Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	faith_n	life_n	live_v	7,173	5	6.0759	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85208	The sacrifice of the faithfull. Or, A treatise shevving the nature, property, and efficacy of zealous prayer; together with some motives to prayer, and helps against discouragements in prayer. To which is added seven profitable sermons. 1. The misery of the Creature by the sinne of man, on Rom. 8. 22. 2. The Christians imitation of Christ, on Ioh. 2. 6. 3. The enmity of the wicked to the light of the Gospel, on John 3. 20. 4. Gods impartiality, on Esay 42. 24. 5. The great dignity of the saints, on Heb. 11. 28. 6. The time of Gods grace is limited, on Gen. 6. 3. 7. A sermon for spirituall mortification, on Col. 3. 5. / By William Fenner, minister of the Gospel Fellow of Pembrok Hall in Cambridge, and lecturer of Rochford in Essex.	Fenner, William, 1600-1640.; Stafford, John, fl. 1658, engraver.	1649 (1649)	Wing F699; Thomason E1241_1; ESTC R210449	136,683	333

ambitious and carnall thy passions are not christian Christ hath given a law to thy life that thy life may be holy therefore if thy life be not according to the Gospell of Christ thy life is not christian neither will Christ owne thee for his but will slay thee with curses as an enemy of his crosse and not as a follower of his death these mine enemies that will not that I should reigne over them saith Christ Luke 19. 27. Bring them hither and slay them before me Thou canst not looke for a Saviour to have mercy on thee if thou wilt not be ruled as a Disciple of Christ but thou shalt be damned in the presence of Christ Slay them before me saith Christ Christ Jesus which is the Saviour of the world will damme thee and see thee confounded before his face he himselfe will see thee in hell thou mayest cry for mercy and for the bloud of Christ yet if thou wilt not live as Christ lived but wilt rebell and sin against Christ Christ will see thee in hell and though he looke on thee yet he will destroy thee without mercy If ever thou beest in Christ thou must walke as Christ walked thou must be a Christian like to that good Martyr who to all demands answered that he was a Christian When they asked him what his name was he answered it was Christian his thoughts were Christian his words and actions Christian his countrey his hopes his aime all that ever he did they could get nothing out of him but all was Christian and so he gave testimony to the Lord Jesus So I tell thee thou must be a Christian all over a Christian in thy thoughts in thy words a Christian in thy calling and in all thy imployments being swayed by the Gospell of Christ or else thou art not in Christ The third reason is taken from the essentiall Reas 3 or rather from the integrall union that is between Christ and all these that are in Christ they are all members of his most gracious body Ye are the body of Christ and members in particular 1 Cor. 12. 27. now we know that all the members have the same life and are quickened by the same soule the soule is whole in the whole body and whole in every member of the body so if Christ be our head we are his members and the christian life of Christ must be diffused thorough us so that one man cannot be a drunkard another a worldling another an Epicure another a swearer another a whoremaster another a lyar another a lukewarmeling another a mocker another a vaine Jester another a man-pleaser and yet be a member of Christ All the members of Christ must have one life As in a mans body there be veines arteries and nerves that are the channells to convey life and motion and sence to every member that all the members may have the same life dispersed through the body So it is in the body of Christ every member of Christ hath fayth for his veines to convey the same life and the same spirits and the same gratious motions to all the body that it is not now the member that lives but Christ that lives in it Gal. 2. I live not saith the Apostle but Christ liveth in me As in the body it is not the eye that seeth if we speake properly but the man that seeth with the eye so it is not the knife that cuts but the man that cuts with the knife it is not the eare that heareth but the man that heareth with the eare so in the body of Christ it is no more the man that speaketh but the truth of Christ speaking in him We have the minde of Christ saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 16. if we be in Christ Christ thinks in us Christ speaks in us Christ walkes in us Christ doth all in us As in the same body the soule rules and quickens every member The body of Christ cannot be a monster like those Locusts spoken off Revel 9. 7. that had shapes like horses heads as it were like Crownes of gold and their faces like the faces of a man and had haire like women and teeth like Lyons this is a monster and not a simple body such a one cannot the body of Christ be a mocker for one member an ignorant sot for another an hypocrite for another a carnall gospeller for another a covetous worldling for another As in the body of a man every member in this mans body must be this mans member and not the member of another man As for example Peter must have Peters legs and not Simon Magus his legs Peter must have Peters eyes and not Alexanders eyes Peter must have Peters hands and not Judas hands you cannot take the eye of an Horse the leg of a Dog and the paw of a Beare and put them together and say here 's a man no this would be a monster every perfect body must have its own members So it is in the body of Christ every member in Christ his Body must have Christ his Members every member in a mans body acts with reason so every member of Christ acts with direction of Christ it is informed by Christ his minde is quickned by Christ his life so that a man cannot be a member of Christ but he must walke as Christ walked I know the best Christian may fall seven times a day though he be in Christ it doth not therefore follow that every particular action savours of Christ but as every member in the body lives the life of the whole body or else it is a dead member so thou must live the life of Christ or else thou canst never be saved You know that all the actions of a man are guided by reason yet there are some particular actions that he doth and not by reason as it may be he shakes his head or moves his hand and jogs his foote and considers not what he doth they are the actions of a reasonable man though not reasonable actions so there may be many actions that are the actions of Christians though not Christian actions The sinnes of the godly they are the actions of a Christian but they are not Christian actions there may be stoppings in the body though the same life and quickening runnes through the whole body yet through the stopping of the liver and the pipes distempers and ill humours may be raised in the body so it may be in the body of Christ and so many a Christian may fall through infirmity but the course of a Christian the life of a Christian the ordinary trade of a Christian the walke of a Christian is to live with the same spirit that lived in Christ to walke in the same way that Christ walked in The last reason is taken from the neere Reas 4 relation that is to be betweene Christ and every member of Christ They are not onely the Servants and Disciples of Christ but they are the

Answ It is spoken Hyperbolically to declare the great misery the creatures are into serve sinfull man p. 76. 2. Analogically in regard of a naturall instinct of blind reason that is in all the creatures ibid. 3. It is spoken by way of supposition if they had reason they would groane p. 77. 4. Intelligently because a man cannot wrong the creature but he wrongs God in the creature p. 78. 5. Specifically because the Godly come before God in the behalfe of all the creatures and mourne for the abuse of the creatures p. 79. Foure Reasons why the creatures groane 1. Because they are distracted in their service p. 80. 2. Because of the unprofitablenesse of their service p. 82. 3. Because of the uncessantnesse of their service p. 83. 4. Because of that misery and woe the creatures lye under p. 84. Every creature hath 1. A specificall end p. 85. 2. An ultimate end ibid. A wicked man hath no true right unto the creature p. 86. But he hath 1. A civill right ibid. 2. A providentiall right ibid. 3. A vindicative right p. 87. 4. A Creatures right as he is a creature ib. But he hath no filiall right no son-like right in Christ p. 89. Use To shew that wicked men have little cause to be merry at any time because there is nothing neare them but groaneth under them p. 90. All creatures groane to God for vengeance to be powred upon the wicked p. 92. And these groanes are 1. Upbraiding groanes p. 95. 2. Witnessing groanes p. 96. 3. Accusing groanes p. 100. 4. Judging and condemning groanes ibid. Use For exhortation 1. To take heed how we doe abuse the Creatures of God p. 101. 2. Take heed of sinning against God by the Creatures ibid. 3. Take heed of setting thy heart upon the Creature p. 102. 4. Use all the Creatures in humility and thankfulnesse p. 102. 5. Use the Creatures as so many Ladders to help thee to climb up towards Heaven p. 103. The Contents of that Sermon 1 JOHN 2. 6. THE opening of the words in foure particulars p. 108. Doct. A true Christian walks as Christ walked p. 109. A man must first be in Christ before he can walk as Christ walked p. 110. Object Can any man walk as Christ walked p. 111. Answ None can walk as Christ walked in regard of equality but in regard of similitude they may p. 111. The life of Christ should be the Example of our life p. 112. Christ came into the World to redeeme us for our justification and to be an example of life unto us for our sanctification p. 114. This Question answered viz. What it is to walke as Christ walked p. 116. Foure Reasons of the point 1. Because as Christ came into the World to justifie the ungodly so he came to conforme them to his image p. 117. 2. Because in vaine we are called Christians if we be not imitators of Christ and live as he lived p. 119. 3. Because all that are in Christ are Members of his body therefore they must have the same life and be quickned by the same Spirit p. 121. 4. Because of that neere relation that is betwixt Christ and every one of his Members p. 123. 1. Use To shew that all men that live not the life of Christ doe blaspheme the name of Christ p. 127. Of all sinnes under Heaven God cannot endure the sins of them that take the name of Christ upon them p. 198. Doct Every Minister is bound to preach home to men in particulars p. 132. 3. Reas 1. Particulars are most operative p. 133. 2. Particulars are most distinct and most powerfull p. 135. 3. Particulars are most sensible p. 137. Doct Every Minister is bound to preach so as to make a difference betwixt the pretious and the vile p. 138. Reas 1. Because otherwise a Minister prophanes the holy things of God p. 139. 2. Otherwise he cannot be the Minister of Christ p. 141. 3. Otherwise he is like to doe no good by his Ministery ibid. The Contents of that Sermon on JOHN 3. 20. THE Context opened in foure particulars 1. What mans naturall estate and condition is without Christ p. 145. 2. Gods gracious provision for mans salvation p. 146. 3. The condition required viz. Faith ibid. 4. The reprobation of the World if they doe not believe ibid. But Christ is neither the efficient nor deficient cause thereof ibid. But the cause of their damnation is from themselves proved 1 By their owne conscience p. 147. 2 By experience p. 148. 3. By Reason p. 149. In the words are two parts 1. The wickeds rejection of the word of grace ibid. 2. The cause of that rejection ib. viz. 1. First from the qualification of their persons 2. From the disposition of their nature ib. Doct A wicked man hates the word of Gods grace yea grace it selfe p. 150. This hatred is 1. An actuall hatred ibid. 2. It is a passion of the heart p. 151. 3. It causeth the heart to rise up against an union with the word p. 153. This union of the word is set in opposition 1. To generall preaching p. 154. 2. To mercifull preaching p. 155. 3. To now and then preaching p. 156. to p. 160. If the World doe not hate a righteous man it is either 1. Because he is a great man p. 160. 2. Because he is a man of admirable wit ●nd knowledge i●id 3. Or because God gives him favour in the eyes of the World ib. 4. This hatred causeth the heart to ris e against that which is repugnant to its lusts p. 162. A wicked man may love 3 kinds of preaching 1. Eloquent preaching that savours more of humanity then of Divinity ib. 2. Impertinent preaching p. 163. 3. Now and then some preaching to satisfie the cravings of his conscience p. 164. Reas 1. A wicked man hates the word because he hates all truth even the very being of the word p. 165. 2. Because he hates the very nature of the word p. 167. 3. Because he cannot endure the knowledge of the word p. 169. All naturall men hate the word 1. Because no entreaties no beseeches can possibly reconcile them p. 171. 2. Because neither mony nor price can make them friends p. 175. 3. Because all the love in the World cannot unite them together p. 176. 4. Because neither the love of God nor the bloud of Christ will soder them together p. 177. Every naturall man had rather be damned then leave his sinnes rather goe to Hell then be a new creature p. 178. The contents of that Sermon on ESAY 42. 24. THE words contain five things 1. The Author of the destruction p. 185. 2. The causes of it ibid. 3. The judgement it selfe p. 186. 4. The people on whom it was inflicted ibid. 5. The effects of it p. 187. 1. Doct. God is the Author of all judgement that befalls a Nation ibid. 1. Use For comfort to Gods children seeing God is the Orderer of all events p.

covetousnesse againe so that here sinne is not mortified but it is with these men as it was with Sampson all the while he was laide to sleepe the coardes and fetters held him but when they saide Sampson the Philistins are upon thee and awaked him out of his sleepe the Pinne and Webbe was not strong enough to hold him Thus it is with many men when temptations are downe and they are not provoked all this while they seeme to have their sinnes mortified and thus the devill is of a good temper when he is not stirred so it is with many whom you would thinke to be good Christians while the windes are downe and the stormes doe not beate but let them heare with Sampson that the Philistins are comming upon them that there is such a gaine such a profitt and reputation to be had in the eves of the world then all the Pinnes and Webbs are broken all their resolutions and all the strong coards of their former purposes are but as fire and towe they breake them all in peices so then they are but asleepe not mortified Secondly Sinne may be saide to be civilized when it is laide in a swound a man lying in a swound is dead for a while and you would thinke he could hardly be recovered for he can neither heare nor see nor goe nor speake and yet notwithstanding he is not dead onely his vitall heate is gone from his outward members unto the inward powers of the heart Even so a mans sinnes seeme to be dead when the spirit of his lust is conveighed into a higher lust as for example Suppose here is one that is a covetous worldling this man peradventure is very moderate and temperate he is not given to gaming dicing carding wenching he is not given to building or glorious apparell but what are these sinnes dead in him no but the strength of them is carried up into a higher lust for if he should follow whoring or gaming c. the lust of his covetousnesse would be curbed and his gaine would not come in with such a full Carreere unto him Now all these sinnes forenamed are but attendants and slaves unto this one lust so many men it may be will give over a thousand sinnes yea all except this one yet all those thousand sinnes are not mortified nay it may be he scarcely thinkes upon any of them Why because they are taken up with a higher lust Even so it is with many civill formall professors they will come to Church misse never a Sermon that they can come unto they will talke of heaven they will not omit any holy communication they will reade the scriptures pray in their families neglect no holy duties Why then what is their sinne It is not the omitting of these things but the carelesse practise of them in their lives and conversation for although these sinnes be in a swound the strength of them is gone up to maintaine a higher lust for suppose he went not to Church how should he maintaine his profession and if he could not now and then speake of heaven it were impossible he should have his depth of selfe-deceipt therefore we conclude these sinnes are not mortified they onely are civilized Thirdly Sinne may be said to be civilized when the sap of sinne is taken away and no contrary grace infused as for example Suppose a man give over drunkennesse yet if this man be not filled with the Spirit his drunkennesse is not mortified though he live soberly afterwards all the dayes of his life Againe suppose a man give over his intemperate anger he is not touchy nor cholericke nor subject to passion yet if he have not turned his anger against himselfe for every one of his corruptions which breake out against God his anger is not mortified Suppose a man is not given over to worldly greife but hath given it over yet if his greife be not turned another way as to greive for his sinnes his greife is not mortified Againe suppose a man be not set upon a merry pinne ever jesting or telling forth merry tales but now he hath given them over yet if he have not set his joyes on the wayes of God and learned truly to be merrie in the Lord it is impossible we can say his carnall mirth is mortified For as the schoole-men say there is nothing corrupted till another thing be produced there is no dissolution of wood untill it be turned into ashes so sinne is never taken away nor utterly dissolved untill there be contrary grace brought into the heart instead thereof so then unlesse therebe contrary graces wrought in the heart as the contraries of all those sinnes foregoing they are but onely civilized and not mortified Fourthly Sinne may be said to be civilized when it is overwharted by a higher principle as when a man is sensible of the wrath of God and hath the flashes of an accusing conscience flying daily into his face lying under the guilt of many horrible sinnes it is impossible for him to goe on with rest and quietnesse in those his unholy courses wherein he useth to walke he may forsake them for a while but yet he cannot mortifie them but as a schoole-boy that plaies the trewant while he is under the rodde he will confesse his fault and promise to doe so no more and he verily thinketh so at that time and desires heartily so to doe but it is a desire that he is provoked unto for feare of the rodde and not for love of dutie for when once the rodde is gone and the smart over then he falls to his owne old trewanting courses againe So we reade in the first of Jonah that when the Marriners were in perill of their lives then every one of them could call upon his God but when the storme and danger was over they quickly left off and cared not for calling on God any longer Fifthly and lastly Sinne may be said to be civilized by Gods giving of positive common grace which he gives unto wicked men as in Mat. 25. God gave unto the unprofitable servant a whole talent which is supposed to be an hundred and sixty and odde pounds so the Lord gives unto wicked men many good graces as softnesse of disposition lovingnesse or easie to be intreated and hereupon they come to Church heare the word and performe many other Christian duties yet all these be but common graces which a man may have and yet his sinnes not mortified and therefore the Apostle saith Mortifie your members c. Whence observe That if we looke to have any benefitte Doct. by or interest in Christ we must mortifie all our sins and all our corruptions As if the Apostle had saide make all your earthly members to be as a dead corpse now we know in a dead corpse the eyes are there but they cannot see the feete are there also but they want strength for to goe it hath all the members but it hath not life and power to

set them on worke so though sinne be in you still yet let it be like a dead corpse wanting life like a dead Tyrant that can no longer rage and hence it is that the Apostle saith Let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodies he doth not say let it not be but let it not reigne Sinne when it is mortified is like a dead King that can call no more Parliaments but a man may doe for him what he listeth because his strength lieth in the dust If Christ be in you saith the Apostle the bodie is dead because of sinne but the spirit is life for righteousnesse sake Rom. 8. 9 10. Againe if a man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of Christs now if Christ be in you the bodie is dead if you consider the bodie as it hath relation unto sinne Againe if you live after the flesh you shall die verse 13. as if he should have saide if your flesh be alive in you if your pride live in you and if your infidelity live in you if your hardnesse of heart live in you if your wrath c. live in you and if you walke after these you shall surely die he meaneth not a temporall death for so they must doe howsoever they live but his meaning is they shall die eternally but if you mortifie the deedes of the body by the spirit you shall live so then it is plaine there is no life of Christ to be had so long as you retaine your sinnes and therefore sinne must be mortified First because Christ is a Saviour and Reason 1 hence he is called Jesus Math. 1. 21. for he shall save his people from their sinnes if therefore Christ doe not save thee from thy sinnes and if by the power of Christ thou mortifie not thy sinnes and give them a deadly blow assure thy selfe he will never be a Jesus unto thee It is true indeede Christ dyed for sinners but it was not to let them goe on in sinne and therefore if thou goe on in sinne it is for thy damnation and not for thy salvation for he will first save thee from thy sinnes or else he will never save thee from hell so then consider if thy sinnes beare sway in thee if they doe then know thou art delivered up unto the power of thy sinnes and to everlasting darkenesse For Christ is the true Physitian of the soule and you know that a Physician doth not bring a potion to put it unto deaths mouth to kill death and so to save the sicke person alive no but he putteth it into the sicke mans mouth to kill the ill humours that are in his bodie that so he might not fall into the hands of death so Christ came not to quench the flames of hell by his spirituall Physicke but to let his Physicke fall upon the heart and soule of man to save him from hell Therefore unlesse the bloud of Christ doe mortifie thy sinnes and crucifie thy lusts there is no hope ever to get Christ to save thee from hell and everlasting damnation This is a true saying saith the Apostle and worthy to be received that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithfull saying and wicked men like it well indeede For saith the drunkard I am a wicked man yet Christ came to save me The whoremonger saith I am an uncleane person yet Christ came to save me The swearer will say Christ came to save sinners and therefore I hope he will save me to No no Christ came to save sinners that is such as were sinners but now are none they have and doe repent Jesus Christ came to save sinners saith the Apostle whereof I am cheife I was a blasphemer a persecuter but now I am not Hence then is the faithfull saying Christ came to save sinners not still sinning No before Paul was injurious a persecuter and lived in ignorance and unbeleife but now the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was wonderfully abundant through faith and love towards him so that the grace of God hath appeared to draw men out of blindnesse and ignorance therefore to say that Christ came to save such as live in their sinnes of drunkennesse prophanesse or uncleanesse is a rotten saying and this onely is the faithfull saying that Christ came into the world to save sinners in whom the power of sinne is broken therefore if ever welooke to have benefitte or interest by Christ we must mortifie our earthly members Secondly because it is impossible for 2. Reason sinne and grace to live and subsist in one subject it is impossible that they should ever stand together and be in a man at one and the same time it cannot be that one and the same creature can have the life of a swine and the life of a man for if he have the soule of a swine he cannot have the soule of a man for they are two contrary distinct lives and where the one is the other cannot be It is like hot water and cold if it be cold it cannot be hot if it be hot it cannot be cold Even so the life of sinne and the life of grace are two contraries and therefore they that walke in their sinnes walke contrary to God Now the Lord saith if you walke contrary to me I will walke contrary unto you Levit. 26. and two contraries we know cannot goe together He that walks in sinne walks contrary unto God but he that goes on in the waies of grace he walks towards God Now it is impossible to walke towards Dover and towards London at one and the same time for every steppe he goeth forward to the one it carries him backward from the other so then if ever we will have the life of grace we must forsake our sinnes as it was with the house of Saul and David Sauls house grew weaker and Davids stronger so must it be with sinne and grace as grace growes stronger so sinne must grow weaker as grace goes up so sinne must goe downe And as Saul told David he would not give him Michal his daughter to wife unlesse he brought unto him an hundred fore skinnes of the Philistins Even so the Lord saith that he will not marry the Lord Jesus Christ unto any soule unlesse he bring the fore-skinne of every lust he must circumcise the fore-skinne of his pride of his covetousnesse of his prophanesse this must be the offering and condition of marriage unto Christ even the circumcision of the heart and the mortification of all the corruptions Thirdly because else it is impossible to Reason 3 enter into heaven if we mortifie not our sinnes a man can never be capable of glory hereafter that doth not mortifie his sinnes here in this life Suppose a wicked man should enter into heaven it is impossible that he should delight in heaven if he were there You will thinke this a strange point but give me leave to explaine

1. as if he should say those that are in Christ God doth not condemne them they have not that condemnation nay their owne conscience doth not condemn them so that that man whom any condemnation either from God or from his owne conscience condemnes that man is not in Christ being not in Christ he can never be heard Indeede a mans conscience may be misinformed by Satan under a temptation as you may see in the verse before my text Thou hast heard my voyce stop not thine eare from my cry Here the Church being examined their consciences told them they were heard in their pra●ers but being under a temptation their consciences were afraide that God heard not So many a poore soule examine it and it cannot deny but that these and these tokens of grace and fruites of Gods Spirit are in it yet their consciences are afraide that the Lord will not give them these and these other graces that they want that the Lord will not heare them for such and such blessings I meane not neither a truce of conscience for there may be a truce of conscience in wicked men A truce may be betweene mortall enemies but no peace but amongst freinds Wicked mens consciences are like the Lion 1. Kings 13. who when he had killed the Prophet stood by the Corps and by the Asse and did not eate the body nor teare the Asse so a wicked mans conscience it is as the divells band-dogge or roaring Lion till it hath slaine the sinner it stands stone-still and seemes neither to meddle or make with him but lies as seared or dead in him I meane not this conscience But when God hath sprinkled the conscience with the bloud of Christ and made the conscience pure this is a signe that God heares his praier I meane not the stammering of conscience when it is dazelled or overwhelmed but when it speaks down right as it meanes A godly mans conscience sometimes may judge otherwise then the thing is But examine what thy conscience tells thee in sober sadnesse deliberately convincingly and then know that the Lord tels thee If thy conscience saies peremptorily that thy heart and waies are rotten and unsound then know that the Lord tells thee so and that the Lord sayeth so to thy soule Fifthly the getting of that grace that a man prayes for is a signe that God heares his praiers But this is not a true signe alwaies but with distinction When the grace given and the good will of God the giver cannot be severed then it is a true signe But when the gift and the good will of the giver may be severed then it is not a true signe Thou maiest pray unto God and God may give thee many temporall blessings and many common graces of his Spirit God may give thee good parts a good memory he may give thee a good measure of knowledge and understanding even in divers things he may give thee some kinde of humility chastity civility thou maiest be of a loving and flexible disposition so he may give thee a good estate in the world houses lands wife and children c. God may give thee all these and yet hate thee and never heare one praier thou makest thou maist pray for a thousand blessings and have them and yet never be heard so long as the good will of the giver is severed from them all outward blessings and common graces may be severed from Gods good pleasure to a man Therefore in temporall blessings or in common graces if thou wouldst know whether God heare thee or no know whether God hath given thee a sanctified use of them or no. If God hath given thee many common graces or temporall blessings and a heart to use them to his Glory then every blessing thou hast there is not a droppe of drinke nor a bit of bread that thou hast but it is a signe of Gods everlasting love to thee Why because this and the good will of the giver can never be severed But on the contrary if a man have not a sanctified use of that he hath then it is the greatest severity of God and the most eminent plague and curse of God upon the soule to give it for a mans parts may be his b●ne his civility may be his curse and meanes of the finall hardnesse and impenitencie of his heart Sixthly faith if a man have faith given him to beleive it is a signe that God heares him be it to thee saith Christ to the man in the Gospell according to thy faith so goe thou to God and be it to thee as thou beleevest Dost thou pray for grace according as thou beleevest so shalt thou receive I have no signe that God will heare me Object I have so many corruptions of my heart against me and so many threatnings of Gods frownes against me I have no signe that God will heare me Wouldst thou have a signe An evill and Answ an adulterous generation seeketh a signe this is a tempting faith to seeke for signes to believe Thomas said Christ Joh. 20. 29. because thou hast seen me thou hast believed blessed are they that have not seene and yet believe That man that believes bacause he feels griefe in his heart teares in his eyes groans in his spirit because he prayes long and earnestly and sweats in his praier or mourns in his humiliation I suspect his humiliation his teares his griefe his praiers and all that he hath Why these are good signes of faith but rotten grounds of faith the Word and promise of God must be thy ground But against this the soul may object That every Promise runnes with a Condition Object and therefore if I have not the condition how can I beleeve the promise God hath promised Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied There is a Promise of filling but it is with a condition of hungering Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God c. If I have not the Condition annexed to the Promise how dare or how can I believe the Promise The Condition is not the way to get the Answ Promise the Promise is the ground of faith and the way to get the condition because the promise is the Motive cause that moves the soule to get the condition Now the Mover must be before the Moved then if beliefe of the Promise move thy soule to get the condition of the promise then beliefe of the promise must be before that the soule can keepe the condition of the promise Saul made a promise to David 1 Sam. 18. that he should be his sonne in law in one of his two daughters upon condition that he should give him an hundred foreskins of the Philistims Now David did first believe the promise and thereby he was allured to fight valiantly to keepe the condition to get a hundred fore-skins of the Philistims So Psal 116.

us for our justification and then to be an example of life to us for our sanctification saith Saint Basil Christ was set for a signe to all nations Isay 11. 10. A land-marke to all people to take their aime how to thinke how to speake how to walke how to live As men ●t Sea if they see a Land-mark or the Pole-star therby know how to guide the Ship so Christ he is a signe to all Nations a signe of zeale in prayer a signe of reverence in the Temple of perseverance in holinesse of piety in life and of unspotted purity and constancy in death Yea to winde it up a little higher to walk a● Christ walked is an As of participation We must not onely walke as Christ walked with an as of proportion for so the beasts may walke every creature the Sunne the Moone c. walke according to their rule wherein God hath set them as Christ did walke in his course that God set him in but this is not enough he that is in Christ must walke as Christ walked with an As of participation he must partake of the same life with Christ and be led by the same Spirit of Christ guided by the same grace of Christ Even as lesse white is like more white though not alike in the same degree yet in the same nature there is the same nature in the lesser that there is in the bigger So we must have the same life obey the same commandements be guided by the same rule swayed by the same motions led by the same Spirit that was in Christ If any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 9. What saith one can there be any man Obj. that is none of Christs doth not he say that every beast in the field and the cattell on a thousand hills are his Psal 50. 10. and doth he say that there are some men that are none of his Yea saith the Apostle If any man be not Answ led by the Spirit of Christs the same is none of his Indeed he is Christs as the beasts are his by creation and preservation c. but thou art none of Christs by grace and redemption unlesse thou hast the same Spirit that was in Christ to live in thee What is it to walke as Christ walked it is to contemne the same gaine and pleasures and vanities of the world that he contemned to yield to the same precepts that he obeyed to yeild to the same reproaches hatred and persecutions that he endured to take up the same duties to preach the same truths to live in the same rule and in all to be led by the same Spirit Thus you see the explanation of the doctrine come we now to the Reasons which are principally these foure The first reason is taken from the scope Reas 1 and end for which the Lord did send his Son into the world as to justifie the ungodly so also to conforme all those that are justified to the image of Christ You may read that this was Gods purpose that he laid downe in himselfe from all eternity before the foundation of the world was laid when he predestinated that his Son should come into the world he predestinated that all that should be redeemed by him should be conformable to the image of his Son Rom. 8. 29. whomsoever he did foreknow with the foreknowledge of Love and predestination them he did predestinate to be made like unto Christ that looke what Christ was by nature they might be by grace If this be the end of Gods predestination then it is impossible that any man should be in Christ and not have the image of Christ Chrysostome saith that as Christ was holy by nature so those that are predestinate should be holy by grace God shall never be frustrated of his end and purpose If God have purposed it who shall frustrate it Man indeed may be frustrated of his end because of his weaknesse and inability to accomplish by himselfe what he purposeth some other person or thing prevents him of his end But God as he hath a purpose in himselfe so he is powerfull and able to bring his purpose to passe We may conclude that that man that prayeth for mercy and wisheth Oh that I might have redemption by Christ Oh that I meght goe to Heaven and yet lives in his sinnes and slavery to his lusts he prayeth to have benefit by Christ and to goe to Heaven in spight of God against the will and purpose of God God hath predestinated that all that shall have life glory shall be made conformable to his Son that they shall be holy pure and ●ighteous as Christ was that they shall be lowly humble and mecke as Christ was Our owne consciences may tell us that God cannot be frustrated of his end and purpose but that thus we must be made conformable to Christ or else we shall never have benefitt or salvation by him or else Gods purpose would be frustrated and in vaine That thing must be frustrated and in vaine that attaines not its end if this be the end that God hath purposed in himselfe in the giving of Christ for life and salvation to the world that all that are redeemed and saved by him should be made conformable to him either all such as are not conformable to the Image of Christ shall never be saved but shall perish for ever without Christ or else Gods purpose must be frustrated and in vaine The second reason is taken from the Reas 2 practise of Christianity saith Leo in vaine are we called Christians if we be not Imitators of Christ and live as he lived The Disciples are called Christians Acts. 11. 26. The very name tells us that we must be followers of Christ or else we are not in Christ if any man be in Christ he must really be a Christian As a man if he be of a trade he must set up that trade all his layings out and travell and paines must be in that trade why it is his profession so if a man be in Christ all his conversation must be Christian his labours and indeavours must be in the trade of Christianity he must walke as Christ walked He must be a Christian in all his courses in all his ways or else he is not in Christ As the Platonists are denominated from Plato so are Christians from Christ The Franciscans from Francis the Dominicans from Dominicke these were bound to follow the rules of their order or else superstition would not suffer them to be of that Order much lesse canst thou be of the Order of Christ if thou observe not his rules if thou live not as he lived Christ hath given thee a law for thy mind for to governe thy thoughts Thou wilt not busie thy thoughts with holy meditations thy heart is not christian Christ hath given a law to thy affections thou wilt be fret●ull and impatient malicious proude and

Proclamation it selfe in these words my Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man Thirdly the reason because he is but flesh Fourthly the limitation of the time a hundred and twentie yeares in which time if they repent I will repent but if they will not my Spirit shall not alway strive As if the Lord had said I have tried all conclusions and used all meanes partly by Mercies to allure them partly by Judgements to terrifie them partly by my word to recall them and by all meanes possible to bring them to my selfe yet they remaine incorrigible I now am resolved to strive with them no more From the words thus opened there will naturally arise these two points First that the Lord of Heaven and earth Doct. 1 doth strive mightily with a company of poore Rebells and all to bring them unto himselfe but on this I intend not to insist The second is this viz. that there is a time when God will strive with men no more and that in this life The scope of this aimes at the whole world but what is said in generall may also be said in particular well then there is a time in this life and not when we are dead and gone for then it is certaine there is no more comming unto God but in this life there is a time when God will strive with men no more neither for their good here nor for their everlasting happinesse hereafter For unto every thing there is an appointed time Eccles 3. 1. Now the Lord calls lovingly to allure us but there will come a time of goe yee cursed the good Spirit of mine which thou hast abused shall never come to thee more this is a marvailous troublesome truth yet most true for men now will have their wills and God must be at their leisure and come forsooth when they please They will live as they list doe as they list and God must shew mercy on them as they list and when they list c. So there is a time when God will strive but when that time is gone God will will strive no more To make this plaine I will lay downe these six things First I will let you see that it hath been so by Testimonies of Scripture Secondly I will shew in or after what manner God deales with a soule in giving it over Thirdly I will shew who they be that God gives over Fourthly I will shew the grounds of it Fifthly the objections against it And lastly we will come to the uses For the first Testimonies of Scripture you beleeve them and you doe acknowledge that the things delivered there are certaine see it in Saul because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord the Lord hath also rejected thee from being King c. 1 Sam. 15. 23. The Lord had striven with Saul many wayes by giving him profits and Honour in making him King he had given him gifts of the Spirit he was not wanting unto him in any meanes yet he not regarding all this but neglecting that which his Conscience told him should be done hereupon the Lord tooke away that good Spirit from Saul and gave him an evill Spirit as himselfe confessed to the Witch of Endor And as some Divines understand that saying of David Psal 51. 11. Cast me not out of thy sight or presence is not to be understood of Government but of the Church of God Cast me not out of thy presence as thou didst my Predecessor Saul Ergo it is evident that Saul was given over even in this life Secondly that of the Heb. 12. 16 17 18. saith the Text Let there not be a prophane person among you as Esau marke that man is a prophane man that for one morsell of profit or pleasure will cast off the favour of the living God let there not be any such among you saith the Text. The Apostle meanes not the outward inheritance onely but that which is of the Son-ship of God which the Birth-right then was Thirdly Luke 19. 41 42. where our Saviour weepes over Jerusalem Oh Jerusalem c. oh that thou hadst knowne in this thy day of visitation c. but now they are hid from thine eyes Why because thou didst not know thy time God visits us from day to day either in Mercies or Iudgements in mercy when he performes that which he hath promised In Judgements when he brings on men those Judgements which formerly he denounced So our Saviour tells them they had a day oh that thou hadst knowne in this thy day c. But now they are hid from thine eyes and thou shalt see them no more thus you see it is plainly proved by evidence of Scripture Secondly I will shew you how the Lord deals with such rebellious stubborn creatures who after the Lord hath tried al conclusions on them yet cannot bring them to amendment but that still they will goe on in their sins then the Lord changeth his minde and he repents him of the good he hath done unto them And so he repented that he had made Saul King But how can God repent Object I answer there may be a change of the Answ thing though not of the person The Lord repents that ever he set a Minister over a soule to convert it if it despise his Ministery though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my mind could not be toward them The Lord then had a minde he loved the young man in the Gospell that is he kindly invited him but yet saith the text he went away sorrowfull he would not sell all to follow Christ so the Lord of heaven and earth strives with men he hath a good minde to winne them he sends his Ministers to them and when will it be that that uncleane lust of thine will be reformed The Lord calls the first second and third time and when he sees it will not prevaile at last he gives thee over The Lord gives over that man to the power of that sinne which he never did before when he strove with him we must either lose our sinnes or our soules and ergo if no meanes will serve to bring a man home then the Lord gives him over to commit his old sinne see Psal 82. 11. 12. the Lord tells there what he had done for Israel how he had brought them out of Egypt but my people saith he would not heare Israel would none of me none of my holinesse none of my purenesse none of my waies but their owne waies wills and witts were best ergo saith the Lord I gave them up to their owne hearts lust He doth not say he gave them up unto the Syrians to plague them nor to the enemies of the Church to ride upon them but to their owne lusts The incestuous person received good by his excommunication but when a man is given over unto rebellion it is hard for him to be recalled backe it had beene better for that man if he had never beene borne For as the skinne

of a Rabit comes well off till it comes to the head and then there is haling and pulling so a man can crucifie many lusts and performe many good duties but when once he is come to the head to his dareling sinne to his Dali●ah then there is tugging and pulling and the Lord will either breake that mans neck or his heart he will either pull him from sinne or give him wholy over unto his sinne See Psal 78. 30. they must have Quailes they had a daintie tooth and that must be satisfied well I will give you Quailes saith God yea and my displeasure with it also Thirdly as God gives a man over to the power of his lusts so he doth blast a man in regard of all abilities and gifts that formerly he hath had Looke into the world and you shall see this plaine great schollers learned Doctors and Preachers their learning hath beene blasted they were bright candels yet in the end they became snuffes men of corrupt mindes c. Looke upon other common Christians who have given hope of comming unto God when they were in sickenesse or necessitie c. Yet at last it turnes to nothing He sent leanesse into their soules Psal 106. 15. He gave them their request One aimes at honour well God gives it unto him another will have profit well saith God and thou shalt have it but my Spirit and th● ●xcellency thereof thou shalt never have Fourthly the Lord hardens that man he repents of the good that is done unto him he gives him up to the power of his lusts and blasts all his parts so that he hardens up his heart and looke by what meanes God sought to bring him unto him those meanes harden him afflictions harden him which should have beene the meanes to have recalled him God braies a foole ten times in a morter and yet he is the harder harder and harder Men live in the Sunne-shine of the Gospell yet many are hardened by it Those that have professed the Gospell forsake their first-love and are become like the Smiths dogge that lies at the Anvill and sleepes though the sparkles flie about his eares so let the sonnes of thunder say what they will yet it shall not trouble them Fifthly The Lord lets that man build upon false bottomes live by false principles that man which hath beene enlightned must have somewhat to hold upon else he would be in a little hell and ergo a man hath his shifts Saul saith I have performed the will of the Lord I have done that which he commanded me Have you so saies Samuel What then meanes the lowing of the oxen Oh saith he it is to do● sacrifice unto the Lord c. Some cunning hypocrites will have heaven but when a Samuel comes with a discerning spirit and tells them that grace and lust cannot stand together yet they would faine be saved See Luke 15. 16. the young prodigall would faine have filled his bellie with the husks the meaning is every unregenerate man having lived after his owne lusts his conscience being mette withall and terrified with Gods wrath he would leave his sin yet he would faine fill his belly with the husks viz. with his lusts he intends to be drunk no more to be prophane no more to be loose no more but now he will fast it out pray it out and yet saith the text he would faine fill his bellie There is never a naturall man but he would faine rest upon somewhat but where the Lord hath a minde to bring a man home he will not let him rest upon outward performances One saith he hath beene counted a professour these twenty yeares and ergo he saies his case is good Another saies he prayes in his family and doth many good duties another saith God hath blessed him divers wayes and ergo his case is good but those the Lord purposeth to doe good unto he will not suffer them thus to deceive themselves Sixthly and lastly The Lord gives a commission to all meanes for merly used that they shall never come to him more the Lord bids those judgements and mercies wherewith he sought to humble him before never more to meddle with him Ephraim is joined to Idols let him alone Hos 4. 17. viz. his heart and his sinnes are joined together Isai 5. 6. God speakes of his Vineyard saying what could be done more yet because it brought forth wilde grapes when I looked it should bring forth good ergo saith the Lord I will lay it wast I will take away my former protection and I will command the cloudes that they raine no more upon it viz. The meanes of grace and salvation shall be offered no more unto it I will heare such a man no more I wil take away my Ministers from him You know that Paul and Timothy would have gone into Asia but the Spirit suffered them not this is a hard condition when the Spirit will not suffer good to be done unto a man a Citie or a Nation And thus much for the testimonie of the Scriptures Thirdly I will let you see what persons they are I will not say this and this particular person but you shall see what the scripture and the word of God says They are foure kinde of persons and you shall know them by these foure things First Those that have lived a good while under the meanes of grace but are still unprofitable and no good is wrought upon them it is likely such men are given over See Math. 23. or 13. and the last And a man that hardens his necke when he is rebuked shall suddenly be destroyed and cannot be cured Prov. 29. 1. Looke unto this you that live under good Ministers Fathers and Masters c. For if the Lord sees you will not come in he gives you over I limit no time yet what saith the Spirit of God Forty yeares was I greived Heb. 3. 13. He swore that they should not enter into his Rest Forty yeares was a great time but what say you to three yeares Luke 13. 7. These three yeares have I come seeking fruite and I have found none cut it down c. But what say you to one yeare Lord let it alone this yeare c. But what say you to forty dayes yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be destroied But what say you to some few houres Math. 10. 14. Whosoever shall not receive you c. shake off the dust c. You know what commission the Lord gave to his Messengers how they should preach the Gospell and if the house be worthy well and if not shake off the dust c. As if one should strive with you this day but if you will not heare nor obey who can tell whether the Lord will strive any more or no Cave ergo Secondly Those that have much calling and meanes and also many secret workings of the Spirit on them that when they have gon out of the House of God have determined never