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book_n	call_v	name_n	think_v	1,683	5	4.2786	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12191	The riches of mercie In two treatises: 1 Lydia's conversion. 2. A rescue from death. By the late learned, and reverend divine, Richard Sibbs, Doctor in Divinitie. Published by the authors own appointment, and subscribed with his owne hand to prevent imperfect copies.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.	1638 (1638)	STC 22501; ESTC S100975	53,245	274

THE RICHES OF MERCIE In two Treatises 1 Lydia's Conversion 2. A Rescue from death By the late learned and reverend Divine RICHARD SIBBS Doctor in Divinitie Published by the Authors own appointment and subscribed with his owne hand to prevent imperfect Copies 1 SAM 2.6 The Lord killeth and maketh alive hee bringeth downe to the Grave and bringeth up LONDON Printed by I. D. for Francis Eglesfeild and are to be sold by him at the signe of the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1638. LYDIAS Conversion ACT. 16.14 And a certaine woman named Lydia a seller of Purple of the Citie of Thyatira that worshipped God whose heart the Lord opened that shee attended to the things that were spoken of Paul And when c. THE holy Apostle Saint Paula vessell of mercie having found mercie himselfe of God was a fit instrument to preach mercy to others Hereupon he was appointed to be a preacher to the Gentiles Among the rest of the Gentiles he was called to preach to them of Macedonia and it was by a vision as we see in the former part of the Chapter A man of Macedonia appeared to Paul by night and sayd Come to Macedonia and helpe us Indeed the state of the people of Macedonia called for help as now the state of many people doth though there be not such a vision as a man of Macedonia yet their wretched estate being under the Kingdome of Satan cries Come and help us though they doe not crie with their mouthes yet their estate cries The Apostle upon this vision takes his journey to come toward Macedonia and he stayed there a good while Hee abode certaine dayes Though God called him to Macedonia yet God did not giue him great incouragement for the present This is the manner of Gods carriage not to discouer at the present what he wil doe but leads people on by gentle incouragements and to humble them the more with little fruit at the first hee abode there certaine dayes without any great fruit Afterwards he goes out to Philippi the cheife City in Macedonia and on the Sabbath day the people were gathered together a company of women were resorted together and there he preached to them As indeed holy communion is never without a blessing they met together on a good day the Sabbath and for a good end they were met together Now Paul tooke the advantage of their meeting together on the Sabbath day he cast his net and he catcheth one with her family namely Lydia The Gospell was a sweete savour of salvation to her Hereupon there is a discourse of Lydia a short story of Lydia a story worthy to bee thought of which is in the words of my text A certaine woman named Lydia c. SHee is described First by her person and sex a certaine woman By her name Lydia By her calling a seller of purple By her citie Thiatira By her pious disposition shee worshipped God And then her conversion is set downe by the cause of it God opened her heart And what followed upon that opening of her heart shee attended to the things that were spoken by Paul and likewise shee was baptised with all her household And then the sweet fruit that this conversion of her with all her household had presently shee shewed the loue that shee felt from God in converting her to the blessed Apostle and his company shee besought them saying If yee haue judged mee faithfull to the Lord Come to my house c. which words I shall vnfold as I come to them And a certaine woman named Lydia a seller of purple c. FIRST here-is a description of her person and sexe and name and calling and city and disposition God takes notice of all the particulars of those that are his he delights to speake of them those that haue their names written in the booke of life hee knowes their names and callings and persons they are as Iewels in his eye they are written on the palmes of his hands hee takes more speciall notice of them then of the rest of the world Therefore the Apostle is very punctuall in the description of all particulars For her person I will be very short I will giue but a note or two and so come to that I mainly ayme at her conversion A certaine woman named Lydia FOR her sex shee and the rest were women that were gathered together as wee see in the former verse In Christ Iesus there is neither male nor female Sin came in by a woman and the meanes of salvation was by a woman too here were a company of women gathered together For the most part women haue sweet affections to religion and therein they oft goe beyond men The reason is Religion is especially seated in the affections and they haue sweet and strong affections Likewise they are subiect to weakenesse and God delights to shew his strength in weaknesse And thirdly especially Child bearing-women bring others into this life with danger of their own therefore they are forced to a nearer communion with God because so many children as they bring forth they are in perill of their liues Therefore the Apostle here mentions a company of women that were gathered together and among the rest a Certaine woman named Lydia What! a woman to bee the foundation of the Church of Macedonia a poore woman and then a Gaoler afterward a rugged rough Gaoler for these to be the foundation of so famous a Church as Philippi and other Churches in Macedonia Oh! yes the Kingdome of heauen is as a graine of mustard seed small in the beginning It is so in regard of the Church it selfe and in regard of the grace that euery particular member hath it is little and weake beginnings Christians are not as the Angels were perfect at the first The Church growes by little and little Therefore we should not be discouraged when the plantation of the Gospell hath poore successe at the beginning We see in the Church of Macedonia there was little successe at the first A woman and a rough Gaoler a Gaoler that both by calling and disposition and custome was a man hard and hardned too yet these two were the foundation of a great Church Was it not so among our selues The Church of latter times in the time of reformation how began it By a child and a woman King Edward the sixt and Queene Elizabeth of famous memory Therfore as the Prophet sayth Who art thou that despisest the day of little things despise not little things There is nothing lesse then grace at the first But as Christ the stocke of Iesse rose from the dead and rose up to heaven and overspreads the world now so euery Christian riseth of meane beginnings and so doth the Church it selfe A certaine woman named Lydia shee was the foundation of a famous Church Then shee is set downe by her calling A Seller of Purple GOD allowes callings The calling of Christianity

was at the Baptisme of Christ so euery infant that is baptized is the Child of Christ. And it is a speciall thing that we should meditate of We slight our baptisme and thinke it needlesse you see the holy woman here would bee baptized presently shee would haue the seale of the covenant There are many that are not booke-learned that cannot read at least they haue no leasure to read I would they would read their booke in their Baptisme and if they would consider what it ministers to them upon all ocasions they would be farre better Christians then they are Thinke of thy Baptisme when thou goest to God especially when hee seemes angrie it is the seale of the covenant bring the promise Lord it is the seale of thy Covenant thou hast prevented mee by thy grace thou brough test mee into the Covenant before I knew my right hand from my left So when we goe to Church to offer our seruice to God thinke by baptisme wee were consecrated and dedicated to God we not only receiue grace from God but we giue our selues to God Therefore it is sacriledge for persons baptized to yeeld to temptations to sinne we are dedicated to God in baptisme When we are tempted to despaire let us thinke of our baptisme wee are in the Covenant of Grace and haue receiued the seale of the Covenant baptisme The divell is an vncircumcised damned cursed spirit hee is out of the Covenant but I am in the Covenant Christ is mine the holy Ghost is mine and God is mine therefore let us stand against all the temptations of that vncircumcised vnbaptized damned spirit The thinking of our baptisme thus will help us to resist the Devill he is a coward if hee bee resisted he will flee and what will better resist him then the Covenant of grace and the seale of it When we are tempted to sinne let us thinke what haue I to doe with sinne by baptisme I haue union with the death of Christ he died to take away sin and my end must be his I must abolish sin in my nature Shall I yeild to that that in baptisme I haue sworne against And then if we bee tempted to despaire for sin let us call to mind the promises of grace and forgiuenesse of sins and the seale of forgiuenesse of sinnes which is baptisme For as water in baptisme washeth the body so the blood of Christ washeth the soule Let us make that use of our baptisme in temptations not to despaire for sin And in conversing among men let us labor to maintaine the vnitie of the spirit in the bond of peace to live peaceably Christians must not fall to jarre why There is one faith and one Baptisme have wee not all one father one inheritance one baptisme one Religion and shall wee breake one with another for trifles they forget their Baptisme that are so in quarrells Thus if wee would thinke of it it is such a booke as would be readie at hand for all services And then for our children those that God hath committed to us let us make use of baptisme do they die in their infancie make this use of it I have assured hope that my child is gone to God he was borne in the Covenant and had the seale of the Covenant baptisme why should I doubt of the salvation of my child If they live to yeares of discretion then be of good comfort he is Gods Child more then mine I have dedicate him to God and to Christ he was baptized in the name of Christ Christ will care for him as well as for me If I leave my Children behind me they are Gods and Christs children they have received the seale of the Covenant baptisme Christ will provide for them and he that provides heaven for them will provide all things in the way to heaven necessarie God hath said I will be the God of thee and of thy children they are in Covenant thine they were Lord. A man may commit his Children to God on his death-bed thou gavest them me and I commit them to thee againe as before I did by baptisme All this wee have by thinking of our baptisme If we looke no further as prophane spirits doe not then the water and the elements we can have no comfort by these things but wee should consider Gods blessed institution and ordinance to strengthen our faith And to our children when they come to yeares baptisme is an obligation to beleeve because they have received the seale before hand and it is a meanes to beleeve Shee was Baptized And her houshold SO good is God where the governour of the familie is good he gives all the familie good because he makes conscience in governing and instructing them God crownes their indeavours with successe that they shall be all good As we see Abraham and his houshold the Gaoler and his houshold Zacheus and his houshold Oh! it is a a blessed thing to be a good governour in a familie he brings a blessing upon his house the Church of God is in his house There cannot be a more honorable title to any house then to say it is the Church of God that the Governour of the familie brings all in subjection to God that as he will have all serve him so he will have all serve God that he will not have a servant but he shall be the servant of God nor a child but he shall be the child of God and he labours to make his wife the Spouse of Christ. Thus it should be said of every Christian familie and then they are Churches Alas in many places now they are hells because there is little regard had of instructing of them Beloved many poore soules have had occasion to blesse God forever that they haue bin grafted into such good families And put case sometimes thou hast instructed them and taken paines and there is no good done When thou art dead twenty yeares after it may come to their minds all those instructions when they are in worse families Oh! in such a place with such a Master I had such instructions but I had no grace to take good by them but now I call them to mind so the seed that was sowen long before may take effect then This should incourage those that are Governours of families to be good Lydia was baptized and her houshold And she besought them saying if you have judged me faithfull to the Lord come to my house and abide there HEre is the fruit of Lydia's conversion when shee was converted and baptized shee intreated the Apostles to come to her house and abide there and she prevailed shee constrained them by a morrall kind of violence they suffered themselves to be overcome If you have judged mee faithfull c. Come to my house and abide there Here is her invitation and the argument that she forceth it by If you have judged me faithfull to Christ then come to my house To speake a