Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	depart_v	evil_a	unbelief_n	2,143	5	10.6595	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09990	The nevv covenant, or the saints portion A treatise vnfolding the all-sufficiencie of God, and mans uprightnes, and the covenant of grace. delivered in fourteene sermons vpon Gen. 17. 1. 2. Wherevnto are adioyned foure sermons vpon Eccles. 9.1. 2. 11. 12. By the late faithfull and worthie minister of Iesus Christ Iohn Preston. Dr. in Divinitie, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiestie, maister of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1629 (1629)	STC 20241; ESTC S101919	353,487	626

wayes they cannot sticke fast to God and walke perfectly with him But herein is their sinceritie they choose him they pitch vpon him Now the ground of it is they apprehend him to be All-sufficient though this apprehension be not alwayes kept strong it is not alway liuely and actiue in their minds their perswasion is not alway full and present and therefore they are readie to step out So the latter instabilitie befalles the Saints the former befalles hypocrites and both the one and the other instabilitie still proceede from hence that we apprehend not God to be All-sufficient Holy men haue that apprehension in the maine but not in a constant tenour at all times Hypocrites haue it not so much as in the maine Fourthly This truth will likewise appeare from the nature of faith that which makes a man righteous that which sanctifies a man throughout is faith That which is the cause of all vnrighteousnesse in vs is vnbeliefe for it causeth a man to depart from the Lord as Heb. 3. 12. Take heede least there be in any of you an evill heart of vnbeliefe to depart from the living God In this sence faith is sayd to be accounted for righteousnesse Abraham beleeved God Gen. 15. God indeed made the same proposition that he doth here for substance he tells him what he would doe for him and sayth the Text Abraham beleeved God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse Now It was accounted to him for righteousnesse chiefly in this sence as it is interpreted Rom. 4. that his very taking of the promise and his accepting of the Covenant in that he did receiue that which God gaue that put him within the Covenant and therefore the Lord reckoned him a righteous man even for that very acceptation and beleeving But that is not all but likewise he accounted faith to him for righteousnesse because faith doth sanctifie and make a man righteous and therefore Beloved by the way wonder not at this that we put so much vpon faith for let a man beleeue that God is All-sufficient which is the Covenant for iustifying faith is but a beleeving of that part of the Covenant and inabling a man to keepe the other part which is required and I say it makes a man righteous for when a man beleeues that God is All-sufficient it will cause a man to giue vp himself to the Lord. Againe when he beleeues the Lord to be all in all things to him it inableth him to be all in all things to the Lord againe that is to be holy to the Lord in all manner of conversation It knits his heart vnto the Lord. It sanctifieth a man throughout it makes him peculiar to the Lord i● makes him wholly to him This is the nature of faith Now marke it faith could not thus sanctifie if it did not beleeue Gods All-sufficiency Againe vnbeliefe could not cause out falling or departing from God if it were not hence that we fayle in beleeving some promise of his or some threatnings we thinke there is not an All-sufficiencie in God you know his promises containe all good things if we cleaue vnto him and his threatnings all evill things if we depart from him If this were fully beleeved our hearts would keepe neare to him as farre as it is not beleeved so farre we step out Now I say hence faith purifieth the heart It sanctifieth is the cause of all righteous●esse that is wrought by vs and vnbeliefe is the cause of all vnrighteousnesse that is wrought by vs. Hence we gather then that the perswasion of Gods All-sufficiency keepes a mans heart perfect with God and as farre as you come short of this perswasion so farre you are ready to depart from him And all the ground of it is because that which drawes vs from the Lord is either vaine feares or vaine hopes Those are the two eares as it were by which Sathan takes euery man whereby the drawes him away out of the wayes of the Lords Commandements Now if a man did beleeue that God were All-sufficient he would be subiect to none of these false feares if he did apprehend him to be a Buckler that could keepe him from all ill Againe on the other side if the did beleeue God to be an exceeding great reward that is so great a reward that there can be nothing wanting in him that there is a length and breadth and depth and height in that reward that his heart hath latitude enough to walke in he can dosire nothing out of it this would free a man from all vaine hopes so that the apprehension of it would keepe his heart perfect Contratiwise as farre as you faile in either so farre you are subiect to those two either false feares or vaine and sinfull hopes and that is the cause of our vneven and vnaequall walking with God that we are not vpright and perfect Hence you may see both the nature of sinne and the cause of all sinne for it is profitable for vs Beloved nothing more profitable than to finde out the cause of sinne It is a Rule that Physitians haue that a disease when it is throughly knowne that is when the cause of it is fully knowne it is halfe cured so it is in the disease of the soule to know the very roote and rise from whence it proceeds or commeth to know the principle from whonco it ariseth it is a great helpe to vs to prevent it to heale it But I say this will both shew the nature of sinne and the cause of sinne in vs. First it shewes the nature of sinne how evill a thing it is yea worse than for the most part we apprehend it to be for if there be no sinne committed but it comes from hence that you apprehend not God to be All-sufficient then there is Idoldtrie in a manner committed in every sinne that is you take from God and adde another God to him if you thinke him not to be All-sufficient whatsoever you seeke to and youne with him you make it God as well as he If it be credite if it be honour if it be pleasures if it be riches yea whatsoever it is I say there is a bitter roote of Idolatrie in the commission of every sinne that makes it out of measure sinfull This we may consider by the way but this I purpose not to stand on the thing that I would chiefly presse is to finde out the cause of sinne the cause of that hollownesse and that imperfectnesse and insinceritie that is in the hearts of men towards God which I say ariseth from hence that they apprehend not God to be All-sufficient for this for the most part is the case of men if they did not apprehend some sufficiencie in him they would not seeke him at all againe if they did apprehend him to be All-sufficient they would serue him perfectly but this middle apprehension in men that they thinke there is a sufficiencie in the

perfect heart And you shall finde this very Storie that I haue now named brought in as an euidence that his heart was not sound that his faith had not a perfect worke so farre his faith went thus far he did by vertue of that faith that he had but a perfect worke his faith had not Another example is in Rehoboam 2 Chron. 11. When the Kingdome was diuided and giuen to Ieroboam and the tenne Tribes had made that defection from Rehoboam hee gathered together ninescore thousand fighting men to goe vp against Israel but saith the Text the Word of the Lord came to Shemaiah a man of God saying Speake to Rehoboam the sonne of salomon King of Iudah and to all Israel and Iudah and Beniamin saying Thus saith the Lord You shall not goe vp to fight against your brethren returne euery man to his house for this thing is done by mee They obeyed therefore the Word of the Lord and returned from going against Ieroboam You see heere a very great worke of faith that caused him to giue ouer to sit downe to be content to lose so great a part of his Kingdome and to looke no more after it that when hee had an Armie ready of valiant men yet hee was conteut to sit downe though he were a man that was not sound-hearted yet faith had thus farre a worke in him and not onely for this time but for three yeeres after hee cleaued to the Lord and serued him in all things and yet for all this it had not its perfect worke it carried him not through for afterwards he departed from the Lord. Beloued this is a signe of an vnsound heart when faith shall goe so farre when it shall inable a man to doe many things and yet for all this it hath not its perfect work Wee see the contrary in Abraham Rom. 4. 19. when he was put to it when God had made him a promise that he should be the Father of many Nations saith the Text he was not weake in the faith The meaning is he was not vnsound but was perfect in the faith What did he doe How did that appeare Saith hee hee went through when the Lord came with such a promise hee considered not his owne body that was dead for hee was a hundred yeeres old nor he considered not the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe but saith he he belee●ned that he was able that had promised This is giuen as an euidence of the truth of his faith he made not a stand in such a difficult case for he was not vnsound but hee was perfect in the faith So likewise when he came to offer his sonne here in the perfection of his faith was seene And beloued by this you may know whether your hearts be right if you suffer euery grace to haue its perfect worke when your faith doth not picke and choose and take heere a promise and leaue there another here to beleeue a threatning another not to beleeue here to take hold on a Commandement to beleeue that this is the will of GOD in another case not to beleeue for so doing is a signe of an vnsound heart If you obiect But faith many times hath not a perfect worke in the Saints as Moses at the waters of strife saith the Text hee fayled through vnbeli●fe and againe Dauid when hee fled from Saul to Achis we see his faith there had not its perfect worke so likewise Peter when the waues beganne to arise to swell and hee beganne to sinke his faith had not a perfect worke To this I answer that faith may haue a perfect worke that is there may be an aptnesse in it that ordinarily it goes through the worke ●hough by some accident it may be hindred for marke the faith of those wee see Dauid though he fayled at this time yet at other times he did not no more did Moses nor Peter which is an argument that it rose not from vnsoundnesse from hollownesse of the grace or of their hearts but from some interueniall impediment some passion as it was a passion in Moses he was distempered and so it was a feare a mist that was cast before the eyes of Peter at that time Now you know a man may bee said to haue a perfect eye and yet for all that in a mist he may not be able to see as at other times and a man may be said to haue a perfect hand and yet a fit of a Palsie may make it shake and make it v●fit for any thing so a man may haue a perfect taste able to distinguish one thing from another yet when hee is in an Ague in such a fit he takes things amisse things that are wholsome seeme bitter to him so in the graces of the Spirit there may be sometimes much imp●rfection admitted when a man is in the mist when he is in the fit when some distemper some passion or affection hath ouercast and ouerclouded the soule as it were and possessed he pallate these may be defects and yet the grace may be perfect But you shall know it by this ordinarily it is not so it is but by accident and therefore it comes to passe but now and then And as we say of the grace of faith so to giue you another instance truth or the knowledge of truth this great grace if the heart be sound will haue a perfect worke it will goe through it will not make a stand heere and there as it doth in those that are vnsound as you see Rom. 1. 18. it is giuen there as a signe of an vnrighteous man when they withold the truth in vnrighteousnes that is when the truth is not suffered to haue a perfect worke when there is truth and they suffer it perhaps to informe their vnderstandings but they suffer it to goe no further when they suffer it not to walke abroad into all the corners of the soule into all the inward roomes of it or if they doe that yet they suffer it not to come into the outward Courts of their conuersation it is a signe that this grace hath not a perfect worke but is restrained and such an expression you shall finde 2 Pet. 3. 5. This they willingly know not marke that the heaue●s were of old c. Hee speakes there of certaine Atheists that were mockers and despisers that were ready to say Where is the promise of his comming doe not all things continue alike since the time of the Fathers The Apostle answers them thus saith he they haue truth in them there is light enough GOD hath borne witnesse to himselfe in their owne consciences there are many things that they might obiect against these temptations of Atheisme but saith he they willingly will not know them that is they will not take them into consideration as if hee should say their will because they will not be troubled because they will liue loosely it suffers them not to vnderstand and to enquire

that preferment that riches that credit are but emptie things they are but small things when he is to go into another world there is nothing left for him he is naked and destitute it is but a Penny and therefore he murmurs and complaines That is He sees now that it was but a poore bargaine that he made But sayth the Lord thou wouldst needs bargaine with me for a Penny and thou hast it So I say to those that are not content with the Lords All-sufficiencie but will haue present wages they will bargaine with the Lord He will giue thee this particular thou shalt haue this but remember this that it is sayd in Math. 6. thou hast thy reward If thou wilt haue prayse of men and wile doe it for that thou shalt haue it but that is all thou shalt haue If a man will haue his portion as that Sonne had of his Father Luk. 15. 12. it may be he will giue thee thy portion The Sonne that stayed at home had no portion given him for sayth his Father I and all that I haue is thine But if a man will haue his portion and will not be content with Gods All-sufficiencie he shall find that it is not best for him My Beloved consider whether it be not better to trust in God alone to rest in him alone Consider that Psal. 146. 3. 4. 5. 6. Trust not in Princes nor in the sonnes of men for their breath is in their nostrils and their thoughts perish but happie is he that trusts in the God of Iacob And he giues two reasons for it For he made heaven and earth and the Sea and secondly He keepes Covenant and mercy for ever There are two reasons in that place why we should trust in God One is though the enterprise be never so great and difficult though the blessing thou wouldst obtaine be never so hard to come by yet consider thou hast to doe with him that made heaven and earth As if he should say Lay those two things together dost thou thinke it an easier thing to make heaven and earth then to bring that thing to passe If he made heaven and earth doest thou not thinke he is able to doe that You will say we doubt not of his abilitie Beloved wee doe Wee shewed this at large before we will adde that to it in in Rom. 4. You know Abrahams faith is every●where commended and what was his faith Surely he trusted in God that he was able to doe it he being assured and not weake in faith but strong He gaue glory to God and beleeved that he that promised was able to doe it Beloved though we thinke it not there is the stop that we make in beleeving the promises that is one reason he made heaven and earth The second is he keepes fidelitie for ever And in another place as it is interpreted he keepes covenant and mercy for ever Marke sayth he let Princes doe their best alas what can they doe they are but weake men their breath is in their nostrils but God made heauen and earth Secondly sayth he their thoughts perish but God keepes co●enant and mercy for ever there is no change in him Oh but you will say there may be a change in vs all my doubt is of that of keeping covenant on my part thus men are readie to say My Beloved consider for this I will be very bri●fe in that thou needest not feare that thy disobedience if thou be once within the Covenant if thou be one whose heart is vpright with him shal 〈◊〉 the Lord to depart from thee he will not be unfaithfull to thee though thou be weake in thy carriage to him for he keepes Covenant for ever That is His Covenant is to keepe thy heart in his fea●d that thing we forget if the Lord keepe Covenant with vs he doth not suspend his promise of helpe vpon our obedience and leaue vs 〈◊〉 but he promiseth to giue vs a heart and 〈…〉 he hath promised to circumcise 〈…〉 that we shall not depart from him and therefore in Esay 40. the Lord expresseth it thus You shall know me as Sheepe know their Shepheard and I will make a Covenant with you and thus and thus I will deale with you And how is that Why the Covenant is not thus onely As long as you keepe within bounds and keepe within the Fould as long as you goe along the pathes of righteousnesse and walke in them but this is the Covenant that I will make I will driue you according to that you are able to beare if any be great with young I will driue them softly if they be lame that they are not able to goe sayth he I will take them vp in mine armes and carry them in my bosome If you compare this with Ezech. 34. you shall finde there he puts downe all the slips that we are subiect vnto speaking of the time of the Gospell when Christ should be the Shepheard he shewes the Covenant that he will make with those that are his sayth he if any thing be lost if a Sheepe loose it selfe this is my covenant I will finde it if it be driven away by any violence of temptation I will bring it baeke againe if there be a breach made into their hearts by any occasion through finne and lust I will heale them and binde them vp This the Lord will doe this is the Covenant that he makes Now consider these Reasons I made heaven and earth and I keepe Covenant and mercy for ever But you will say though I must trust in the Lord because he made heaven and earth and because he keepes covenant and mercy for ever yet the Lord doth it by meanes he doth it by friends by some mediate instruments My Beloved here is the great deceit of mankinde that we thinke that the Lord dispenseth his comforts according to those means that we haue A man thinkes if he haue a great estate his comforts shall be more if he haue many friends he thinkes he shall be safer sayth the Lord you know that place Psal. 62. if riches increase set not your hearts vpon them for sayth he they are able to doe little good Power and kindnesse belongs to me But then this obiection comes in the Lord dispenseth comforts by such meanes No sayth the holy Ghost there he rewards not men according to their riches but he rewards every man according to his workes And therefore thinke this with thy selfe thou that hast abundance of outward comforts if the Lord did reward thee according to them thou hadst cause to reioice in them but he will reward thee according to thy workes and therefore trust in him learne to reckon him to be All-sufficient learne to be to him alone But may not a man that trusts not in God but lookes a little too much to the creature prosper A man againe that withdrawes his heart from

to many sweruings and declinings yet still he makes them vp againe still hee repaires those breaches in his heart and though many times he step out of the way still he recouers himselfe againe so that his constant and ordinary worke is euery day to make his heart perf●ct where he finds any crookedn●sse to set it streight againe where he finds any defect that he labours to supply this is ●is ordinarie and constant course So beloued you shall finde this difference betweene a man that is imperfect and another that is sound hearted that he still amends his heart he still makes it vp he still brings it to a good temper that is his worke from day to day that he sets it right and streight before God in all things and you shall see Mat. 18. 1. such an expression there the Disciples aske Christ this question Master say they who shall bee the greatest in the Kingdome of God Our Sauio●r takes a little child and sets him vp amongst them and saith except you bee conuerted as one of these little children you shall not enter into the Kingdome of God The meaning is this I see there is pride arising in your hearts you are looking after great things for your selues that ariseth of a selfe-conceit you haue I tell you saith hee Except you conuert from this euill except you turne your selues from it except you become as this childe and empty your selues of this pride and become humble as this childe become little in your owne eyes as this childe is you shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heauen So that the meaning of it is this that a man who is sound-hearted he is still following hard he is still making his heart perfect from day to day he is still turning to God againe and againe as it is said Lam. 3. 40. Let vs search and try our wayes and turne againe to the Lord that is it is his constant worke My beloued this is the nature of a mans heart still there is something or other rising amisse in it as you see weeds in a field As it is in a Corne field except you weede it and till it a●d plow it and manure it and neuer giue it ouer it will bee ouer-growne with weeds and waxe fallow againe and not be fit to beare Corne with any constancy so it is with our hearts except wee still plow them and weede them and watch ouer them they will be ready to grow fallow they will be ready to be ouer-growne therefore I say it is the property of a man that is perfect he is still returning and making vp the breaches and defects as we see 2 Ioh. 8. Let vs looke to our selues that we lose not the things that we haue wrought but that wee may receiue a full reward Marke let vs looke to our selues that we lose not the things wee haue wrought as if he should say euen those that are perfect that are sound-hearted there is this property in them though he deliuer it by way of Exhortation yet is a property that neuer is seperate from them they still looke to themselues that they lose not the things they haue wrought and see my beloued there is great reason for it for a man may lose all that he hath wrought he may lose his reward altogether as you see Reu. 3. 11. Take heed hold that thou hast lest another take thy Crowne You know Ioash went farre and so did Iehu and so did those Israelites in the Wildernesse and yet they lost their reward for not looking to themselues but this is for those that may fall quite away But for the Elect that can neuer fall quite away this diligence is required and is proper to them they still looke to themselues lest they lose that which they haue wrought lest they should not receiue a full reward for though they cannot lose their reward altogether yet they may lose a part of their reward as you see Dauid did because he did not looke narrowly to himselfe he did not follow hard to the marke for in some things they may faile though it bee their property to looke to themselues that I expresse to you by the way I say part of their reward they may lose for the Sword departed not from his house if like those builders 2 Cor. 3. you build hay and stubble then you shall bee saued if your hearts be vpright yet as by fire that is you shall be scorched by the fire it shall haue some impression vpon you something or other vpon your name or some other iudgement somewhat you shall haue but this is their property They looke to themselues that they lose not the things they haue wrought but that they may receiue a full reward For still they are apt to fall backe from the degree they haue attained And againe the sinfull lusts they thought they had mortified are ready to returne now he that is perfect is thus minded hee not onely aymes at the vtmost but from day to day hee makes vp the defects that he findes in his heart and againe labours to bring downe and to mortifie those lusts that are renewed and begin to gather a new strength and to bud forth againe this is their property so I say if thou wouldest k●ow it marke what thy aime is whether thou ayme at the vtm●st degree of holines or whether thou set li●its to they selfe and likewise whether thy constant course be to make thy heart perfect with GOD from day to day and to walke exactly with him whether thou be carefull to husband thy time that thou mayest haue leasure to doe it for my beloued a man cannot doe a thing exactly except hee haue time to doe it in And therfore Ephes. 5. Walke exactly not as foolish b●t as wise redeeming the time As if hee should say if you would walke exactly redeeme the time it is your wisdome for else you lose all your labour walke exactly and not as fooles for else you had as good doe nothing at all be so farre wise that you doe not lose the things you worke and to doe this redeeme the time that you may haue leisure to doe it I say consider whether yo● be willing so to husband time to gaine so much leasure from your other calling and affaires that you can spend time to search your hearts in trying your wayes in setting all things straight within you that you may walke perfectly with GOD from day to day So much for this property likewise So many as are perfect le● them be like minded The next property of this perfectnesse of heart you shall find in those two places compared together Ier. 3. 10. They haue not returned to me with their whole heart but feignedly if you compare that with Hosea 7. 14. the Lord there complaines though they did returne and sanctifie a Fast and did seeke him very deuoutly saith he you returned not to

the most high but against me haue you rebelled The meaning of both places is this they haue not sought me● with their whole heart but feignedly the word feignedly shewes that by whole heart hee meanes there a true heart So that as you would iudge now of an vnsound-hearted friend you say he is not perfect he is not sound he is not true when his actions carry a shew and appearance of loue and his heart doth not answer it there is a dissonancy betweene the appearance he makes and his heart his heart is knowne by this he loues not the person of his friend he may obserue him for some othe● respects but his person he doth not inwardly respect So if a man would know whether his heart be perfect with God let him consider whether he do not as false-hearted men are wont to doe that obserue other men out of respects because they see those parties haue power to doe them good or hurt therefore they are diligent to obserue them as the Apostle saith They haue the persons of men in admiration because of aduantage that is they haue them in admiration they are very obsequio●s to them ready to doe them offices of friendship but it is for their owne aduantage not because they loue their friends they are nor aff●cted to their persons Contrary to this is singlenesse of heart when wee loue not in word onely in deed and in truth when we loue with a pure loue such a man we say comes to be perfect with his friend and so it is in this case when a man lookes on God as one that hath power to doe him good and euill as one that hath power to aduance him or to cast him downe and out of these respects he serues him and obeyes him and will doe many things for his sake but yet he doth not serue him with a single heart that is he doth not inwardly loue the person of God he doth not looke on him as he is seperate from all punishments and rewards as he is sequestred from all such respects so as to be hearty to him This was the fault of the Iewes saith he they returned againe but to whom was it to their corne to their oyle and not to the most high they returned and were very de●out to keepe the Fast ready to heare but against mee they rebelled The meaning of it is this the Iewes returned to the Lord they were carefull to please him but it was because they desired freedome from the Famine and Warre and oth●r Calamities and therefore they serued the Lord but they did not lay hold on God himselfe vpon the graces and comforts of the Spirit vpon aeternall life these were not the things they did inwardly respect and therefore God himselfe they loued not to him they did not returne as you shall see because I will vse that exppession of laying hold vpon God and vpon aeternall life 1 Tim. 6. when the Apostle Paul had spoken there of diuers men that were contentious he puts these two properties together they are exceeding contentious and couetous they reckon gaine godlinesse but thou saith he doe not so but fight the good fight of faith doe not contend with such a kind of contention and in such a manner as they doe and againe saith he when they lay hold on wealth and preferment and such aduantages doe thou lay hold vpon aeternall life I say this was the case of the Iewes they laid hold of such benefits as a carnall man is capable of such as indeed they conceiued to come from the Lords hand onely and therefore they returned vnto him but they did not lay hold vpon God himselfe vpon aeternall life vpon the spirituall priuiledges and promises of grace and therefore they returned to him but feignedly that is they did not seeke the face of God that which is required 2 Chron. 7. 14. If my People humble themselues and seeke my face that is seeke my presence this they did not Now with those that haue sound hearts it is not so but they seeke the Lord himselfe they are thus minded that if they may haue the Lord himselfe though they be stripped of all things else they doe not much heed it though they passe through euill report though they lose their estates though they bee put in what condition they can be yet they are content to haue the Lord aboue for their portion for they looke on him as an exceeding great reward as long as they may haue his loue as long as they may haue him though alone they care for nothing else thus they are affected when God puts them to it as you see Naomi put Ruth and her other daughter to it saith shee Wilt thou goe with mee I haue nothing for thee Gods hand is gone out against me I haue no more sonnes in my wombe or if I had thou wouldest neuer stay vntill they were of age when they were put to it thus one daughter forsooke her namely Orphah and returned backe to her people but Ruth gaue her this answer Bee it so ●yet whither thou goest I will goe I will dwell where thou dwellest I will neuer forsake thee So it is with the Saints they choose the Lord though alone they cleaue to him alone they reckon it reward enough if the● may haue him as you see Abraham did as GOD said to him I my selfe will be thy exceeding great reward he would not so much as take any thing from the King of Sodome Why because saith he it shall neuer be said that hee hath made Abraham rich GOD alone shall make me rich hee is reward enough he is alsufficient I will not take any of these things in with him So all the Saints are thus minded they are contented with GOD alone because they looke on him as an alsufficient reward they haue a good opinion of him and therefore they forsake him not whereas others haue beene in admiration of him but for aduantage when they haue gotten what they would haue and are deliuered from what they feare they start aside as a broken Bow Hosea 7. the place before named as you see Rehoboam 2 Chron. 12. 1. Saith the Text the Lord helped him till hee was strong and when he was strong hee and all Israel departed from following the Lord. And so Vzziah 2 Chro. 26. It is said the Lord helped him vntill hee was mighty and what then when hee had gotten what he would haue his heart was listed vp to his destruction that is he serued GOD as it were a slippery tricke then he departed from him when hee had gotten what hee desired which was a signe hee did not returne to the Lord or that he did serue him with his whole heart but feignedly he did not seeke the Lord himselfe he did not seeke his face and presence And the ground of all this is because they haue no constant fixed good opinion of GOD but they thinke well of God