Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
heart_n	harden_v	hardness_n	pharaoh_n	2,882	5	10.8987	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69130	The Christian mans walke with the most regardable and remarkable steppes thereof, the true rule according to which, and manner how we must walke: shewing the infallible properties of the children of light. Newly published by the author Nathanael Cole, Preacher at S. Leonards Bromley in Middlesex, on the backside of Stratford-Bow neere London.	Cole, Nathaniel, 1584 or 5-1626.	1624 (1624)	STC 5534; ESTC S115975	148,624	710

according to the Apostles counsell Let vs haue grace whereby wee may serue God acceptably with reuerence and godly feare For our God is a consuming fire Heb. 12. 28. 29. proouing if God at any time will giue vs repentance to the acknowledging of the truth c. 2 Tim. 2. 25. 26. and as the Text here hath it proouing what is pleasing to the Lord. And thus much be said of the obiect it selfe what we must prooue or approoue viz. what is pleasing or acceptable to the Lord. Now for the better performance of this three-fold dutie enjoyned in the Text obserue two things 1. The Lets to bee remoued 2. The Meanes and Helpes to be vsed The Lets which doe hinder vs from proouing what is pleasing to the Lord are these First a liuing and continuing in our naturall estate vnregenerate and vnconuerted for there is such an impotency in vs by nature that wee neither doe neither can prooue know or discerne what is pleasing or displeasing to the Lord nay tell a naturall man of this dutie and he accounts it but foolishnes and foppery too much nicenesse and precisenesse and so makes but a mocke of it The naturall man perceiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can hee know them for they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. Secondly Ignorance is a maine Let to this dutie Thus through ignorance the Gentiles had their vnderstanding darkened and were strangers from the life of God and committed sinne with all greedinesse whereby they wholly displeased the Lord Ephes 4. 18. 19. Ignorance I meane both meere and simple carelesse wilfull and affected both of God his word and will reuealed Thirdly a maine Let to this dutie is Hardnesse of heart this is a cause of the former Thus the Gentiles had their vnderstanding darkened through their ignorance because of the blindenesse or hardnesse of their heart Ephes 4. 18. Thus the more meanes God vsed for the good of Pharaoh had he had the grace to haue made vse of them the more hee hardened his heart as we reade at large Exod God gaue Iesabell a space to repent but shee repented not Reuel 2. 21. it was her hardnesse of heart that hindred her so Rom. 2. 5. and ler. 19. 15. They hardened their neckes that they might not heare his words Fourthly Vnregenerate wills when as God in his word so often commandeth vs this three-sold dutie vseth all the meanes that may be especially the Preaching of his Word that God may iustly say What could I haue done more for my Vineyard and yet we will not This is another maine let It was the sinne of Ierusalem as our S●uiour Christ saith O Ierusalem Ierusalem which killest the Prephets and stonest them which are sent vnto thee how often would I haue gathered you together as a Henne gathereth her Chickens vnder her wings and ye would not Math. 23. 37. Thus saith the Lord Stand ye in the waies and see and aske for the olde pathes where is the good way and walke therein and yee shall finde rest for your soules but they said we will not walke therein Also I set watch men ouer you saying Hearken to the sound of the trumpet but they said wee will not hearken Ier. 6. 16. 17. Fiftly Carnall Wisedome or to be carnally minded for such doe minde onely the things of the flesh and to be carnally minded is death because the carnall minde is enmity against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeede can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom 8. 5. 6. 7. 8. Sixtly Vnbeliefe either not to belieue the truth of Gods word at all or else though wee belieue it to bee true in generall yet wee cannot apply it to our selues in particular It is not possible for such a man to profit by the word or to please God For vnto vs was the Gospell Preached as well as vnto them but the Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Heb. 4. 2. And without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. And whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14. 23. Seauenthly Vnsanctified Affections as pride hatred malice and the like al which doe hinder the word and the worke of Gods spirit in the heart that they cannot possibly prooue or approoue what is pleasing to the Lord Thus through pride or hatred or both Korah and his comp●ny gathered themselues together against Moses and Aaron and said vnto them Yee take too much vpon you Numb 16. 1. 2. 3. And the like we haue in these daies who so saucily speake against Gods Ministers who goe about to teach them what is acceptable to the Lord they thinke presently we take too much vpon vs against such I may say as Christ said they are but dogs and swine and if we cast pearles before them or giue holy things vnto them they will trample them vnder their feete and turning againe all to rent vs Math. 7. 6. Thus when the good Prophet Micaiah prophecied concerning Ahab according to the word of the Lord Ahab because hee hated him 1 King 22. 8. commanded Micaiah to bee put into prison and to be fed with bread and water of affliction 1 King 22. 27 Thus pride in Korah and hatred in Ahab bred all this contention and hindred them from proouing what is well-pleasing to God according as Salomon saith Onely by pride commeth contention Prou. 13. 10. Therefore if wee would profit by the word to learne from thence what is acceptable to God wee must cast away and lay aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and enuies and euill speakings and so as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that we may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2. 1. 2. and as S. Iames saith We must lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of malitiousnesse and receiue with meekenesse the engrafted word Iam. 1. 21. For where such corrupt affections as these and the like as enuie and strife are there is confusion and euery euill worke This is not wisedome from aboue but earthly sen●uall and diuellish Iam. 3. 15. 16. Eightly Presumption when we too much presume of the mercy of God This hindreth a number from proouing what is pleasing to God for either it makes men carelesse in performing what God commandeth or secure in auoiding what hee forbiddeth it makes men negligent in good duties cold in religion and hereby they either take occasion to sinne more freely or to deferre and post off their repentance to the last or else to liue and die in their sinnes without faith and repentance without which there is no pleasing of God and lastly it makes men cast off all care of doing good and to contemne the meanes of their saluation and all because they presume too farre that God is mercifull In a word these are great Lets to the proouing what

14. and this comes to passe by reason of the hardnesse of heart which blindes the vnderstanding Hauing the vnderstanding darkened through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their hearts Ephes 4. 18. God gaue Iesabell a space to repent there was his offer and reuealed will but she repented not there was her refusall hardning her heart Reuel 2. 21. Vse 4 Lastly this reprooues all immoderate sorrow impatiency discontentment vnwillingnesse vnthankefulnesse whereby especially in time of affliction men shew themselues displeased with that which is Gods will and if they might haue their own wils they would neuer haue the least crosse so long as they may liue in health wealth peace liberty and abound in worldly prosperitie they like it well but when trouble comes they murmure and complaine against God they like not then to retaine God in their knowledge Rom. 1 yea when tribulation and persecution ariseth because of the word by and by they are offended Math. 13. 21. and in time of temptation they fail away Luke 8. 13. In a word we must take great heede of hardnesse of heart vnregenerate wills vnsanctified affections as pride hatred malice and the like all which doe greatly hinder vs that wee cannot approoue of what is acceptable and pleasing to the Lord And thus much bee said of the word Proouing that is searching and trying vnderstanding and knowing by experience liking of approouing and allowing what is the will of God proouing what is acceptable to the Lord. And thus I conclude this first point with that louing exhortation of the Apostle I beseech you brethren by the mercy of God that ye present your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable seruice And be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prooue what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God Rom. 12. 1. 2. Here ends the first Sermon THE SECOND SERMON vpon this FIRST STEPPE Proouing what is acceptable to the Lord Ephes 5. 10. WEe haue heard hitherto of the dutie it selfe now I proceede to the second point in the Text namely what must be prooued and approoued The thing then which we must prooue is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is acceptable or wel-pleasing to the Lord It is the counsell of the Apostle 1 Thes 5. 21. Try all things hold fast that which is good as if he should haue said as I would not haue you despise prophecying so I would not haue you to admit and approoue of euery Doctrine without discretion but to prooue the doctrines and hold fast onely that which is good I would haue you to trie the Doctrines by the Touch-stone of Gods word and not to be carried away with euery winde of doctrine Ephes 4. 14. I would haue you try the spirits whether they be of God or no but not to belieue euery spirit 1 Iohn 4. 1. I would haue you to approoue of nothing but what is well-pleasing to God Thus I desire that ye may walke worthy of the Lord vnto all pleasing Colos 1. 9. 10. And I beseech you brethren and exhort you by the Lord Iesus that as ye haue receiued of vs how yee ought to ●●lke and to plea●e God so yee would abound more and more 1 Thes 4. 1. and as the Text hath it to walke proouing what is acceptable to the Lord or well-pleasing to God Not what is pleasing to men for if we seeke to please men wee are not the seruants of Christ Gal. 1. 10. Not to seeke and prooue what is the pleasure of the Pope as the Papists doe Not what is pleasing to the world for he that will be a friend to the world is an enemy to God Iam. 4. 4. and the wisedome of the world is foolishnesse with God 1 Cor. 3. 19. Not what is pleasing to our owne corrupt natures affections humors dispositions for this is to liue vnto our selues and not to the will of God which is forbidden 1 Pet. 4. 1. 2. Not what is pleasing to the diuell for so we fall into the suare of the Diuell and are taken captine hy him at his will 2 Tim. 2. 26. but what is well-pleasing to the Lord that if it be agreeable to his word then to receiue it if disagreeing to his word then to reiect it if the word commands it wee must doe it if the word forbid it wee must leaue it vndone and thus shall we walke proouing what is pleasing to the Lord. For our better vnderstanding of this point I will handle it first Generally shewing what that is in generall which is acceptable or pleasing to the Lord secondly more particularly what the pleasure and will of God is and wherein it doth consist Generally that is acceptable or pleasing to God which is agreeable to the will of God this and onely this is well-pleasing to the Lord therefore the Apostle exhorting vs to proue what is pleasing to the Lord explaines himselfe afterwards speaking of the same thing in the 17. Verse be not vnwise but vnderstand what the will of the Lord is Thus to please God and in all things to obey Gods will are all one and often taken for the same in Scriptures S. Iohn saith 1 Epist 3. 22. Whatsoeuer wee aske wee receiue of God because we doe those things which are pleasing in his sight Which hee explaines afterwards speaking of the same thing This is the confidence that we haue in him that if wee aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs 1 Iohn 5. 14. And so the Apostle in his prayer sheweth saying The God of peace make you perfect in euery good worke to doe his will working in you that which is wel-pleasing in his sight Heb. 13. 21. where he giueth vs to vnderstand that a good worke and well-pleasing to the Lord is that which is done according to his will and which hee worketh by his spirit in his children And so on the contrary that is displeasing to the Lord which is disagreeable and contrary vnto the will of God When they murmured against God complaining that they had nothing but Manna they forgat God and were vnthankefull this was contrary vnto Gods will and this displeased the Lord Psal 78. at large Yea forty yeares long was God grieued with this generation Psal 95. 10. and they please not God and are contrary to all men 1 Thes 2. 15. because they did such things as were not according to the will of God but contrary vnto it as they killed the Lord Iesus and their owne Prophets and persecuted the Apostles and the like Secondly then wee are said to doe that which is well-pleasing to the Lord or acceptable to the Lord when we labour in vprightnesse of he art to keepe Gods commandements as on the contrarie we doe as highly displease God when wee breake his commandements Whatsoeuer we aske of God wee receiue because wee keepe his