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	holy_a	purify_v	2,597	5	11.1980	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A93437	The doome of heretiques: or, A discovery of subtle foxes, who were tyed tayle to tayle, and crept into the Church to doe mischiefe. As it was delivered in a sermon at Wickham-Market in Suffolke, upon the fast day, being the 26 of May. 1647. / By Zeph: Smyth, minister of Gods Word. Imprimatur, Ia: Cranford, August 22. 1648.	Smyth, Zeph. (Zephaniah), fl. 1646-1648.	1648 (1648)	Wing S4363; Thomason E467_7; ESTC R204204	27,627	23

undermine the Church and the Church is never worse undermined then by such a forraigne enemy is dangerous but a domesticke is more dangerous when a mans enemie are in his family that man is in danger so when the Churches enemies are among themselves under the vizard of saints that is when men under pretence of setting up truth undermine truth under a pretence of holinesse undermine holinesse under pretence of religion undermine religion then the Church must needs be in great danger Act. 20.29 30. I know saith the Apostle after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in amongst you yea men amongst your selves shall arise speaking perverse things to draw disciples after them I pray marke amongst your selves the saints had need take heed of those amongst themselves Obj. If the Church be in such danger by reason of such Why doth God permit them in the Church Ans For the good of the Church First That such as are approved may be knowne 1 Cor. 11.19 There must be heresies that such as are approved may be knowne when hereticks who are accounted saints a long time goe about to undermine religion by broaching corrupt doctrine you shall soone see such as wanted sound hearts such as never received the truth in the love of it imbrace corrupt doctrine yea it may be Arianisme Arminianisme Pelagianisme Familisme and what not I tell you these are accounted precious truths amongst many hereticks in these dayes and God permits it that sound hearted Christians might bee discovered from those that are not so Secondly God permits such in the Church that the scriptures might be fulfilled Christ is a preclous stone to some and a stone of stumbling unto others 1 Pet. 2.7 8. It was ordained saith the Apostle that some should stumble at Iesus Christ and the lying signes and wonders and strange opinions of hereticks on the one side and their hypocrisies cause many to stumble at Jesus Christ and thus they fulfill the scriptures to their owne destruction Thirdly God permits it that sound Christians might looke to their owne hearts when our Saviour Christ said to his disciples One of you shall betray me every one was ready to begin at home Is it I Lord and Peter said Is it I So when the saints heare many amongst themselves in the Church seeme to be godly and yet are not many Judases many stony hearers many false brethren many that have knowledg and gifts and parts that are naught as Mat. 7.22 Many will in that day say Lord Have we not in thy name prophecyed and in thy name cast out devils and yet Jesus Christ will say depart I never knew you this will put Christians on to enquiry Is it I Oh I pray God it may not be I. And thus God permits it that sound Christians might look to their hearts Pro. 4.23 2 Vse Is for information It informes us that a bare profession is not enough to make a man a true Christian a man may be a glorious professor of religion and yet be damned as well as Judas yet it is very strange to see how people doe deceive themselves with this what sayes one I was baptized I keep my Church and pay every man his owne and we live under the Ordinances and can cry the Temple of the Lord as Ier. 7. But let me tell thee thou mayest doe all this and more too and yet be damned those in Mat. that prayed preached cast out devills wrought miracles in the name of Christ went further then thus and yet Jesus Christ will say to them Depart I know you not Iudas went further then thus and yet a damned wretch therefore take heed ye rest not in this I was baptized and I am a professor I keep my Church and pay every man his owne many a man hath gone further then so and yet been damned Abah was humbled and Herod heard Iohn Baptist gladly Nay saith our Saviour Luk. 13.24 Many shall seeke to enter in and shall not be able there may be many in hell that it may be have prayed oftener then thou been more exact in performing of family duties then thou hast beene that have tooke more paines in the wayes of God then thou hast done and yet have been damned and therefore take heed of resting in a bare profession of religion 3. Vse Exhortation Let us hence be exhorted To make sure we be none of those that are in the Church and yet are not of the Church we heare of some that seem to be saints and yet are none of many that have knowledge and parts and make a glorious profession and yet may be damned let it be our care to make sure we be none of them for their condition is worse then the condition of others for upon them shall these Scriptures be fulfilled he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow how doth he increase sorrow by not practising what he knew for it had beene better never to have knowne the way of God then after to turne from the holy Commandement 2 Pet. 2.21 Obj. But if it be so how shall I know I am none of these persons you speake of who seem to be saints and yet are not and by what rule should I judge another man to be a true childe of God Ans First Examine the foundation thou hast built upon a true beleever builds upon Christ the Rocke and therefore the gates of hell shall not prevaile against him there are a great many build upon their duties and profession and not upon Christ some upon their sweet conceits and fancied comforts in Christ but not upon Christ indeed but canst thou say thou dost truly beleeve in Jesus Christ that thou hast such a faith as was not of thine owne fancying but wrought by the mighty operation of the Holy Ghost Col. 2.11 such a faith as purifies the heart Act. 15.9 as workes by love Gal. 5.6 as is fruitfull in good workes James 2.26 Tit. 3.8 this is a good signe that thou art a true saint Secondly If thy heart be upright that is another good evidence if thy care be to approve thy heart to God rather then to the world thy conscience can witnesse as in the presence of God to thee that thou desirest that God might see thy heart upright rather then man should thinke it is upright and thou canst say with David Psal 139. Examine my reines and my heart and see if there be any way of wickednesse in me then this is another good signe thou art a true saint Thirdly Dost thou hold such sound principles as faints should do as the Apostle exhorts the saints in this Epistle To contend for the truth so do you stand up in defence of the truth against hereticks and heresies and do you lead such lives as faints should do viz. to live holily righteously and soberly Tit. 2.11 And canst thou say so far as thou knowest thine owne heart thou art at Gods command to goe when he bids thee go and come when he bids

no eye pitied thee it was I spread my skirt over thee and washed thee from thy filthinesse and entered into a Covenant with thee It was of his free grace to predestinate thee to life and therefore be humble and give him the glory of his free-grace Thirdly as it is your duty to rejoyce and to be humble so also to be thankfull that God should looke upon you and predestinate you to life When hee passes by so many on the right hand and the left as the Scripture expression is There is but a remnant according to the election of grace Rom. 11.5 And that I should be one of them would the soule say such a vild and sinfull wretched creature as I Was there ever the like love was there ever the like mercy May not Heaven and Earth stand amazed at it Oh! what shall I doe to be thankfull enough to this God oh you know your Interest is in Christ studie prayses and thankfulnesse not a verball thankfulnesse but a reall thankfulnesse shew it by your obedience by your holy conversation by your walking sutable to your place as in 1. Pet. 2 9. Yee are a chosen Generation a Royall Priesthood a holy Nation a peculiar people that yee should shew forth the vertues of him which hath called you out of darknesse unto his marvellous light so should Christians walke according to their place that God may be glorified by their holy conversation God hath chosen the Saints to be holy and called them to holinesse and commanded them be yee holy for I am holy and therefore the Saints should studie holinesse and shew their thankfulnesse in a holy obedience 5. Use If God hath of old ordained some to condemnation then hence bee you exhorted as you would be glad to know you are none of them to give all diligence to make your calling and election sure 2 Pet 1.10 Not but that it is sure in respect of God but the meaning is to use all meanes to make it sure to our soules and Consciences But it may bee you will say why should I use the meanes if God have decreed I shall be saved I shall if hee have decreed that I shall perish I shall doe I what I can and use what meanes I can I answer What hast thou to doe to pry into Gods secret Counsell concerning thy election though God hath decreed to passe by some yet hee does not name thee for one but have appointed the use of the meanes and call upon thee to make thy election sure so that it is thy duty to use the meanes and leave secres things to God for God hath appointed how long every man shall live and they cannot passe that time that God hath appointed them Iob 14.5 He hath see his bounds that hee can not passe but withall as hee hath appointed how long everyone should live so he hath appointed the use of the meanes for the preservation and maintenance of life to such a time as to dwell in houses weare cloathes eat and drinke will any man say God hath appointed my time and I shall live that time whether I use the meanes or no no surely but will use the meanes God hath appointed so God hath appointed the use of I meanes for the attaining the Knowledge of our election Would wee make it ture then we must use the meanes 6. Vse I might use many motives to put you upon the use of the meanes I intend to speake but of one or two First consider there is a possibility of making thy Calling and Election sure Why should the Apostle exhort to it if it were not possible 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves faith the Apostle whether you bee in the Faith prove your selves know you not your owne selves Iesus Christ is in you except yee bee Reprobates Why should the Apostle exhort to try prove and examine our selves if it were not possible to know that our Calling and Election is sure Secondly consider thou canst have no comfort in the neglect of the use of the meanes but rather terrour because thy perseveting in the neglect of the use of the meanes will rather evidence to thee that thou art not Elected for you see Rom. 8.30 Those he Predestinated hee called that is those that God predestinated to life hee calls in his due time and therefore wee must looke for a call or not looke to come into the Kingdome of Heaven doth God let thee sit still in securitie in thy carnall condition under the meanes many a hard heart have been softned and many a blind mind inlightned many a unbeleeving soule have got faith in Christ in the use of meanes and thou art a hard-hearted Sinner still hast a blind mind still lie in unbeliefe still lye frozen in the dregs of securitie I tell thee if thou goest on and die in this condition thou must bee sure to perish for thy persevering in this estate is a signe that God did not decree to save thee It will appeare if thou compare Acts 15.38 with Iohn 10.26 in Acts. 13.58 So many as were ordained to Eternall life beleeved thus That whom God did Predestinate to eternall life hee did predestinate to faith to beleeve in Christ And therefore in time the Lord either sends the meanes to them or them to the meanes and calls them and workes Faith in them and on the contrary when the Word proves a hardening a condemning letter to the hearers when it is not a word of Faith to them It is a signe that God did not Predestinate them to life for in the other text of Scripture John 10.16 Yee beleeve not saith Christ because yee are not of my Sheepe this is the Reason they were none of Christs sheepe and therefore could not beleeve And therefore take heed of neglecting the use of the meanes and rocking thy selfe asleepe with this If God have decreed I shall be saved I shall I tell you many have stumbled and fallen upon his Rocke and so mayest thou if the Lord bee not mercifull to thee Mee thinkes this should make such tremble as are in the state of unbeleefe and impenitencie and hard-heartednesse under the meanes how shouldest thou tremble ever when thou seest any of thy Companions brought in to Iesus Christ such a fellow Drunkard such a fellow Sweater such a vild wretch the Lord brought home and I am yet lefe in sinne I am yet uncalled unjustified unsanctified and yet I must bee called or hee damned for tall those that God predestinates to life hee calls them in his due time I mee thinks I feare God hath not predestinated mee to life that hee lets mee alone in sinne oh Brethren that you would consider of these things thou that art a husband and looke upon thy wife that is godly and thou act ungodly still With what sad thoughts may'st thou thinke of this Oh! God hath called my wife and manifested his love to her shee hath left her former sinnes and she walks close with God but I am uncalled still and I goe on in the wayes of sinne still Oh! had God intended good to mee surely he would call mee and give mee a new heart and with the like sad ●●●●ghts may ungodly Wives looke upon their godly Husbands And ungodly companions who it may be have many a time scoffed and jeered at others of their companions because they have left their former sinnes and walke more close with God out oh they might looke upon them with weeping eyes it they would consider this that those that God predestinates to life them hee calls and them he justifies them hee gives faith too As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved and yet he hath to this day let them alone in their sinnes to goe on after the hardnesse of their hearts as if the Lord should say to them as to Ephraim Hosea 4.17 He is joyned to Idols let him alone let them goe on in their sinnes and perish in their sinnes if they will die ungodly men and women Consider of this They could not but mourne and lament their conditions and therefore let this Doctrine be rather an incouragement to put you on to give all diligence to make your calling and election sure then a ground of presumption or despaire FINIS