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	pure_a	purify_v	2,905	5	11.3265	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02741	Tvvo treatises I. The purchase of Grace, shewing the excellency of Christ, and the graces of his spirit. II. The soules delight in Gods tabernacles, shewing the excellency of time, spent in duties of God's solemne service. Instances in the chiefe, viz. prayer, word, and sacraments. Motives and directions for right performance. Lastly, the chiefe usurpers of time discovered, with apt remedies against each of them. The contents of the booke are methodically exprest in the margent, which to the diligent reader may serve instead of a table. By William Harrison, Mr. of Arts, and minister of the Gospell at Canwicke neare Lincolne.	Harrison, William, minister at Canwick.	1639 (1639)	STC 12871; ESTC S103879	208,196	400

Christ. First of the first of these sc. this That Christ Iesus and his merits together with the saving graces of his Spirit are fitly resembled unto gold yea gold tryed in the fire Hereupon it is that the Tabernacle and the Temple were both so adorned with gold because they were the Types of our Saviour and the graces of his Spirit Exod. 37. 6. 1 King 7. 48. There was the Table of gold and the Altar of gold and the Bowles and the Tongs and the Snuffers all of pure gold c. And why all this but to teach us that Christ and the graces of his Spirit are fitly resembled to gold Marke the answer of Christ's Spouse to the daughters of Jerusalem Cant. 5. when they asked What is thy beloved more than another beloved observe her answer Ver. 10. My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of tenne thousand Ver. 11. His head is as the most fine gold He is like unto most fine gold yea gold tryed in the fire So the Church cloathed with the merits of Christ and adorned with the graces of his Spirit is covered as it were with cloth of gold Vpon thy right hand did stand the Queene in gold of Ophyr saith the Text Psal. 45. 9. that is cloathed with Christ and the graces of his Spirit which are pure and precious like the gold of Ophyr And so againe Ver. 13. The Kings Daughter is all glorious within that is the Church is glorious in Gods account Her cloathing is of wrought gold this is very direct Now the Reasons of the poynt might be many I will but instance in some few of many Gold tryed in the fire is very precious of great worth and value so is Christ even in his lowest estate when he seemeth most despicable and worthles yet is he even then most precious disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious sayth the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 4. and v. 6. Behold I lay in Sion a chiefe corner stone elect and precious though the Jewish builders rejected this Stone yet was he exceeding precious in Gods account And as Christ himselfe is precious so are the graces of his Spirit such as wisdome and knowledge and faith and love c. these are precious jewels and therefore fitly resembled unto gold See what the holy Ghost sayth of Wisedome Pro. 3. 13 14. Happie is the man that findeth Wisdome and the man that getteth understanding for the merchandise thereof is better then the merchandise of silver and the gaine thereof is better then fine gold shee is more precious then Rubies c. See here the precious nature of spirituall and heavenly Wisdome The like may be said of faith and other graces Hence that phrase of precious faith To all that have obtained like precious faith with us sayth the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 1. If you aske how precious this grace is He answereth That the tryall of our faith is much more precious then of gold that perisheth 1 Pet. 1. 7. Secondly Gold is of especiall use to pay debts to keepe or redeeme out of prison so are the merits and blood of Christ they redeeme us from hell and death yee are bought with a price sayth the Apostle 2 Cor. 6. 19 20. What price not silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lambe without spot 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Of him are yee in Christ Jesus sayth the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. 30. Who of God is made unto us wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption O golden Christ by the helpe of whose merits we pay the Debts which we owe to our heavenly Father yea by this gold are we redeemed and set at libertie from the prison of hell and from the bondage and slavery of sinne and Sathan Thirdly Gold tryed in the fire is very pure and cleane there is no drosse left in it so is Christ pure as well as precious so are the graces of Gods Spirit true grace is pure grace pure faith or faith unfained pure love without dissembling sincere or pure truth without hypocrisie 1 Tim. 1. 5. Now the end of the Commandement is charitie or love out of a pure heart and a good or pure conscience and faith unfained faith without mixture that is pure faith such faith and love are golden graces indeed Let love be without dissimulation sayth the Apostle Rom. 12. 9. there is pure love indeed it is an excellent place 1 Pet. 1. 22. Seeing that yee have purified your soules in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfained love of the brethren see that yee love one another with a pure heart fervently here is pure gold indeed wrought by the pure Spirit of God there is the Authour of it in obeying the truth there is the instrumentall meanes of it pure and unfained loue out of a pure heart there is the fruit of it Fourthly Gold tryed in the fire is fit for purchase it commandeth what the earth can affoord so doe Christ and his merits and graces they doe purchase Heaven for us Heaven is an inheritance and given freely in respect of any merits of ours but merited and purchased for us by Christ He is our great purchaser He purchaseth Heaven for us and in our name and is gone to take possession for us and to prepare a place for us there He purchased it for us by his merits hence that phrase Ephes. 1. 14. Vntill the Redemption of the purchased pessession sayth the Apostle And when he had purchased it for us He went to possesse it and prepare a place for us Joh. 16. 3. I goe to prepare a place for you So that a man interested in Christs merits and adorned with his graces is fit to make a purchase of Heaven So that Christ and his merits are in this respect also fitly resembled unto gold they make a golden purchase or purchase a golden place in Heaven for us Fifthly Gold is of an excellent use for ornament and beautie as well as for purchase and profit thus the Tabernacle and Temple were adorned with gold to make them glorious and beautifull so is the Church by the merits and graces of Christ become a glorious Church Psal. 45. 13. The Kings daughter is all glorious within How cometh that to passe Surely by the gold of Christs merits and graces for it followeth Her cloathing is of wrought gold there is her chiefe ornament so doe the graces of Gods Spirit they doe even adorne us in Gods account faith and love and meeknesse O woman great is thy faith Mat. 15. 28. there is her ornament I have not found so great faith no not in Israel sayth our Saviour Mat. 8. 10. there is the Centurions ornament so of Abraham faithfull Abraham a man strong in the faith and gave glory to God Rom. 4. 20. Golden Abraham there is his ornament Moses the meekest man upon earth Numb 12. 3. Now the man Moses was very meeke

place we have to this purpose Acts 13. 47. It was necessary that the Word of God should be first preached unto you but since yee thrust it from you and doe judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life behold we turne to the Gentiles So that here we see plainely that they that have the Word of God preached and the meanes of grace offered and yet reject it and thrust it from them they doe judge themselves unworthy of everlasting life and at last the meanes shall be taken from them yea the estate of these men is so fearefull and lamentable that had I the tongue of men and Angels or the penne of an Apostle I could never set it out to the full see the inexpressible wofulnesse of their condition that despise the Gospell 1 Pet. 4. 17. The time is come that judgement must beginne at the house of God and if it beginne at us what shall the end be of those that obey not th● Gospell of God No marvell if I cannot tell yee see the Apostle Peter could not tell or would not take in hand to expresse it as if the estate of such was miserable above all that a man can speake or imagine Nay at the last day when they looke for the most comfort they shall finde most horror and bitternesse In stead of a Saviour Christ shall come at the last day with his holy Angels in flaming fire to render vengeance on all them that know not God and obey not the Gospell saith the Apostle 2 Thes. 1. 8 9. ô wofull thing to consider when instead of Come ye blessed they shall heare the wofull and thundring voyce of Christ denouncing this terrible Doome against them Matth. 25. 41. Goe yee cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill a●d his Angels and no marvell neither if they be thus punished and doe bring such swift damnation upon themselves for it is a fearefull signe that all such are lost and reprobates for whom the blacknesse of darknesse is reserved for ever Iude Ver. 4. for if our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are l●st saith the Apostle whom the god of this world hath blinded yea a fearefull signe of reprobation in this case as doth appeare by that place of the Apostle 2 Tim. 3. 8. As Iannes and Iambres with-stood Moses so doe these men resist the truth men of corrupt minds and reprobate concerning the faith the expresse words of the Holy Ghost yea they are such of whom the Lord hath sworne in his wrath that they shall never unlesse they repent enter into his rest as we may see Psalm 95. 9 10. c. O the foolish and franticke madnesse of all those that neglect and despise such a precious Iewell as true saving grace which for the worth of it is fitly compared to gold yea gold tryed in the fire yea much more precious then the finest gold in the world CHAP. III. Containing the use of examination THirdly seeing true grace is fitly resembled unto gold this should teach us diligently to try and examine our selves whether wee have any true grace in us yea or no for true grace is of a right golden nature Now that wee may not deceive our selves let us try what metall our graces are made on let us deale with our graces as knowledge and faith and love and obedience as men use to deale with their gold let us try them throughly whether they prove right currant gold yea or no 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether yee be in the faith or no whether your faith be a right saving faith yea or no That the tryall of your faith being much more precious then gold that perisheth 1 Pet. 1. 7 As if he had said try your faith whether it be of the right precious metall of a saving metall which is indeed much more precious then gold Yea not only our faith but every other worke of grace in us must bee examined and proved Gal. 6. 4. But let every one prove his owne worke the worke of grace in his owne heart and then shall he have rejoycing in himselfe alone and not in another What good will it doe us to know that another man's gold is weight and currant gold if we bee ignorant of our owne Let us therefore try our graces whether they be of the right stampe pure currant gold yea or no. Now for the perfecting of this use give me leave to shew you 1. Some Motives to perswade us to 2. Some markes to direct us in this tryall 1. The Motives that may perswade us to this exact tryall and examination of our graces are principally these foure 1. The difficulty of the worke 2. The danger of being mistaken 3. The possibility of prevaileing 4. The comfort that will redound to a man when the worke is once throughly performed And first for the difficultie of the worke wee had need to use all diligence to make sure worke in this case because it is a worke of great difficulty for a man to be assured in his soule that the graces which he hath and the gold he possesseth are saving graces and pure gold yea or no for if we looke into experience we shall finde some men utterly deceived in judging of the estates and condition of their owne hearts some judging better of themselves then there is cause and some againe thinking worse of themselves then they need to doe so that of both these that of the Proverbe may be fitly verified Prov. 13. 7. There is that maketh himselfe rich as if he had a whole purse full of gold and yet hath nothing and there is againe that maketh himselfe poore as if hee had no gold at all and yet hath great riches the one fearefull and timorous without cause and the other bold and confident upon a false ground according to that of the Wiseman Prov. 14. 16. A wiseman that is a godly man and one that truely feareth God feareth and departeth from evill Hee feareth and hee doubteth that his estate is not so good as all this while hee hath taken it to bee and thereupon hee like a wise man taketh occasion more and more to depart from evill he walketh and maketh straight steps to his feet Hebrewes 12. 13. But the foole that is the prophane person the beggar that is utterly destitute of true ●aving grace that hath not so much as one peece of true gold in his heart rageth and is confident he rageth and hee rayleth and hee swaggereth and yet hee is confident hee shall goe to heaven as soone as the best of them all for thus hee reasoneth for himselfe I confesse I speake amisse many times I speake idlely and wantonly and prophanely and sweare sometimes when I am angry and now and then I doe that which is naught but I thanke God I have as good an heart towards God as the best of them all therein I am confident so this man is utterly deceived in

Sampson but the golden Christian is universally gracious head and heart and life as a child new borne hath all the members of a man though they be but weake and it is long before he can use them Or if the hypocrite have so much seeming goodnesse to gild over his outward behaviour that he seemeth to be a right golden Christian indeed yet if it be not true grace it reformeth not the heart whereas true grace purifieth the heart Acts 15. 9. If God begin to wash a man he beginneth with the heart Ier. 4. 14. Wash thy heart from wickednesse ô Ierusalem true grace washes not only the hands but also the heart Here was Simon Magus his defects if ye look upon his outward profession he is turned Christian he keepeth company with the Christian Apostles he was also baptized as a badge of Christian profession c. But where was the fault Surely within his heart was unsound and rotten notwithstanding his gilded out side Acts 8. 21. Thine heart is not right in the sight of God And pray God if it be possible the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven He was but like a faire Aple that was notwithstanding rotten at core 2. True grace is universall and full weight in respect of the object of it that is it will cause a man to yeeld obedience to all Gods Commandements He that hath true grace indeed will desire and endeavour in all things to live honestly Heb. 13. 18. But counterfeit grace is not currant in this regard also herein it wanteth weight as it did before an hypocrite is not universall in his obedience he is no good Catholike in this respect hee doth but picke and choose some duties he liketh but other he careth not for some sinnes he avoydeth but other he maketh no conscience of Compare David and Iehu together and they seeme at first to be both golden Kings zealous men and couragious Magistrates but then againe weigh their gold severally in the ballance of the Sanctuary and then yee shall finde that Iehu's wanted weight First looke upon Davids aime in his obedience and ye shall finde it universall Psal. 119. 6. Then shall I not be confounded when I have respect to all thy Commandements here is downe weight But now weigh Iehu's gold in the same ballance and yee shall easily perceive that it was found too light like Balthasar Daniel 5. observe it 2 Kings 10. When the Spirit of GOD had set out Jehu's zeale to the full and given him his allowance and all yet he cryeth out still that it was too light verse 31. But Iehu tooke no heed to walke in the Law of the Lord with all his heart for he departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam and therefore GOD giveth him his temporall reward sc. the thing that he chiefely aimed at sc. the kingdome for himselfe and his children for a time and so sendeth him packing Let us try our gold by this marke let us weigh it in the Ballance of the Sanctuary Doth our grace shew it selfe in every part Are we like the Church Psal. 45. 11. All glorious both within and without All gracious in heart and life Here is a good signe our gold will passe currant with the Merchant because it is full weight in this regard Then againe are we universall in our obedience Doe wee endeavour to walke in all the Ordinances and Commandements of God blamelesse as was said of Zachary and Elizabeth Luk. 1. 6. Doe wee desire in all things to live honestly Here is precious gold indeed even gold tryed in the fire Fourthly True gold will abide the fiery tryall Here is the true tryall of gold when it cometh to be melted Jer. 9. 7. I will melt them and try them for what should I doe for the daughter of my people So that is true grace that holdeth out in the fire of affliction hence that phrase of the Apostle in 2 Pet. 4. 12. Beloved thinke it not strange concerning the fiery tryall as if some strange thing happened but rejoyce rather c. because here is the true tryall of your graces that they are of a right golden nature indeed This was Iobs comfort Job 23. 10. He knoweth the way that I take and when he hath tryed me I shall come out like gold O golden Job that was able to abide the fiery tryall So looke upon the Apostles in the fiery tryall when they were mocked and threatned and imprisoned yea and grievously scourged too yet see how chearefull and constant they were for all that Acts 5. 40 41. They departed from the presence of the Councell rejoycing that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for his Name Here was right gold tryed in the fire see how bright they shine when they newly come out of the furnace Of such a golden temper was Paul How couragious and undaunted in tribulation Troubles for Gods cause did not trouble this good man for when the Holy Ghost testified of him that bonds and afflictions abode for him Acts 20. 23. But this doth not trouble me neither is my life deare unto me that I may finish my course with joy and fulfill the ministerie which I have received of the Lord Jesus Yea when Agabus the Prophet foretold his afflictions so that his friends began even with teares to disswade him from going up to Jerusalem Acts 21. 11 12 13. Marke his couragious answere a golden resolution What doe yee weeping and breaking my heart I am readie not onely to be bound but to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Iesus True gold will abide the fire he that hath true grace will be constant and faithfull even unto death and will cleave unto Gods service in time of danger as well as in time of safetie See an experiment of this in Daniel and the three noble Jewes First for Daniel he did not content himselfe to serve God onely in time of safetie but also in time of the greatest perill and danger Dan. 6. 10. for when he knew that the writing was signed he went into his house c. and prayed and gave thankes before his God as he did aforetime though he adventured his very life in this case to be cast into the Lyons den So that ye see that Daniels graces were pure gold indeed he was the same in time of danger that he was before time in time of safetie So for the three noble Iewes Daniel 3. When they were threatned with the fiery furnace if they would not worship the Kings golden Image marke their couragious answere that same golden resolution of theirs Ver. 17. Our God whom wee serve is able to deliver us c. But if hee will not be it knowne unto thee O King that we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up and so were cast into the hot fiery furnace Here were three precious pieces of gold that were readie to abide the fiery tryall But as

for the wicked it is not so with them they may have a faire golden shew untill they come to the melting but no hypocrite can abide this fiery tryall herein the true Christian out-strippeth the temporarie as our Saviour sheweth evidently Luk. 8. with Mat. 13. 21. Yet hath he no roote in himselfe but endureth for a season Why so He answereth For when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by he is offended He is not able to abide the scorching heate of persecution in and for the good cause of God So that this fire of persecution is fit to try every mans worke whether it be gold and silver or hay and straw or stubble Pertinent is that of the Apostle to this purpose in 1 Cor. 3. 12 13. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold silver c. or wood hay or stubble every mans worke shall be made manifest How Because it shall be revealed by fire and the fire shall try every mans worke of what sort it is That is true grace indeed that abideth the fiery tryall But a question may here not unfitly be moved sc. Whether an hypocrite may not hold out even unto death and abide the tryall of the fire Yes He may stifly hold out and persist in some course that he hath begunne and rather give his body to be burned then forsake it This the Apostle seemeth to intimate 1 Cor. 13. 3. Though I give my body to be burned and have not charitie it profiteth me nothing But yet first it is not in or properly for the good Word of God that he thus suffereth but as a busie body out of some odde humour or proud factious disposition Now it is properly the cause and not the punishment that maketh a martyr and therefore sayth our Saviour Mat. 13. 21. When tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word he is offended A Christians suffering is and must be well grounded upon the Word else he suffereth not as a Christian but as a busie body 1 Pet. 4. 15 16. Secondly If his cause in which he snffereth be good yet he suffereth without charitie not out of love either to God or his truth but out of selfe-love and so is worth nothing So that he that will hold out in a good cause even unto death and that in obedience to God and out of love to his truth the graces of such a man are pure gold indeed CHAP. IV. Containing the use of Consolation THirdly This Doctrine serveth for comfort and consolation to such as are truely godly and religious whatsoever thy condition be for outward things yet it is splendid and glorious within thou art truely rich rich towards God an heart full of saving grace is more worth then a purse full of gold Put case that in respect of any temporall wealth thou canst truely say with the Apostle Acts 3. 6. Silver and gold have I none yet if thou hast plentie of true saving grace thou art a rich man in Gods account full of spirituall wealth thou art rich towards God Luk. 12. 22. which is the best riches in the world God esteemeth thee more highly for thy inward wealth sc. that thou art truely golden and religious then men can despise thee for thy outward povertie and know this also for thy comfort that though the foolish blind world doe despise thee for thy povertie yet God thinketh never a whit the worse of thee in that regard for he regardeth not the rich more then the poore Iob 34. 19. Yea he thinketh better of every godly poore man then he doth of any ungodly rich man whatsoever Pro. 28. 6. Better is the poore that walketh in his integritie then he that is perverse in his wayes though he be rich A godly poore man is able to say with the Apostle in some measure 2 Cor. 5. 1. Wee know that when the earthly house of this Tabernacle shall be dissolved we have a building of God not made with hands eternall in the heavens But the wicked though never so rich yet if he be impenitent shall be turned into hell and all that forget God Yea every godly poore man that is rich in grace and endued with the true feare of God findeth better acceptance with God then any ungodly rich man whatsoever Acts 10. 35. Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him sayth the Apostle Oh how this should comfort us against the reproaches and aspersions of the world sc. that in the meane time God himselfe doth kindly accept of us and hath us in singular love for his Sonnes sake yea will manifest this love one day before men and Angels in bestowing no lesse then a Kingdome upon us Luk. 12. 32. Feare not little flocke for it is my Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome yea the great and glorious Kingdome of Heaven is provided as well for godly poore men as for the richest persons in the world Jam. 2. 5. Hearken my beloved brethren sayth the Apostle hath not God chosen the poore of the world rich in faith and heires of the kingdome which he hath promised to them that love him Oh how this may comfort us in regard of outward poverty It will keepe no man out of heaven that hath an heart full of the golden graces of Gods Spirit no more then outward wealth of it selfe can keepe a man out of hell Luk. 16. The rich man there notwithstanding all his wealth was deeply plunged into hell and Lazarus even poore Lazarus was caried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome Onely be sure that the gold which thou hast is true and right gold and not counterfeit And therefore againe and againe I exhort every one that desireth to have interest in the comfort now propounded that he be sure he be not deluded nor gulled in this case with feigned gold and counterfeit metall in stead of true saving grace indeed Now because it is on the one side so easie a thing to be deceived withall so exceeding hard and difficult for a man to be well assured that his graces are sincere besides what you have already heard in the former use I will give you two or three other signes by which you may understand that the golden graces of Gods Spirit in you are sound and not counterfeit First He that hath true grace right gold indeed will be carefull to use it to Gods glory and the good of others he is no niggard of it nor layeth it up in a Napkin but is very free and liberall in communicating what he hath for the benefit of others he is not content to be religious himselfe alone but doth earnestly desire carefully endeavour that others may have true grace and become religious as well as himselfe and his very speeches and whole cariage will manifest no lesse Psal. 37. 30 31. The mouth of

the danger of backsliding see the remedy which the Apostle prescribeth or intimateth at least in that case If any man draw backe my soule shall have no pleasure in him We are not of them that draw back● unto perdition there is the danger but of them that beleeve or follow faith to the saving of the soule there is the remedy Hebrewes 10. 38 39. If any thing make us hold out against Sathan in that dangerous conflict it must be the shield of faith whereby we may quench all the fiery darts of the wicked Ephesians 6. 16. Above all take unto you the shield of faith if any thing at all can doe you good this is it 2. It must be such a faith as worketh by love Galath 5. 6. And therefore in the second place we must labour for a loving heart if we would be constant Let us serve God for love and that will make us persevere in it Men will bee constant in the workes they love the Epicure is constant in pleasures and recreations the covetous in toyleing for the world the Student is constant at his booke And why so Because they love these things Charity will make a man hold out it hopeth all things and endureth all things saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. It never faileth ver 8. They that serve God for love resemble the Sunne that shineth more and more till the perfect day or like Mount Sion that standeth fast for ever and cannot be removed Psalm 125. 1. See how constant is Iacob in serving for Rachel Genesis 29. 20. He served seven yeares for her and they seemed but a few dayes in regard of the love that he had to her saith the Text Love set him a worke and that made him constant in it Now what a shame for us if Iacob should love Rachel better than we love God If ye love me keepe my Commandements saith our Saviour Iohn 15. 14. As if hee had said If yee love me ye will doe it Labour of love will be constant He whose bountie and charity is grounded upon true love to God will be constant in it It is an excellent place to this purpose Hebr. 6. 10. God is not unrighteous to forget your worke and labour of love which y● have shewed towards his Name But how did that appeare Surely by the constancy of it In that ye have ministred unto the Saints and doe minister i. e. this is a true signe that your charity and workes of mercy proceed from love to the Name of GOD because yee are constant in them this argueth evidently that they are labours of love Thirdly if wee would bee constant in Gods service we must labour to have our hearts fraught with the true feare of God This is one of the gifts of God that are without repentance Romans 11. 29. The feare of the Lord is cleane and endureth for ever Psalme 19. 8. Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes Proverbs 28. 14. Hee that truly feareth God will feare him alwayes this will make him constant in Gods service Ier. 32. 40. I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall never depart from me saith the Lord. The true feare of God will make us constant and therefore it is a chiefe point of wisdome to serve God with feare as is intimated in Psalme 2. 10 11. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Iudges of the earth Well wherein should they chiefely shew their wisdome Verse 11. Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling Why so Surely because then they would bee constant and keepe in the right way or else they would soone perish from it as is intimated in the next verse 12. Kisse the Sonne lest be be angry and yee perish from the right way Fourthly If we would bee constant in Gods service we must labour for a sound and an honest heart It is onely the good and the honest heart that holdeth out and bringeth forth fruit with patience Luk. 8. 15. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward affections saith David Psalme 51. 6. Because the Lord knoweth such an heart will be constant A little before the Apostle ●hewing the danger of backsliding and inconstancy in GODS service hee prescribeth this as it were a remedy to prevent that danger Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw nigh ●o God with a true heart c. Such an heart will make a man constant and firme ●ndeed therefore saith David Psa● 119. ●0 Let my heart be sound in thy sta●utes ●hat I be not ashamed A true ridden horse will hold out to the end of the journey but a tainted jade will faint at last This made the Israelites so fickle and inconstant in Gods service Psalme 78. 34. When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early afte● God Was not this well Yea so farre as man could judge it was excellent that they should so readily returne to him that smote them and so indeed it had beene if it had come form the heart but alas● there they failed Ver. 36. Neverthelesse they did but flatter him with their mouth and lyed unto him with their tongue for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his covenant This was abominable So that if wee would bee constant in GODS service wee must see that our hearts bee sound and upright else they will start aside like a broken or a deceitfull bow verse 57. Fifthly If we would bee constant in the maine duties of Gods worship and service we must take heed that wee take not liberty wilfully to offend in lesser matters I know speciall respect must bee had to the maine duties of Religion and the weighty things of the Law Matth. 23. 23 but yet we must take heede of taking liberty to offend in smaller matters agains● knowledge and conscience He that breaketh one of the least of Gods Commandements and teacheth men so the same sha● be called and accounted least in the kingdom● of heaven saith our Saviour Matthew 5 19. How great a Scholler or how strict soever he may seeme to be in other things this will lessen them in the hearts of Gods people Yea and he that at first taketh liberty wilfully to offend in trifles will at last fall away in greater matters First petty oathes then greater c. It is an excellent place to this purpose and excellently urged by a late Divine in this case Gal. 1. 7. There be some that trouble you and would pervert the Gospell of Christ No might they say they retained the Gospell onely they would have brought in a Iewish ri●e or two Circumcision which was a thing of nothing What saith the Apostle to these Galathians 2. 5. To whom we gave place by subjection no not for an houre Not for an houre Why Paul what hurt can there be in a circumstance a Ceremony or a trifle Yes if it bee urged as necessary to salvation it would soone

confessed his owne guiltinesse and the justice of God 2. Vindicated the innocency of Christ. 3. Was affected with the judgement and brought to feare God 4. Earnestly desired to worke upon his fellow servant Doest thou not feare God c. i.e. ô feare God consider what a wofull estate thou art plunged into Reasons or Motives io perswade us hereunto are foure 1. In regard of God 2. In regard of our selves 3. In regard of others 4. In regard of the excellency of Gods Ordinances 1. In regard of God because the Lord is much honoured and his Name is highly magnified and therefore hereby we shall shew our zeale for Gods glory and our ●ove unto his Majesty Gods glory in all things should be respected in the first place Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoever ye doe doe all to the glory of God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10. 31. Now surely the more people and the greater the company is that joyne together in the duties of Gods service the more glory must needs hereby redound to God for the enlarging of Christs kingdome is a chiefe meanes of advancing Gods glory This our Saviour teacheth in the very mould and course of the Lords Prayer it appeareth in the very order of the petitions 1. Hallowed be thy Name to shew that in all things in the first place Gods glory must be respected 2. Thy kingdome come there is the chiefe meanes to shew that the comming of Gods kingdome is one chiefe meanes for the hallowing of his Name and the enlarging of Christ's kingdome is a chiefe meanes for the advancing of Gods glory Matth. 6. 10 11. certainely much glory must needs hereby redound to God when we are not content only to serve God our selves but also exhort and excite and stirre up others hereunto Secondly There is another Motive to perswade us which is drawne from our selves Hereby we shall manifest the work of grace wrought in our own hearts This is a good testimony that we are truely religious indeed when wee are not content to serve God our selves but are ready to provoke and stirre up others hereunto for goodnesse is a spreader of it selfe it is ready to disperse and communicate it selfe for the good of others Yee heard what the Holy Ghost said of Barnabas Acts 11. 23. That he exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord ver 24. for he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost A good man and one that is full of the Holy Ghost is and will be ready to excite and stirre up others unto that which is good When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren said our Saviour Luk. 22. 32. He that is truly converted himselfe will be ready to be a meanes to convert and turne others to God See it in David Psalme 51. 13. Then shall I teach thy wayes to the wicked and sinners shall be converted unto thee Where there is abundance of grace in the heart it will manifest it selfe in our gracious speeches and holy communication Psal. 37. 30 31. The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisedome his tongue will bee talking of judgement the Law of his God is in his heart c. for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh saith our Saviour Matth. 12. 34. I have hid thy Word in my heart saith David Psalme 119. 11. See the fruit of this Psalm 95. 6. O come let us worship and fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker c. True grace maketh a man ready to doe good offices for others especially to perswade them to serve God and be religious Thirdly In regard of others For hereby we shall best manifest our love and respect to others yea we doe not know how much good we may doe them this way for by this we may come to save a soule from death and cover a multitude of sinnes Iam. 5. 20. Hereby we may come to be acquainted with the wayes of God our selves and others whom we perswade may be hereby converted to walke in his pathes for Psal. 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule c. See how confidently David assureth himselfe of the conversion of others upon his best endeavour to teach them Gods wayes Psal. 51. 13. Then shall I teach thy wayes to the wicked and sinners shall be converted unto thee How much more if we come to the house and Ordinances of God and bring others with us This argument Gods people have used to perswade others to goe with them to Gods house Come let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord for he will teach us of his wayes and we will walke in his pathes Isa. 2. 2 3. This is the way to bring others to the true feare of GOD as well as our selves if we can perswade them to accompany us in the constant and frequent use of Gods Ordinances Observe an excellent place to this purpose Deut. 31. 11 12. When all Israel is come to appeare before the Lord in the place that he shall choose thou shalt reade this Law before all Israel in their hearing Gather the people together men women and children and the stranger that is within thy gates Why so What good will they get this That they may heare and that they may learne and feare the Lord your God to doe all the words of this Law Where we see that the house or place of Gods worship and service must be constantly frequented and that it is not enough for us to come thither our selves but we must also bring our whole families men women and children yea the very stranger that doth but occasionally come unto us we must bring all to Gods Ordinances And lastly that hereby we are likely to be instruments of working the feare of God in the hearts of those whom we bring and so to bring them to obedience Let no man say What neede we trouble our selves with others Is it not enough for every man to looke to himselfe and to have a care that he spend time himselfe in Gods service though he doe not meddle with others For though Christian charitie begin at home yet it doth not end there but he that is truely carefull to serve God himselfe will be readie to exhort and admonish others especially those of his familie and such as are committed to his charge And if any thinke much at this yet let him know that it is no more then his dutie Heb. 3. 13. But exhort one another dayly while it is called to day Nay no man can have any good assurance that he draweth nigh to God with a true heart himselfe if he doe not doe his best endeavour to excite and stirre up others to doe so too See an excellent passage to this purpose Heb. 10. 22. 24. c. Let us draw neare with a true heart in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our