Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	ear_n	eye_n	fat_a	2,377	5	10.2276	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A82010	A persuasive to full communion, with the churches of Christ in all Gospel-ordinances and priviledges Containing an essay for the conviction and reformation of such adult, or grown persons who live in the sinful neglect of baptism and the supper of the Lord. Together with an account of the manner of the transition of church-members from their infant to their adult-state, and regular admission to full communion. Written, for the help of such as need instruction in these spiritual concerns, 1 Cor. 12. 13. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be jews or gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit. By the late reverend Mr. George Day, minister of the gospel in London-street in Ratcliff / 1697.	Day, George, d. 1697.	1698 (1698)	Wing D461; ESTC R232085	42,081	116

been made an Example for this Omission as Exod. 4.24 Here its worthy our serious Observation least any should think the Punishment threatned to be greater than the Sin deserved God was pleased to give the Reason of it in the formentioned Gen. 17.14 He hath broken my Covenant God calls a Rejection and Contempt of the Seal of the Covenant a breach of the Covenant it self Now if Baptism come in the room of Circumcision as Protestants generally conclude from Col. 2.11 12. And if God was so angry with his Servant Moses for neglecting to Circumcise his Son that he met him and sought to kill him Judge you whether those Parents that neglect to Baptize their Children have not cause to fear that God is angry with them also though he doth not presently manifest it in his Providence nor can we suppose him to be well-pleased with the Children of such careless or erronious Parents who imitate them in Sin when grown up by Living in the neglect of this Ordinance Sixthly Consider That such as slight and neglect the outward Baptism of Water may justly fear they were never yet Partakers of the inward Baptism of the Holy-Ghost which is signified thereby and that they are still unsanctified or unholy Souls for where the Spirit of God comes with Power he convinceth of Sin John 16.8 and the neglect of any Ordinance of Christ is one Sin of which the Spirit will certainly Convince such as are guilty whenever he Works savingly on them and if you have not had the Convincing-work of the Spirit upon you surely you know nothing of its Converting Renewing and Sanctifying-work and if so should you Dye in this Condition you have no Ground that I know to hope for the Witnessing and Comforting-work of the Spirit in Death nor for Eternal Life after it for none but Holy Souls have a Promise of these Blessings It 's true God can sanctifie the Soul by his Spirit though the Body be not washed with Water therefore I do not say that none are sanctified by the Spirit that are not Baptized with Water for doubtless there are many Instances of the contrary as Elect Infants that Dye before Baptism and others But this I do affirm that seeing God hath been pleased to set up Ordinances in his Church to be the Means of Grace made it our Duty to use them and doth usually Work Grace in and by them it is a Sin to neglect these Ordinances where they may be had and such as do so have Cause enough to fear they never yet received any saving Benefit by them For that would make them to prize Ordinances highly and continue in the diligent use of them Now consider Can you be Content to Live without sanctifying Grace and Dye without Comfort and well-grounded Hope of Heaven at last Seventhly Consider That the sinful neglect of one Ordinance provokes God to withhold his Blessing from other Ordinances as a just and suitable Punishment of that Sin and I fear this is one Reason why so many unbaptized Persons profit little by Reading and Hearing the Word God sometimes Threatens a People that though they hear the Word they shall not understand and though they see they shall not perceive that their Hearts shall be made Fat their Ears heavy and their Eyes shut least they should see with their Eyes and hear with their Ears and understand with their Hearts and Convert and be Healed as Isa 6.9 10. Should God say thus concerning such as you how miserable would your Condition be You have Cause to fear it for your Sin provokes him to it Supposing now that these Considerations duly weighed may be sufficient to convince you of the sinfulness of your neglecting Baptism and they will be so if the Holy Spirit of God sets in with them for which I Pray In the next Place let me give you some plain Councels and Directions for the performance of your Duty First Be deeply humbled before the Lord for your sinful neglect of this Ordinance hitherto acknowledge it to God with Shame and Sorrow of Heart beg Pardon of it in the Name of Christ and resolve to use all good endeavour duly to prepare for the Participation of it and set presently upon the Work as remembring Time is short Life uncertain and delays in Soul-matters most dangerous Secondly Get a Competent Knowledge of the Principal or Foundation-Truths of the Christian-Religion which the Assemblies Catechisms both Shorter and Larger well Read and Considered will help you to if you have not already attained it especially acquaint your selves well with the Nature of the Covenant of Grace and the Gospel-seals of it Baptism and the Lords-Supper which the Sacramental Catechism opens to you Thirdly For your better Help in this great Concern apply your selves to some able and faithful Minister of Christ especially to such under whose Ministry you do ordinarily sit and open your Souls Case to him propound your Doubts or Scruples if you have any ask his spiritual Counsel or Instruction and desire his Prayers to God in your behalf Fourthly Beg earnestly of God that you may have compleat Baptism or be baptized not only outward with Water but inwardly by the Holy Ghost as John 3.5 And have not only the washing of Regeneration but the Renewing of the Holy Ghost as Tit. 3.5 Pray that you may be meritoriously washed from the guilt of Sin by the Blood of Christ and efficaciously washed from the filth and Power of Sin by the Spirit of Christ 1 John 1.7 Rev. 1.5 1 Cor. 6.11 Fifthly Give your Understanding and hearty Consent to the Covenant of Grace and humbly and thankfully accept and chuse JEHOVAH the only Living and True God to be your God and give up your selves to him as his Covenant Servants as Isa 44.5 and Isa 56.4 5. When this is done you may humbly Claim the Ordinance of Baptism as your Right and Priviledge being a Seal to confirm the Covenant between God and your Souls Now as for the Manner of Administration that is to be left to the Prudence of the Ministers of Christ who are to be the Dispensers of this and all other Gospel-Ordinances I pretend not to prescribe to any But hope I shall offend none by giving an account of my own Practice which I submit to the Censure of more mature Judgments When by Conference with and Instruction of the Person seeking Baptism I apprehend Him or Her to have a Gospel-right to and fitness for it At the Time of Administration I first speak something touching the Nature Use and Ends of this Ordinance and the Covenant of Grace to which it doth belong And then seek the Lord by Prayer for his Blessing on it Then I propose these following Questions to the Adult Person that is to be Baptized and receive his Answers Q. Were You never yet Baptized as far as you do understand A. No. Q. Are you willing and desirous to be Baptized A. Yes it is my earnest and hearty

I say it is necessary that we should use the Means appointed by Christ in Order to our Salvation and this is one of them If we would obtain the End we must use the Means it being no better then a Tempting of God to expect the one without the other 3. The neglect of this Ordinance is a Sin being a Disobedience to a plain Command of Christ who says Do this in Remembrance of me and unless God grant Repentance to those that are guilty of it it will prove damnable Now while Men continue in this neglect they do not truly repent of it for there is no true Repentance without Reformation 4. God hath no where promised Salvation to such as Live and Dye in the known and wilful neglect of this or any other Ordinance or Duty but threatens the contrary and who would hazard his Salvation by such a neglect Obj. 10. But say others we have heard of such ill things of some Church-Members that we think it a disgrace to us to Joyn with them though they make Holy Professions yet their Practices are unholy and prophane and scandalous and this keeps us off from their Communion Ans 1. It may be the Report you have heard is false and only raised by some Enemy to Religion and the Professors of it if so you wrong both your selves and the Persons concerned in believing of it before you have throughly examined the Truth of it it is sinful to Take up a Reproach against our Neighbour as Psalm 15.3 2. Suppose the Report appear to be true yet their Church-Membership is not the cause of those Immoralities but the Corruption of their own Hearts or the want of that Grace which they pretend to have 3. Their Sin is to themselves and shall not be charged on those that hold Church-Fellowship with them if they do their Duty in Admonishing and Reproving them for it and do no way Partake with them therein Such a Reproof Prudently and privately given by a Fellow-Member may be Blessed of God to the Conviction and Reformation of a disorderly Walker being a Means of Christs own Appointment to this End If not the Reprovers ought to acquaint the Church with it that they may use Church-Discipline upon them which if they neglect the Reproving Members will have this to satisfie them that they have discharged their Duty and delivered their own Souls as Mat. 18.15 16. 4. The Participation of all Gospel-Ordinances being the Priviledge as well as the Duty of all true Believers to be kept from any of them must be a Loss and Punishment so that if you are such and yet keep your selves off from any Ordinance of Christ because some of those that Partake of them are guilty of scandalous or disorderly Walking you punish your selves for the Faults of others which is Injustice 5. To keep off from any Ordinance of Christ meerly because some unworthy Persons partake of it is to make their Sin in one kind an occasion of your sinning in another kind Their Sin being a Sin of Commission yours a Sin of Omission 6. If all that truly fear God should keep off from Joyning with this or that Particular Church because there are some Members in it that are disorderly Walkers either all such Churches must be dissolved or else they must be made up only of such disorderly Walkers But I suppose no Wise and Good Man will say that either of these ought to be You must know the Visible Church of Christ on Earth hath Hypocrites in it as well as sincere Christians and when the Hypocrisie of any Member appears by their open and scandalous Sins that Particular Church to which they belong ought to use Church-Discipline upon them to bring them to Repentance and Reformation and to keep themselves free from a share in their Guilt But no Christian ought to keep from Joyning with a Particular Church because there are some such Peccant Members in it Obj. 11. But if this Ordinance is to be used only in Remembrance of Christ say some we can remember him well enough without it we think of him every Day the Reading and Hearing of the Word puts us frequently in Mind of Him How can any Christian forget him that hath done and suffered so much for them Therefore we see no such need of this Ordinance for this End Ans 1. This Objection savours rankly of Ignorance and Pride which are very Provoking Sins in the Eyes of God did you well understand the Nature Use and Ends of this Holy Ordinance and the spiritual Benefit of a right Participation of it you would not think it a needless Thing And were you not puffed up with Pride you would not account your selves wiser than Christ himself who Instituted this Ordinance which he had never done had he not intended it for the Spiritual Good of the Receivers Did Christ judge it needful and dare you say it is needless Doth it become sinful Dust contemptible Worms to slight an Ordinance of their Lord and Saviour 2. Though the Reading and Hearing of the Word are useful to put us in Mind of Christ yet the use of this Holy Supper may do it more Effectually For some Truths do more powerfully affect our Hearts when they are conveyed to us by the Eye than by the Ear The Sight of the Execution of a Man usually makes deeper Impressions on our Spirits and moves our Affections more than a bare hearing of it doth Now in this Ordinance Christ is represented as Crucified before our Eyes as Gal. 3.1 And our dull and dead Hearts need the most Heart-affecting and quickning Means and Ordinances 3. Know that this Ordinance is Instituted for other Holy Ends besides that of remembring Christ as to be a Seal of the Covenant of Grace To be a means to nourish and strengthen Grace c. as you have heard before and so is needful and to be used for those Ends as well as for that 4. Gracious Souls have sometimes met with some peculiar Manifestations of Christ and of his Love in this Ordinance and such Spiritual Refreshment Strength and Comfort as they found not in Reading or Hearing the Word For Christ will not be wanting to bless his own Ordinances to their proper Ends and their Experiences should be Arguments encouraging others to use this Ordinance in hopes of the like Benefits Obj. 12. But say others we are so Incumbred and Distracted with the Cares and Troubles of this World that we cannot be enough Composed in our Spirits to approach this Holy Ordinance could we once get well through them we would then endeavour to prepare for it and come to it Ans This is no Just Plea or Excuse for your neglect of this Ordinance for Consider 1. God allows you sufficient Time for necessary Cares about your Worldly Matters and appoints you proper time also for the care of your spiritual Concerns and it is your Duty to see that every Thing be minded in its due Time and Place