Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	father_n	lord_n	spare_v	2,118	5	9.2354	5	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15579	Iacobs staffe To beare vp, the faithfull. And to beate downe, the profane. Touching the one's assured, and the others conceited title, vnto God himself, and all his precious promises. VVherin. The saints interest is justified, to be absolutely infaillible, the sinners clayme detected, to be apparantly deceivable, notwithstanding all infernall suggestions of feare, and infidelity in the one, or of presumption, and security in the other. Formerly preachcd [sic] at Hamburgh by Iohn VVing late pastor to the English Church there, as his farewell to the famous followship [sic] of Merchant Adventurers of England resident in that city. And now published, and dedicated, to the honor and vse, of that most worthy Society, there, or wheresoever being.; Jacobs staffe to bear up, the faithful and to beate downe, the profane	Wing, John, of Flushing, Zealand.	1621 (1621)	STC 25846; ESTC S120115	141,154	226

all temptation giving no place to the divell or any instigation of his touching the application of the truth of God Let it not greiue vs a litle that we have given see much eare to him already and that the Lord hath beene soe slenderly beleeved of vs. Our insidelity hath done the Lord woÌ„derfull dishonour we haue ill shewed our selves children of such a father whenas like froward infants we haue refused the sweetnes he hath provided for vs and even put into our mouthes We must soundly repent of this refractary carriage or els we may live to cry for that which now we will not have It were our part and duty rather to pant after the truth of God and to faint for want of it then thus frowardly to put it from vs when it is so lovingly proffered to vs. We litle know what we doe in refusing to receive his gracious truth he never spake that which was not worthy that we should heare it conscionably and lay it vp carefully Let vs resolve to doe soe heareafter and thinke him worthy of all prayse from vs who hath revealed his truth soe clearely as it may be entertayned of vs comfortably And if we will thus doe and endeavour hervnto we shall soone see what inconceivable consolations the Lord hath reserued for vs in those promises he hath revealed to vs. If this reproffe worke kindely to purge out this evill we may then give you some taste of the good the Lord hath in store for you Shall we speake euill to our selves where God speake's good or turne his goodnes into our owne euill this is for Satan not for saints to doe Strive we to doe as the Lord would have vs and if we will now cease to lend an care to the divell and further for ever hearken to our God we shall see what more he hath to say to his people in the second place from the truth of the doctrine which we have propounded And all that is sayd by God touching his people is only good Consola âˆ£ tion 2 for if it be an absolute and infaillible truth that every one ought to apply that truth of God which God speaketh to him then may all the Lords saints know for a surety that all the sacred blessed and sweete sayings of God contayned in his booke are now become their owne the Lord intende's they should apply and enjoy them Not a good word is fallen any where from the mouth of God but the same is wholy and solely meant to the soules of his children he sptake it of purpose that they might take it it was reuealed by him that it might be receiued by them Noe heavenly tydings of gladnes and great joy no speech of life and peace either for present or eternall happines but it is meant and sent by God to them and from him they have it sometimes immediately from his owne mouth I will hearken what the Lord God will say for he will speake peace to his people to his saints c. Psal 83.8 Luk. 2.10 sometimes by the ministrey of Angells Beholde we bring you glad tydings of great joy c. The Lord hath nothing to say on his churches childrens behalf but when thy speake to him to answer them with good words comfortable words Zach. 1.13 as the prophet Zachariah tell 's vs. Whatsoever is found any where that savours of any saving efficacy or excellency it is appropriated to them by the Lord himself who is the sole authour and the allsufficient founder of the same He sets open the fountaine of grace and compassion to the house of David his servants Zach. 13.1 and to their only vse benesit and behooffe is it reserved such only may drinke of the water therof as he hath of his grace put apart to partake of himself it is noe open place for all persons or any ordinary for all commers but enclosed and jmpaled to the Lords people alone All the consolations of God are theirs Isa 52.12 God himself sayes it both by his prophet I euen I am he that comforteth and by his apostle blessed be God the father of all mercy and God of all consolation who comforteth us in all our tribulation c nay he gives so much that if they will receive it their consolations may abounde not only in themselves but towards others they may have comfort to spare that we may comfort others with the same comforts wherewith we were comforted of God Comfort yee comfort yee my people will your God say Isa 30.1 speake comfortably to Ierusalem cry unto her that her jniquity is pardoned her warfare is accomplished c Behold how freely how fully the Lord speake's how he doubles his comforts Comfort yee comfort yee and jtterates his words Speake comfortably cry vnto their and this saith the prophet will your God say it may be nay it is sure the divellâ— and the world will say otherwise to you thus to others it is their manner miserably to misapply all that God saith they vse having their heads yea their harts full of ydle proclamations to promise peace to themselues and their fellowes in jmpiety and prophanes and out of their owne spirits to blesse themselves and discomfort the saints of the living God but if the Lord once open his mouth and come to speake his minde we are to know that his words which are simply good in themselves and himself absolutely able to make them good to vs are to be vttered only to his owne none but they are spoken too when he speakes good He drawes out the breasts of his consolations to them but shuts vp his bosome to all others not a drop of this milke is for any mans mouth but his owne babes and to them both breasts are tendered that they might drinke freely and have thier full draught Soe saith the Lord by his prophet Isa 66.10 Rejoyce with Ierusalem all ye that loue her c that yee may sucke the breasts of her consolations and be satiffyed that yee may milke out and be satiffyed with the abundance of her glory For thus saith the Lord ver 11. ver 12. I will extend peace like a river and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing streame then shall yee sucke and be borne upon her sides and be dandeled upon her knees As one whome his mother comforteth ver 13. soe will I comfort you and yee shal be comforted in Jerusalem And when yee shall see this your hart shall rejoyce and your bones shall flourish the hand of the Lord shal be knowne towards his servants c. Thus in this most comfortable metaphor doth the Lord make knowne his mercy and favour and we all know the most that can be manifested in nature is betweene the tender babe and the loving mother and this similitude the Lord assumeth to resemble his vnto vs the nature wherof cannot be fully shaddowed by any thing vnder

thy handmayd c. And soe for all other comforts of any kinde whatsoever this was ever vrged as we might abundantly instance in Moyses in Dauid in Eliah Iehosophat Hezekiah and many more who many a time pressed God with it Yea which is well worth our nothing God himself hath often rendered this as that which hath as it were wrought vpon himself to respect them in his grace as it were easy to alledge out of many scriptures That one may serve for all which we finde by the prophet But thou Israell art my seruant Is 41.8 ver 9. Iacob whome I haue chosen the seede of Abraham my freind c. Thou art my seruant I haue chosen thee and not cast thee away And if the Lord himself doe make this vse of it to magnify his owne grace to vs we may coÌ„fortably plead it before him to prevaile with him therewith we may be well assured that that which he makes an argument of magnifying his mercy on vs would be of excellent vse and force to pleade before him to moue him to manifest the same mercy to vs. Let vs not then in any wise be sparing herin we cannot be too bolde nor too abundant the Lord like 's that prayer and loue 's that suitor the better that is most full of it And the divell will have least to doe with those which are neerest and fastest to God And therefore to conclude and shut vp this point be it now our perpetuall care and endeavour to doe according to the tennor of that truth we have heard in this our first instruction arising from this interest so stissly pleaded by this blessed Patriarch in that he enter's thus into his petition with these words O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac c. Shewing clearely that he that would have his prayers enter into heaven and be entertayned with God must goe in this way with them And soe much for our first lesson laide downe in these words The end of the first Sermon Having done with his first encouragmeÌ„t we proceede to the consideration of his secoÌ„d as it lieth in the text following Thou Lord which saidest vnto me Returne into thy countrey c. wher in he now pleadeth his warrant he had from God as before he did his interest he had in God And herein we have two things to thinke off the first is the warraÌ„t it self the second his assuming application therof home to himself The former to wit his warrant he divides into two particulers 1. a precept Returne into thy countrey c 2. a promise and I will deale well with thee From both which we might well note vnto you in the next place this worthy lesson that VVhatsoever we doe without warrant from God is wickedly done So much warrant as any man hath to doe any thing soe much comfort shall he haue in the doing of it If this were not an absolute and an vndenyable truth why did the Lord giue Jacob this comission for his journey or why should Jacob take it and make this vse of it to God himself as he doth it were no favour or mercy to haue it no point of faith no part of our duty to vse or to vrge it if we might be justifyed in any thing we vndertake without it But wee purpose not to prosecute this point at this preseÌ„t but to take another occasion if the Lord please to handle it at large Doctrine 2 The thing we ayme at is not soe much the matter of the warrant it self as Iacobs taking of it home applying of it to himself in that he saith Thou Lord who saydest vnto me From which practise of his we may obserue and you must learne thus much That it is the duty of every chirstian to carry the word of God home to his owne hart and to apply it particulerly to himself Looke what sacred truth the Lord hath left recorded for vs and either in any generall speciall or particuler rule of his word revealed to vs as tending to our particuler estate the same soe farre as it toucheth vs in any thing that doth or may concerne vs the Lord looke's we should lay it to our harts and appropriate it to our selves as our owne Every true christian is bounde to apply every part of Gods truth to himself evermore making that his owne which is mean't to him The instance of our text contayneth so cleare an evidence and confirmation of this doctrine and this holy Patriarchs practise is so pregnant for the point that we shall not neede to seeke farre for more witnes to enforce the truth of it Let vs a litle consider his carriage herin We heard before how God had spoken vnto him about this busines of his removall into his countrey here now we have himself not only relating what God said to him herin but also applying the same to his owne hart and state now that he is to goe to heaven for direction and comfort in the same in speaking to God he speakes that which God spake to him thou Lord who sayd vnto me c. he cleave's fast vnto that which he heard from God and let 's God heare of it from him againe he claymes Gods kindnes builde's vpon his precept and promise as vpon a foundation of direction consolation and assurance sufficiently able to beare him out against all opposition what-soever The precept leade's him to begin his journey the promise hartens him to goe on hoth are good to him in the duty he had to doe And we see that as Iacob is faithfull in applying all this so is the Lord carefull in reporting this his practise vnto vs and make's Moses many yeares after it was performed to receive it from his spirit by inspiration and to register it in this his blessed booke that it may remayne written for all ages to come for his approbation for our imitation that we might follow him who hath gone before vs herin and not only know what Iacob hath done but what the God of Iacob require's of vs from this light of his truth both to know to doe in any such cases as may ever become ours in any passage betweene the Lord and vs. In a word what he here did is therefore written and related that we might goe and doe likewise walking in the same path which this true survant of God hath troden out before vs which if we shall endeavour conscionably to doe and to be vpright with the Lord in the same what our benefit and advantage shal be the sequell will shew and we shall ever finde it our happines to lay Gods truth to hart Thus we see the case is cleare in the particuler of our text If we shall looke further abroade for our more assurance in the truth of this instruction and take vp such testimonyes as we might soone finde fasten vpon to this present purpose multitudes would flow apace vpon vs and it would be

mouthes that may prevayle vpon himself telling them what they shall say when they come to supplicate before him in this their sinfull state Ps 89.26 ver 30.31 c. So we finde in the Psalme He shall cry vnto me thou art my father my God and the rock of my salvation and then God shewe's what shall follow to wit that they shal be partakers of all his mercy though they have comitted much impiety no evill that they have done against him shall deprive them of any good he intendeth to them Doth not the Lord herevpon invite the backsliding I sraell to returne and be received into grace againe and doe not they come with these comfortable words Behold we come vnto thee Ier. 3.22 for thou art the Lord our God Is not Israell and that when it was every way Hos 14.1 an ill time with theÌ„ hence hartened to come home to God O Israell returne vnto the Lord thy God are they not taught of God how to make their supplications before him soe as he may shew theÌ„ mercy Take unto you words say take a way all iniquity receiue vs graciously c. Oh deare bretheren that we could spend more then a few thoughts vpon this infinite mercy of our heavenly father and well bethink vs of their blessednes that be his even at their worst What happines is it to be once his when as we see no sin no punishment after that can make vs truly vnhappy any more Let vs take some time to take these things into our consideration the true meditation wherof would melt and dissolue the soule of any that is not hell-hardened seared vp to eternal wrath that the Lord should make soe much of such as be his owne that his interest in them theirs in him should soe overstand all their iniquity that all his goodnes should euer stand with them And fully to fortify and secure the soules of all the elect in this comfort soe as that they may ever rest vnremovably therin and be firmly fenced against the strength of the most infernall temptations in this perticuler let vs call to minde and remember and ponder well that the Lord Iesus Christ our deare redeemer layd claime to his father in the midst of his suffrings when he stood in the steed and state of all elect sinners and was now soe heavily crush't with his fathers jndignation and the lawes curse and maleaiction the full weight that is the infinite fullnes therof lying vpon his righteous soule and body that he could not containe but must cry out in our nature as a forsaken creature yet he know'es both what he saye's and whose he is my God my God Beholde the sins of all the saints of God and all the justice due vnto them cannot cancell this claime betweene Christ and his father it is still my God my God in the midst of inconceivable calamity the curse of the law cannot cut off this loue betweene God and him And what can followe from hence to vs but many most heavenly consolations to wit that if all the sins of all the elect could not part God and him much lesse can all the sins of any one of the elect doe it in themselues if the guilt of millions of men and every man having many millions of sin did not vndoe this knot of loue betweene the Lord and his Christ how can it be conceiued that the sins of any one can dissolue it though they be exceeding many considering that he was now vnder the law and we through his subjection there-vnto are free from the law and vnder grace as also that his father frowned vpon him for our sake's but for his the lorde shynes vpon vs as being satisfyed for those offences of ours the deadly poyson dreadfull sling wherof he felt on our behalf that soe we might escape the same Now is Gods law satisfyed and his loue purchased and we redeemed from the one and restored to the other how then can we feare any such force in our iniquities as to sever betwene the Lord and vs seing now notwitstanding our sins we appeare spotles and blameles before him in loue Eph. 1.4 and are as fully reconciled as if we had never once offended Small matters will not part great freinds our sins are not great when Gods grace come's to measure them or when we compare them there with Men doe not much lesse doth God make the most and speake the worst of their freinds faylings we take litle notice of their offences that are greatly in our favour the Lord doth likewise who promiseth to put away the sins of his saints as the windes doe a cloud or a fog because they are his seruants and that he will's them in any wise to remember Remember these for thou art my servant Is 44.21 O Iacob and I sraell for thou art my servant thou shalt not be forgotten of me I haue put away thy sins as a mist c. ver 22. There is no possibility that any impiety of ours should either make vs none of Gods Note or God none of ours None of Gods elect can commit that sin which should make them none of his They that are borne of God saith saint Iohn doe not 1. Ioh. 3.9 nor cannot comitt sin that is to say they cannot sin soe as by their sin commited the Lord and they should be parted and all interest fall betweene them If we looke how the Lord accounts of his childrens corruptions after their calling we shall see Numb 23.21 that he doth beholde theÌ„ with a most mercifull eye or rather not at all beholde theÌ„ but in his loue overlooke's them looke's vpon vs as if we were without them as if we were just righteous persons for soe are the saints often called in opposition to sinners and vngodly men Loe Ioh 9.31 1 Tim. 1.6 our iniquities cannot blemish our name before God how shall they be able to blott out our right Our Lord Iesus Christ who as we heard even now made his owne claime good when he did beare all our evill did also make it well to appeare that the vertue therof is become ours inasmuch as immediately after his resurrection he send 's Mary to his disciples to certify them that he was risen and giue 's his message to her in these words Ioh. 20.17 Goe say to my bretheren Behold I ascend to my father and to your father to my God and to your God these were the first fruits of his favour wherin you see they are called bretheren of whome the last newes we heard was that they all forsooke him and fled yet doth Christ lesus entitle himself to them being not ashamed to call them and vs all bretheren and them with himself to God calling him my father your father my God your God Nay even Peter is included in this number Mar. 16.7 and goe's for a brother he is put in by

name by one Euangelest least any man should imagine that his foule denyall should haue thrust him out Who is he then that dreame 's or if any doe whence is it that he is deluded once to conceit that there can be any such poysonfull power in the euills of Gods elect as may eate out either his precious respect to them or their deare and vndoubted right in him no no his kindnes is soe incomparably beyond any corruption in vs that a foolish man might with as good reason feare that one drop of water were able to quench the whole element of fire or one sparke of fire might dry and drinke vp the whole Ocean of water as that any transgression of ours could cancell that incomprehensible compassion of his by vertue wherof we are for ever most firmly vnited to him For this cause appeared the son of God saith Iohn that he might loose the works of the diuell 1. Ioh. 3.8 and tye vs to our God againe whose we were once before but mutably in our creation that henceforth we might ever be his and that vmmoueably by redemption And did Iesus Christ doe and endure soe much both in his life and death and all to make vs fast to our best father by this blessed interest and shall it now enter into any mans hart that the perfection power and meritt of all this shall perish and be of none effect through our corruption Farre be it from any soule to offer such indignity to Christs meritts and Gods loue to him and mercy to vs in him I say not but our sins may provoke him to chastise vs sharply but to reiect vs vtterly Psal 89.33.34 â—5 that cannot be and that we may beleeue it the Lord our God hath both sayd and sworne it The child of a naturall father cannot doe any thing that can disanull that band of blood which is betweene them he may doe much yea too much to provoke his father against him but it is not possible he should doe that which should make him none of his father or himself no childe to his father He may most truly say he is my father and I am his childe when he hath transgressed deepely How much more impossible is it then that our heavenly father should giue vs over or that we should soe transgresse as to take away that farre neerer and supernaturall conjunction which is sealed by the blood of Christ which blood of his hath not only a reconciling vertue for our rebellions past but also a purging and a preserving vertue for time to come to cleare vs of the guilt of those evills we doe commit and to keepe vs from committing such as might any way impaire our interest Here is then a great calme of comfort for every soule that is afflicted and tossed with tempests that is with violent and vile temptations which in this kinde Satan doth cast vpon them here may the soules of Gods saints ankor safely and returne to their rest as into that haven wherin they shall neede to feare no wrack or ruine in the least but may expect most hopefull and happy successe of all their heavy conflicts with Ro. 16.20 the divell that Iesus Christ shall trample him vnder their feete shortly as he doeth promise and raise vp them to those heavenly advantages Micah 7.19 which they shall enjoy with him their head casting their sins into the bottome of the sea that they may never reviue or be recovered againe to rise against vs Ezek. 18.22 nay not so much as once mentioning them unto vs in way of reproach but remooving them as farre from himself as they would have removed vs from him that soe we might ever be joyned to the Lord yea so inseparablie joynted into him that we may be for ever and ever one with him and soe be assured that we are his and he ours for ever and ever in that vnrepealable covenant of life peace which he hath more deepely sealed in the blood of his son then any guilt of our sin can cancell Wherof to secure our soules let vs once for all er'e we couclude this comfort take good knowledge that such is his goodnes that rather theÌ„ our sins shall make vs none of his Ps 61. 2. Cor. 5.21 he hath made our sins none of ours laying them vpon that rock that is higher then we even vpon Christ who was made sin for vs whose righteousnes is made ours rather then for want therof we should not be his So that now Christ is our sin we are Gods righteousnes how then can it be God should not be our father can those sins hinder whose property is altered and they layd vpon another No no it is enough for the sins of wicked men whose sins are their owne and themselues none of Christ's to barre them from clayming any confortable interest in the Lord Rom. 7.17 the faylings of the saithfull are of no such force It is no more I saye's Paul but sin that dwelleth in me and if our sins may be sayd to be rone of ours it is absolutely impossible but we should be Gods and so to be how often doth the Lord in infinite mercy acknowledg vs and shall not we in duty acknowledg him shall we dare to neglect his loue and deny his grace soe freely and frequently offred unto vs. Farre be this fearfull evill from all the faithfull And now in consideration of the premisses let all the faithfull draw necre vnto him in faith and he will draw neere vnto them in favour they shal be his sons and daughters and he their God and father for ever And this is our third consolation The fourth and lasâ— followe's and that is not the least but indeed the greatest Consolation comprehending the best benefit of this our interest in our God to wit all the good which we can receive either here while we are vnder vanity and corruption or that which the Lord doth further reserve for our possession in the glory of his owne kingdome when mortality shal be swallowed vp of life All the promises of this life and of that which is to come are wrapped vp in this our title vnto God He that hath God to be his hath them all for his owne may safely claime them and shall assuredly come to enjoy them in due time It is a remarkeable thing that throughout all Gods booke which is the storehouse of his blessed promises vnto vs all the mercy promised and every promise wherin any happines is contayned hath this seale And I wil be their God and they shal be my people Moses and the Prophets are full and doe abound with this comfortable close of Gods covenant of which covenant whatsoever the contents be this is still the conclusion and ratification I wil be theirs they shal be myne and that includeth the full confirmation of every favour of what rate or sort soever it be It would not be meete

taken them neere oh how sweete vnto me are thy words c. And lastly ver 103. not to be too tedious in instancing he doth lay a downeright clayme vnto them as his owne land intayled to him and never to be taken from him Thy testimonies haue I claymed as myne heritage for euer ver 111. for thy are the joy of my hart Thus doth good Dauid bestirre him herin and goe's before all Gods people whose commendation and comfort it would assuredly be to trace him in these steps But we neede not stand on particuler persons for we finde that whole churches have done the same in the dayes of their sorrowes So we reade of the church Haue respect to thy covenant and againe The Lord will not cast of his people Psal 74.20 Psal 94.14 micah 7.20 nor forsake his inheritance and yet againe Thou wilt performe thy truth to Iacob and thy mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworne to our fore-fathers of olde In all these and many the like which we spare to vrge we see the saints carriage and practise whether we coÌ„sider them apart or combined together into one body And now is it a small thing that this threefolde corde should be soe lightly broken wherwith the Lord would binde his people to this practise shall himself his law and his holy ones be all so slighted of vs Have we soe many worthy jnducement to draw vs on and soe many worthies that have gone before us and shall we lye behinde and not once striue or stirre that way nay which is yet worse run a cleane contrary course and fly from our owne comforts to the fearfull aishonour of God and danger of our owne soules through this desperate infidelity Oh deare Christians whervnto will this come what shall we say vnto you â— Cor. 4.21 how shall we intreat you let vs demaund the apostles question shall we come among you with a rod or with the spirit of meeknes when we have to doe with you for this fault well I know we must be wonderfull wary when we have to doe with wounded consciences we will not be too tart with the Lords tender lambes but endeavour since reprooffe must have place here to mixe reprehension and commiseration together inasmuch as we have to doe with afflicted soules and humbled spirits which speake not according to the truth in a setled resolution but according to the distraction and terror of some present temptation wherwith their adversary the divell doth so feircely assault and soe furiously fight against them that they are not able to stand vnder his stroakes but faint and sinke because he is so violent and they soe impotent fayne they would be better perswaded and beleeve professe otherwise if they could but their enemy aboundes with outrage and they are voyd of courage and hence it is he overules them and having captivated the power of Gods spirit in them for the present he make's them speake according to his owne the truth is that the people of God in their perplexity are the divels parhots and by him made to vtter that evill which many times he knowe's not well how to vent otherwise Oh that these poore soules the true most proper subiects of all good mens pitty and prayers did but well know and were throughly convinced that it is not they that doe it but sin yea Satan dwelling in them that the Lord will of his especiall grace discharge them of it and charge it as well he may vpon him who is both his adversary and theirs But the divell is so subtile in dealing with Gods sorrowfull saints that he will be exceeding loth to be seene in this or knowne of it but rather layes it vpon God and provokes many a distracted saint that is not himself to surmize that it is no small jmpiety against God to appropriate the promises And the better to seduce them therin he puts such pretences into their mindes and mouthes as they dreame and jmagine to be of God against whome they thinke they should fearfully offend if they should clayme these heavenly comforts to theÌ„selves Which pretences of his seing they are the maine impediments which hynder the happines of Gods people let vs take such knowledge of them as may make them apparantly knowne to be infernall therefore in no wise to be beleeved but alwayes abborted Among many other two to my obseruation are most vsuall doe prevaile vpoÌ„ the faithfull soe afright them that they dare not meddle but doe in some sort forsake their owne mercy He suggesteth into the dejected soules of these afflicted saints to make their harts the more fearfull 1. that the promises of God are not assigned to them by name how then can they have any interest in them 2. that they are soe vnworthy of them in regard of their wickednes that they dare not owne them or have any thing to doe with them These are the sear-crewes the bug-beares wherwith he make's them to forbeare and put off all But you that thus speake according to temptation now speake according to truth and shame the divell the father of lyes who suborne's these fruitles things against you to rob you of the riches of Gods vnspeakable grace Iob. 28.2 Spake out I say and tell me Is not this to darken the truth of God by words without knowledge which no man ought to doe Is not this to disparage his truth and faithfullnes who is Amen Reu 1.2 Cor. 1.20 the true faithfull witnes that faith that all his promises are yea and Amen vnto us that we might be rooted in the assurance of them Is not this to be beyond all Gods boundes to be besides ones self in our spirituall estate being overcome of a mysticall frenzy to cast of all affiance in the Lord Iob. 9.16 â—7 speaking stroÌ„gly in this distemper as Iob did if I had called vnto him and he had answered me yet would J not beleeve that he had hearkened to my voyce And shall we stand on that which we see will not beare vs but let vs fall nay throw vs downe and make vs fall for soe will these aforesayd pretences doe No be it farre from vs to doe soe And that it may be soe let vs come neerer to a more straight and narrow inquisition touching them which that we may the better doe we will set vpon them seuerally and soe set them out before you that we may shew them and you may see them to be the base subornations of Satan and by him bent to abuse God and beguile you of your blessednes and these two are all his only ends For the first which stiâ—ks so much with many Pretence and wherat they stumble to wit that because they are not named they dare not intermedle they know not that they are mean't or may make bolae with that which is written and wherin others are by name interessed You tell

if we faile not to meete the Lord we cannot by his grace but meete together in the glory of that kingdome which he hath promised to all that persevere in vprightnes before him The God of heaven knoweth that I did so prize your worthy society in these spirituall respects that I could have abundantly joyed to have beene your servant for Iesus sake all my dayes I did preferre it to all other as most deare and precious to me vnder heaven Had I not reason when I see the Lord himself assimulating vs to each other vnder those representations wherin the partyes are in dearest relation to one another as of father and childe mother infant whence we are sometimes sayd to beget men to God and sometimes to trauell in our birth till Christ be formed in our people Who can be insensible of the separation of these betweene whome the conjunction is soe neere surely none but he alone can support me against the sorrow therof who hath promised to gather all his owne in such an inconceivable kinde of conjunction as shall make vs everlastingly one both with one another and with himself and our saviour where he wil be our father and our king we through his Christ shal be his children and kings too to raigne with him to all eternity Thus have I beene with yow in my poore duties but in all that I haue sayd you and all men must ever except my infirmityes which are not few and my manifolde frailtyes which as I am sinfull flesh and blood could not be wholy hid or vn-obserued We are men sayd Paul Barnabas when the sottish people would have worshipped them as Gods subject to the same passions that you are Elias a man of admired graces was a man subject to the same passions that we are sayd the Apostle Iames. Beholde neither Prophets nor Apostles but have weaknesses with their graces and doe expresse their inperfections with their best actions How much lesse may we hope or you expect we should be free free nay how can you wonder at our farre greater faylings when as you know vs to be of farre lesser graces if their extraordinary measure and power of Gods spirit were accompained with ordinary corruption should our extraordinary miscarriages seeme strange whenas ordinary grace is the most and best we can attaine Be not offended then at vs or at religion for our sakes because you see our evill with our good be humbled rather in your selves feare your one greater danger and thinke with your selves if these men who draw soe neere vnto God who spend their liues as it were in heaven whose liues are or ought to be nothing but a continuall conference and familiarity with the Lord cannot yet be free of frailty offence sure I may doubt my estate least that which appeareth in them will vsurpe over my if they feele soe much I may feare least it will overflow and sincke me Thus meditating you shal be kept from being at all offended at vs the more from offending God your selves you wil be the more compassionate over vs the more circumspect over your owne wayes soe the Lord shall have honour in vs both you will learne to doe to vs as he doth to all his accept vs according to that which we haue not according to that we haue not not despising our ministrey because of our infirmity but rather seing the Lord doth entrust vs over you you should yeelde your selves vnto vs as to Gods guides I beseech you againe that you will neither be offended at our faylings nor draw them into example to cause you to offend we never desire further jmitation from Christians then we take from Christ It is the greife and greatest wound of our soules that we can be no more like our Lord master who hath entrusted vs nor more sitt for the performance of his pleasure O let no man be the worse for our weaknes Al the joy we have is herin that notwithstanding our evill the Lord hath judged vs faithfull and put vs into his service and given vs the seale of our ministrey in causing his worke to prosper in our hand It is his will to put this treasure into earthen vessells that the glory might be his not ours Respect and consider of vs as we are take your part of the treasure which is heavenly take pitty on the vessell which is earthly the father of mercyes shall measure mercy to you as you shall doe to vs whose spirits indeede are willing but our flesh is weake if we can be vpright we are accepted with God perfect we cannot be Thus now in al respects I haue beene with you Now how you haue beene with me I wish I had ability to declare according to myne owne desire and your desert The fore-named favors of my first and second election your christian defence of myne jnnocency against those vnjust calminations which were cast vpoÌ„ me the many sweete encouragements I had from you in my ministration that I might cheerefully serue the Lord in the gospell of his son during the time I was to abide among you your gladnes of my continuance thus long and the desires you have shewed of my longer abode had it beene the Lords pleasure or in your power that soe it should have beene and besides all these a multitude more of kindnesses in one kinde or another continually cast vpon me Know I pray you that all these favours are engraven vpon a most gratefull hart and that as the Lord will not be vnrighteous to forget your labour of love to recompence it so neither can I be soe barbarously oblivious as not to remember both you them to the Lord yea and vnto men that they may see your good workes and glorify him who hath given you harts to doe good and to distribute soe abundantly I must say of you in the time past as Iacob sayd in my text for the future and I cannot but acknowledge and avow that you have performed that to me which was promised to him you have dealt well with me every way The worlde I have founde like a churlish Laban both vnkinde vnjust towards me but you have I founde like the Lorde who giveth over-measure of kidnes beyond justice merit And this hath abundantly appeared aboue all in that double yea treble testimony of your respect to me to wit in that honour you vouch safed me to become an vnworthy member of your most worthy body as also in that liberall support you gave me at my departure which was such as I founde no meane prop to my poore estate which was then falling into a consumption and is not â—â—ed to this day and lapay in that honorable attestation you gave me with vntue sâ—ll consent vnder your seale In all these your love did superabounde towards me yet I doe here before the Lord and you truly witnes and testify that I doe not nor dare not nor cannot

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