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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	king_n	write_v	year_n	5,160	5	4.8919	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96372	A treatise of the power of godlinesse: consisting of three parts. 1 wherein it consists. 2 cautions against, and discoveries of, several mistakes and hinderances, most common to the people of God. 3 several means and helps for attaining of it. / By Thomas White, preacher of Gods Word in London.	White, Thomas, Presbyterian minister in London.	1658 (1658)	Wing W1848; Thomason E1848_1; ESTC R209711	168,479	438

commend this only upon that account not as a thing of absolute necessity but if any better way can bee found for the performance of those duties mentioned in this Chapter or a better model for keeping a Diary as I doubt not but many may be use them but in the mean time neglect not the using of any because you cannot have the best 5. I understand not this question it is somewhat like a question once proposed to me I pressing one of my Parishioners some years since to minde holiness make it his business and to spend one hour a day reading and praying c. and giving more particular directions for the daily time set apart for Gods service after by many evasions and excuses hee endeavoured to shift off this exhortation all which by Gods assistance I having taken off and answered hee at last in some discontent asked mee why I should offer to press him to spend an hour a day in the immediate service of God c. Had I prest any of the neighbours to it or did I ever press it to any other before Why should hee be the first that I should speak to So it is for you to ask Why should I bee the first that should keep a Diary Though let mee tell you thou art not the first as I suppose of thousands yet because Scripture is the soundation of all matters of Piety therefore I shall shew many places where the year the moneth the day of the moneth is set down when such and such things were done when the waters abated and the tops of the mountains first appeared when the Ark rested when the earth was quite dry the very day when Moses spake to the people such and such things the very moneth day and year of Solomons Reign and from the children of Israels coming out of Egypt is set down when the Temple began to bee built and the very day when it was finished the very year and moneth and day when Nebuchadnezzar came up against Jerusalem and when the famine began c. Gen. 8.4 5 13 14. Exod. 19.1 Deut. 1.3 1 Kings 6.1 38. 2 Kings 25.1 3 8 2 Kings 25.27 And as for the Prophet Ezekiel hee hath kept a perfect Diary of several times when the Word of the Lord came unto him and divers other circumstances added also besides the year moneth and day as of place where and persons with whom hee was as by these places following plainly appears Ezekiel 1.1 2. Ezek. 8.1 Ezek. 20.1 Ezek. 24.1 Ezek. 26.1 Ezek. 29.1.31.1.32.1.40.1 Why should the Spirit of God write down so particularly the year the moneth and the day surely it is for our instruction there may bee some spiritual advantage got by knowing the very day when the Lord did bestow such or such a mercy c. then only to know that God did bestow it on us but not know when This was not only the practise of Ezekiel but of other Prophets also as Jer. 29.1 2 Hagg. 1.1 Hagg. 2.1 10 20. so if you observe the book of Psalmes there are 99. that are ascribed to David 74. have his name prefixt 25. of them have no name prefixt yet some of them the Scripture it self entitles David to Acts 4.29 Heb. 4.7 and Ainsworth supposeth the rest of the 25. to bee his also Now you shall finde in those Psalmes as it were a Diary of the most remarkable passages of Davids life nay you shall finde in many of the Psalmes the very prayers and meditations that David had upon several particular occasions as in these Psalmes following 51.52.54.56.57.59.60 so Psal 3. and many others as by their several titles do appear How often do you finde mention of Nathan the Prophet Gad the Seer Ahijah the Shilonite Jaddai Shemmajah Iddo c. these were private Records or Diaries kept by them of remarkable passages that concern'd the Church of God and that expression is not this written in the book of Jasher Joshua 10.13 and 2 Sam. 1.18 cannot bee meant of any particular person for the same person could not live from Joshua till the time of David but the meaning is Is it not written in the book of the Just for holy men in those times and since used to keep Records of the special mercies and judgements of God as Grotius observes and the very title of the book of Chronicles signifies the words of daies Now it is evident that in civil matters also not only the Kings of Israel and the Kings of Judah did keep Diaries for where you read Is it not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel and in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah those are meant but even Heathen Emperours as Julius Caesar writ his own Commentary that is Diary so the word signifies Tyberius Caesar and Augustus Caesar had their Diurnos Commentarios as Gasper Sanctius in his Prolegomena to the Kings observes So Ahasuerus and the Kings of Persia had Secretaries by them continually to write down all that they did and said and all that befel them as Diodate upon Hester 2.23 observes I have been a little larger in this business because people think it is a new thing and that there are no Scripture proofes at all for it to prove it either a profitable or an ancient practise among the people of God but doubtless as I have said if there were no spiritual advantage to be got to know the particular times of matters the Scripture would never have been so punctual and particularly in setting of them down But to prosecute this a little further do but consider that whether you keep a Diary or no God doth Revel 20.12 and in his Diary are all your sins and all your good works set down surely if it were possible for us to see it every minute wee should see something written either in the black Register of our sins or in the Records of our good works and it would startle us if an Angel should be by us and we should see him write down every idle word as wee speak it and tell us this you must answer for at the day of Judgement it would make us more watchfull yet though wee cannot see this done nor read what is written in those books yet wee may do something towards it by keeping a Diary of our own and by judging and condemning our selves out of our own wee may prevent our being judged and condemned out of Gods Diary nor was David ignorant of this truth that God doth keep several books of Records to speak after the manner of men some where our sins are written down Psalm 51.9 for blotting out supposeth writing down and other where the members of our bodies are set down Psalm 139.16 A third book that David observes that God keeps is of the afflictions and tears of his people of their several wanderings when they are driven from place to place and as for their tears hee bottles them up and writes

is doubtlesse farre from being an eminent Christian and those that make this Covenant are not onely to tell one another what they see evident to bee amiss but they are also to tell them of their fears and jealousies and of the reports yea even of slanders that are spoken of them for a Saint may get a great deal of good from slander for generally wee do something that gives some occasion to the slanderer to misreport us for if they report that one is a drunkard and a glutton though we may be far from deserving those calumnies yet it gives us just occasion to examine our selves whether wee do not take somewhat too much liberty in the use of the creature and many times wee should go so far if slanders were not raised that wee should deserve them Another great advantage from this our Communion with the Saints is our being acquainted with all their spiritual experiences the waies means that God useth with them what places of Scripture do most affect them either by way of Consolation or provoking and stirring them up to a more strickt and circumspect walking and to a high prizing of and longing after heaven and Christ which places will either stir us up and work the same frame of heart in us or else they will much humble us when wee consider the strange frame of our own hearts that those places that makes others like the charets of Aminadab should not move us and those places that enflame others should not thaw us Another rare advantage that wee have with Gods people is from those high discoveries that God makes of himself to them upon their beds of languishing a little before they depart hence and bee no more seen and because I will not transgress my own thoughts in this particular being confident that relations of the great discoveries that God doth make to his people wil much affect the Christian reader therefore I shall relate some few of the eminentest I know A very precious Christian acquaintance being sick unto death as those that were about have thought I coming to her she said Sir I have examined my own heart but am not willing to trust it but desire the seal of your Ministery and that you would try and examine if there bee any way of wickednesse in me I put her to her choice whether shee would discover her own condition or put mee to finde it out by questions shee chose the former and said O sir God hath handled mee on his knees from my Cradle to my grave for I hope this night the nuptials between my Saviour and my soul shall bee consummate I askt her if shee could remember the time of her conversion shee told mee that shee alwaies lived blamelesse since she could remember But about twenty years ago I was at a Sermon and the point that was spoke to was that every done ought to examine what it was that they had that they durst own at the day of judgement I went home and examined my graces I found them weak and bid them stand by I durst not own them at the day of judgement I examined my duties and found them sinfull and when I found nothing in my self I went out of my self unto that rock that is higher than I and there I have been to this day Her pronunciation as well as her expressions being full of joy and earnestnesse I askt her whether none of her sinnes lay upon her conscience and whether shee used to have such joyes shee answered that God had hid all her sinnes from her for the present and that she formerly used rather to have calmness than joy but now there was a beam of light and joy came into her soul but how shee knew not and speaking much of her desires to bee dissolved I askt her why shee desires to dye shee answered that shee might bee rid of sinne and free from temptation and have an eternity to praise her God in A Neighbour of hers comming in to see her who was a carnal man she left her discourse with others and applyed her self to him and with abundance of intention of spirit and voice shee said O Sir see that you get Christ and the time that you spend in your Garden for hee much delighted in his Garden spend on your knees for I le tell you I would not loose the joys of my dying hour for ten thousand worlds some about her wisht her not to speak so loud for shee would spend her self not speak for my God said shee I will speak for my God as long as I am able to speak and when I can speak no more I will hold my tongue and it was so by Gods good providence that shee resting pretty well that night the next day shee beganne to recover whereupon shee fell a trembling every joynt and shee being askt why shee trembled and what became of her joyes shee answered that ●er joyes was as great as ever but shee trembled to think that shee should live to dishonour that God that gave them when shee was well recovered I askt her what were become of her joys shee answered mee that ever since shee knew God shee had the faith of adherence and I hope that God would have mercy on mee but I never thought it almost possible that God would ever shine upon such a dung-hill as I am but now I can say that God hath stampt upon my soul that I am his and he is mine That precious Saint Mris. Drake of whose life and death there is a little Book worth the perusing out of which I shall only give you an account of her carriage and the wonderful raptures that God gave her a little before her death She was a woman of great temptations and desertions for the space of ten years yet notwithstanding the endeavours and labours of those four eminent servants of God B. Usher Doct. Preston Mr. Hooker and Mr. Dod but at last growing sickly being free from her desertions she became incessant in her discourses of heaven and of the things of God night day so that she took little rest but spent her time and strength in duties and conference shee knew her end approached neer though others lookt upon her distemper rather as an indisposition of body than a fit of sicknesse but she being confident she should dye and thereupon went to her Fathers house where shee alwaies desired to end her daies and Mr. Dod comming to her spending much time in prayer conference and expounding the Scripture shee carried her self with such unsatiable desires of more and such inflamed discourses of the things of God that they were all fill'd with admiration The Lords day before her death shee call'd all her children together and with many admonitions and zealous instructions and heavenly discourses shee spent much time that day with them The Tuesday following Mr. Dod came and spent some time in heavenly discourses and then went to prayer and suddenly as prayer

not mean that one sinnes if one leaves off a duty before wee have a sense of that frame of heart wrought in us that is suitable to the duty for wee may have such a frame of heart and not bee sensible of it So that if you desire and endeavour to get that frame and mourn under the sense of the want of it when after much fervency and wrestling with God you prevail not God will not lay it to your charge as a sin nay further it argues that you have that grace that you so earnestly desire and mourn for the want of for fervent desires after any grace are either actings or signes of that grace or both 4. Nor do I mean that as soon as ones heart is in such a frame one should leave off nay but rather should continue for a while if just occasions hinder not nay● indeed wee should have a suitable frame of heart before wee begin the duty and that which is most to bee wisht is that all our duties should come from our hearts or if that bee not that they should go to our hearts as thus that wee should have a broken frame of heart before wee begin our confession and that if it might bee that all our praises should be flames ascending from a heart already kindled with the love of God The next great help to a godly life is frequent examination This frequent examination may bee made several wayes 1. Wee are to examine our state and condition as to the work of grace in us as the Apostle bids us try our selves c. 2 Cor. 1.5 yet though this kinde of examination bee of singular use to awaken us and stir us up to sincerity and repentance in case wee finde our selves not to bee in the Faith as also of more holiness by way of joy and thankfulness in case we finde that wee have an interest in God yet this is not that which is to bee so frequent as other kindes of examination but having had assurance from Scripture grounds upon due and strict examination wee ought not easily to question our condition for Christ doth not take it well for us alwayes to bee questioning his love for as when our Saviour asked Peter three times Simon son of Jonas lovest thou mee Peter was grieved so wee do but grieve the Spirit of Christ when the Spirit hath witnessed with our spirits that wee are the sons of God and Christ hath manifested his love to us and yet upon every slight occasion wee say Lord Jesus lovest thou mee 2. The second kinde of examination as to our inward frame of heart is to examine the growth of our graces which is profitably at least to bee done once every year as tradesmen cast up their accounts and make up their books yearly that they may see what loosers or gainers they are at the years end and to this purpose it is profitable to keep a Diary that thereby thou mayest bee able to cast up thy account for it is impossible otherwise to remember the passages of a whole year But indeed it is convenient that the examination of the growth of our grace should bee as often as we go to the Lords Supper for to do it daily is very inconvenient nor indeed can we perceive whether wee are grown or no As when wee look upon the shad●w on a Sun Dial except we stay some considerable while though it hath moved the distance is so small it cannot be perceived but if wee stay a quarter of an hour wee may easily perceive that it hath moved So from Sacrament to Sacrament is a considerable distance but yearly examination concerning this matter is as long a distance as may bee allowed if it bee not too much 3. But the main thing here intended is to examine our actions and there are three particulars in that 1. Wee must consider in the morning what wee have to do that day and what temptations are incident to our several actions and imployments and how wee may mannage all our businesses and affairs most for the glory of God the edification of our brethren and the salvation of our own souls As for the considering how to mannage our imployments most prudently for our temporal lawful advantage is a duty in its season being rightly qualified but it is a sin when thoughts of that nature steal away any portion of that time which wee set apart for the immediate service of God By this daily morning pre-examination wee may bee in a competent measure fore-armed and provided for all ordinary fore-known business 2. But there are many actions and businesses that are occasional that one could not foresee at any considerable distance yet even those wee should pre-examine and fore-think what wee are to do before wee do it And as Polititians do nothing without considering how far it may bee for their interest and how far not so we should think when any one comes to speak with us c. what advantages Satan may get and how far that action may bee improved to the glory of God and then do as Nehemiah did make thy prayers to the God of heaven to direct thee to do what thou hast to do for if thou doest any thing without this examination four great inconveniences come of it 1. You will fall into many sins which you might have easily seen and avoided 2. Though thou doest that which is right or doest not fall into those sinnes that are incident to such actions yet it is little thanks to thee no more than it is to a sleeping Watchman that the City is not taken 3. Many opportunities of doing good pals by thee unobserved 4. For want of this watchfulnesse and consideration which is all one or at least includes examination wee do not what wee do in the service of God with an actual intention of honouring of him and an actual intention of honouring God doth much add to the holiness of the action and Gods acceptance of it 3. Another kinde of examination should bee post-examination that is to consider and examine our actions discourses duties c. after they are ended for many passages will not seem to bee sinful or not so sinful when we look upon them before our doing of them as they will do after for the temptations of pleasure profit c. which intice us to the committing of a sin do either altogether cease or very much abate of their vigour when the sin is committed so that thou wilt by post-examination discover many sinnes which by pre-examination thou couldst not What was one of the great causes of the wickedness of the Jewes but that no man considered with himself and said what have I done Jer. 8.6 So that there bee three questions What have I to do that 's pre-examination What do I that 's co-examination and what have I done that 's post-examination The first is to bee performed in the morning The second when any unforeseen imployment or business comes

that was a Batchelour who lived as poor as shee who very seldome would give her any thing sometimes some small single money the last time shee came to him though shee was in great want and used much importunity yet hee would not give her a farthing shee then begg'd a cup of drink of him hee pretends that he was so poor that hee had not money to buy himself bread and so sent her away with nothing but her own tears to drink but though weeping may endure for a night joy comes in the morning for the Lord struck that hard-hearted man with death and this poor woman being Heir to his Estate was worth next day ten thousand pound which with a great deal of care hee had scrap'd together and with a great deal of uncharitableness had kept and though hee would not give her a farthing over night hee was forced to leave her all the next morning Luther hath this story A certain woman in the time of famine having nothing at all for her children and her self to eat being brought to very great extremity shee resolv'd upon this course shee made her self and all her children ready and with a great deal of comfort and confidence shee walked to a Spring not far from her house as shee was going one met her who ask'd her whether shee was going with her children Shee told him that all her provision was quite spent and shee was going with her children to such a Fountain close by being confident that God that had provided drink for her and her children would there provide food for them also and hee that heard the young Ravens and provided for them would much more take care of her and her little ones hee that met her wished her to return home for shee should meet with provision that was ready for her there shee returned and found a considerable quantity of meal which was food for her and her children but whence this provision came shee knew not nor knew the man who told her of it There was a certain poor family being in great wants and had little or nothing for their children when dinner came they put them off with play-things and told them they would see if they could get them something for Supper and when Supper came they would give some small piece of bread and so get them to bed And thus they used them so long while at last the children would not to bed but cryed for bread that night it was so that my Lord Fawkland waking before midnight and could not sleep it came into his minde that this family was in great want insomuch that hee call'd up some of his servants and sent them with a great loaf and a Cheese to the house when the servant came hee found the children crying for bread and the Parents weeping by them who with a great deal of joy and eagerness received that unexpected provision Thus the Lord ordered it by his Providence that they were not only then relieved but their necessities being related to the Lord Fawkland by his servant hee took care of them for the future Speed in his Chronicles relates this story there being a great famine the year before as soon as the corn was ear'd the poor would gather and eat insomuch that the Inhabitants of the Parish came to the Priest desiring him to curse the people for gathering and spoiling the corn but one of the Parishioners stood up and charged the Priest that hee should not curse them for his corn for it did him good to see the poor eat his corn for hee was very sensible of their necessities but the clamours of the others prevail'd but as the Priest was cursing the poor there fell a great storm of Thunder and Lightening and Hail which beat down all the corn so as if Horses and Carts had gone over it nor would either beasts or any fowl eat any thing of it only this good mans corn though intermingled with others stood untouched not an ear of it being blasted Doctor Hill in his book of living and dying well hath a remarkable story of a young Gentleman of one of the Innes of Court who it seems expected to die suddenly and before hee should bee twenty four years of age and so hee did having these verses found about him viz. Not twice twelve years full told a wearied breath I have exchanged for an happy death Short was my life the longer is my rest God takes them soonest whom he loveth best Hee that is born to day and dies to morrow Loses some hours of joy but moneths of sorrow Other diseases often come to grieve us Death strikes but once and that stroke doth relieve us So grave a Doctor setting down this story in his book I thought it no lightness in mee to set it down in mine The story of Mr. Holland not only because it is very remarkable but also because it hath pleased God to affect me very much with it I shall setdown here also This Mr. Holland was a pious and faithful Preacher of the Gospel as some that have been acquainted with him and have heard him have testified of him a man that was a stranger and Pilgrime in the world neither having any thing to do with it nor indeed knew it his Wi●e mannaging all his worldly affairs for him hee knew not what the common coyns of gold were worth and for his cloaths except his Wife had otherwise ordered it hee would have worn them till they had been rags hee spent his time wholly in his Study and a man of great charity insomuch that if hee had no money about him and a poor man had begg'd of him hee would have given his Gloves or Handkerchief or Band c. being regardless of all things save the glory of God and the Salvation of his own and others Souls This precious Saint the day before his death calling for a Bible continued his Meditation and Exposition on the eighth to the Romans for the space of two hours but on a sudden hee said O stay your reading what brightness is this I see and they said it is the Sun-shine nay saith hee it is my Saviours shine Now farewel world welcome heaven the Day-Star from on high hath visited my heart I doubt not but you all see that light but I feel a light within me that none of yee all can know and then turning himself to the Minister who preached his Funeral Sermon who was one of them that came to visit him hee said Sir I desire you would preach my Funeral Sermon for this night I dye and speak this from mee and speak it confidently that God deales familiarly with man a rare and sweet expression I feel his mercy I see his Majesty whether in the body or out of the body I cannot tell God hee knoweth but I see things that are unutterable And being thus ravished in his spirit hee roamed towards heaven with a cheerful look and soft sweet voice