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	faith_n	unfeigned_a	2,594	5	11.1136	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12703	The high vvay to Heaven by the cleare light of the Gospell cleansed of a number of most dangerous stumbling stones thereinto throwen by Bellarmine and others In a treatise made vpon the 37. 38. and 39. verses of the 7. of Iohn: wherein is so handled the most sweete and comfortable doctrine of the true vnion and communication of Christ and his Church, and the contrarie is so confuted, as that not onely thereby also summarilie and briefly, and yet plainly all men may learne rightly to receiue the sacrament of Christs blessed bodie and blood, but also how to beleeue and to liue to saluation. And therefore entitled The highway to Heauen. By Thomas Sparke Doctor of Diuinitie.	Sparke, Thomas, 1548-1616.	1597 (1597)	STC 23021; ESTC S102434	161,682	384

therefore it is the fashion of the scriptures after hard things to ioyne other that be plaine Origen also in his first Homilie of Hierimie and Chrysostome in diuers places namely writing of the holy Ghost and in his 12. Homtlie vpon Genesis are most pregnant in this point the one reiecting all sences and interpretations as of no credit without warrant from other scriptures and the other affirming plainely that the scriptures so expounde themselues that they suffer not the Reader to erre Whereupon no man no not amongst vs is more earnest to vrge all sortes of men to read the scriptures than Chrysostome as any man may see in his 9. Homilie vpon the Collossians in his third vpon Matthew Let vs therefore in this case take triall of this rule that so we may learne what we are to vnderstande by these riuers of water heere spoken of and promised And for as much as when these wordes were first vttered by Christ then the Canonicall scriptures onely of the olde Testament were written it shal be most fit to looke into them for this purpose Wherein to this end verie pertinent it is that the blessed man which doubtlesse he is that commeth vnto Christ and drinketh of him aright is described in the first Psalme to be like a tree planted by the riuers of waters that will bring forth his fruite in due season and whose leafe shall not fade but whatsoeuer he doth it shall prosper Vers 3. But that in the fiue and fiftie of the prophesie of Esay vers 1. c. in my iudgement and in my opinion best agreeth with this and appertaineth hereunto For there after that the thirsty are solemnly as it were by way of proclamation called and allured to come to the waters and so freely being come to drinke wine and to cate milke and that which was fatte and good a promise is made them if they would so do that they should liue and enioy the sure mercies of Dauid That also Esay 59.20.21 may well be as a Commentarie vpon this where after that it is said that the redeemer shall come vnto Sion it is saide that this couenant shal be made with them that turne from iniquitie in Iacob that his spirite and word shoulde neuer departe from them nor from their seede after them which couenante or promise is more fully opened Ieremie 31.33.34 vnto which time of the comming of the Messiah and the performance of this promise then Ioell hauing an eye he bringeth in GOD promising then that he woulde poure out his spirite vpon all sortes olde and yong men and women Cap. 2. vers 28. whereunto in my opinion it seemeth that Iohn thought that Christ had relation in this promise-making heere in that in plaine termes he telleth vs that this he spake of the Spirite which they should receiue that beleeued in him for saith he the holy Ghost was not yet bycause that Iesus was not yet glorified This therefore is euen sufficient to teach vs in what sence the scripture woulde haue vs to vnderstand that riuers of waters of life shall flowe out of the bellies of such as will come vnto him drinke of him and beleeue in him as we haue heard namely euen of the plentifull giftes and graces of the spirite that vndoubtedly he woulde bestowe and continue in such And let it not seeme strange vnto any man thus to heare the spirite of God watering and moystening the house of God and washing and softning the heartes of those that be in neede therof compared vnto waters for it is very vsuall in the scriptures For not onely Psal 1.3 Esay 55.1 c. as I haue noted before by riuers of water waters we cā vnderstād nothing so fitly as the most plentifull rich graces of God in Christ but also elsewhere often both in the olde Testament and in the new the same or like speeches are vsed whereby we can vnderstand nothing else For after that God to perswade Iacob not to feare had said I will powre water vpon the thirstie and floudes vpon the drie ground to make it plaine that he vnderstoode nothing else thereby immmediatly he addeth I will powre out my spirite vpon thy seede and my blessing vpon thy buddes and they shall growe as amongest the grasse and as the willowes by the riuers of waters Esay 44.2.3.4 And what else could or did Ezechiell vnderstande Cap. 47.1 c. by the vision of waters flowing out of the Lordes house in such a plentifull manner that they were first ancle deepe then thigh deepe then vnpassageable on euerie side whereof growe all fruitfull trees whose leafe shoulde not fall and that monethly should bring forth fruite and that wholesome and medicinable And we beleeuing as we doe that the holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne as both the scriptures and all sound confessions of the Catholicke and Christian faith teach what can we more fitly vnderstand by that pure riuer of water of life cleare as chryst all that Iohn saw proceeding out of the throne of God the Lambe c. Reuel 22. Vers 1. than the holy Ghost proceeding and flowing from the father and the sonne to cheere and to make fruitful the Citizens of the heauenly Hierusalem And by that water of life which Christ taught the woman of Samaria to aske of him whereof if a man drinke he saide he should neuer thirst againe for that it should be in him a well of water springing vp to euerlasting life noe doubt of it he vnderstoode nothing else but the Spirit which he would bestow vpon all his to regenerate and sanctifie them effectually withall Hereby then you may see not only this interpretation iustified that by riuers of water of life flowing out of the bellies of such as come vnto Christ and rightly make him their owne by drinking of him we are to vnderstand the Spirit of God and the plentifull graces thereof promised to the faithfull but also that this is a Metaphore very fit apt to expresse the same or else that God woulde neuer haue so much delighted therein as thus by the often vsing it he sheweth he hath done Howbeit before we proceede any further to confider of the ground why this Metaphor should be counted so apt and so much to this purpose delighted in we are first to vnderst and that by the belly frō whence these riuers of water of life shoulde flowe is meant the soule heart and good conscience by faith purified in the beleeuers Actes 15. Ver. 9. For the end of the commaundement and so the shew of all the good fruites of the Spirit in Gods children commeth from a pure conscience and both them from faith vnfained as Paule testifieth 1. Tim. 1. Ver. 5. The bellie and bowels are no seate or fountaine from whence such things issue or flowe Then whereas Iohn saith the holy Ghost was not yet whereof he telleth vs we are to vnderstande Christes promises we must take heede

our mediatour Iesus Christ as that hereby our heartes breake and rente a sunder for sorrowe we make euident demonstration that we are more blockish and sencelesse than these sencelesse creatures so we shal proue that we are none of those to whome Christ here speaketh But if here by as Ioel hath taught vs Cap. 2. ver 13. we take occasion to rent our hearts and not our garments and so to hunger and thirst aright for comforte from Christ then whatsoeuer we haue beene before of Christ it hath beene said vnto vs both for good direction herein and euerlasting comforte A brused reed shall he not breake and smoking flaxe shall he not quench Esaie 42.3 when the Lorde therefore by reading or preaching of his worde or by any other meanes that it shal please him to vse to that purpose bringeth all these or any of these to our remembrance then we are to make our reckoning that of his good grace fauor therby he giues vs iust occasion so to see our sins that in the sight feeling of the burthen therof we should thus hunger thirst after him that through him we might be deliuered from them And the more and better we dwell vpon the mediation of these fower thinges the Lord withall opening our eyes and heartes rightlie to vnderstand them and the vse thereof to this ende the more forcible we shall finde them to worke this effect But the trueth is through our originall sin we haue brought with vs into the world such a generall forwardnesse to all euill and backwardnesse to all good ioyned with such grosse blindnesse in thinges spirituall and by actuall sinnes daily flowing from this bitter fountaine in vs we haue al of vs so hardned our owne heartes that though the Lord by sounding these thinges outwardlie in our eares may make vs without all excuse if hereby we take no occasion thus to be humbled before him yet most certaine is it that the hearing of these things neuer so often outwardlie beaten vpon will neuer prooue forcible and effectual inwardly to breede in vs this true spiritual hunger and thirst vntill the Lorde himselfe of his speciall fauoure and grace both open the eyes of our mindes and mollifie and soften our hard heartes and so indeede himselfe by his owne hand and power heereby worke this in vs. This taught Moses the Iewes saying yet the Lord hath not giuen you an heart to perceiue and eies to see and eares to heare vnto this day Deut. 29.4 And yet this is in deede the Lordes speciall worke he sheweth the same people againe by his prophet Ezechiell saying I will put a newe spirit within their bowels I wil take away the stonie heart out of their bodies and will giue them an heart of flesh Cap. 11.19 when therefore we finde that neither the meditation of the lawe nor yet of the iudgementes threatned nor executed against the breakers thereof nor the hearing nor thinking of Christes passion with the cause thereof can breede or prouoke this to be in our harts we crie vnto God with Ephraim Ier. 31.18 Conuert thou me I shal be conuerted for thou art the Lord my God and with Dauid Psal 119.18 open mine eies that I may see the wunders of thy lawe And so in his good time if we be his doubtlesse we shall finde all these so worke together to the breaking of our hard hearts with remorse for our sinnes that euen in respect thereof we may say with him also Haue mercy vpon me O Lord for I am weake O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed my soule is sore troubled I fainted in my mourning I cause my bedde euerie night to swimme and water my couch with my tears Psalm 6.2 c. yea with a good conscience without all dissembling we shall be able to say with him as the hearte brayeth for the riuers of water so panteth my soule after thee O God euen for the liuing God Psal 42.1.16.2 For when we haue the due sence and feeling in deed of our sinnes that we ought to haue before euer we will seek after Christ as we should we will and must as I haue shewed before be vndoubtedly wearie thereof and desirous to be easd of the most heauie burden of them And let vs not thinke that it is inough thus to be once in al our life namelywhen first we come to Christ and turne vnto him aright For though then it be most necessarie in respect both of our originall and actuall sinnes wherein perhaps we haue liued a long while before thus to be affected when we seeke first pardon and remision thereof in him yet for as much as after we be come vnto him and haue put him on though thenceforth sin shall reigne no more in our mortall bodies it will yet doe what we can be found so cleauing vnto vs dwelling in vs that if we should say we haue no sinne we should deceaue our selues 1. Ihon 1.8 For that when by experience we are enforced the best of vs with Iames. 3.2 to confeste that in many thinges we sinne all we are still from time to time as long as we liue so to looke into the glasse of the lawe and to meditate vpon the rest as that thereby we may take occasion continually to nourish earnest hunger and thirst after Christ that for our newe and daily sinnes we may more and more seeke vnto him and applie him dayly afresh vnto vs. For both Dauid and Paule long before they wrote the one the 51. Psalme the other the 7. to the Romaines were in the state of grace and the fauour of God the former by faith in the messias to come the other by faith in him alreadie come and yet as it is euident in both those places both these conferring the pure and spirituall lawe of God with their owne liues take occasion thereby not onely to see and confesse their owne sinnes but also in a spirituall manner to hunger and thirst after forgiuenesse thereof and therefore to fly to God in the person and mediation of Christ Iesus for that they were perswaded that if he tooke in hād the washing of them in his precious bloodshed they shoud be whiter then snow be cleandeliuered frō the sinful body of the flesh Let vs therefore first and last and when souer we would come vnto Christ which we shall haue neede to doe continually as long as we liue here this way that I haue shewed you both seeke to beginne and still to continue this spirituall hunger and thirst in vs after him Sathan our malitious olde and subtile enemie knoweth full well all this to be most true Sathans deuises take vs from thirsting First shewed and then confuted and therfore whereas he was too weak to stay God from prouiding vs thus in his sonne meate and drinke to satisfie our hungrie and thirstie soules withall and to seed on to saluation we may be sure yet that he will doe

fruite in hir age as the tree planted in the house of God whereunto such are compared Psal 92.13.14 vseth to doe For to the vnspeakable comfort of all such the giftes and graces of the holy spirit vndoubtedly accompanying their right comming vnto Christ and beleeuing in him are heere resembled vnto riuers of waters of life not onely for that they come from the true fountaine of life and will leade and guide the owner therof therunto but also for that in such in whom they are once founde they will neuer eyther wholly or finally faile or drie vp As therefore such may be sure that the foundation of God remaineth sure The Lorde knoweth who are his 2. Tim. 2.19 so they may be by these fruites of the Spirit without hypocrifie founde in them most certaine that according to Saint Peters counsell they haue ioyned vertue to their faith and so consequently haue made their own election so sure vnto themselues which alwaies before was sure with God as that they shall neuer fall For this is the indissoluble chaine of God whereof one linke can neuer at all be seuered or sundred from an other after that but once the first two be coupled whom he knewe before and predestinated to be like to the image of his Sonne and so elected in him before the foundations of the world those he first calleth then iustifieth then sanctifieth and lastly glorifieth Rom. 8.29.30 Ephe. 1.4 Whom therfore indeed we finde once by these riuers of waters of life sanctified we may be out of doubt that thē God hath elected called and iustified and that also them he wil glorifie For this sanctifying spirit beareth witnes with their spirits that they are the children of God and so imboldneth them to cal vpon him saying Abba Father Rom. 8.15.16 and it is the holy Spirite of promise that sealeth them and is the earnest of their inheritance and redemption in Christ Iesus Ephe. 1.13.14 Though therefore such to their own sence and feeling and perhaps also in the conceit of others may haue not onely these graces of the Spirite more eclipsed at one time than at another yea may thinke that they are quite dried vp and vanished yet forasmuch as whom God once loues as doubtlesse he doth all them whom once truely he doth thus qualifie he loues to the end Iohn 13.1 let all such be most firmelie resolued that this is but the better to humble them and to prouoke them when they finde these graces reuiued in them againe to worke out their owne saluation with the more trembling and feare because he that hath begunne this good work in them will neuer giue it ouer vntill he haue brought it to perfection and he it is that will worke in them both the will and the deede of his good pleasure Phil. 1.6 2.12.13 For such haue the infallible markes of Christes elect and chosen sheepe whereof he himselfe most plainelie teacheth that it is impossible that any shoulde eyther take them out of his handes or that any of them should finallie perish Matth. 24.24 and Iohn 10.28 The reason is that they are kept by the power of God through faith to saluation 1. Peter 1.5 Indeede meete it is and verie needefull that such that once haue attained to the graces giftes of the Spirit to be as riuers of waters of life in them that they should doe what they may possiblie to nourish and increase the same and they are to knowe that if they doe fayle in doing of their duetie in this behalfe that they are worthilie caused to see and feele to the greate griefe of their soules the decaye thereof yea that they haue done as much as lies in them vtterly to lease them and to prouoke GOD to be their enemie and therefore they are most earnestlie to repente their negligence and carelesnesse in this pointe But yet the force of this Metaphore these places and a number moe in the Scriptures that are as pregnant to this purpose most plainely showe that when thus it falles out with such that yet in the goodnesse of GOD towardes them this their sence feeling and the iudgement of others prooue no stronglier that these giftes of the Spirite are quite gone in them indeede than the eclipsing or hiding away of the sunne from our eies by foggie mistes or cloudes at noone daies the raking vp of the fire when there is store thereof in the ashes the not stirring of a liue and strong childe in the mothers wombe at all times a like or the not appearing of leaues and fruite vpon quicke trees in an orcharde in the deepe of winter proue that there is no Sunne in the firmament no fyre on the harth no childe in the wombe or that then there is no sappe in the roote of the trees As therefore when neyther the moone fogges nor cloudes are betwixt vs and the Sunne it will appeare and shine againe as when the ashes are remoued and the coles hid thereunder are blowne againe therof may growe as greate a fire as euer before as when the childe stirreth againe though it haue life without motion a greate while before the mother conceiueth as certaine hope that she is with childe as euer before and as when the spring time commeth there will be both leaues and fruite vpon the trees in the orchard that seemed deade before in the winter so is it in this case when GOD shall remooue the lettes and causes as most certainelie he will aswell in this as in these other we see naturallie and commonlie they are then the brightnesse heat motion and liuelinesse of his Spirite shall and will in his appeare againe But then the better and the more easilie that they may finde this to be thus lastly I woulde haue all such to remember that it is not inough that to their owne sence and in their owne conceites they haue these giftes of the Spirit as riuers of waters of life but that if they be such indeede as heere are promised and therfore are performed to all that come vnto Christ and beleeue in him that they must flowe out of their bellies Where by their bellies we are to vnderstand as Augustine hath well noted in his 32. tract vpon Iohn the bellie of the inner man which as he there telles vs is the cōscience of the heart And as there also he saith this flowing of riuers of water out of the bellie of the inner man Beneuolentia eius est qua vult consulere proximo si enim putet quia quod bibit soli ipsi debet sufficere non fluit aqua viua de ventre eius si autem proximo festinet consulere ideo non siccat quia manat that is Is his bountifulnesse wherewith he will prouide for the good of his neighbour for if he thinke that that which hee hath drunke must but serue himselfe the water of life flowes not out of his bellie but if he make hast to doe good to his neighbour it drieth