Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	fruit_n	good_a	treasure_n	4,153	5	10.5915	5	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A47164	The Presbyterian and independent visible churches in New-England and else-where brought to the test, and examined according to the doctrin of Holy Scriptures ... : more particulary directed to those in New-England, and more generally to those in old England, Scotland, Ireland, &c. : with a call and warning from the Lord to the people of Boston and New-England, to repent, &c. : and two letters to the preachers in Boston, and an answer to the gross abuses, lies and slanders of Increase Mather and Nath. Morton, &c. / by George Keith.	Keith, George, 1639?-1716.	1691 (1691)	Wing K191; ESTC R21261	124,580	240

just Man and perfect in his Generation and Noah walked with God Another place they cite Rom. 3.9 Answ This place is as impertinently alledged as the former for it is plain that Paul there describeth the condition of Men both Jews and Gentiles as they are generally under the Law and before they have Faith in Christ as is clear from Verse 19. Now we know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law But no where can it be found in Scripture that there are none of these who are under Grace that are righteous Men and made free from Sin but the contrary is manifest which expresly testifieth of many righteous and perfect Men in their Generation both before and after Christ came in the Flesh who pleased God and were Men of good Hearts and good Lives and especially Enoch is recorded to have walked with God by Faith of whom nothing blame worthy is mentioned in any one particular And Christ speaking of good men saith A good Tree cannot bring forth evil Fruit and a good Man out of the good Treasure of his Heart bringeth forth good things But to apply these words Rom. 3.9 and the following words to the Saints generally as these Faith publishers do sutes more with Ranters than sober Christians see and well consider the words from Verse 10. to Verse 19. There is none Righteous no not one there is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God they are gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that d●th good no not one Their Throat is an open Sepulchre with their Tongues they have used Deceit the poyson of Asps is under their Lips whose Mouth is full of Cursing and Bitterness their Feet are swift to shed Blood Destruction and Misery are in their ways and the way of Peace they have not known there is no Fear of God before their Eyes O ye Presbyterian and Independent Teachers of New-England and Old How are ye not ashamed to apply these words to all God's true Saints Yea to the best that ever lived in the best state and to bring them as a proof against the possibility of the Saints perfection in this Life For if these Words do hold forth the best condition of the Saints that ever they were in upon Earth ye may as well say all Men yea the worst of Men are Saints or the Saints are the worst of Men and there is no difference of Men at all but all are equally wicked equally ungodly unholy unrighteous which is indeed the plain and express Language of Ranters Libertines Atheists some of whom to the wounding and loathing of my Soul I have heard so affirm But we cannot grant unto you that any of God's Saints are in that state and condition described by Paul in that place Rom. 3. from verse 9. to verse 19 and 20. which Words he citeth out of some of the Psalms of David describing the state of Men as they are in the fallen state and before the new Birth and spiritual Regeneration in Christ But thus to confound these so differing states is to confound Heaven and Earth yea rather Heaven and Hell and to soppose a concord betwixt Light and Darkness God and Belial Christ and Antichrist But let it be known unto you we can allow none of God's true Saints to be such as are there described by Paul Rom. 3. from verse 9. to 19. But it doth too much sute and quadrate with many of your supposed New-England Saints who have most bitterly and falsly accused God's Servants called in scorn Quakers and most cruelly whipped imprisoned and robed many of them and hanged some of them It may be well enough said of them indeed Their Throat is an open Sepulchre with their Tongues they have used Deceit the poyson of Asps is under their Lips whose Mouth is full of Cursing and Bitterness their Feet are swift to shed Blood destruction and misery are in their ways c. Take this home to you and blame not me for the Application seeing ye make it your selves and judge it to be your own condition 5. And that the said Doctrin viz. The best of the Saints by the greatest Grace of God given in this Life cannot perfectly keep the Commandments of God but doth daily break them in Thought Word and Deed and cannot be free from Sin for term of Life but must sin so long as they live and are only set free from sinning after Death as they expresly word it in answer to Quest 89. larger Catechism is not only warranted by any place of Scripture but is most expresly contrary to Scripture in many places and is quite opposite to the very Nature of the New Covenant and Gospel Dispensation and highly injurious to the Lord Jesus Christ tending to make void and of none effect the very end of his coming and to frustrate his exceeding rich Grace and also it is most wofully injurious to Mens Souls not only discouraging Men to press after Perfection in Holiness and Freedom from Sin but tending to encourage them in sloath and neglect to live and die in their Sins and yet for all this be Saints and immediately go to Heaven although they both live and die in their Sins And first That the said Doctrin is expresly contrary to Scripture see Rom. 6.18 Being then made free from Sin ye became the Servants of Righteousness And Chap. 8.2 3 4 5. and Verse 9. and Chap. 6.6 7 8. John 8.32 33 34 35 36. Ephes 4.13 Coloss 1.28 Heb. 7.19 Next God did promise in the New Covenant That he would pour clean Water upon his People and they should be clean from all their Filthiness Ezek. 36.25 c. and he would write his Law in their Hearts Jer. 31.33 and put his Spirit in their inward parts and give them a Heart of Flesh and a new Heart and a new Spirit and put his Fear in their Hearts that they shall not depart from him And surely all this doth plainly hold forth a freedom from a total sinning and that daily in Thought Word and Deed. Thirdly The very end of Christ's coming was to save his People from their Sins and not in their Sins to put an end to Sin and to finish Transgression and bring in everlasting Righteousness Dan. 9.24 and to do or effect that which the Law could not do viz. to destroy Sin and him who hath the power of Death to wit the Devil that the Righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.4 And the Lord said unto Paul 2 Cor. 12.9 My Grace is sufficient for thee But if it cannot preserve any Soul one day or hour or moment from sinning actually in Thought Word and Deed it cannot be understood to be sufficient and Paul said Where Sin did abound Grace hath much more abounded and he was able through Christ that strengthened him to do

process of time so changed and renewed that they become good Ground and bring forth good Fruit to the end So the more stony and thorny that the Heart is the more labour is to be used to make it good which by the Grace of God may well be done Sixthly The Parable of the ten Virgins five whereof were foolish hath the same signification for these five foolish Virgins had some Oyl in their Lamps but not being wise to get enough they spent what they had and so their Lamps went out for though they had Oyl in their Lamps otherwise their Lamps could not have gone out yet they had not in their Vessels as the wise Virgins had and so when they were called at midnight to meet the Bride-groom they had no Oyl at all neither in their Lamps or Vessels see Mat. 25. from Verse 1. to 12. Seventhly It is expresly said Ezek. 18.24 and 26 27. When a righteous Man turneth away from his Righteousness and committeth Iniquity he shall die And again when the wicked Man turneth away from his Wickedness and doth that which is lawful and right he shall live And Eighthly The example of David is a most clear Instance who fell from his Integrity by these two great and capital Sins of Adultery and Murther and brought Death upon him and had not God renewed him again by Repentance and restored him he had dyed in his Sins and perished and this fall of his was total though not final because God restored him before he dyed But to say as these Faith-publishers say and affirm That no Men once sanctified in the least measure can fall totally from their Sanctification though committing Murder and Adultery as was the case of David see Cap. 17. Sect. 1. and Cap. 11.5 of their Confession nor from their Justification is not only a most false and pernicious Doctrin but a most wonderful piece of Confusion For if he that is both Murderer and Adulterer in the very act and remaining in that or these Sins without Repentance for some time are really Saints and justified then who may be said not to be Saints Or what difference is there betwixt the Saints and no Saints betwixt the godly and the wicked good men and evil men If a man that is both Murderer and Adulterer be a real Saint and a justified man then the worst of men may generally believe they are true and real Saints and ye cannot convince them of the contrary For by what means can they be convinced thereof Tell them of their Sins Lying Stealing Drunkenness Swearing Murther and Adultery none of all this according to this wicked Doctrin doth prove them to be no Saints or that they have not true Faith and therefore if they die in these gross Sins they must go to Heaven immediately because they shall die in Faith they shall die sanctified and justified men than which I know no greater Confusion and daubing with untempered Morter and sewing Pillows under Peoples Arm-holes like the false Teachers of Old and prophecying smooth things unto People in their Sins and flattering them yea imboldning and encouraging them to Sin And no doubt many are wofully imboldned and encouraged to run into Sin and excess of Sin by such poysonous Doctrin that these false Teachers feed them with that is like sweet Poyson that though it be sweet to the Flesh yet it kills the Soul Doth not the Scripture say The Soul that sinneth shall die and the Wages of Sin is death And as every Sin doth in some measure kill the Soul so great Sins such as Murder and Adultery than which we can hardly suppose any greater unless that unpardonable Sin of Blasphemy against the holy Ghost do wholly kill and destroy the Soul insomuch that if any such Soul ever be saved it must be by a new Creation and renewing and of this David was well sensible when after God was pleased spiritually to visit and awaken him again he prayed unto God saying Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Psal 51.10 And thus according to these false Teachers there is no mortal Sin that any Soul once quickned in the least degree can commit and the same Sin that is mortal in the unbeliever is not mortal in him that once was a believer as Murder Adultery yea Incest or worse is no mortal Sin in one and yet is a mortal Sin in the other Doth not this loose the reins to all sorts of Wickedness and make God a respecter of Persons and Faith a sort of Proof that though men once having Faith commit the worst sort of Sins as Murder Adultery Incest Rapine yet their Faith is a sort of proof unto them that none of these Sins doth or can kill them They are still Saints for all this and justified in the sight of God and if Saints then good enough to be your Church-Members yea Members of the Independent or Congregational Church Why what doth hinder but they are as real and lawful Members of the Church as any others And if Murderers and Adulterers while such are still Saints and qualified to be your Church-Members it is no wonder that your Church be large and have a great number of Members It is no great difficulty to be a Member of that Church when a Murderer an Adulterer can be a Member of it Is this your pretence to Reformation And why ye estimate your Church more holy than the Church of Rome But is not your Church and Doctrin in this respect much more unholy For the Church of Rome saith All gross or great Sins as Fornication Adultery Murder and the like are really mortal Sins in all that commit them without respect of Persons and whoever commit such Sins are fallen from their state in Grace And so saith the Scripture 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God The which Kingdom of God is a state of Grace as well as of Glory And here we see the Apostle Paul maketh no distinction betwixt one that hath formerly believed and one that hath not believed but without distinction or respect of Persons he concludeth in general against them all that while such they cannot inherit the Kingdom of God But according to this Westminster and New-England Confession of Faith Fornicators and Murderers and Adulterers that have at any time once believed do still inherit the Kingdom of God to wit a state of Grace which is in a true sense the Kingdom of God and is frequently so called in Scripture And thus it doth most evidently appear that their Doctrin in this particular is Antichristian and contrary to the Doctrin of the holy Scriptures And to say that Murder or Adultery in him that hath once truly believed is not a mortal or killing Sin but is a mortal Sin in him that hath not believed is not only to make God a respecter of Persons in the worst sense

great Love of God towards the believing Ephesians and Thessalonians for his chusing them and so for all other Believers of all other Churches and People that God had chosen them from the beginning and for this he said he laboured and endured all things even for the sake of the Elect that they might be saved 2 Tim. 2.10 And as it is the great work and end of all faithful Ministers to gather Gods elect every where scattered so of the Angels Mat. 24.31 and so also of Christ Jesus according to John 6.39 cap. 10.27 28 29. Isa 43.5 6 7 8. Rom. 11.7 And thus we find a great difference betwixt some that were invited to come to the Supper who when they refused were no more called but sentence passed against them that they should not taste of the Supper and others that were compelled to come in Luke 14.23 24. not by using any violent Compulsion but by infallible Perswasions and Motions of his Spirit of Love and Grace that shall infallibly prevail with them Nor doth this give to any Man the least occasion either to presume or despair as by saying Either I am elected or not if not elected I cannot be saved for that doth not follow and yet it is most true that either a Man shall be saved or he shall not being contradictory Propositions whereof the one is always true and the other not But this doth not infer that he who shall not be saved could not be saved And seeing no Man certainly knoweth that he shall not before he discover it by his final Impenitency therefore it is the wisdom of every Man to improve with all diligence that inward Grace and all outward means and helps afforded him the which if he do according to his ability he shall infallibly be saved And though it is most true that there is a certain number elected in Christ Jesus the elect Head and Foundation and corner Stone living and precious that is infallibly known unto God which make up a compleat intire and perfect Body yet seeing none knoweth that great Mystery who is in any danger to abuse it it is great folly for any Man to presume that he is safe or upon a bare supposition which can infer no positive conclusion to resolve to be in any respect negligent And he that by the Grace of God doth know both his calling and election that knowledge hath its proper tendency to make him the more diligent to abound in all due Obedience and Thankfulness which is the only way to retain the knowledge of it after it is once obtained And the said above-mentioned Dilemma is as idle and foolish as who would argue I shall live for a Month or Year to come or I shall not if I shall not I need take no care to save my life seeing I shall die If I shall I need take no care for without taking care I shall live for seeing both these parts of the Argument are but Hypothetical they can infer no positive Conclusion But as to a Mans Salvation the only safe and sure way of arguing is this If I use the Grace and Means that God hath given me I shall infallibly be saved and if I do not use them I have no ground to expect that I shall and therefore let me with all diligence that is possible make use of them But the Doctrin of absolute Reprobation that maketh Salvation or the effectual use of the means absolutely impossible to many thousands yea as they say to the greatest part of Mankind is a most woful and miserable Discouragement unto People 3. The Lord Jesus Christ by means of his Death hath procured unto all Men both Jews and Gentiles as the fruit and effect of his death an inward Principle of divine Grace Light Life and Power that is the free Gift of God unto them in the hearts of all Men together with subordinate and concurring outward Means and Helps more or less but sufficient unto all Men whereby they may be saved one time or another before the end of the World and the ordinary outward means of Salvation is the preaching of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ even Jesus of Nazareth that was crucified for our Sins and rose again for our Justification by qualified Men or failing of them by reading or hearing read the holy Scriptures by which after a sort the Prophets Apostles preach unto all men or failing of these outward means God supplying them by his inward Teachings and Revelations in mens hearts and some other secret ways and manners of his divine Providences Dealings and Dispensations unknown to most Men For the proof of the first part see Rom. 5.18 Therefore as by the offence of one Judgment came upon all Men to Condemnation even so by the Righteousness of one the free Gift is come upon all men unto Justification of Life the which Righteousness of one is the active and passive Obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ by which the free Gift is come upon all The which free Gift is called Grace and the Gift of Righteousness and is expressed in this Chapter by four sundry Greek Words in the Greek Text as Charis Charisma Dorea Dorema all very significant see further John 1.9 He was that true Light that lighteth every Man that cometh into the World And he is called The Light of Men John 1.4 and John 8.12 I am the Light of the World he that followeth me shall not walk in Darkness but shall have the Light of Life And Tit. 2.11 12. For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all Men teaching us to deny Vngodliness c. And Verse 13. Looking for that blessed Hope and the glorious appearing of that great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Ephes 3.6 That the Gentiles should be fellow Heirs and of the same Body and partakers of his Promise in Christ by the Gospel Col. 1.26 27. The Mystery which hath been hid from Ages and Generations but now is made manifest to his Saints to whom God would make known what is the Riches of the Glory of this Mystery in the Gentiles which is Christ in you the Hope of Glory And Rom. 10.8 The Word is nigh thee in thy Mouth and in thy Heart and that is the Word of Faith which we preach And verse 6 7. He understandeth it of Christ which Moses preached in the People of Israel Deut. 30.14 And because this great Mystery which was in the Gentiles was much hid in the time of the Law and in all Ages of the world until Christ came in the Flesh both in Jews and Gentiles as Paul called it The Mystery hid from Ages and Generations therefore the Psalmist Psal 67.2 prayeth saying That thy Way may be known upon Earth thy saving Health or thy Jesus Hebr in all Nations For he saw that it was in them but as it were hid and vailed according to the weakness and darkness of that Dispensation and therefore he prayed