Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	blood_n	body_n	jesus_n	12,126	5	6.1739	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01935	Certaine sermons preached upon severall occasions viz. The vvay to prosper. The vvay to be content. The vvay to vvell-doing. A summer sermon. A vvinter sermon. Vnknowne kindnesse. The poore mans hope. By Iohn Gore Rector of Wenden-lofts in Essex.	Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Way to prosper.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Way to be content.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Way to well-doing.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Summer sermon.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Winter sermon.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Unknowne kindnesse.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Poore mans hope.; Gore, John, Rector of Wendenlofts, Essex. Oracle of God.	1636 (1636)	STC 12071; ESTC S120526	199,234	334

paper so doth this precious bloud take out the blots of sinne out of the soule and blessed of God is that man that 〈◊〉 sprinkled with it All those sprinklings of 〈◊〉 in the Law of Moses were all but types and shadowes of this bloud of sprinkling which speaketh better things than that of Abell because Abel bloud cried for revenge but the bloud of our Saviour cries for mercy and drownes the cry of our deadly sinnes that ●ry and roare for vengeance And therefore i●●●ou hast not had the grace to keepe thy 〈…〉 spotted of the world but rather for want of grace 〈…〉 hast bestained and bespotted thy selfe with filthy lusts and sinne● then let me advise thee thus to doe as Ioseph of Arima●hea went to pita●● and begged the body of Iesus Ioh. 19. ●8 So doe thou goe to God and begge the bloud of Iesus and desire the Lord to sprinkle it upon thy soule that thy sinnes may be done away and thy iniquities may be seene n● more for even this kinde of sprinkling is as easie to God as that whereof my Text here speaketh He 〈◊〉 or sprinkleth the ho●r● frost like ashes Sicut cin●r●m like Ashes Wee read Exod. ● 8. That Moses by Gods appointment tooke ashes from off the furnace and sprinkled them towards heaven and they bred botches and boyles and blames upon man and beast If God should sprinkle such ashes among us or if the hoary frost should bring forth such effects what a wofull case were we in How much cause therefore have wee as the Prophet speakes Hos 3. 5. to feare the Lord and his goodnesse in that being so unthankefull and so evill as wee are yet God is pleased out of his owne goodnesse and mercy not because we please him but because mercy pleaseth him Micha 7. 18. to doe us good and no harme all our dayes and to sprinkle such wholesome healthfull frost as shall doe every man good and no man hurt It is said Exod. 16. 14. That Manna which was called Angels-food not because the Angels did eate it but because the Angels did prepare it and bring it and make it ready for the peoples eating this Manna lay upon the ground like the hoary frost in the morning Doubtlesse it was to intimate that Manna is no more to God than ashes are to us and that if neede were rather than his people should famish God can turne the hoary frost into Angels food that we might live upon the one as the Israelites did upon the other forty yeares together David was driven to a low ebbe when hee said Psal 102. 9. Cinerem tanquam panem manducavi I have eaten ashes like bread I take it it was not so much out of necessity as to testifie his humility that hee did esteeme himselfe so vile a sinner that hee was not worthy to feede upon any better food and that dust and ashes were too good for him And so in the dayes of old they were wont in times of sorrow and sadnesse to sprinkle dust and ashes upon their heads from whence I take it our Ashwednesday hath its name being dies cinerum a day wherein men humbled them before the Lord in dust and ashes this they did to expresse the humiliation and deepe abasement of their soules that they thought themselves not worthy to be above ground but to be vnder earth in the grave dead and dissolved into dust and ashes I will not here presse the imitation of the ceremony but onely the observation of the substance of that act which concernes us as neerely as it did them and that is I would have you be as humble as sorrowfull as dejected and as pensive for your sinnes as vilely and basely and meanely conceited of your selves as they that strawed ashes upon their heads or as they that eat● ashes in stead of bread and mingled their drinke with weeping And so I come to the third generall point of my Text 〈◊〉 it followeth in the third place 3. Procijcit ejus glaciem sicut buccellas He casteth forth his i●e like morsels Me thinkes the Ice hath some resemblance of the state of this world which is dangerous two wayes 1. For slipping 2. For breaking 1. For slipping so the Fathers call the sinnes of the godly by the name of Lapsus slippings because like men on Ice they slipt and fell ere they were aware of it And David saith of the men of this world Psa 73. that God hath set them in slippery places Now a man that walkes in a slippery place had neede walke very circumspectly and very warily least he get a slip unawares that he cannot rciover himselfe without hurt and danger So the Apostle adviseth all good Christians to see that they walke Circumspectly Ephe. 5. 15. not as fooles but as wise A foole will venture to runne headlong on the Ice as if he were upon firme ground but a wise man will be very circumspect and wary and take heede to every steppe hee takes because he knowes the danger So should a Christian take heede to his wayes and if he finde himselfe going that he is ready to slip and fall from God into any sinne or to be carried headlong by the strength of his owne corruption or other temptation into any dangerous or wicked action let him then call unto the Lord as David did Psal 119. 117. sustenta me c. stay thou me up and I shall be safe like a man ready to fall he prayes God to uphold and stay him up For it is certaine a man hath not any power of himselfe to stay himselfe but that as Hanna tels us in her song 1. Sam. 2. 9. It is God that keepeth the feet of his Saints and staies them when they are going into an evill course And Moses tels us Deut. 33. 3. That God hath all his Saints in his hands as a Nurse hath her child and will not suffer them to fall into their own mischiefe and therefore our care must be by daily prayer to put our selves into Gods hands and desire God to leade us by his grace and his good Spirit and not leave us to our selves for then we shall surely slip and fall into evill That child that cares not to be led but will goe of himselfe gets many a knocke and many a shrewd fall but the child th at is fearefull and will cry to be led that child scapes many a broken face Therefore David desires God to leade him Psal 5. 8. Whereupon saith Musculus Duci cae●orum est pu●rorum infirmorum c. to be led is a thing that properly belongs to such as are blinde and to children and impotent persons now if a blinde man or a child should goe upon the Ice without some guide to leade them what a dangerous case were they in even such are we without the guidance of God The Ice is dangerous and so is the world take heede of slipping 2. For breaking many a one we have knowne and heard

so swolne with pride that hee should even burst againe take heed of that you whom God hath exalted above your fellowes the Giants in old time were the goodliest men in the world yet they are called in hebrew Naphilem of Naphel to fall because as by their pride and presumption they fell from God so God in his justice tumbled them downe that they fell without recovery into the pit of hell thus as the saying is pride will have a fall but humility shall have a rise Iob 22. 29. When men are cast downe then thou shalt say c. When a man casts downe himself in a voluntary humiliation then God exalts and lifts him up but when in a proud presumption he exalts and lifts up himselfe then God dejects and casts them down it is a good meditation of S. Augustine upon the words of David Psal 138. 6. The Lord is on high and he beholdeth the lowly c. see a strange wonder saith hee God sits aloft in heaven and yet the higher a man lifts up himselfe the further he is from God the lower a man casts downe himselfe the neerer he is to God I will close up all with that divine Epiphonema of holy Bernard Dominus deus qui das gratiam humilibus da gratiam ut simus hum●les O Lord God thou that givest grace to the humble give us grace to be humbled And that for Iesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and the holy Spirit be given and ascribed all honour and glory be done and performed all service and duty from this time forth and for evermore Amen Amen FINIS THE Way to be Content A SERMON Appointed for the Crosse but Preached in the Cathedrall Church of St. PAVL in London on Monday in Whitson-weeke being the 26. day of May Anno Dom. 1634. BY IOHN GORE Rector of Wenden-lofts in ESSEX Printed at London by T. Cotes for Thomas Alchorne and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Signe of the Greene-Dragon 1635. To the right Worshipfull M. IOHN PENRVDDOCK ESQVIRE One of his Majesties Iustices of the Peace for the County of WILTES My truly honoured Friend Right Worshipfull GOD hath blest you many and sundry wayes with a wise and understanding heart with a prudent and religious wife with sweete and hopefull children with a plentifull and prosperous estate Give me leave as your Chaplaine to God to pray for one blessing more as the Coronis and upshot of all the rest and that is that God would blesse you also as I doubt not but he doth with a contented minde in all these This is the subject of my Sermon and shall be the supplication of my heart so long as ever I shall live to be Your poore unworthy friend IOHN GORE THE WAY TO BE CONTENT PHILIP 4. 11. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content THE last time I was in this place I shewed you the way to Prosper My errant is now to shew you the way to be Content if yon prosper not Which howsoever it may seeme at this time an impertinent and improper Text yet let mee premonish you what a Father said of Benjamins sacke Sacco soluto reluxit argentum When the sacke was opened the silver appeared the silver was in it before but it was not seene nor knowne nor taken notice of till the opening So give me but leave to open my sacke to unfold and enlarge and apply my meditations and then if there doe no silver appeare if there be nothing worthy your observation and use be but you content to heare it and I will be content to beare it For it is indeed a text of Contentation and you shall have God willing a Sermon of Contentment I pray God of his mercy grant that I may so divide it and so dispense it that it may profit and please and give Content both to God and you And so I come to my text I have learned c. In which words I will observe two generall parts which may be reduced to two heads and be thus exprest 1. Disciplina pacis the discipline of peace and that is to learne to be Content 2. Pax disciplinae the peace of the discipline or the profit of this learning and that is It armes a man and enables him to comply with all estates whatsoever I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be Content 1. Disciplina pacis the discipline of peace so the Scripture termes it Esay 53. 5. The discipline of our peace was upon him i Christ was disciplined and punisht for us that wee might have our peace without punishment So some translate that place Psal 2. ult whereas we reade osculamini filium Kisse the Sonne i doe honour and homage to the Sonne of God some render it Apprehendite disciplinam i apprehend his Disciplinē obey his ordinances and submit your selves to his corrections as he submitted himselfe to ours and this in the end will worke for your peace And to say the truth A man can never attaine to a well-setled peace nor grow up to a well-grounded contentation till he have beene some way disciplined by the hand of heaven Heb. 5. 8 it is said of our Saviour Though he were a Sonne the onely begotten Sonne of God full of grace and truth yet he learned obedience by the things which he suffered not that he was disobedient before he suffered but the meaning is though he had the habite of obedience before hee never learned the practise of it till then For this lesson of contentment is just like your lessons of Musicke a man can never be said to have learned them till he be able to practise them for you must know that Christians are of two sorts Some are silvestres or onagri like wilde unruly Asses so the Scripture termes them Ioh 11 12. I mean unhumbled untamed unconverted sinners that never yet felt the Yoke of Christ nor the hand of God nor the heavinesse of a wounded conscience these know no other Content but what their sports their Musicke and merry company affords them which is just such a kind of Content as they that have the Itch doe take in clawing and scratching their bodies which pleaseth them infinitely for the present but makes them the sorer and the rawer and the worser afterwards For so all sinfull pleasure ends in paine and if there be not Ingrata recordatio an unpleasing a discontenting remembrance of all such pleasing contenting vanities the soule will rue for it in another place These may fitly be compared to the Lillies which our Saviour speakes of in the Gospel saying that Salomon in all his glory came not neere them now the Lilly as long as it is faire whole and untoucht it lookes beautifull and smells pleasantly but let it be never so little nipt or brused or crusht in a mans hand it lookes ugly and smells worse such are all your joviall Gallants and lascivious youngsters as long

wife so long as he findes here true and faithfull to him in the mayne reserving her selfe to him onely and to none but him so will our gracious God deale with us he will beare with any weakenes frailties and passe over many just occasions of offence that we daily give him so long as he findes us true and faithfull to him in the maine in the sincerity and fidelity of our hearts to God ward what shall I say It is the most divine the most God-like quality in the world there is no one thing wherein a man doth more neerely resemble God then in beeing faithfull the scripture termes God the Father fidelem creatorem a faithfull Creator God the Sonne fidelem pontificrm a faithfull High Priest And God the Holy Ghost fidelem tostem a faithfull witnesse So the more faithfull any 〈…〉 in his dealings 〈…〉 and the more unfaithfull the more like unto the devill If any man therefore that beares the name of Christian be found deceitfull upon the ballance I meane unfaithfull in his dealings I will say no more but what S. Paul hath said to my hand Eph. 4. 20. Non sic didicist is Christian ye have not so learned Christ your God and your Saviour never taught you any such lesson but you learned it of your father the Devil who is the father of lyes Let the consideration of these things perswade us even to d●tost and abhorre all lying and falshood e●●iv●cation and deceit and to learne of God and our blessed Apostle to bee faithfull in all our sayings and just and true in all our dealings that at the great and dreadfull day of judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed wee may heare that comfortable doome from the mouth of our Lord and Master Christ Iesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fidelis serve well done not rich and wealthy servant nor well done cunning and crafty servant but well done good and faithfull servant enter thou into thy Masters joy So much for the first particular the commendation of the text This is a faithfull saying The next point is the Command to the Teacher These things I will that thou affirme constantly wherein are two particulars 1. The will of the Authour 2. The waight of the matter as it followeth 1. The will of the Author noted in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These things I will which word implyes not barely voluntatem sed consilium and imports not onely the Apostles will or desire that it should be so but his counsell and his judgement that it ought to be so that they which have beleeved in God must and ought to maintaine good workes no● 〈…〉 onely the Apostles will and counsell to have it so you shall finde it is Gods will as well as his ● doe but observe that place Act. 15. 28. and you shall see that the Apostles counsells and constitutions ran ever with this 〈◊〉 If hath seemed good to the Holy 〈…〉 so that whatsoever seemed good to any of them seemed first good to the spirit of God to God the Holy Christ first it was Gods will and then theirs their will and judgement was nothing else but a counter ●ane or a declaration of the will of God and if it be Gods will you will not deny but his will is a law at Lest ought to hee so accounted by us that are his vassalls that live by his favour and lie continually at his mercy The Schoolemen say that the will of God is Rationabilissim● the utmost of all reasons 〈…〉 were no other reason to be given why we should refraine from evill and doe the thing that is good but 〈…〉 his placet because it is Gods will and pleasure to have it so this were reason sufficient As that Cripple answered the pharises Iohn● 11 when they questioned him for carying his bed on the Saboth filth he How that made mee whole He said unto 〈◊〉 take 〈…〉 and ●ake as if hee had said never aske mee any further reason it is sufficient warrant to mee that hee which made mee whole willed me to carry it it was his will I should doe so and therefore I doe it In like manner if there were no other reason to bee rendred why good workes should bee maintained by all that pretend to beare faith to God but onely this in my text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These things I will it were reason sufficient For all the breach betwixt God and man ariseth from this point whose will should bee done God would have us doe his will we will doe our owne wills and this breeds all the variance betwixt us and our God We must know therfore that it is our part and duty to bring our owne wills to be conformable to Gods will that Gods will and our wills may concurre and agree in one that God and we may will and desire one and the same thing and then 〈◊〉 effect● qu●●t vol●ere due these two conjunctive wills can never faile of taking good effect if there be f●st a willing minde saith the Apostle god accepteth it not according to that whith a 〈…〉 not 〈…〉 You 〈…〉 a willing minde to offer up his sonne by way of sacrifice to God wee know hee did not doe it actually for the Angel stayed his hand and yet Heb. 11. 17. the Holy Ghost tells us peremptorily that hee did offer him how could this ●ee but that God accepted the will for the d●●de for we reade in 〈◊〉 that David had onely ● willing minde to build God a house we know hee did not doe it because God would not give him leave yet ye see that God tooke it as well at his hands as if 〈…〉 it 〈…〉 So quod 〈…〉 for asmuch as it was in thy heart to build me a house saith God I will do thee as good a turne for I will build thee a house ● raise thee such a family that thy coale shal never be quenched but thou shalt have a light in Israel as long as Israel 〈…〉 how much God makes of a willing minde In like manner if we have but a willing minde to do all such good workes as God hath given us in charge thongh we fall short in abilities if our wills be not wanting but what wee want in substance we make up in prayer it is as much as God requires therefore as that poore man prayed in the Gospel Lord I beleeve helpe thou my unbeleefe so let us all lift up our hearts to God and say Lord I am willing helpe Lord my unwillingnesse So much for that particular The will of the Authour The next is 2. The waight of the matter implyed in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate to Affirme constantly for indeede a good duty cannot bee too commonly nor two constantly prest and put home to the consciences and soules of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unstable soules as the Apostle calles unconstant men are soone cloyed with one doctrine some grow wearle of

well-doing if they have once done a good worke they thinke they have a supersedeas for doing good any more But God loves constancy in well-doing 〈…〉 see 2. Reg. 13. 18 19. how the man of God was wroth with the King of Israel because when he bade him smite upon the ground he smote but thrice and stayed sayth he thou shouldest have smitten five or sixe times then shouldest thou have smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it whereas now thou shalt smite it but thrice So when a man shall doe two or three good deedes and then stay his hand this is not enough to please God then is God pleased when wee proceede and goe on and keepe a constant setled course of weldoing when wee make it as our meat and drinke to doe the will of our heavenly father so that as a healthfull man if hee eate or drinke the lesse one day hee ●ates and drinkes the more another day so should wee if wee serve God the lesse one day serve him the more another day if wee doe the lesse good one day doe the more the next day as an Archer if he shoote amisse one time he will try to mend it the next time so if we have done amisse one day strive to amend it the next day and so continually endeavour to rede●me our times because our dayes be few and evill Doubtlesse it is for this cause that God hath layd such a charge upon us to affirme these things constantly that they might be alwaies fresh in your remembrance and alway constant in our practise You know what is said in the Gospel Blessed is that servant whom his master when he commeth shall finde so doing that is when death or judgement shall come upon a man like a theefe in the night unexpectedly and unawares blessed of God is that man that is found at his prayers or taken in his calling or any waies taken in the act of well-doing but woe to that man or woman that is taken as it were napping in the midst of his sinnes as Balthashar was taken in the midst of his cups Nebushadnezzar in the midst of his pride the old world in the midst of their fleshline to speake the best of it that may be it is much to bee feared that God meanes no good to that parties soule I will close up 〈…〉 with that sweete and comfortable Collect Lord let thy speciall grace now and ever more prevent and follow us and make us continually to be given to all good workes through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen But that is not all I take it 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies rather to affirme strongly ex tote valde as we say to presse it home withall the strength and might we have though you neglect and slight good workes in your practise wee must not slight nor neglect them in our preaching but set them on as the Bee doth her sting with the greatest force and efficacie that possibly we can put to it I know there is as great difference betweene preachers as betwixt an infant and a Gyant drawing the same bow and yet if a Gyant shoote an arrow against a stone wall it pierceth not but reboundeth backe againe with the greater violence so the most happie the most able preacher that lives may shoot as unprofitably I meane preach as unsuccessefully as a weaker teacher if hee meete with people that have stones in their hearts I meane that are untractable and unpliable to any goodnesse unlesse God doe by them as he promised by his prophet Ezech. 11. I will take away your stony hearts and give you a heart of flesh non ●arnale sed carn●um not a fleshly heart but a fleshy hears that is a heart that shall bee as tender as your flesh that the least blow will bee seene upon it and the least pricke of a pin draw blood of it when God hath made this way then shall they feele that the word of God is virga virtutis a rod of strength and power even in the hand of the weakest minister wee see by experience let a little child take a staffe in his hand and strike a man therewith it never troubles him he never complaines of the blow but let a strong man take this child by the hand and strike with the same staffe he that feeles the blow though he see not the party that strooke him can easily conjecture that this was more then a child could doe there was the strength of some man in it In like manner when wee take the word of God into our hands as Gehazi tooke the staffe of Elisha al●● we lay it on but weakely we doe but Verbera●● 〈…〉 beate the ayre or beate your eares that is all that we of our selves can doe but if at any time you feele a blow that lights upon your hearts if you feele a word that toucheth you to the soule beleeve it that stroke came from the hand of God All that we can doe is but as Iohn Baptist speaketh Mat. 3. to lay the Axe to the r●ote of the tree now if a man take an Axe and onely lay it to the roote of a tree it will be long enough ere the tree be cut downe for it is the strength of the arme and the fetching of the blow it is that that wounds it it is that that fells it downe and for that cause I suppose the preaching of the word is called the Arme of God Esa ●3 1. it is not the hand of a preacher but it is the ●rme of God that wounds a sinners heart and makes him fall downe at the foote of God the weakenesse is from us but the strength is all from God who yet hath commanded us not to abate any thing of our owne paines nor to preach his word in any negligent manner but to affirm● and confirme it with all the strength and might that our witt and learning will afford 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith my text These things I will that thou affirme strongly And so from the skirts as it were I come to the body of my text where you have an abridgement of the law and the Gospel the Gospel is doctrina credendorum the law is doctrina agendorum the one teacheth us what wee ought to beleeve the other teacheth what wee ought to doe for the comfort and discharge of our owne soules in the sight of God Here both are knit together Beleeving and doing Law and Gospel Faith and good workes doe in our text as they should doe in our lives even meete and kisse each other Intimating unto us what Gods good pleasure is in this behalfe namely That as many as are of a right faith as many as have beleeved in God should be also of aright conversation should be carefull to maintaine good workes 1. For matter of faith I suppose that of all men living we Protestants are in the right the Faith that we professe and hold is doubtlesse such as is able

sinfull soules and bodies These thoughts came in upon the by and therefore I will not stand to enlarge them but hasten to the next general part of my text as it followeth in the next place Spargit pruinam sicut cinerē he scattereth or sprinkleth the hoary frost like ashes 2. This I termed the Diligence of God He that keepeth Israel neither slumbereth nor ●leepeth but when we are a sleepe God is awake when we are at rest God is at worke when wee are taking our ease within then is our God taking paines abroad to sprinkle the hoary Frost in the evening for our health and welfare in the morning The consideration hereof should move us not onely to praise God for his Day-mercies as David did Seven times a day will I praise thee saith he Psal 119. because hee knew that so and more than so often he was beholding to God every day that came over his head but also wee have just cause to remember God for his Night-mercies for his preservation and protection for his custody and care that hee hath of us in the night as well as in the day time Have I not remembred thee on my bed saith David elsewhere and thought upon thee when I was waking Psal 63. 7. So if thou hast forgotten God at thy board remember him on thy bed if thou hast not thought upon him in the day thinke upon him the more in the night and when at any time God holdeth thy eyes waking as he did Davids often then consider and call to minde Gods mercies and thine owne sinnes be thankefull for the one be humbled for the other and then lie downe in the peace of Iesus Christ And in the morning when thou walkest a broad and seest the hoary frost lie upon the ground like ashes then thinke with thy selfe this is the worke of Gods owne hands God hath surely beene in this place and I was not aware of it Now marke the manner of Gods working Spargit pr●inam he sprinkleth the hoary frost that is hee doth it in such a secret insensible invisible manner that no man living can perceive it till God have done his worke and finished it and even so it pleaseth God to worke and bring to passe the regeneration of a sinfull soule my Father worketh saith our Saviour and I worke and yet both worke after such a secret way that untill a man be converted the worke of Gods grace cannot be imagined nor perceived as it was with our Saviour at his resurrection when he was risen he appeared and shewed himselfe but the manner of his rising or how or which way he arose and got out of the Sepulchre no man living saw or could conceive as Salomon saith that the way of a ship in the sea is not to be knowne or found a man may stand upon the shore and see the ship and the sea and the ship going on the sea but the way of a ship in the sea is unknowne and undiscernable even so the wayes of God in translating men out of the state of sin and death into the state of grace and life are sine vestigijs unsearchable and past finding out Many a one is troubled that he knowes not the very instant of his conversion and regeneration to God and therfore makes question of his Christian calling but you know there is great difference betwixt a man that is suddenly converted as Paul was like a brande snatcht out of the fire as Saint Iude speakes in the very heate of their sinnes and such as have the grace of God wrought in them by degrees as Timothy had sensim sine sensu now a little and then a little by the secret supplies of the Spirit of grace now it is an easie matter for the one to set downe the time and manner of their regeneration not so for the other But the effect of all is this if a man can finde in himselfe the markes of the Lord Iesus a● the Apostle speakeeth I meane the infallible signes and symptomes of grace as a desire to feare God a ●are to please him and a kindly repentance when he hath done amisse let him never make question of his owne conversion but take it as an undoubted evidence to his soule that God hath received him into the state of mercy wherein he will reserve him for ever unto Iesus Christ No man makes question how the frost is gendred when he sees it lie upon the earth because hee knowes it is the handy worke of God And so is this Againe ●parg●● pruinam Looke how God doth with the hoary frost how he scatters it upon the grasse that no one spot of ground hath it all but every pile of grasse hath some sprinkling of it so he doth with all his heavenly gifts and graces no man ever was so happy to have the fulnesse of grace save only our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ All we have but our sprinklings a sprinkling of faith a sprinkling of zeale a sprinkling of repentance and other graces some more some lesse as God is pleased to distribute it Hence the grace of God is compared unto two things in Scripture which are both things of sprinkling namely Salt and Seed Our Saviour compares it unto salt Marke 9 ult Have salt in your selves and be at peace one with another Now you know They that season meate doe not lay their salt all on a heape but scatter it and sprinkle it all over that every part may be made savoury by it So doth God distribute to every man a measure of grace that his soule may be seasoned and all his services be made savoury to the Lord that he may smell in them as he did in Noahs sacrifice Od●rem quietis a Savour of rest Saint Iohn compares the grace of God unto Seed 1 Ioh. 3. ● Hee that is borne of God cannot sinne meaning sinne unto death Why quia sem●n dei because the seede of God abideth in him Now you know no sower layes his seede all on a heape but scatters and sprinkles it all over his land that every furrow may have some part of the feed and yeeld him againe some fruite of increase Thus doth God sow the seede of eternall life in the mindes and hearts of all faithfull people there is no one that hath all grace and there is no one but hath some some sprinkling of every grace For this cause I suppose the bloud of Christ is called the blo●d of sprinkling Heb. 12. 24. in allusion to the Passeover where the bloud of the Pascall L●m●e was sprinkled on the posts of the doore to save the house from the deadly stroke of the revenging A●gel So is the bloud of Iesus Christ sprinkled as it were by the ●inger of God upon the soules and consciences of all peni●●nt sinners to save their soules from death and to take out the blots and staines of all our sinnes Looke how Aqua fortis takes out the blots of Inke out of a

Apostle Ephe. 1. 6 He hath brought into grace or he hath made us accepted in his beloved sonne Gratiam pro Gratiâ saith Saint Iohn elsewhere Ioh. 1. 16. Wee have received Grace for Grace that is for the grace and favour that Christ hath with God wee also are received into grace and favour with him For otherwise as Elisha told the King of Israel 2. Reg. 3. 14. As the Lord liveth were it not that I regard the presence of Iehosaphat I would not looke toward thee nor see thee so stands our case with God wee are of our selves such vile bodies as the Apostle rightly termes us who shall change our vile bodies I meane sofoule and so full of corruption and lust and sinne so odious and abominable in the holy eyes of God that as the Lord liveth were it not that God doth regard the person the presence and the prayers of Iesus Christ our true Iehosaphat hee would not looke to us nor see us but that as hee saith himselfe This is my beloved Son in whom I am well-pleased There come we into favour and marke that hee doth not say This is my beloved sonne which pleaseth mee well but in whom I am well-pleased which intimates a further matter unto us namely that our blessed Saviour doth not onely please God his father for his owne part but that God in him and for his sake is well-pleased even with them that are in themselves as the Prophet speakes even vessels wherein there is no pleasure Ier. 22. 28. Thou therefore that desirest to get into favour with thy God flatter not thy selfe in thy owne eyes thinke not that God will accept thee for thy owne person or for any other personall qualities or abilities that are in thee but as Iacob shrouded himselfe under the garments of his elder brother and by that meanes gott him the blessing of his father so doe thou shroud thy selfe under the garments of thy elder brother in Heaven I meane as the Apostle speakes Labour to be found of God not having on thy owne righteousnesse but the righteousnesse of Christ by faith Say as Tertullian doth Mihi vendico Christum mihi defendo Iesum claime thou thy part stand thou for thy right in Iesus Christ and as thou art a Protestant so make this protestation before God and the world that thou hopest for grace and mercy not by any merits or deserts of thy owne but meerely by the merits and by the spirit by the death and by the blood of Iesus Christ This is another infallible way for a man to finde the grace and favour of God that wanteth it Appropriare Christum to get an interest into Gods beloved Sonne our deare and precious Saviour 2. Now for the second question Hast thou found the favour of God and faine wouldst keepe it Thou must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is the Apostles owne word Gal. 2. 14. Thou must walke with a right foote to God ward or as Iohn Baptist expresseth it in other tearmes thou must Rectas facere semitas tuas Make thy paths straight the meaning is Thou must binde thy selfe to the good behaviour unto God thou must resolve against sinne and evill and set thy selfe constantly carefully sincerely to walke with God so farre forth as frailty shall permit thee so that though there fall out many intercurrent infirmities in the course of thy life for a man may etiam in bono itinere pulverem ●olligere gather dust and soyle even in a good way yet let it be the generall drift and desire of thy soule in nothing willingly to sinne against God but in every thing to please him and to approve thy selfe unto him which if thou dost see what will follow upon it Psal 84. 11. The Lord will give Grace and Glory and no good thing will hee with-hold from them that walke uprightly with him The Scripture saith of Enoch that hee was Raptus a facie malitiae snatcht as it were out of this wicked world as a brand is snatcht out of the fire and saved from burning that is Hee was translated alive from earth into Heaven and never felt nor tasted of death This you will say was an extraordinary favour of God but what might bee the reason of it Moses tells us Gen. 5. 24. it was because Hee walked with God the Apostle commenting upon it Heb. 11. 5. saith it was because He pleased God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word which signifies Hee gave God content or kept Gods favour and good will so then the way to keepe Gods favour and good will is to please God and give him content and the way to doe that is to walke with God as 〈◊〉 did But what doth Moses meane by 〈…〉 God how may that be done Ans●● Generally A man may then be said to walke with God when hee leads his life in such a way as God doth best accept in the way of of godlinesse and honesty in the way of temperance and sobriety in the way of diligence and industry when a man hath minde on God in all his wayes and desires Gods protection and conduct to guide his feete into the way of peace This is in a generall sence and acceptance to walke with God more particularly A man is then said in proper sence to walke with God when hee walkes with none else but God as Isaack did when he sequestred himselfe and went out alone into the fields to meditate and to pray Gen. 40. 69. The word Suach signifieth both then went he out to walke with God And indeed there is no such time for a man to converse with God and as the phrase is in Iob to acquaint himselfe with the Lord as when he is solitary private and alone If any thing grieve a man or lye heavie upon his conscience when he is Alone he may freely disburden his heart into the bosome of God If a man have faulted any way or done amisse for want of good take-heed when he is Alone hee may freely and fully bewaile and bemone and even beshrew and shrive himselfe unto the Lord his God If a man want any good thing that 's requisite and necessary either for the body or the soule when hee is Alone he hath free and full opportunity to beg and to entreat it to win and to obtaine it at the hand of God No such time for a man to reconcile himselfe and to make his owne attonement and his peace with God as when he is Alone In a word then if thou dost desire to keepe the favour of the Lord and to abide in his grace and his good-will doe as Isaack did take one turne with thy God every day thou risest steale away from thy earthly occasions as our Saviour stole away from his earthly Parents to doe the businesse of thy heavenly Father or as the Apostles word 2 Pet. 3. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to retire and repent Let no day passe thee without some commerce and