Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	author_n	life_n	write_v	1,812	5	5.6284	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A67764	Preparation to conversion, or, Faith's harbinger in a rare epistle, writ by a person of quality before his death, to his surviving friends, shewing, that Satan prevails most by deception of our reason, that the beauty of holiness and true wisdom is unseen to the world, that ingrateful persons are as witless as wicked, why most men hear the Gospel year after year, and are never the better, with wholsom instruction, to prevent destruction : all richly fraught with choise and pithy sentences, similitudes, examples, metaphors, rhetorical and pointed expressions, which being thought by many worth the transcribing at no small charge, is now committed to the press / by R. Young ...	Younge, Richard.	1658 (1658)	Wing Y176; ESTC R39195	18,400	18

further informed ask your selves only these three questions Whether you are of that small number whom Christ hath chosen out of the world Whether you are Regenerate Whether you have true and saving faith For otherwise all your hopes and perswasions are but vain presumptions and delusions First Are you of that small number For the greatest number whether of men or great men or great Scholars go the broad way to destruction and but a few of either the narrow way which leadeth unto life as appears by many cleer testimonies and examples for which see those known places Mat. 7.13 14. 1 Joh. 5.19 Rev. 20.8 Christs flock that believe the Gospel are but a little flock Luk. 12.32 and but few in number Isa. 10.22 53.1 Rom. 9.27 10.16 Rev. 3.4 2 Cor. 4.4 Mat. 8.34 27.22 Acts 28.22 Rev. 13.16 Yea of all the CCLXXXVIII several Opinions which Philosophers held touching the Chief good never any was 〈…〉 to think the way to attain to it was by doing as the most do Yea they all concluded that Number was the best note of the worst way And we even see by experience that the basest things are ever most plentifull And therefore it amazes me to think how men should be so blockish as they are in this particular for if you mark it most men walk in the broadway and yet every man thinks to enter in at the strait gate which could never be if they were not fools or frenzie Again take notice that many seekers fall short of heaven Luke 13.24 Do you strive The righteous shall scarcely be saved what then shall become of the unrighteous 1 Pet. 4.18 14 Secondly Are you regenerate and born anew For Christs words to Nicodemus a knowing honest moral man are express yea and he bindes it with an oath Verily verily I say unto you except ye be born again ye can in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven Now if you be regenerate it will appear by this Regeneration or new-birth is a creation of new qualities in the soul as being by nature onely evil-disposed In all that are born anew is a change both in the Judgement from error to truth and in the Will from evil to good and in the Affections from loving evil and hating good to love good and hate evil in the whole man from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Is this change wrought in you For without it there is no going to heaven no being saved Then Thirdly Have you a true and lively faith in Jesus Christ For there is no coming to Christ but by faith Heb. 11.6 By faith we receive the forgiveness of our sins Luke 7.47 50. By faith we are justified Rom. 3.26 28 30. Gal. 3.8 By faith through grace we are saved Eph. 2.8 9. Luk. 18.42 By faith through the power of God we are kept and preserved to salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 Nothing but faith can assure us of Gods favor Eccles. 9.1.2.3 By faith we obtain whatsoever we ask Mat. 21.22 By faith we are blessed Gal. 3.14 By faith we know God 1 Joh. 4.7 Psal. 9.10 Without faith we cannot profit by hearing the Word Heb. 4.2 Without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 Whatsoever is not of faith is sin be they never so glorious performances Rom. 14.23 and 10.14 Now you shall know whether you have faith by this Faith comes by bearing the Word preached Rom. 10.17 And the Spirits powerfull working with it Ioh. 3.3 5.8 Faith purifieth the heart Act. 15.9 worketh by love Gal. 5.6 and sanctifieth the whole man throughout Act. 26.18 Faith is known by its works Iam. 2.17 18.22 Faith and holiness are as inseparable as life and motion the sun and light fire and heat Again Faith believeth the threats of the Word together with the promises and thereupon feareth sin as it fears hell Again if the Image of God by faith be repaired in you you cannot but love them that love God 1 Ioh. 3.10 Besides this is a sure rule That that perswasion only which follows found humiliation is Faith That which goes before it is Presumption And as Ambrose speaks No man can repent of sin but he that beleeves the pardon of sin nor none can beleeve his sins are pardoned except he hath repented Lastly how easie a matter soever men think it is to believe he that goes about it shall finde it as hard a work to beleeve the Gospel as to keep the Law And onely God must enable to both Now if upon trial you evidently finde that you are of Christs little flock that you are regenerate and that you have this precious grace of Faith wrought in your heart you may comfortably assure your self that you shall be saved Otherwise the Devil and your own heart do but delude you in promising you the least benefit by the blood of Christ Yea it had been better for you that there had been no Christ come into the world For even the mercy of God which you have contemned and the means of grace and the offer of salvation shall but inhance your damnation Yea Christ himself that onely Summum bonum who is a Saviour to all Beleevers shall be a just Revenger to you if you go on and bid you Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire c. Matth. 25.41 15 And so much for the discharge of my conscience and duty and to make a supply of that which I should have some way performed long since Yet least I should imitate those who kindle a fire under greenwood and leave it so soon as it begins to flame for I take it for granted that some of you will lay to heart what hath been said I have sent you three Books writ by an impartial Author not a Party which I hold exceeding profitable for you to peruse The one speaking more home and full to this matter The second shewing how it comes to pass that so many are deceived who hope to be saved The third setting out to the life the very thoughts words and actions of all natural men insomuch that no glass can more lively represent your faces then it does your hearts Therefore that you may not be disappointed of your end by mistaking your way that you may become as true friends to God and the Ministry as you have been bitter enemies and so have your part and portion with them at Gods right hand where are pleasures for evermore Be perswaded to read them with as much observation and circumspection as you would do the Evidences of your Inheritance Neither count it as a thing indifferent that may either be done or dispensed with except you are indifferent whether you be saved or damned Yea so minde what you read as if it were an Epistle writ from Heaven and sent to each of you in particular Expect not that Christ Jesus himself from Heaven should call to you severally by name as he did to Saul and say Ho Ishmael such a