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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90059	The sinners hope: as his priviledge, and duty, in his worst condition, stated, cleared, and improved. Tending as well to the startling and inviting of the wicked from his sinfull and wretched course, upon the conditionall hopes that are layd out for him; as the confirming and directing of the truly humble and weak Christian in his duty and comfort, in the severall cases of darkness, sin, and affliction. Being the substance of severall sermons, / preached by Henry Newcome, M.A. and one of the ministers of the Gospell, at Manchester, in the county palatine of Lancaster.	Newcome, Henry, 1627-1695.	1659 (1659)	Wing N899; Thomason E1764_2; ESTC R209655	106,234	225

these papers into the world it cannot be out of any conceipt I can have of any thing extraordinary in them the profit of practical books I have had the comfortable experience of in my self and others the matter of this is not novell neither every way common The things may be found in other treatises of the like kind the method and particular digestion of them may be new however all good books of the like subject fall not into the same hands and this may light where some of these things may be news at least 2. Pet 1.12 where the Children of God may well bear their being put in remembrance of these things though they may already know them especially you of my charge dear to me in the Lord because severall of your conditions I have perticularly digested in this discourse and I judged upon the importunity of many of you to this publication that it might be of use unto you to peruse that so you might be more familiar with these things which I find many still needing as if nothing almost of this kind had been delivered It is much in my heart to perswade Christians to read practicall books and to study to looke after a spirituall provision from the Sabboth dayes and these helps for their Souls to live more handsomely upon then many of us do to lay in on the market day to live on that week after and when fresh provision is scarce or spent or if thou wouldst feast or have variety it were good to have a store though of cel● provission to furnish the Table with we should not keep such starved houses for Religion as is too common amongst us if this course and forecast were on foot Time were well redeemed in families to read some one of these books every day and if this small tract may be helpfull to any this way I shall have much cause to rejoyce For my credit in this undertaking the Lord helped me over any thoughts at that before I could hearken in the least to the motion of appearing thus to the World It is for thy good dear Reader that I have ventured my self in point of credit no little I shall challenge thy improvement of what is here tendred to thee with no other apologie then thy serious thoughts of accounting for it at the barr of God It is a weak Minister indeed that shall either preach or print if it be but truth that may not lay enough before thee to heighten thy reckoning at that day I cannot to invert that of Christ's friends to him do this thing openly and seek to keep my self in secret Jo. 7.4 some hands this book may fall into that I had not chiefly in mine eye in the publishing of it and I shall not perswade them to lay it down I print not upon your motives yet I may do it in part for your sakes I would wish you to suspend your scorne and censure till you have well secured your concernment in this very matter look to the state of your immortall soules which you may soone come to the tryall of and for this book or me do as you please As it carries the message of thegne at God and our Lord Jesus Christ to men that must live for ever perswading them to come in I know it is of that validity athority that my name can no way diminish it and I wil not derogate so much from the majesty of the embassage as to ask your leave or pardon that it is tendred to you Reject it on your perill It is the word not which is or can be by man exposed so to you to judge of but that one day it shall recover its place and be that by which you shall be judged For my self I am willing to be in your esteeme as you see fit provided you neither wrong the truth nor your selves for me If you receive any spirituall good here from if you never see me return thanks to God who is always with you and stands by you and observes your very harts in the motion the very title of the Book makes upon you and to whome I intreat you speak a word for your friend though unknown to you when it shall be well with you If you refuse to read or reading refuse to hearken you will give me leave to own my name as one amongst other witnesses against you when we meet at the great day and till then to be known to you as one desiring to be as to others dear to me in the Lord Your souls faithful friend and Servant in the Gospel Henry Newcome The Sinners Hope EZRA X. 2. Yet now there is Hope in Israel concerning this thing CAP. I. The Introduction from the Text and Coherence to the Observation THIS book written by that pious learned Priest Ezra as it bears his name doth contain in it an account of the chief passages of History from the returne of the people of Babylon for 164 yeares And so you have an account of the steps by which in that time that work went or Zerobbabel brings the people up ch 1. and 2. They reare up an Altar ch 3. They begin to lay the foundation of the Temple In the latter end of ch 3. This receives interruption at last at 2 bouts it gets up as appears in the following chapters Ezra is sent ch 7. to restore Sacrifices This was in the seventh of Artaxerxes 13 years before Nehemiah came to build the walls of the City But Ezra coming and breaking up his commission from the King and being about to set upon the work with chearfulnesse that he came about he was suddainly saluted with the sad account of the peoples miscarriage in their marriage of strange Wives which struck him into a great terrour and consternation And having sitten silent about this matter with his cloths rent after the manner of a bitter mourner who had his heart broken with this grievous miscarriage of theirs at the time of the evening Sacrifice he makes patheticall lamentation and confession of the Sin to God in the Prayer or rather complaint which you find ch 9 wherein you do not find any petition he could frame to put up for them the matter he judged so hainous but all he could say about it was to aggravate it and to leave the matter with the Lord saying he was not able to stand before the Lord because of this The people upon this Lamentation of his flock together and Schecaniah speakes to Ezra about the businesse and he joyns with him in acknowledging the miscarriage of the people but he would not have it thus left as a matter desperate but declares his opinion of the case that it is yet hopeful and he proposed the way he conceived for cure which was by making a covenant for reformation in that particular wherein they had so grosly offended Who this Schecaniah was that made this speech we find no mention of him before nor after

not only broken the iron yoak of Episcopacy and superstitious ceremonies so pinching and pressing but hath blessed us with a Covenant and beginnings of desired reformation at first the wonder and still the support of the faithful in the Covenant since which time the presse hath been fruitfull in practicall treatiess wherein as a Token of Covenant friendship The Lord hath made a Feast of fat things a feast of Wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow Is 25.6 of wines on the lees well refined That the spirit of Truth and Holyness might secretly and powerfully increase the power and practise of Godliness in the truly Godly the only ready way to perfect reformation by sound and spiritual food choisly provided and severally dished not only publickly and weekly in Gods own house where he is liberall and open-handed but privately and dayly in their own Houses in their families and closets where this Heavenly Manna is ever ready for them to take and feed upon whilst others have been fast turning their sometimes forward profession of the power of Godliness into a liveless and lawless forme and the unclean Spirit hath been every way active in practicall errors as separation first from Churches of Gods making and after of mans casting down authorities and trampling upon them as mire in the street forging commissions for publick preaching cashiering the Christian Sabbath and listing the Jewish puddle dipping the rightly baptized in infancy cole-blacking the starres in Christs right hand as worthy to loose their light and place and openly contradicting and blaspheming that clear dazling light of truth streaming from them all and especially the last tending to Gospell banishment This is one of the rare if not unobserved providences of these late reling and rolling times Acts. 3.45.46 the lively workings of gods spirit to bring the hidden and deep mysteries of the Word written and copied out into the hearts of gods Ministers into Sermons Sermons into printed volumes printed volumes into the Houses of the godly that after they have read the exceeding great and pretious promises of God in his own Book they may read the reality of them in the books of them in the books of his Messengers who have believed and proved and spoken and written what themselves have read and heard and seen and learned that the faith of true believers might be strong and their joy full This providence minds us of the seven years of so great plenty in Egypt when god fitted and raised up Joseph to gather together that plenty and to lay it up in store-houses for a supply in the succeeding answerable years of famine These late years have been years of plenty for heavenly Manna Gods steps have dropped fatness there have been showers of blessing Jo. 12.23.24 the Ministers of God as the chiefe sheapherds dying as the corn sown have born much fruit God hath fitted and raised up many Josephs to gather this plenty into store-houses I pray God that years of famine be not to follow when there will be no food or but little food but in such store-houses when the witnesses shall have finished their testimony and be slain Certainly books are dishes wherein Christ serves in food to his Church in the wildernesse to his scattered Church to single Saints However providence may order matters This storehouse and such like are worthy the Christian mans entertainment and welcome having this priviledge there can be no wast of this spirituall store by the use of it here is fulness in time of plenty and will be fulnesse in time of famine this plenty though on the incresing hand breeds no surfeit in healthfull and hungry soules I doubt not the providence and pains of this our Joseph gathering together and storing up the hopes of all sorts that are not past hopes will be acceptable to the Church of God and especially to my good and loving neighbours in and about Manchester who have already savourily fed upon this store and for whose sake in a peculiar sort this provision is thus treasured up Their blessings both in Ordinances and providences have prevailed above the blessings of their neighbours God hath turned away the Sword from their gates limited the pestilence and other fore diseases amongst them translated their lights and again fild their candlesticks cured the pride and power of the spirit of error increased and twisted the cords of their union and heightned their hopes of the spreading and increasing of the power of godliness which God establish The God of their Mercy grant Phil. 2 22. that aged Paul and young Timothy who hitherto hath served with him in the Gospell as a Son with the Father may long and long live and love and labour together and be blessed in their labors and remain a blessing to that great congregation both sowing precious seed and reaping the labours of those men of God who have laboured with them and before them to the defeating of Satans policies the disappointing of the deluded hopes of the busy spirit of division the raising and establishing of the grounded hopes of the righteous and the united joy and glory of Ministers and people at that great day of gathering together unto Jesus Christ which for the churches sake is the hearty desire and prayer of Thy soules friend who doth rejoyce and bless God with thee for the love and labours of his Servants John Angier To the Reverend Mr. RICHARD HEYRICK Warden of the late Colledge at Manchester his much honoured Brother and faithful fellow labourer in the Congregation there Dear and much honoured Sir IF my appearing thus in print be no wonder it need be none to your self or any that knows us That I prefix your name to these papers you well know with what fear and sense of unfitness for it I undertook any part of the charge of this great congregation wherein God hath so long a time to mutuall comfort continued you upon the Death of that eminent servant of his and Dear Brother of Yours Mr. Hollinworth as judging the place too publick for one of my mean Abilities though incouraged thereunto by your affectionate invitation and the unanimous call of the congregation And that I should yet make this adventure to be more publick You are not unacquainted with being a principall accessary to the Occasion of it The importunity of fundry of this people whom the Lord hath made dear to your selfe as to me Headed and set on by your respective Letter having much against my own inclination and former intention pressed this from mee Their request was to you in the first place who have been their antient Pastour to have revised and published some of your many Elaborate discourses whereof they have been made pertakers in your constant ministry amongst them that they might have had the profit of your former paines by this meanes revived unto them You have declined at least at present waved the motion upon the

too just grounds of your age and some bodily weaknesses which might make the work somewhat tedious and more burthensome to you I cannot say much of my bodily strength at least that it exceeds or is proportionable to the constant burthen of this great Congregation wherein I should bear a part with you the Work now lying upon three of us which heretofore hath had Seaven to undertake it and to which you are so ready to express a tender Testimony upon all occasions which I thankfully acknowledge that I should for that be lesse excuseable And on the contrary my want of Age and that gravity which should have put authority upon such a Work might have pleaded much for me But since it is come to this and that I am not like to be excused as you are as yet from Printing you will pardon me If I excuse not your name in this Dedication It may be of no smal advantage and so of no little weight with me in this Application of my self these papers to you that being conscious to my self of my own meanness every way and the little that my own name can add to the acceptance of this Discourse be the matter never so of the greatest and highest Importance that yet I appear to the World under the notion of any speciall relation to you sufficiently known for your eminency in birth place parts service and printed labours which yet had been sufficiently manifest without this by our affectionate lines which I have made bold to publish herewith But being really sensible of your many kindnesses to me and much refreshed in my poore indeavours in this Congregation in your comfortable and intirely affectionate condescention to and conjunction with me I could do no less then in this publike appearance make this known to the World of you by this Dedication as a thankfull acknowledgment of my heartiest respects unto you May the Lord have mercy on us in continuing your health still unto you and preserving you long amongst us as an Ornament and rich blessing to this place an helpfull and usefull instrument to this part of his Church and a singular part of the comfort of his life Who is Your unworthy yet truly Affectionate Brother and fellow-labourer in the Lords work Henry Newcome To The Christian Reader Especially to those of the Congregation of Manchester in the County of Lancaster To whose Service The Lord hath at present appointed him in the Ministry of The Gospell Dear Friends IT is the Judicious Observation of one that it is no marvaile if many things in nature which are unknown in their causes be very wonderfull when many naturall things that are known are no lesse wonderfull if the commonnesse did not prevent our consideration of them and they would be no lesse admired and questioned for preternaturall if not so commonly known as they are And amongst some others this of Letters whereby men speak with one another by their hands and a man may discourse with him that hath been dead some hundreds of years by taking up his booke and reading as if he were raised from the dead to spake with him It was the great goodness of God that directed some instruments at first to this most necessary help upon many accounts to mankind in all the Affairs and concernments of life and as an high improvement of this no lesse admirable and gratious was that providence of God that set this way of printing on foot which as it is such in the thing it selfe so in that as it is observed it was in such a time when much use was made to a bad end of the writings of men wherein the vulgar were much abused and misled by the false quotations and glosses upon the more rare and hard to be gotten written copies that were then extant as also that when the light of the gospell begun to break out again after a dismall night of ignorance and superstition there should be such a ready meanes prepared for the transmitting and dispersing of this light all over the Christian Churches the benefits of which blessed providence we and our fore-fathers have abundantly tasted And though I can not but bewaile the manifold mischiefs and inconveniences of a licentious unlicensed presse the horrible abuse and adulterating of this excellent benefit yet the profit of printing whereby we are made partakers of the labours of the Godly and and learned in former times and the labours of others may be transferred to posterity must needs be acknowledged as a glorious Mercy I must needs confesse it was far from my thoughts ever to have said thus much on this matter upon so feeling an occasion as this is but my desire is to be serious in this undertaking and to have an eye at God and the speciall end wherein I might be usefull in this matter how poore and meane soever the attempt be or whatever it shall please God the success shall be The manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit withall 1 Cor. 12 7. v. 4. And there are differences of guifts but the same spirit To one is given by the same Spirit A word of Wisdome to another a word of knowledge by the same Spirit A word of Wisdome to speak Parables A word of knowledge to open and explaine parables as a learned Annotator and Paraphrast upon that Scripture Sit ergo scientia mediocris cognitio sapientia vero revelationes magis arcanas et subl●mes contineat Calvin in Loc. Calvin makes this knowledge to be more mean attainments in the more mysterious things of God and that of Wisdome to be more penetrating into more high and hidden things As therefore mens guifts do differ so must needs the Books that are written by men of by differing gifts I must needs confesse my share in this rich bounty in the things that are freely given us of God hath been in what measure soever it is of this second kind having attained and desirous to be heartily thankfull for it too but to that of some Word of knowledge at the utmost that Mediocris cognitio that meaner knowledg in these glorious mysteries a word to explaine open and endeavour to set on what is plainly set forth in Scripture for mans salvation And whatever I am of this more I am not suspected of I am sure it is a speciall guift of the Spirit to be a plain preacher and upon this consideration being conscious to my self of my own weakness I should have resolvedly kept my self retired if I had known that none but the fruits of the guifts of Wisdome in the more accurate and judicious labours of men of higher parts and abilities could be of use to the Church of God I am I blesse God content with that part the Lord hath called me to act in his Church and for which he hath in any measure furnished me though much burthened and unsatisfied that I do not what I might do to the utmost therein

and yet I oft think of what a judicious Divine once said of one very famous for a practicall preacher that we were in a sad condition if we had no able Ministers in England to deal with gain-sayers then such as he And I do blesse God that he hath furnished out many excellently qualified and enabled to manage the controversies of the times with much strength and and clearness and to defend the truth against all Opposers And though the multitude of Polemick discourses hath bred some inconvenience and many of these worthy Champions well skill'd at their weapons have been too apt to fall from the publick service to engage in unhandsome and some unwarrantable duells making many controversies and ingagements wholly personall and so the fruit of this hath no way answered the time parts and paines that have been used in it upon many occassions yet to nauseate or under value parts and labours this way were for a peaceable people to throw away their defence and bulwarks in a trained military power for their preservation If we would have no Souldiers to defend us our Enemies will find Souldiers to oppose us and without resistance by some well experienced Champions to destroy us And if we decry all polemick learning we may soon be overthrown by it in our adversaries who cherish it to the utmost and cannot be oppugned nor the truth defended against them unless by some eminently skil'd in it on our side Men could not have peace if it were not for warre few would soone be to live in rest if none to maintaine war upon occasion Besides these pretious men of God thus specially qualified keep the Bulwarks whilst others lesse fit for such service should set on foot and improve the trade of religion by which we must subsist and live eternally Every minister should have his competency in both the word of Wisdome and the word of Knowledge though some mens potior parts may lie more in the one and lesse in the other But controversie maintains the truth and practicall piety improves it that without tending on this defends a shadow fights for religion while the heart and life is gone from it this without that lies open to uncertainty continuall disturbances from opposers and danger of building without a foundation these can not well and truly be the one without the other so likewise these do one remotely yet often very effectually the work of the other Controversies well stated and cleared in many points lay the foundation solid for the power of Godlinesse to build on and the power of Godliness heartily admitted doth notably prepare for the right judging of controversies and tends much to the quieting of them I have taken leave to commend in these lines that part which here I present not to you But yet I am confident of it that I may get leave for the whoever thou art that art more in controversies then the study of thine own heart to lay aside those things til this be first done It is very sad when men when read controversies to satisfie the lust and curiosity of their own carnall mindes rather then to enquire into the truth under them for Gods glory and the affecting their hearts therewith which it is possible for thee to have done read practicall books another while and amongst the rest this if thou please I would thou mighst return to those things another man and lesse of those matters would serve the turn Five may be put out by taking away the fewel as wel as by throwing on water this study may heal division by diversions and by giving men a truer notion of differences and of the seed and fuell of them from within us which while the matter of prastical religion's neglected men have notwith them The clensing the stomack may prevent fumes into the head and cure the disease in that part this way I I have purposesly waved such a notion of this very subject as might have looked towards a controversie as also the like consideration of it referring to us as a nation gotten like the people of Israel in Ezra's time into a great transgression and under sore judgments for the same and what hopes might be in this thing I have but touched on the by and all because I see this other particular course to drive at the root of all diseases amongst us if mens hopes were founded secured and improved about their own soules it would soon give us a true ground of hope of things succeeding yet well in Church and state What God may be about to do with us of this Nation I am sometimes desirous to be enquiring after the tokens of Gods displeasure towards us are many as formerly so of late more especially in the sicknesses strang epedemicall and of long continuance suddain death untimely and sad accidents the removall of the righteous the Chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof some hopefull young men prepared for the ministry prevented with the crown before the Church had any tast of their labours a mercy no doubt unto them but sharpest displeasure unto us Reformation sadly at a stand many sensless of any great evills upon us many have been crying out of glorious times till the very shadows of the evening are upon us and we almost spent the Nation secretly wasting and consuming under our late brags of prosperity the suddain and strange revolutions the turnings upside down the backward and forward proceedings in the affairs of the state And what shall we think will become of us well may we thus conclude that if God intend to keepe us for his people he will reform us and before we be reformed the heart of the people of the land must be prepared to the Lord God of their fathers for the want of that kept up the high places in good and reforming governours times 2. Chro. 20.23 ● Chr. 34.3 and after when Josiah did bring that to pass the heart of the people was yet unfit for such a state and so reformation secured them not as a people may drive off reformation so long that when it comes it may not cure them but now what way so like to prepare the heart of the people as by setting them to this study of their own hearts my expectation of our reviving in the Nation is if God restore and revive his work on his peoples hearts if wicked men be turned and men seriously study these matters about the soul these close and inward things wherein we are gotten so far wide as we are the man that can save a soul is likest to be instrumentall to save the Land The generall desired reformation must begin and be carried on in the particular care of every man about his own soul If these hopes here layd down were improved as here indeavoured to be pressed we might of the generall threating state of the whole say that There might yet now be hopes in Israel concerning this thing That I should adventure