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
A62635	Several discourses by the Most Reverend Dr. John Tillotson ... , being the fifth volume published from the originals by Ralph Barker ...	Tillotson, John, 1630-1694.; Barker, Ralph, 1648-1708.	1700 (1700)	Wing T1263; ESTC R31970	188,402	488

in the more notoriously he contradicts his Profession and falls off from Christianity and the nearer he approacheth to the Sin in the Text and the danger there threatned but yet for all that this is not that which the Apostle speaks of 4 thly But it is a total Apostacy from the Christian Religion more especially to the Heathen Idolatry the renouncing of the true God and our Saviour and the Worship of false Gods which the Apostle here speaks of And this will be evident if we consider the occasion and main scope of this Epistle And that was to confirm the Jews who had newly embraced Christianity in the profession of that Religion and to keep them from apostatizing from it because of the Persecutions and Sufferings which attended that Profession It pleased God when Christianity first appeared in the World to permit the Powers of the World to raise a vehement Persecution against the Professors of it by reason whereof many out of base fear did apostatize from it and in testimony of their renouncing it were forced to Sacrifice to the Heathen Idols This is that which the Apostle endeavours to caution and arm Men against throughout this Epistle Ch. 2.1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should fall away And Chap. 3.12 it is call'd an evil heart of Vnbelief to apostatize from the living God Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of Vnbelief to depart from the living God that is to fall from the Worship of the true God to Idolatry And Chap. 10.23 Let us hold fast the Profession of our Faith without wavering not forsaking the assembling of our selves together that is not declining the Assemblies of Christians for fear of Persecution and v. 26. it is call'd a sinning wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth and v. 39. a drawing back to Perdition And Ch. 12. it is call'd by way of Eminency the Sin which so easily besets the Sin which in those times of Persecution they were so liable to And I doubt not but this is the Sin which St. John speaks of and calls the Sin unto Death and does not require Christians to pray for those who fall into it with any assurance that it shall be forgiven 1 John 5.16 There is a Sin unto Death I do not say that he shall pray for it All Vnrighteousness is Sin and there is a Sin not unto Death We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not that is does not fall into the Sin of Apostacy from Christianity to that of the Heathen Idolatry But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not And then v. 21. he adds this Caution Little children keep your selves from Idols Which sufficiently shews what that Sin was which he was speaking of before So that this being the Sin which the Apostle design'd to caution Men against throughout this Epistle it is very evident what falling away it is he here speaks of namely a total Apostacy from Christianity and more especially to the Heathen Idolatry 5 thly We will consider the Reason of the difficulty of Recovering such Persons by Repentance If they fall away it is extremely difficult to renew them again to Repentance and that for these three Reasons 1. Because of the greatness and heinousness of the Sin 2. Because it renounceth and casteth off the means of Recovery 3. Because it is so high a Provocation of God to withdraw his Grace from such Persons 1. Because of the greatness and heinousness of the Sin both in the Nature and Circumstances of it It is a downright Apostacy from God a direct renouncing of him and rejecting of his Truth after Men have owned it and been inwardly perswaded and convinced of it and so the Apostle expresseth it in this Epistle calling it an Apostacy from the living God a sinning wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the Truth It hath all the Aggravations that a Crime is capable of being against the clearest Light and Knowledge and the fullest Conviction of a Man's Mind concerning the Truth and goodness of that Religion which he renounceth against the greatest Obligations laid upon him by the Grace and Mercy of the Gospel after the free Pardon of Sins and the Grace and Assistance of God's Spirit received and a miraculous Power conferr'd for a Witness and Testimony to themselves of the undoubted Truth of that Religion which they have embraced It is the highest Affront to the Son of God who revealed this Religion to the World and sealed it with his Blood and in effect an expression of as high Malice to the Author of this Religion as the Jews were guilty of when they put him to so cruel and shameful a Death Now a Sin of this heinous Nature is apt naturally either to plunge Men into hardness and impenitency or to drive them to despair and either of these Conditions are effectual Barrs to their Recovery And both these Dangers the Apostle warns Men of in this Epistle Ch. 3.12 13. Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil Heart of Vnbelief to apostatize from the living God but exhort one another daily whilst it is call'd to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of Sin Or else the Reflection upon so horrid a Crime is apt to drive a Man to Despair as it did Judas who after he had betray'd the Son of God could find no ease but by making away himself the guilt of so great a Sin fill'd him with such Terrors that he was glad to flye to Death for Refuge and to lay violent hands upon himself And this likewise was the Case of Spira whose Apostacy though it was not total from the Christian Religion but only from the Purity and Reformation of it brought him to that desperation of Mind which was a kind of Hell upon Earth And of this danger likewise the Apostle admonisheth Ch. 12.15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the Grace of God or as it is in the Margine lest any Man fall from the Grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and then he compares the Case of such Persons to Esau who when he had renounced his Birth-right to which the Blessing was annex'd was afterwards when he would have inherited the Blessing rejected and found no place of Repentance though he sought it carefully with Tears 2 dly Those who are guilty of this Sin do renounce and cast off the means of their Recovery and therefore it becomes extremely difficult to renew them again to repentance They reject the Gospel which affords the best Arguments and Means to Repentance and renounce the only way of Pardon and Forgiveness And certainly that Man is in a very sad and desperate Condition the very nature of whose Disease is to reject the Remedy that should cure him And