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grace_n bring_v teach_v ungodliness_n 2,376 5 11.6666 5 false
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A78218 [Baʻal-samz] or, Soveraigne balsome, gently applied in a few weighty considerations (by way of quærie) for healing the distempers of such professors of religion as Satan hath wounded and drawn aside (under the notion of living in God) to the utter renouncing and casting off the use of divine ordinances, and Gospel-institutions of worship. With an apendix by way of postscript to such professors, wherein the most principall grounds upon which they build their practise, are fully answered and removed. And a catalogue of the errors that many of them hold since they left the ordinances, discovered. As also a true relation of Gods extraordinary working upon one of this way very lately in Plimouth, to the sight of his error, for the good of others published. / By Will. Bartlet, an unworthy minister of the Gospel, and lecturer at Bytheford in Devonshire. Bartlet, William, 1609 or 10-1682.; M. P. 1649 (1649) Wing B987; Thomason E549_19; ESTC R209139 79,502 81

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his subjects in righteousnesse yet still in greatest love and mercy 2. Besides secondly I answer Doth not this ground upon which people build the neglect of duties c. as it is propounded expose them to great danger of being acted by f Vid. Boltons Bounds of Christian freedom p. 199. where hee shewes how Satan may move a person to the performance of religious duties many wayes a Spirit of Delusion For suppose they staying till the Spirit move them as they speak in the former ground to pray c. that the motion to the performance of the duty be irregular and unseasonable yea altogether unsuitable to the calling and condition of the party that is moved to the duty shall they forthwith conclude that this motion is from the Spirit of God Nay are they not rather to conclude that it is from Satan who is a lying and deceiving Spirit whose depths and wiles are numerous and who knowes how to advantage himselfe against us as well by ill performing of duties as by Non-performing them and is it not the generall opinion and judgement of the godly that are taught of God that one speciall differencing character between the motions of the Spirit of God and Satan is this that the one moves orderly seasonably and suitably to the word and a persons calling and condition but the other disorderly unseasonably and contrary to or at least without the word And therefore without question those that build their performing of duties upon this ground onely may as well especially if they be not experienced Christians bee deluded by Satan as led by the Spirit of God 3. Lastly to say no more are not the Scriptures altogether silent herein and doe not in the least hold forth such a Rule as this to beleevers that none should not enter on the performance of duties till the Spirit move them nay is it not as cleare as the Sunne at Noon day that the Scriptures doe expresly hold forth to the contrary g Luk. 21.36 Rom. 12.12 Ephel 6.18 Col. 4.2 1 Thess 5.17 enjoyning beleevers to pray alwayes to pray continually to pray without ceasing to watch unto prayer with sundry the like expressions not take heed as if beleevers were to doe nothing else but pray and perform religious duties for then there would be no place left for their civill employments in their particular Callings which in their place and order are to be done also but that they should endeavour to preserve in themselves a holy and spirituall disposition towards that duty and all other duties of the like nature that so they may be ready upon all occasions ordinary and extraordinary publique and privat to draw nigh to God in the performance of them Object But doth not this derogate from the honour of the Spirit Ans No more then the working of particular next causes do from the universall cause which seldom or never produceth particular effects without a concurrence of particular causes e. g. The Sunne is the universall cause of all the fruitfulnesse of the Earth Vide Bridge Overflowings of Christs fulnesse p. 31 32. yet it doth not produce that fruitfulnesse without the help of man So here the Spirit of God is the universall cause of all the spirituall actings of the Saints yet he doth not ordinarily produce those actings without the concurrence of those gracious habits are wrought in their hearts in their conversion Nay the concurrence of such particular causes with the universall cause can be no dishonour to it in regard that they doe not act by themselves properly but together with and from the influence and vertue of the universall without which they could doe nothing John 15.5 The seventh Ground on which people build their neglect of duties is this That the performance of duties and use of Ordinances is more legall then Evangelicall looking more to a Covenant of workes then a Covenant of Grace engendring to bondage where as the Gospel gives more grace and affords more liberty looking more to beleeving then working Ans The whole frame of this Argument is carnall and savours too much of the flesh and very much nnbeseeming those that would have the world to look upon them as more then ordinarily spirituall and such as have attained to greater enjoyments of God then others My Reason is this Because those persons that enjoy most of God and live highest in the Spirit have their hearts most enlarged and carried out in communion with God in Ordinances and especially that of prayer so that I may truly affirme it A man of most grace is a man of most prayer but a man of least grace is a man of least prayer And wee have a singular evidence of it in the Apostle Paul who was as Evangelicall a Christian and lived as highly in God I suppose as any that now cast off Ordinances how exceedingly was he given to prayer how much was he in that duty as well as in other duties but in this of prayer he was more then ordinary so frequent as if he had leasure for no other employment and tooke delight in nothing else And hence it is that he saith oftentimes that he prayed without h Rom. 1.9 Col. 1.3.9 2 Tim. 1.3 Phil. 1.4 Philem. v. 4. 2 Thess 1.11 1 Thess 3.10 ceasing that he prayed alwayes that he prayed exceedingly night and day with divers such like expressions And as it was with this pretious servant of Christ so it hath been with the most eminentst beleevers in all Ages so far have they been from looking on performance of holy Duties as Legall Services and engendring to Bondage 2. But secondly if wee diligently observe the Tenor of the Gospel and new Covenant of Grace shall we not finde that they call upon beleevers for the strictest and most exactest performanees of the duties of Gods worship not allowing beleevers to live in the willing neglect of any known duty towards God or man or themselves if wee are not convinced of it let that notable place of Tit. 2.11 12 13 14. be considered where the Apostle shewes that the Grace of God that bringeth salvation viz. the Ministery of the Gospel and new Covenant that worketh grace instrumentally in mens hearts and revealeth the freelove of God through Jesus Christ to sinners hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world i. e. soberly in respect of our selves righteously or justly in respect of men and godly or holily and religiously in respect of God In which words I conceive are wrapt up the whole duty of a Christian as it respects the first and second Table This is the Doctrine of the Gospel or new Covenant of grace not of the Law or Covenant of workes And the Apostle in the 14. verse goes on to amplifie it by shewing one chiefe end of Christs comming into the world was to redeem them from iniquity and to