Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	people_n	read_v	word_n	2,947	5	4.1038	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96951	The only sovereign salve for the wounded spirit: approved by the author in himself Delivered by him in several sermons after his recovery: and now, published for the glory of his most gracious restorer, and for the comfort and settlement of any afflicted soul, that doth, or may labour under that weighty burden. By Richard Wortley, minister of Christ in his church, in Edworth in Bedfordshire.	Wortley, Richard, d. 1680.	1661 (1661)	Wing W3642A; ESTC R231974	144,585	300

I could if not match him yet closely follow him in his humiliation and amendment By the Grace of God I am what I am Which Grace of his to new mould and make me what I am hath most richly yet strangely wrought Some hea●ts are by the Holy Spirit gently softned for gracious Impressions some dealt with more roughly that they may be new made and reformed God hath his Oyl and his Hammer to work upon those who are ordained to Eternal Life to bring them home What the one doth not dissolve the other shall break This last way the Lord was pleased to use towards me First and that some years since by a great and long distemper in the right use of my Reason from which in much mercy he released me The work upon that being not throughly wrought hath given him just occasion now lately to visit me by laying upon me the weighty burden of a wounded spirit whereof by a sweet and I trust lasting peace in my Soul he hath at length graciously eased me Lord What is man What sinful man What I the chief among all sinful men That thou shouldst so mind me so wait for my Amendment and use so many means for my Reclaiming Thy Justice which with a remarkeable retaliation hath often paid me in my own co●n might long since have made a quick dispatch and have cast me into Hell But if ever any I may experimentally say thy Mercy is above thy Justice That thou O ●ord maist receive the due Glory of thy Mercy O come hither all you that fear God ●nd I will tell you what he hath done for my Soul I was under his smarting Rod under the without his support as-to the-soul-intollerable burden of a wounded spirit for some sins whereof some of them at least I knew not formerly though I had often called my wayes to remembrance my self to be guilty But the Lord was pleased after a wonderful manner not only to set them before me but to make me so sensible of their heinousness of my desert by them of his terrours then upon me for them that I was exceedingly troubled in my spirit almost to distraction while his fierce wrath went ●ver me I humbled my self low before the Lord for them and thereupon expected Peace and settlement but for some dayes could not find or feel any t●ough earnestly with Tears I often sued for it At length taking into my hands that rich cellar of Cordials for the sin-sick Soul the Book of Psalmes and beginning at the First I read on until I came unto the 8 v. of the 85th Psalm at those words I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints but let them not turn again to Folly At which it was the Lords pleasure I should stay and fix my thoughts upon them Which I had not lo●g done but I found a river of unspeaka●le comfort flowi●g into my Soul● Which I then ●●uld not but entertain with nor can I now mention without abundance of Tears of unfeigned Thankfulness and exceedi●g Joy I found that B●east of Consolation full of sweetness And that I might suck it to satisfaction I made choyce of the word of the next Su●j●ct which I would insist upon by way of discharge of my Pasto●al Office when the Lord should please in such a measure to restore me to my self that I might in some degree be though most most unworthy yet not unfit as to the right use of my Reason to appear again to serve my Lord Christ in his Ministry Having now finished my weak Meditations upon them I should be most unthankful to my Great and Gracious Restorer should I n●t t●us render unto him the due Glory of the Riches of his exceeding Mercy toward me by communicating them unto you m● Brethren that you may know whith●r to go for Peace if ever the Lord should please to bring any of you into the like Condi●ion I have been in O blesse the Lord with me who of very Faithfulnesse brought me into i● by his Glorious power su●ported me under it and of his abundant Goodnesse led me out of it Blessed be the God of all Comfort who ha●h comforted us in our Tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble with the comfort wherewith we our selves have been comforted of God 2 Cor. 1. 3 4. Yours For Ye are Christs R. W. put them into the like or a worse condition Let them not turn again to Folly The Text consists of three Clauses in every of which each word hath its weight I shall by way of Illustration touch upon each of them and after a brief Paraphrase for their further clearing I shall propound the Doctrines The first Clause is I will hear what God the Lord will speak I will hear what he will speak to the distressed Soul by his Word by his Spirit I will hear what he will speak for I know it will be Comfort and Caution I will hear what God the Lord will speak He sees knowes and pities his people in their distresse and is most ready and able to help them I will hear God the Lord and him only I will hear him I will attend diligently to his Will that I may know it obey it acquaint others with it I will hear him My Resolutions are fixed to hear him against all gainsayers I will hear him My Greatness though a King exempts me not from this duty My holiness as a Saint and his true Servant binds me thereunto I will hear him I will give good example unto others I will teach exhort encourage pray for them But if notwithstanding all this they neglect their duty yet I will hear c. For c. In these two last Clauses are set down a twofold reason why the Psalmist in behalf of the Saints is so resolvedly set upon it to hear God the Lord and him alone The first being taken from that Comfort which the Lord would afford unto the Soul in speaking Peace to it The second from that good which might redound thereunto by his Fatherly Caution and Admonition He will speak Peace unto his People and to his Saints Unto his People not to the world not to stubborn impenitent sinners And to his Saints such are all his People and he owns none other for his but those who are truly such He will speak Peace Comfort Settlement Reconciliation Pardon Acceptance He will speak Peace by a full assurance thereof in the Soul He will speak Peace when his People shall have turned from their sins by true repentance and Faith in Christ He will speak Peace if not presently upon their humiliation and Faith yet most certainly in his good time But ●et them not turn again to Folly But let them not c. How tender is the Lord over his People How unwilling that they should provoke him Let them not turn again to Folly to the Folly of sin Let