Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	open_v	seal_n	seal_v	1,844	5	9.6479	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A22562	Three treatises Viz. 1. The conversion of Nineueh. 2. Gods trumpet sounding the alarum. 3. Physicke against famine. Being plainly and pithily opened and expounded, in certaine sermons. by William Attersoll, minister of the Word of God, at Isfield in Sussex.	Attersoll, William, d. 1640.	1632 (1632)	STC 900; ESTC S121173	371,774	515

speake aright and repent him of his wickednesse saying what have I done This reproveth the boldnesse and rashnesse of such as dare take upon them to enter into the secrets of God Vse 1 without any warrant or commission from him 2 Sam. 6.19 as they that adventured to pry into the Arke were punished 1 Sam. 6. so such as presume to read what is written in the booke of life and presume to open the booke that is clasped and sealed with many seales may happily never finde their owne names registred therein For the farther reproofe of such as dare pronounce the sentence of damnation upon any and judge others reprobates and the directing of our selves herein let us observe these few rules for the cleering of the point and the keeping of us in the meane betweene two extremes Deut. 29.29 First it is a good rule which Moses giveth The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever that we may doe all the words of this law But the sentence of reprobation is one of the secrets of God or rather the secret of secrets the most hidden secret of all the rest Secondly it is noted of charity it thinketh no evill 1 Cro. 13.5.7 it beleeveth all things it hopeth all things it endureth all things Such then as despaire of the conversion of others doe plainely declare they are destitute of love which covereth a multitude of sinnes Thirdly we must notwithstanding learne the great folly of many men in the world that build awry or amisse upon a good foundation For seing we must not be as men without hope of Salvation of others much lesse of our selves we see how diverse are deceived that give an easie passage entrance to commit sinne till they be so caught and intangled yea so enwrapped and fettered with it as a fowle in a snare or as a prisoner in chaines that they cannot easily breake it off againe neither ridde themselves of it as the wise Salomon speaketh of the strange woman Pro. 2. Pro. 2.19 None that goe unto her returne againe neither take they hold of the pathes of life True it is this is an excessive and hyperbolicall speech often used in Scripture as Esay 59 4. 64.7 Ier. 8.6 and sundry examples teach the same 2 Sam. 12.13 1 Cor. 6.11 Heb. 11.31.32 Iam. 2.25 But the meaning is few come to repentance to reforme themselves or take a better course of life that they might be saved And this is another folly of the sinner who being rebuked and threatned for sinne doe by and by answer Tush we can leave sinne when we list we will repent at leysure and helpe all But Salomon will teach these fooles that few or none compassed with the continuall practise of sinne amend their wayes Pro. 6.22.27 but goe as the Oxe to the slaughter or as a foole to the correction of the stockes because they have set themselves in the way to hell Ier. 13.23 going downe to the Chambers of death For custome is as strong as nature or rather much stronger It is as the Ethiopians skin and the Leopards spotts which cannot be changed It is hard for a man to forget his naturall language and his mother tongue but it is harder for the sinner to forsake his sinfull course For a man by nature or birth is indifferent to any language and inclined to no one more then to another because he hath it by hearing and imitation of others as appeareth in such as are borne deafe but we doe not only sucke in sinne with the mothers milke but as the Prophet confesseth Psal 51.5 We were shapen in iniquitie and in sinne did our mothers conceive us which is a great deale more then can be spoken of the language which we learne in our youth Besides it is a great pollicy of Satan to cover his purpose at the first as the fisher doth the hooke to deceive us the sooner he beginneth with lesser sinnes until he have wrapped us in the greater and our consciences be hardned and as it were seared with an hote iron Fourthly A tvvo fold favour of God to the sinner this sheweth the wonderfull love and favour of God which he vouchsafeth to any both when he preventeth sinne that we doe not fall into it and when he breaketh off the course of it when we are overtaken with it This is a twofold grace We are by nature prone to sin and ready to yeeld to every tentation as we see in Peter that denied his Master at the word of a seely damsell when therefore the Lord putteth his hand under us and stayeth us up that we doe not stumble and fall is not this a wonderfull grace to keepe us from sinning against him and wounding our owne soules As this is a great blessing so the other is yet greater to pull us out of the snare when we have one foot in hell as it is a greater worke to stay a man that is running downe a steepe hill then to perswade him not to runne at all The truth of both these we see in David a man after Gods owne heart for when he was purposed to shed blood 1 Sam. 25.22.33 and to destroy all that pertained to Nabal by the morning light he blessed God that had kept him from comming to shed blood and from avenging himselfe with his owne hand Loe here the preventing grace of God to stay him that was running and making haste to commit sinne Againe when he had given himselfe over to commit one sinne after another Luc. 11.22 as it were to adde drunkennesse unto thirst the strong man bagan to possesse the house but a stronger then he came and overcame him and tooke from him all his armour wherein he trusted and so recovered him out of the snare of the Devil which he laid to entrap him He had as much as lay in him cast himselfe into the mouth of the roaring Lyon that gapeth after his prey it was therefore the speciall mercy of God to reclaime and recover him out of the snare of the devill who after a sort was taken captive by him at his will Lastly we must labour that sinne may not raigne in our mortall bodies For albeit we cannot be without sinne because we carry about the flesh yet we must take heed it exercise not a kingdome in us it hath an easie entrance an easie continuance but it is hard to get out and to ridde our selves from the tyranny thereof as we may see in Esau Gen. 26. in Saul 1 Sam. 14 15. and in Iudas who passed from one degree to another till at last they filled up the measure of their sinne It is an easie matter to pull up the bankes and throw downe the walles whereby as by fenses or bulwarkes the sea is kept out from overflowing the land and so to let in the water but it