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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	act_n	believe_v	faith_n	1,015	5	5.7119	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58958	The Second and last collection of the late London ministers farewel sermons preached by Dr. Seaman, Dr. Bates, Mr. Caryll, [brace] Mr. Brooks, Mr. Venning, and Mr. Mead ; to which is added a farewell sermon preached at Dedham in Essex by Mr. Matthew Newcomen ; as also Mr. Lyes sermon at the conclusion of the last morning-exercise at All-hallows in Lumbard-street, being a summary rehearsal of the whole monthly-lectures.	Seaman, Lazarus, d. 1675.; Bates, William, 1625-1699.; Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.; Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.; Venning, Ralph, 1621?-1674.; Mead, Matthew, 1630?-1699.; Newcomen, Matthew, 1610?-1669.; Lye, Thomas, 1621-1684.	1663 (1663)	Wing S2257; ESTC R41075	195,536	326

changed your hearts renewed grace ratified and reconciled and your Conscience quieted How can you think of these things but must admire the love of the Father in giving this to you and the love of the Son in purchasing this for you All the grace and mercy that is given to us is by Christ purchased for us Grace and Peace are fruits of the redeeming bloud of Christ purchased Secondly Do not envy the conditions or possessions of the men of the world they have Riches and Honours Prosits and Pleasures but they neither have Grace nor Peace Therefore do not envy their happiness There is a story of a Romane that was condemned by the Court-Martial to die for breaking his ranke to steal a bunch of Grapes and as he was going to his Execution his fellow Souldiers laughed at him and others envyed at him that he should have Grapes and they none Now sayes he do not envy me for my bunch of Grapes for you would be loth to have them at the rate I must pay for them My Brethren You that are the Children of Grace and peace don't envy at the men of the world at their Riches their Comforts their Pleasures for I am sure you would be loth to have them at the price they pay for them for the end of these things are Death Thirdly Don't complain of the worst condition that the Providence of God shall cast you into in this world it may be you shall suffer hard things but remember so long as thy soul is secure never complain of hard things My Brethren As God your Father brought you into a state of Grace and Peace and thereby secured his love to your souls in Christ can you complain of hard things So let the joy of the Lord be your strength Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and again I say Rejoyce Phil. 4.4 The second Use is to such as have neither Gra●s nor Peace May I not say I speak to many such● I would I might not Are there not many that are without Grace and therefore must needs be without Peace They may have the world's peace but they have none of this Peace let me beg of you to get out of this graceless condition if you love your Souls don't live one day nor one hour nor one moment longer in a graceless state Oh that you would believe the words of a dying man for so I am to you and such words use to be remembred Oh remember this as a Testimony I leave with you that the love of Sin and lack of Grace will ruin and destroy every Soul at last But you will say How shall I get a share in this grace and peace I answer First Break off all your f●lse peace we can never have true peace with God when we content our selve with false peace you will never seek that peace which Christ hath purchased for you while you content your selves with that cursed peace which the Old man has wrought in you Oh therefore break off all false peace which is not the fruit of Grace Secondly Labour to see and be convinced of the miserable and of the naked condition your Souls be in for want of the righteousness of Christ for a covering without this oh Soul thou art miserable wretched poor and naked Be convinced also what a miserable thing it is to have God our Enemy God is the sinners Enemy it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Oh be convinced of thy nakedness without Christs righteousness and thy emptiness without his fulness Thirdly Labour to go out of your selves to Christ for grace and peace surely in the Lord shall one say I have righteousness and strength I there it 's to be found Labour for a thirsty frame of Soul for the promises run farr to such that he will fill the hungry with good things Go to Christ oh Soul begg pray never leave God till he hath given thee an interest in Christ for none can come to me except the Father draw him there is no pardon for the least sin out of Christ but there is pardon for the greatest sin in Christ one sin will damn the Soul out of Christ but no sin can hurt the Soul in Christ Oh go to Christ Soul never give rest to thy eyes nor slumber to thy lids till thou hast made peace with God in the bloud of Christ one sting of the fiery Serpent was mortal without looking upon the brazen Serpent So one sin will damn a Soul out of Christ but no sin can damn a Soul in Christ Thirdly To such as have grace but no sense of peace this is the counsel I would leave with all such Be much in the exercise of grace pray much believe much use grace much for the exercise and improving of grace will produce peace There are ten duties which are to be the sphere of grace in activity and in performing of them we shall have peace First make Religion your business the main design of your lives be Christians to purpose be not only Christians by the bye but let your Conversation be as becometh the Gospel of Christ. Phil. 1.27 Secondly Put forth renewed Acts of Faith 〈◊〉 Christ every day and remember it 's as much your duty to believe in Christ to day as if you had never believed before Oh live by Faith every day and this will bring peace to you Thirdly Maintain a constant Communion with God daily this Communion with God is man● chief good the happiness of a Child is in communion with his Father and the happiness of 〈◊〉 Wife is in communion with her Husband and this is the happiness of a Believers Soul communion with God the Father through Christ our Head and Husband The seed of peace its true it is low● in the Soul in Union but then it takes root downward and brings forth fruit upward Spiritual peace will never be obtained if communion with God be not maintained that gives comfort in the midst of all sorrows and satisfies all doubts and reco●pences all wants Lo this is the fruit of communion with God Fourthly Be good at all times but of all best in bad times many Christians lose their peace by remitting of their grace and let loose their reins of Religion to avoid the censures of a crooked generation A Christians zeal should be like the Winter fire that burns the hottest when the Air is coolest or like the Lilly that looketh beautiful though among Thorns so should a Child of God though among sinners Fifthly In all conditions chuse sufferings rather then sinning If ever you would have peace choose suffering rather then sinning he that value●● peace with God or peace with Conscience he must make this his choyce thus Daniel rather chose to be cast●o Lions then to lose the peace of his Conscience the three Children chose rather to burn in the Furnace then bow to the Image One said He would rather go to Hell free from sin

Jesus Heb. 4.14 Seeing then that ye have a great High Priest that is passed into the Heaven● Jesus the Son of God let us hold fast our Profession Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Authour and finisher of our Faith who for the joy that was 〈◊〉 before him endured the Cross despised the sham● and is set down at the rig●● and of the Throne 〈◊〉 God Oh let us be thin●ing of and looking 〈◊〉 this Jesus You will say what shall we think of him Oh think of this condescention in the world of that vouchsafement which as was never the like of his how he humbled himself and suffered from God and man Think how he became poor that was rich that we that were poor might become rich Think how he became a curse think how he became sin for us think what a good Confession he made before Pontius Pilate even to the death and was obedient to the death Think how he conquered death by dying and how he rose again by his Almighty Power and is ascended into Heaven and ever lives to make intercession for those that come to the Father through him Think how he lived here on Earth in a sad condition and joyed in it to that it might be for our good and shall we leave such a Christ as this Oh can you look upon Christ and leave the Profession of your Faith it cannot be keep Christ before your eyes make him your pattern and you will not you cannot do amiss He that saith he abides in him ought to walk as he walked He walked in obedience all his dayes and was obedient to the death So must we we must walk in obedience all our dayes though we dye for being obedient You see now how many Arguments there are for your holding fast the Profession of your Faith There are many now that might be added but the time is past therefore I shall shut up all the words of Jude from the 20. Verses of his Epistle to the end But you Beloved building up your selves on your most holy Faith praying in the holy Ghost keep your selves in the love of God looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life and of some have compassion making a difference and others say with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the Garments spotted by the flesh Now unto them that is able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God and Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and ever Amen Mr. Matthew Newcomen His Farewel SERMON Preached at Dedham in Essex Aug. 20. 1662. REV. 3. Vers 3. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent I Began this Scripture the last Lord's-Day in this Congregation I told you then there were three Doctrines obvious in the Text The first was Doct. 1. That it is the Duty of Christians To Remember those Truths that they have heard and received Doct. 2. That it is the Duty of Christians to hold fast the Truths that they have heard and received Doct. 3. That continued Repentance is the Duty of Christians as well as initial Repentance Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent The first of these Doctrines I applyed my self to and applyed to ●he People the last Lord's-Day and shall not now say any thing of it but proceed to the next Doctrine That it is the Duty of Christians To hold fast the Truths that they have heard and received That which the Apostle enjoyns on Timothy is in proportion the duty of all Christians 2 Tim. 1.13 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus The whole intire Body of Divine Truth Hold it fast against all opposition whatsoever Now if they that are themselves Teachers of the Truth to others must hold fast the Truth according to the Plat-form that hath been delivered to them then much more is this the duty of private Christians who are supposed not to have that latitude of parts and gifts that Teachers have And therefore you shall find that Christ requires this not onely of the Pastors but of the Members of his Church Rev. 2.24 speaking not onely to the Angel but to the Body of the Church● But to you I say and to the rest in Thyatira as m●ny 〈◊〉 have not this Doctrine and which have not known the depths of Sathan as they speak I will put upon you none other burden but that which you have already●● hold fast till I come As if he should say This is all I require of you my People keep your selves and hold fast that which you have till I come And so in the 3d of Rev. 11. Behold I come quickly hold that fast which thou hast that no man take away thy Crown As if he should say That Divine Tru●● that thou hast heard and received it is thy Crown thy excellency therefore hold it fast This Duty of holding fast the Truth is urged in many other places of Scripture under other expressions as that of continuing in the Word of God Christ says If ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples indeed And continuing in the Faith Act. 14.22 Paul and Barnabas visiting the Churches exhor ed them to continue in the Faith And so those terms of being rooted in the Truth of standing and standing fast and many others they all inforce this Duty Now for the better handling of this Point I shall do these four things First I will shew you What Christians are to hold fast Secondly How they are to hold this fast Thirdly Why they are to hold fast that they have heard and received Fourthly I will apply it First What Christians are to hold fast The Doctrine says They are to hold fast the Truths they have received Now Truths are of two sorts 1. Some are Natural and Moral 2. Some are Supernatural and Divine Truths Called Truths of God because they come from God and conform the Mind and Soul that receive them to the Image of God Now though it is true it is good for a man to be right in Moral things and to know and cleave to that which is Truth in Morality yet the Truths that we are here called upon to hold fast they are Divine Truths Supernatural Truths Truths in Religion Truths in the things of God Secondly Again Religious and Divine Truths Truths of God they are either such as are so in name and in the estimation of some men or else they are such Truths as are Truths of God in the truth and reality of the thing Now when I say that Christians are to hold fast the Truths they have received the meaning is not that what ever any man or company of men offer as Truths should be received and held fast for then we must hold fast many Errours But what

left both of Friends and Foes and that for these Reasons which is the first thing I have to do which is to shew you Why we should hold fast the Truths of God First For the excellency of Divine Truth it is more precious then Gold better ●hen Rubies and all that you can desire cannot be compared with Truth And it must needs be so because it is the immediate Issue of God himself who is the Fountain of Truth and the Fountain of all Perfection and Glory Natural men have said Truth is the Daughter of Time Divines say Truth is the Daughter of God Divine Truth is the Child of God the Issue and Birth of God And whosoever therefore God hath pleased to deliver his Truth unto they must be tenderly careful that it be not deflowred and violated Secondly It is our duty to hold fast the Truth that we have received because we have received it under the notion of those things that have a kind of constancy in them I say we have received the Truth under the nature of those things that have a kind of constancy and perpetuity in them The Scripture speaks of the Truths of God as an Heritage Thy Testimonies have I taken for mine Heritage saith David in the 119. Psalm Though a man's Personal Estate may be alienated yet that which is his Heritage this is unalienable in Law it is a wrong done to his Posterity if he parts with tha● Truth is the Inheritance of the Saints therefore they are to hold it fast Again in Scripture the Truth of God is called a thing committed to a man's Trust 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us That good thing What was that Why the form of sound words which in the Verse before he had bidden him hold fast this is but a Reduplication of the same thing on him The Body of Gospel-Truths that was committed to thee hold it fast that good thing a good thing the Author of it is good and it makes us good all that is contained in it is good Matter and it tend to a good End the saving of our Souls This saith he hath been committed to thee therefore keen it A thing committed to a man's Trust must be so kept that it may be re-delivered and re-delivered intire and whole and re-delivered to the same Person that did commit it to us else we cannot be faithful to our trust The Truth of God is committed to our trust we must so keep it that we may re-deliver it and re-deliver it intire and whole and re-deliver it thus intire and whole to him that committed it to us even to God This 〈◊〉 the Duty of all Christians thus to keep the Wo●● There is a committing of the Truth to all 〈◊〉 Church and Saints of God as Jude tells us in 〈◊〉 Epistle verse the third That ye should conte●● earnestly for the Faith which was once delive●● to the Saints the Faith that is the Doctrin● Faith the truth of the Gospel which was delivered to the Saints We have but one Gospel and it was delivered but once God means no more to deliver his Gospel and the Truths of it therfore you had need strive hard to keep them and hold them Thirdly We should hold fast the Truth that we have received because if we do not hold it fast we do wrong God and we wrong our selves and we wrong the Truth and we wrong our Posterity 1. It is our duty to hold fast the Truths we have received because if we do not we wrong God for Truths are more Gods then ours They are ours as to the use of them but they are his as he is the Original and Author of them Truths are God's Jewels there is never a Truth of Religion but God owns it as his and for us to barter away any of these Truths of God it is Sacriledge it is a robbing of God it is a wrong to God This is that God complains of by his Prophet in the second of Jeremiah the eleventh and twelfth Verses Hath a Nation changed their Gods which are yet no Gods but my People have changed their glory for that which doth not profit Be astonished O ye Heavens at this and be horribly afraid b●ye very desolate saith the Lord. The Prophet indeed speaks of a total forsaking of God and all his Truths but there is in the forsaking of every Truth a proportion of wrong to God 2. It is a wrong done to the Truths of God when men having received the Truth and embraced it hold it not fast but cast it off this is a wrong to the Truths of God We say it is less reproach to a man when he comes to my house to shut the Door against him and not receive him in at all then when he hath been in a while with me I turn him out all the World will now think I find cause to be weary of him They who have sh●● their hearts against the Truth and never gave a● entertainment to it they are less injurious to i● then they that have received it and professed it and yet turn from it These tell the World that the Truths of God are not so sweet and worthy of their entertainment as they supposed them to be 3. This is an injury and wrong to our selves this is a wrong to our Credit and Reputation Now though we may not make Credit our End in Religion yet we may make use of our Credit or Reproach as an Argument to hold fast the Truth and this is injurious to our own Souls John 8.31 Th●● Jesus said to those Jews which believed on him If ye continue in my Word then are ye my Disciples Indeed here Christ doth seem to distinguish his Disciples he hath some that are so in name that are not so is deed and he hath some that are so in deed and 〈◊〉 truth and of these he gives a Character here If ● continue in my Word You now profess to beli●● my Word but if you hold fast and continue● my Word then you are my Disciples indeed 〈◊〉 if you continue not in my Word you have 〈◊〉 name of Disciples onely and that will not save you You can never be saved unless you be indeed the Disciples of Christ and you can never approve your selves to be the Disciples of Christ indeed if ye continue not in the Truth 1 Joh. 2.24 Let that therefore abide in you which you have received and heard from the beginning If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you ye shall continue in the Son and in the Father Hold fast the Truth of God which you have received then shall you continue in the Son If the Truth of God which you have received and believed remain in you and be held fast by you ye shall continue in the love of the Father and Son but not else according to what he expresseth again

in the whole book of God John Baptist compares the Ministry of the Gospel to a Fan in Mat. 3.12 When the Lord Jesus maketh use of the Ministry of his faithfull servants among the people when he maketh use of those Fans it will appear who among them are wheat and shall be gathered into the Lords Garner and who among them are chaff and shall be cast into the 〈◊〉 And now whether the present state that you have lied under and are not yet wrought upon by a faithful Ministry be not very dangerous judge ye And so much may suffice for the Doctrinal part If it be so then That a Ministers soundness in doctrine and holiness of life and conversation doth lay a great obligation on a people conscientiously and duly to practice every commanded duty Then first of all the first Use we shall make of this Doctrine shall be by way of Tryal and Examination and that in two particulars 1 Branch of the Use of Tryal First Whether you in this Parish in this place you here before the Lord do make conscience of the due practice of every commanded duty Secondly Whether the Ministry you have enjoyed and lived under doth not lay a great obligation on you so to doe For the first of these Whether you here before the Lord do make conscience of the due practice of every commanded duty in obedience to Almighty God you may try your selves by these three excellent Ingredients First Universality Canst thou in the witnesse of thy conscience say that through grace thou dost every as well as any part of the Lords revealed will so far as thou knowest it 2. Vniformity Dost thou do all without prejudice or partiality 3. Vbiquity Art thou the same at ●●ome as abroad in thy Closet as well as in the Congregation and dost thou mind inward and secret as well as open and outward holiness What saith conscience to this As first Hath commanded duties a throne in your own souls and conscience Secondly Have they a throne in thy Family First Have commanded duties a throne in your own fouls and consciences Is your hearts fully possest 〈◊〉 the power of those divine and heavenly truths 〈◊〉 you have often heard which hath been again and again inculcated upon you as it was upon the Thessaloni●●● 1 Thes 1.5 their carnal principles were confuted th●● passion moderated their lusts mortified their self-ends consounded are yours so Have commanded duties a throne in your souls and consciences Oh that all your consciences could give a satisfying answer to this Quaery Secondly Have commanded duties a throne in your Families do you make conscience of Family duties are your houses Bethels that is houses of God houses of Prayer are they habitations of Holinesse and Righteousnesse do you make conscience of relative as well as of personal duties Oh that all your consciences could give a satisfying answer to this Quaery 2. Branch of the Use of Tryal But now the second Branch of this Use of Tryal and Examination is this Whether the Ministry you have enjoyed and lived under doth not lay a very great obligation on you to put in execution every commanded duty as Rom. 10.6 7 8. that is the Word of Faith we Preach read that place and may not we take up that with some variation and say You have heard of the disease the misery and remedy When the great God shall arraign thee at the great and fearfull Day and shall 〈◊〉 thus Thou rebellious wretch why didst thou not forsake thy evil wayes thy drunkennesse thy ●ipling thy covetousnesse thy snuffing at purity thy inve●erate heart and spirit against my holy wayes and Ministers why didst thou not forsake thy evil wayes wilt thou be able to say Lord I lived under 1. A so I betraying non-resident Minister one 〈◊〉 made it his businesse to fleece indeed not to feed the flock or 2. Under a foul-poysoning Innovator or 3. Under a soul-pining dry nurse or 4. Under a soul-misguiding guide or 5. Under a soul unsetling temporizer or 6. Under a soul-destroying discountenancer 1. Canst thou say that thou livest under a soul-betraying non-resident Minister one that made it his business to fleece and not to feed the flock one that looked after the wool and fat of the flock the fleece but never minded the flock but non-residency hath been hitherto decryed as that as breeds a Minister idle and erroneous or licentious but wilt thou be able to say Lord I lived under such a Minister that was a soul-betraying Minister one that was greedy of Livings and had perhaps two or three or four but so bad a man that the worst was too good for him or wilt thou be able to plead or canst thou say 2. Lord I lived under a soul-poysoning Innovator one that was for formality more then reality of true worship one that preached such Doctrine as did not season but poyson and destroy the souls of his hearers such are Romish Teachers Jesuites Priests and Seminaries who so affect the outward pomp as they neglect the inward power of it Wilt thou be able to say Lord I lived under the Ministry of such a one who was more realous for the formality of thy worship than the reality more zealous for those things that will not 〈◊〉 the tryal of the Lords day of appearance than for the su●stance of Religion Or 3. Canst thou plead that thou livedst under a soul pining dry Nurse one that did not or could not seed us with the sincere milk of thy Word one from whom thou never heardst a soul-solid a soul-working Sermon all thy life I appeal to your Consciences have you not heard often of your miser●● and Gods mecy and Christs merits Have you not he●● often of the necessity of a holy life Oh the conviction informations exhortations perswasions directions you have enjoyed and lived under Hath not thy state 〈◊〉 nature been ripped up and the Anatomy not of the Councel of Trent but of Gods Book been shewed to thee What shall I say hath not Hell and Damnation to all rebellious and Heaven and Salvation to all true penitent souls been preached to you 4. Or canst thou say that thou livedst under a soul-misguiding guide as 1. A blind Seer a blind Watchman a blind Leader of the blind one who knew not Heavens way Canst thou say thou livedst under such a creature that is not to be found in Christs Catalogue an I dolpreacher as in Psalm 135.15 16 17. verses read that Or 2. if not ignorant yet one so vicious that he pulled down more with his foul hand then he built up with his fair tongue Canst thou say thou livedst under one who by his conversation gave his Doctrine the lye Wilt thou be able to plead thus at the great day or wilt thou be able to say 5. That thou hast lived under a soul-unsetling Temporizer what would he not do rather then he would lose his Living which made me think Religion to

is the season for God to feed him with heavenly Manna Jacob had glorious Visions while he was flying from the wrath of his Brother when he had nothing but a heap of stones for his Pillow It was in the wilderness that God speakes to his Church Thus I told you of Mr. Glover a Prisoner who found no comfort in the time of his imprisonment but when he was going to the stake he cryed out He is come he is come meaning the Spirit the Comforter 4. Another Season of Comfort is after some special exercise of Grace godly sorrow for sin fresh actings in the pardon of sin and new engagements and Resolutions and Promises of more close walking with God after declining from him 5. Another Season of Comfort is After some great Trials and afflictions Light is then most pleasant when we new are come out of a dark place after Thunder comes Light●ing after a storme comes a calm God led his people first into the Wilderness and then into the Land of Canu●● 〈◊〉 is often so in God● Dispensations towards his people th●● greatest afflictions go before their greatest deliverance and therefore let not the Saints of God despair when they are at the lowest when they walk in darkness and see no light yet set them trust in the Lord. 6 Another Season of Comfort is When men are conscientiously diligent in their particular Callings then they walk with God To this I gave you an instance in the Shepherds they were faithful and diligent in their callings they were watching over their flocks by night and then the Angel comes and tells them Lo you is born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord Luk. 2.11 A company of poor Shepherds keeping of their Sheep God appears unto them and manifesteth his comforting presence when the Scribes and Pharisees notwithstanding all their long prayers and their strict Rites and Ceremonies hear not a word of him 7 Another Season of Comfort is When we are either preparing for or in the spiritual act of some duty When grace is exercised to prepare the heart to pray and in attendance upon such an Ordinance then often times the Spirit of God is with them to let poor souls in their endeayours find acceptance with God Hannah had been praying to God but what melody did she find in her heart When Mary sate at Christs feet how doth Christ fill her heart with comfort sealing up her salvation to her I now come to close with some application Use of Information Use If it be the work of the Spirit of God to comfort the bea● of Christs Disciples then by way of Information I gather this That a poor soul is very hardly setled and satisfied in 〈◊〉 of comfort Sure it is a hard matter to comfort a poor 〈◊〉 when one of the persons of the blessed Trinity must be ●●ployed on purpose to do it This is an Office belong●●● the Holy Ghost when he is to be the Paraclete the com●●● of the Holy Ghost This sure is a hard matter to com●●● the wounded spirit when the soul is fully 〈…〉 spir●● 〈◊〉 bondage Oh! the hesitancies the jealousies the do●●● and fears the objections that a poor soul makes against 〈◊〉 spiritual peace and comfort now it begins to take comfort then it doubts again now he believeth and takes courage but anon he is afraid there is a great deal adoe to fasten comfort upon a poor soul 2 Cor. 1.21 22. What a heap of words are there together and it is all little enough to comfort a poor soul Now he that establisheth us with you on Christ and hath annointed us is God and hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts It is not without much tugging and drawing that the soul is first brought to beleeve and then when it doth believe it is a hard thing to perswade it that it doth believe There is a strange kind of squemishness upon the heart he thinks that there is no comfort to be taken that doth belong to him Luther says It is a harder thing to comfort a troubled Conscience than to raise the dead Surely it must be as hard when nothing but the sau●● power must do it The soul is hardly convinced but all the glad ridings of the Gospel are golden streams and all the Promises are 〈◊〉 pleasant Fancies without any Reality but that these things should belong to him this he cannot believe for want of Faith So that the Spirit of God is fain to come in and end the controversie before the soul will be satisfied 2. If it be the work of the Spirit of God to comfort the hearts of his people then all the comfort of Christless and graceless souls is nothing worth there is no true peace for they are not the Disciples of Christ which are the prop●● subjects of this comfort they will not hearken to 〈◊〉 nor learn of Christ but they cast his words behind their back and break his bands a sunder Those that do not learn Christs precepts and follow Christs Canons and obey Christs Commands they are none of Christs Disciples and to be sure they have not the 〈◊〉 of Christ which is the Efficient ●n this 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 the root there cannot be the fruit for this inward peace 〈◊〉 the fruit of the spirit And therefore what comfort they have it is either a sinful comfort which to be sure will end in sorrow or else at best it is but a carnal comfort which wil soon vanish like the crackling of thorns under a Pot There is no peace saith God to the wicked there is no peace with God as long as you are at peace with sin 3. Here they are stumbled with the riddle that the people of God should be sorrowing yet always rejoycing as sorrowing yet always rejoycing the carnal world think this to be a contradiction though they be troubled without yet they have peace within though they have matter of sorrow in respect of outward affliction yet they have fellowship with the holy Ghost the Comforter which gives peace in affliction joy in sorrow light in darkness which fils them with joy unspeakable and full of glory Secondly If the holy Ghost be the only Comforter of the hearts of Gods people then let me exhort every one of you to labour for an interest in this Comforter Friends I beseech you be restless till you have got some evidence of the Comforter in your souls by the inhabitation of the Spirit in your hearts without you have an interest in Christ there is no comfort no true comfort to be expected no comfort in prosperity no comfort in adversity no comfort in life nor in death no peace with your consciences Men may make a shift to keep themselves at quiet for the present by lulling conscience they may have a kind of peace from a false principle Ah but what wil you do when storms arise wh●● wil you do