The Christians Sacrifice Seen and Allowed, Text

The Christians Sacrifice Seen and Allowed · Text

THE CHRISTIANS SACRIFICE.

My sonne, geue me thy heart.Pro 23.2…Prov 23:2

TO binde all the Lessons togeather, vvhichwhich yee hauehave learned since I came, this Setence did come to my mind, My sonne, geue me thy heart, vvhichwhich is the summe of all that ye hauehave heard,Iob, 22, 22. Luk. 2, 19 Psal. 17.3… Dan, 7, 28Luke 2:19Ps 17:3 and shews in vvhat chest you shoulde lay vp these treasures in your heart, & then geue that heart vntounto God, and hee vvil keep all safe.

A supplication is come as it were from God to man, that man woulde sende God his hearte,Pro. 9, 1.Prov 9:1 penned by Salomon, vnderunder the name of Wisedome, & directed to her sons, vvisdome entreateth her sons that they would giuegive her their harts, this wisdome is god,Rom, 8.15 Gal, 4, 24. Iohn 4.14.John 4:14 vve by adoptiō are his sons, & our hart is that which christ cals spirit & trueth, vvithout hypocrisie: Geue me that heart, saith God. Hee vvhichwhich geues any thing to another, cōsiders before what he loues, & giues that which he thinks wil be accepted, that he may be loued for his gift: therfore Dauid, as though he vvere at a stād, & sorrowed that hee could not doe inough for God, break… forth to himself, What shall I giuegive vntounto the Lord for al that he hath giuen me? The Lorde hearing as it vvere, these sighes of his seruaunts, which care & study what they may doe to please him, comes in their suspence, & like a friend vvhichwhich desires nothing but good wil answers frō heauen, My son, giuegive me thy hart. VnderUnder vvhichwhich suite he taxeth them beside vvhichwhich are suiters alvvaies to him, and looke still to receiue like the Publicanes, but neuer caste in their minds what they should giuegive, threfore their tribute is set dovvne by equall measure vnderunder the kings seale, eueryevery man must homage his hart. He vvhichwhich alvvaies gaue, novv craues: and hee vvhichwhich craued alvvaies, novv geues: Christ standes at the doore like a poore man, & asks not bread, nor clothes, nor lodging, vvhichwhich vve should geue to his mē bers, but our heart: that is, euen the continent of all, and gouerner of mans house, vvhichwhich sittes on the bench like the Iudge, to geue the charge, and teach the tongue to speake, the hande to vvorke, the foote to vvalke, the eare to attend, the eye to obserue, the minde to chuse, and the flesh to obey.Leu, 1, 9. & 13 That vvee must present to GOD like a burnt sacrifice, vvherein all is offered together, a vvise tongue, a diligente hande, a vvarie foote, a vvatchefull eye, an attentiue eare, an humble minde, an obediente fleshe, put all together, and it is but the heart. My sonne (saith God) geue me this heart. Here thou arte the geuer, God the petitioner, thy heart the gifte, vvhichwhich he claymeth by the name of a sonne. Shoulde GOD bee a suppliaunt vntounto thee and mee, but that our vnthankefulnesse condemnes vsus, that for all the thinges vvhichwhich hee hath geuen vsus, we neuer considered as yet what wee should giuegive vntounto him before hee asketh: hee is faine to put in his petition like a suter, and saie, giuegive me thy heart: Marke what God hath chosen for himselfe, not that vvhichwhich any other shall loose by, like the demaundes of them vvhichwhich care for none but themselues, but that, vvhichwhich being geuen to God, mooues vsus to geue vntounto eueryevery man his due,Luk. 19, 8.Luke 19:8 as Zacheus vvhen hee gaue his hearte to Christ, parted his goods to the poore, & restored to al, that which hee had got by vvrong. Once God required offeringes and sacrifices,Mal, 1.13, and, 3, 18. vvhichwhich men vvere vnvvilling to geue, because it vvas a deer seruice of God, but novv he saith, that the hearte is more then all burnte offerings and sacrifices,Mar. 12,. Gen. 23.Mark 12Gen 23 Iacob loued Ioseph more then al his bretheren, so God loueth the heart more then all her follovves, this myte God vvill hauehave for all his benefits vvhichwhich vve may best affoorde him, thy almes to the poor, thy counsel to the simple, thine inheritāce to thy childrē; thy tribute to Caesar, Iohn, 4, 24.but thy hearte to God: hee vvhichwhich is a spirite; requires the spirite, and delightes, to dvvel in the heartes of men. Here God plantes himselfe as in a castle, vvhichwhich is alvvaies besieged vvith the vvorlde, the flesh, and the deuil If the enemie get a thought, or a vvord, or a vvorke, yet he hath but rased the vvalles, but if hee take the hart, then the fortresse is lost. From that time, al our thoghts, & vvords and vvorks, are captiue vntounto him, he bids them goe, & they goe, doe, and they doe it. That man is like Esau, gen, 25, 33vvhichwhich had an inheritaunce, vvhichwhich had a hart; but now he hath not possession of his ovvne, therefore geue God thy heart, that he may keep it, not a peece of thy heart, not a rovvme in thy heart, but thy heart. The heart deuided, dieth: God is not like the mother vvhichwhich vvould hauehave the child deuided, but like the naturall Mother,1, Kings 3, 26 vvhichwhich said rather then it should be deuided, Let her take all. Let the deuill hauehave all, if he vvhichwhich gaue it, be not vvorthie of it, God hath no copesmate, therefore he vvil hauehave no parting offtakes, but all, or none: and therefore he vvhichwhich askes here thy heart, in the 6. of Deut. & the 5. asks all thy hearte, all thy soule, all thy strength: thrice hee requireth all, least vvee shoulde keepe a thought behinde: yet it is thy heart, that is, a vaine heart, a barren heart,Esai 47, 1… Eccle. …, 9Isa 47:1 a sinfull heart, vntill thou geue it vntounto GOD, and then it is the spouse of Christ,1. Cor, …, …6 11 Cor, 6, 19 the Temple of the Holie Ghost, and the image of God, so changed, and formed, and refined, that God cals it a newe heart, Ezek. 36.26. Some hauehave a double hearte,Eze, 36, 26 as it is in the 12. Psalme: but God acknovvledgeth but one heart, saying,Psal, 12, 2 geue me thy heart, not geue mee thy hearts: declaring that a single heart is pleasing vntounto him, and that they vvhichwhich hauehave a double hearte, a heart & a heart, hauehave neuer a good heart. God doeth not require the heart, as though hee required no more then the heart, like the Pope, vvhichwhich saith, geue me thy hart, & it sufficeth. To maintaine his Papistes pendant and crouchant, vvhichwhich liue amongst Christians, hee requireth nothing of such but their hearte, they may worship god vvith theire lippes, and dissemble their religion, and forsvveare their opinions, and come to sermons, and subscribe to other lavves, and seem protestants, as the deuill licenceth vvitches to seeme christians, so they geue him their heart, he dispenseth vvith thē to dissemble, & giuegive the rest as they list, but God requireth the heart because vve should not dissemble, for in the 12. to the Rom. hee commaunds the body too,Rom, 12, i, Offer vp your bodies a liuely sacrifice. Which vve cannot doe, vnles we giuegive heart, & hand, & tongue, & eies, & eares, and all, for the body is all: but the heart is chiefe in request, because if there be any goodnes, it lies in the hearte, & because he vvhichwhich giues the hart geues al,Luc, 6.45, for out of the aboundance of the hart the mouth speaketh, the hand vvorketh, the eye looketh, the eare listneth, the foote vvalketh to good or euill: therefore, there is such strife for the hearte, as there vvas for M…ses bodie:Iud, 9, geue it me saith the Lord, geue it me saith the tempter, geue it me saith the Pope, geue it me saith riches, geue it mee saith pleasure, as though thou muste needes geue it: novve here is thy choice, vvhether thou vvilt geue it to God or the deuill, Gods hearte or the deuils heart whose vvilt thou be? Man hangs in a ballance like a young virgin vvhichwhich hath many suters: some she fauoures for parentage, some for personage, some for friends, some for vvealth, some for vvit, some for vertue: and after all, chuseth the vvorst of all: so the heart hath so many suiters besides God, that sometime shee marrieth vvith one, sometimes vvith another, the vvorld keepes her, the flesh keepes her, the deuill keepes her,Mat, 14, … vvhichwhich hauehave no more interest in her, thē Herod to his sister, but seeke her spoile, like them vvhichwhich marry, for riches, are glad vvhen one dies, that another may come. These suters are like Absolom, …, Sam, 5.vvhichwhich did not seek the harts of the people like Dauid, but steale them vvith slatterie and lies, but god vvoulde hauehave thee giuegive thy heart. As a man considers what he doeth vvhen he geues, so god licenceth vsus to consider of that vvhichwhich vve doe for him, vvhether he deserueth it, vvhether vvee ovve it, vvhether he can require it, …st it shoulde come againste our vvil: therfore geue me saith God, as though he vvould not straine vponupon vsus, or take from vsus, but if thou vvilt giuegive him thy heart, then he accepts it, it muste come freely like a gifte, as his blessings come to vsus, & then his demaund …s graunted. Here is no respect of time, hovv long thou mayest st…y it, or hovv long he vvill keepe it, but geue it, is the present time, as though hee vvould hauehave it out of hand, while hee askes before ye goe out of the church: for vvhat can vve aske of him, vvhile vve denie him but one thinge vvhichwhich hee askes of vsus: therfore consider vvho is a suiter to you, Novv I am a collector for God, to gather hearts, either you must graunt him, or denie him, thinke vvho shall lose by it, if thou vvilt not pay thy landlord his rent. Hovv many subiectes vvould reioyce, if they had any thing to geue to the Prince, and pray her to accept it, that they might but say; I hauehave giuē a present to the Queene?Mar, 14, 3 So Mary reioiced that she had a litle oyle to sprinkle vppon Christe, that shee vvould take no mony for it:1, King, 17, 13 yea the vviddovv of Zarephath was so ioyfull that shee had a little foode for the Prophet, that shee spared it from her children, and her selfe, to serue him first, so they vvhichwhich louelove the Lord like his Disciples, vvhichwhich left al to follow him,…uc, 5 11, had rather that he shuld hauehave their riches, their honours, their heartes, & their liues, then they themselues. Why is Dauid called a manne after gods own hart, Sam, 13, 14but because whē god said, geue me thy hart, his spirite ansvvered like to an Eccho, I geue thee my heart? is God so desirous of my heart? vvhat good can my heart do to God? It is not vvorthy to come vnderunder his roofe: I would I had a better gift to send vntounto my Lorde: goe my hearte to thy maker, the Bridegroome hath sent for thee, put on thy Wedding garment, for the Kinge him selfe vvill marrie thee. Who is not sorry novv, that he did not geue his heart before? Is hee not vvorthie to die, that vvill take his hearte from him that made it, from him vvhichwhich redeemed it, from him which preserues it, from him vvhichwhich vvil glorifie it: to geue it vntounto him vvhichwhich vvil infect it, torment it, cō demne it? Will a seruant reach the cup to a stranger, when his maister cals for it? Or vvill a man sell his coat if he hauehave no mo? What hast thou reserued for God vvhen thou hast giuen Sathan thy heart? Christ hath promised to come and dvvel vvith thee, vvhere shal hee stay,Reue, 3, 2… vvhere shal hee dine, if the chamber bee taken vp, and thy heart let foorth to another? Thou art but a tenaunt, and yet thou takest his house ouer his head, and placest in it vvhom thou wilt, as if thou were Land-lord. Canst thou possesse another mans goodes, but hee wil molest thee, and trouble thee vntil hee hauehave his owne? And doost thou thinke to keepe that which is Gods, and hold it in peace? No, hee vvil neuer suffer thee to rest,1, Sam, 38 Exod. 8, 13 and 9:28 Actes 16, 14 Exo, 8 & 9 & …Exod 8:13Exod 9:28Acts 16:14 but crie vppon thee day and night as Moses vexed Pharaoh vntil hee let the people goe, so thou shalt be distracted vvith feares and thoughts, as one plague followed an other vntill thou let thy heart goe, that it may serue God, as if a man shoulde pull out thy heart, and take it from thee, so grieuous it is vntounto God to keepe thy heart from him. Therefore, let all suiters hauehave their aunsvvere that thy heart is married alreadie, as Isaac answered Esau, Iacob hauehave I blessed, Gen, 27and he shal be blessed: So thou mayst say, God hath my heart, and he shall hauehave it, and them that craue it hereafter, sende them to Christ for it, for it is not thine to geue, if thou hauehave geuen it to God alreadie. But take heede thy hearte doe not lie to thy selfe, and saie it is Gods, vvhen it is the vvorldes,1, King, 24, 6 like Ieroboams vvife, vvhichwhich vvould not seeme Ieroboams vvife. By this thou shalt knovve vvhether thou haste geuen it to him or no, If thy hearte bee gone, all vvill follovve, as the Sunne riseth firste, and then the Beastes arise from their dennes, the Fovvles from their neastes, and men from their Beddes: so vvhen the heart settes forvvard to God, all the members vvill marche after it, the tongue vvil praise him, the foote vvil follovv him, the eare vvill attend him, the eye vvil watch him, the hande vvil serue him, nothing vvill stay after the heart,Psal, 123, 2 Mat, 23.26 but euerie one goes like handemaydes after their mistresse: this Christ verifieth, saying, Make cleane vvithin, and all wil be cleane: that is, the eye, and the eare, and the tongue, and the hande, and all: as the Father gaue vsus all,Rom, 8, 32 vvhen hee gaue his Sonne, so vvee geue him all, vvhen vve geue our hearts. This is the melodie which Paul speaketh of, Ephe. 5.19. Make melodie to the Lorde in your hearts, shevving that there is a consort of all the members, when the heart is in tune, that it soundes like a melodie in the eares of God, and makes vsus reioice vvhile vvee serue him, vve hauehave example hereof in Christ, vvhichwhich said that it vvas meate and drinke vntounto him to doo his Fathers vvil: and Dauid vvhichwhich danced to see the Arke,Iohn 4, 34 2, Sam, 6, 14 1, Chro, 29 9John 4:34 and the Israelites of vvhome it is saide that they reioised, vvhen they offered frō their heart vntounto the Lord. Therfore Salomon pricking out the heart for God, speaks as though he vvold set vsus the pleasantest, and fairest, and easiest way to serue him vvithout any grudging, or toyle, or vvearines: touch but the first linke and al the rest vvil follovv; so set the heart a going, and it is like the poize of a clock, vvhichwhich turnes al the vvheeles one vvay; such an oile is about the heart, vvhichwhich makes all nimble and currant about it: therefore it is almost as easie to speake vvell▪ and do vvell,Psalme 45, 1Ps 45:1 as to thinke vvell. If the heart indite a good matter, no maruell though the tongue be the penne of a ready writer, but if the heart bee dull, al is like a left hand, so vnapt and vntovvard that it cannot turne itselfe to any good. Therefore Gods suites hauehave so hard passage in our counsailes, iudgemēts, and parliamentes, because men doo not giuegive him their hearts, vvhichwhich should be the first offering of all: if they did giuegive him their heartes before they sit dovvne to heare his cause, they coulde not denie him any thinge that is for his honor, though it vver against their profite, but as Christ saith, not my vvill, but thy vvill,Mar, 26, 39 so they vvould say, it is not our kingdom but thy kingdom, it is not our Church but thy church, therefore not our vvill but thy vvil, not our lavv but thy lavv, not our disciplin but thy disciplin raigne in it: & all that giuegive their heartes subscribe to this, the rest say, not thy wil but our wil, not thy lavv but our lavve, not thy disciplin but our discipline, because as the Apostle saith, they seek their own glory, and not Christs, Phil. 2.21.…at, 2, 3 This hath bin the rubbe euer since reformation began, Herod cannot see how he shoulde bee King,…cts 19, 23 if Christ should raigne: therfore as the imagemakers cried & stormed whē images should goe down, alledging that they liued by this crafte: so, if ye mark what kind of men they be which preach, and write, and labor so hotly against the discipline, it is they that are like to lose some of their dignities, or their commodities by it,…h, 11, 48 …ar, 23, 7 …ar, 10, 21. if the gouernment should change: the Scribes & Pharisies resisted Christ more then the people, because he denounced wo to them, and misliked that they shoulde bee called Rabbi: hovv hard it is to follovv Christ, when he saith, leaue all; nay if hee bid vsus to leaue any thing for him, though vvee should leaue our very selues. Mat. 16.24. The tongue will not praise, because the heart doeth not louelove; the eare vvill not heare, because the heart doeth not mind, the hand wil not geue, because the heart doeth not pitie, the foot vvil not goe, because the heart doeth not stir: al stay vponupon the hart, like the Captaine that should giuegive the onset.

Secondly, God requiring the hart, sheweth that all the thinges of this worlde are not worthie of it, nor a peece of it, nor a thought,Eccle, 1.13 & 14 vnlesse it be to contemne them, as Salomon thought of vanitie.

Thirdly, that all should consent so with the heart, that we shoulde speak as if the heart did speak, pray as if our heart did pray, heare as if our heart did heare, giuegive as if our heart did giuegive,Psal, 44, … Iob, 22, 22 remit as if our heart did remit, & counsell as if our heart did counsell, as the Apostle saith, Doe all thinges heartily: Coloss. 3.23. which if we would keepe, nothing that we doe should trouble vsus, because nothing is troublesome, but that vvhichwhich goeth against the heart.

Fourthlie, that vve shoulde serue god for himselfe and not for our selues, as he vvhichwhich giues his heart, dooth all for louelove: This christ requires vvhen hee castes off that disciple,Mat, 28, 19 vvhichwhich offered to follovv him for aduantage, The birds hauehave nests, & the foxes hauehave holes, (saith christ) but the sonne of man hath not a place to hide his head: shevving this disciple, if he vvill follovve him, he must not looke for a place to hide his head: vve must leaue all to follovv christ,Mat, 4, 20 …ohn 9, 26 as Peter did, and not seeke al by follovving him, as they that vvent after him for bread.

Fiftly, that vve should not serue god by fits, as vve vse to pray vvhen the night comes, to hear vvhen the Saboth comes, to fast vvhen Lent comes; to repēt when death comes, but the seruice of the heart is continuall seruice,1, Thess, 5, 16 like in that 1. Thes. 5 Reioyce euermore, praye continuallie in all thinges geue thankes. Who is this which reioiceth, and praieth. & thanketh continually? The tongue praieth but sometime, the eare attē deth but sometime, the hand giueth but sometime, but the heart prayeth, and praiseth, and vvorshippeth alvvaies: a man may serue God alvvaies vvith his heart, and neuer be vvearie, because the heart cannot serue him vnlesse it reioyce in his seruice: and therefore they praised God vvith musicke, vvhichwhich did not delight god, but shevved that they delighted in his seruice, as they did in musicke,1. Chron. 15, 161 Chr 15:16 1. Chr. 15.16. but if the tongue, or the hande, or the eare, thinke to serue God vvithout the heart, it is the yrksomst occupation in the vvorld, the houre of tediousnesse, like a long sicknesse, hee is tired before hee beginne, and thinketh himselfe in the stockes, till the sermon be ended, till his praier be doone, that hee may bee at libertie, and turne to his byas agayne.

Lastly, this shewes how God mislikes our coldnesse in hearing or praying, if wee cannot say with the Virgin,Luke 1.46Luke 1:46 My hearte doth magnifye the Lord. Al that comes short of this, is hipocrisye, and pleaseth GOD like the offering of Cayne Genesis 4.5. As Ioseph charged his brethren, Genesis 42.15. that they shoulde not come to him for corne, vnlesse they brought Beniamim vntounto him vvhome they lefte at home:Mat, 15.8 so GOD vvill not hauehave vsus speake to him, nor come vntounto him for any thing, vnlesse vvee bring our hearte vntounto him, vvhichwhich vvee leaue behinde. The tongue vvithout the hearte is a flattering tongue, the eye without the hearte is a vvicked eye, the eare vvithout the hearte is a vaine eare, the hande vvithout the heart is a false hand. Doest thou thinke that God vvil accept a flattering tongue, a wicked eye, a vain eare, a false hand, which reiecteth a sacrifice if it be but lean, or brused? No, saith Paul, Leuit, 22, 21, 22, 42If I geue all that I hauehave, & hauehave not louelove; that is, geue not my heart, it auailes me nothing, he saith not, that they vvhichwhich geue not their heartes geue nothing, but that they shall hauehave nothing for such offerings:mar, 12, 42 hee vvhichwhich brings but a mite, & bringes his hart, brings more then he which offers a talent,mat, 19, 20 Gal. 6, 7Gal 6:7 & he shall goe avvay more iustified, then he which saide, All these hauehave I kept from my youth vpward, for God is not mocked,Act, 5.3 but knowes how much is behind, thogh Ananias seem to bring al. He marks hovv I speak, and how you heare, & hovv vve pray in this place, & if it come not from the heart, hee repels it as fast as it grovves vp, like the smoake vvhichwhich chmes tovvardes heauē, but neuer comes there, man thinkes vvhen he hath the gift that he hath the heart to, but god vvhen he hath the gift cals for the hart stil the Pharisees praier, the harlots vow, the traitors kisse, the sacrifice of Caine, the fast of Iezabelle, the teares of Esau, the oblation of Ananias are nothing to him, but still he cries,Psalme 73, 1Ps 73:1 bring thy heart or bring no thing: like a iealous husbād vvhē he hath a vvife, yet he is iealous vvhether he hath her hurt, so vvharsoeuer thou do, yet god is iealous still, & respects not what thou dost, but whether thou do it frō thy hart,Mat, 27, 24 of mere louelove tovvard him. If Pilat had vvashed his hart vvhen he vvashed his handes,2. Kin, 5, 14 Ge, 34, 22 he had bin cleaner than Naamā vvhē he came out of Iordā if the Sichemites had circumcised their harts, vvhē they circumcised their flesh, they had saued their soules, vvhen they lost their liues, if … 4, 2Cain had offered his heart vvhen he offered of the fruites, his offering had bin as acceptable as Abels: but as svvíns flesh vvas like shépes flesh,Leuiticus 10, 7Lev 10:7 yet vvas not accepted because it cāe frō an vncleane beast: so Caines offering, Pilats vvashing, the Sichemits circūcision, the pharisces praier, and fasts, & alms, vver as fair as the apostles, yet they had no revvard, but wo to you hypocrits, Mat, 23because they vvā ted the heart,1, Kin, 18, 24 vvhichwhich is like the fire that kindleth the sacrifice. but vvil he requit our praiers, & fasts, & almes, as he did theirs? yea (saith Christ) except your righteousnes exceed the pharisees, that is,Mat, 5.20 except vve giuegive our harts besides our lips, & our eares, & our almes, vvhichwhich they gaue more than vve, we shal not enter into the kingdom of heauen, because our righteousnes doth not exceed the righteousnes of the pharisees, but their righteousnes exceedeth our. Christ doth not bid them wo, because they vvere Pharisees as vve are not, but bicause they were hypocrites as we are. God delights him self in giuing, & therfore loueth a cheerfull giuer:Mic…, 7, …8 1. Cor, 9, 7 but he cannot giuegive cheerfully which giues not his heart. Therefore Iudas thought the oyle spent which was powred vponupon Christ & wisht the price of it in his purse: so they grudge and greeue when theie should doe good, and think, shall I giuegive it? Can I spare it? what will it bring? So the good worke dieth in birth, like a Bride which drowpeth in the hand, whiles the head considers whether he shall let her goe, or holde her still: as easie to wring Hercules club out of his fists as to wring a penitent teare from their eies, or a faithfull praier from their lips, or a good thought from their hart, which cannot affoord the hart it selfe: eueryevery thinge is too much which they do, and they think God more beholding to them for blurting out a Pater nosler, or staying a sermon, or fasting a fridaie, than they to him for al his benefits:Mat, 23 and when they hauehave doone what is their reward? wo be vntounto you Scribes and pharisies, hipocrites, because you gaue not your hartes: therefore we doe but vexe our selues,Mat, 15, 8 and loose our labour, thinking to make God beleeue that we praie, when indeed our lippes doo but praie: wherby it comes to passe, as we serue him, so he serueth vsus; our peace is not in deede, but in vvorde, our ioy is not in heart, but in countenaunce, a false comfort, like our false vvorship; for he vvhichwhich geueth God his lips in stead of his heart, teacheth god to geue him stones in steade of bread: that is, a shadovv of comfort, for comfort it selfe.

Novv vvhen vve hauehave giuen god faire vvords and long prayers, and solemne fastes, and mourning countenances, hee puts in but a vvorde more to fill vp the sacrifice, Geue me thy heart, and it suffiseth. It is like the laste suite of Abraham, when hee saide to God, I will speake but this once; so if thou wilt heare him in this, hee wil aske no more; therefore nowe conclude, vvhether God shal hauehave thy heart, or nothing: If thou consider vvhat right he hath to aske it, and what cause thou hast to giuegive it, thou canst not keepe it til I ende my sermon. Of all the suters vvhichwhich come vntounto you, it seemes there is none, which hath any tytle to claime the heart, but God; which challengeth it,Mal. 1, 6Mal 1:6 by the name of a sonne: as if hee should say, thou shalt giuegive it to thy father, vvhichwhich gaue it to thee: art thou my son? my sons giuegive me their hearts, and by this they knowe that I am their father, if I dvvel in their heartes: for the heart is the Temple of God;1, Cor, 1, 16 therefore if thou be his son, thou wilt giuegive him thy hearte, because thy father desires it, thy maker desires it, thy redeemer desires it, thy Sauiour desires it,Rom. 8.3…Rom 8:3 thy Lorde and thy King and thy Master desires it; which hath geuen his Sonne for a ransome, his spirit for a pledge, his vvorde for a guide, the vvorlde for a vvalke, and reserues a kingdome for thine inheritance. Canst thou denie him any thing, vvhichwhich hath geuen the heire for the seruant, his beloued for his enemie, the best for the vvorst? Canst thou denie him any thing, vvhose goodnesse created vsus, vvhose fauour elected vsus, vvhose merciemercy redeemed vsus, vvhose wisedome conuerteth vsus, vvhose grace preserueth vsus, vvhose glorie shall glorifie vsus? Canst thou denie him anie thing? O if thou knevve, (as Christ sayde to the Woman of Samaria, Iohn 4.1…John 4:1vvhen shee huckte to geue him vvater) if thou knevve who it is which saith vntounto thee, Geue mee thy hearte; thou vvouldest saye vntounto him as Peter did, vvhen Christe vvoulde vvashe his feet; Lorde, not my feete onelyonly, Iohn. 13.9.John 13:9but my hands and my head, not my heart onelyonly, but all my bodie, and my thoughtes, and my vvords, and my vvoorkes, and my goods, and my life, take all that thou haste geuen. For vvhy should not vve geue him our heartes, as vvell as our lippes,Gen. 13 89.Gen 13:89 vnlesse vvee meane to deceiue him vvith vvoordes for deedes? If Abram gaue Lot leaue to choose vvhat parte hee did like, shall not vvee geue God leaue to choose that vvhichwhich hee loueth? I hee did not louelove thee, hee vvou'de not require thy hearte; for they vvhichwhich louelove, require the heart. Th… master requires labour, the lande lorde requires seruice, the captain requires fight; but hee that require… the heart, requires it for louelove, fo… the heart is louelove. Wee vvill geue him little, if vvee vvil not geue him that, vvhichwhich hee askes for louelove tovvardes our selues: though hee say; giuegive it, yet indeede hee hath bought it, and that dearely,Psal. 31.5 1. Pet. 1.18.1…Ps 31:51 Pet 1:181 Pet 1:1 with the deerest bloud that euer was shedde. Hee gaue thee his heart, before hee desired thy heart; but heart for heart, a liuing heart for a hart which died: thou doest not lose thy life as he did for thee, but thou bestowest thy life to glorifie him, thou doest not part from thy heart when thou giuest it, but hee doth keepe it for thee, least the serpent should steal it from thee,Gen. 3.8Gen 3:8 as he stole paradice from Adam when it was in his own custodie: he cā keep it better than vve, and he wil keepe it if we commit it to him, and lay it in a bed of peace, and lap it vith ioy,Psal. 31.5 Iohn. 10.2…Ps 31:5John 10:2 and none shal take it out of his handes. Therefore, if ye aske mee, why you should giuegive your heartes to god? I doo not answere like the Disciples which went for the asse and the colte,Mat. 28.…Matt 28 The Lorde hath neede but wee hauehave neede. For vnlesse wee geue our soules, hovv can hee hauehave them? And vnlesse hee hauehave them, hovve can hee saue them? Therefore vvee hauehave neede, if euer the saying vvere true, (It is more blessed to geue than take:) more blessed are they vvhichwhich geue their heartes to GOD, than they vvhichwhich take possession of the vvorld.Acts 20.45 1. Sam. 25.42Acts 20:451 Sam 25:42 Abigail did not gaine so much by her gifte to Dauid, as vve for our gifte to God; for shee vvas married vntounto Dauid, but vve are married vntounto Christ;Cant 5Song 5 of vvhom the Church doth sing in the 5. of Canticles, that no wel beloued is like her beloved; what hart would not be loued of him, though it doe not louelove him? Who can assoyle this riddle? vve vvoulde hauehave Christ our bridegrome, and yet we vvil not be his spouse; I would hauehave him take my heart & yet I wil not geue it. Hovv should he keep it, or saue it or glorifi, it if I hide it away like the seruant that buried his talent in the earth?Mat. 26.24Matt 26:24 So much as I keep from God, so much I keepe from heauen, and vvill not suffer him to glorifie it, as I did vvishe one part to be saued, and another damned. He vvhichwhich vvould hauehave his hart sanctified, and comforted, and enlightened, and vvil not geue it to God, is like a woman which would hauehave her dough leauened, and layeth her dough in one placee, & the leauen in another, vvhere one cannot touche the other: then commeth the tempter, and takes them asunder, and seaseth vponupon the heart, because he findes her alone. This is his seede time, novv hee enters into it, and filles it vvith his poyson, till the temple of God be the sinke of sin, and the hearr vvhichwhich shoulde bee the seate of holinesse, grace, and vvisedome, a heart of pride, a hearte of enuie, a hearte of luste more like a bellie than a hearte; hovv many things lodge in the hart vvhen God is not there? It is a vvorlde to think, hovv the diuine soule, vvhichwhich descended from heauen to bring forth fruit, is become afit soyle for eueryevery vveed, vvherby vve may see vvhat hearts vve hauehave before vvee geue them to GOD Therefore novv aske your heartes vvhose they are, and hovv they are mooued vvith these vvordes? hovve many here vvill geue to this collection? vvhose heart is gone vp vntounto him, since I beeganne to speake? Here one, and there one runs vp the ladder,Gen. 28.12.Gen 28:12 like the angels that Iacob savve in his dreame, and sing vvith Dauid, Psal. 47 47Ps 47:47My heart is prepared, my heart is prepared; and why not thou as vvell as hee? Doeth not he sende for all alike? vvilt thou be the thorne, or the stone, or the high vvay,Mat. 13Matt 13 vvhere the seede doeth lose his fruite? vvhy, hadst thou rather be cōpelled then inuited, since thou art called to a banquet?Ma…. 22 Howe manie heartes moe might we draw to God, if all that be heere woulde goe to him this day? But thus it standes,Mat. …, 33 God hath sent vntounto vsus for our heartes, and wee answere him as the husbandes of the vineyard, when he sent for fruites, or as Nabal aunswered Dauid, 1, Sam, 25when hee sent for foode, who is Dauid? or, who is the Lord? That I shoulde take my heart from pleasure and sinne, and giuegive it vntounto him? Thus we demurre vponupon the cause, when we should giuegive, whether we should giuegive or no, and aske the fleshe, and our lusts, and our pleasures, and if the deuill will not giuegive his assent: thē we return to an excuse, it is not mine to giuegive: or if thou cāst get the diuels good will, I vvill not stand, or let sinne and pleasure hauehave it for a while, and when they hauehave done with it, thē God shal hauehave it. Thus eueryevery thing which should be throwen out, hath a place in our heart; and hee vvhichwhich shoulde bee receiued in, can hauehave no roome there, though hee would open the dores of heauen, if vvee would open the doores of our hearts, that the king of glorie might come in.Psal. 24.7Ps 24:7 What shal become of those hearers, vvhen he which craues them novv, shal iudge them hereafter? Then they shal stande like Esau, Gen. 27.36Gen 27:36and see them blessed like Iacob, which gaue their heartes; and crie themselues, as hee did to his father Isaac, haste thou not reserued a blessing for vsus? What a heauie heart will it bee then, vvhen it may not ioye any longer heere, and the ioyes of heauen are shutte against it? and he vvhichwhich desired it, vvil not hauehave it, because it comes like the foolish virgines,Mat. 25.11Matt 25:11 when the dores of merciemercy are shut. Thus ye hauehave heard vvhat God requires for al that hee hath geuen you, and hovv all your seruices are lost vntill you bring it. What shal I vvish you novv before my departure? I vvish you vvould geue al your heartes to God, vvhile I speake, that yee might hauehave a kingdome for them; sende for your hearts vvhere they are vvandering, one from the banke, another from the Tauerne, another from the Shoppe, an other from the Theaters: Call them home,Luke 15.22Luke 15:22 and geue them all vntounto God: and see how he vvil vvelcome them, as the father embraceth his Sonne. If your hearts vvere with God, durst the deuill fetche them? durste these sinnes come at them? Euen as Dina vvas defloured when shee strayed from home:Gen. 34.1Gen 34:1 so is the hearte vvhen it strayeth from GOD: Therefore call the members togeather, and let them faste like a Queste of 12. men, vntill they consent vponupon lavv, before any moe termes passe to geue God his right, and let him take the heart, which he woeth, which hee would marrie, which hee would endow vvith all his goods, and make it the heire of the crowne. When you pray, let your heart pray, when you heare, let your heart heare, when yee giuegive, let your heart giuegive, whatsoeuer yee doe, set the heart to doe it: and if it be not so perfect as it should be,Pro, 3, 1 Dan, 10, 12 yet it shalbe accepted for the friend that giues it.

Nowe if you cannot command your hearts to turne vntounto God, because the diuel pleades custome, & the flesh will not agree to leaue her possession,Mat, 6, 2 then remember what Christ saith, When ye giuegive your almes the left hand must not knowe what the right hand doth: so the fleshe must not knowe what the spirite doeth. Thou must not make thy lustes of counsel, but as Abraham vvhen he was bid to offer his sonne,Gen, 22, 6 rose vp betime and left his wife at home, and neuer made Sara priuie leaste she should stop him, being more tē der ouer her children, like vvomen, thā the father is; so thou must geue the heart to God, before the fleshe heare of it:1, Sam, 25, 18 for if Abigail had consulted vvith Naball that churle, vvhether she should hauehave supplied Dauid vvith victuals, or no, vvhen hee sent, that miser vvoulde neuer hauehave giuen his consent, vvhichwhich scolded so soone as he heard of it, therfore she vvent alone and gaue that which he asked, and neuer told her husband what she would doe, least he should hinder her, which sought her welfare & his too; so we should steale our hearts from the vvorlde, as the world stole them from vsus.

I hauehave but one day more to teach you al that you must learne of mee, therefore I vvoulde holde you here vntill you assent to geeue all your hearts to God. If ye geue them not novv, where hauehave I cast the seed, & hovv hauehave ye heard al this yeare? If ye vvil geue them novv, ye shall be adopted this day the sōnes of God, and I shal leaue you in the bosome of Christ, which vvil geue you heauen for your hearts.1. Cor. 2.161 Cor 2:16 The Lord Iesu graunt that my vvords be not the sauour of death vntounto any soul here; but that you may goe in strength thereof, through prosperitie and aduersitie,Mat. 25.34Matt 25:34 til you heare that cōfort from heauen: Come yee blessed, and receiue the inheritance. Amen.

FINIS.

End of the text · Henry Smith, The Christians Sacrifice Seen and Allowed (1589)