Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	hear_v	heart_n	word_n	17,963	5	4.3726	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31008	Preparatory-grace in conversion briefly stated and examined / by Thomas Barnes.	Barnes, Thomas.	1699 (1699)	Wing B873; ESTC R25265	8,796	26

as well as for Christ Here is the Christian who hath more real Holiness than the most splendid Hypocrite in the World And yet this Christian confesses that but for Christ's Righteousness his best Duties would undoe him He is as much for Holiness as God would have him be but still takes care that his Holiness be not put in the room of what God has done for him by his Son The Man is not onely convinced that he must have the White Garments of Holiness but he is further convinced he must have the White Rayment of Christ if ever he get it at all Hence he makes a bold venture with them in the Gospel for a Touch of his Garments to make him whole Others he leaves to their Forms and Complements in Religion all the Preparation the Man I speak of desires is that he may have leave to cast himself at the feet of his Judge and acknowledge his own Vileness At such a pungent rate doth the Spirit in Conversion press the Sinner he sees plainly that some with their Preparations stick in their Preparations all their days but the convinced Sinner does not tarry there Thirdly The Soul is made sensible of the difficulty of Faith To Flesh and Blood he finds it utterly impossible to believe O then Men make a Noise with their Abilities this poor Man cries I believe Lord help my Unbelief He will tell you that going to Christ is the longest the heardest step he ever took in his Life Whatever he be doing and whatever Providences he be under for help he has ever recourse to his Jesus If he Prays he goes to Christ in Prayer or else he knows his Prayer is lost If to the Lord's Supper therein also he goes to Christ It is not the work done but the enjoyment of Christ in it wherein his heart terminates In a word this is the sum of a Christian whereas we are all going some whither some to their Riches some to their Duties most to the Creatures this Man from the first Minute of his Conversion to the last of his life is following after Christ Some indeed who are at ease in Sion begin wantonly to ask us what do we mean by going unto Christ Surely Sirs our blessed Lord meant somewhat when he bid the Weary and Heavy-laden come to him Come to me Why in plain English do not run away from Me do not turn your backs of Me but come to Me. And I speak freely I 'm afraid we grow into a dislike of the thing that makes us object childish Cavils against the Name Well then the sensible Sinner improves the Grace that is in the external Call and turns it into an Argument thus with Christ Lord saies he thou callest me by thy Gospel give me Grace to answer this thy Call Thou must cause as well as call me to come or otherwise thy Call will be ineffectual Thus he pleads for Mercy as the Penitent Thief did upon the Cross Luke 23.42 Remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom It 's not amiss to Note how by this Example Christ triumph'd over the ignominy of his Cross by pardoning a Sinner a vile Sinner viler than the Death he died These two crucified Wretches had been woful Companions in Sin whatever Light whatever Knowledge whatever Educations they had been under not to stay to enquire into their History both came alike to a Tragical End So far were they from being prepared formally by their common Qualifications be they what they would that sin for ought their light could do to hinder it had prepared them for the Gallows Now notwithstanding they both lay equally fair for Christ i. e. were as far from him as a state of Nature is from a state of Grace yet you see Christ takes one and makes him a Moniment of his Pardon Yes one Item of Grace from Christ puts the Soul into Paradise when all other Preparations short of this will leave it at the Doors of Heaven for ever Fourthly The Lord by his efficacious Grace in Conversion persuades the Man in the last place that the longer he stays away from him his condition is but the Worse Let me be never so well accounted and prepared saies he if I be not yet got thither I may perish for all my Preparations Is it my Duty to Believe Then I must Believe Give me Christ or else I die Tell him not of this and that that he must set upon the Duty of Prayer that he must be instructed in the Documents of Religion alass thinks he I have been long enough at that pass I have Prayed many a time I have been an Hearer this Forty Years and for knowledge I have been head and shoulders taller than my Neighbours and what avails all this so long as I go without Christ in the World My Prayers have increast my Formality my Hearing has hardned my Heart my Knowledge deserves no better Name than Blindness Ignorance and Pride Thus do these Compunctions of the Spirit prick the hearts of Men thus do they lament themselves when they look back upon their Preparations without Union unto Christ And what shall I say Doth not Paul speak this Language 1 Tim. 1.13 when he tells us He had obtained Mercy there had been vital action betwixt Christ and him ay but what was he before this Before this cries he I was a Blasphemer a Persecutor and Injurious Much common Illumination he had had going as far as his Rational Abilities could reach Well! this disposed him it seems to Blasphemy it prepared him for Malignity and Persecution For let me add that his Rage and Cruelty did not contradict that light which he had as he was a Jew No they were the genuine Productions of his Rabbinical Instructions before he became acquainted with Christ I do not at present fore-see the frailty of this Proposition Before the Apostle obtained Mercy he had some preparative workings towards the receipt of Christ or he had none If he had none then the Doctrine of Preparations will not hold de Omni because some are converted without them If Paul had preparatory workings towards Christ then it was his Blasphemy and Persecution that were these Preparations For before I obtained Mercy saies he this is the best account I can give of my self I lived in Ignorance and Unbelief and these are but unlikely Preparations for Christ Besides All Men as well as Paul are either brought to Faith or they are yet in Unbelief If they be brought to Faith they are beyond any such Preparation If they be yet in Unbelief their hearts are fast bar'd against the Lord Jesus and to have the heart fast lockt against Christ is but an odd preparation to receive him And now for the use of this I expect it will be said That truly these are but general Intimations and it may be I am not so precipitant as not to be aware of Difficulties in my way most Applications are practical Mine at this time