and washed with the blood of Christ Ionah 1.4 Sinne is like Ionas whilst he was in the ship there was nothing but tempest Iosh 7.11 12. like Achan in the Armie whilst he was not found out Gods judgement followed the campe Sinne is that which troubleth all therefore it must be taken away first and therewith all evill is taken away therefore the first mercy is a forgiving pardoning and quieting mercy When the blood of Jesus Christ by the hand of faith is sprinkled upon the soule God creating a hand of faith to sprinkle and shed it upon the soule Christ loved mee and gave himselfe for mee then the soule saith though my sinnes be great yet the satisfaction of Christ is greater God hath loved me and gave his owne Sonne for me and I apply this to my selfe as it is offered to me and take the offer this pacifieth the soule as it is written The Blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God Heb. 9.14 is that which purgeth our conscience from dead workes to serve the living God To a Repentant sinner this Blood of sprinkling speakes better things then the blood of Abell Heb. 12.24 not as his blood cried for vengeance but mercy mercy When the soule is thus pacified there is the foundation of all other mercy whatsoever The Order is this when God is reconciled all is reconciled when God is at peace with us in the Forgivenesse of sins then all is peaceable at home and abroad conscience is in peace within and all the creatures at peace without all which with all that befalls us have a command to doe us no hurt as David gave charge to the people of Absolom When God is reconciled and at peace all things are at peace with us for is not he Lord of Hosts who hath the command of all the creatures therefore this grace of forgivenesse is the chiefe grace To shew it in one instance more David was a King and a Prophet a comely and a valorous person but what esteemd he most did he say blessed is the man who is a King or a Prophet or a valiant Warriour or hath Dominion Obedience or great possessions as I have O no Blessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiven Psal 32.1 and whose iniquities are covered You see wherein this holy man David sets and pitcheth happinesse in the forgivenesse of sinnes Blessed is such a man Though he were a great King he knew well enough that if his sinnes were not pardoned and covered he had beene a wretched man Therefore this should teach us to desire of Vse 1 God continually the pardon of our sinnes and wee should make it the cheefe desire of our soules that God would shine upon them in Jesus Christ pardon and accept us in his beloved they goe together Vse 2 And blesse him for this above all other blessings Psal 103. as it is Psal 103.1 3. Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy Name c. Why Who forgiveth all thy iniquities and healeth all thy diseases We should blesse God most of all for this that he hath devised a way by Christ to receive satisfaction for sinne to pardon it and say unto our soules I am thy salvation this is the greatest favour of all Quest But you aske How shall I know that God hath healed my soule in regard of the forgivenesse of sinnes Answ How to know that God hath pardoned our sinnes The answer is if together with pardon of sinne he heale sinne for God when he takes away the venome of a wound that indangers death the deadly disease he takes away also the swelling of the wound and glowing of it 1. If with pardoning there be subduing When hee ceaseth to make it deadly he heales the soule withall and subdues our iniquities as his Promise is So there is together with pardoning mercy curing mercy in regard of Sanctification Where God is a Father to make us Sonnes he is a Father to beget us anew so where Christ comes by Blood to wash away our sinnes hee comes by Water also and the Holy Ghost where he is a Comforter in the forgivenesse of sinnes he is a Sanctifier And the soule of a distressed sinner lookes to the one as well as the other Aske the soule of any man who is truly humbled what doe you chiefly desire O that God would pardon my sinnes But is that all No That he would also heale my sinnes and subdue my Rebellions that I may not any longer be under the government and tyrannie of my lusts but under Gods gratious governement who will guide me better then before Hos 2.7 This we see to be the Order in the Lords Prayer after we are taught to say Mat. 6.12 13. Forgive us our trespasses it followes And leade us not into temptation but deliver us from evill which is for the time to come So David Psal 19.12 13. Cleanse me from my secret sinnes and keepe me that presumptuous sins have not dominion over me c. So that this is the desire of an afflicted conscience truly humbled curing as well as covering of sinne This is a sure evidence that our sins are pardoned Then againe when there is peace 2. By Peace Rom. 5.1 when the soule feeles this it is a signe that God hath heal'd the soule For saith the Apostle being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ the Blood of Christ hath a pacifying power in forgivenesse of sinnes When Ionas was cast out there was a calme So when sinne is cast out and pardoned there is a calme in the soule which comes from the forgivenesse of sinnes Againe Healing is knowne by this 3. When we are willing to be searched if wee have hearts willing to be searched for then our will is cured which in the state of grace is more then our Obedience when we would be better then we are then certainely our will is not in league with corruptions Now where the will is so much sanctified I resolve to be better I would be better and I use all meanes being glad when any joynes with me against my corruptions I am glad of all such advantages here is a good signe As now when a man goes to Church and desires O that my corruptions might be met withall O that I might bee laid open to my selfe and know my selfe better then I have formerly done this is the desire of an ingenuous soule Where there is no guile of soule a man is glad to have himselfe and his corruptions discovered whereas another frets and kicks and rageth against the Word of God which is a signe that there is some league betwixt him and his sinne You have some that above all things in the world they would not have such and such downe-right Ministers O take heed this is a signe of a hollow heart and that
the humble and mocke Those who set upon things rashly without prayer as though they were Lords of all and without dependance upon God promising themselves good successe they make Idols of themselves as a proud man is an Idoll hee worships himselfe whilst he leanes to his owne wit plots and parts carnall men thus Idolize themselves Againe you have some who are none of the worst 7. Idolatry is committed by trusting to the performances and tasks of Religion who commit this great sinne of Idolatry by trusting to the outward performances and taskes of Religion thinking that God must needs be bound unto them when they have done so many taskes read and prayd or heard so many sermons or done a good deed But heere lyeth the spirituall subtilty in that they set up these things too high when if they finde not that successe they looke for then they inwardly murmur against God when rather all these things should be done with a spirit of Humility and subjection using them onely as meanes whereupon we expect Gods blessing craving his assistance and strength to doe them in a holy and a selfe-denying manner when we doe otherwise and trust to the outward taskes and performances we doe wee make them Idols And you have many that goe along with outward performances who never come to a dram of grace because they trust to the outward performances and looke not to the life and soule of them which is the Spirit of God assisting quickning strengthning blessing them The life of a Christian is a perpetuall dependance upon God in the use of meanes and not an Idolizing of them to bee carelesse when he hath done his taske 8. It is Idolatry so to trust to the worke of grace as to neglect justificatioÌ„ and acceptation to life everlasting But a more subtill Idolatrie then this is of an other kinde when we trust too much to the worke of grace and rely not upon God in Christ in the matter of justification and acceptation to life everlasting which is a fault both 1. Before 2. After Conversion First before Conversion When we thinke we have not done so much good and beene sufficiently humbled and therefore that God will not be mercifull to us as if Christ must take us with dowry of good deeds or else hee cannot whereas all grace is promised upon our entry and comming into the Covenant of grace upon our believing when we come with emptie hearts and hands The poore saith Christ receive the Gospell Mat. 11.5 Mat. 9.13 Mat. 11.21 and those that are lost Christ is sent to save them and to call in the weary and heavie laden And after Conversion those that are in the state of grace oftentimes want that comfort in the maine point of justification and acceptation to life everlasting which they should have because they looke into their imperfections seeing this and that want and so are swallowed up of discomfort whereas if we had all the graces in the world yet we must live by Faith relying upon the merits of Christ For our good works bring us not to Heaven as a cause but onely are helps and comforts to us in our walking to Heaven For if we had all the sinnes of all men yet Christs all-sufficient Righteousnesse is sufficient for to doe them all away if wee can goe out of our selves and cleave to that Therefore in trouble of conscience we must not looke either to our good or our ill but to Gods infinite Mercy and to the infinite satisfaction of our blessed Sâ—viour the Lord Jesus Christ there as it were loosing our selves seeing our sinnes as mountaines drowned in the infinite sea of his Mercy The blood of Christ that will pacifie and stay the conscience nothing else can give rest to our soules If we looke to our workes and to the measure of our sanctification what saith holy Paul in the like case Yea doubtlesse Phil. 3.8 and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and doe count them but dung that I may winne Christ even his Righteousnesse and best works therefore there is no regard to be had of them in that case Wherefore when wee would speake comfort to a distressed conscience wee must not looke to his ill or good but to the command This is his command that we believe 1 Iohn 3.23 and looke to the all sufficiencie of God in Christ and the promises whereby we honour God in giving him the glory of his truth and depart with comfort Therefore though wee hate grosse Idolatry yet we see there are many wayes wherein the soule may bee seduced whereby we may come very neere that sinne which our soule hateth by trusting too much to something out of God Vse 5 If then the case be thus how shall we come to reforme it for a Use of Direction so as to flie from all Idolatrie How to reforme our selves so as to flie from Idolatry and to say with Ephraim What have I now any more to doe with Idols First of all doe but consider Gods hatred unto all sorts of Idolaters for he accounts such to hate him and so accordingly punisheth them In the second Commandement those that are given to Idolatrie in any kinde are such as hate God which is a horrible thing and yet notwithstanding this is the disposition of all such as are Jdolaters so farre forth as they are Jdolaters they hate God for the more we know God the more we shall hate all Idols What have I now any more to doe with Idols Labour to grow in the sound knowledge of God and of Christ and of their all-sufficiency Marke S. Paules method Coloss 2. and in other places when he would draw us from all outward things he speakes gloriously of the fullnesse of Christ In him dwelleth all the fullnesse of the God-head bodily and In him you are compleat Col. 2.9 When he would draw them from touch not taste not handle not worshipping of Angels and from counterfeit humility hee labours to dispossesse them of these Idolatrous conceits and to possesse them of the fullnesse of Christ If in him we have fullnesse why should we looke for any thing out of him If we be compleat in him Jf all fullnesse be in him why doe wee seeke any thing out of that fullnesse Thus the holy Apostle shutteth up his first Epistle Babes keepe you from Idols What is promised there 1 John 5.21 Christ is eternall life all is in him whereupon presently comes this Babes keepe you from Idols If life and happinesse and all be in Christ If we be compleat in him and the fullnesse of all be in him why should we goe out of him for any thing Gen. 17.1 When God would perswade Abraham to leave all Idolatrie and all things else to depend wholly upon him what doth he first possesse him with I
righteousnesse is to be had in Christ What is the righteousnesse of Christ The righteousnesse of Christ is that righteousnesse that is founded upon his obedience active fullfilling the Law and passive discharging all our debts satisfying Gods Justice the meritoriousnesse of both of them is founded upon the purity of his Nature all his sufferings and doings had their excellency from the personall Union of God and Man in reference to which Union wee may without blasphemy averre that God performed the Law God died for us Gradation 4 Fourthly and lastly this righteousnesse is our righteousnesse the Spirit convinces that this belongs to all beleevers for it is better then Adam had his righteousnesse was the righteousnesse of a man This righteousnesse is the righteousnesse of a mediator And it is such a righteousnesse that when wee are cloathed with it we may goe through the Justice of God wee may have accesse with boldnesse to the throne of grace and say Lord I come in the righteousnesse of Christ that hath appeased thy wrath and satisfied thy justice this the Holy Ghost convinces of Quest. But you will aske me how doth the Holy Ghost convince me of the righteousnesse of Christ Answ I answer First the Holy Ghost presents to the soule the knowledge of this excellent righteousnesse and then creates a hand of faith to imbrace it being proposed you that are humble and broken-hearted sinners here is Christ for you The Spirit of God doth not onely reveale the excellency of Christ but that this belongs to me that Christ is given for me and that revelation of the Spirit doth sway the soule when the Spirit doth not tell in generall onely that Christ is an excellent Saviour but shall relate to a Christian soule God gave Christ for thee this swayes the heart to rest upon Christ whereupon the marriage is made up betweene the soule and Christ the soule saies I am Christs and I give my selfe to Christ and to whatsoever accompanies Christ and then as it is in marriage the persons by vertue of that relation have interest into each others substance and estate So when this mysticall marriage is made up betweene Christ and us wee have a right unto Christ by all rights by titles of purchase and redemption He hath purchased Heaven for us and us for Heaven all that Christ hath is ours all his good is ours our sinnes his and his righteousnesse ours So when the Holy Ghost convinces me of Christs righteousnesse and gives me faith to imbrace it then Christ is mine with all he hath By this I have spoken you may see how the Spirit convinces doe but imagine what a blessed condition the soule is in when this match is made But you will aske me why is the sending of the Spirit necessary for the convincing of this righteousnesse I answer for divers reasons Reason 1 First because it is above the conceit of man that there should be such a righteousnesse of God-man therefore it is discovered by the Spirit and when it is discovered the Spirit must open the eyes of the soule to see els wee shall have a naturall knowledge of supernaturall things for a man by a naturall knowledge may understand them so as to be able to discourse of them therefore to change the soule there must be a supernaturall sight to see supernaturall things A divell incarnate may know all things and yet want to see onely the Holy Ghost gives inward sight inward eyes and works faith to see Christ as mine Reason 2 Againe the sending of the Holy Ghost is necessary for this conviction because hee alone must set downe the soule and make the conscience quiet who is greater then the conscience Conscience will clamour thou art a sinner the Holy Ghost convinces in Christ thou art righteous The Holy Ghost onely knowes what is in the heart of God the Father and in the heart of every man He onely knowes the intent of the Father to every Christian and can answer all inward Objections and Cavils of flesh and blood raised up against the soule therefore the convincing of the Holy Ghost is necessary Howsoever Christ hath purchased our peace yet the Holy Ghost must apply it For the conscience is so full of clamours that unlesse the Holy Ghost apply what Christ hath done conscience will not be satisfied God the Father hath appointed Christ and Christ hath wrought it but the third person must apply it to the soule to assure us that this belongs to us The application of all good things to the soule that Christ the Sonne hath wrought is the proper office of the third person In civill Contracts here there must not onely be a purchase but a Seale though Christ hath wrought righteousnesse for us the Spirit must Seale it to every soule this righteousnesse belongs to you Christ is yours with all that is his Reason 3 Againe it must needs be a worke of the Spirit because flesh and blood is full of pride and would faine have some righteousnesse of their owne the Jewes were of this temper and it hath beene the greatest question from the beginning of the world till this day what is that righteousnesse whereby we must stand before God but Gods Spirit answers all objections Beloved the best of us though in an estate of grace if the Holy Ghost doe not convince us we shall be in darkenesse and call all into question therfore we must not bee convinced onely at the first but in a continued course of Christianity unlesse the Holy Ghost doth this we shall fall into a dungeon of darkenesse therefore the convincing of the Holy Ghost is necessary Beloved this should make us take heed how we heare and how we reade even to beg this convincing of the Spirit in every Ordinance O Lord vouchsafe the Spirit of revelation and take the scales off mine eyes that as these are truths of themselves so they may be truths to me Sway my soule that I may cast my selfe upon thy mercy in Christ c. Object I must answer some Cases that many a poore soule is troubled withall Alas I am not convinced by the Spirit that Christ is my righteousnesse therefore what case am I in Answ I answer some are more strongly convinced and some lesse Let a man be carelesse of holy duties and he is lesse convinced but let him be constant therein and he shall finde the Holy Ghost convincing him more strongly that the righteousnesse of Christ is his there are many presumptuous persons that turne the grace of God into wantonnesse who because through the Enthusiasmes of Satan they never question their estate but conceit themselves to be good men and in the estate of grace think this to be the convincing of the Holy Ghost whereas this is a generall rule Spirituall convincing is not totall but alwaies leaves in the heart some drugs of doubting as a ship that rides at anchor though it may reele too and fro yet is it safe for the
maine So it is with the soule that is truely convinced it is safe for the maine yet it is tumbled and tossed with many doubts and feares but their Anchor is in Heaven Take this for a ground of comfort subscribed unto in the experience of all beleevers that the Spirit of God so farre convinces them of Christs righteousnesse as preserves in them such a power of grace as to cast themselves upon the mercy of God in Christ and God will not quench that sparke though there be little or no light yet there will be heate God will send his Spirit into the heart so farre as it shall not betray it selfe to despaire and let such a beame into the soule as all the power in hell shall not be able to keepe out but it is our owne neglect that we are not more strongly convinced so as to breake through all This is the priviledge of a constant carefull Christian to bee strongly convinced of the righteousnesse of Christ Vse Thus we see how the Holy Ghost convinceth us of righteousnesse other things I must omit If this be so I beseech you let us not loose our priviledges and prerogatives doth God give grace and give Christ with all his righteousnesse and shall not we improove them Let us use this righteousnesse in all temptations Let us pleade it to God himselfe when hee seemes to be our enemy Lord thou hast ordained a righteousnesse the righteousnesse of Christ that hath given full satisfaction to thy justice and he hath given me a title to Heaven howsoever my soule be in darkenesse yet Lord I come unto thee in the name of my Saviour that thou wouldest perswade my soule of that righteousnesse I would glorifie thy Name Wherein wilt thou be glorified In mercy or justice O in mercy above all I cannot glorifie thee in thy mercy unlesse thou perswade me of the righteousnesse of Christ Can I love thee except thou love mee first Canst thou have any free and voluntary obedience from me unlesse J be convinced that Christ is mine Now Lord I beseech thee let me be such as thou maist take delight in Beloved since we have meanes of such a gift let us never rest till wee have it If Satan set upon us hold this out if he tell thee thou art a sinner tell him I have a greater righteousnesse then my owne even the righteousnesse of God-Man I have a righteousnesse above all my unrighteousnesse Satan saith God is displeased with me J but he is more pleased with me in Christ then displeased with me in my selfe Satan saith J have sinned against God I but not against the remedy send Satan to Christ O but thou hast a corrupt nature that makes thee runne into this sinne and that sinne but there is a spring of mercy in God and an over-running fountaine of righteousnesse in Christ an over-flowing sea of the blood of Christ Therefore let us labour to improove this righteousnesse of Christ to God and Satan and against al temptations yea against our own consciences I am thus thus yet God is thus and thus all his Attributes are conveyed to me in Christ Let us exalt God and Christ and set up Christ above our sins above any thing in the world as S. Paul who counted all things dung and drosse for the excellent knowledge of Christ Quest. You will aske me How shall wee know whether we be convinced of this righteousnesse or no Answ I answer we may know by the Method Christ uses in convincing First he convinces of sinne and then of righteousnesse for a man to catch at righteousnesse before hee bee convinced of sinne it is but an usurpation for the Holy Ghost first convinces of sinne Therfore you have many perish because they never were abased enough Beloved people are not lost enough and not miserable enough for Christ and not broken enough for him and therfore they go without him Quest But how shall I know that the Holy Ghost hath convinced me enough of sin so that I may without presumption apply the righteousnesse of Christ unto my selfe Onely thus if the Holy Ghost have discovered my sinfull condition of nature and life Answ so as to worke in me an hatred of sin and to alter my bent another way and so make Christ sweet unto me then I am sufficiently convinced of sinne This in answer to that Question by the way To returne in the next place I may know I am convinced throughly of the righteousnesse of Christ by the witnesse and worke of the Spirit The Spirit brings light and faith the work of the Spirit hath a light of its owne as I know I beleeve when I beleeve but sometimes wee have not the reflect act of faith whereby to evidence our owne graces to our selves but ever he that is convinced of the Spirit of God his heart will be wrought to beare marveilous love to God upon this apprehension that God is mine and Christ is mine the soule is constrained to love whereupon ensues an enlargement of heart and a prevalency of comfort above all discomfort for love casteth out feare This one comfort that our sins are forgiven and that we have right and title to Heaven when the soule is convinced of this it is in a blessed condition then what is poverty and what is imprisonment not worthy to bee reckoned in respect of the glory that shall be revealed Againe where the Holy Ghost convinces enough there is inward peace and great joy sutable to the righteousnesse As the righteousnesse is an excellent righteousnesse of God-Man so that peace and joy that comes from it is unspeakable peace and joy So that when the heart sees it selfe instated in peace and joy as you have it Rom. 5. Being justified by faith wee have peace towards God not only inward peace and joy but a peace that will shew it selfe abroad a glorious peace a peace that will make us glory verse 3. We glory in tribulation A hard matter to glory in abasement not only so but we glory in God God is ours and Christs righteousnesse ours when Christ hath satisfied Gods wrath then we may make our boast of God Againe where this conviction of righteousnes is it answers all objections the doubting heart will object this and that but the Spirit of God shewes an All-sufficiency in Christs obedience and that sets the soule downe quietly in all crosses and calmes it in all stormes in some degree Where the soule is convinced of the righteousnesse of Christ there the conscience demands boldly It is God that justifies who shal condemne It is Christ that is dead and risen againe and sits at the right hand of God Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen So that a convinced conscience dares all creatures in Heaven and Earth it works strongly and boldly I shall not need to inlarge this you know whether you are convinced Vse To end the point I beseech you labour to live by this
faith heere is an evidence if we can live by it How is that Every day to make use of the righteousnesse of Christ as every day we run into sinne Be sure we have our consciences sprinkled with the blood of Christ that as we increase new guilt so we may have a new pardon therefore every day labour to see God as reconciled and Christ as our Advocate with the Father Christ is now in Heaven if we sinne make use of him this should be the life of a Christian to make use of Christs righteousnesse when you finde nature polluted goe to God and say Lord my nature though foule in it selfe yet is holy and pure in Christ He tooke the weaknesse of the humane nature unto him that hee might communicate the worth and efficacy of his divine nature unto me and for my actions I am a sinner but Christ hath fully discharged all my debts and is now in Heaven he hath performed all righteousnesse for me Looke not upon mee as in my selfe but looke upon me in Christ He and I am one This should bee every daies exercise to see our selves in Christ and so see him and our selves one I should inlarge the point further but I will speake a word of the reason What is the reason why the Comforter may and shall convince of righteousnesse Because I go to the Father what strength is there in that reason why this Christ took upon him to be our surety and he must acquit us of all our sins ere he can go to his Father If one sinne had beene unsatisfied for he could not have gone to his Father but now he is gone to his Father therfore all our sins are satisfied for so that now the Ascention of Christ is a sufficient pledge to me that my person is accepted and my sins pardoned because he is gone to his Father to appeare before the Father for us which he could not have done had he not fulfilled all righteousnesse But wherefore did he go to the Father why to make application of what he had wrought If Christ should not have gone to the Father he could not have sent the Holy Ghost to us Therfore there is great use of this going to his Father Satan pleads before God we are such and such I but saith Christ I have shed my blood for them and there he perfumes all our weake prayers if we were not imperfect what need we a Mediator in Heaven Therefore he is gone to Heaven to disanull all Satans accusations and to provide a place for us die when wee will our place is ready Then againe he is gone to the Father to cloath us with a sweet relation to make the Father our Father For he saith Iohn 12.17 I goe to my Father and to your Father So that he is not ashamed to call us Brethren by vertue of this wee may goe to God and call him Father and when wee die wee may without presumption say Father into thy hands I commend my spirit for the Father loves us as hee loved Christ with one and the same love though in a farre different degree What a comfort is this that when we die we goe to our Father that is better then any earthly Father Therfore it should joy us when the time of our departure comes We see old Iacob when he saw the Chariots come out of Aegypt how his heart leaped because he should go to see his Sonne Ioseph So when death is sent to transport us to Christ to Heaven had we a strong faith we should be exceeding glad And let us learne here the art of faith from Christ I go to the Father saith he there was a great deale of time yet to passe no lesse then forty daies after his Resurrection before hee went to the Father yet he saith I goe to the Father to shew that faith presents things future as present Faith sees Heaven as present and the day of judgement as present and doth affect the soule as if they were now existent If we had a Spirit of faith it would thus present things farre off as nigh at hand Therfore when we meet with any thing that may make our way to Heaven seeme long or troublesome exercise your faith and make your terme present to your spirit though remote from sence say I goe to the Father what though I goe through blood and a shamefull death yea perhaps a tormentfull death yet I goe to the Father when a man is once perswaded that God is his Father in Christ it will make him walke to Heaven before his time Let us make Use of this point of Christs going to the Father Beloved there is not a point of Religion but hath a wonderfull spring of comfort and it is want of faith that wee doe not draw more comfort from them When therefore wee part with our friends by death thinke they are gone to their Father If yee loved me saith Christ ye would rejoyce because I said I goe to the Father If we love our friends we should rejoyce when they die Beloved this should comfort us Christ is gone to his Father O what welcome was there of Christ when he came into Heaven the same welcome will there be when we goe to the Father How joyfull intertainement shall we have of the Father and the Sonne Therefore death should not bee troublesome to us say Christs righteousnesse is mine therefore I know I shall go to the Father what care I then what kind of paines I goe through If a man be going to a desired place howsoever the way be troublesome the sweetnesse of the end will make him forget the discouragements of his passage Perhaps wee must wade to Heaven through a Sea of blood it matters not the end will recompence all though we lose our limbes by the way It is better to limpe to Heaven then dance to Hell FINIS AN ALPHABETICALL Index of the Speciall points contained in this Booke A Actions ACtions that are good are ever accompanied with comfort Page 294. Adulterers Adulterers corporall and spirituall hardly reclaimed p. 359. Affections Affections their use p. 308 309. Affections ought to be placed on their right objects pag. 325. Affections why planted in the soule page 366 367. Afflictions Afflictions how to know they are not in wrath though they continue page 194 195. Afflictions not to complaine of them page 13. Afflictions profitable to Gods children page 280 283. Almes-deeds Almes-deeds a Sacrifice p. 47. Amity Amity with Papists dangerous page 342. Anger Anger of God what it is page 183. Anger of God what effects it hath against signe page 184. Anger of God the speciall thing in Afflictions page 185. Anger of God makes the least crosse most terrible page 186. Anger of God turned away by Repentance page 188 c. Anger of God the meanes to avoid it page 195 196 c. Humility a certaine way to avoid Gods Anger page 197. Annoyance No Annoyance in this life or