand in a contrary way And in case I had not seen that the weaknesse of them is more and more discerned and that by men of eminent parts and integrity I should have been by the multitude as well of Objections as Objectors discouraged to appear against them The duties of the Lords Supper are such say some that onely the sincere servants of Christ that are sanctified by Christ are able to perform The mercies of the Sacrament are such as they onely can receive and therefore onely these are the fit subjects of it And these are driven on very far The duties preparatory to the work cannot be done by others as is objected as self-examination self-judging The duties executory cannot be done that accompany the work it self How specious soever this argument appears and I doubt not but it is with all sincerity of heart and integrity urged yet I desire it may yet be further considered First That this Argument thus urged doth disable all men not sanctified from all other duties by the command of God incumbent upon them as well as from this duty they must upon this account exclude themselves from every Ordinance enjoyned of God as well as from this put the argument into form and this will easily appear They that cannot do the duties charged upon those that are put upon a work nor receive the mercies given in promise to it are to be excluded from it Now as these assume An unsanctified man cannot discharge the duties nor receive the comforts of a Communicant so will I with equal reason assume That an unsanctified man cannot perform the duties charged upon the hearers of the Word upon him that calls upon the Name of God or returns thanks to him He cannot perform the duties that are charged puon him that is to sanctifie the Sabbath to meditate to instruct his family rebuke his brother give almes follow the duties of his calling No unsanctified man does all that is required in the performance of any of these neither is any fit to receive the mercies of these duties that is unfit to receive the mercies of that duty Therefore it followes that he must neither hear pray give thanks sanctifie the Sabbath instruct or reprove any give almes labour in his Calling or any other work If any think to come off by way of distinction That there is difference between this and other duties Then the distinction should have been

hear onely at their idle leisure judging a businesse that may be done but see little necessity of doing of it would pretend not to despise it yet put a very sleight esteem upon it Doth the child judge so of the dug Or do these judge so of their ordinary and necessary food A life of nature is kept up in the use of meanes as long as it can be patcht up if Physick be neglected so is not food The Word is food and physick for the life of grace and this is let alone 3. Those that carelesly negligently superciliously and disdainfully hear as though their businesse were not to feed but judge not to learn or be minded of any thing but onely to censure According as the way of their fancy works so the Word takes Some are pleased onely with Kickshawes like such dishes on a table that have shew without substance words that are quaint and strained not to help but to exceed their understandings Others with choyce notions onely how wholesome soever it is not worth heeding if not curious Others take up all according to the person that delivers it with children they are pleased with every thing from one hand with nothing from another Lastly Those that let go all truths as soon as they are heard There is no more heard of the Sermon when once it is done They that go to a feast will talk of the dishes and they that go to a Fair or Market will talk of the Commodities but when they go to the Congregation there is not a syllable heard of the Word after they return When meat goes out of the stomach as it comes in it neither strengtheneth nor nourisheth and the Word slipt as soon as it is heard can be no more effectual Sacraments 2. Sacraments are visible signs and seals That of Baptisme enters us into the Church visible and seals all the promises made to members on Gods terms and propositions And the Supper of the Lord is for confirmation of those that are visibly Church-members on the same terms likewise Baptisme is past in the act but still present in the use As a Souldier by oath taken and colours given was tied to his General so we are hereby tyed unto God and God is tyed unto us and hereby we know our duty and Gods promise As a lease binds to duty and assures a benefit so it is with the Sacrament of Baptisme The Apostle 1 Pet. 3.21 compares it to the Ark of Noah he was there tost up and down in the deep considering his present state he might well have feared shiprack but the Ark being of Gods apointment and he put into it by Gods command he might well confide in him for safety If we look to the temptations and assaults wherewith our souls are on all hands battered we have just cause of fears but when we call to mind that we entered the Church as Noah the Ark by Baptisme and make it our businesse that conscience may answer unto what Baptisme requires what objection soever our heart makes Baptisme may raise our souls in confident assurance The Lords Supper is to the eye as the promises are to the eare Whilest we are in the body spiritual things under corporal signs are ordained for our help and strength Our Saviour tells us his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed John 6.55 And here under the signs of that which is our ordinary meat and drink the flesh and blood of Christ is tendered and as our food is offered unto us Where these Sacraments have their due esteem and men baptized in infancy do not passe by the thoughts of it in their growth but well consider their engagements and bonds that lye upon them to presse them to duty and the engagements of God for support of their faith they then make use of this ordinance to uphold faith and keep life in it in their souls when they frequent the Lords Table and conscienciously communicate for the ends for which it was instituted to be laid low in themselves to see sin aggravated and pardon tendred there is like hopes But when all thoughts of Baptisme is laid aside and the Lords Supper either neglected or prophaned these may well look that as a child through want of food so their faith upon the same account may languish Prayer 3. Prayer is the daughter of faith and also the nurse or foster-mother Faith breathes out it self in prayer and prayer obtains a more ample measure of faith to pray Lord I believe help my unbelief was the prayer of the father of the Lunatick Mark 9.24 and Lord encrease our faith was the prayer of the Apostles Luk. 17.5 When we have done all to stand prayer in the Spirit Ephes 6.18 must second This Communion with God keeps up faith in God They that make it their work to pray alwayes ever holding it up in the season of it joyning with the Congregation in publique in the family in a way more private and after Christs counsel in their closet sending forth holy ejaculations in their beds their walks and on all occasions These take care of their faith But in case that may be truly said of them which was falsly laid to the charge of Job that they restrain prayer before God Job 15.4 their faith may justly be suspected I may speak concerning this grace in the words of the Apostle these have not because they ask not these starve their faith and let it dye through want of nourishment and support We hear of Camelions that live in the ayr and Salamanders in the fire A Wonder was not long since noysed out of Germany of a Maid that lived onely on the smell of flowers An impostor lately went from place to place that fed on stones these that would passe for believers are some such Monsters Thus we have lookt into faith according to the three first rules the last followes which is the fruit that it beares or the effects that it produceth The fruits which faith bears and the effects which it produces These might be reduced into two heads First such as all faith if true produceth Secondly such as onely a strong and grown faith obtaineth But calling men to the tryal whether they be in the faith and not whether they be high and transcendent in believing I shall wave the latter and speak onely to the former These fruits which every faith which is such in truth produceth are either in the understanding or affections For that which it produceth in the understanding 1. In the Understanding take this rule Faith puts that high prize on Christ and priviledges through Christ that all earthly things are comparatively of the meanest value and most low esteem This we might make good in divers instances 1. In Moses If we read the beginning Chapters of Exodus we may there see the sad afflicted estate of the people of God in that time together with the honour to which Moses