Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	holy_a	son_n	trinity_n	4,094	5	10.4029	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91363	A little cabinet richly stored with all sorts of heavenly varieties, and soul-reviving influences. Wherein there is a remedy for every malady, viz. milk for babes, and meat for strong men, and the ready way for both to obtain and retain assurance of salvation: being an abridgement of the sum and substance of the true Christian religion; wherein the cause of our salvation, the way, the guide, the rule, the evidence, the seals, &c. and the connection of these points together, and dependancy of them one upon another: this I have endeavoured to do orderly, exactly, methodically, with much plainness and clearness. / By Robert Purnell.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1657 (1657)	Wing P4237; Thomason E1575_1; ESTC R209217	254,040	517

wind of death yea their falling began with their building Quest Whether a godly man may buy and sell eat and drink travel and discourse with an ungodly man or men Answ We find in the Scriptures that a good man is to love his enemies and to do good unto all Gal. 6. 10. The Lord doth cause the Sun to shine and the rain to fall upon them therefore beware of judging and condemning them are they proud who can tell but God may humble them are they unclean who can tell but God may cleanse them we ought to be courteous in our behaviour towards them Gen. 23. 7 12. Abraham bowed himself to the people of the Land Christ was tender hearted towards them he wept over them that were to shed his blood and we are to own and commend what there is of God in them so it is said Christ did love the young man in the Gospel for those natural parts that there were in him God is the fountain of common gifts as well as of saving grace The Lord doth make use of them to bring out of their loyns many precious men and sometimes he doth make use of them to help the woman and sometimes to awaken his people and put them upon their guard but in all our conversings with wicked men take heed to these things 1. Walk warily and circumspectly before them Phil. 2. 15. For you are in the midst of a crooked and perverse Nation 1 Pet. 2. 12. Having therefore your conversation honest amongst the Gentiles ver 15. For so is the will of God that with well doing we put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 2 Beware of envying at their prosperity because God hath prohibited that Psalm 37. 1. Consider they have their reward here in this life Prov. 24. 19. There is no reward to a wicked man in another life 3. Beware of cracking a good conscience to procure their favour as Judas did consider their favour is fickle and it is a madness to lose the favour of God to gain the favour of his enemies 4. Beware of omitting those duties that God requires of you for fear of them this is to life up man more then God Consider omission may damn a man as well as commissions and hereby we shall gratifie carnal men by omitting of good duties for fear of them and by this we shall stagger those that were coming on in the wayes of God 5. Beware of too deep a familiarity with them and that for these reasons First because they have no communion nor fellowship with God Ephes 2. 12. They are without Christ in the world and have communion with Satan 1 John 5. 19. The whole world lyeth in wickedness Again deep communion with them is very dangerous to your souls Joseph by this began to swear by the life of Pharaoh and Peter being a little in bad company how soon could he swear and lye both one after another Quest Whether recreation be lawful and if so what recreation and when to be used and how long and how oft Answ Recreation in some pleasant and harmless exercise is lawful as might appear by the testimony and practices of many good people sometimes making use of their liberty therein observing these and the like rules 1. In and by things lawful not vain as filthy or slanderous songs 1 Cor. 15. 33. Psal 69. 12. 2. Not foolish talking and unsaintlike jesting Ephes 5. 3 4 3. Not dicing carding stage-playing and fidling 4. We are not to use recreation as we do meat and drink but as wine seldom and little at a time 1 Tim. 5. 23. Then there are times in which no recreation is either lawful or expedient 1. On the Sabbath or Lords day it is altogether forbidden Isa 58. 13. 2. In the time of mourning for it becomes no body to be jolly when God is angry Isa 22. 12 13. Mat. 9. 55. 3. It must be done in a fit time as our occasions will bare that we may redeem time and not set spurs to a running horse as it were a benefit to be rid of time that is neither for our profit here Proverbs 21. 17. nor our safety hereafter Mat. 25. 30. 4. It must be made use of in a fit manner for no more then we are willing to lose 5. It must be carried on soberly not over earnestly it is dangerous for a man to give up himself too much to pleasurable things 1 Cor. 7. 31. for wisdom must be the moderator of our mirth and content Eccles 2. 3. 6. This also must be done in good company not with men of evil manners lest we bring our selves to be in danger to be partaker of their sins Quest In as few words as may be answer me to these eight things 1. Election what it is 2. The causes of it 3. The ends of it 4. The effects of it 5. The Subjects of it 7. The properties of it 8. The signs of it Answ I have spoken to Election before in its place but seeing here are more particulars then there I have spoken unto I shall answer each briefly 1. As to election what it is consider that it is a special decree of God touching the conferring of eternal salvation by Christ the Redeemer to certain men of meer mercy and good will 2. As to the causes of election it is the love of the Trinity God Almighty Father Son and Holy Ghost The manner of working peculiarly to each of them the Scripture expresly sheweth that the Father and the Son did elect us Ephes 1. 4. John 15. 16. In which we may not exclude the Holy Ghost who hath one common God-head with them 1 Joh. 5. 7. So that the cause which moved God to elect was his meer good will and nothing else as appears by these ensuing undeniable reasons 1. By the word of God he hath predestinated us according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 1. 5. Rom. 11. 5. So then we are not elected for foreseen faith for every cause is before the effect now faith is after election Act. 13. 48. So in the next place we are not elected for any foreseen works for the Apostle doth exculde all works from being either causes of election or reprobation Rom 9. 11 12. 3. The ends of election may be reduced to these three heads 1. The glory of God and the celebration and declaration of his mercy Romans 9. 23. Ephes 1. 6. 2. The second end is that we should be ho. ly Ephes 1. 4. He did not chuse us because we were then holy but that we might be holy 3. The third end is the salvation and glory of the elect therefore they are said to be ordained to eternal life and prepared unto glory and chosen unto salvation Acts 13. 48. Rom. 9. 23. 2 Thes 2. 13. 4. The effects of election are the mediation of Christ adoption vocation saving faith justification glorification in a word Gods election is the root of all gifts of God in

to them in a powerful conviction conversion and regeneration or something equivolent thereunto and if they give such an account of the work of grace upon their hearts as doth satisfie the brethren that the Lord hath begun a work in this creature that he hath promised to finish as in Phil. 1. 6. Then you are to proceed to a second question being as before satisfied in the first that the party is a hewed and squared stone and a living stone fit for the spiritual building in the next place enquire of the said party that desires to joyn with you what is his or her grounds and ends in desiring fellowship with you and if you find that their grounds be in obedience to the command of God 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Rev. 18. 4. and their ends be that they might enjoy God in all his ordinances and have a fellowship with those that have fellowship with the Father and the Son as in 1 John 1. 3. that is being united by Faith to Christ and his members he may pertake of his grace and spiritual life from him and by him be united to God the Father and have communion with him Joh. 17. 21. compared with Heb. 2. 11. All that are admitted must put themselves upon the rest and be received by consent for the Church is Christs kingdom now the matter or subjects of Christs kingdom they are believers gathered out of the world by the preaching of the Gospel and the powerful Ministry of the Spirit Mark 1. 15. and Mar. 16. 15 16. Act. 2. 44. hence it is that the Church in Scripture are frequently called Saints and holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling the house of God and Temple of the holy Ghost the houshold of Faith born from above of the Spirit that they might worship God in Spirit and in truth they were darkness but now are light Ephes 5. 8. They were lost but now found were dead but now are alive they before had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy were not a people but now are a people of the living God the Father disdains not to count them his sons and daughters the Son is not ashamed to call them brethren the Holy Ghost is pleased to make them his temple to dwell in all which discovers and confirms that the Church of Christ are and ought to be a spiriritual building made up of spiritual stones 1 Pet. 2. 5. Now if any professor hang back and seek not to joyn with the Church of Christ only because he will not be examined before the Church in the particulars before mentioned then let me ask that man or woman child or servant how it is that you are unwilling to venture your estate in this world without first advising with a Lawyer and thou wilt advise with Physitians about thy bodily health but will adventure their souls upon their own judgement and tryal without taking the advice of the Church of Christ is thy soul less precious to thee then thy body or thy estate if thou hast truth of grace why wilt thou not bring it to the touchstone and come to examination if no grace why wilt thou refuse the way and means to get it surely thou dost neglect this way either 1. Our of ignorance and pride because thou wilt not have thy ignorance discovered 2. Or else it is from a prophane spirit of opposition against all the wayes of Christ held forth in the Gospel See thy doom Luk. 19. 14 27. 4. The Church being thus planted and the number thereof increased If you find some qualified you ought to proceed to elect your Officers the Church being a most free Corporation under Christ the Lord Ephes 2. 19. She is in all reason and equity to chuse her Officers and Ministers 1 Cor. 12. 27 28 c. Unto whom also she is to give assistance obedience and maintainance 1 Tim. 5. 17 18. 1 Cor. 9. 7 9. compared with Heb. 5. 4 5. 2 Cor. 4. 5. Now that these Officers of the Church appointed by Christ are to have their outward calling from the Church whereof they are members for the present and unto whom they are to adminster will fully appear by these few reasons 1. Because the Apostles who taught only Christs commandments so directed the Churches Act. 1. 23. Act. 6. 1 2 3 5. Act. 14. 23. 2. Because the people amongst whom they have been conversant can best judge of their fitness both in respect of their gifts and graces 3. Because it furthereth much the diligence and faithfulness of the Minister that they whose Minister he is have freely chosen him as unto whom under Christ they commit the most precious treasure of their soul Heb. 13. 17. Also it binds the people to greater love and obedience to him or them whom themselves have made choice of But if any of the officers so elected by the Church be found unfaithful in his place he is by the Church to be warned to take heed to his Ministry he hath received Col. 4. 17. to fulfil it which if he neglect to do by the same power which set him up he is to be put down and deposed Now if any ask how many are the officers or offices in the Church I answer there are five besides the extraordinary offices of Apostles Prophets and Evangelists for the first planting of the Churches which are ceased with their extraordinary gifts c. 1. First there is or ought to be the Pastor to whom is given the gift of wisdom for exhortation Ephes 4. 11. 2. The teacher to whom is given the gift of knowledge for Doctrine Rom. 12. 8. 1 Cor. 12. 8. 3. The governing Elder who is to Rule with diligence Rom. 12. 8. 1 Tim. 5. 17. 4. The Deacon who is to receive and distribute the holy treasure with simplicity and sincerity 1 Tim. 3. 10. Act. 6. 1 3. 5. The widdow or Deaconess who is to attend the sick and impotent with compassion and chearfulness 1 Tim. 5. 3 9 10. Rom. 16. 1. All these are useful and necessary and these alone sufficient for the Church as being the most perfect society and body of Christ which neither faileth in that which is necessary nor exceedeth in any thing superfluous so they are united and compacted together by that one Spirit to the Lord and each to other to the edifying of its self in love Ephesians 4. 3 4. and 16. In the want or in the absence of any of these servants of the Church the Church hath power to appoint any one or more of her members for the present necessity to supply the room or absence of her officer or officers 2. But then in the next place for those that are united to a Church of Christ let them beware that they forsake not the assembling of themselves together as the manner of some is Hebrews 10. 25. And again consider the danger of drawing back Hebrews 10. 38. Now if any man draw back my soul shall have

saith O help help Lord for thine honour sake for thy Sons sake for thy promise sake for thy mercies sake then the evill that he tempts us to shall be put down only to his account what shall I say more those that be the objects of Gods dearest love are many times the subjects of the Devils deepest rage Satan watcheth all opportunities to break our peace to wound our consciences to lessen our comfort to impair our graces and to slur our evidences it is as easie to compass the heavens with a span and to contein the sea in a nut-shell as to relate fully Christs goodness and Satans devices for he aims principally to make us walk sinfully that so we might live uncomfortably and die miserably and be tormented with him eternally Of afflictions why God doth afflict his own people and how to know what Sin God aims at in affliction and when a man may be said to suffer for wel-doing and when for evil doing VVE read in Scripture that man is born to trouble as the sparks flie upward and although his dayes be few yet they are full of trouble nay we may find in the Scriptures of truth that the Lords own dearest ones have been exceedingly exercised this way Job 6. 4. Job the justest man alive was fought against by the terrors of the Lord and David a man after Gods own heart had no rest in his bones because of his sin and was so wasted with the grief of his heart that his moisture was turned int h the drought of summer Ps 32. 3 4. and Hezekiah who walked in the truth and with a perfect heart had the anger of the Almighty to break his bones like a lyon Isa 28. 13. Was not Abel murthered by his brother Noah mocked by his Son Job scoffed by his wife Jacob threatned by his brother banished from his Father abused by his uncle in the day consumed with heat in the night with frost Gen. 31. 4. Did not the son of God himself lie bleeding upon the cross and cry out in the bitterness of his spirit my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Isa 53. 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities persecuted in his child hood by Herod Mat. 2. 16. tempted by the Devil reviled by the High-priests branded for a babler wine-bibber blasphemer mocked by the Jews stript of his garments crowned with thorns the first fruits of the curse he was hanged between two thieves and nailed his hands to the cross and pierced his side with a spear c. Some reasons why the Lord doth afflict his own people 1 Cor. 11. 32. VVE are chastned of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world sometimes he doth afflict a few that the rest might beware Luke 13. 5. And sometimes he doth afflict his people for the tryal of the truth and strength of their graces Job 1. 21. Again sometimes he brings his own dear ones into misery that he might magnifie the attributes of his mercy in healing them so it was with him that was born blind and sometimes he doth afflict them to keep them humble and low in their own eyes and to put them upon the use of means whereby sin may be subdued Sometimes the Lord doth afflict for the prevention of sin for time to come he doth punish those that serve him and lets the world go free this was Davids temptation Psalm 73. 13. Affliction is a seal of adoption no sign of reprobation for the purest corn is cleanest fanned the fine●t gold oftest tryed and the sweetest grape hardest pressed and the truest Christian heaviest crossed affliction doth many times make a bad man good but it doth alwayes make a good man better nay God can look sowrly and chide bitterly and strike heavily even where and when he loves dearly it is a common thing for all men to be afflicted but it is an extraordinary thing to be bettered by it in all afflictions consider three things 1. The fountain from whence it comes and that is from Gods love Eccles 7. 14. 2. The end whither it ayms our good It was good for me that I was afflicted Psalm 119. 3. Consider our punishment is less then our desert the consideration of this made Aaron to hold his peace Lev. 10. 3. and Hezekiah to wait for deliverance Isa 38. 13 14. This made David to be dumb Psal 39. 9. This made Ely to say it is the Lord let him do as seemeth him good 1 Sam. 13. 18. yea this made Job to say blessed be the name of the Lord. The Lord doth try the truth and strength of his own people to the highest and yet layeth no more upon the weakest then he doth enable him to bear IF Job do exceed all others in patience as he did Job 5. 11. then the truth and strength of this patience shall be tryed to the uttermost 1. The Sabeans take away his Oxen and his Asses Job 1. 15. 2. A fire from heaven came down and burnt up his sheep Job 1. 16. 3. The Chaldeans came and stole away all his cammels Job 1. 17. 4. His servants that were plowing and keeping the sheep were all slain by the edge of the sword fire from heaven 5. His sons and daughters were all at once slain by the fall of an house Job 1. 18 19. 6. Then his body was smote and became full of boyls from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot Job 2. 7. 7. Then his wife that lay in his bosom tempts him to curse God and dye Job 2. 9. 8. His three near and dear friends came to him and stayed with him seven dayes and seven nights and spake not one word of comfort to him Job 2. 13. 9. The presence and favour of God was hid from his soul Job 19. 8. and all this to try the truth and strength of Jobs patience If Peter will boast of a greater love to Christ then the rest saying though I should dye with thee I will never deny thee Mat. 26. 35. And when this love came to the tryal instead of dying he came to denying of Christ So again although Peters love made him to go out of the ship to meet Christ upon the sea I say although his love was strong yet his faith was weak and he began to sink here his truth and strength was tryed to the highest If Moses will exceed all the men upon the face of the earth in meekness Num. 12. 3. the truth and strength of that meekness must be tryed first in his absence the people make a calf and worshipped it Exod. 32. 19. After this the people speak against Moses Numb 21. 5. A little after this when they wanted water the people chide with Moses saying would God we had dyed in the wilderness Numb 20. 3 4. So he was continually vexed with a perverse and crooked generation Deut. 32. 5. And at last so provoked by them that he spake unadvisedly

that hath sinned it will cost him more grief sorrow heart-breaking and soul-bleeding before conscience will be satisfied comfort restored evidences cleared and pardon in the court of conscience sealed for God can look sowrly and chide bitterly and strike heavily even where and when he loves dearly a soul may be full of holy affection when it is empty of divine consolation there may be true grace where there is not one drop of comfort nor one dram of joy Of Sin in Sentences MOst men are fallen into sin as if there were no God to punish them no justice to condemn them no hell to torment them That man shall be a slave to sin that will not avoid the occasions of sin It is impossible for that man to get the conquest of sin that plaies and sports with the occasions of sin It is better to be kept from sin then to be cured of sin as it is better to be kept from a disease then to be cured of that disease the greatest sinners shall be the greatest sufferers Sin shall never be our bane if it be our burden sin doth intice us to that which is against Gods holiness as well as against our happiness There is no sin little because there is no little God to sin against There is many a one full of sinful corruption that shews it not for want of occasion but the more grace thrives in the Soul the more sin dies in the soul Sin may break our Communion but not our Union with God Every sin doth put God upon complaining Christ upon bleeding and the spirit upon grieving and so men go on from folly to folly till they be ripe for eternal misery Of doing or practising in Sentences WE should spend our and time pains about that which will make us live happily die comfortably and raign eternally It is not knowing man nor the talking man nor the reading man but the doing man that at last will be found the happiest man Therefore no danger or difficulty should hinder a Christian from his duty for if our knowledge be not turned into practise the more knowledge we have the more miserable shall we be We should be thankfull under mercies faithfull in our places humble under divine appearances and fruitfull under pretious o●dinances For he that thinks himself too good to be ruled by Gods word will be found too bad to be owned by God To reward good for evil is divine to reward good for good is humane to reward evil for evil is brutish but to reward evil for good is devilish we are apt to have two eyes to behold our dignity and priviledges and not so much as one eye to see our duty and services Of the Riches Honour and Glory of the world in Sentences A Man may be great and graceless with Pharaoh honourable and damnable with Saul rich and miserable with Dives A man may have enough of this world to sink him but he can never have enough to save him though good Christians have here but little in possession yet they have a glorious kingdom in reversion It is better to be gracious then great inwardly holy then out wardly happy for the best mans honour is as glass bright and brittle and evermore in danger of breaking the things of this life are not so absolutely given us but that God retains still a right to it and an interest in it and may demand it when and how he please Of the Devil and his temptation in Sentences THE Devil aims principally to make us walk sinfully that so we might live uncomfortably If Satan be alwaies roaring we should be alwaies watching for though Satan cannot rob a Christian of his crown yet he will endeavour to spoil him of his comfort It is not Satans tempting but our consenting not his inticing but our yielding that makes temptation sinful Therefore let us not yield to Satans temptations who hath the worst name and the worst nature of all created creatures our carnal security is his opportunity and he that would not be taken with Satans devises let him make present resistance against Satans first motions Of assurance of Salvation in Sentences A Ssurance is a salve for every sore and a remedy for every malady a Christians anchor at sea and his shield at land a staff to support him a sword to defend him and a pavilion to hide him Assurance makes heavy afflictions light and long afflictions short and bitter afflictions sweet God hath made an everlasting separation between sin and peace sin and joy sin and assurance if sin and our souls be one God and our souls must needs be two He that will get assurance must mind his work more then his wages for assurance is heavenlywages that God gives not to loiterers but to the ingenious labourers Though no man merits assurance by his obedience yet God usually crowns obedience with assurance That soul will never attain to any settled assurance of Salvation that builds his hopes upon a sandy foundation We cannot distrust our selves too much nor trust Christ too much It is one thing for God to love a soul and another thing for God to assure that soul of his love A man may be truly holy and yet not have assurance that he shall be eternally happy God writes many a mans name in the book of life and yet not let him have assurance of it till the hour of death assurance is a mercy too good for most mens hearts a crown too weighty for most mens heads It is the best and greatest mercy and therefore God will only give it to his nearest and dearest friends As faith is often attended with unbelief and sincerity with hypocrisie and humility with vain glory so is assurance with fears and doubts Divers knotty questions answered and seeming contradictions in the Scripture reconciled and many Scruples of conscience removed VVE read 1 John 3. 16. we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren Quest In what cases may we hazard or lay down our lives for the brethren Answ 1. A private Christian may adventure his life for publike persons Rom. 16. 3 4. Greet Priscilla and Aquila my hel●ers in Christ who have for my life laid down their own necks unto whom not only I give thanks but also all the Chruches of the Gentiles 2. A man may warrantably adventure his life if need require for a multitude that they may be preserved from destruction so Moses Exod. 32. 31 32. so Paul Rom. 9. 3. compared with Phil. 2. 17 18. 3. One publike officer may hazzard his life for another of more concernment in the Church as Epaphroditus a Pastor of the Philippians for Paul an Apostle Phil. 2. 30 c. We read in many places of Scripture that it is the duty of every man to believe and we find in other Scriptures that God is the Author of Faith and without him we cannot believe John 5. 40 44. Q. Why doth God promise eternal life to those that

c. Of the declining state of man THis age of man is subject to envy and covetousness as the former age was to ambition and carking cares whereby it appears that mens passions and sins do rather change then forsake them for carnal delights to which young men are most addicted do change in their delcining age unto envy and covetousness and sometimes their avarice doth change to ambition a godly man at this age is fitter for counsel then for action because their passions are commonly more moderate their experiences greatter their Judgement more solid and their counsels safer Job 12. 12. With the ancient is wisdom and in length of years understanding but this declining age of man is not free from vanity it being subject to envy at another mans prosperity c. Of the Decrepit or old age of man THE decrepit age of man begins a little after sixty and ends when death strikes them with his dart Rom. 6. 23. the wages of sin is death the old age of man except it be endued with free-grace and sanctified by the Spirit of God it is the vanity of vanities and the misery of all miseries for the innumerous infirmities incident to it viz. bald-headed stooping under dotage wrinkled face rotten teeth stinking breath testy with choler withered with driness dimmed with blindness filled with diseases overwhelmed with sickness and bowed together with weakness having little use of any sense but of the sence of pain what shall I say more trace man from his mothers womb to the grave you shall find him nothing but a piece of vanity in his best estate Ps 39. 5. First in his very conception they may be extinguished by ill scents and vapours bruises or fals then in their infancy by the quinsie convulsions measels or the small pox then in their youth by the sword plurisie and burning feavers then in the next age apoplexies bloody fluxes and consumptions then in their declining age by the stone and the gout dropsies palsies c. And in old age aches cough stone and divers other casualties so that I may conclude with Solomon that the lives of natural men are meer vanity and vexation of Spirit Of the Pollution and Misery of the soul in this life THE understanding is full of vanity Psal 94. 11. 2 Cor. 4. 4. The will of man is wholly depraved it is contrary to God his word and Spirit in all things it will not depend nor wait on God as for the memory that also is full of corruption that will forget the things that is commanded to remember and remember the things that we should forget and as for the conscience that also is wholly corrupted it is neither clear to see things that are amiss nor sensible of sins committed and whereas it should excuse or accuse it doth abuse and pervert the light it hath by making great sins small c. And as for our affections they come as a tempest either to make us over-joy or over-grieve what shall I say more the wretched soul is so deformed with sin defiled with lust polluted with filthiness outraged with passions pined with envy overcharged with gluttony boyling with revenge transported with rage so that the glorious Image of God is transformed into the ugly shape of the Devil our understanding is darknned our will depraved our affections disordered our memory misimployed our conscience benummed Of the Miseries attending both body and soul in the hour of death if they see not their interest in Christ DEath in the Scripture is called the King of terrors and the fear of death makes many subject to bondage all their life for death is a messenger that hath something to say to every man and he often speaks to all that would fain be heard but most men are not at leisure to hear what he hath to say no not till old age nor then neither well after all the forementioned troubles in comes death and looks the old man grim and black in the face and neither pittieth his age nor regardeth his long endured Dolours but battereth all the principal parts of his body and arresteth him to appear before the great judge of Heaven and Earth at the bar of his Justice then the old man fals into a cold sweat over all his body and a trembling in all his members the head aketh the face waxeth pale the nose black the eye-strings break the tongue faltereth the throat rotleth whilst he is thus summoned to appear at the great assize of Gods court behold a quarter Sessions and goal Delivery is held within him where reason sits as Judge and his conscience being now awakened puts in a bill of Inditement wherein is alleadged all the evil deeds that ever thou hast committed and the good deeds that ever thou hast omitted and all the curses and Judgements that are due to every sin Never such a bill put up against the greatest Traitor in any court of men thou must hold up thy hand at the bar for all the sins that ever thou didst commit in the whole course of thy life the bill of Indictment it self runs thus 1. Thou art accused for many sins of omission in leaving undone many good things that God in his word required of thee 2. For spoiling all the good things that ever thou didstin thy life by mixing the poyson of thy own corruption with them 3. For sinning in secret as if God had not seen it because men do not and hereby denying as it were Gods Omnipotency 4. For presuming sometimes to sin openly to the Dishonouring of the God of Glory before all the world 5. For sinning against all sorts of men against thy Parents in thy youth thine equals in thy manly age thine inferiours in thy old Age. 6. For sinning against God himself immediately by abusing his Name and Ordinances 7. For sinning against mens Souls Lives Goods Chastity good Name and all that was near and dear to them 8. For sinning against thy own soul and all the good things God hath given thee by intemperance and otherwise 9. For sinning against Gods holy Ordinances in neglecting or abusing them 10. For sinning against Gods Mercies abusing Health Wealth and Liberty and Parts and Gifts 11. For sinning against Gods Judgements as if thou caredst not for his pleasure nor fearedst his displeasure 12. For sinning against the checks of thy own conscience that often forbad thee to sin but could not be heard 13. For sinning against the motions of Gods spirit and so putting the Lord upon complaning and Christ upon bleeding and the Spirit upon grieving 14. For drawing others to sin by thy bad examples and counsels 15. For incouraging them in their sins by approving of them 16. For not reproving them for sin as if thou wast afraid to speak for God against those that dishonour him 17. For not punishing sin where thou hadst power and authority and wast required to do it 18. For a world of precious time that thou hast mispent

not that glory that fadeth not that kingdom that shaketh not 5. We do account that man a poor man that is in debt over head and ears and hath little or nothing where withall to pay even this is the case of most of those men that have feathered their nests by raking and scraping together the muck of this world they are in debt to men let every bird have his feather and they will have little enough and they are in debt to God ten thousand times more then they are worth and having no surety they must lie in prison perpetually and as for the honours of the world what are they the best mans honour is as glass britt and brittle and ever more in danger of breaking as a bird hoppeth from tree to tree so do the honours and riches of this world from man to man and so much of the world Of the Flesh NOw the works of the flesh are manifest Galat. 5. 19. which are these adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness therefore great need of this exhortation 1 Pet. 2. 11. dearly beloved I beseech you as strangers abstain from fleshly lusts Rom. 7. 18. in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not for all flesh is grace and all the goodliness thereof as the flower of the Field the grass withereth and the flower fadeth Isa 40. 6. 1 Pet. 1. 24. Psal 37. 2. Psal 90. 5 6. 92. 7. 103. 15. Isa 37. 27. What shall I say more all mankind are under the wrath and curse of God being full of blindness of mind having a reprobate sense liable to strong delusions hardness of heart horror of conscience and vile affections having the curse of God upon the whole creation for mans sake and besides all this man is subject to all manner of evil in body name and estate and relations and imployment together with an utter undisposed mind to all that is good and wholly inclined to all that is evil and that continually What man is by nature NOT only born in sin but left in a condition not able to help himself Job 14. 4. Who can bring a clean thing out of an uncelan not one Job 25. 4. How can he be clean that is born of a woman Psal 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me Mich. 7. 2. there is none upright amongst men there is none righteous no not one Rom. 3. 12. We go astray as soon as we are born Psal 58. 3. Every imagination of the thoughts of our hearts is only evil and that continually Gen. 5. 6. Nay all the Saints themselves before conviction conversion and regeneration were guilty of originall and actual transgression and so were by nature the children of wrath as well as others Eph. 2. 3. 1 Cor. 6. 9. Tit. 3. 3. 1 Tim. 1. 13. Eccles 7. 20. What shall I say more the understanding is full of vanity Psal 94. 11. Nay it s full of blindness 1 Cor. 2. 24. unteachableness and incredulity 2 Cor. 4. 4. The will of man is wholly depraved being contrary to God his word and spirit in all things as for the memory that also is full of corruption it will forget the things that it should remember and remember the things that it should forget it will retein trifles and let go matters of moment and as for the conscience that also is wholly corrupted it is without feeling whereas it should excuse or accuse it doth abuse and pervert the light it hath by making great sins small and small sins no sins and as for our affections they are also corrupted they come as a tempest and carry us away either to make us over-love or over-great and to hate our brother we should love and love our lusts we should hate Of mans own righteousness BUt we are all as an unclean thing and Isaiah 64. 6. all our righteousness is as filthy rags and we all do fade as a leaf Jer. 2. 22. For though thou wash thee with Niter and take much Soap yet thine iniquities are marked before me saith the Lord God Job 9. 30 31. If I wash my self in Snow-water yet mine own cloaths shall abhor me Hosea 6. 4. O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee for your goodness is as the morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away Isa 28. 20. The bed is shorter then that a man can stretch himself on it and the covering is narrower then that a man can wrap himself in it Isa 50. 11. Behold all ye that kindle a fire walk in the light of your fire and in the Sparks that ye have kindled this shall ye have of my hand ye shall lie down in Sorrow Job 35. 7. If thou be righteous what givest thou to him or what receiveth he of thine hand verse 8. Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousness may profit the Sons of men c. See Job 22. 2 3. Titus 3. 8. Psalm 16. 2. Of the Devil THE Devil sinned from the beginning of the world compare John 8. 44. with Jude 6. and you shall see he was the first sinner in the world and the sole cause of all other sinners he drew his apostate Angels with him hence came that phrase Mat. 25. 41. The Devil and his Angels he deceived our first parents in the Serpent and so brought sin upon all the world Gen. 3. And still he as a roaring Lyon walketh about seekinng whom he may devour sometimes in Scripture he is called Satan because he doth mortally hate mankind sometimes Devil because he doth slanderously accuse men to God and man Job 1. 11. 2. 5. Rev. 12. 8 9. 10. Sometimes he is called the old Serpent for his subtile temptations sometimes the great dragon for his destroying of many Rev. 12. 8 9. But here lies much of a Saints comfort the Devil must have a double leave before he can do any thing against him he must first have leave from God as we find in the example of Job 1. 11 12. 2. 3 5. though the Devil had malice enough to destroy him yet he had not so much as power to touch him till God gave him commission so Luke 8. 32. they could not so much as enter into the swine without leave from Christ so Satan could never have overthrown Ahab and Saul but by a commission from God 1 Kings 22 And as Satan must have a leave from God so he must have leave from us when he tempts we must consent when he commands we must obey or else all his temptations will be frustrate Act. 5. 3. Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the Holy-Ghost why hast thou given him an advantage to fill thy heart with infidelity hypocrisie and obstinacie to lie to the Holy Ghost when a temptation comes and the soul cries out