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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mind_n	line_n	page_n	read_v	1,636	5	9.6665	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89411	Several works of Mr. Iohn Murcot, that eminent and godly preacher of the Word, lately of a Church of Christ at Dublin in Ireland. Containing, I. Circumspect walking, on Eph. 5.15,16. II. The parable of the ten virgins, on Mat. 25. from ver. 1. to ver. 14. III. The sun of righteousness hath healing in his wings for sinners, on Mal. 4.2. IV. Christs willingness to receive humble sinners, on John 6.37. Together with his life and death. Published by Mr. Winter, Mr. Chambers, Mr. Eaton, Mr. Carryl, and Mr. Manton. With alphabetical tables, and a table of the Scriptures explained throughout the whole.	Murcot, John, 1625-1654.; Winter, Samuel, 1596?-1665.; Chambers, Robert, minister in Dublin.; Eaton, Samuel, 1506?-1665.; Manton, Thomas, 1620-1677.; Caryl, Joseph, 1602-1673.; J. G.	1657 (1657)	Wing M3083; Thomason E911_1; ESTC R202939	754,107	852

view beseeching the Father of Lights to bless and own it with like success and entertainment in the hearts of those that shall read it as he did when it was at first preached Remaining Christian Reader Thy friends in and for the Truths sake Samuel Winter Robert Chambers Christian Reader MY Design in these few lines to thee is not to commend the work that is here presented to thy view I suppose it will sufficiently commend it self And if it should be otherwise it is not I nor any other who by a bare testimony can add to the Merit of it For though I must ingenuously confess that since it was left with me I have not had time to read it exactly nor could I keep it longer in my hands to satisfie my self that way without some injury having been confined in my retaining of it with me to a certain time Yet so far as I read I have observed that with much satisfaction to my self which I judge may be acceptable to others both to instruct them as also to awaken quicken refresh comfort them so that those who are wise and will diligently observe what they read may be greatly edified thereby My intent is rather to speak of the man that precious servant of Jesus Christ Mr. Murcot who now is taken to his rest in that near Communion which he enjoyes with and in his blessed Head then of any particular work of his I first knew him when he lived in Wirral near Chester and there was reason that I should be familiarly acquainted with him at that time both because he was Preacher at a place and also to a people there to many of whom my self in former times stood related till the violence of the then prevailing Prelates expulsed me thence and also because he took to wife from among us Mrs. Hester Marsden well reputed of by us and who now survives him a serious Mourner under the heavy loss of him He was while he lived there the glory of that Countrey A very quick and lively and powerful Preacher he was and mighty in prayer Eminent for piety gravity and holy innocency warming and heating the hearts of the Saints by his doctrine and life a considerable part whereof he spent in holy Communion with them And over-awing and silencing the rest of men where he lived by his wise grave and harmless conversation Dearly loved he was by some and greatly reverenced by others But in Ireland especially in the chief City thereof Dublin to which place he went when he left Wirrall and where he ended his daies he became like Jonah his Gourd he sprung up as it were in a night his growth was wonderful in that place he filled that City I may say in some sense that Land with his shadow his fame went abroad through the whole Countrey and reached to many parts of this Nation also And when the Providence of the Lord carried me over thither which was about twelve moneths since and about six moneths after he had finished his course though my stay there was but for a little moment yet I met with the sweet savour of his precious name which was like an oyntment poured forth in all places where I travelled God was doubtless very remarkably with him for a great work was done by him in a short time as it is clearly witnessed by all good people that live there He spake the Word of God as one who was much with God and indeed he had alwaies much inward close Communion with God in secret before he revealed any thing of him or from him openly He studied the peoples distempers and found out that formality was the great epidemical disease among professors as indeed so it is every where in this declining age And he was wisely guided in the choice of such soul-searching Scriptures by which he might then separate the Sheep from the Goats the wise Virgins from the foolish which will be Christs work hereafter In a word for prolixity is not so suitable for one who now presents all upon report there being all the while he lived there a Sea betwixt him and me he was a most industrious vigilant Pastor and a most austere and self-observing Christian And this Crown of glory the Lord put upon him which few others have had the honour to wear he was like a rising Star ever to his death in a rising State increasing in spiritual height and stature every day and grew more eminent and excellent in his gifts graces labours usefulness and profitableness continually and he lived not to be at a stay much less to decline but when he was nearest heaven the Lord carried him thither He may be reckoned among the Lords Worthies of whom the world was not worthy The Lord hath taken him but his remembrance will not be so soon gone He will live while any that knew him shall live and afterwards also if the Lords blessing shall accompany the rehearsal of his life and death and his Sermons Printed in such sort as his blessing hath attended the passing and spending of his life and his dying and in the preaching of such Sermons All which were greatly sanctified to the people that beheld and heard them Now that it may be so shall be the earnest prayer of Thy real friend to serve thee in the Lord Sam. Eaton Christian READER I Never knew the Author of this Work in Person while he lived but being dead I know him by his Picture and that the Picture of his better and more noble part The first Part of this Book is formally so being a very exact draft of his whole Life and the image of his inner Man in all the Divine Colours Lights Lineaments and beauties of it Few men have found such a Pen●il to draw them and few Pencils have found such a man to draw He was but a little while in the world but he lived long else he had never yielded true Materials for so long a History of his Life The following Parts of the Book are vertually so I mean the Picture of his better Part or the image of his mind in which though dead he yet speaketh and breatheth through every Page and Line Truth and Holiness Zeal for God and Compassion to the Souls of men his own Tasts that the Lord is Gracious and ●is longing Desires to make others partake of the same Grace which himself had tasted Read the Book and therein you have the Soul of a faithful Minister of the Gospel copied out It is an amazing Providence to see many unprofitable Drones Idol Shepherds blind Guides Men whose Graces are not at all discernable in their lives and whose gifts are sapless Spiritless and upon the matter useless in their Ministery live to old age and wither upon the Stalk while others of shining Graces of lively Gifts and of unwearied Industry in the Lords Vineyard are cropt off in the very blooming and as soon as shewed to the world called out of it

circumspect conversation hereby is my Father glorified if ye bring forth much fruit Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your father which is in heaven hath he put so much honour upon all the Saints as to make them one with himself through his Son make them sons and daughters Kings and Princes in all lands heirs apparent to the Crown of glory and shall not we honour him Oh how sweet and comfortable a condition is it when the ways of God are well spoken of by reason of any of us and how uncomfortable when they are evil spoken of by reason of any of our uneven walking O be tender of the Name of God and be at some pains the more to look to your ways that he may be lifted up and exalted by you O therefore cut off hereby all occasions from them that seek occasion as the Apostle speaks of himself therefore he would abridge himself of his liberty somewhat and the Gospel is glorified much by such a circumspect walking an Art or Science is then honoured vvhen a man is perfect and exact in it so is the Gospel which teacheth this holy walking vvhen vve come up to it we honour the Rule vvhereby vve vvalk that shining speaks the beauty of the Rule that ye may a dorn the Gospel of Christ Fifthly You may by thismeans draw others to a liking of the vvays of God the beauty of holiness the more visible it is the more attractive vvhat maketh sinners think so vvell of their own condition and so meanly of Religion vvhen prest upon them they see nothing more in the Saints then in others they are as careless of thir steps make as many balks as others keep no stricter a vvatch over the door of their lips have no more command of their tongues then others there appears no more candor ingenu●ty self-denial then in others but visibly as griping covetous peevish revengeful as others this is not the way to vvin any this is the vvay to drive away the Roes and Harts that are looking towards a vvay of God but quickly frighted away What knowest thou O vvoman but thou maist by thy heavenly conversation strict circumspect vvalking gain thy husband and thou husband thy vvife and parents your children and children your parents and masters your servants and servants your masters and one neighbour may gain another and vvill not this add to the vveight of your crown O therefore I beseech you vvill you resolve upon it Now in the next place a vvord of Direction vvhat course to take alas vve are like children must be taught to go vve know not vvhat foot to set forward in this great vvork I shall therefore in the first place give you a vvord of direction First beg of God to mix this vvord vvith faith in your souls that you may believe it to be so great vveighty important a duty labour to get a heart sensible of your vvandrings uneven vvalkings how far you have been vvide of this narrow vvay both before and since you have vvalked Zion-ward and so to be humbled under them for you must here plough up before you plant your course will hardly hold if you set forward with a purpose to walk more exactly except you be sensible how great the evil of turning aside or loose walking hath been well then begin at the right end and see how you have it may be for a long time not only wandered from the way but loved to wander you have not only erred but you have erred in heart you have had the Law of error in your heart as the Saints have the Law of Christ in theirs and this indeed is the height of Rebellion and froward walking it is frowardness indeed this provoked the Lord to shut them out of Canaan yea he swear they should never enter and if it hath not been so with thee for this very cause O how should this abounding grace which hath made the difference melt thy heart to pieces before the Lord and that would be a good preparative to a circumspect walking for the future the Wormwood and the Gall remembred how evil a thing and bitter it is that you have so departed from the Lord and the straite path will be a notable help to keep you closer to him for the time to come Secondly Set your selves always as in his presence so the Psalmist did walk as in his sight if ever the Scholler will write exactly it is while his Master is looking on or the servant work exactly it is when the Masters eye is upon him O if we could but have our eye ever up to the Lord upon all occasions as the Psalmist speaks how circumspect would it make us the eye of a holy severe man how would it awe us we would not entertain such thoughts such ends as we do if men were but privy to them why now vve forget the Lord O therefore brethren be you vvith God abide with him in your hearts and conversations what ever they be and if we be vvith him he vvill be vvith us and this is the vvay to vvalk uprightly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in Noah his case and vvhen did David carry himself vvisely but vvhen the Lord was vvith him and this vvas the reason of it he set God before him and vvalked vvith God and God vvalked vvith him and that pre●ence vvill be sure to keep us in the vvay Thirdly Let the Word of God dwell richly in you in all vvisdom and understanding It is not enough to have the Scripture in your houses except you have the Word hid in your hearts that you might not sin against God vvithout light a man cannot discover the stumbling blocks or the turnings and vvindings of his way but it is a thousand to one but he misseth it a man cannot be an exact dealer if he have not the rules of his art or trade exactly men would be ignorant of nothing therein lest they should be over-reached and deceived and yet how contented are we to be ignorant here of much of Gods mind without which we cannot keep his way nor walk circumspectly I hope you do many of you study as well as read the Scriptures and hide it in your hearts for this end that you may be filled with a full assurance of understanding this is another how often do we step out of the way and know it not and how often do we stand pausing and lose much time when we should walk and work we are then to enquire and to learn and know not which way to turn to the right hand or the left and all because we have not our sences exercised by reason of use to discern between good and evil Fourthly If you would vvalk exactly or circumspectly you must often apply the Rule to your vvays to see what suitableness there is between them how they correspond it is not a