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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60543	A patern of free grace, or, The exceeding riches of the free grace and mercy of God in Christ to believing and repenting sinners by the example of that admirable convert, or rather miraculous mirror of Gods wonderful love and mercy in saving the repenting thief on the cross : wherein is excellently handled the doctrine of true repentance, the exceeding sinfulness of sin, with the desperate danger of final impenitency, with the certainty of Salvation to repenting sinners by Christ / by Samuel Smith.	Smith, Samuel, 1588-1665.	1658 (1658)	Wing S4190; ESTC R25767	152,510	534

the seruile and slauish feare to feare God onely for his iudgements and this is most vsually seene in the wicked It is that sonne-like feare that we here speake of whereby Gods children feare God as a louing and dutifull childe his father not so much for feare of the rodde and punishmēt if he offend as of loue as being fearfull to offend so good and so louing a father Whereas that seruile and slauish feare that is in wicked men lookes onely to the punishment as the gally-slaue to the whip and that many times doth terrifie him as for sinne it selfe it doth no whit trouble him nay as Solomon saith It is a pastime to the foole to do wickedly But may not Gods children abstaine from sinne for feare of Gods wrath Quest 2 and for punishment sake I answer Answ the spirit of bondage and of feare hath its worke in the hearts of all the godly especially at the first when they begin to conuert and to turne vnto God And this is compared to a needle that maketh way for the threed to follow And thus haue the godly at first feared God euen for his iudgements sake as Paul testifieth when he saith Rom. 8.15 Ye haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe Wherein is implyed that there is a time wherein the children of God feare God for his iudgements but now saith he Ye haue receiued the spirit of Adoption whereby ye cry Abba Father and that is the spirit of freedome and of boldnesse So that the child of God is not alwayes held vnder that slauish feare but commeth at last to feare God out of loue to him and abstaineth from sinne not so much for punishment sake as for the detestation hee beareth to it and because it offendeth so good and so gratious a God Yea though there were no hell at all to punish sinne yet would hee not willingly commit sin out of that awfull respect hee beareth to so good a God and louing Father in Iesus Christ Now because this loue is not perfect in the childe of God neither any other grace whilest wee liue here there will be still a remnant of seruile feare remaining euen in the best as Iob saith Punishment was fearefull vnto him Iob 31.23 Neither are they exempted from all feare of Gods iudgements in as much as the remembrance hereof is an excellent preseruatiue against sinne Psal 119.120 So Dauid My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am afraid of thy iudgements Dauid had in him a sonne-like feare of God fearing him out of loue yet in the second place he stood in awe of his iudgements This serues then first of al to discouer vnto vs in what a wretched and miserable estate and condition such men are in Vse 1 that haue not the feare of God before their eies behold we the state of such in this impenitent Thiefe such men must needs runne headlong into all manner of abhominations for alas what should restraine them when the feare of God is wanting Rom. 3.12 13 14 15. Marke the Apostle Their throat is an open sepulchre with their tongues they haue vsed deceit the poyson of Aspes is vnder their lips whose mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse their feet are swift to shed bloud destruction and misery is in their wayes and the way of peace they haue not knowne But what might bee the reason of all these vile and filthy abhominations the Apostle subioynes There is no feare of God before their eyes Abraham knew this when hee caused Sarah his wife to dissemble and to say shee was his Sister and therefore wofull and miserable is the estate and condition of such whom the Lord hath thus giuen ouer to themselues and to their owne hearts lust and want this holy feare to preserue them Secondly this may serue to admonish vs euery one that as wee desire to be free from those grosse and grieuous inormities of the times that wee labour to get our hearts seasoned with the feare of God that we may truely say The Lord is our feare Esay 8.13 our dread This will fence vs from sinne and arme vs against euery euill way such are freed from those vile abhominations wherewith the liues of all wicked men for the most part are tainted withall Yea the feare of God is such an excellent thing that all the duties wee owe vnto God Eccl. 12.13 are comprehended therein Let vs heare the end of all saith Salomon feare God and keepe his Commandements for this is the whole duty of man Yea The priuiledges that belong to them that truely fear God to such belong all these excellent priuiledges and prerogatiues First they shall not want any temporall good thing O feare the Lord O yee his Saints Psal 34.9 Psal 112.3 for there is no want to them that feare him Secondly such hath the Lord promised to acquaint with his secrets The secrets of the Lord are with them that feare him Psal 25.14 Thirdly such onely are vnder the Angels protection Psal 34.7 The Angels of the Lord encampe round about them that feare him Fourthly God takes speciall notice of such Mal. 3.16 A booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord. And last of all for the life to come no man is able to expresse the excellent priuiledges of such Psal 31.19 O how great is the goodnesse which God hath laid vp for them that feare him All which may be so many moti●es to stir vs vp to get this feare of God which hath the promise of this life and the life to come and to whom alone so many excullent priuiledges belong and appertaine Seeing thou art in the same condemnation Text. In these words wee haue his third Argument 3 Argument to disswade his fellow from that his rayling on Christ and this is taken from his owne present misery A presenti miseria Thou art saith he in the same condemnation q.d. Fye vpon thee most desperate wretch Is this the behauiour meete for him that is now going to giue vp his last account before the great Tribunall and that Iudge of all the world before whom thou art shortly to appeare to giue account of all the actions of thy life past especially of this thy blasphemy against the Lord Iesus the innocent And herein as before this penitent Thiefe sheweth an excellent fruit of his owne repentance pressing his fellow with this Argument the consideration of his present misery and punishment that was now vpon him Thou art in the same condemnation Note we hence That punishments and afflictions Doct Afflictions that summon to death should in a speciall manner cause men to looke home especially such as summon to death should in a speciall manner cause vs to looke home humble vs and cause vs to breake off our sinnes by repentance and when they produce not this effect especially when death approaches and we

A PATERN OF FREE GRACE OR The exceeding Riches of the Free Grace and Mercy of God in Christ to Believing and Repenting Sinners By the example of that admirable Convert or rather miraculous mirror of Gods wonderful Love and Mercy in saving the Repenting Thief on the Cross Wherein is excellently handled the Doctrine of true Repentance the exceeding Sinfulness of Sin with the desperate danger of final Impenitency with the certainty of Salvation to repenting Sinners by Christ By that Godly and Faithfull Servant of Christ and his Church Samuel Smith Minister of the Gospel and Author of The Great Assize and Davids Repentance Rom. 9.18 He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth London Printed for John Andrews at the White Lion near Pye-Corner 1658. Courteous Reader BE pleased to take notice that there are five other godly Treatises extant of this pious Authors viz. The Great Assize Davids Repentance Davids blessed Man Moses Prayers And The Practice of Godliness The Christian duty An excellent Book likewise called The Silver Watch-bell Also a most pious and comfortable Treatise entituled The Everlasting Joyes of Heaven or The blessed Life of a Christian in Grace here and in Glory hereafter very seasonable for these times Also an excellent Sermon called Christs first Sermon or the Necessity Duty and Practice of Repentance opened and applied a very godly Book and is but three pence price There are likewise seven other small Books all of them very godly and very comfortable for thy soul One is entituled The Charitable Christian. Another The Plain Mans Path way to Heaven directing ever one how they may be The third The Devils disease or the sin of Pride arraigned and condemned The fourth The dreadful Character of a Drunkard The fifth The Black Book of Conscience or Gods High Court of Justice in the Soul The sixth The Fathers last Blessing The seventh Doomesday at hand All very necessary for these licentious times Each of them being but of two pence price and are to be sold by John Andrews at the White Lion near Pye-Corner THE ADMIRABLE CONVERT Luk. 23. vers 39.40 c. ANd one of the euill doers which were hanged railed on him saying If thou bee Christ saue thy self vs. But the other answering rebuked him saying Doest thou not feare God seeing thou art in the same condemnation We indeed are iustly here for we receiue the due reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amisse And he said vnto Iesus Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdome And Iesus said vnto him Verily I say vnto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise OF all Doctrines to be preached none more necessarie then the Doctrine of true Repentance which as it is most necessarie to life and saluation as our Sauiour witnesseth saying Luk. 13.5 Except ye repent ye shall all perish So neuer more neglected then in these times wherein too many of Israels Watchmen bend themselues not to serue to the edification of the faith of the Church as to disturbe the peace thereof wherein the malice and policie of Sathan in the purest Churches to corrupt the purity of doctrine hath beene euer seene But to leaue such as wearie themselues and Hearers with knotty questions tending rather to strife then edification therein many times to get a name of profunditie they leade their people rather into a labyrinth then work them to true piety It is the Doctrine of true repentance we haue now in hand and herein of that Admirable Conuert or that Mirror of Gods mercy the Thiefe on the Crosse whose example as it is full of consolation vnto the godly so no one example of Gods mercy in the whole Scripture more abused by wicked and licentious men Before we come to these particulars it will not be amisse that we first cast our eyes vpon the Lord Iesus Christ himselfe who as the Prophet Isaiah saith Is● 53.12 was numbred with transgressours And as Saint Luke obserueth in this Chapter Vers 32. There were also two other malefactours led with him to be put to death Verse 33. And when they were come to the place which is called Caluary there they crucified him and the Malefactours c. There were foure kindes of death in vse amongst the Iewes The foure kindes of death in vse among the Iewes as capitall punishments for capitall offences First stoning a kinde of death commonly inflicted vpon Blasphemers Stoning Leuit. 24.14 Deut. 17.7 and Idolaters where the hand of the witnesse was first to be vpon him Secondly Beheading Beheading Thirdly Burning Fourthly Strangling Burning Deu. 21.22 which punishment was afterwards changed by the Romans into crucifying Crucifying Deu. 21.23 which kinde of death was aboue the rest full of paine ignominie and reproach and therefore reserued for grand Malefactours The manner whereof was this The body was to hang on the tree till night and before the Sunne was set the same was to be taken downe and buried This kinde of death was branded with a curse by God himselfe He that is hanged is accursed of God And for the nature of this kind of death without all question it was performed with much torture and paine the Armes being stretched out and fastened vnto the tree with nayles which pierced both hands and feet in which miserable torture and paine the crucified was to remain and abide till death And if it should be inquired why the Iewes did so earnestly vrge Pilate that Christ might be crucified no question it was done in respect of them because this kind of death was the most ignominious bitter and reproachfull such was their malice against Christ And herein something would be obserued concerning 1. The Iewes inflicting 2. Christ suffering 3. The nature of the death crucifying Doct. 1 First of all The malice of the wicked great against Christ and his members in these Iewes we may take notice of the implacable rage and malice that is in wicked and vngodly men against Christ and his members No wilde beast is more sauage and cruell then wicked men are yea and that against the most innocent Here is Christ Iesus himselfe the Obiect Abiect and Subiect of the malice of mercilesse men who thought they could neuer shew cruelty enough vpon Christ Of them it may truly be said Destruction and calamitie are in their wayes and the way of peace they haue not knowne And hence is it that in the Scripture wicked men are resembled vnto Lions Beares Wolues Foxes and Beasts Mat. 7.15 Cant. 2.2 The. 3.2 Pro. 12.10 2. King 8.11 yea such kind of beasts as are of a cruell and deuouring nature yea as Solomon saith The very mercies of the wicked are cruell What a greeting was there betwixt Elisha and Hazael the very sight of Hazael caused the man of God to weepe foreseeing the cruelty that he would exercise vpon the people of Israel Their young men saith

not as sometimes they were according to their present condition and not as in times past The Apostle reckoning vp many horrible sinnes that were committed amongst the Corinthians saith Such were some of you 1 Cor. 6.11 but now ye are washed now ye are sanctified It is indeed a common fault in the world the fals and infirmities of Gods seruants are still laid in their dish albeit they haue giuen good testimony of their hearty sorrow and true repentance for the same It is not seuen yeares that can weare out of minde such a sinne in such a one the world keepes Registers of such mens faults and as occasion serueth still they shall heare of it This is not the Lords manner of dealing with vs. Thirdly this may warne vs to take heed how we censure others that yet wander and goe astray thou dost not know what is to come a man that should haue seene this penitent Theefe how vile and sinfull hee liued euen to the end that now a shamefull and miserable death doth ouertake him could not but haue thought him in a wretched and miserable case So likewise Paul hee that should haue seene him trotting and trudging vp and down from Office to Office to get his Commissions sealed to commit vnto prison all that made profession of Christ could not but haue thought him with Simon Magus to be in the gall of bitternesse O but stay a while this is one of Gods secrets that belongeth vnto him he in whose hands are times and seasons hath his time to call home those that belong vnto the election of grace in the meane time wee may not passe a finall doome vpon any Indeed when I see a man liue a dissolute life liuing in drunkennesse swearing vsury c. and in all manner of prophane courses I may say this man is in the way to destruction but yet there may bee a time wherein the Lord may call home such a one I may come to a tree and say here is little fruit or no fruit or bad fruit but I cannot say with Christ Neuer fruit grow on thee any more Luke 11. for God may shew mercy at last vpon their vnfained repentance And last of all this may bee a forcible motiue vnto vs to moue vs vnto repentance and to bee a spur in mens sides to make them speedily to returne and to seeke God art thou a Drunkard a Swearer a prophane and beastly liuer that hast spent thy time in vaine prophane and licentious courses O behold here Gods mercifull dealing now at last with this poore penitent vpon his repentance the Lord doth freely receiue him againe to fauour Be not then out of heart albeit thou art compassed about with many infirmities wrong not the Lord neither wrong thy owne soule as to thinke it will bee too late for thee at last to returne vnto him It was a curfed speech of a cursed wretch Gen. 4. My sinne is greater then God can forgiue no no labour for a broken and a contrite heart and the Lord in mercy will couer all thy sins And indeed this is the true vse we are to make of all the fals and infirmities of Gods children a● they are recorded in Gods book not to incourage vs in a course of sinning by their examples The true vse of other mens fals but First to put vs in minde of our weakenesse for if Dauid Peter Ionas and the like worthy stars in the Church haue fallen whither shall we fall if the Lord shall but a little leaue vs vnto our selues Secondly to keepe vs from despaire and therefore we can as ill spare the examples of their infirmities for our consolation as the examples of their vertues for our imitation What would become of vs had not the Lord left vs the examples of great land grieuous offenders whom he hath againe receiued into fauour surely wee should euen sinke vnder the burthen of those sins whereof our own hearts cannot but condemne vs. But the other rebuked him Wonderfull are the fruits of this Penitents repentance and faith beleeuing confessing giuing testimony of Christs innocency rebuking his fellow accusing himselfe and hoping aboue hope in this crucified Sauiour whom all the world contemned and despised to finde life the particulars whereof now follow in order But whence was this that he is become such a worthy confessor excusing Christ and pleading his cause who so lately before by his sinfull and wretched life had so dishonoured him No question this proceeded from the Lords free grace and mercy shewed vnto him giuing him to see his sins to be humbled for the same and by a liuely faith to lay hold on Christ It was Christ that had first looked on him with the eye of mercy that had in him no merit before he could behold his godhead now at this time vailed and he himselfe so much abased He was by nature in the same estate and condition with the other malefactor guiltie of the same sinne ouertaken with the same punishment and so had perished euerlastingly had not the Lord Iesus of this stone made a sonne of Abraham and framed his heart anew making a difference through grace where there was none by nature for so was it his good pleasure The instruction we may learne hence then is this Doct. 2 All men are alike by nature vntill God make a difference by grace that by nature there is no difference betwixt Gods children and wicked men vntill the Lord make the difference by grace we are all hewed out of the same rocke that the vildest wretch and cursedst Canihal was that euer breathed vntill the Lord doe frame the heart anew wee are all folded vp in the state of nature and are the children of wrath as well as others Doe but consider what the Scripture speaketh of this particular that we are all by nature the children of wrath Eph. 2.3 Eze. 16. that our father was an Aramite and our mother a Hittite such as wee are indeed without the couenant without God in this world Corrupted with iniquity from the womb Psal 51.7 Iob 14.4 conceiued of vneleane seed yea all the faculties of our-soules how are they depraued through this originall corruption The vnderstanding is blinde Eph. 4.18 Hauing their vnderstandings darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them The will is froward and rebellious Rom. 7.15 what I would that doe I not but what I hate that I doe hauing not so much power to thinke that is good And the same is true of our affections 2. Cor. 3.5 which are likewise disordered being set vpon transitorie things which profit not and altogether auerse from heauenly things inasmuch as the Apostle saith Rom. 3.23 We are depriued of the glory of God Hauing in vs no inclination at all to any thing which is good but rather indeed an inclination to all things that are euill Gen. 6.3 And in

due reward of our deeds q. d. Thou art greatly deceiued to thinke that because wee three do suffer punishment alike that therefore our deserts are all alike no This man hath done nothing amisse or worthy of this death for he suffereth as an innocent But we for our parts suffer righteously and by reason of our euill deeds that we haue done receiue but our deserts Behold we here againe another admirable fruit of his repentance and conuersion vnto God that he can and doth so readily and willingly subscribe vnto his deserued punishment without any manner of grudging or repining And herein also will teach all men vnto the end of the world That Gods children Doct. when once they come truly and thorowly to bee conuinced of sinne Godly submit themselues ●o Gods seuerest corrections without repining submit themselues to Gods seuerest corrections without grudging or repining This Penitent Thiefe herein may be a liuely patterne and example of the true disposition that is in euery true conuert That when they shall once come truly to see sinne they can with all readinesse submit themselues vnto Gods seuerest corrections without repining acknowledging that therein the Lord is most iust and righteous thus this Penitent here howsoeuer saith he our punishment be sharpe and shamefull bitter and cruell yet our mouthes are stopped and we haue nothing to plead for our selues For we receiue the due reward of our deeds He acknowledgeth the Lord to be iust and righteous in laying of that punishment vpon them This disposition we finde to haue been in Iob who being laid in the dust and brought full low by reason of Gods hand This is recorded to his euerlasting praise Iob 1.22 In all this did not Iob sinne nor charge God foolishly That is he did not any way question Gods iustice in dealing so seuerely with him I do not deny but that some weaknes did breake out from him that way as it doth many times in the best of Gods seruants but this was at that time when the burthen of his sorrowes did oppresse him but hee afterwards corrects his errour Iob 39.37 Once haue I spoken saith he but I will answer no more This we may see in Hezekiah who when the Prophet Isaiah had denounced the Lords iudgement against him Isa 39.8 namely that all those goodly treasures that he in the pride of his heart had shewed vnto the Embassadours of the King of Babylon should be carried away into Babylon doth hee repine and murmure against the Prophet for this tidings Doth he any way go about to excuse his fact that it was but that Courtlike entertainment fit for an Embassadour of so great a Prince or the like Surely no but hee buckels handsomely to the iudgement threatned being conscious vnto his owne sinne and saith The word of the Lord is good that thou hast spoken Excellent to this purpose is that of the Prophet Dauid when Nathan the Lords Prophet had denounced those seuerall iudgements against him and his house that the Infant conceined in adultery should die that his owne wiues should be defiled that the sword should neuer depart from his house How doth Dauid behaue himselfe in the middest of all these iudgements threatened doth hee complaine that the Lord dealt hardly with him No. But falls to the confession of his fault taking all vpon himselfe accusing himselfe and excusing the Lord Psal 51.4 Against thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight And the reason hereof is added That thou mightest be iust when thou speakest and true when thou iudgest q. d. I dare not say that thou hast in the least respect dealt hardly with mee insomuch as I haue deserued that all these iudgements should light vpon mee Euen so at other times when hee tasted of Gods rod. Neuer childe was more submissiue to the corrections of a Father then Dauid was Memorable is that speech of his Psal 119.75 I know O Lord that thy iudgements are good and that thou of very faithfulnesse hast caused mee to be troubled To this accordeth the example of old Eli when Samuel told him 1 Sam. 3.18 That the Lord would do a thing in Israel that whosoeuer should heare thereof his eares should tingle Meaning indeed the iudgement the Lord would bring vpon him and his house how doth he behaue himselfe vnder this heauie denunciation threatned It is the Lord saith hee let him do as it pleaseth him By which answer of his we may collect how sensible he was of his own sin in his indulgent behauiour towards his sons takes the same as a iust punishment from heauen vpon the same Of this spirit no doubt sauours that of the Prodigal Luk. 15. I will go to my Father and I will say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee I am no more worthy to be called thy sonne Reade wee ouer the prayers of Gods Church and people at such times as Gods wrath hath broken out vpon them and his iudgements haue layne heauie vpon them Haue they not still acknowledged the Lord to bee most iust Thus Ezra in the behalfe of the people Ezra 9.10 Now our God what shall we say for wee haue forsake● thy commandements Neh. 9.33 Thus Nehemiah Surely thou art iust in all that is come vpō vs. Dan. 9.7 Thus Daniel O Lord righteousnes belongs vnto thee but vnto vs shame Yea Micah personating the whole Church and people of God in times of great affliction and sore aduersity Mich. 7.9 I wil beare with patience the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him By which examples and diuers more of that kinde recorded in Gods Booke we may see the propertie of a true conuert and of an heart truly humbled forsinne it can willingly and readily take all vpon it selfe and still acquite the Lord of iniustice or hard dealing when his iudgements lie most heauie vpon them Whereas on the contrary if wee looke vpon the behauiour of wicked men when the Lord most iustly hath ouertaken them in their wickednesse wee shall heare them grudging repining and complaining as if the Lord were not iust in punishing them so seuerely Gen. 4.13 My punishment saith Cain is greater then I can beare Saul can plead for himselfe 1. Sam. 15.20 as if his punishment were not iust And so the Prophet Malachy brings in the wicked pleading against God Mal. 1.6 Wherein haue we despised thy Name or wherein haue we beene stout against him As if the Prophet had taken his ayme amisse and done them great wrong to charge them on that wise O the wickednesse that is in an impenitent heart The point is cleare and plaine the reasons briefely are First Reas 1 his word and spirit hath informed the iudgements of his seruants teaching them how to conceiue of the Lords distribution of his iudgements that are executed vpon them that the Lord therein cannot but