item: #1 of 54 id: A02837 author: Hayne, Thomas, 1582-1645. title: The equall vvayes of God tending to the rectifying of the crooked wayes of man. The passages whereof are briefly and clearly drawne from the sacred Scriptures. By T.H. date: 1632.0 words: 12836 flesch: 77 summary: I. That God , who will hereafter glorifie a certaine number of men ; and adjudge a certaine number of men to everlasting torment , both numbers knowne only to himselfe , hath decreed the same from all eternitie , before man had done good or evill . II. God by his infinite wisedome seeth from eternitie what will be the estate of all men ; and what in mercy and justice will be his dealing with them , first and last . God hath taken a course on his part to keep man from sinne , and is not the author of mans sinne ; having made man at the first in such an holy estate , as that he had free will to good : and ( when that free will was lost ) taking a course on his part to have man guided by his word and spirit , a meanes in it selfe sufficient to keep man from sins dominion : for he hath promised to be with his ordinance , and on his part will not faile . IIII. keywords: christ; course; doe; god; gods; hath; himselfe; man; mans; men; owne; people; rom; rulers; salvation; time; world cache: A02837.xml plain text: A02837.txt item: #2 of 54 id: A08188 author: I. C., fl. 1613. title: A day-starre for darke-wandring soules shewing the light, by a Christian controuersie: or briefely and plainely setting forth the mysterie of our saluation. Diuided into principles, obiections, and answeres. By Richard Niccolls, th'elder, of the Inner Temple London, Gent. deceased. Published for the generall benefit of all those who heartily, and with a true path desire their owne saluation: by I.C. date: 1613.0 words: 14586 flesch: 65 summary: Moreouer , concerning the infinite merit of Christs death and passion ; if betweene the Creator and the best of his Creatures there be an infinite distance ; then betweene the most glorious and blessed Throne of God in Heauen , and the most base and cursed Crosse of Christ vpon Earth , must needes be so infinite a distance that neyther men nor Angels can comprehend it : and by consequence the Obedience of Christ ( who being in the forme of God , humbled himselfe , and became obedient to the death , euen to the death of the Crosse ) was infinite , and did in farre higher degree please God the Father , then the Rebellion of Adam did displease him : for Adams disobedience was the Sinne of man , but Christs Obedience was the virtue of God ; which Obedience being infinite , doth more then counteruayle Adams Disobedience , and for that cause the Iustice of God is better satisfied with the Obedience of Christ , then with the vengeance it might haue executed on the sinnes of men : for God hath no pleasure in the death of the vvicked , neyther doth hee delight in mans destruction , but with the Obedience of his Sonne hee is well pleased , and therein his Soule delighteth : This is my wel-beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased : Loe my Chosen , my Soule taketh pleasure in him : in which vvords God doth not onely note the naturall loue betweene himselfe and his Sonne , but hee giueth full approbation of his Obedience , as being thereby , as with a condigne compensation , fully satisfied for the sinnes of man. If mans free-will by Adams transgression be in such bondage of sinne that it cannot make no choise of good , then doth free-will lose its owne nature : for where sinne must needs be chosen , there can be no libertie ; and consequently all the libertie which mans free-will hath , is freely to giue to the Diuell , and so man is by God punished for that which hee cannot auoid . keywords: body; christ; doe; doth; faith; god; gods; good; haue; hee; himselfe; man; members; owne; sinne; spirit; vnto; vpon; wee; word cache: A08188.xml plain text: A08188.txt item: #3 of 54 id: A09387 author: Perkins, William, 1558-1602. title: Deaths knell: or, The sicke mans passing-bell summoning all sicke consciences to pr[e]pare themselues for the comming of the grea[t] day of doome, lest mercies gate be shut against them: fit for all those that desire to arriue at the heauenly Ierusalem. Whereunto are added prayers fit for housholders. The ninth edition. Written by W. Perkins. date: 1628.0 words: 5706 flesch: 58 summary: If ●hou wert now laid on thy departing Pillow , wearied with waiting , pinched with paine , drowned in dolour , oppressed with the heauy load of thy fore-past committed sinnes , wounded with the sting of a guilty crying conscience : if thou feltst the force of death cracking thy heart-strings asunder , ready to make the sad diuorce of thy soule and body : if thou layest panting for shortnesse of breath , sweating a fatall sweat , and tyred with strugling against deadly pangs ; O , how much then wouldst thou giue for a dayes contrition , an houres repentance , or a minutes amendment of life ? Then worlds would be worthlesse in comparison of a little time , which now by whole moneths and yeeres thou lauishly mis-spendest . wouldst thou not then thinke one life too little , to repent for so many iniquities , the least whereof is strong enough to hurle thee irrecouerably into these vnspeakable torments ? Betimes then deuote the residue of thy dayes , to make an atonement with Iehouah , the generall Iudge , and so endeuour to set free thy soule from such confusion , as by sinne thou art sure to fall into . keywords: god; good; life; lord; sinne; soule; tcp; text; thee; thou; thy; vpon cache: A09387.xml plain text: A09387.txt item: #4 of 54 id: A09436 author: Perkins, William, 1558-1602. title: A graine of musterd-seede or, the least measure of grace that is or can be effectuall to saluation. Corrected and amended by W. Perkins. date: 1611.0 words: 8996 flesch: 71 summary: THe wickednesse of mans nature , and the depth of hypocrisie is such , that a man may & can easily transforme himselfe into the counterfeit and resemblance of any grace of God. God could , if it so pleased him , preserue man without the ministry of man , but his pleasure is to fulfil his worke and will in the preseruation of our bodies , and saluation of our soules , by the imploiment of men in his seruice , euery one according to his vocation . keywords: bee; christ; desire; faith; god; grace; haue; heart; man; selfe; spirit; thee; thou; thy; vnto cache: A09436.xml plain text: A09436.txt item: #5 of 54 id: A09599 author: Phillips, John, d. 1640. title: The way to heauen shevving, 1. That saluation is onely in the Church. 2. What that Church is. 3. By what meanes men are added to the Church. 4. The author, or efficient of this addition. 5. The time & continuance of that worke. 6. The happinesse of those that are added to the Church. By Iohn Phillips, Bachelor of Diuinity, and pastor of Feuersham in Kent. date: 1625.0 words: 31450 flesch: 76 summary: The prophecies of the Christian Church foretell as much , both for outward persecutions , and open apostasie , vnder one eminent Head , called , That man of Sinne , who should take vpon him to oppose and exalt himselfe aboue all that is called God , challenging the chiefe soueraignty in the Temple or Church of God. Againe , let vs not rashly censure , nor vncomfortably despaire of those that are without : The Lord addeth to his Church daily : therefore let vs , while there is time , both hope , and helpe forward the worke of God. keywords: act; apostle; bee; body; christ; church; doctrine; doe; doth; end; euery; faithfull; god; good; grace; hath; haue; hee; himselfe; iesus; know; let; life; lord; man; meanes; men; paul; people; rom; rome; saith; saluation; time; truth; vnto; vpon; way; wee; word; ● ● cache: A09599.xml plain text: A09599.txt item: #6 of 54 id: A12815 author: Stafford, Anthony. title: The day of salvation, or, A homily upon the bloody sacrifice of Christ, or his death and passion written, and intended onely for private meditation of a most noble and vertuous lady, on Good-Friday last, but since thought worthy the publique view / by Anthony Stafford ... date: 1635.0 words: 11210 flesch: 68 summary: And this is the Master-comfort of a Christian ( without which ●ee were lesse happy ●hen the Heathen ) that ●t the second comming ●f Christ hee shall rise in Glory , in despite of Death , whose sting shall be taken out , and hee ●ive with GOD for ever . O Hasten Lord Jesu● that ioyfull day , which all thy Elect have , an● doe still long to see ; whe● Death and Time sh●l● l●● their Scepters , as I d●● now my selfe , prostrat● before thee . keywords: bee; blood; body; christ; day; death; earth; god; heaven; hee; himselfe; man; nature; owne; passion; soule; tcp; text; thee; thou; wee; ● ● cache: A12815.xml plain text: A12815.txt item: #7 of 54 id: A13997 author: Tuke, Thomas, d. 1657. title: The high-vvay to heauen: or, the doctrine of election, effectuall vocation, iustification, santification and eternall life Grounded vpon the holy Scriptures, confirmed by the testimonies of sundry iudicious and great diuines, ancient and moderne. Compiled by Thomas Tuke. date: 1609.0 words: 39412 flesch: 80 summary: Therefore Paul ioyne● both together , when hee saith that Christ is made vnto vs righteousness● 〈…〉 and redemption : and when hee t●ls his Corinths , that they are v●●sh 〈…〉 and iustified So then he that ci●cumciseth the fore skin of his heart by true repentance , he that wa●●eth against all his lusts , & truely st●●●h to serue the Lord in all his p●ec●p●s ▪ he may know for certain● that God ha●h cut the cords of his sinnes , and hath cast them all behind● him But ●●●●e are manie circumcised to 〈◊〉 not to the Lord : they are the cir●u●●●sion of the King and of the Queene they leaue ma●y grosse sins p●●●shable by imprisonment , but for others as great , but not p●nal , they passe ouer . Secondly they haue one instrumētall cause , vvhich is faith● of the former , by receiuing it : and of the latter by effecting it . keywords: augustine; bee; called; calling; cause; christ; cor; doe; doth; election; end; eternall; god; god doth; gods; good; grace; hath; haue; heart; hee; himselfe; holy; iustification; lib; life; like; lord; loue; man; men; mercie; merit; owne; rom; saith; saluation; sanctification; sinne; spirit; things; vnto; vnto god; vocation; vpon; wee; workes; world; ● e; ● ● cache: A13997.xml plain text: A13997.txt item: #8 of 54 id: A17320 author: Burton, William, d. 1616. title: The Christians heauenly treasure. By William Burton of Reading in Barkeshire date: 1608.0 words: 33062 flesch: 70 summary: And howsoeuer some vaine and presumptuous Persons will not sticke through greedinesse of gaine , to vndertake ( for a quantitie of money ) to secure a mans goods at sea , or at land , yet considering the miserable vnquietnesse that mans life is exposed vnto , and the vniuersall disagreement and warre that is betweene man and all the Creatures in the world , yea , betweene the Creatures themselues , nay more , betweene man and man in all estates and degrees : nay more than that , between euery man in himselfe . And first , for the miserable and vnquiet estate of this life , I see not what can bee said more to discouer the same , then hath beene already said by Petrach that learned Italian Oratour , the substance of whose discourse , concerning this point , I thinke will not bee lost labour to lay before thee , which briefly is this : that considering the vncertaine and sodaine chaunces & changes , whereunto the affaires and estates of men are subiect , nothing can be more fraile , nothing more vnquiet then the life of man. keywords: againe; bee; christ; death; doe; doth; earth; earthly; euen; glory; god; gods; good; grace; hart; hath; haue; heauen; heauenly; hee; himselfe; holy; ioy; life; lord; loue; man; men; saith; shew; soule; spirit; thee; things; thou; thy; time; treasure; vnto; vpon; wee; world cache: A17320.xml plain text: A17320.txt item: #9 of 54 id: A17416 author: Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622. title: The signes or An essay concerning the assurance of Gods loue, and mans saluation gathered out of the holy Scriptures. By Nicholas Byfield, one of the preachers for the citty of Chester. date: 1614.0 words: 13928 flesch: 84 summary: Thirdly , it is a speaking feare , it will speak to God by prayer , and to men by conference , it cannot be silent ; but will speake in defence of Gods glory & truth and seekes to draw others from sinne . Novv vvhat remains but that I should beseech you , and all those vvho finde by these signes the assurance of Gods eternal loue , euen to honour the Lord vvith the continuall sacrifices of praise , the fruite of your lips , vvith confession to his name , oh loue the Lord vvith your whole heart , and make his praise glorious , and abound more and more , in the fruites of sincere life , and in all holy , and humble conuersation , liue by faith , and in nothing be carefull , but in all things , let your requests he made knowne to God , vvith thanksgiuing : and as you haue receiued mercy faint not , neither be descoraged vnder the sence of your infirmities and vvants , for they that vvaite vpon the Lord , shall renevv their strength , the Lord vvill power his spirit vpon your seede , & his blessing vpon your buds : the sunne of righteousnesse vvill arise , and there is healing vnder his wings . keywords: bee; christ; cor; faith; god; gods; good; haue; heart; hee; ioh; lord; loue; man; psa; rom; sinne; spirit; things cache: A17416.xml plain text: A17416.txt item: #10 of 54 id: A25298 author: Ames, William, d. 1662. title: A sound out of Sion from the holy mountain which the Lord is establishing above all the mountains declaring the salvation of God which is near to be revealed to the captivated seed that waits for redemption : and the deceit of sinners laid open and witnessed against who make a profession of God, and yet cannot believe that they can be saved from sin while they live / by William Ames. date: 1663.0 words: 6303 flesch: 52 summary: Now by the Power of this pure God was all things made that is made , and he made man according to his own Image , ( Gen. 1. 7. and 2. 7 ) and breathed into him the breath of Life , and he became a living soul : but man went out from that Life in which he was created , and so dyed to that holy Life in him , and so death came to have dominion , and man became alive in sin and unrighteousness ; and the Life that God had placed in man , became vailed , and so man came tobe estranged from the Life of God , Eph. 4. 18. For man being obedient to the lusts and motions of the flesh , he became the servant of sin , and so vvas free from righteousness , Rom. 6. 20. for righteousness is in bondage in him , and unrighteousness bears rule , and this is the captivity of Iacob ; for the life of righteousnesse being lost , there is nothing brought forth but unrighteousness , and the pure Seed of God that beareth witness in the Conscience against unrighteousness , is kept in prison ; and although it cryes , there is none that answers nor obeyeth it , but the lusts and desires which lead to lying , swearing , drunkenness , covetousness , idolatry , and all wickedness , hate , malice , envy , murder witchcraft , and such like , is obeyed and followed ; and here are all men in the enmity , which is against God , Eph. 2. 3. and are the heirs of wrath and condemnation : And this is the unhappy state , for there is no other unhappiness , then to have the pure God to an Enemy , and so to be an heir of his wrath ; and he is an Enemy to all impurity ; and they that act impurity , are in the enmity against him , Col. 1. 21. keywords: christ; god; hath; life; light; lord; man; sin cache: A25298.xml plain text: A25298.txt item: #11 of 54 id: A25382 author: Andrewes, John, fl. 1615. title: A golden trumpet sounding an alarum to judgement the sound whereof was never more needfull though evermore profitable : dedicated and directed unto all the elect children of God which truly repent / newly published by Iohn Andrewes. date: 1648.0 words: 5445 flesch: 83 summary: I care not for my life , so it were lost in the defence of the truth : I looke not for preferment , the world is so corrupted : I desire not the praise of men , it is but vanitie : I ayme not at my owne good , but to set forth Gods glory , the discharge of my owne conscience , and the benefit of Christ his Church and children . II Of the shortnes and uncertainty of mans life . keywords: accompt; christ; day; god; man; mat; saith; sound; text; time; trumpet; world cache: A25382.xml plain text: A25382.txt item: #12 of 54 id: A25835 author: Armstrong, John, 1634 or 5-1698. title: The souls worth and danger, or A discourse exciting and directing to the due care of its eternal salvation upon the words of our blessed saviour date: 1677.0 words: 17869 flesch: 70 summary: Least we be awakened with that terrible voice of God , saying , as unto him ; Thou fool this night thy Soul shall be required of thee ; then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided ? 4. The losing of the Soul implyes the losing of Christ , and Heaven , and the blessed Vision of God for ever . keywords: body; care; christ; god; good; hath; life; lord; man; self; soul; spirit; thee; things; thou; world; worth cache: A25835.xml plain text: A25835.txt item: #13 of 54 id: A26695 author: Alleine, Joseph, 1634-1668. title: A sure guide to heaven, or, An earnest invitation to sinners to turn to God in order to their eternal salvation shewing the thoughtful sinner what he must do to be saved / by Joseph Alleine. date: 1688.0 words: 67802 flesch: 84 summary: Dost thou say , Yea but my mind is blinded , and my heart is hardened from his fear ? I answer , God doth offer to enlighten thy mind● and to teach thee his fear : that is presented to thy choice , Prov. 1. 29. 4. Remember that conversion unto God is but the beginning of thy duty , that thou must afterward obey him all the days of thy life , and that there is no other way to preserve an interest in his favour , and a right to the great expressions thereof . keywords: christ; conversion; cor; death; doth; glory; god; good; grace; hath; heart; heaven; holy; hope; iohn; let; life; lord; lord god; love; man; mat; men; mercy; prov; psal; rom; self; set; sin; sinner; sins; soul; thee; thine; thou; thy; turn; way; wilt; work; world; ● ● cache: A26695.xml plain text: A26695.txt item: #14 of 54 id: A26936 author: Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. title: The grand question resolved, what we must do to be saved instructions for a holy life / by the late Reverend Divine, Mr. Richard Baxter ; recommended to the bookseller a few days before his death to be immediately printed for the good of souls. date: 1692.0 words: 17487 flesch: 83 summary: When Men are proudly Great , and Wise , and Good in their own Eyes ; and would dispose of themselves , and all their Concernments , and would rule themselves , and please themselves , according to the fleshly appetite and Fancy ; and therefore love most the Pleasures , and Profits , and Honours of the World , as the Provision to satisfie the desires of the Flesh ; and God shall be no ●urther Loved , Obeyed or Pleased , than the Love of Fleshly Pleasure will give leave ; nor shall have any thing but what the Flesh can spare . Though all are not Fornicators , nor Drunkards , no● Extortioners , nor Persecu●ors , nor live not in the same way of Sinning ; yet Selfishness , and Pride , and Sensuality , and the love of Worldly Things , Ignorance and Ungodliness are plainly become the common Corruption of the Nature of Man ; so that their Hearts are turned to the World from God , and filled with impiety , filthiness , and injustice ; and their Reason is but a Servant to their Senses ; and their m Mind , and Love and Life , is Carnal ; and this carnal Mind is Enmity to the Holiness of God , and cannot be subject to his Law. keywords: christ; cor; father; god; heaven; holy; life; love; man; spirit; thee; thou; thy; world cache: A26936.xml plain text: A26936.txt item: #15 of 54 id: A26953 author: Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. title: Memorables of the life of faith taken out of Mr. B's sermon preached before the King at Whitehall : published thus for the poor that want money and memory / by one desirous to promote the common salvation. date: 1690.0 words: 3818 flesch: 80 summary: Should I ever be drawn away by Temptations again as I have been ? Q. 7. Should I ever stick at sufferings when God calls for them from me ? Q. 8. Should I not highly value Christ , his Spirit , his Grace , his Promises , his Word , his Ordinances ? Q. 9. Should I ever be quiet under uncertainty of my Reconciliation unto God ? Q. 10. Should I not then be all for Peace , Quietness and Love , with all that love the Lord Jesus Christ , and are seeking invisible things ? 1. O live not too much on things visible ! Or , to make the things that will be , as if they were already in existence ; and the unseen things which God revealeth , as if our bodily eyes beheld them . keywords: faith; god; life; tcp; text; things cache: A26953.xml plain text: A26953.txt item: #16 of 54 id: A29523 author: Brinsley, John, fl. 1581-1624. title: The Christians cabala, or, Sure tradition necessary to be known and believed by all that will be saved : a doctrine holding forth good tidings of great joy, to the greatest of penitent sinners : with a character of one that is by John Brinsley ... date: 1662.0 words: 57536 flesch: 78 summary: 2. 15 ) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 receiveth not the things which are of God. Which is , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. keywords: apostle; chief; christ; christians; coming; confession; doctrine; doth; god; good; grace; hath; heart; iesus; lord; man; men; mercy; nature; paul; penitent; people; remembrance; saith; salvation; saviour; saying; sinners; sins; son; soul; text; thou; time; use; way; world cache: A29523.xml plain text: A29523.txt item: #17 of 54 id: A29532 author: Brinsley, John, 1600-1665. title: Three links of a golden chain, or, Three of the principal causes of mans salvation viz, God giving his elect unto Christ, their coming unto Him, His receiving of them, doctrinally opened and practically applied as it was lately delivered unto the Church of God at Great Yarmouth / by John Brinsley. date: 1659.0 words: 25100 flesch: 79 summary: {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} In Christ , whom God his Father constituted and appointed to be ( as it were ) the Head and Root of the Election , into whom his elect people were by his decree ( as it were ) ingrafted ( as all mankind by nature was into the sixst Adam ) that so they might be made partakers of those saving benefits by and through him , of Grace here , and Glory hereafter , as before all men were of sin and death brought in by the first Adam . And with them I shall choose to go along , as I assure my self I warrantably may , hereby understanding ( as judicious Diodate , and our own Annotator● have it ) all Gods Elect ; who are given unto Christ by God his Father before they come to him , before they actually believe on him . keywords: ans; cast; christ; coming; doth; elect; election; father; god; gods; grace; hath; iesus; lord; man; men; non; people; saith; saviour; son; son christ; text; way; world cache: A29532.xml plain text: A29532.txt item: #18 of 54 id: A30160 author: Bunyan, John, 1628-1688. title: The Jerusalem-sinner saved, or, Good news for the vilest of men being a help for despairing souls, shewing that Jesus Christ would have mercy in the first place offered to the biggest sinners / by John Bunyan. date: 1689.0 words: 39349 flesch: 79 summary: p. 79 No ground for the Impenitent at Judgment , for an excuse from the greatnesse of their sins , why they came not to Jesus Christ , p. 78 Instances to convince them how it will go with th●m then , for neglecting the grace of God now , p. 79 , 80 APPLICATION . The Conclusion , p. 146 An answer to those Grand Objections that lie in the way of them that would believe : For the Comfort of those that fear th●y have sinned against the Holy Ghost . keywords: christ; day; despair; god; gospel; grace; heart; jerusalem; jesus; jesus christ; life; lord; love; man; men; mercy; place; saith; satan; self; sinners; sins; text; thee; thou; thy; unto; way; world; yea cache: A30160.xml plain text: A30160.txt item: #19 of 54 id: A30898 author: Barclay, Robert, 1648-1690. title: The possibility and necessity of the inward immediate revelation of the spirit of God towards the foundation and ground of true faith, proved in a letter write [sic] in Latine, to a person of quality in Holland; and now also put into English. By R.B. date: 1686.0 words: 8808 flesch: 44 summary: Now as to the matteriall part , or the thing and matter revealed ; This is indeed a contingent Truth , and of it self is not manifest to the Mind , but because of the form , that is , because of the Divine mode and supernaturall inward operation , the matter is known to be true : For that Divine and Supernatural Inward Operation , which the Mind doth feel and perceive in it self , is the Voice of GOD speaking unto Man , which by its Nature and specifick Property , is as clearly distinguished and understood to be the Voice of GOD , as the voice of Peter of James is known to be the voice of such Men : for every Beeing as a Beeing is knowable , and that by its own speci●●●k Nature or Property proceeding from its Nature , and hath its proper Idea by which it's distinguishable from every other thing , if so be it's Idea be stirred up in us , and clearly proposed to us . Toformale , The forme or mode , how the Revelation is made , which forme is an Inward , Divine and supernaturall Revelation , which is the voice or speech of GOD , inwardly speaking to the Ear of the inward Man , or Mind of Man ▪ or a Divine writting , supernaturally imprinted therein . keywords: faith; god; ideas; man; men; revelation; senses; things; thou; truth cache: A30898.xml plain text: A30898.txt item: #20 of 54 id: A31952 author: Calamy, Edmund, 1600-1666. title: Evidence for heaven containing infallible signs and reall demonstrations of our union with Christ and assurance of salvation : with an appendix of laying down certain rules to be observed for preserving our assurance once obtained / published by Ed. Calamy ... date: 1657.0 words: 71213 flesch: 69 summary: Secondly , He must seek it orderly , he must follow the vein ; He must not begin where God begins , but where God ends ; he must not begin at the root to fi●d the branch , but by the branch discry the roote , my meaning is , he must not begin with Gods decree in predestination , which is the root of salvation ; But with regeneration and justification , which are branches issuing out of this root , other wayes he may destroy the tree ere he is aware , I mean himself , and all hope of Heaven and salvation , as I have known some do , and fall into utter desperation ; The truth is , he that will not beleeve , untill he read God's decree in Heaven , must never look for any assurance of Heaven here , nor fruition of it hereafter ; If you will not beleeve , you shall not be established , saith the Text ; He that will reach to Heaven by Jacobs Ladder , must begin at the lowest step ; this is the Scripture way to get assurance ; Christs directory prescribes it , when Iesus Christ would instruct Nicodemus about his spirituall and eternall estate , he did not send him to Heaven , to read the records of the celestiall court , but sent him to read himself over , to search his own heart and life , to consider whether he were regenerate and born again , whether he were ingrafted into Christ , and made a new Creature , yea , or nay ; Christ directs him to the effect to find out the cause , not to the cause to find out the effect , which teaches us , that he that would get some good Evidence of the Love of God and his own salvation , must begin at home with the workings of God , in and upon himself , he must consider what work the Spirit of God hath done in him , what sight of sinne , what sense of sinne , what sorrow for sinne , what l●athing and forsaking of sinne , he hath wrought in him , what grace or desire of grace , or prizing of grace , the Spirit of God hath wrought in him ; The Father himself Loveth you , saith Christ. Why the next words tell us , Ye have loved me , and beleeved , &c. The Father himself loved you , because ye have loved m● , and beleeved that I came out from God : It is as if Christ had said , your faith to me , working by love to me , demonstrates it ; for Christ doth not here make our Faith , or our love the cause of Gods love to us , but the discoverer of it : And the Apostle tells us , That whom God did foreknow he also did predestinate , to be conformed to the Image of his Sonne , and ver . 30. saith , that whom he did predestinate , them he also called ( to wit ) inwardly and effectually , according to his purpose , by giving them saving grace ; and whom he thus calleth , them he also justifieth ▪ and whom he justifieth , them he also glorifieth ; And here the Apostle followeth the example of his Lord and Master , leading us to the cause by the effects , and to the end by the meanes , hence it is evident , That he that would get assurance of his Election , must seek it in the workings of God , in , and upon himself ; he must consider , how his justification i● evidenced by his sanctification , and his election by both . keywords: apostle; assurance; body; christ; creature; death; doth; faith; glory; god; god doth; gods; good; grace; hath; heart; heaven; holy spirit; jesus christ; life; lord; love; man; new; note; obedience; righteousnesse; rom; saith christ; seal; self; sinne; soul; spirit; text; thee; things; thou; thy; true; truth; wit; word; work; ● ● cache: A31952.xml plain text: A31952.txt item: #21 of 54 id: A34599 author: Cornwell, Francis. title: A conference Mr. John Cotton held at Boston with the elders of New-England 1. concerning gracious conditions in the soule before faith, 2. evidencing justification by sanctification, 3. touching the active power of faith : twelve reasons against stinted forms of prayer and praise : together with the difference between the Christian and antichristian church / written by Francis Cornwell ... date: 1646.0 words: 28521 flesch: 74 summary: 8. Babylon ●s fallen , it is fall●n , that great City ; because shee made all nations drunk with ●he wine of her fornications . So that though you were willing to lose life , friends , preferment , for Christ ; found you not then , life , peace , joy , in the Lord Jesus , which was better to you , then all worldly amity ; according to his owne promise , In the World you found affliction , but in him you found peace : And when you were called to be a Member of the high Court of Parliament , in our distressed and distracted times ; the Lord made you an ●nstrument to defect the Trecherous plot of those two brethren in evill ; Thomas Lord Strafford ; and William Lord Archbishop of Canterbu●y , that contrived the destruction of our fundamentall Lawes , ratified by the Statute of Magna Charta , by ●abouring to set up an Arbitrary Government , and keeping on foot a Po●ish Army , consisting of Irish Re●els , and others , to compell the faith●ull , and true-hearted Nobility , and loyall Commons of England , ●o subject themselves to their illegal Taxations : hazarding the losse of he favours of the King , Nobi●●ty , Parents , Friends , and Allyes , together with those places of Ho●our and Maintenance , the King of lemency had freely bestowed ; ra●●er then his Country should be ru●ed , and enthralled , by such accor●● 〈…〉 a branch of that goodly Caedar , under whose shade , the Innocent and oppressed , tender Consciences that stand for a through Reformation , agreeable to the Word o● God , find rest ) ever be forgotten , and left unrewarded ; God forbid : I● is worthy to be written on a Pilla● of Marble ; and recorded in the Chronicle : that after-ages may never forget to shew kindenesse , and mercy to your Noble Posterity that did not thinke your life ( together with your neerest relations deare unto you , so as to part with them , that you might purchase you Countries Liberty ; I cannot judge him Englands Friend , that enviet● your honour , and promotion ; keywords: acts; answ; bee; christ; church; doe; faith; father; god; good; grace; hath; hee; holy; jesus; jesus christ; john; justification; lord; lord jesus; man; men; promise; righteousnesse; sanctification; spirit; spirituall; things; wee; word; worship; ● ● cache: A34599.xml plain text: A34599.txt item: #22 of 54 id: A37244 author: Davies, John, Sir, 1569-1626. title: A work for none but angels & men that is to be able to look into and to know ourselves, or a book shewing what the soule is, subsisting and having its operations without the body ... : of the imagination or common sense, the phantasie, sensative memory, passions, motion of life, the local motion, intellectual power of the soul ... Thomas Jenner has lineas composuit. date: 1658.0 words: 12321 flesch: 33 summary: sayth the Lord , which stretcheth forth the Heavens , and layeth the foundations of the Earth , and formeth the Spirit of man within him ▪ he makes the body of Earth , and in it a beam of heavenly fire , now in the wombe before the birth , inspires in all men their soules , and without a mother sends dayly millions into the world which neither from eternity , nor at once in one time lay them up in the Sunne or Moone , nor in some secret cloyster where they sleepe till they be awaked , neither did he make at first a certain number , infusing part in beasts , and part in men , and being unwilling to take further pain would make no more ; so that the widdow soul should be married to the next body that should be born , and so by often changing mens souls should pass from beasts to men , these are fond thoughts ; since there are far more born then dye , then thousand soules should be abortive , or others deaths should supply their soules ; but as nature Gods handmaid doth create bodies in time distinct and in due order , so God gives soules the like successive date , which himselfe formes in new bodies , which himselfe makes of no materiall thing , for unto Angels he hath given no power either to forme the shape , or bring the stuffe from Air or Fire , nor in this doth he use natures service , for although she can bring bodyes from bodyes , yet she could never traduce soules from soules , as light springs from light , and fire from fire as some learned fathers that were great lights of old did hold , for say they , how can we say that God made the soule , and yet not make him the Author of her sinne , for in her lies the corruption , for Adams body did not sin but his soule , and so brought the body to corruption , So we would fain make him the Author of the wine , if we knew whom to blame for her dreggs ; none were yet so grosse , as to contend for this , that soules may be traduced from bodyes , between whose natures there is no proportion , but many subtle wits have justified that soules may spiritually spring from soules , which if the nature of the soul be tryed would even in nature prove as grosse , for all things that are made are either of naught , or of something that is already made of naught , no Creature ever formed ought , for that is proper for the Almighty ; if then the soule make another soule , she must take it of some former stuffe or matter , but there is no matter found in the soule : then if her heavenly forme doe not agree with any matter in the World , then must she needs be created of nothing , and that is only proper to God alone ; again , if soules doe beget soules , 't is either by themselves , or the bodies power , if by themselves what hinders them but that they may engender soules every hour , if by the body , how can understanding and will joyne with the body in this act ; only since when they doe their other works , they doe abstract them themselves from the body ; moreover , if soules were begotten of soules , they should move and change into each other , but motion and changes brings at last corruption , and then how should it be immortall ? In other workes of thine thou leavest thy print , but in man hast written thine own Image ; there cannot be a creature more divine , this exceeds mans thought , to consider how highly God hath raised man , since God became man , the Angels are astonisht when they view and admire this mistery , neither hath he endowed man with these blessings for a day , neither do they depend on this life , for though the soule was made in time , yet lives for aye , and though it had a beginning , yet hath no end Her only end , is never ending blisse , and that consisteth in beholding the eternall face of the Almighty , who is the first of causes , and last of ends , and to doe this she must needs be eternall , then how sencelesse or dead a soul hath he that thinks his soul dieth with his body , or if he think not so , yet would fain have it so , that he might sin with the more security ; Although light and vicious persons say our soules are but a smoake , or Aiery blast , which while we live playes within our nostrills , and when he dies turns to winde , although they say so , yet they know not what to think , for ten thousand doubts doe arise in their minds , and although they strive against their consciences , there are some sparkes in their flintey breasts , which cannot be extinct , which though fain they would , yet cannot be beasts ; but whoso makes a merror of his minde ▪ and with patience views himselfe within , shall cleerly see the soules eternity , though all other beauties of the soule be defaced because of his sin . keywords: body; doe; doth; god; good; hath; heaven; himselfe; life; light; man; men; nature; power; sin; soule; things; world cache: A37244.xml plain text: A37244.txt item: #23 of 54 id: A38580 author: Cheynell, Francis, 1608-1665. title: Nor truth, nor error, nor day, nor night, but in the evening there shall be light, Zach. 14. 6, 7 being the relation of a publike discourse in Maries Church at Oxford between Mr. Cheynel and Mr. Erbery January 11, 1646. date: None words: 10128 flesch: 77 summary: So the apostatized Churches ; that is , the Synagogues of Satan ; for Peter himself was called so , when he savored the flesh , the things of man , more then of God : So the Jews , that is , legal Church members , who have belied themselves into a liberty they have not , boasting because of their fleshly forms , and fellowships , that they are above other Saints ; these false Churches shall come down and worship at the feet of scattered Saints , who are gathered up into Christ , and with Christ into God ; they shall worship not them , but God in them , and confess that God is in them of a truth . But sure 't is cleer , That every man is brutish in his knowledge ; and though vain man would be wise , yet man is born but a wilde Asses colt ; yea , Man in honor understandeth not , but is like a beast that perisheth : So that man is the Beast , who counts himself wise , or to have the knowledge of a man , which the wisest man , even Agur the Prophet would not own , when he was to speak of Ithiel , and Ucal ; that is , of Christ , and God in Christ ; for Ithiel is the same with Immanuel , God with us ; and Ucal is a name , signifying power , as Christ is the wisdom of God , and power of God : So then , when man sees onely of the humanity in himself , the wisdom of man or power of man , and sees not God all in all , and the Godhead in him ; This is the Beast , this the number of his name , the number of a man ; when we shall overcome this , this manhood , this self , and submit to the Godhead in us ; when we shall see God onely manifest in our flesh , and the flesh nothing , profiting nothing , having no power , nor wisdom ; when thus we deny our selves , follow me , saith Christ ; follow him who is our forerunner , and gone before into the holiest , into the fulness of the Godhead with him ; then we are said to overcome and inherit all things . keywords: christ; father; flesh; glory; god; man; mystery; saints; son; spirit cache: A38580.xml plain text: A38580.txt item: #24 of 54 id: A39265 author: Ellis, Clement, 1630-1700. title: The Protestant resolved, or, A discourse shewing the unreasonableness of his turning Roman Catholick for salvation date: 1688.0 words: 31326 flesch: 60 summary: Having learn'd from her the sense of the Scripture , we are obliged to submit to this , and never presume on our own private Sentiments , however seemingly grounded on Reason and Scripture , to believe or preach any new Doctrine opposite to the Belief of the Church . Do not they tell us again and again , that both the Canon and the Sense of SCRIPTURE , depend , as to us , on the Authority and Interpretation of their Church ? And can its Testimony then possibly amount to any more than that Church's bare Word ? Do not they deny us a Iudgment of Discretion , whereby we should discern for ourselves , whether it speak fór or against their Church's Authority ? And will they yet produce it to convince us of the Authority by which alone we are both to receive and understand it ? keywords: authority; christ; church; council; doctrine; faith; god; hath; holy; man; pope; power; reason; religion; roman; rome; salvation; scripture; self; things; word cache: A39265.xml plain text: A39265.txt item: #25 of 54 id: A40009 author: Förster, Thomas. title: A guide to the blind pointed to, or, A true testimony to the light within wherein some men are reproved, others counselled and encouraged, but all (who are ignoranr [sic] of their true guide) directed to the path of life : with a friendly call to all notionists and high professors of religion, in what form soever, to come speedily down from their pinacles, lest they fall into temptation : also some queries to the persecuting ministers of the Church of England / vvritten for the truth sake by T.F. date: 1659.0 words: 20223 flesch: 52 summary: no where else : Come thou into the cool of the day , and hear Gods voice unto thee , who chargeth thee with eating of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil : Thou hast lost thy state of happiness by hearkning to the Woman [ thy fallen Reason ] who is not to speak in the Church , for thou hast suffered to be marr'd the holy Creation of God in thee , and there is no way lest now for thee but to come to Christ Jesus , the light of the world , and life of man ; He it is , though thou hast despised him [ because his appearance is low in thee ] who must repair the breach between God and thee : but if thou reject him who is thy light , and who would be thy leader , thy stare is worse then fallen Adams was : thou art now one with the Angel of false light : And now Friend , let me ask thee , Is the Lord the desire of thy soul ? And dost thou pant and breath after him , as the Hart doth after the Water-brooks Is truth in the inward parts the thing thou would have ? And art thou indeed and in truth a true seeker of the Kingdom , and restless till thou findst it ? Then let me advise thee , Seeke the Lord where he may be found , to wit , in thy own heart , for that it his Temple , and there will he dwell if thou be upright : I say , the tabernacle of the Lord is with men , and there only will he be found : keywords: art; christ; darkness; god; guide; hath; holy; know; life; light; lord; man; men; spirit; thee; thou; truth; world cache: A40009.xml plain text: A40009.txt item: #26 of 54 id: A41355 author: Fisher, Edward, fl. 1627-1655. title: The marrow of modern divinity touching both the covenant of works, and the covenant of grace, with their use and end, both in the time of the Old Testament, and in the time of the New : wherein every one may cleerly see how far forth he bringeth the law into the case of justification, and so deserverh the name of legalist : and how far forth he rejecteth the law, in the case of sanctification, and so deserveth the name of Antinomist : with the middle path between them both, which by Iesus Christ leadeth to eternall life : in a dialogue, betwixt Evangelista, a minister of the Gospel, Nomista, a legalist, Antinomista, an Antinomian, and Neophytus, a young Christian / by the author, E.F. ; before the which there is prefixed the commendatory epistles of divers divines of great esteem in the citie of London ; whereunto is also added, the substance of a date: 1646.0 words: 65319 flesch: 69 summary: Such a person , as having mans guilt and punishment translated on him , might satisfie the justice of God , and as having a fulnesse of Gods spirit and holinesse in him , might sanctifie and repaire the nature of man : And this could be none other but Jesus Christ , one of the three persons of the blessed Trinity ; And therefore he , by his Fathers ordinacion , his own voluntary susception , and the holy Spirits sanctification , was fitted for the businesse : whereupon there was a speciall covenant , or mutuall agreement made between God and Christ , as is expressed , Isa. 53. vers . Thus Christ assented , and from everlasting stroke hands with God , to put upon him mans person , and to take upon him his name , and to enter in his stead in obeying his father , and to do all for man that he should require , and to yield in mans flesh the price of the satisfaction of the just judgment of God , and in the same flesh to suffer the punishment that man had deserved ; And this he undertook under the penalty that lay upon man to have undergone : and thus was Justice satisfied , and Mercy magnified by the Lord Jesus Christ , and so God took Christs single bond , whence Christ is not only called the Surety of the Covenant for us Heb. 7 22. but keywords: adam; apostle; bee; christ; christ hath; come; commandements; covenant; death; doe; doth; evan; faith; god; gods; good; grace; hath; heart; hee; himselfe; jesus christ; law; life; lord; love; man; mee; men; nom; obedience; pag; righteousnesse; sayth; sin; sir; soule; thee; things; thou; thy; time; true; truth; way; works; yea cache: A41355.xml plain text: A41355.txt item: #27 of 54 id: A41786 author: Grantham, Thomas, 1634-1692. title: The quæries examined, or, Fifty anti-queries seriously propounded to the people called Presbyterians Occasioned by the publication of Fifty queries, gathered out of the works of Mr. Rich. Baxter. By J. B. Wherein the principal allegations usually brought to support infant-baptism are discovered to be insufficient. By T. G. date: 1676.0 words: 15381 flesch: 67 summary: Whether these things be surely suggested against Mr. T , and whether you ought not to have set down his opinion in his own words ? and whether he doth not mainly oppose himself against Mr. Baxter's Pretended Law for Infant Church-Membership and Baptism , whiles yet he denies not Infants a saving Promise , or the Promise of saving Prepriety in God. Antipedobapt . And if the Church at Jerusalem , Rome , &c. had any Infant-Members therein , in the sence wherein you would have them Members , why do you not name some one Infant so made a Member , sith you know it would suffice , Wherher if the Jews grafting in , must in all Points answer to their breaking off , their Infants must not come to other Ordinances as well as Baptism ? or will you say Infants cannot partake with their Parents of salvation without Baptism ? or whether was the Infants of the Jews exposed to damnation by their Parents unbelief ? keywords: antiqu; baptism; children; christ; church; covenant; god; grace; infants; infants church; jews; law; members; parents; presbyterian; query cache: A41786.xml plain text: A41786.txt item: #28 of 54 id: A41842 author: Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656. title: The great salvation offered and tendered first, by Christ himself, and then by his holy apostles, with the inevitable destruction of all that neglect it : in the sermons, reprinted / by that eminent servant of Christ, Mr. Andrew Gray ... date: 1669.0 words: 17026 flesch: 71 summary: 1. The first is this , come and partake of this great salvation , and thou shalt have salvation from thy idols . 2. Thou shalt have salvation from thy darkness and from thy ignorance . keywords: author; christ; day; god; gospel; hath; heaven; partake; persons; salvation; thee; thou; words cache: A41842.xml plain text: A41842.txt item: #29 of 54 id: A41843 author: Gray, Andrew, 1633-1656. title: The mystery of faith opened up, or, Some sermons concerning faith (two whereof were not formerly printed) wherein the nature, excellency, and usefulnesse of that noble grace is much cleared, and the practice thereof most powerfully pressed : whereunto are added other three sermons, two concerning death / by Mr. Andrew Gray ...; all these sermons being now carefully revised, and much corrected. date: 1669.0 words: 64385 flesch: 68 summary: And it hath two great aggravations from th● words which I have read ; The first great aggravation in that word of the Text , Great Salvation , as if he had said , if it were not Great Salvation , yee might have some clo●● or excuse for your slighting of it : but se●ing it is such a great and eternal Salvation● there is now no cloak left for your sin . AMong many weighty and soul pierceing Sentences that you will find in these following Sermons , this is one● ; That the Professors of this ●ge , whether they go to heaven or hell , they will be the greatest debtors that shall be in ●ither place● : keywords: answer; bee; christ; christian; come; day; death; desire; doth; exercise; faith; forth; god; gospel; grace; hath; heaven; hee; hope; imbrace; life; lord; love; man; salvation; sin; soul; speak; th ●; thee; things; thou; thy; time; way; wee; word; y ●; yee; ● d; ● e; ● f; ● hat; ● nd; ● o; ● s; ● t; ● ● cache: A41843.xml plain text: A41843.txt item: #30 of 54 id: A45134 author: Humfrey, John, 1621-1719. title: A letter to George Keith concerning the salvability of the heathen together with a testimony to the same doctrine, as long held and not newly taken up, out of several former books of him that writ it / by J.H. date: 1700.0 words: 14965 flesch: 58 summary: Now if upon this , it pleased God to choose any one of them , as he did Abraham , when he was an Idolater , in Ur of the Caldees , and by his Spirit gave him an inward and effectual Call , by stirring him up to lay hold on God , and his Covenant , in a desire and endeavour to walk up to his Light within , or Knowledge he hath attained , with Sincerity of Heart and Life , which is performing the Condition of the Covenant of Grace , according to the Dispensation he is under ; although such a Man does not know upon what account Sin is expiated , God reconciled , and the Sinner saved ; yet is it certain , that this Man's Sins are pardoned , God reconciled to him , and his Soul in a State of Salvation , as well as the Christians , who hath the Explicit Knowledge of Christ's Death and Resurrection ; and that is , upon the same account as his , even through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant ; to wit , through the Covenant of Grace , preached and purchased for us by his Blood , the Death , Satisfaction , Mediation , Redemption of Christ Jesus ; so that if any held , or are willing to hold , a Salvability for the Heathen , and yet deny their Salvaon by Covenant , but by an uncovenanted Miraculous Mercy , they do but trip in plain Ground ; upholding a Doctrine that is Good and Generous , but without its Foundation : For there is no Way , nor ever was , but one Way ( which is this , by the Covenant of Grace , procured for us by Christ ) of Salvation to any Mortal under Heaven . When the Scripture therefore does speak of the Gentiles , that they were , in respect to the Jews , without God in the World , without the Covenant , Aliens to the Commonwealth of Israel , without Hope , ( the hope of Israel ) without Christ , Strangers to the Covenant of Promise : We are to understand all this in regard to the Church State of the Jews ( which no Nation but the Jews were in ) as appears by all the Texts before-cited . keywords: christ; covenant; faith; god; gospel; grace; hath; heathen; law; man; salvation; world cache: A45134.xml plain text: A45134.txt item: #31 of 54 id: A45360 author: Hallywell, Henry, d. 1703? title: The sacred method of saving humane souls by Jesus Christ by Henry Hallywell ... date: 1677.0 words: 24487 flesch: 50 summary: So that in this Affair of the Gospel , we are not to look for any thing mean , low and shallow , but for something which may be worthy of God , an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , a design which may evidently and clearly display the highest Perfections of God its Author . And though God , in his Eternal Wisdome , foresaw the accursed Disposition of the Jewish Nation , who , as they had been heretofore thirsty after the blood of the Prophets and righteous Men , so now would never leave , till they had satiated their Revenge , in the Blood of his only begotten Son , yet he delivers him up into their hands : for , so the Apostle speaks , that they had taken , and by wicked hands crucified and slain [ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ] him , that was given out of the protecting hand and providence of God , to the will of his Enemies . keywords: christ; death; god; good; goodness; gospel; heaven; jesus; life; love; man; mankind; men; nature; power; religion; saviour; self; sin; son; spirit; things; wisdome; world cache: A45360.xml plain text: A45360.txt item: #32 of 54 id: A45564 author: Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670. title: A sad prognostick of approaching judgement, or, The happy misery of good men in bad times set forth in a sermon preached at St. Gregories, June the 13th, 1658 / by Nathaniell Hardy ... date: 1658.0 words: 10651 flesch: 75 summary: 1. In a passive sense , men of mercy and good will , are those upon whom God will have mercy , and to whom he beareth a singular good will , The Lord is good unto all , and his tender mercies are over all his works ( saith the Psalmist ) there being no creature so mean and base , which giveth not a Specimen of his goodness , but yet his delights are with the sonnes of men , and his love to mankind , is greater then to any of his creatures : upon which account the Psalmist saith a little before , Lord , what is man , that thou takest knowledg of him , or the sonne of man that thou makest account of him ? A sad prognostick of approaching judgement, or, The happy misery of good men in bad times set forth in a sermon preached at St. Gregories, June the 13th, 1658 / keywords: death; evil; god; good; hath; man; men; mercifull; mercy; perish; perishing; prophet; righteousness; saith; text; wicked cache: A45564.xml plain text: A45564.txt item: #33 of 54 id: A54070 author: Penington, Isaac, 1616-1679. title: To friends in England, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, New-England, Barbado's, or any where else where the Lord God shall order this to come, in the tender spirit of life and love, greeting date: 1666.0 words: 5069 flesch: 54 summary: Dear Friends , the Lord give you a true sence , that in his Light , Life , Wisdom and Presence ye may justifie what is of him , discerning between things that differ , and not call any thing that is evil ( as the tenderness which is out of him is ) good , nor any thing that is good ( as the judgment and severity which is of him is ) evil , but may rightly distinguish between the nature of things , knowing every thing that is of God , and owning it in its place . Now , that the Enemy would endeavour to entangle the minds of the Redeemed , and to draw them back from the Lord , and his pure measure of Life in the heart , towards Perdition again , that is not to be questioned , it being his Nature and Property so to do ; and that he would use , not only his strength , but also all his subtilty & deceiveableness to affect this ( his aim being at the Church and Redeemed of God , more then at the World ) appearing as an Angel of Light , in motions like Light , in wayes like Life , this is not to be doubted neither ; for how else could he gain upon that , whose eye is towards , and whose aim is after the Lord ? keywords: enemy; god; hath; life; lord; spirit; thee cache: A54070.xml plain text: A54070.txt item: #34 of 54 id: A57248 author: Richardson, Samuel, fl. 1643-1658. title: The saints desire, or, A cordiall for a fainting soule declaring that in Christs righteousnesse onely ... there is life, happiness, peace ... also the happy estate of a man in Christ ... / by Samuel Richardson. date: 1647.0 words: 83492 flesch: 87 summary: Christ lives in our hearts by faith , by it wee obey God : faith makes Christs yoke easie and sweet ; the fruition of God is all the soule can desire ; faith helps the soule to this , it puts the soule into possession of heaven while the body is on earth ; by it we view the glory of heaven , to know its worth , to enjoy the purchaser and purchase it selfe , by faith we know our selves to be happie , even then when to a carnall eye we seeme most miserable ; by faith we can part with the sweetest outward comforts , and welcome death , because wee know we leave the worst place and things , and goe to better ; they that live by faith , live upon God himselfe , and are feasted in our Lord Jesus banquetting house , where there is all the desirable dainties , and enough . Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ? Shall tribulation , or distresse , or persecution , or famine , or nakednesse , or perill , or sword ? I am perswaded that neither death , nor life , nor Angels , nor principalities , nor powers , nor things present , nor things to come , nor height , nor depth , nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God , which is in Christ Jesus our Lord , Rom. 8. 35. 38 , 39. keywords: beleeve; christ; come; cor; doe; faith; god; gods; good; grace; great; hath; heart; heb; isa; joh; life; lord; love; man; mat; men; mercy; psal; rom; selfe; sin; sinne; soule; spirit; thee; things; thou; thy; time; wee; word; yee cache: A57248.xml plain text: A57248.txt item: #35 of 54 id: A57386 author: Roberts, Francis, 1609-1675. title: The true way to the tree of life, or, The natural man directed unto Christ by Fran. Roberts ... date: 1673.0 words: 40334 flesch: 85 summary: 2. Hence , you may evidently See , and must needs conclude ; That there is so great a necessity of a Supernatural Remedy , against this your Natural State of Sin and Misery , and against all the Sinfulness of your Natural Conversation , by the Application of Jesus Christ unto your Souls , and the Effectual operation of his Spirit to that End upon your hearts : That without such applying of Christ by Faith unto you h , and the operation of his Spirit in and upon you , by Effectual Calling , Conversion , Regeneration , Renovation and Sanctification , you can never Enter into the kingdom of God , and be Eternally Saved i . If thou art without this spiritual breathing , this Spirit of Prayer , thou art without the Spirit of Life from Christ , and remainest dead in Sin. ( 4 ) Art thou not without all vital Heat and Spirit , warmth of heart , desire , love , and all good affections towards God , Christ , his people , and his wayes : and even stone-cold as to all matters of Religion , Devotion , divine Worship , as carnal men use to be ? Rev. 3. 15 , 16 Then thou art not only mortally ●ick ; but quite dead in Sin , stretched-out , and ready to be buried in the infernal pit . keywords: act; art; christ; cor; day; death; eph; faith; god; gods; grace; hath; heart; heb; ioh; life; luk; man; mat; nature; psal; rom; self; sin; sins; soul; spirit; state; thee; thine; thou; thy; time; world cache: A57386.xml plain text: A57386.txt item: #36 of 54 id: A57960 author: Glanvill, Joseph, 1636-1680. Way of happiness and salvation rescued from vulgar errours. title: Two discourses; viz. A discourse of truth. By the late Reverend Dr. Rust, Lord Bishop of Dromore in the Kingdom of Ireland. The way of happiness and salvation. By Joseph Glanvil, chaplain in ordinary to His Majesty date: 1677.0 words: 30470 flesch: 58 summary: Now that Things are what they are , and that there are mutual Respects and Relations Eternal , and Immutable , and in order of Nature antecedent to any Understanding either created or uncreated , is a thing very plain and evident ; for it 's clearer than the Meridian Light , that such Propositions as these , Homo est animal rationale , Triangulum est quod habet tres angulos , are not arbitrarious dependancies upon the Will , Decree , or Understanding of God , but are Necessary and Eternal Truths ; and wherein 't is as impossible to divide the Subject , and what is spoken of it , as it is for a thing not to be what it is , which is no less than a Contradiction ; and as indispensible are the mutual respects and relations of things both in Speculatives and Morals . And this is another branch of this second Absurdity , from the deniall of the intrinsecal and eternal respects and relations of things , that a man would not have any assurance of future Happiness ; for though it be true indeed , or at least we fancy to our selves that God hath sent Jesus Christ into the world , & by him hath made very large and ample promises , that whosoever believes in him and conforms his life unto his Precepts , shall be made heir of the same Inheritance and Glory which Christ is now possessed of and invested with in the Kingdom of his Father , yet what ground have we to believe that God does not intend onely to play with and abuse our Faculties , and in conclusion to damn all those that believe and live as is above expressed ; and to take them only into the Injoyments of Heaven and Happiness , who have been the great Opposers of the Truth , and Gospel , and Life and Nature of Jesus Christ in the world : for if there be no eternal and indispensible Relation of Things , then there 's no intrinsecal Evil in Deceiving and Falsifying , in the damning the Good , or saving obstinate and contumacious Sinners ( whilst such ) notwithstanding any promises or threatnings to the contrary : and if the things be in themselves indifferent , it is an unadvised Confidence to pronounce determinately on either side . keywords: difficulties; discourse; divine; doth; endeavour; evil; faith; god; good; grace; happiness; hath; love; man; meer; men; nature; perfection; religion; self; selves; sin; state; things; truth; understanding; way; world cache: A57960.xml plain text: A57960.txt item: #37 of 54 id: A59623 author: Sheffield, John, 1654?-1726. title: Salvation by grace and never the less of grace, tho it be through faith and not without it in several sermons on Eph. II, viii / by John Sheffield. date: 1698.0 words: 25403 flesch: 60 summary: Here you see , that it is Grace , and rich Grace that is the rise and spring of all , that lost and undone Sinners do receive from God , and in this , Grace God abounds towards us , but it is in all Wisdom and Prudence ; now I conceive the meaning to be this , that though it be free Grace and Favour in God that is the Spring of all that we receive , yet an infinite and unsearchable Wisdom , doth order , direct , and appoint the way and manner of its being communicated and bestowed upon us ; Grace saves us , but Wisdom dispences it in such a way and order , as doth most exalt the Glory of the Divine Majesty , and that not only of some , but of all his Perfections ; and yet so , as that the Creature is most strongly obliged and ingaged to his Duty too , viz. For I am Confident , that many weak People , who think they do exalt Grace , do greatly dishonour it , and strip it of its principal Glory , while they set it in Opposition to Evangelical Holiness and Obedience ; and therefore my earnest Prayer to God for you , and all the People of God , is the same with the Reverend Mr. Flavell , saith he , God preserve all his People from the gross and vile Opinions of Antinomian Libertines , who cry up Grace and decry Obedience ; who under specious Pretences of exalting a naked Christ upon the Throne , do indeed strip him naked of a great Part of his Glory , and vilely dethrone him , thus far Mr. Flavell : You have here ( as I Iudge ) the true Doctrine of Grace , in a Plain and Easie Method and Stile , suited to the Capacities of the Meanest ; and if this do contribute any thing to the setling of your Minds in the Truth and against Errors on either Hand ; and to the furtherance and increase of your Faith and Holiness , I have my End and Design . keywords: christ; faith; god; good; grace; grace doth; hath; holiness; law; life; means; men; mercy; salvation; saving; sin; sinners; use cache: A59623.xml plain text: A59623.txt item: #38 of 54 id: A60624 author: Smith, William, d. 1673. title: The day-spring from on high visiting the world, or, Gods salvation revealed and the way of redemption declared, and the way opened into the everlasting rest also the two births discovered and their several image, and the enmity that is betwixt them : with the lambs appearance in glory and his power and government exalted / by William Smith. date: 1659.0 words: 6994 flesch: -92 summary: THere is a dark night of Apostasie over the Earth , in wch the world are asleep upon there beds of ease , and their eyes are not opened to behold the wondrous works of God , neither can they believe it though it be declared , for they will neither see with their eyes , nor hear with their ears , nor understand with their hearts , but stands despising the work of the Lord , and the appearance of his righteousness ; Therefore doth the Lord God utter his voice from his holy hill , and the sound thereof goeth forth into the world , and the words reacheth unto the ends of the Earth , that all may awake and behold the salvation which now is revealed in the springing of the day , for the acceptable time is come , the morning Star is risen , the day is dawned , the Son of righteousness shineth , and it is from on high revealed , that the eyes of all might be opened who have so long slept the sleep of death , that they might see their Saviour , whose Name is Jesus the begotten of God , the brightness of his glory , and expresse Image of his person , in whom is the fulness , and unto whom all power is given , the Father is well pleased in him , and none comes to the Father but by him , there is none besides him nor any like unto him , who is full of grace and truth , look unto him all ye ends of the Earth , for the day of your visitation is come , in which the grace of God appeareth , be ye all turned unto it , that your eyes may be opened to see the love that God hath unto you , for God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son who is the light of the world , in whom the promise of grace is fulfilled in breaking the Serpents head , and recovering out of his snare , he it is that doth redeem , who is not of the world , but Redeemes out of the World all that believe in him , for he worketh the work of God , and destroyes the work of the Devil , and casts out the man of sin , he fans the Nations with his hand , and purgeth the floor by his mighty power ; Kings shall bow before him , Nations shall tremble , the mighty men shall fall , and Princes shall be broken by his might , who is now appearing in power and great glory to Judge the world in righteousness , unto him doth the Law and Prophets witness , unto whom he was revealed , and in his life they prophesied , and spake of the glory that was in him , which was to be revealed unto ages to come , and is now broken forth in these last dayes , and is beheld as the glory of the onely begotten of the Father , and the Law and Prophets have their end in him , and are all fulfilled by him who is come to perfect the work of God , and he hath the witness both of the Law and Prophets , therefore unto him look , who is salvation to the ends of the Earth , who visits you in this his day , and reacheth unto you with a manifestation of light , that you may therein see the evil of your doings and come to repentance , that the true light may lead you , which is manifest from God unto you , that thereby you may come out of darkness , death and bondage , to know the Redemption which by the Lord is wrought , and plentifully revealed in this his day , and put not this from you to ages past ( for therein you deceive your selves ) but all look near , and see what you can witness of Redemption from your vain conversation , and salvation from your sin , for it is not you● talk of what God hath done in times past for others , and what great salvation unto them appeared , and how they were saved , that will save you , or Redeem you , but to have your minds turned unto that which they was Redeemed by , and saved in , and to feel the the power of it to work effectually in you as it did in them who were true witnesses of it ; for what will it profit you to read of the great deliverance wrought by the out-stretched arm of God , for Jacobs seed out of Egypts bondage , if you find not the same work wrought in you by the same power , you are not in their deliverance , but are still in bondage , and are kept in that which they was delivered from , and so his work was wrought upon the blind , the Lepers , and the lame , and the blind received sight , the Lepers was cleansed , and the lame walked , and this you may read as it is declared , and yet may your eyes be blinded , and your leprosie not cleansed , nor your ancle bones strengthened , you may read of the promises and the consolation which they had who did believe in them , and yet may you be out of them and miss the consolation that they found in them who believed in that unto which all the promises was made , for all the promises of God are yea and Amen in Christ Jesus ( mark ) yea and ●men are all the promises in Christ Jesus , in whom they stand sure ; and all your reading and talking of these things declared , and saying these promises you believe in , and you apply them by faith , and so receives the comfort , it will not stand you in stead in the needful time , for whilst you talk of faith , and applying the promises by faith , you deceive your selves in your imaginations , being yet in your sins , and out of the faith of the Son of God which purifieth the heart , and so you are out of the condition of those who lived in the promises , and knew them to stand sure in the seed ; Therefore all unto the light come , and in it wait , that you may feel the same power to work in you , and bring the same thing to passe in you , as it hath done in ages before you , that whilst you talk of liberty by Christ Jesus , your selves may not be found servants unto sin , and in bondage to corruption , for of whatsoever a man is overcome , unto the same is he in bondage , & if you be found servants unto sin , you are in bondage to it , & not in the freedom of the Son , so all having sinned , all must unto the light be turned , and by it be Redeemed and know the power of it to work true freedom into the glorious liberty , before any can truly say that they are set free , for all must stand as they are before the Lord ; therefore think not your selves to be above what you are , least whilst you think that you are something , you prove nothing , and so deceive your selves ; fore there is a groaning felt in you under the bondage of corruption , and unto that doth the breathings of life reach , that the heavy burden might be undone , and the oppressed set free , which in you is pressed as a cart that is full of sheaves , & by you in bondage kept , for unto the Lord of life are you found enemies and fighting against him , and hates to be reformed by him , though long he hath striven with you , and now is the Lord God holding forth plenteous Redemption , and making known his salvation , and in his good & perfect gift is visiting all people , that all may turn unto the light , and come out of darkness and depart from evil , which is made manifest in the light , and so come to feel the Redemption of of God in your selves , and the operation of his Spirit which worketh the work of God , and bringeth forth fruit unto holiness , for as in sin you abide , you are not redeemed , neither knows Christ nor the working of his power , but abides in the unbelief and in darkness , and brings forth unfruitful works thereof , the imagination of your hearts being alwayes evil , and that you love , and hates the light which doth reprove , and will not come to it , which doth as truely work in power as it is believed in , as ever it did in ages past , and salvation is as truly felt in the leadings of the light , as they felt it who declared of it , and were called out of darkness into it ; so it is of concernment unto every one to prove themselves , that the pure rejoycing you may have in your selves and not in another , for the Lord God is visiting all in the light , and hath given a manifestation of the Spirit unto every man to profit withall , then the gift of God you are not to neglect in your selves , but are to take heed unto it , and every motion of it , that your minds may be ordered in it , and lead by it to the knowledge of the living God , whom to know is life eternal , and none did ever come to the knowledge of him , but as they was turned to the light , and heeded the light which shone in their hearts , in which the knowledge of his glory is manifest in the face of Christ ; and do you think to come to the knowledge of God by another way , be ye tryed in this ye Priests and Professors and all people , if the knowledge of the true God you be come unto , whom to know is eternal life , are you come to know this , or are you not in that knowledge which can never come to know the true God ? be honest with your selves all of you , and see if you become to that in wch the knowledge of his glory hath been revealed from the beginning , for now it is the same as ever it was , and it changeth not , but is witnessed through ages and generations to be always the same , without any variableness , for that which Abel was guided by , and in which he offered up a sacrifice in righteousness , the same guided Noah , and in it he preached righteousness , the same appeared unto Abraham , and he believed in it and was guided by it , and rejoyced to see it and it was counted unto him for righteousness , and in this was secrets revealed unto the Prophets , Moses lived in it , and by the manifestation of it was the Creation opened to his understanding , and he saw to the beginning , and so declared in the openings of life , and all the holy men of God were inspired by it , and gave forth the Scriptures in the motion of it , he that hath ears to hear let him hear , for this was a perfect guide unto all that believed in it before writings was , and all the words that are written , do bear witness unto the word which was in the beginning with God , and it was God , and they had all Redemption by him , and salvation in him who believed , and this was a guide unto the righteous from the beginning , and would you have another guide now ? you have lost that which guides holy men , and righteous men , and gives them the knowledge of the living God , and you feel that you want a guide to bring you to God , but takes not heed to that which is manifest from him , which doth reprove you as you are out of the way , and would lead you in the way of life would you turn unto it , but you hating the reproof of it , doth not come to know it , and so you follow a guide which leads you in the way of death ; for that which guided Abel , Noah and Abraham , and all the holy men in times past , when they had no visible thing to be a guide unto them in the way of life ; it is the same now , and as sufficient now as ever it was , and they were made holy and righteous in it , and were accepted of God ; And would you be better then they were , who were righteous men , and holy men , redeemed from the earth , and saved by the Lord , and were accepted of him ? Consider of this , for there is not another Rule besides Christ who is given for a Leader , that he may be Salvation unto the ends of the earth ; therefore all come unto him , and in his light believe , that you may feel his power to work in the inward parts and purifie your hearts , for there is a measure given unto every one of you , that doth reprove you in secret as your minds be after evil , be ye turned unto it , that you may feel the work of it , to cast off the weight that lyeth upon you , and the sin that so easily besets you , that the seed out of bondage may arise and come forth ; for as the light is believed in , so is the power felt , to rend the vail and scatter the clouds , and makes mountains fall and hills melt , and is dreadful to Pharaoh and all the Egyptians ; he that is wise in heart may read how he is acquainted in his own particular with the operation of Gods Spirit , for Redemption is plentifully revealed in this present age as in times past , and many bear true witness of it , who hath felt his power that worketh in the day , who hath made known his Salvation , and revealed his glory , and brought many sons and daughters unto it , where they know the truth that maketh free , and are redeemed from the earth , and saved by the Lord , and their minds are after heavenly things , and they worship God day and night in his Temple , and gives glory unto him that sits upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever ; and this is the true birth that is born of God , whose Image is heavenly , and he works the work of God , and all that believe in him are saved by him ▪ for the Devils work he doth destroy , and the sin he takes away , and that is done by him which no other could do , and so doth the Redee●●● live , and the stone Elect is known that is pretious , which all the wise builders set at nought , and are bringing forth false births in their own wills , which bears the image of the earthly , and neither redeems nor saves from sin , but they abide in darknes and brings forth the works thereof , and are in the house of bondage kept , and knows not the Rest and Peace in God ; and so all people who he from the light , they are from the guide that leadeth in the way of life , in which secrets are revealed , and the Mystery opened , and though such swear the Lord liveth , they swear falsly , for his life they know not , but are enemies to it , and every appearance of it , and so brings forth their own conceivings and preaches it for Doctrine , and stands in similitudes and likenesses , forms and imitations , where the false birth is exalted and the fleshly mind puft up which breaks forth in appearance , and makes a great shew of godliness , and in that glories , but the power is denied , and Christ is rejected , and his appearance persecuted by this fleshly birth ; Therefore doth the Word of Power reach unto you all , ye High-priests and professors , that unto the light you may be turned , and have your understandings opened to know the Scriptures , that you may learn of him of whom the Scriptures testifie , for he is the power of God unto Salvation to all that believe , and he will teach you truth in the inward parts , and make you to be of understanding hearts , to know Redemption by him and Salvation in him , who gives true freedom out of bondage , and leadeth into the Fathers love where all fears are cast out and doubtings removed , the flesh being subdued and the false birth crucified , his righteousness is received in whom the Father is well-pleased , and this is the day of Redemption which from the beginning was and is now witnessed to be the same , and so declared in the Spirits power and not in words which mans wisdom teacheth , for that is earthly and cannot reach unto things above , nor know the Mystery of the heavenly , and that makes the world so ignorant of the things of God , because they are from the Spirit of God , in which secrets are revealed , and in which the Mystery is opened , and the onely true God known , and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent , which none can comprehend or know with that which is in the transgression , and at enmity with God , though words they may have , and in them be puft up , yet from the life they are found , and in their carnal minds are at enmity against it ; Therefore miserable will all your Comforters be , who knows not the Consolation of Israel , and in the day of calamity your strength will fail and your hearts faint , and it is coming upon you , and will be heavy upon your heads ; And who then will remove it or take it from you , who knows not Christ within you ? Therefore all know this from the Lord , that form without power will not save you , nor the Letter without the life will give you peace , and if either be found amongst you , let your doctrine and practise be examined , and let it be tryed what image it bears , for you wanting the life and power of God , your birth is fleshly , and born of the flesh and of your own wills , and not of the Will of God ; Therefore arise and depart , for it is not your rest , you are polluted , and your image is defiled and must be destroyed , for he appears against you whose Image is heavenly , and you must be taken and slain before him , because you will not that he should reign over you , for he is destroying Antichrist with the brightness of his coming , and with the sword of his Spirit is he slaying the wicked , and all flesh is but as grass before him , for he is blowing upon all your glory , and it fades away and dies as the untimely fruit , and if your eyes were not blinded , you might see the arm of God dashing you one against another , and breaking you in pieces as potsherds of the earth , and scattering you as the Sun scatters the morning clouds , and this is the day of glory which shineth forth in brightness , and discovers all your emptiness in the Son of righteousness , who is risen in power , and gone forth rejoycing , and all your idols of silver and gold must be broken down by him , and the carved works of your own hands must fall before him , for his Image is heavenly , though you have marred it and sees no comeliness in it that you should desire it , because the worlds glory is not upon it , therefore cannot you believe that it is he , but puts him to open shame , and with your sensual wisdom crucifies him , and under your earthly carnal minds buries him , and sets your own life above him , and so is our Lord crucified in the streets of spiritual Sodom and Egypt , where he is trodden under foot and despightfully used ; consider if ye be not found enemies to God , who hates the Light , and loves your evil deeds better , walking after the flesh and satisfying the lust thereof , and sets the lust above the life , which makes the seed to groan under the bondage of corruption , bearing the earthy image which is in the transgression ; Now all be awakened , for the day is come , and the true light shineth in which the Fathers love is manifested , and plenteous Redemption witnessed , be ye turned unto it all ye ends of the earth , for there is not another Saviour but he that is born of God , and comes into the world to redeem out of the world , and take away the sin of the world , in whom the Fathers bosom is opened , and his love tendered unto all people that none might perish , but that all might come and be saved , he that can receive it let him , for this is the onely begotten of the Father , which is come in power and great glory , to put an end to sin , and destroy the work of the Devil , that the bands may be unloosed and the Prisoner freed , and every captive redeemed by his outstretched arm ; this is good tid●ngs unto the poor , Salvation is come , that the mourners may be comforted and the feeble strengthened , that all who breath after God , may walk with him in the light of the living ; Now let all flesh be silent , for God is risen the glory of all flesh to stain , and Nations and Kingdoms to subdue , Who stands exalted above him , and brings forth a birth that is not of his begetting , but is of Hagars seed , and riseth up against him , and is at open enmity with him despising and rejecting , reproaching and reviling , crucifying and slaying the appearance of him who is the express Image of the Father ; Now let all be measured with the line of true Judgement , and then it will be seen unto whom this condition will reach , and who they be that are in the enmity , and in that exercises cruelty against the Lord of glory , disdaining and scorning , reproaching and persecuting the life of righteousness , the day of tryal is come , the Throne is prepared for Judgement , and He that Judgeth Right sits upon it , who is the Lord of Hosts ; come ye Priests and Professors appear before him , and stand your tryal , he will do you no wrong , but will pass true Judgement , according to the evidence which shall be given in by the Just witness in your Conscience , and then will you stand guilty before the Lord , for the sentence will pass against you , and the Judgement will fall upon on you , and a Just recompence of reward will be given unto every one of you , and this is in the breathings of Gods love declared unto you , that you may once turn before repentance be hid from your eyes , for you have oft been warned , and still you have refused it , and hated to be reformed ; now look unto him whom you pierce , let your joy be turned into heaviness , and your laughter into mourning , that you should so despise him who would have you to be saved , and so evil intreat him who hath so long suffered and been patient towards you ; Now stand still in the pure fear of God , that you may come to see Salvation , which is so plentifully revealed and made known in the breakings forth of the love of God in the light , that you may come to witness Redemption by him who is the way to the Father , whose coming is prepared as the morning , to give light unto such as be in darkness , and this will be known unto you all , that it is not want of love from God which will be the Condemnation , but your hating the light which from his love is made manifest unto you , for a manifestation of the Spirit there is given unto you all , that you thereby might profit , and who joyns to the Spirit , joyns to the Lord , and denies the evil deeds , and comes out of imitations , and over all false births to the birth immortal , before which the false birth dies and comes to an end , and all imitations withers and consumes away , and in that are you glorying , which the Spirit of the Lord is blowing upon and blasting , and though you be heightened in your glory , and stands as if you were rich , and had need of nothing , yet are you fathomed to the bottom , and your ground is tried , and you are seen to be poor and miserable , and the wo doth reach unto you who are covered , but not with the Spirit of the Lord ; Therefore come down you high and lofty ones , who have climbed up another way then by the door , you are thieves and robbers , and have stollen words from your neighbours which is not your own , and have sowed them together , and made you a covering , and in it stands decked as a painted harlot , yet will not all this hide you from the pure eye of God , for he is enquiring after you , and his voice reacheth unto you , and in the cool of the day he comes to see where you are , you being erred from him , and out of Communion with him , for Adam was fallen from God , when it was said unto him , where art thou , read in the fear of God , and trie your waies and doings , O ye Priests and professing people , and see where you are , whether in the innocencie , or subtiltie , in the life , or in knowledge , covered with righteousnesse , or with leaves , bearing the image of the heavenly , or the image of the earthly , in which of these are you consider , for the day of visitation reaches unto you all who be out of the way of life ; put off your coverings , for they will not hide you , nor be a defence unto you , for now doth the Lord appear against you , and his controversie is with you all , and the day hastens towards you that burns as an oven , and all the proud and the wicked must be the stubble , and it will burn and there shall be none to quench it ; therefore be not you deceived , for God will not be mocked , he sees your wayes and doings , and you cannot hide your Councel from him , though many things you do he hath no pleasure in them , neither doth he require them at your hands , he is weary of your meetings , and your prayers he heareth not , though you make many of them ; but heaven is shut upon you , and the showers doth not fall , and so you are a parched heath that brings forth no fruit , neither doth your will-worship and fained humilitie make you stand approved in the sight of God , neither do you please him , nor are your performances accepted , for you walk after the flesh , & satisfies it in the lust , and so joines to the harlot , and commits whoredom , and brings forth a child of whoredom , and the son of an adulteress woman which is at enmitie with the seed of life , and persecutes the birth that is born thereof . But now is the Lord redeeming his chosen , and unto the good land is bringing of them , in which all wars ceaseth , and every one comes to know a quiet habitation in the lot of their own inheritance , and possesseth their own portion with joy and gladnesse , and fits under their own vine where none makes them afraid , for into the holy city many are come , where the Lambs government is known , who is set upon his throne , and in great power doth he reign , to subject the kingdoms of the world ; for he is the Lord , and all must worship him , who in his glorie doth appear , and of whose government there is no end , for he hath taken to him his great power , and ruleth , and with his own arm doth he scatter the proud , and with his own arm doth he gather the humble , and in his hand doth lead them into the holy City , where he is King for ever , and makes all wars to cease , and seales an everlasting decree of peace ; this is the new Jerusalem come down from God out of heaven , where there is , no● curse nor sorrow , nor hell , nor death , but the glory of the Lord fills it , and the Lamb is the light thereof , in which many walk who are by his power redeemed from the earth , and are made to sing songs of deliverance , and gives glory unto him that sits upon the throne , and unto the Lamb for evermore ; and this is the rest prepared for the people of God , into which many are entered , and many are pressing in the light of the Lord ▪ Therefore arise you wearied ones , and forth of Egypt depart , the day of God reacheth unto you , that out of darknesse you might come , in which you have long sojourned as in a strange Land , and under a strange government , where you are oppressed , and evil intreated , arise and come forth , the day of Redemption is come , and he who is the light of the world makes himself known , and his visitation reacheth unto all ; Stay not behind him , but his out-goings waite to know , who leads in his light , and will not leave you in darknesse , nor under Pharaohs power , but will ease you of your burdens , and break open the house of bondage , and free you from oppression , and guide you in the way prepared to the everlasting rest ; gird up the loines of your minds , for salvation is near you ; stand still and see it , for the day hath appeared in which Gods arm is revealed , by which the Sea is divided , and Pharaohs host destroyed ; therefore who is Pharaoh , and what is his power that he should withstand God , is not he the King of Aegypt , & his power the power of darknesse ? & is not the Lord the King of glory , and his power made known in the light , which is a plague to Pharaoh and his house ? for God is making his power known upon him , because he is his enemie , and stands in his heard heartednesse against him , the hand of God smites him , and the breath of the Almightie is kindled against him ; and that is come to passe concerning him which all the Inchanters of Aegypt cannot do : Therefore a warning this is from the Lord God unto all that be his enemies , and are found fighting against him , and resisting the light of the Lamb , that you may all repent and turn to the Lord , before utter destruction come upon you ; for God confounds all your devices , and brings to nought all your Inventions , though you sit as Kings in Aegypt , yet from thence is God bringing you down , and makes your Councels to be of none effect , your great host cannot save you , nor all your horses and Chariots defend you from the outstrethed arm of God , who is smiting your first-born throughout , and you must know that there is no God like the God of Israel ; Therefore cease thy cruelty thou violent beast , whose power is in the dark , in which thou hast long Reigned , and also made war with the Lamb and his followers , and shed innocent blood , with which thou hast made thy self drunk , and yet art not satisfied , but still thirsts for more ▪ how hast thou been exalted , & set up in thy glorie , that the world hath wondered after thee , and hath said , who is like unto thee , who is able to make war with thee ? for the power of the Nations hath been given unto thee , and from thence hast thou had thy life ; but now thou must know that there is one above thee , in whom all power is , who subdues the Nations under him , and takes away thy life from thee , that keywords: doth; glory; god; hath; life; light; lord; power cache: A60624.xml plain text: A60624.txt item: #39 of 54 id: A60641 author: Smith, William, d. 1673. title: A manifestation of the love of God unto all such as are convinced of truth and do not obey it. date: 1673.0 words: 4217 flesch: 28 summary: Oh that thou wouldest consider the things which belong to thy peace , before calamity come upon thee , and do not stand at such a distance from the Light which convinceth thee ; for now there is a door open , and thou knowest not how soon it may shut upon thee ; and now is the day of salvation , and thou art not sure how long it may be continued to thee : therefore believe in the Light whilst thou hast the Light , that thou mayest be a child of Light ; for until thou come to be a child of Light , and to walk in the Light , thou art not in the Saints fellowship and inheritance , though with the Light thou be convinced ; So wait to learn of the Light as thy Teacher , and follow the Light as thy Leader , that thou mayest not only stand in the knowledge of what thou shouldest deny , but deny it ; nor only stand in the knowledge of what thou shouldest live in , but live in it : And so ungodliness and worldly lusts will die , and righteousness and godliness will spring up and live , and in that nature Therefore seeing the Enemy hath such cunning devices to deceive thee , thou shouldest watch to the Light with which Christ Jesus doth enlighten thee , and wait in the Light for power to resist thy Enemy , and so when he would break in upon thee , the Light will lift up it self a standard against him , and then thou wilt know where the Cross standeth , and what is to be crossed when it moveth ; and as thou abidest in the Cross to every motion that would draw out thy mind from the Truth , so thou wilt come to receive Truth in its own power , life and virtue , and in the Truth thou wilt receive strength to go forward through all oppositions that would hinder thee , or drive thee back , and the Light and Power will take away stumbling-blocks from before thee , if thou be willing to go forward in obedience , and that will make the yoke easie to thee , and the way plain before thee ; and then thou wilt come to feel what Truth is in it self , and what it is unto thee , and that will put the Questioner down , because thou art come to understand that to be true which he questioneth . keywords: god; light; thee; thou; truth; wilt cache: A60641.xml plain text: A60641.txt item: #40 of 54 id: A64267 author: Taylor, Thomas, 1618-1682. title: A vvarning to the nations to lay aside all prejudice and enmity the ground of strife and wars and to come and embrace the light, Christ Jesus ... date: 1667.0 words: 4322 flesch: 58 summary: But know , O Man , whoever thou art , or whatsoever Profession thou art of , that that 's thy God and Ruler , and Father , and Teacher , and Way , whose Commands thou lovest , and whose Works thou dost and whose Will in the inward of thy Mind thou closest with : as Christ said to those Lyars , false Accusers and Murderers in his Day , Joh. 8 , 44. &c. Ye are of your Father the Devil , for his Works ye will do ; he was a Lyar & Murderer from the beginning . For what is it that the Soul that God hath made in all Nations doth desire , but to see it self unburthened of that grievous Corruption , which hath defiled it , and to be delivered from that Body of Sin and Death , which hath and doth so imbondage it from the beginning , until the Day of Christ's Power be known within , to work the Work of God , and to destroy the Work of the Devil , and to save the Soul from its Sin , and to present it spotless to God , which is the true Salvation indeed ? Now this is my Witness for God amongst the Servants and Redeemed of the Lord this day , whom the World in Scorn calls Quakers ( who am a Sufferer with them for the Kingdom of God's sake ) That there is none can thus know the Day of Christ's Power to Salvation , but as they believe and receive that Light of God and Christ , which they be freely enlightened withal , which shines in their very Hearts and Consciences , which searcheth their very Hearts and Reins , and maketh manifest to man his Thoughts , and from which none can hide any thing ; but all things are naked and bare before him , the Light Christ Jesus , who lighteth every man that cometh into the World , Jew and Gentile , one and other , who searcheth the most hidden things of man , and brings them forth to the Judgment of his Righteousness . keywords: christ; earth; god; light; lord; thou; truth; world cache: A64267.xml plain text: A64267.txt item: #41 of 54 id: A64998 author: Vincent, Thomas, 1634-1678. title: The wells of salvation opened, or, Words whereby we may be saved by Thomas Vincent. date: 1668.0 words: 50888 flesch: 59 summary: First he telleth them of his Trance at Ioppa , and the Vision which himself had of the Vessel descending from Heaven with unclean Beasts in it ; and the command from Heaven to eat , not calling that common and unclean which God had cleansed ; the Lord hereby giving him to understand , That like as under the Law , though there were divers kinds of meats forbidden , and therefore unclean , and unlawfull to be eaten ; yet under the Gospel , that prohibition being taken off , and the meats sanctified by the word of Gods command or allowance , believers might freely eat of them without sin : So also , though under the Law , before the coming of Christ , the people of God in the Nation of the Iewes , where only the Church of God was to be found , were to separate themselves from all heathen Nations as unclean , and it was unlawfull for them to go in and eat with Heathen or Gentile persons , lest they should be defiled and enticed by such familiar converse with them , unto their Superstitions and Idolatries ▪ yet God having before foretold and promised the accession of the Gentiles unto the Church ; and under the Gospel having sent his Son , who brake down the middle wall of partition between the Iewes and the Gentiles ; and having sanctified the Gentiles by his Spirit and Faith ; they were no longer to be accounted unclean , and therefore it was as lawfull for the believing Iewes to eat and converse with them as one with another . In regard of purity , they have not the least tincture of sin ; the most holy persons on earth are not without some remainders of defilement : In regard of neerness unto God , they dwell with God in Heaven , and behold his face continually ; we are on earth , and see but his back-parts , and what we see it is but darkly and thorow a glass : keywords: angels; christ; death; doth; faith; god; gods; gospel; grace; hath; heart; heaven; law; life; lord; man; men; ministers; peace; people; power; preaching; salvation; selves; sin; sinners; sins; souls; spirit; things; unto; use; way; word; work; ● ● cache: A64998.xml plain text: A64998.txt item: #42 of 54 id: A65304 author: Watson, Thomas, d. 1686. title: The one thing necessary Preached in a sermon at Pauls, before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, and the aldermen of the City of London, Aug. 31. 1656. By Thomas Watson, minister of Stephens Walbrook, London. date: 1658.0 words: 13827 flesch: 82 summary: My Lord , this is the true wisdom , to be wise to salvation * ; By this godly policy we shall go beyond all the Politicians of the times ; we shall escape hell , we shall be raised to the true {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of honour ; God will be our Father , Christ our Brother , the Spirit our Comforter , the Angels our Companions ; when we die we shall carry a good conscience with us , and leave a good Name behinde us . Seek ye first the Kingdome of God , {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} . keywords: christ; doth; fear; god; good; grace; hath; heart; heaven; holy; love; man; men; non; salvation; soul; spirit; text; thing; time; way; work; working; world cache: A65304.xml plain text: A65304.txt item: #43 of 54 id: A65480 author: West, Thomas, of Hertford. title: The word of God to all the elect number with a few words in a deep lamentation over the seed of life, to its tender father concerning them that have transgressed in Israel. date: 1664.0 words: 3557 flesch: 50 summary: The word of God to all the elect number with a few words in a deep lamentation over the seed of life, to its tender father concerning them that have transgressed in Israel. The word of God to all the elect number with a few words in a deep lamentation over the seed of life, to its tender father concerning them that have transgressed in Israel. keywords: god; life; lord; tcp; text; thee; thou cache: A65480.xml plain text: A65480.txt item: #44 of 54 id: A65610 author: Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. title: The redemption of time, or, A sermon containing very good remedies for them that have mis-spent their time shewing how they should redeem it comfortably / by William Whately ... ; now published for general good by Richard Baxter. date: 1673.0 words: 24193 flesch: 62 summary: Christians are not of their mind , because it is a mercy even under pain to have time of preparation for another world , and because we may serve God in Patience and Heavenly desires and Hope , when we cannot serve him by an active life : But Christians and Heathens will proclaim those persons , to be the shame of Nature , who wilfully make thems●lves unprofitable , and live in their hea●●h a● if they were d●s●bled by sickness ; and are condemned by their se●suality to a prison , or a grave : Suppose then both Ladies and Gentlewomen of the same rank : The one riseth as early as is consistent with her health ; with thoughts of thankfulness and love , her heart a●so awaketh , and rise●h up to him that night and day preserveth her : she quickly dispatcheth the dressing of her body , as intending no more but serviceable warm●h , and modest decency : and then she betaketh her self to her closet , where she poureth out her soul in confession , supplication , thanksgiving and praise to God , her Creator , Redeemer and Sanctifier : And as one that delighteth in the Law of the Lord , she reverently openeth the sacred Scriptures , and readeth over some part of it , with some approved Commenta●y at hand , in which she may see the sense of that , which of her self she could not understand : What is plain , she taketh in , digesteth ▪ and layeth up for practice : keywords: body; christ; day; doth; god; good; hath; heart; idle; life; lord; man; men; mind; ones; self; sin; sleep; soul; things; thou; time; use; words; work; world; ● ● cache: A65610.xml plain text: A65610.txt item: #45 of 54 id: A65809 author: White, Thomas, d. 1682. title: The practice of Christian perfection wherein several considerations, cautions, and advices are set down, for the perfecting of the saints, and completing them in the knowledge of Christ Jesus / by Thomas White ... date: 1651.0 words: 24076 flesch: 50 summary: I answer to that , that there are two kinds of perfections in God , communicable and incommunicable : incommunicable are called those , not which the creature cannot have , but which the creature ought not to have , as to do all things for its own glory ; for a creature may do all things for its own glory , but ought it not so to do ; not onely because it is folly in the creature to do so ; for glory is a thing of ornament , & man is a poor creature that wants things necessary ; and it is folly for man to buy Jewels to adorn him , while he is ready to starve for want of garments to cloath him ; but it is because it is incommunicable to the creature ; that is , God and the creature cannot do things for their own glory without thwarting one another ; for if man do things for his own glory , then it must needs follow that he doth it not for the glory of God , and so thwarts the end that God proposeth to himselfe , and to all creatures , viz. For none will unbosome himselfe unto an Enemy , nor mayst thou think to master God by thy Learning , and know him whether he will or no ; for God must manifest himselfe , or else thou canst never know him , and he will not manifest himselfe to thee except thou love him , though thou beest never so learned or great a Politician , keywords: christ; day; doth; enemies; god; good; hath; heaven; holy; lord; love; man; men; set; spirituall; thee; things; thou; thoughts; thy; wee; word cache: A65809.xml plain text: A65809.txt item: #46 of 54 id: A66386 author: Boyle, Robert, 1627-1691. title: The certainty of divine revelation A sermon preached at St. Martins in the Fields, Feb. 4. 1694/5. Being the second of the lecture for the ensuing year, founded by the honourable Robert Boyle, Esquire. By John Williams, D.D. chaplain in ordinary to His Majesty. date: 1696.0 words: 9737 flesch: 59 summary: So that had we no such Promise upon record , as , The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head ; yet however , we might be as sure that there was some such kind of Revelation made to Adam , some Promise of Forgiveness , when God did intend to Redeem him and all Mankind , as there was a Design to Redeem them : It being as necessary toward their present Comfort to have a Revelation of that Mercy in their Redemption , as Redemption it self was necessary toward their Happiness . Now if this be unreasonable for Man to expect , it is so then in the case of Revelation , which God had committed to the Custody of Men themselves , and made them whose Interest it was , to be the Conservators of it . keywords: god; institution; mankind; nature; reason; revelation; things; time; world cache: A66386.xml plain text: A66386.txt item: #47 of 54 id: A66409 author: Boyle, Robert, 1627-1691. title: The possibility, expediency, and necessity of divine revelation a sermon preached at St. Martins in the Fields, Jan. 7. 1694/5 : at the beginning of the lecture for the ensuing year, founded by the honourable Robert Boyle, Esquire / by John Williams ... date: 1695.0 words: 7355 flesch: 55 summary: 1. There are things of pure and simple Nature , and knowable by the Light of it , without Revelation ; of this kind is the Knowledge of God by the Effects of a Divine Power and Wisdom in the world ( as has been shewed ) of which the Apostle treats , Rom. 1. 20. Now Revelation is a means extraordinary ( as has been shewed ) and consequently such as the means are , such must the case be , extraordinary ; for God , not doing any thing in vain , cannot be supposed to use extraordinary means , where the case is ordinary , and may as well be served by ordinary means . keywords: divine; god; mankind; nature; reason; revelation; things; world cache: A66409.xml plain text: A66409.txt item: #48 of 54 id: A66686 author: Winstanley, Gerrard, b. 1609. title: The mysterie of God, concerning the whole creation, mankinde To be made known to every man and vvoman, after seaven dispensations and seasons of time are passed over. According to the councell of God, revealed to his servants. By Gerrard Winstanley. date: 1649.0 words: 17414 flesch: 59 summary: Therefore to proceed a little further , that this truth may shine in its own beauty , God does teach me to see , that every action , or dispensation of God , is called a Spirit , or an Angel , and every action , or aspiring principle that rise up in Adam , which led him to disobedience , it pleased God that it should have a Being , and likewise be called a Spirit , but it is a dead Being , and a Spirit of darknesse , quite opposite to the God of Light and Life , and God gives it the name of Serpent , Dragon , Murtherer , wicked one , and unclean Spirit , because it twisted it selfe into the middle of the Creation , and was an aspiring to be like God , but God did not make the nature of it ; for it was the first fruits of a created Being , without God . But now in the third sense , the worke is not yet compleated in the whole Creation ; for God is pleased to doe this worke in length of time , by degrees , calling some at one houre , and some at another , out of the Serpents bondage , and the times and seasons God hath reserved to himself . keywords: adam; christ; creation; creature; day; death; dispensation; god; hath; life; man; power; serpent; time; work cache: A66686.xml plain text: A66686.txt item: #49 of 54 id: A67743 author: Younge, Richard. title: The cause and cure of ignorance, error, enmity, atheisme, prophanesse, &c., or, A most hopefull and speedy way to grace and salvation, by plucking up impediments by the roote reduced to explication, confirmation, application, tending to illumination, sanctification, devotion / by R. Younge ... date: 1648.0 words: 58085 flesch: 80 summary: Againe , search the whole Bible over and you shall not finde one holy man mentioned , without mention of something hee suffered from ungodly men ; as it were easie to instance , how Abel , Lot , Noah , Righteous men Abraham the Father of the faithfull , Isaac , Iacob , Ioseph Patriarches and Fathers of the Church , meek Moses , upright Sam●●l , holy David , wise Solomon , all the Lords Priests , Prophets , Apostles ; yea the harmlesse Babes and our Saviour Christ himselfe , did severally suffer from wicked and ungodly men , yea , never man came to Heaven , but first hee passed through this Purgatory : God had one Sonne without sinne , but never any one without suffering ; which makes our Saviour say , Woe be to you , when all men speake well of you , that is , when evill men speake well of you , for so did the Iews of the false Prophets , Luke 6.26 . And because hee cannot force men against their wills ; ( which leaves us without excuse ) for though that old Sheba , blowes many an inticing blast , to carry us away from our true allegiance to Christ Iesus our King : yet the minde of man is not capable of a violation , either from man or Sathan : therefore he useth his utmost pollicy to perswade us . keywords: acts; bee; beleeve; cause; children; christ; christians; cor; death; doe; enmity; evill; god; godly; gods; good; hate; hath; hatred; heart; heaven; hee; hell; himselfe; holy; iohn; know; knowledge; life; like; lord; love; man; matth; men; owne; paul; reason; religion; saith; satan; sect; seed; servants; sin; things; thinke; thou; time; true; truth; way; wee; wicked; wisdome; wise; words; world; yea; ● ● cache: A67743.xml plain text: A67743.txt item: #50 of 54 id: A67769 author: Younge, Richard. title: The seduced soul reduced and rescued from the subtilty and slavery of Satan ... by R. Junius ... date: 1660.0 words: 6289 flesch: 76 summary: Whence it is , that St. Cyprian useth these words : It is as much lost labour ( saith he ) to preach unto men the things of God , before they are humbled with the sight of their wants , as to offer light to a blinde man , to speak to a deaf man , or to labour to make a brute beast wise . Yea , the most of men amongst us so delude themselves with mistakes , and false surmises , against Religion , and the religious , that piety and goodnesse is so despised ; loosenesse and prophanesse so set by , and defended , by some ignorantly , by others maliciously : and this also by reason of long custome runs so deep and strong , that wee can never look to have it mended , untill Christ comes in the clouds . keywords: christ; god; hearts; heaven; life; man; men; satan; text; way; yea cache: A67769.xml plain text: A67769.txt item: #51 of 54 id: A67773 author: Younge, Richard. title: A short and sure way to grace and salvation being a necessary and profitable tract, upon three fundamental principles of Christian religion ... : how man was at first created, how he is now corrupted, how he may be again restored : together with the conditions of the covenant of grace, and to whom the promises of the Gospel belong ... / by R. Younge ... date: 1658.0 words: 13608 flesch: 76 summary: I●deed a man may be so bold of his Pre●estination , as to forget his conversation ; so he may dream himself in Hea●en , and waken from that dream in Hell . Un●● them that are unbelieving is nothing pure : but even their minde , and conscien●● is defiled , Tit. keywords: christ; faith; god; good; hath; heart; heaven; hee; life; man; men; rom; sect; sin; sins; thou; world; yea; ● ● cache: A67773.xml plain text: A67773.txt item: #52 of 54 id: A67781 author: Younge, Richard. title: The tryall of true wisdom, with how to become wise indeed, or, A choice and cheap gift for a friend both to please and pleasure him, be he inferior or superior, sinful or faithful, ignorant or intelligent / By R. Younge ... ; add this as an appendix, or third part, to The hearts index, and, A short and sure way, to grace and salvation. date: 1658.0 words: 18508 flesch: 77 summary: These ensuing Notions ( which I have purposely taken , as a handful out of the whole sack , to squander away amongst my acquaintance ) are such Nuts , as will discover not a few ( who are men in appearance , and their own opinion ) to be as wise , and well affected as Aesops Cock ; that preferred a barley Corn , before a Pearl : or Plinies Moal , that would dig under ground with great dexterity : but was blind , it brought into the Sun . Or Diaphontus , that refused his mothers blessing , to hear a song : Or the Israelites , who preferred Garlick and Onions , before Quails and manna . Men no more differ from Beasts , Plants , Stones ; in speech , reason , shape , than some differ from others , in heart , in brain , in life . keywords: christ; end; faith; fools; god; gods; good; grace; hath; holy; knowledge; let; light; man; men; reason; saving; soul; things; way; wisdom; world; yea cache: A67781.xml plain text: A67781.txt item: #53 of 54 id: A71259 author: Boyle, Robert, 1627-1691. title: The characters of divine revelation a sermon preached at St. Martins in the Fields, March 4. 1694/5 : being the third of the lecture for the ensuing year, founded by the Honourable Robert Boyle, Esquire / by John Williams ... date: 1695.0 words: 7938 flesch: 58 summary: And therefore since Revelation is to make up the Defects of Natural Light , and is as well for the satisfaction of Mankind , as to be worthy of God , we may reasonably expect that these should be the chief Subject of such Revelation . 2. The Matter of Revelation being thus of Divine Inspiration and Authority , must also be worthy of God , and of great Importance , and consequently requires a Proof suitable to the Nature and Importance of it . keywords: case; evidence; god; mankind; nature; persons; revelation; sign; truth cache: A71259.xml plain text: A71259.txt item: #54 of 54 id: A76826 author: Blake, William, prisoner in "Exon Jayle" title: The condemned mans reprieve, or Gods love-tokens, flowing in upon the heart of William Blake, a pentient sinner, giving him assurance of the pardon of his sins, and the enjoyment of eternall happinesse, through the merits of Christ his saviour. Recommended by him (being a condemned prisoner for man-slaughter within the statute) unto his sister, and bequeathed unto her as a legacy. date: 1653.0 words: 5157 flesch: 35 summary: O World , O Flesh , O Divell , let mee alone , you have nothing to doe with me , let me serve the Lord my God , for I am his , I was yours too long , get you gone , I command you in the name of my beloved Christ ; though it be true that I did often transgresse the Law , yet my Saviour he hath pleaded for mee , he hath procured a pardon for all my sinnes , and sealed it , he hath set his hand to it , and hath put it safe lockt up with the key of his Love , in my heart by his Spirit , all the Divels in Hell can never get it from me ; I fear not , you can but kill my bodie , you can doe no more ; the Lord will raise me up again at his comming , and then my corruptible bodie will be made incorruptible , and this bodie which is mortall shall be made immortall , and glorious ; then will this his Spirit which bids me write , here come againe and own me , by the vertue of my Beloved shall I be raised up again to meet the Lord my God , with joy and rejoyceing , to the praise and glory of his great and holy Name ; this is true , for Christ himselfe ( in whom only I trust for Salvacion ) hath told me so , whatever you plead against me it is to no purpose , for I have a righteous Advocate at Gods right hand ; nay further , I have Gods discharge within mine own heart , which is my acquittance , you have nothing to require ( O Law ) but death the wages of sinne , that pray take whensoever it pleaseth God you shall have it , as for my soul my God by his free Grace hath clasped it in his armes of mercy , I am his darling his jewell , J see plainly that he delighteth in mee , hee lives in me by his Spirit , and I in him by my Faith : although I have ( I confesse ) broken the Law , yet Jesus Christ kept it , and he hath satisfied the justice of God it makes as much to my discharge , as if I had kept it my selfe ; as my Saviour was beloved of God the Father , so am I through faith in him : You 'l say I transgresse the Law daily in thought , word , or deed , I say no , it is not I but sin that dwelleth in me : I have a bad neighbour , but Christ will give mee patience and courage to war against my enemie , it shall have no power , it may take the best Saint cowardly and unawares , but I blesse God I have strength from Christ by his Spirit that beats him out of doores , he lodgeth not in my heart , I have no room but for my Love , my Christ , I am wholly his , and hee is mine ; for should I regard iniquitie in my heart , the Lord would not heare my praiers , I see by the eye of my faith that I am freed from sin , though not free from sinning , I will rejoyce though sin dwell in my flesh , O my beloved Christ , I see there is more good in thee for me , then there is evill in sin against me : O my eternall God , thou art more pleased with mee thy poore creature for my Christ thy Son's sake , then ever thou were displeased with me for my sins sake , O my God I lay them all open before thee , I confesse and forsake them , to come to thee my God for mercy ; thou hast promised mee forgivenesse , forsake me not my God , for I am resolved ( by the assistance of thy Spirit ) never more to forsake thee ; do not thou leave me comfortlesse , but support me by the Almighty power of thy Spirit within me : how odious doth sin appear to my soul ! how fain would the enemy of my soul undermine it , and weaken my faith in thee ! what strivings , and subtill temptacions , hath the Devil to ensnare the soul of thy Servant if he could ! how fearfull am I when I think of any thing but thee ! be thou therefore the continual meditacion of my heart ; how fearfull am I to look on , orcommune with the World , or the vanities of the World , least they should draw away my minde and affections ! O that thou wouldest direct my feet according to the revealed Will of thee my God , but ( O my God ) I have not kept thy Statutes , I have walked out of the way in the Wildernesse of sin , but ( sweet Jesus ) thou sweetly tellest me thou art the way , the truth , and the Life , I will therefore lay hold on thee , thou hast promised me thy Love ; I am thine , stay me , I am sick : thou art my life , comfort me , or I shall die , warme my soul that it cool not , cherish me my Love , my heart will elce fayl me , O God make me constant , faithfull , as thou art faithfull , give me more golden apples of thy Love ; give , that I may give thee the praise of thy Love , give me yet more of the riches of thy grace , that I may be liberall to others , as thou art liberall to mee , expresse more of thy Love to me , that I may extoll thee in my expressions to others , who are thy Saints and Servants , who are part of my life , thou hast made us one in thee and thou art one in us , thou art the Vine , we but branches , O make us fruitfull , water our hearts , bathe our souls in the Ocean of thy Love , open the Fountain of thy Love , that we may swim pleasantly in the streams of thy Love , till we come to thee the water of Life , the head Spring of all our joy , with thee for evermore . keywords: christ; god; lord; love; mee; thee; thou; thy cache: A76826.xml plain text: A76826.txt