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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	apostle_n	lay_v	zion_n	32	3	8.9834	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02741	Tvvo treatises I. The purchase of Grace, shewing the excellency of Christ, and the graces of his spirit. II. The soules delight in Gods tabernacles, shewing the excellency of time, spent in duties of God's solemne service. Instances in the chiefe, viz. prayer, word, and sacraments. Motives and directions for right performance. Lastly, the chiefe usurpers of time discovered, with apt remedies against each of them. The contents of the booke are methodically exprest in the margent, which to the diligent reader may serve instead of a table. By William Harrison, Mr. of Arts, and minister of the Gospell at Canwicke neare Lincolne.	Harrison, William, minister at Canwick.	1639 (1639)	STC 12871; ESTC S103879	208,196	400

Christ. First of the first of these sc. this That Christ Iesus and his merits together with the saving graces of his Spirit are fitly resembled unto gold yea gold tryed in the fire Hereupon it is that the Tabernacle and the Temple were both so adorned with gold because they were the Types of our Saviour and the graces of his Spirit Exod. 37. 6. 1 King 7. 48. There was the Table of gold and the Altar of gold and the Bowles and the Tongs and the Snuffers all of pure gold c. And why all this but to teach us that Christ and the graces of his Spirit are fitly resembled to gold Marke the answer of Christ's Spouse to the daughters of Jerusalem Cant. 5. when they asked What is thy beloved more than another beloved observe her answer Ver. 10. My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of tenne thousand Ver. 11. His head is as the most fine gold He is like unto most fine gold yea gold tryed in the fire So the Church cloathed with the merits of Christ and adorned with the graces of his Spirit is covered as it were with cloth of gold Vpon thy right hand did stand the Queene in gold of Ophyr saith the Text Psal. 45. 9. that is cloathed with Christ and the graces of his Spirit which are pure and precious like the gold of Ophyr And so againe Ver. 13. The Kings Daughter is all glorious within that is the Church is glorious in Gods account Her cloathing is of wrought gold this is very direct Now the Reasons of the poynt might be many I will but instance in some few of many Gold tryed in the fire is very precious of great worth and value so is Christ even in his lowest estate when he seemeth most despicable and worthles yet is he even then most precious disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious sayth the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 4. and v. 6. Behold I lay in Sion a chiefe corner stone elect and precious though the Jewish builders rejected this Stone yet was he exceeding precious in Gods account And as Christ himselfe is precious so are the graces of his Spirit such as wisdome and knowledge and faith and love c. these are precious jewels and therefore fitly resembled unto gold See what the holy Ghost sayth of Wisedome Pro. 3. 13 14. Happie is the man that findeth Wisdome and the man that getteth understanding for the merchandise thereof is better then the merchandise of silver and the gaine thereof is better then fine gold shee is more precious then Rubies c. See here the precious nature of spirituall and heavenly Wisdome The like may be said of faith and other graces Hence that phrase of precious faith To all that have obtained like precious faith with us sayth the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 1. If you aske how precious this grace is He answereth That the tryall of our faith is much more precious then of gold that perisheth 1 Pet. 1. 7. Secondly Gold is of especiall use to pay debts to keepe or redeeme out of prison so are the merits and blood of Christ they redeeme us from hell and death yee are bought with a price sayth the Apostle 2 Cor. 6. 19 20. What price not silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lambe without spot 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. Of him are yee in Christ Jesus sayth the Apostle 1 Cor. 1. 30. Who of God is made unto us wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption O golden Christ by the helpe of whose merits we pay the Debts which we owe to our heavenly Father yea by this gold are we redeemed and set at libertie from the prison of hell and from the bondage and slavery of sinne and Sathan Thirdly Gold tryed in the fire is very pure and cleane there is no drosse left in it so is Christ pure as well as precious so are the graces of Gods Spirit true grace is pure grace pure faith or faith unfained pure love without dissembling sincere or pure truth without hypocrisie 1 Tim. 1. 5. Now the end of the Commandement is charitie or love out of a pure heart and a good or pure conscience and faith unfained faith without mixture that is pure faith such faith and love are golden graces indeed Let love be without dissimulation sayth the Apostle Rom. 12. 9. there is pure love indeed it is an excellent place 1 Pet. 1. 22. Seeing that yee have purified your soules in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfained love of the brethren see that yee love one another with a pure heart fervently here is pure gold indeed wrought by the pure Spirit of God there is the Authour of it in obeying the truth there is the instrumentall meanes of it pure and unfained loue out of a pure heart there is the fruit of it Fourthly Gold tryed in the fire is fit for purchase it commandeth what the earth can affoord so doe Christ and his merits and graces they doe purchase Heaven for us Heaven is an inheritance and given freely in respect of any merits of ours but merited and purchased for us by Christ He is our great purchaser He purchaseth Heaven for us and in our name and is gone to take possession for us and to prepare a place for us there He purchased it for us by his merits hence that phrase Ephes. 1. 14. Vntill the Redemption of the purchased pessession sayth the Apostle And when he had purchased it for us He went to possesse it and prepare a place for us Joh. 16. 3. I goe to prepare a place for you So that a man interested in Christs merits and adorned with his graces is fit to make a purchase of Heaven So that Christ and his merits are in this respect also fitly resembled unto gold they make a golden purchase or purchase a golden place in Heaven for us Fifthly Gold is of an excellent use for ornament and beautie as well as for purchase and profit thus the Tabernacle and Temple were adorned with gold to make them glorious and beautifull so is the Church by the merits and graces of Christ become a glorious Church Psal. 45. 13. The Kings daughter is all glorious within How cometh that to passe Surely by the gold of Christs merits and graces for it followeth Her cloathing is of wrought gold there is her chiefe ornament so doe the graces of Gods Spirit they doe even adorne us in Gods account faith and love and meeknesse O woman great is thy faith Mat. 15. 28. there is her ornament I have not found so great faith no not in Israel sayth our Saviour Mat. 8. 10. there is the Centurions ornament so of Abraham faithfull Abraham a man strong in the faith and gave glory to God Rom. 4. 20. Golden Abraham there is his ornament Moses the meekest man upon earth Numb 12. 3. Now the man Moses was very meeke

judging of the state and condition of his heart towards God So that yee see the worke is exceeding difficult yea see an experiment of this in this Church of Laodicea Revelations 3. what she thought of her selfe is evident Verse 17. Because thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked this is the condition of many a poore soule in the world On the other side many an one thinketh farre worse of himselfe then there is cause how many a sincere heart doth deepely charge it selfe with hypocrisie and thinketh himselfe to be a very beggar or a bankrupt in respect of any gold of true grace None so apt to complaine of the want of true grace as hee that hath the greatest measure at least he that hath good store in sincerity And the reason of this difficulty is partly the devils cunning and partly the deceitfulnesse of our owne hearts these are two notable juglers and they often concurre to deceive all sorts of people in this case Besides grace is a very secret thing it is very rare and precious he is a man of a thousand that hath it Saint Peter calleth it The hid man of the heart 1 Peter 3. 4. And a treasure hid in the field Matth. 13. 44. Gold while it is in the Oare is not so easily discerned untill it bee melted so is true grace but corruption is manifest especially to such as have true saving grace therefore saith the Apostle Galathians 5. 19. The workes of the flesh are manifest But when hee speakes of the fruits of the Spirit verse 22. hee saith no such thing of their manifestation but onely describeth what they are So that an humble Christian especially in case of temptation or some spirituall desertion hath such an eye to his corruptions is so intent upon them that he discerneth not the worke of grace in his owne heart which to the judicious eye of another is very manifest hee seeth so great an heape of Chaffe in his soule that hee thinketh the graine of true grace is wholly absent because it is hidden hee seeth such a great heape of Ashes in his heart that hee thinketh the fire of true grace is utterly extinguished and gone See an experiment of both these in the Pharisee and the Publican Luke 18. 11. c. what a rich man was hee in his owne conceit But the Publican how poore was he in his owne opinion he could see in himselfe nothing but s●●ne and corruption and therefore hee cryeth out ver 13. ô God bee mercifull to mee a sinner as if hee had said ô Lord I am a sinner a very grievous sinner nothing but a very lumpe of sinne a fardle of corruption and if thou bee not mercifull unto mee I shall perish for ever But what is the opinion of our Saviour as touching both these that yee shall see verse 14. I tell you this man that is the Publican went downe to his house justified rather than the other that is but not the other Besides there is another thing that maketh it so exceeding difficult that is that there is such a deale of counterfeit grace in the world as yee know there is much counterfeit gold in the world and that so like true gold that it cannot be discerned untill it come to bee melted so there is a great deale of counterfeit knowledge and faith and obedience which cannot be well discerned untill it come to the melting in the fire of affliction the Formalist commeth so neare to the state of grace that he is tryed onely in time of temptation as our Saviour intimateth Matthew 13. 21. For when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word by and by hee is offended yea this is the only way to try them as the Lord himselfe seemeth to intimate Jer. 9. 7. Behold I will melt them and try them for how shall I doe for the daughter of my people I will try them by melting of them If wee see a serving man follow two Gentlemen it is hard to say whose man hee is untill they part so while the Gospell and prosperity goe together it is hard to know which of these we serve untill they part as in time of persecution then hee that cleaveth to a naked Christ a naked persecuted Gospell hee is the man that hath true grace indeed This maketh it to bee so exceeding difficult for a man to be sure that he hath true grace because there is so much counterfeit grace and Copper-gold in the world There is a knowledge that puffeth up which a man may have in abundance and yet be without charity and saving grace 1 Cor. 13. 2. Counterfeit faith as Simon Magus had Acts 8. and yet an hypocrite Counterfeit sorrow for sinne and repentance such as Cain and Saul and Ahab and Iudas had and yet was but the sorrow of the world causing death And so for love and feare and joy and the like Yea which is most strange it is possible for a man to have a kinde of integrity and innocency and yet bee destitute of true saving grace for all that as Abimelech and Paul before his conversion 1. For Abimelech when God told him that hee was but a dead man because of Sarah because shee was another mans wife what saith he to God in that case Genesis 20. 5. In the integrity of my heart and Innocencie of my hands have I done this yea the Lord himselfe granteth it verse 6. Yea I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart that is his heart was upright thus farre that what hee did hee did it ignorantly and through mistake for hee confessed that hee knew adultery to bee so hainous a sinne that hee would not have taken her if hee had knowne shee had beene Abraham's wife but indeed Abraham was chiefely to blame in saying at best by way of concealement that She was his Sister So see what Paul saith of himselfe Acts 23. 1. I have lived in all good Conscience untill this day How could that be considering that hee had beene such a furious persecutor and one that even breathed out threatnings and slaughter against the servants of God Yes sure because alas all this hee did it ignorantly in unbeliefe 1 Tim. 1. Hee did not know them to be the Saints of God but he thought them to bee a Sect that was every where persecuted and spoken against and therefore hee thought it was his duty to doe what hee did in that case as appeareth Acts 26. 9. I also my selfe thought that I ought to doe many things contrary to the Name of Iesus of Nazareth so that thus far his heart was alwayes upright that he thought even in persecuting and kil●ing the Saints that hee did God service as our Saviour foretold Iohn 16. 3. And therefore in this regard also it must need be exceeding difficult

he trusted here is the excellency of the Word preached So observe another testimony to this purpose which sheweth the excellency of this Ordinance Heb. 4. 12. For the Word of God is quicke and powerfull and sharper then any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soule and spirit This sword of the Spirit is a most excellent Ordinance of God it is a speciall Shield to defend us against the fury of all our spirituall enemies See the Apostles testimony for this Ephes. 6. 16. Take the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God See how our blessed Saviour with this put Sathan to flight Mat. 4. Scriptum est this was his weapon and see the conclusion ver 11. Then the Devill left him This sword will pierce the very ●●ead of that great Leviathan Oh how we should love it if this was rightly considered Thirdly and lastly Consider the singular use and benefit of Gods Ordinances in regard of us Give me leave to instance in one of Gods Ordinances sc. the Word preached Certainly the utilitie of it is extraordinarie if it be well considered observe it I beseech you and see in some particulars First The Word preached is the Word of life the meanes to quicken a dead soule It is the meanes both to beget and to preserve spirituall life in the soule of a Christian Psal. 119. 50. This is my comfort in mine affliction for thy Word hath quickened me We are by nature all dead in trespasses and sinnes Eph. 2. 1. Now the Word faithfully preached is the meanes to revive and raise us up unto newnesse of life Ioh. 5. 25. Verely I say unto you sayth our Saviour the houre is comming and now is when the dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall live See here the meanes to revive and quicken our dead soules Oh therefore let us love the Word even as we love our life Pro. 8. 35. He that findeth me findeth life and shall obtaine favour of the Lord Oh the worth of life Life is sweet especially spirituall yea naturall life is very deare unto us Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath will he give for his life sayth the Text Job 2. 4. Now the Word of God faithfully preached is our very life Pro. 4. 13. Take fast hold of Instruction let her not goe keepe her for shee is thy life sayth the Wise-man How can we choose but love the Word if we consider this Secondly Because life it selfe without health is but a burthen rather then any benefit A sicke man is even weary of his life so was Iob in his extremitie My soule is weary of my life Iob 10. 1. sc. for want of health Therefore in the second place the Word of God is health as well as life to them that truely embrace it My Sonne attend to my words sayth Salomon Pro. 4. 20. Why so See the worth of them sc. Ver. 22. For they are life unto those that finde them and health unto all their flesh Life is a sweet thing if it be accompanied with health so Pro. 3. 8. It shall be health to thy navell and marrow to thy bones Health is a most precious Iewell and therefore the Word which is the meanes to beget and preserve it must needs be precious Thirdly But what is life and health without comfort And therefore in the third place the Word preached is the chiefe meanes of comfort that we doe enjoy This is our chiefe support and consolation next under God himselfe Psal. 119. 92. Vnlesse thy Law had beene my delight I should have perished in my affliction The Word preached is the Word of comfort proceeding from the God of all comfort 1 Cor. 1. 3. which is able to comfort us in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort others with the same comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God Yea the holy Word of God is both written and preached to this end and purpose 1. It is written to this end Rom. 15. 4. Whatsoever is written aforetime is written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Yea secondly This is one end of preaching Isa. 40. 1. Comfort ye comfort yee my people sayth your God speake comfortably to Jerusalem Hence also is that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. 3. when shewing the excellency of preaching he giveth this for one of the chiefe reasons of his Encomium But he that prophesieth speaketh to men unto edification and exhortation and comfort He that preacheth aright preacheth to the comfort of Gods people Indeed as for the wicked of the world here is no comfort for them they must goe to the world for comfort for the Word hath none for them it is the terror of the Lord to torment them before the time but to the godly and such as are religious it is to them a Word of strong consolation yea the very joy and rejoycing of their heart sayth Ier. 15. 16. This was Davids comfort Psal. 119. 50. This is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickened mee And indeed what greater comfort then for a condemned man to heare of a pardon Men in a desperate condition to heare of a Saviour Joh. 5. 39. Search the Scriptures for they are they that testifie of me sayth our Saviour himselfe What greater comfort The Scriptures tell us of the gracious readinesse of God to be reconciled to poore sinners 2 Cor. 5. 20. We are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us and we pray you in Christs stead to be reconciled to God The Word assureth us that upon our repentance our sinnes are forgiven us Ezech. 18. 21. which is one of the chiefe grounds of comfort that can be propounded Thus Christ comforted the poore Palsie-man Mat. 9. 2. Sonne be of good cheare thy sinnes are forgiven thee Men may seeme but can never be truely chearfull in the want of this favour Thus also would our Saviour comfort the poore weeping penitent Luk. 7. 48. Thy sinnes are forgiven thee He knew she could receive no better ground of comfort So when God would have his people comforted Isa. 40. 1. see what direction he giveth to that purpose Comfort ye my people Comfort ye Jerusalem How Tell her that her iniquities are pardoned c. As if he had said If any thing will affoord her comfort that will doe it Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered Psal. 32. 1 2. He that is assured of happinesse may well be comforted Yea the Word preached is the glad tydings of Salvation it doth assure us of our interest in Christ and that He is made of God unto us Wisedome and Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. As also that Christ with all his merits doe properly belong unto us 1 Cor. 3. 21 22

23. All is yours whether it be Paul or Apollos c. all is yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods Now what greater comfort So that ye see that the Word faithfully preached is the Word of comfort and therefore wee have reason to love it in that regard Fourthly Because carnall or worldly comfort is little worth therefore in the fourth place the Word preached is the best meanes of spirituall comfort gracious and heavenly consolation Hereupon it is called the Grace of God Titus 2. 11. And the Word of 〈◊〉 Grace Act. ●0 32. And the ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 8. It is the Instrument that the Spirit of God useth to worke grace in the hearts of Gods people It is the ministery of reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 18. Yea the Word of regeneration Iam. 1. 18. Of his owne will begate he us with the Word of Truth sayth the Apostle It is the immortall s●ede of our new birth 1 Pet. 1. 23. yea the chiefe meanes of our Conversion Psal. 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule Yea it is the chiefe meanes of our Sanctification Psal. 119. 9. Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his way c Ioh 15. 3. Now are yee cleane through the Word that I have spoken unto you sayth our Saviour and Ioh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them with thy Truth thy Word is Truth Loe the chiefe Instrument of our Sanctification Yea as God himselfe is the God of all grace so is his Word the Word of all grace for what grace of the Spirit is it that is not usually begotten in us by the Word whether knowledge or faith or repentance or the feare of God c. 1. Out of question it is the chiefe meanes of knowledge and wisedome and understanding in the things of God See it in Davids example Psal. 119. 98. Thou through thy Commandements hast made me wiser then mine enemies for they are ever with me Ver. 99. I have more understanding then all my teachers for thy Testimonies are my meditation Ver. 100. I understand more then the Ancient because I keepe thy precepts Then for faith the Word is the meanes to beget and preserve that for it is the Word of faith Rom. 10. 8. And the Apostles conclusion is Ver. 17. So Then faith commeth by hearing and hearing of the Word of God And then for the feare of God another excellent grace of the Spirit the Word of God is the chiefe meanes to beget that Deut. 17. 19. Where it is said of the King that he shall write him a copie of the booke of the Law and reade in it all the dayes of his life Why so That he may learne to feare the Lord his God and to keepe all the words of this Law Yea this is the end of our publike meeting to heare the Word faithfully preached all both old and young must come to heare it Deut. 31. 12. Gather the people together men and women and children and the stranger that is within thy gates All sorts must constantly frequent the Church assemblies and depend upon the ministery of the Word Why so That they may heare and that they may learne and feare the Lord your God and observe to doe all the words of this Law The true feare of GOD must be learned out of the Booke of GOD and hearing the Word preached is the means to attaine thereunto The like might easily be shewed of sundry other graces But this is not all the Word preached is not onely the meanes to beget the graces of Gods Spirit in us but to encrease them also Observe it 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new borne Babes desi●e yee the sincere milke of the Word that yee may grow thereby sayth the Apostle So that the ministery of the Word is not onely the seede of our new birth but also the chiefe means of our encrease and growth in Grace yea it will still build us up farther untill we come to perfection Act. 20. 32. And now brethren I commend you to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build you up farther and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified Oh precious Word and well worthy of all high esteeme that is able to build us up in grace farther and farther untill wee come to perfection How can we choose but love the Word exceedingly and delight to spend much time in it if we seriously consider how usefull it is unto us also in this respect Fifthly and lastly The Word preached is not onely the chiefe meanes of spirituall life and comfort but of our eternall happinesse and salvation It is not onely the Word of grace but of glory too and of salvation Romans 1. 16. I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ saith the Apostle Why so Because how simple or despicable so ever it may seeme in it selfe yet it is the power of God through faith unto salvation a foolish thing indeed it is in the eye of flesh and bloud and of carnall Reason but yet it pleaseth God even by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them which doe believe 1 Cor. 1. 21. Yea it is the Word of salvation so that he is farre from salvation that rejects it Psalm 119. 155. Yea it is the Word of eternall life and therefore he that thrusteth it from him doth judge himselfe unworthy of eternall life See two direct Testimonies for this the one is the speech of Peter to our Saviour Iohn 6. 68. Will ye also goe away saith our Saviour to his Disciples The Apostle Peter maketh answer Whither should we goe where shall wee thinke to mend our selves thou hast the words of eternall life And therefore he that rejecteth it and careth not to spend time in the hearing and reading and serious perusall of it doth even judge himselfe unworthy of everlasting life Acts 13. 46. saith the Apostle addressing his speech to the Iewes It was necessary that the Word of God should be first preached unto you the preaching of Gods Word is of necessary use in the Church of God but since that ye thrust it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life c. behold wee turne to the Gentiles Oh how readily and with what great affection would we receive the Word if this was rightly considered CHAP. X. Containing part of the fifth Direction c. FIfthly All that desire to spend much time in Gods service must follow that golden rule of the Apostle sc. of redeeming the time Redeeming the time because the dayes are evill saith the Apostle Ephes. 5. 16. Which rule he repeateth againe to the Colossians Colos. 4. 5. Now if you aske me From what wee must redeeme the time I answer from all such lets and impediments that will hinder this way There are diverse great consumers of precious time from which he must carefully redeeme it that would spend much time in Gods service I shall need to say

the lesse in this case in regard of that which I have already said as also in respect of a Treatise written to this purpose called The Redemption of time Yet because I would not leave the point imperfect I will briefly insist upon some few particulars 1. Therefore all men must very carefully and watchfully subdue and suppresse all those great mispenders of time which like so many gracelesse spend-thrifts doe wast and consume many precious houres and much golden time that was farre better spent in Gods worship and service which are especially sixe 1. Sinning 2. Sleeping 3. Carking and caring 4. Sporting or recreations with immoderate feasting 5. Foolish thinking 6. And lastly idle speaking which is usually a fruit of the former because Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh whereof some of these must bee mortified and put to death and others againe restrained and regulated or bound as it were to the good behaviour 1. The first and the worst and chiefe mispender of precious time is Sinning when we spend time in doing that which is directly naught as lying swearing drunkennesse wantonnesse and such like works of the flesh and of the Devill this is the worst spent time of all as being directly contrary to that which is spent in Gods service as I have already shewed in the first use of the point Now this thiefe is utterly to be mortified and put to death imprisoning or binding to the good behaviour will not serve the turne for indeed this is a desperate ruffian or swaggerer that is not capable of any good behaviour and therefore must needs be put to death and wholly suppressed We must endeavour as much as in us lyeth that wee spend no time in sinning but carefully mortifie the deeds of the body by the Spirit this is the Apostles rule Colossians 3. 1 2 5. If ye then be risen with Christ seeke those things which are above be heavenly minded set your affections upon things above Let your conversation be in heaven Phil. ● 30. But what course must wee take to this end That the Apostle sheweth verse 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth Where wee see this truth most clearely manifested that all that would spend much time in Gods service and holy performances must carefully mortifie their members here on earth and put sinfull lusts to death For this horrible thiefe and great mispender of precious time is like some mischievous person or desperate ruffian that flyeth in a mans face and will either kill or bee killed and therefore must needs be killed that hee doth not kill us for the wages of sinne is death Romans 6. 23. So that wee must either kill our corruptions or they will bring our sonles to death Rom. 8. 13. For if yee live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Where you see that our precious soules cannot live but by the death of our corruptions the life of the one is the death of the other as Ahab lost his owne life for preserving Benhadads Thy life shall goe for the life of him in 1 Kings 20. 42. so our soules must eternally perish if we suffer our corruptions to survive But how should we so mortifie our lusts that we may spend little or no time time in vicious courses and so consequently more time in Gods service An. 1. Let us diligently search that we may plainly discover and finde out that speciall sinne wherewith we have beene formerly most pestered It is impossible to execute a malefactor untill he be found out and apprehended diligent search is first made and Hue and cry sent after him to finde him out so wee must deale with those lusts wherein formerly wee have spent too much time Lamentations 3. 40. Let us search and try our wayes and turne to the Lord our God This was Davids practise Psalme 119. 59. I examined or considered or thought on mine owne wayes and turned my feete unto thy Testimonies yea because he knew his heart was deceitfull and fraudulent Ier. 17. 9. Hee doth beseech God to assist him in it and to doe it for him Psalme 26. 2. Examine me O Lord and prove me try my reines and my heart Like a man that heareth proclamation for the apprehension of such and such a Traytor hee not only searcheth his owne house himselfe but he setteth open the doore and intreateth the officer to enter and make what diligent search he can that if there be any traytor lurking there hee may bee found out and executed so David search me ô Lord examine my heart and house and see if there bee any sinfull lust there and let them bee all mortified To the same purpose is that we have Psal. 139. 23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Loe here was sincerity and this was the best way to finde out our most secret lusts and hidden corruptions O therefore let us not be strangers at home but examine our owne hearts as the Psalmi●● speaketh Psalme 4. 4. A sweet place for this purpose is that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whither yee bee in the faith or no prove your owne selves know you not your owne selves i. e. what an absurd thing is it for you to bee skilfull in others affaires and neglect your owne to know other men and not your owne selves what greater hypocrisie The Hypocrite is sharpe sighted abroad but blinde at home He can see a mote in the eye of another but doth not discerne the beame that is in his owne it is our Saviours character of an hypocrite Matthew 7. 5. But on the contrary the advise of the Apostle is excellent Galathians 6. 4. But let every owne prove his owne worke seeke to finde out his owne lusts then shall hee have rejoycing in himselfe and not in another Secondly When we have found out this waster and apprehended this Traytor then let us directly smite it with the two edged sword of the Spirit upon the head which is the Word of God a speciall part of a Christians armour and so much the more excellent in this case because it is a weapon both defensive and offensive Ephesians 6. 16. And take the Helmet of salvation and the Sword of the Spirit which is the Wo●d of God See what admirable worke our Saviour made with this spirituall weapon in the single combate that he had with Sathan hand to hand Matthew 4. Scriptum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 4. And againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verse 6. And see the event of this combate v. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then the Devill left him c. This put him utterly to flight And no marvell for the Word of God is quicke and powerfull