Selected quad for the lemma: world_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
world_n	faith_n	overcome_v	temptation_n	1,809	5	9.3055	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A61848	Heavenly treasure, or, Mans chiefest good wherein the several workings of the heart about, and in pursuance of its chiefest good are solidly and judiciously discovered / by William Strong.	Strong, William, d. 1654.; Sedgwick, Obadiah, 1600?-1658. Elisha his lamentation upon the sudden translation of Elijah.	1656 (1656)	Wing S6004; ESTC R25154	135,945	535

how be you taken the Apostle uses that expression to deceive you with a bait now what doth Satan bait to take you withal somewhat that suits the bent of your minds and to that end the devils great policy is to observe what is the bent of your hearts and he bea●s at that immediatly you may know where the bent of your hearts is by that in all comp●nies and upon all occasions What do your hearts most greedily catch at Thirdly according to the bent of the heart so doth the heart gather to it self for this you shall finde by experience every one of these things whether there be occasion or no if there be occasion the heart catches after it if there be no occasion the heart will gather occasion you read Gen. 6. 5. Every imagination of the heart It is figmentum cordis every creature of the heart something that the heart frames unto it self many times to the bent of his heart he frames that to himself which there is no occasion given of in the world but the heart frames it to its own aim and inclination as that you may observe it take notice Deut. 4. 29. When thou seest the Sun Moon and Stars in the host of heaven take heed that thou beest not driven to worship them what was there in seeing the Sun Moon and Stars to drive them to worship them Is there occasion given to worship them its only as Job expresses it Job 37. 27. If my heart hath been secretly enticed here is no occasion in the creatures in the world but the heart frames such a temptation according to its tendency the heart is bent to idolatry and so apt to choose any thing for God which I think is the meaning of that place 1 Joh. 2. 16. Whatsoever is in the world is the lust of the flesh the lusts of the eye and the pride of life I conceive lust is put for the object of lust as faith and hope are put for the object of faith and hope whatever is in this world is the lusts of the flesh that is there is nothing that the heart makes not the object of some lust or other and though in the creature there be no occasion yet the heart takes occasion to vent some lust or other but it is strange to observe 2 Pet. 2. 14. They have eyes full of adultery that is though there be no occasion in the world yet notwithstanding even the lusts break ou● at the eyes the heart vents it self there they have eyes full of adultery and they cannot cease from sin note but that place Psal 41. 6. David speaks it of ungodly men If he come to see me his heart gathers wickedness to it self how so though I give him no occasion in the world saith he yet it is to the bent of his heart There is not a word I speak not any action I do not any gesture of the mind but the heart puts some constructions according to its bent if there be no occasion given truly the heart makes occasions pray observe it by this you wonderfully see where the bent of the heart lieth On the contrary take a godly man look where the aim of his heart lieth though there be no occasion given yet you will quickly see his heart make occasion there is an advantage the heart makes as David tels you Psal 39. I held my mouth as with a bridle from the ungodly doubtless they administred David little occasion of good thoughts but at last the fire kindled even in wicked company according to the bent of his heart It framed such meditations and goings out as these that as the one gathers wickedness so the other gathers holiness to it self though there be no occasion given for the heart of man hath a self-sufficiency to wickedness though there be no occasion given yet there is a self-sufficiency in the heart of man and therefore lust is said to be the father and mother too able to beget and to bring forth of it self James 1. 13. When lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and t is truly said to be like the fire of hell which burns withour fuel look which way the bent of the heart goeth that way the heart will walk whether there be occasion or no take that one instance 1 Kin. 13. 23. the Lord sent a Prophet from Iudah to cry against the altar at Bethel this young Prophet disobeys the voice of the Lord through the deceit of the old Prophet and was destroyed by a Lion in the way now will you see Ieroboam what doth his heart gather from this is there any occasion that the man should say therefore let me go out to sin against God no rather if God be so severe to a Prophet and against his own what will he be to other men It is said expresly After this Ieroboam returned not from the evil of his ways after this that is Ieroboams heart made advantage by this Judgement upon the Prophet surely Judgement is come upon him and for this reason certainly I will never return never change my opinion Pray observe still you see how the heart according to the bent frame and tendency of it for I want words to express it to you it gathers somewhat to it self whether there be occasion given or no by this you may much judge where the bent and frame of your hearts are Fourthly would a man know what the bent and aim of his heart is it is that which causes a man to break through all oppositions to obtain you will say that the bent of his heart is set upon as I shall give clear instances let the thing be never so costly if the bent of the heart be upon it it will spare no cost to obtain it it will not stick at cost you may take two instances Gen. 34. 12. Sichem his heart clave to Dinah Iacobs daughter the bent of his heart went that way now what doth this bring forth in him A●k me never so much Dowrie I will give it cost me never so much I will give it and so likewise they in the prophesie of Isaiah their hearts were set on their idolatry they spare no cost they lavish gold out of their bags if the heart be set upon it it evill carry a man through that difficulty carry these things home to your souls you that stick at all costs in matters of Religion And so like wise if a mans heart be set on revenge he will spare no cost you have a strange instance for it Esther 3. 9. I do give these things a little to lead you into your own thoughts Merdecai did not bow the knee to Haman and he did it not on this account because Haman expected as most of the Persian Emperors did to be worshipped with Religious worship upon this Hamans heart is set upon revenge now did he stick at any cost in it no let him and the whole Nation of the Jews be destroyed and that the

there shall be a perpetual separation between him and the thing he loves whereas the greatest cordial to godly man is the contrary and therefore an ungodly man when he dies his love dies because he is continually separated from the thing he loves for love ceases in him and all the comforts in the acts of it so because a godly man shall never be separated from the thing he loves therefore a godly mans love shall be made perfect I am afraid saith one I shall lose my estate another I shall not die in honour a third I shall be cut off from such a pleasure that is the comfort of my life by this you shall know your love what you fear to be separated from that the love of your hearts goes out after Lastly Love is victorious love is strong as death Cant. 8. 6. Strong as death why saith the Apostle Rom. 5. death hath raigned here lies the strength of death it exercises such dominion as no man was ever able to stand out against its Scepter No standing out against it there is a kinde of dominion in love Consider I pray look unto the love that men bear to the things of this life Let them have the riches of Christ and the glory of heaven tendred them as the young man in the Gospel had Sell all that thou hast and thou shalt have treasure in heaven the love of the world overcomes love is victorious so on the other side offer a godly man all the comforts of this life whatsoever his heart could wish yet not withstanding his love to God outbids them all for love is like lime in that respect Many waters cannot quench it no the more water you pour upon it the more it burns Consider I pray but that very instance of Luther in his Epistle to Henry the eight King of England he speaks of the abominable slanders that were cast upon him for they did not spare him in that kinde they that thirsted for his blood did not spare to blast his name but what doth he say of this Si absque animorum suorum damno fieri posset ex omnibus talia audirem Lutherus pascitur convitiis the truth is if this could be done without hurt to their own souls I should be glad if all the men in the world would lay as much upon me as they could By these reproaches I am made fat a man would have thought that this would have mightily cooled the mans zeal and earnestness in the profession of Religion and the doctrine of the Gospel no his love to truth overcame these so pray consider wherein are you Conquerors for not only faith overcomes the world but love conquers the world Examine what proffers so ever thou hast made thee it may be the great things of this world honors preferment riches reputation and whatever else but still love to Christ and the interest of Christ overcomes Try your selves by these Rules where the love is there is the heart where the heart is there is the treasure and there is the heaven and the happiness And so much for the Doctrinal part For the Application there are three Uses that I shall propose to you of it The first is general a Use of Instruction in two things First from hence see the fulness of the Scriptures every short sentence you see how full of mysterie it is the Jews have an ordinary Proverb among them In lege non un a literula a qua magni non suspensi sunt montes there is not the smallest things in Scripture but there are great truths depending upon them and therefore the Father cryes out Adoro plenitudinem scripturae that he did admire the fulness that he found in the Scriptures of God I speak it the rather because many things in the Scripture we are apt to pass over with a slight eye It is an observation one hath worth our note Intoleranda est blasphemia asserere in Scriptura vel unum inveniri verbum otiosum It is the greatest blasphemy that can be to think that in the word of God there should be found one idle word he that will judge you for idle words will not write one idle word unto you that is certain admire the fulness of the Scriptures from what you have heard The Jews indeed were superstitious in this they made great matters of every word and tittle in the Law but what they did in a way Cabalistical that you should do in a way truly Christian and spiritual there is one place which because Chrysostom instances in I shall briefly hint to you t is but barely to give you an instance 1 Tim. 5. 23. Drink no longer water but use a little wine for thy stomack sake and for thy many infirmities Chrysostom hath eight wonderfull great truths out of this ordinary Scripture and I speak it to this end that you may pass by nothing in the Word but that you may labour to understand wonders in it as 〈◊〉 Godly men out of love to duty neglect the body Secondly Godly men are very watchfull and moderate in the use of the creatures least they should be brought under the power of them they be great truths and clear in the Text what need Timothy else to make a great scruple about drinking of wine but he must drink water also Thirdly consider in this weakness he did not cease from his charge he had infirmities yea open infirmities but yet he did not neglect the preaching of the Gospel and the affairs of the Church Fourthly Godly men may yet too far neglect their bodies even to offend therein for he prescribes him this that argues he did not do his duty to repair the breaches made upon his body Fifthly use a little wine every creature is good in its season yea those creatures that commonly by men are most abused Sixthly Godly men may be subject to great bodily infirmities and often men of great service when ungodly men and of little or no use in the world are healthy and strong yet many a man of great service in the Church of God are subject to great and often infirmities Seventhly In the decay of Nature the creatures are to be used for its repair but according to the proportion of natures necessities and Lastly there is a moderation appointed in the receiving of the creature even when a man doth it for necessity for he that prescribes him the wine prescribes him the measure drink a little wine he prescribes him to use herein as medicine Now when men read over such portions of Scripture let them consider and learn there may be great mysteries in the smallest portions of Scripture and know this when the word of God upon this accompt becomes sweet to a man and men love to hear it delight to meditate upon it it s a great argument of growth in grace and spiritual knowledge in that man as Quintilian tels us It is a great argument of a mans profiting in eloquence the