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
A51839	XVIII sermons on the second chapter of the 2d Epistle to the Thessalonians containing the description, rise, growth, and fall of Antichrist : with divers cautions and arguments to establish Christians against the apostacy of the Church of Rome : very necessary for these times / by that late reverend and learned divine, Thomas Manton ...	Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.	1679 (1679)	Wing M522; ESTC R7577	216,743	470

to begin our right in the priviledges of the Gospel there are some conditions required for the beginning others for the continuing of our right now this is absolutely required for the continuing of our right both for present reconciliation with God and future Glory it is upon this condition if ye continue in the Faith 2. Let us inquire what is necessary to this constancy and establishment of mind that we may not be soon troubled and shaken partly that our minds may be inlightened to know the truth and our hearts renewed to believe and love the truth for without this there can never be any constancy of mind in Religion 1. A clear Conviction of the Truth or certainty of Knowledge a rooted assent or well grounded perswasion not some fluctuating opinion about it an half light maketh us very uncertain in our course James 1.3 A double-minded man is unstable in all his wayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 First try all things 1 Thess. 5.20 then hold fast that which is good When men resolve upon Evidence or after due Examination the truth sticketh the closer and faster by them but when they take up things hand over head they have no firm Principles and therefore waver hither and thither as Vessels without Ballast are tossed with every wave 2 Pet. 3.16 17. Beware lest ye also being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 substantial grounds within themselves they do not stand by the knowledge of others or the Faith of others and consent of others light chaff is carried about with every wind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4.14 That ye henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine they go through all parts of the compass sometimes this wind of error taketh them up sometimes that sometimes taking up one opinion then changing it for another this is the fruit of half-Convictions 2. The other oart of our Basis is a resolution to adhere to the Truth what likelihood is there that we should continue who are not so much as resolved so to do The heart must be established by Grace as well as the mind soundly convinced Heb. 13.9 Be not carried about with divers and strange Doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace as the Apostle speaketh of a purpose not to marry 1 Cor. 7.37 He that standeth stedfast in his own heart c. So here Acts 21.13 I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus Christ A firm thorough resolution is requisite to fortify us against all changes in Religion otherwise we are but as Trees without a Root or an House without a Foundation Now this resolution of the Heart is by Faith and Love Faith Heb. 3.12 Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Love 2 Thess. 2.10 They received not the love of the truth that they might be saved and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they shall believe a lie We are not only rooted and grounded in Faith but rooted and grounded in Love Eph. 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love c. 3. The opposite to this is Levity and inconstancy of mind that soon quitteth truth without difficulty or without much hesitancy and resistance yields to the temptation The Scripture often taketh notice of this sudden imbracing of Error Gal. 1.6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel and in the Text soon shaken in mind credulity is a lightness in believing when we are like Reeds shaken with every wind Mat. 11.7 and have a faulty easiness ready to be carried away with every Doctrine which pretendeth to Truth The simple believeth every word Prov. 14.15 There is a readiness of mind which is good but it goeth on sufficient evidence so the wisdom that is from above is gentle and easy to be intreated James 3.17 and the Bereans were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 17.11 They received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures whether these things were so or no but a readiness of mind differs from a weakness of mind or a lightness in believing upon slender and insufficient grounds they never received the truth with thorough Efficacy and are prone to Error 4. The Causes of this Levity and Inconstancy of mind are these 1. Want of solid rooting in the Truth they receive it hand over head as the stony ground forthwith sprang up Mat. 13.5 and 20. ver Anon they receive it with joy they do not so soon receive the word but they as soon quit it 2. Want of Mortification 2 Tim. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken us having loved this present World Lusts are uncertain fear of men favour of men carnal hopes will easily prevail 3. A certain readiness of mind which disposeth men to conform and comply with their Company as the Looking-Glass representeth every Face that looketh on it so they are very changeable and unstable as water as Zedekiah Jer. 38.5 The King is not he that can say you nay soon turned this way and that way 4. Want of a thorough inclination to God so that they are right for a while or in some things yet they are not universally true to his interest 1 Kings 2.28 Joab turned after Adonijah though he turned not after Absolom Hos. 7.8 Ephraim is a Cake not turned 5. Want of Holiness and living up to the truths we know 1 Tim 3.9 Holding the mystery of Faith in a pure Conscience Choice Liquors are best kept in a clean Vessel men provoke God to desert them and leave them to a vertiginous Spirit 6. Libertinism men think they may run from one Sect of Christians to another as the wind of interest bloweth if they were to turn to Ethnicism Turcism or Judaism they would die rather than change the●r Religion but they think the differences among Christians are not of such moment as to venture any thing upon that account Every truth is precious and must be owned in its Season and it is damnable in it self to do any thing against Conscience and he that giveth way to a small temptation will entertain a greater As a Man that hangeth over a Precipice when he lets go his hold will sink further and further till he come to the bottom therefore it is good to be faithful in a little Vse Let us take heed of this evil credulity and lightness 1. Till Christians get a setled and sound Judgment they never have peace within themselves for fears and scruples arise in the dark and those that live in error are full of perplexities and have not that tranquil●ity of Spirit which They have who are fully perswaded in their own

it to the true love of God or an holy and heavenly mind and life And partly also because if a lively Christianity had been kept up Antichrist had never risen in the World And it is the way to keep him ' out still When the Servants slept the Enemy sowed Tares Matth. 13. A sleepy Religion and corruption of manners made way for corruption of doctrine worship and order It was with the Church according to the Spouses complaint I sleep but my heart waketh Cant. 5.2 Some care there was but much drowsiness and deadness in Religion and that produced the great Apostasie Partly too because there is such a complyance between the nature of Antichristianism and the temper of a carnal heart For superstition and profaneness grow both upon the same Root A lothness to displease the flesh the sensual nature of man is such that it is loth to be crossed and that breedeth profaneness For wherefore do men ingulf themselves in all manner of sensualities but because they are loth to deny their natural appetites and desires and row against the stream of flesh and blood but will walk in the way of their own heart and in the sight of their own eyes Eccles. 11.9 Again if nature be to be crossed it is only a little It ●hall only be in some external actions and ob●ervances and dead rudiments which neve● kill our lusts nor promote the divine life And this pleasing superstition shall make up a Religion which is a fit pillow for a carnal heart to sleep upon Popery is the easiest Religi●n for the flesh that can be found out for it never biteth nor disturbeth their lusts The duties of it are like the Pharisees fasting which our Lord compareth to old Wine Matth 9.17 Fit for old dried skin Bottles Well take heed of falling away from a lively Godliness no man entreth seriously upon Religion but with some tasting or rejoicing Heb. 6. now as this decayeth we fall off The Heavenly life is obstructed if not choaked and quite lost Now to prevent this observe two things 1. Your coldness in duties 2. Your boldness in sinning 1. Coldness in duties when the will and affections grow more remiss and the worship of God which keepeth up the remembrance of him is either omitted or performed perfunctorily and in a careless and stupid manner Jer. 2.32 My people have forgotten me days without number Job 27.10 Will he always call upon God will he delight himself in the Almighty God chargeth Israel with growing weary of him and it began in not calling upon him Isa. 43.22 Now when you seldom think or speak of God and do not keep up a delightful Communion with him there is a falling away 2. Boldness sinning when men lose their tenderness and strictness and the awe of God is lessened in their hearts and they do not only sin freely in thought but freely in act have not that hatred of sin and watchfulness that formerly but more abandon themselves to a carnal life You are falling off from God a-pace 2 Pet. 2.20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the World through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ they are again entangled therein and overcome the latter end is worse with them than the beginning At first the heart checked you for sin but you did not kindly come off were not troubled about it hoped God would pardon it and then you are bold to venture again and so by ●egrees are entangled in the sensual and worldly life Now consider the causes of it 1. Want of Faith in God Heb. 3.12 Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God You have not a sound belief of his being and presence 2. Want of love to God Rev. 2.4 5. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love Remember therefore from whence thou art f●ln and repen● and do thy first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick out of its place except thou repent Your hearts decline from that love you had to him and his ways and then your work is intermitted 3. Want of a due sense of the World to come Heb. 10.39 But we are not of them who draw back to perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the Soul 4. The love of the present World 2 Tim. 4.10 For Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present World The more that is valued the more your hearts are taken off from things to come and the care about them you have too great a liking either to the profits of the World 1 Tim. 6.10 The love of money is the root of all evil which while some have coveted after they have erred from the Faith or else the pleasures of the World 2 Tim. 3.4 Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God As the inclination of the heart groweth stronger to sensual pleasures your thoughts of God are less serious and pleasing to you Now look to these things left you grow quite weary of God and the holy life which once you had an affection unto 2. From a true Religion to a false which may be done two ways 1. Out of corruption of mind 2. Out of vile affection 1. Out of weakness of mind as those do that were never well grounded in the truth Eph. 4.14 That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive 2 Pet. 3.16 In which are some things hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest as they do also the other Scriptures unto their own destruction Therefore we need to be established but the forsaking of a truth we were bred in usually cometh from some falseness of Heart Some errours are so contrary to the new nature that they discern them by the unction Joh 2.20 But ye have an unction from the holy one and ye know all things 2. Out of vile affection when they forsake the truth for the advantages of a fleshy Worldly life some places to be gotten by it c. and as the Whore of Babylon hath a Golden Cup Riches and Preferments wherewith it inviteth its Proselytes now these are worse than the former for they sell the birthright Heb. 12.16 Lest there be any fornicator or prophane person as Esau who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright Oh! Christians take beed to your selves Apostasy brought Antichrist into the Church Let it not jure postliminio bring him back again into the Land or into your hearts 2. The next step is the man of sin As the first Apostasy of Adam and Eve brought sin into the World so this great Apostasy brought in a deluge of sin into the Church and defiled the Holy Society which Christ had gathered out of the World

little Flock for it is your Fathers good Pleasure to giv● you the Kingdom And this is accompanied with his active Providence and Care over us all the way thither So that all things are sanctified to us that we may be sanctified to God Rom. 8.28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the Called according to his purpose 2. It sheweth us that the Elect have cause to bless God if they be chosen to Salvation though not to Wealth Pleasure and Honour These Thessalonians endured great Afflictions for the Gospel sake yet Pa●l looked upon himself as bound to give thanks always to God for them because he had chosen them to Salvation God disperseth his Gifts variously some are shall I say chosen or condemned rather to Worldly Felicity It is the Will of God they should attain great Wealth and Honour here and will you envy them and repine against Providence though God hath reserved you for a better Estate hereafter Compare two places one is Ier. 17.13 All that forsake thee shall be written in the Earth The other is Luke 10.20 Rejoyce in this that your Names are written in Heaven Which is the better Privilege to be written in Earth or to be written in Heaven To have a great Name in the Subsidy-Book or to have our Names written in the Book of Life The one is their Punishment the other your Blessedness Second Use is Exhortation It presseth you to two things 1. Put in for a share and interest in this Mercy that is to say in the Apostle's words 2 Pet. 1.10 Give deligence to make your Calling and election sure God hath told us who are Elected and who are not Therefore our way is to accept of the general Grace offered and to devote and resign our selves to God and to depend upon the Merits of our Redeemer and put our selves under the Discipline of his Spirit in the use of the appointed Means humbly waiting for his renewing and reconciling Grace and every Day more and more by diligence in the holy and heavenly Life getting your Interest more assured For by this means do we come to know the purposed Love of God and that he hath not appointed us to Wrath but to obtain eternal Salvation by our Lord Iesus Christ. We need not say who shall go up to Heaven to know the Mind of God Our Election is known to us by our Vocation and our Vocation by the Fruits our walking before him in Holiness and Righteousness all our Days Surely the knowledg of our Election is a thing greatly to be desired because our Eternal Happiness and all Spiritual good Things depend upon it Election is the free Love of God by which he intendeth these Blessings to us This is manifested by Calling by which they begin to be applied to us then the effectual Operation which these Blessings have in us discovereth Calling when we call on the Name of Christ and depart from Iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 2. We should praise and admire and esteem this glorious Grace and shew our Thankfulness both in Word and Deed. 1. In Word because that is a means to kindle in our Hearts the Love of God and to stir up a Spiritual rejoycing in him Psal. 103.1 2 3. Bless the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me bless his holy Name Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his Benefits Who forgiveth all thine Iniquities who healeth all thy Diseases c. 2. But chiefly in Deed you are more obliged to live to God than other Men wh●n passing by thousands who in outward ●espects were better than you and you as deep in Sin as they Not only without but against all merit of yours by his singular Grace set you apart for himself Shall I sin against God and grieve his Spirit No Let me glorifie him as long as I have a Day to live SERMON XII 2 Thess. 2.14 Whereunto he called you by our Gospel to the obtaining of the Glory of our Lord Iesus Christ. AFter the Doctrine of Antichrist and God's dreadful Spiritual J●dgments on his Abetters and Followers the Apostle interposeth some matter of Consolation to the Thessalonians As before he comforted them from their Election so now from their Vocation Therefore as we saw the Doctrine of Election set forth in the former Verse with all its appendant Branches and Circumstances So now the Doctrine of Vocation with what belongeth to it Here Calling is set forth 1. By the Author of it he called you that is God who from the beginning hath chosen you to Salvation 2. The outward Means by our Gospel 3. The End which is double 1. Subordinate in the word Whereunto to Faith and Holiness 2. Ultimate to the obtaining of the Glory of our Lord Iesus Christ. Whereunto he called you c. Doct. All that are Elected by God are in time effectually called by Faith and Holiness to obtain Eternal Life 1. I shall open effectual Calling by what is said of it in the Text. 2. That all chosen by God are called in this Way 1. Let me explain Effectual Calling 1. The Author of it he called you Namely God spoken of in the former Verse I prove it by these two Reasons 1. None else hath Authority to call 2. None else hath Power to call 1. Authority to call either to Duties or Priviledges for Calling is an earnest invitation to Duties upon the offer of several Priviledges 1. Duties 1. God is our proper Lord and rightful Soveraign He may justly challenge our Obedience being our Creator he is our Owner and being our Owner he is our Soveraign and Law-giver and may enact what Laws he pleaseth Certainly Creation giveth him an interest in us For every Man taketh himself to have an● Authority over what he hath made to dispose of it as he pleaseth Now he that properly made all things is God Man is said to make a thing as he bestoweth Ar● upon it but God bestoweth Being upon it A Potter may form his Clay into what Vessel he pleaseth to make one Vessel unto Honour and another unto dishonour Rom. 9.21 that is either a Dish for Food or a Vessel to serve the vilest uses of Nature for Meat or Excrements But we speak of Rational Creatures that are capable of proper Government Surely God made us and hath a right to govern us Our Parents are but Instruments of his Providence they know not how the Child is framed in the Womb c. Now he calleth upon us to do our Duty with Original Supreme Authority we may refuse others if they speak not to us in his Name they have no right over our Consciences to impose new Duties upon us James 4.12 There is one Lawgiver who is able to save and to destroy Now his Calling being a powerful Excitation to do our Duty it originally belongeth to God 2. As to Priviledges The Blessings God offereth are so great and glorious