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
A86526	The faithful covenanter. A sermon preached at the lecture in Dedham in Essex. By that excellent servant of Iesus Christ, in the work of the Gospel, Mr. Tho. Hooker, late of Chelmsford; now in New England. Very usefull in these times of covenanting with God.	Hooker, Thomas, 1586-1647.	1644 (1644)	Wing H2648; Thomason E81_18; ESTC R15313	27,284	46

at here Now brethren to set the truth upon his right ground for the opening of the point take notice of three things Three things First what are the termes required in the Covenant Secondly where in this Covenant consists or what is the substance of this Covenant Thirdly the reason why the Commandement is called a Covenant First of the termes required in the Covenant of us under the Gospel The tenure of the Law is in a double consider●tion First a legall performance of the Commandements Secondly an Evangelicall performance and obedience These are the two termes of conveyance of this Covenant The Law in the legall performance requires three things that a man out of his personall holinesse keepe it perfectly and exactly and that to purchase and obtaine life by this obedience This is obedience according to the strictnesse and rigor of the Law wherein it will not abate an haire of what God requires but it must be fulfilled every jot and that out of a mans owne personall holinesse and that in way of life Thus it was a Covenant betweene God and Adam onely Adam in his innocencie God gave him a good Law by vertue of which he should have lived if he had kept it and by that holinesse he had by gift and creation he was able to keepe every minime and tittle of the precepts of the Lord and to obtaine life thereby But this Covenant is not continued with us is not required at our hands no man doth or can performe the Law out of his owne holinesse and goodnesse exactly to obtain life thereby Rom. 6.24 We are not under the Law Rom 6.14 but under Grace that is we are not bound to the strictnesse and rigour of the Law that a man should not live if he have in him any weakenesse and failings therein we are free from the rigour and curse and punishment of the Law Secondly Evangelicall obedience Obedience to the Law of God according to moderation and the mitigation of the Gospel so farre as God is pleased to accept of what we can doe through Christ in way of thankefulnesse not what we should doe in regard of the exactnesse God looks for at our hands though we have no power of our own we can not performe the Law exactly yet if we according to the measure of grace received walk in this obedience as well as we can in token of our thankfulnesse this is the tenure of the Covenant made with us The second ●art of the conveyance of the Covenant in it take notice of three things First we have not power of ourselves to keepe it Secondly we cannot perfectly performe it by that power we have Thirdly when we walke in obedience to it we look not for life and salvation thereby The scope of Evangelicall obedience is to glorifie God and to expresse the Covenant by obedience in way of thankfulnesse and to procure comfort to our soules We are saved by the Covenant of faith Beleeve and live Ioh. 3.15.16.36 not doe and live This Covenant whereof we entreat and whereof the Text is to be understood is not the Covenant whereby we shall obtaine justification but an evidence and signe we are justified and accepted of God Rom. 8.3.4 Rom. 8.3.4 That which was impossible to the Law in that it was weake through the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh That which was impossible to the Law c. that can never bring any man to salvation but onely Christ redeemed us fully and satisfied for us and he performed what God required and by that we stand just in the presence of God But being justified and made acceptable the Lord requires that we expresse the Covenant and walke answerable unto it expresse the vertues of him that hath called us Brethren you must not trust to your new obedience to expect life from it it is onely an evidence that God hath shewed mercy to you it makes not you good but shewes that you are good Evangelicall obedience according to the measure of grace received is all that God lookes for Not that there is worth in this to purchase salvation It is an evidence to us that the Lord graciously looks upon us in Christ Iesus it is the way that we must walke in to salvation Secondly Wherein doth this Covenant consist It stands in three things first when in inward uprightnesse and singlenesse of heart we labour to be caried in vertue of Gods command not to doe what God requires onely but because God requires it many of you come to the Church not because God commands it then you would not lie or be drunke or have secret base covetous humours for God commands you should not doe so as well as he commands you should come to the Church If a command cary in any thing it will cary in every thing But the frame of an Evangelicall heart is to the Covenant that is the spring of a mans practise the first mover the waight that makes him strik in obedience to every Commandement and approve inwardly of every Commandement of God have not a secret distast of some and a love of others he is covetous to be drunke but will not be covetous covetous to come to Church but will not humble his soule privately Though many failings be in him and many rubs and hubs in the way yet the bent of his soule is to Gods Commandement Cast a Bowle though there be a rub here and hub there in the way which turne it out yet it sals upon the Bias so an upright heart though he meet with many hinderances within and without yet the Bias of the soule the bent is to God-ward still to all his Commandements labouring to expresse the vertues of God which hath called him Secondly there must be an answerable expression and putting forth of this inward disposition and frame of heart outwardly in tongue and life If you had a good heart you would have a good life and a good tongue If it be within it will breake forth you that are fretfull proud stubborne peevish stout froward and nothing but fiddle faddle and lament it not and thinke your heart is good and you love the Commandements you deceive your selves If it were so you would have a good tongue too and be meeke and humble I will not give a Rush for that man Religion that is not in some measure obedient this way James 1.26 What saith the Apostle If any man seeme to be relig●ous and r●fra●ne not his tongue that mans Religion is in vaine There must be an expression of the inward goodnesse of the heart by the outward convers●…ion a good sap in the botome good b●anches and fruit on the lop Matth. 12.3 5. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things If goodnesse be in the heart brethren it will be brought forth in life If such bad

this cary it home with you and examining your selves know the Lord will have sinceritie from you Secondly it is a word of consolation Vse 2. this is a marvellous comfort to those that love and feare the Lord all you whose hearts answer It is thus with you lift up your heads with joy for this will uphold you and make you * Luk. 21.28 lift up your heads with comfort in all your troubles and in the day of the Lord When your redemption draweth nigh Isa 3.10 Isa 3.10 say It shall goe well with the godly I say to that man what ever come it shall goe well with him We use to say without doubt without danger A man that owes nothing he cares not for any Pursevant or Sergeant or Baily he feares them not for he knowes they have nothing to doe with him This is a marvellous comfort to him so it ought to be to a sincere heart that hath paid his debt to God when trouble seises upon him you know what Hezekiah said 2 King 20.3 Good Lord remember how I have walked before thee with an upright heart Isa 38.3 If a man be arrested upon a false ground the Law will baile him there is no Law against him Thinke of that brethren Gal. 5.21 Galat. 5.22 The fruits of the Spirit are love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith * Vers 23. meekenesse temperance against such there is no Law There is no Law to punish or condemne them or accuse them Therefore blessed are your soules that are sincere and upright in heart conversation alwaies to all Gods Commandements in publique in private in ordinarie times and extraordinarie there is no law against you whatsoever Satan or the world say against you there is no law in the Booke of God to condemne you Psal 119.6 Psal 119.6 Then shall I not be confounded when I have respect to all thy Commandements In the times of all dangers and of all miseries which are like to seise upon us soone if the Land should be over-run and friends and means faile here is comfort to every faithfull soule Psal 103.15 All flesh is grasse * Psal 103.15 the winde passeth over it Vers 16. and it is gone Vers 17. ver 17. but the loving kindnesse of the Lord endures for ever and ever Upon whom brethren Vpon them that feare him and thinke upon his covenants to doe them Marke how he sustaines himselfe life goe friends goe meanes goe all flesh is grasse Vers 15. the winde passeth over it and it is gone meanes are gone how then brethren vers 17. Vers 17. But the goodnesse of the Lord endures for ever and ever Though Libertie be gone the Spirit of the Lord endures though means be gone the mercy of God endures Psal 136. all though friends be gone the favour of the Lord endures The loving kindnesse of the Lord endures for ever Upon whom upon them that feare him and thinke upon his Covenants to doe them Though a poore soule fare meanly and live hardly all helps gone the Winde hath passed over them and libertie is gone honour is gone life is going nothing endures yet lift up thy soule in sicknesse and say My health is gone my strength is gone my life is going but the loving kindnesse of the Lord endures for ever Vers 18. upon every soule that keepes his Commandements and thinks upon his Covenants to doe them Lastly for a word of exhortation Vse 4. Is the Commandement of God his Covenant and is the keeping of that the way to obtaine mercy and happinesse here and for ever then goe away if you will and be dishonest still and breake Covenant with the Lord. The very name of dishonestie me thinks should move you brethren to be faithfull in your Covenant and to set on speedily and to be exceeding watchfull and carefull and to performe what you have promised to the Lord. Reason should move you What not keepe Covenant especially with the Lord What shall we make promises to the Lord and enter into Covenant with him and not keep it Let it for shame never be said of us brethren Marke what David saith Psal 119 11. I have hid thy Commandements in my heart that I might not sinne against thee His minde ran of them and his tongue talked of them continually Amongst men brethren you would not have your credit cracked for any thing and you doe honestly A good name is a Jewell But doe thus with the Lord brethren Hath not the Lord kept touch with you in all his promises Did you ever beg any thing of him and he not heare you Why doe you not keepe touch with the Lord Shame your selves for this I beseech you Men in the world if they breake in their estates they have this love and humanitie in them that if any lose then it shall be they that did deale most hardly with them and that got most by them when they were in trading but this kinde friend that was kinde to him and lent him monie sometime in his need he shall not lose a penny by him O saith he I had a friend of him I could never come to him but he would receive me This is honestie and faire and equall O consider of this brethren we have hard bargains at the hands of the world and of the devill and sinne many knocks of soule and girds of conscience with them But the Lord hath beene ever gracious mercifull loving and kinde to us resolve therefore that the Lord shall never lose by you let the world lose if it will and let carnall friends and sinne and Satan lose if they will Let not the Lord lose but resolve what ever becomes of it I will pray constantly and reade in my family morning and evening and upon every occasion and reforme my waies It is not needfull that I should be rich it is that I be sincere and faithfull to the Lord I will labour for a good conscience and endevour to walke with God FINIS Imprimatur Ja. Cranford