Schola Cordis or the Heart of it Selfe, gone away from God brought back againe to him & instructed by him in 47 Emblems [by Christopher Harvey] |
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 | Schola Cordis or the Heart of it Selfe, gone away from God |  |
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The Sacrifice of the Heart.
The sacrifices of God are a broken heart.
Psal 51. 17.
Epigr. 19.
Nor calves, nor bulls, are sacrifices goodEnough for thee, who gav'st for me thy bloud,
And more then that, thy life: Take thine own part,
Great God, that gavest all, here take mine heart.
Ode. 19.
1
Thy former covenant of old,Thy Law of Ordinances, did require
Fat sacrifices from the fold,
And many other off'rings made by fire.
Whilst thy first Tabernacle stood,
All things were consecrate with bloud
2
And can thy better Covenant,Thy law of grace, and truth by Jesus Christ,
Its proper sacrifices want
For such an Altar, and for such a Priest?
No, no, thy Gospell doth require
Choyse off'rings too, and made by fire.
3
A sacrifice for sinne indeed,Lord, thou didst make thy self, and once for all:
So that there never will be need
Of any more sin-off'rings, great, or small.
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Hath set my soule for ever free.
4
Yea, the same sacrifice thou dostStill offer in behalfe of thine elect:
And to improve it to the most,
Thy Word, and Sacraments doe in effect
Offer thee oft, and sacrifice
Thee daily in our eares, and eyes.
5
Yea, each beleeving soule may takeThy sacrificed flesh, and bloud by faith,
And therewith an atonement make
For all its trespasses, thy Gospell saith.
Such infinite transcendent price
Is there in thy sweet sacrifice.
6
But is this all? Must there not bePeace-offerings, and sacrifices of
Thanksgiving tendered unto thee?
Yes, Lord, I know I should but mock, and scoffe
Thy sacrifice for sinne, should I
My sacrifice of praise deny.
7
But I have nothing of mine owneWorthy to be presented in thy fight,
Yea the whole world affords not one
Or Ramme, or Lambe, wherein thou canst delight.
Lesse then my self it must not be:
For thou didst give thy self for me.
8
My self then I must sacrifice:And so I will, mine heart, the onely thing
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As thine owne part, the best I have to bring.
An humble heart's a sacrifice,
Which I know thou wilt not despise.
9
Lord, be my altar, sanctifieMine heart thy sacrifice, and let thy Spirit
Kindle thy fire of love, that I,
Burning with zeale to magnifie thy merit,
May both consume my sinnes, and raise
Eternall trophies to thy praise.
| Schola Cordis or the Heart of it Selfe, gone away from God | |