Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	faith_n	grace_n	purify_v	2,387	5	11.1834	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80758	Israels peace with God Beniamines overthrow A sermon preached before the Honourable House of Commons, at their late solemne fast, August 31. 1642. By William Carter. Published by order from that House.	Carter, William, 1605-1658.; England and Wales. Parliament. House of Commons. Proceedings. 1642-08-31.	1642 (1642)	Wing C679B; ESTC R222274	30,414	48

18. that heaven from whence he is expel'd and because it is against the nature of lightning to go downward is he in his fall compar'd to that therfore also when he Mat 8. 29 Mat. 12. 43. was cast out he said himself he was tormented and our Saviour saith that being dispossest he walks in dry places seeking rest and finding none not but that the dry and wet are both alike to him but it is a phrase fitted to our apprehensions signifying that discontent and restlesse state wherein he is at such a time so the same is used Ier. 17. 5. Cursed be he that maketh flesh his arme he shall inherit the parched places of the wildernesse that is he shall have no content or satisfaction thus it is with Satan therfore it followeth seeking rest and finding none Therfore I say if any man be set on work for God all the power and subtilty of Satan and his wicked instruments are set against him Secondly He that is employed for God shall have the sin of his own heart against him sin hath reason for it because the works of God are ' its destruction where his work prospers woe to sin it fades and dyes The work of God is the advancement of Jesus Christ in the world and is not he the bane of sinne Christ is the light of the world sin is the darknesse of it the flesh therfore fights and strives for life against him because as he prevailes that is ●●stroy'd Therfore is it said that when he comes into his Temple men will not abide his comming Mal. 3. 2. no even those that seek it and delight in Christ so farre as sinfull flesh prevailes will not abide it v. 1. The Lord whom yee seek shall come to his Temple that is to his Church and to the souls of men in his Gospell for they are his Temples also even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in but who can abide the day of his comming be it his comming into a Kingdom or into a Congregation or into our own souls we Rom. 7. 22. must say as the Apostle sayes in a like case I delight in the law of God after the inward man but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind so wee delight in Christ after the inward man the spirit indeed is willing the spirit Rev. 22. 17. and the bride say come yea come Lord Iesus come quickly but the flesh or that sinfull nature the remainders whereof are in the best will not indure the thing Even those that seek for reformation will be shie of entertaining Christ afraid of being reformed too farre thence are those pretences that are made against it that carriage of the Church to Christ Cant. 5. 2. seems to be ours at this day He knocks at the dore and cryes open to me my sister my love my dove my undefiled for my head is filled with dew c. No she had put off her coat and how should she put it on she had washed her feet and how should she defile them so say we how shall we doe this and how shall we doe that and what distractions will this reformation cause c. Now whence is this is it indeed a truth that reformation of Religion will endamage common wealths was it ever known that strictnesse in Go●s service the most powerfull preaching of the word the truth and purity of worship ever hurt a nation what saith Christ By me Kings raigne and Princes degree justice No no beloved Pro. 8. 15. these are but excuses arising from the sin of the hearts of men what ever you would doe for God ye shall be sure to have all the strength of the sin of your own hearts against you in it You will say suppose all this be true that sin and Satan will oppose yet how is this a reason of the point in hand I answer yes because in both these cases such persons only who are pardoned and reconciled to God are able to withstand this opposition First for Satan 't is not every man can deale with him ther 's no resisting him without an holy heart there is no getting that without a pardon the selfe same faith that justifies the person purifies the heart Act. 15. 9. and makes it holy therfore the grace of Christ is said to reigne through righteousnesse unto life Rom. 5. 21. Where there is no righteousnesse that is no pardon the grace of Christ beares no sway in that soule and then that man who still is in the gall of bitternesse Act. 8. 23. and in the bond of iniquity however for the present he may in a manner be ingag'd for God what ever is that way pretended hee will be found at last to be of Satans party and though he goe exceeding farre in a good cause he 'l not be through in the work and when it comes up to the main and principall he 'l faile and that 's as much as Satan wishes or desires therfore is he said to stand at Iosuahs right hand to resist him though no doubt he wrought with both hands because his opposition principally lyes against the main and principall of the work he passes not if you heare Sermons so you come not neare to God in hearing which is the main thing in the duty or if ye pray and draw not near to God in prayer or if the Kingdome be reformed so Religion may be still corrupt he passes not so much now I say when once ye come unto the main in any kind that man will faile you there The Prince of this world commeth says Christ and he hath nothing in me Joh. 14. 30. If a man be unregenerate and hath no hold upon the covenant of grace Satan then hath something in him nay all that 's in him is his own and what ever the mans design is now Satan knows the man is his and that in time it will be seen yea that such a man shall doe him better service than another can and so much the more by how much he seemed at the first to be against him We see what use the Divell makes of mens apostasies whereby men sin away their consciences the tendernesse of their hearts the goodnesse of their natures blemishing themselvs in the eyes of God and men till they grow desperate in sin and all perfidiousnesse losing that very ingenuity which once they had And besides all this through their experience of the wayes of God becomming skilfull to doe mischiefe more than any as we reade of Iulian the apostate how he did more hurt to the Church of God then all the persecuting Emperours that were before him And there is no way for a preventing this but by building upon the Mat 7. 24. rock the house built upon the sand will surely fall and the fall thereof is great Let a man get into Christ get pardon get peace with God and as for Satan he shall