Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	pardon_v	sin_n	transgression_n	2,321	5	9.8948	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91366	The way step by step to sound and saving conversion, with a clear discovery of the two states, viz: nature, & grace: and how to know in which state one is, and the way to come out of the one into the other. Or, The ready and right path-way for the first Adams posterity to get out of their fallen estate accompanied with sin and misery, into the relation and family of the last Adam, which estate is attended with grace and glory, &c. With many weighty questions answered, and cases of conscience resolved, for the clearing and confirming the truths asserted. / By Robert Purnell.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1659 (1659)	Wing P4241; Thomason E1800_1; ESTC R209703	66,581	144

O how may this encourage us to stir up our selves and take h●ld of God! See Isa 64. 7. Isa 27. 5. Let him take hold of my strength and he shall make peace within me As there is no promise to us till we believe so if once we believe all the promises are ours he hath promised to be a tower a rock a refuge a covert from a storm and hidden place in time of danger he hath promised to hear us when we pray to answer us when we call to open to us when we knock Psal 50. 15. Mat. 7. 7. Ground this in the bottom of your hearts that without faith in Christ and obedience to Christ there is no promise of life and salvation by Christ no coming to the Father but by him no coming to Christ but by faith no getting of faith but by waiting upon him in the use of means c. And so to close up the fourth head let the Reader consider that this looking unto him coming unto him receiving of him and believeing in him is spiritually to be understood and spiritu●lly to be performed 4. Step for the carring on and compleating this work there is dropped into him or her the Spirit of grace by which he is at length imboldened to go unto God with confessions and petitions he puts on the resolution of the King of Ninive Jonah 3. and saith within himself I will cry mightily unto the Lord who can tell but that he may have mercy upon me He principally praye● for these and the like things 1. He prayes for more light that he may see his sinnes and the vildness of them more fully that he may arraign accuse and judge himself for them 2. He prayes for pardoning mercy Pardon my sin saith David for it is wondrous great 3. He prayes for purging mercy 1. He prayes for an increase of light that he may see his sinnes more fully and clearly that he may abhor arraign accuse and judge himself for them That which I see not teach thou me saith the Prophet Again Job 13. 23 How many are mine iniquities and my sins make me to know my transgression and my sin Job 40. 4. Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee once have I spoken yea twice but I will proceed no farther 2. He prayes for pardoning mercy Rom. 8. 15. We have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father As a little child at first saith Dad and Mam so doth a Christian the evidence that the Lord gave Ananias of Saul's conversion was this Acts 9. 11. Behold he prayes He that hath not this breath of Prayer is either a dead man or in a dangerous swoun Psal 25. 7. Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions but according to thy mercy remember me for thy goodness sake 3. He prayes for purging mercy Psal 19. 12. Who can understand his errors cleanse thou me from secret faults Psal 79. 9. Purge away our sins for thy name sake the soul is not satisfied with pardoning mercy unless he may have purging mercy also so that pardoning mercy is so great a belly-mercy that it hath many mercies in the bowels of it 2 Cor. 5. 19. it brings reconciliation with God and admission into his favour and adoption of children whereby the soul hath access to God as a Father with child-like boldness and acceptation of our services and sanctification of every condition to us and supportations under tryals and crosses and last of all peace joy comfort which are not so much fruits of pardon as fruits of purging and keeping down of sin that it reign not in our mortal bodies He freed me from the guilt of fin and shall I love the filth of fin He made me a member of Christ and shall I be a filthy member of so holy a body He hath made me a branch and shall I be a polluted branch of so holy a stock the Lord forbid Let the Reader consider that although we have brought Prayer under the fourth Step or head yet this is to be understood that the habit or root of this grace or gift was infused or conveyed into the heart and soul in the first step to wit illumination but it lay there as fire under ashes or sap in the root of the tree it was still and dumb it did not open the mouth nor inlarge the heart until Vocation and Believing had made way If wee did consider what order and method the Lord doth take to unveil his love to man and what order and method man should take to apprehend and apply this love it will make much for our satisfaction Viz. Gods order is he goes downward from the Cause to the Effect and we must goe upward from the Effect to the Cause he goes from Election downward we must go from Illumination Vocation Regeneration and Believing upward and thus God and we at last shall meet in the middle way we must prove our selves to be called and he will acknowledg us to be elected Let us consider that golden chain Rom. 8. 29 30. For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified c. Here is a golden chain indeed no link thereof can be unlinked because the fastning thereof is from and by the Lord First whom he fore-knew for his own as the word is taken John 10. 14. 27. those whom he marked out as it were out of all other men in the world and set his affection upon 2ly he also did predestinate that is ordained to be conformable to Christ their head in part both in grace and glory 3ly Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called to the obedience of faith by the outward preaching of the word and the inward and effectual operation of the spirit and whom he called them he also justified that is God merely of his own grace and free will forgiveth our sinnes and pronounceth us just justice and mercy doth both meet in this justification justice in that he will not justifie a sinner without a perfect righteousness and mercy in that he will accept of such a righteousness that is neither in us nor done by us but by our surety for us all eminent acts as justification regeneration sanctification are but one act in God as we have proved before but because of our darkness and unteachableness the Lord doth speak to us after the manner of men and so doth make out things gradually to us leading us from step to step from things more plain to things more and more hard as we are able to hear and understand and practice them 5. The fifth and last step that I shall name for the carrying on and compleating this work is the Lord doth cause the soul secretly to give it self up in an everlasting Covenant and so to surrender all the interest that it had in

unto God 2. Consider that the Father accepted of this sacrifice in full satisfation for all our iniquities transgressions and sinnes 3. The Father Sonne and Holy Ghost in the preaching of the Gospel doth make Proclamation with open mouth to all the world that he the Lord of Glory is fully satisfied forasmuch as the debt by Christ our surety is fully paid and the bond or hand writing that was against us cancelled and so much for the first Consideration of what Christ hath done for us 2. Consider and that seriously how God hath dealt with other sinners as bad as we are who have come to him viz. The Lord did not despise the weeping Mary the begging Canaanite the intreating Publican the confessing Thief the adulterous Woman the denying Disciple the persecuting Paul c. And if he refused not these but shewed mercy to them converting and healing them he will not reject me if 1 arise and go to him Psal 119. 59. I thought on my waies and turned my feet to thy testimonies I made hast and delayed not to keep thy commandments 3. Consider what relation we have to him he is our Creator we are his creatures in a word we are his by right of Creation Redemption and now we begin to be his by right of Regeneration Vocation Marriage and Covenant c. 4. Consider what engagements we have from him viz. he hath promised to pardon our sinnes to purge our natures Ezek. 36. 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you 5. Consider in whose name we come before him not in our own neither in the name of any but only his own dear Son in whom he is well pleased and for his sake he hath promised that whatsoever we ask in his Name he will give it unto us 1. We have his prayer to the Father to subdue and conquer our lusts John 17. 17. 2. We have his promise I will subdue your iniquities Micah 17. 19. Sin shall have no more domin ion over you Rom. 6. 14. 3. He is not only a Redeemer but also a Refiner a Purifier he gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to cleanse and purifie us to be his peculiar people zealous of good works 4. We have his merits as a Sanctuary to fly unto as to a fountain set open to wash us from all finne filthiness and uncleanness Zach. 13. 1. Sure these are grace breeding considerations consider them over and over again and again 5. The fifth means is gather and treasure up a stock of Grace-begetting and Soul-converting experiences viz. We have had some experience of the riches freeness fulness and everlastingness of Gods love and we have a little taste of the sufficiency and efficacy of the death and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ Gen. 30. 27. O friends shall Laban a natural man make use of experience which he had treasured up and shall not a true Christian in carrying on the work of grace began in his soul make use of it much more It is the duty and it should be the practise of all in converting and also of those converted to treasure up experiences of Gods goodness to them even from their cradles that God made them men and women and not toads and serpents that he hath hitherto preserved them when he might have destroyed them that they have as yet the means of grace whilst others in the world want that they have liberty sight limbs food and raiment these and such like are the blessings of his left hand and he tenders to thee also the blessings of his right hand Psal 63. 7. Because thou hast been my help therefore in the shaddow of thy wings will I rejoyce 2 Cor. 1. 10. Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver us in whom we trust be will yet deliver us See Psal 116. 2. Because be hath inclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live It is good to hear better to hear and understand better to enjoy and best of all to have blessed experience of what we hear understand and enjoy the Saints of old could say that they had such experience of the faithfulnesse of the Lord that he made good every thing that he had promised to them no one good thing failed Josh 21. 45. There failed not any good thing that the Lord had promised to the house of Israel all came to passe Josh 23. 14. Not so much as one thing hath failed c. In the use of these and the like meanes the Lord usually scattereth some little seeds of grace in the hearts of those that he will bring unto himself which seeds being sowen doe afterwards by degrees put forth and act towards God as we may see in Lydia the Jaylor and Zacheus c. God makes himself known to us as a God of mercy gracious long-suffering pardoning iniquitie transgression and sin and so offers himself to be reconciled to us though we have rebelled against him promising to be a Father unto us and to accept of us in his beloved as his sons and daughters and thus is the difference made up between God and man the soul begins now to say at least in its self I that was an enemy he hath now reconciled unto himself I that was in times past without God without Christ without promise without covenant without hope yet now I have God for my God he is become my salvation Christ is become my Redeermer the Holy Ghost my Sanctifier O blessed thrice blessed be Father Son and Holy Ghost O how often did he call how carnestly did he knock how powerfully did he strive how long did he wait upon me before my stubborn hard heart would yield if he had never loved me I had never loved him if he had never drawn me I had never come if he had never sought me I had been yet straying in the wilderness of iniquitie and feeding in the fields of vanity now I see that God keeps open house invites intreate beseecheth us to beleive and come in O every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters come buy ye that have no Silver or Gold come buy milk and wine without money Isai 55 1. and he that comes to me John 6. 37. I will in no wise cast out Let him that will come whosoever hath a mind let him come let his sinnes be what they will be for nature number and for continuance yet come I will in no wise cast thee off Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage thou retainest not anger for ever for thou delightest to show mercy Micah 7. 18 19. Means to be used for the confirming sealing ratifying and increasing of Grace where it is began WEe are to take notice that the same meanes for the most part

himself out c. Of the preparations or qualifications that we are to find in our selves before we lay hold on Christ and the promise Conversion and Regeneration Vocation and Repentance are but four words to hold forth as it were one and the self same thing Of the way step by step how the Lord in his ordinary dispensation in these Gospel-dayes doth lead a soul as it were by the hand out of a state of nature into a state of grace First by enlightning the soul Secondly by calling him effectually Thirdly by enabling him to believe Fourthly by giving him the spirit of prayer by which he prayes for more light to see his sins and then for pardoning mercy and for purging mercy Fifthly the Lord doth cause the soul secretly to give it self up to God and so he comes to surrender all its own supposed interest that he had in himself unto God that made it and unto Christ that hath dearly purchased it then there follweth the mean● to be used to breed and beget grace and to convert the soul First to keep close to grace-begetting Ordinances viz. hearing the Word preached reading the Scriptures and frequent and earnest prayer Secondly to dwell much upon grace-begetting promises Thirdly to frequent the company of grace-begetting and soul-converting companions Fourthly to call to mind and meditate upon grace-begetting considerations Fisthly to gather and to treasure up grace-begetting and soul-converting experiences and so to be diligent in the use of many other means for the confirming sealing and assuring the soul of salvation these and many other subordinate branches thou hast here presented in a little room and a few words c. Now to proceed a little farther in this great work and so to draw towards a close let the Reader consider these things following viz. 1. If we remain in an unconverted estate let us blame our selves only for the want of conversion is not in God for he makes use of all means and wayes to convert us 2. We shall present the Reader with some of the principal hinderances of Conversion 3. Consider the sad and miserable condition of the unconverted 4. The trials of conversion by which a man may know whether he be converted yea or no 5. The priviledges and benefits of all that are converted 6. Certain Objections answered which some out of weakness and others out of prejudice may be apt to make against the foregoing discourse and so I shall close up this Book The want of Conversion i● not in God but in our selves he makes use of all means and waies to convert us 1. Our conversion and salvation is not a thing impossible for a new and living way is consecrated for us by Christ through the vail his flesh and by his blood we may have boldness to enter into the Holiest he hath borne our burthen he hath removed the impossibilities and nailed to his Cross the hand-writing that was against us Coll. 2. 14 15. So that if any of us perish it is for want of grace in us not for want of satisfaction by the Redeemer salvation is brought even to our doors and thrust in as it were into our hands we have Christ himself offered us and pardon life and salvation with him we have God himself waiting to be gracious and beseeching us to be reconciled to him 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. We have the Lords Embassadors intreating us in his Name and stead the Lord hath provided excellent and plentiful means with promise upon promise of his presence with and blessing upon us in the use of them and if the Spirit make not these means effectual it will not be long of him but of our selves God himself presents and offereth us mercy Prov. 1. 23. and continues his Ordinance● the Angels waits for the joy that is due to them upon our conversion Ministers are preaching and praying for our conversion godly friends and neighbours are praying and longing to see this work wrought in us See Mr. Bax●ers Call to the unconverted in the Preface We study plainness of speach to make them understand we come with serious piercing words to make them feel but they will neither understand nor feel if the greatest matters would work with them we should awake them if the sweetest things would work we should intice them if the most dreadful things would work we should affright them if truth and certainty would take with them we should soon convince them if the God that made them and the Christ that bought them might be heard the case would soon be altered with them if Scripture might be heard we should soon prevail if the best and strongest reason might be heard we should speedily convince them if experience might be heard even their own experience the matter would soon be mended yea if the conscience within them might be heard the case would soon be better with them than it is but if the dreadful God of Heaven be slighted who then shall be regarded If the blood of a Redeemer be made slight of what then shall be valued If the joyes of Heaven is not worth the desiring and the torments of Hell the avoiding what shall we do for such souls as these c Now if after all these and the like means Man will not turn it is not long of God that they are not converted but of themselves so that Mans destruction is of himself James 1. 15. So earnest is God for the conversion of sinners that he doubleth his commands and exhortations Turn ye turn ye why will ye dy Ezek. 33. 11. Again it is the promise of God that the wicked shall live if they will but turn nay the Lord hath confirmed it to us by an oath That he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked See the forementioned place Ezek. 33. 11. Nay farther the Lord condescendeth to reason the cause with all unconverted sinners as to ask them why they will dy in their sinnes See the forementioned place Ezek. 33. 11. Compared with 2 Pet. 3. 9. The Lord is long-suffering not willing that any should perish c. Some of the principal hinderances of Conversion 1. The first Hindrance is ignorance both of their own misery and Gods mercy the kingdome of Satan is a kingdome of darkness and himself the ruler of darkness and the mist and blackness of darkness is reserved to him and his servants for ever Jude 6 13. compared with John 3. 19. this is condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light So that if the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them but those that are converted can truly say we were once darkness but now we are light in the Lord Ephes 5. 8. 2. Hindrance of conversion is men think it to be either an easie work or a

both unable and unwilling to help himself out of this miserable estate 20 21 There is a fourfold Change and but one saving Change 1. a Moral 2. a Partial 3. a Formal 4. a Spiritual Change 16 to 26 The preparations and qualifications that we are to find in our selves before we lay hold on Christ and the promises 26 27 How Conversion Regeneration Vocation and Repentance agree or differ 28 29 Of the way step by step wherein the Lord doth lead a Soul out of a state of Nature into a state of Grace 29 1. The first step to Conversion is Illumination 29 30 2. The second step is Vocation which is accompanyed with 1. The Faith of Assent 2. Repentance 3. Conversion 4. Regeneration 35 36 37 3. The third step to Conversion is to trust or believe which is accompanied with 1. A looking unto him 2. A comming unto him 3. A receiving of him 4. Laying hold on him 37 to 43 4. The next step for the carrying on and compleating this blessed work there is dropped into the Soul the Spirit of prayer which causeth the Soul chiefly to pray for these three things 1. For more Illumination 2. For pardoning Mercy 3. For purging Mercy 45 46 5. The fifth and last step that I shall name is this the Lord doth cause the Soul secretly to give it self up and surrender all the supposed interest that it had in its self to God that made him and Christ that bought him 49 50 Of Grace-begetting and Soul-converting Ordinances which are 1. Hearing the word preached 2. Reading the Scriptures 3. Frequent and e●●nest prayer 51 to 54 2 Dwell much upon Grace-breeding and Soul-converting promises 54 to 57 3. Frequent the company of Grace-begetting and Soul-converting companions 57 58 59 4. Call to mind and meditate upon Grace-begetting considerations viz. 1. Consider what Christ hath done for us 2. Consider how God hath dealt with other sinners 3. Consider what relation thou hast to him 4. Consider what engagements you have from God 59 to 62 5. Consider in whose name you come before him ibid. 5. Means to gather and treasure up a stock of Grace-begetting and Soul-converting experiences 62 63 64 65 Of the means to be used that is more especially appointed for the confirming sealing and assuring the Soul of Salvation In the use of means take these four cautions 1. Be sure they be means of Gods own appointment 2. It is not the means alone but Gods blessing upon the means that doth help us 3. His Blessing is not dispenced so much according to the means as according to the uprightness of the heart in the use of them 4. Yet we are to wait upon God in the use of means as it is Gods way of Conveyance c. 65 to 73 The want of Conversion is not in God but in our selves 73 74 75 76. Some of the principal hinderances of Conversion 1. Ignorance of our own misery and Gods mercy 2. Men think it to be either a needless or an easie work 3. A total neglect or careless use of means 4. Mens not considering the joyes of Heaven and the torments of Hell 5. False conceits of themselves 6. Too deep a familiarity with bad company 7. Ignorance of the grounds and princ●ples of the Christian Religion 8. And last hinderance is delay 76 to 81 Of the sad condition of all that are not converted 81 Of the privileges and benefits of all that are converted 82 83 1. They are Chists Servants 2. They are his Friends 3. His Brethren 4. His Jewels 5. His Sons and Daughters 6. His Bride and Spouse 7. They are Co-heirs with Christ ibid. The tryals of Conversion by which a man may know whether he be converted yea or no. 83 84 1. He that is converted doth desire the word and means of Grace 2. He is willing to be made willing to do whatsoever the Lord doth cōmand him 3. He is brought unto an unfeigned hatred of the whole body of Sin 4. His greatest conflict is against in ward pollution 5. He mourns for the sins of of others and the want of more grace in himself 6. He doth delight to be speaking of those things which his heart hath taken in in the work of Conversion 7. He doth begin to keep a watch over his own heart 8. He makes Conscience of keeping every known Command 9. He is willing to put himself upon the tryal 10. He hath his Soul renewed in its faculties and vertues 85 86 Cerrain Objections answered which some out of weaknesse and others out of prejudice may be apt to make against the foregoing Discourse 100 The Objections or Queries that are clearly answered are as followeeh Q. IF a people or a person refuse to imbrace the Doctrine and practise the Discipline of the true Religion whether they are not to be forced to receive the one and practise the other yea or no 100 Q. Whether liberty of Conscience be as some say a cursed tolleration or of Divine institution yea or no 101 Q. What is or ought to be the ground of Communion and Fellowship in the Church of Christ 102 Q. Whether there be any preparatory work required of men and women before Conversion and is so what it is ibid. Q. Whether there be not a free will remaining in all the posterity of Adam yea or no 103 Q. Whether Adam by his fall did totally lose every good thing that there was in him yea or no ibid. Q. How came the sin of Adam being but one to become the sin of so many yea of all mankind 104 Q. How could Christ being but one make satisfaction for the sins of so many ibid. Q. What are we to understand by election and reprobation which so many contend about 105 Q. Whether Election be the cause of Salvation and Reprobation the cause of Damnation yea or no 106 Q. Whether Christ hath dyed and tasted death for every man yea or no ibid. Q. How can they have hope to believe whom God hath decreed shall not believe 107 Q. Why doth the most just and righteous God command all men to believe and promise salvation to them that doe believe and threaten damnation to all that doe not seeing it is not in man● power to believe 108 Q. Whether there be not a Light in every man which if improved and walkt up to would lead us to the Gate of Heaven if not into Heaven yea or no 109 Q. How doth it plainly appear that our Acceptation and Salvation is only of Grace and nothing else 111 Q. If Salvation be only of Grace without works in what respect are good works necessary 111 to 116 Q. How shall a man be able to do what is required seeing he is not sufficient of himself so much as to think a good thought 116 119 Q. What is or who is the Object of Faith 120 121 Q. What encouragements or grounds are there to provoke or perswade a people to believe in God 122 124 Q.

acceptation there are promises to settle us when we are wavering and to support us when we are falling and to recall us when we are wandering and to comfort us when we are fainting surely as the lamp liveth upon the oyle and a child upon the breast so doth faith upon the promises All these and such-like promises are reduceable to these two heads either absolute or conditional promises The conditional promises runnes thus Believe and thou shall be saved John 3. 16. Repent and thy sinnes shall be forgiven thee The absolute promises are such as are without condition or such wherein the Lord hath promised to give the condition I will be merciful to your unrighteousness and your sinnes and iniquities I will remember no more Heb. 8. 12. So Isa 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy sinnes for mine own sake c. These and such absolute promises are Grace-breeding or Faith-begetting promises To these promises we must go for faith to the conditional promises we must bring faith without which we cannot apply them but to the absolute promises we are not to bring our penny to the promises but go to them as to the means of working faith in us such promises as these Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Ezek. 36. 25. I will sprinkle water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthiness vers 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you Vers 27. And cause you to walk in my wayes Heb. 8. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities I will remember no more Now let the Reader take one promise and charge that upon the heart and if the heart be stubborn and will not yield then take another and if that will not do take another and lay that home upon the heart and never leave this work till you have gotten at least some small measure of faith viz If thou dost doubt and canst not believe the pardon of thy sinnes then take this promise and charge it upon the heart Isa 43. 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sinnes If the heart remain stubborn and will not yield then take another promise and charge that upon the heart Mich. 7. 18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of his people he reteineth not his anger for ever because be delighteth in mercy he will subdue our iniquities and cast all our sinnes into the depth of the Seas Now if the heart will not yield to believe this then take that portion of Scripture 1 Pet. 2. 24. and bring it to the 53. of Isaiah that whole Chapter and charge that upon the heart and there thou shalt finde that our sinnes were laid upon Christ and the stripes due unto us for them by which the Father is satisfied the Law fulfilled and by his stripes we are healed Let us then believe and apply this and we are saved wherefore live much in the haven of the promises feed upon the freeness sweetness and fatness thereof c. God hath so far condescended to our weakness for our establishment that he hath not only given us his promise but promise upon promise and assured us by the mouth of all his Prophets and Apostles yea and Christ himself that he is faithful mindful able and willing and to this he gives us his covenant his oath and his seale and all to assure us he will never faile nor forsake us but make good every tittle of his promise to us How then can we look so many sweet promises in the face and harbour so many misgivings in our hearts 3. The next meanes followeth frequent the Company of Grace-begetting and Soul-converting companions where we shall hear how God hath wrought grace in them and how the Lord doth usually work upon the hearts of unbeleivers as a man that cometh into a shop of perfumes will carry away some of the sent with him so we with conversing with the godly shall be the better Pro. 13. 20. he that walketh with wise men shall be wiser but a companion of fools shall be destroyed vaine talk and vaine practises inticeth the minds of men to vanity the noyse of their foolish laughter and ungodly discourse will drown the voice of conscience remember grace is hardly got and hardly kept and more hardly increased in such company Prov. 10. 20. 21. The tongue of the just is as choice Silver but the heart of the wicked is little worth the lipps of the righteous feed many but the foolish die for want of knowledge Prov. 14. 7. Goe from the presence of foolish men when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledg Oh why should we not strive to live among those companions on earth that we must live with in heaven if ever we come there Nicodemus came to Jesus for counsel and Christ thereupon did give him advise in the great work of the new birth So Math 19. 16. Another came and inquired what he should do to be saved so the Eunuch desires instruction of Philip Acts. 8. and Paul of Ananias Acts. 9. 12. 13 17. and Cornelius inquired of Peter so the Jews that were pricked at heart askt Peter and the rest of the Apostles what they should doe to be saved Acts 2 37. and the saylor asked Paul and Silas what he should doe to be saved To close up this point consider this that a man never goes in the company of wicked men but he comes away less a Christian then he was before Joseph by this began to swear by th● life of Pharaoh and Peter being in bad company but a little began to swear and lye in one breath therefore let us resolve with David Psal 119. 63. to be a companion of all them that fear the Lord and keep his statutes c. Let us then if it be possible frequent the company of the most sober serious spiritual heavenly professors that will be drawing us heaven-ward and opening to us the riches freenesse fulness and everlastingness of God the Fathers and of the Sonnes love and of the Holy Ghosts love one Lord blessed for ever 4. The next means for the begetting of grace and converting the soul may be this let us meditate upon and call to minde grace-begetting considerations which may be reduceable to these few heads 1. Consider what Christ hath done for us 2. Consider how God hath dealt with other sinners as bad as we are 3. Consider what relation we have to him 4. Consider what engagements we have from him 5. Consider in whose name we come before him 1. Let us consider what Christ hath done for us Viz. 1. Christ by the will of God gave himself a ransom for our sinnes a sacrifice of a sweet smelling favour acceptable