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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	death_n	effect_n	sin_n	5,950	5	6.1321	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53275	The generation of seekers, or, The right manner of the saints addresses to the throne of grace in two treatises : the first being a sober vindication of the spirit of prayer, with the resolution of diverse practical cases related thereunto : the second a plain exposition of the Lord's prayer, with notes and application, mainly intended as a directory to those who desire to attain the gift of prayer.	Oldfield, John, 1627?-1682.	1671 (1671)	Wing O221; ESTC R31049	228,802	474

Divels help In thus doing you ask Gods leave and then take it whether hee will or no. 3. Get your hearts prepared with patience and contentment to sit down with what God affords you you must be moderately both prayerfull painfull and carefull Prov. 27. 23. But if God deny his blessing or doe not Crown your labours with that fulness as hee doth others you must be patient contented and thankfull Get a frame like that of David 2 Sam. 15. 25. If the Lord delight in mee so if not so Like Paul's Phil. 4. 11 12. Learn to abound and to want and in all estates to be thankfully contented be not like some sturdy unthankfull beggars who if you give them nothing will goe away rai●ing and cursing or if not what or how much they expect will throw it in the face of him that gives it and to work you into this frame I know no considerations or helps more effectuall then these two 1. To consider seriously the vanity vexation dangers and temptations that attend these things especially when our portion is greater than others Oh how hath prosperity kild it ten thousands So that Agur fears and prayes against it Prov. 30. 8 9. 2. To get assurance of those better and more durable riches hee that hath tasted that old wine will not much-care for this new hee that hath his eye and heart full of heaven will be satified with a little on earth David desires to be none of those who have their portion in this life and whose bellies God fils with his hid treasures Psal 17. 14. And why because hee was assured that when hee awaked out of the sleep of death he should be satisfied with Gods image So much for this Petition CHAP. VIII V. PETITION And forgive us our trespasses as wee forgive them that trespasse against us THis and the following Petition relate to our souls in this wee beg deliverance from evils past in the other from evils to come This is a Petition for justification that for sanctification some have observed that whereas the three Petitions relating to God have no connexive particle these three are tied together with a conjunction And forgive us And lead us not teaching us not to content our selves in the first or second without the third also In the words you have 1. The thing Petitioned forgiveness 2. An encouraging ground of asking it as we forgive them c. Luke hath it thus for wee also forgive our debtors Explic. Trespasses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debts which Luke calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sins trespasses deviations or as the word imports missings of the mark What debts are properly so called I need not tell you some it may be know by woefull experience but how sins are called debts is not so obvious to every ones understanding for it may seem strange that that should be called a debt to God which is an offence against God Therefore know that Debt is here put figuratively and improperly And in reference to God our debt is twofold Either 1. Direct and immediate which results from our relation to God as his creatures and that is Obedience Rom. 8. 12. we are debtours not to the fl●sh the opposition is implyed but to God Now this is not the debt here meant wee may not pray to be absolved from our obedience that 's a debt God will never remit so long as our Relation of Creatures and subjects to him abides 2. There is therefore a secondary and consequential debt arising from our non payment and faileure in the first viz. satisfaction to be made either by doing or suffering thus all punishment due to fin temporall spirituall or eternall is called a debt because wee are obliged and bound to the payment of it so Death is termed a debt Now here in calling sins a debt is a Metalepsis or Complication of Tropes For here is 1. a Metaphor borrowed from one that owes money or any other thing 2. A Metonymy the cause put for the effect none will be so absurd as to think sin it self a debt to God but it is the cause of a debt that is thereby wee become liable to suffer the penalty of the law for the non-payment of our first debt of obedience The sense is Forgive us our sins whereby wee are indebted to the Law and bound over to abide the penalty of it This Metaphor frequently occurres in Scripture Luke 13. 2. there those that are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinners are Verse 4. called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debtors See Matth. 23. 16. 18. Forgive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word used very frequently in the New Testament signifies to dismiss let loose or send away A word borrowed from the releasing debts cancelling bonds or letting loose prisoners The same thing is expressed by divers other like Phrases in Scripture as by Gods casting our sins behind his back hiding his face from them passing them by putting them away from him as far as the East is from the West not imputing not beholding not remembring them blotting out purging with Hysop c. In short forgiving or pardoning of sin is not a taking away the very fact done that 's impossible in nature though God may esteem or count it as not done yet hee cannot make it not to be done since to be done and not to be done is a plain Contradiction Semel factum infectum fieri nequit nor is it a taking away the sinfulness of the fact for the fact remaining so and so circumstantiated it cannot but be in it self a sinfull action i. e. it carries in it a difformity to the divine Law Nor is it a separating the guilt from the fact that is its obligeing nature to punishment so long as the fact is and is sinfull so long it hath guilt annexed to it But To forgive is not to impute this sinfull guilty fact to us not charging it upon us to our condemnation so that the sense is Lord wee have a numberless number of trespasses which thou mayst justly charge upon us but O remember them not against us let them be in reference to our punished for them as if they had never been committed cast them into the depth of the Sea c. As wee forgive Luke hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for wee also which wee are not so to understand as if by our forgiving others wee put an engagement on God to forgive us but only as an encouragement on our parts to ask it its true indeed that it is a condition without which God will not forgive us though not a meritorious cause or reason for which hee ought in justice to forgive us it may be an argument wherewith wee may plead with God for pardon and it is drawn à minori from the less to the greater Thus Lord we that are creatures whose mercies are but the mercies of creatures find our hearts drawn out through thy grace to forgive offences done against our selves

sins then then do most probably cause the Spirits withdrawment I answer 1. Sins that carry much of the will in them presumptuous sins when light is held prisoner and captivated by lust 2. Or sins long lien in when we wallow as the Swine in the mire of sin It is supposed David lay some Moneths in the sin of Murder and Adultery before he repented and he intimates as you have heard that he wanted the joy of Gods salvation he felt decayes and fears tho taking away of Gods Spirit O● 3. Sins more directly against the Spirits guiding or assisting when we will not take its directions hearken to its counsels or when we abuse its grace and assistances See then whether thou hast not cause to charge such kind of sins upon thy self Hast thou not shut thine eyes against some beam of spiritual light Hast thou not known the will of thy heavenly Father as to some sin which thou oughtest to abandon or duty which thou oughtest to set upon and yet neglected to do it If such sins be upon thee thou maist probably conclude they are those that have grieved the Spirit Again Is there not some sin that hath been thy old acquaintance that thou hast lien and lived in a long time what sin or sins are they that like Rehoboam's young Counsellors have been brought up with thee Those also may have robbed thee of the Spirits gracious assistance But especially S●● if thou hast not refused the Spirit as a guide when it called thee to duty hast thou not neglected put it off slubber'd it over When it hath disswaded thee from some sin or perswaded to some duty Hast thou not pulled away the shoulder Hast thou not withstood its motions Been like green Wood that didst not take fire by those heavenly sparks So for its assistances hast thou not quenched discouraged slighted them When he hath called to open and put in his fingers by the hole of the door thou hast seigned excuses Worldly concernments have called thee another way Or may be when he hath breathed upon thee and carried thee above thy self in any duty thou hast grown proud secure and applauded thy self instead of ascribing glory to God See if some or many of these or the like be not found in thee Nor rest in a general discovery for its easie to say in general that such sins are ours but labour to be as particular and distinct as possibly thou canst Recollect times and places when thou hast been especially guilty Remember what good motions thou hast had and rejected Such a time God by his Spirit gave me a lively Touch Oh I felt the Babe spring within but how did I smother it Such a time I came off proud of my enlargement Such a time I had clear discoveries powerfull convictions strong impulses but gave them cold entertainment dismist them with fair promises and ineffectual purposes c. These O! these are grievous to the holy Spirit of God Direct 2. Humble thy self before the Lord confess and give glory to God Accept of the punishment of thine iniquity and Lev. 26. 42. this with all seriousness with real grief shame and self-abhorrency aggravate thy sin before the Lord acknowledge how gracious he hath been in vouchsafing thee such experiences and how ingrateful thou hast been in slighting and abusing them Shall I put words into thy mouth but O that they may not be meer words Oh that they may be the very sense of thy soul and breathings of thy heart Let these therefore be the workings of thy soul Righteous art thou O Lord and just are thy judgements What can be more highly agreeable to the Rule of Justice than that from Matth. 13. 12. him that hath no● should be taken even that which he hath Especially when the having was without desert but the taking away is most justly deserved What sawest thou in me O gracious God that thou shouldst ever bestow so high a favour on me That thy blessed Spirit should ever take up its abode in such a filthy polluted soul That it should strengthen my hands and enable me to wrestle and prevail with thy glorious Majesty Oh the heavenly transports the kindly meltings the over-powring motions that my soul hath felt the sweet sallies and Eruptions of my Spirit in prayer when quickned and enlivened by thy grace How could I run the way of thy Commandments Psal 119. 32. when thou hadst thus enlarged my heart Being thus drawn how could I Cant 1. 3. run after thee Having continual supplies of new strength by thy blessed Spirit how could I mount up with wings as an Eagle run and Isa 40. 31. not be weary walk and not faint Then was Prayer the delight of my soul yea even to pour out my soul in tears for sin was to me as the Dew of Hermon and the dew that Psal 133. 3. descended upon the Mountains of Sion Those waters distilled by the fire of thy Spirit became Wine of consolation to me Those groanings not to be uttered how did they ease my heart How often have I with Hannah come before thee in bitterness of soul with a sorrowful Spirit but being through thy grace enabled to pour out my soul before thee I have gone away and my countenance hath been no more sad But O monstrous Ingratitude This rich this superabundant grace have I turned into wantonness these precious experiences and peculiar vouchsafements have been made fuel for pride and security I have rob'd thy blessed Spirit of its glory and gloried in that as mine the praise whereof was wholly due to him Yea Lord many a time have I quencht the Spirit and powred water upon those sparks of good motions which he hath cast into my soul Even then when I have known his voice yea when he hath knockt with much importunity I have chosen rather to lye slugging upon a bed of ease than to rise and open though I had known by former experience that he was no empty handed guest What could I expect less than what thou hast inflicted for Should the Majesty of Heaven alwayes put up such abuses Should I think to grieve the blessed Spirit of God from day to day and yet have his company and assistance as before No Lord thou art righteous but I am wicked and shouldst thou for ever hide thy face shouldst thou leave me under a prayerless sensless frame and let me grow into a seared condition shouldst thou make me at last lie down in sorrow yea in the lake of fire and brimstone for ever it were but what I have deserved Alas how many thousands are in those flames that never sinned at that rate that I have They knew not and did not and therefore deserve a few stripes but I have known thy will nay thy gracious Spirit hath stirred me up to do it yea hath offered his help in the doing of it yet I have refused and slighted his offers and therefore deserve

therefore we are humbly bold to beg that thou whose mercies are the mercies of a God that is infinite wouldst forgive us for though all injuries done to us are incomparably less then the least injury wee have done to thy Majestie yet wee know there is as great a disproportion betwixt thy mercies and ours as betwixt the injuries done us by men and those done by us to thy Majestie Thy thoughts are not as our thoughts this is hinted in that Parable Matth. 18. 23. We may observe a two-fold disparity 1. In the Creditors there is a servant indebted to a King and a servant indebted to his fellow-servant 2. In the debts the servant owes the King 10000. Talents that is as some computit A Talent 187l 10s A Peny 7d ob 1875000. Pounds his fellow-servant owes him 100. Pence which of our money is computed to 3l 2s 6d Now as the King is exceedingly more magnificent to forgive that greater debt whereas the penurious servant will not remit that smaller debt to his fellow servant so and far more is the disproportion betwixt injuries done to God and to us and betwixt Gods mercies and ours so that you see in what sense the argument is used As wee forgive noteth not parity but similitude In short the force of it may be thus expressed Lord we experience the effect of thy grace upon us inclining us heartily to forgive offences done against us we know the same grace is infinitely more in thee therefore we are humbly bold to beg and expect forgiveness at thy hands Qust But doth not this seem to put an obligation upon us to forgive all kinds of injuries done to us and if so 't is durus sermo a hard condition indeed and may expose Christians to injuries and ruine Answ Not so we may both require D●bitoreshic vocantur non pecuniae vel officii alicujus fed qui ob i'latas injurias nobis sunt obnoxii Calvin debts due to us and if necessity require we may right our selves by Law having only a desire of justice in our eye yea in lawfull warre we may kill our enemy and yet forgive Take these restrictions As wee forgive that is 1. Have inclinations rather to forgive than to right muchless revenge our selves except necessity of self-preservation or preventing our own ruine enforce us to other courses this is the lowest and absolutely necessary condition of being forgiven by God that wee have a far greater propensity to forgiveness and that wee be drag'd by meer necessary to use rigour 2. That wee doe actually forgive all injuries that may be forgiven without manifest dishonour to God wrong to others or very great injury to our selves 3. That even then when wee are necessitated to right our selves in any Kind wee doe it not out of spleen or passion or any other sinister or private respect but for Gods glory the good of others or the just reparation of our name estate person c. And for amendment of those if possible who have done us the injury so that the trespasses which we are to forgive others are not debts properly so called but injuries and offences and the forgiveness required is not absolute but with these limitations I now proceed to the Doctrin of this Petition which shall be this Doctr. 10. Rem●ssion of sins is to be sought of God and may be hopefully expected when it is in the frame of our hearts to forgive others it is needless to insist upon the proof of this so plain and pregnant Truth which shines in its owne light and hath the concurrent testimony of all the Saints in their practise That it is to be ask't of God and him only is plain Mark. 2. 7. I shall briefly answer two Queries Quest 1. Why is forgiveness to be sought by prayer Reasons might be multiplyed Take two of many 1. Reas God hath made humble confession and Petition a condition upon which though not a cause for which hee will forgive Sinners Prov. 28. 13. hee that hideth his sins shall not prosper but hee that confess●th and forsaketh shall find mercy 1 John 1. ul● Psal 32. 4. there David declares his owne experience that when hee purposed to confess his transgression God forgave the iniquity of his sin and then Verse 5. For this every one that is Godly shall pray unto thee c. q. d. This my experience shall be others encouragement and what lower terms can we imagine should God condescend to Should not a Rebell before hee be taken into favour humble himself in the acknowledgment of his fault and beg pardon Now upon this condition next to faith in Christ God hath promised forgiveness 2. Prayer is the generall Condition of obtaining that and every other mercy and this is one of the speciall mercies of God therefore to be sought in this way The rule is If any man lack let him ask Jam. 1. 5. Now forgiveness is the first mercy in the Gospel-Covenant and that without which nothing else can be mercy This turns all into mercy or takes away the sting of every affliction Isa 33. ult The Inhabitants of Sion shall say I am not sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity the import may be this being forgiven their iniquity sickness shall not be sickness to them they shall be in a manner insensible of it so that sin being the grand evill the guilt the saddest burden and consequently pardon the greatest mercy at least the leading mercy 't is fit we should seek that in the same way as wee doe all other mercies Quest 2. But why is the condition of forgiving others urged rather than any other 'T is certain that faith and repentance are necessary conditions in order to pardon why then is it not As wee beleeve or as wee repent Our answers here can be but probable Take two Answ 1. Those conditions doubtless are included though they are not expressed As for Faith that is a previous condition to the acceptable performance of any duty Hebr. 11. 6. and more peculiarly requisite in prayer Jam. 1. 7. So that this condition of beleeving in order to remission is sufficiently implyed in that we are taught to seek it by prayer since every prayer must be the putting in suit of some promise and no promise can be pleaded aright without faith exercised in it the very asking then doth import Beleeving and for Repentance that 's included in the implicite confession of sin made in this Petition since confessing and forsaking which are the summe of true Repentance must goe together in that soul that hopes to find mercy Prov. 28. 13. These conditions therfore are included as previous qualifications in him that begs pardon besides that they being means in order to forgiveness as their end are together with it included in the Petition according to the third of those propositions I layd downe before I came to speak to the Petitions in particular But. Answ 2. Why this of