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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	deed_n	light_n	manifest_a	2,272	5	9.7572	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68954	A three-fold treatise containing the saints sure and perpetuall guide. Selfe-enriching examination. Soule-fatting fasting. Or, meditations, concerning the word, the sacrament of the Lords Supper, and fasting. By the labours of that late Reverend, and learned divine, Master Robert Bolton ...	Bolton, Robert, 1572-1631.	1634 (1634)	STC 3255; ESTC S106789	149,468	268

THE SAINTS SVRE AND PERPETVALL GVIDE OR A Treatise concerning the WORD Which as the Israelites Cloud conducts us from Aegypt to Canaan whereunto wee must take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a darke place till the Day dawne and the Day-starre arise in our hearts BY That Reverend Learned and Godly Minister of Christ Iesus ROBERT BOLTON Bachelour of Divinitie and late Preacher of Gods Word at Broughton in Northampton-shire IOHN 3. 20 21. Every one that doth evill hateth the light neither commeth to the light lest his deeds should be reproved But he that doth the truth commeth to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God LONDON Printed by E. Purslow for Rapha Harford in Queenes-head-Alley in Pater-Noster-Row at the Signe of the Gilt Bible 1634. THE SAINTS SVRE AND PERPETVALL GVIDE PSAL. 119. VER 105. Thy Word is a Lampe unto my feet and a Light unto my paths OF all other parts of the holy Bible this Booke of the Psalmes penned for the most part by David the sweet Singer of Israel and a man after Gods owne heart is stuft and fill'd with greatest plentie and varietie of precious Lessons and instructions unto eternall life The choice and flower of all things profitable and comfortable for the right course of a Christian life is therein briefely contained and very movingly and feelingly exprest In them we may be acquainted with the Majestie and Mysteries of God with the Sufferings of Christ with unfained Repentance unwearied Patience spirituall Wisedome and wonderfull Courage of the godly man and true Christian In them we may behold the terrors of Wrath and the anguishes of an afflicted Conscience the comforts of Grace and great Deliverances the wonderfull workes of Providence over this World and the promised Ioyes of that World which is to come In a word all good necessarily to be either knowne or done or had is plentifully as out of a rich Treasurie reveal'd and offer'd unto us in these heavenly Songs of David Amongst which this 119. Psalme a part of which I have now read unto you is as it were a precious Iewell or cleare Crystall wherein wee may see the right temper and state of true godlinesse and sinceritie the markes and properties of all true worshippers of God the zeale and affections of all faithfull Christians the very lively Anatomie and laying open of a good and gracious Soule This whole Psalme doth consist of 22. Parts or Portions of Staves or Octaves even just so many as there be Letters in the Hebrew Alphabet and every Portion containeth in it eight Verses and every Verse of every Portion or Staffe begins with the same Hebrew Letter The which speciall and extraordinarie penning and disposing of the Psalme doth declare and set out unto us these three things 1 The diligent intention of mind and carefull meditation of the Author in the framing and composing of it 2 The preciousnesse and worth of the matter contain'd in it in that it pleased the Spirit of God to deliver it in choice and speciall order 3 A desire and purpose that it might more easily be learn'd by heart and committed to memorie and often and earnestly meditated and thought upon being set downe unto us in so faire and easie order of the Hebrew Letters This Part or Portion which wee have now in hand is the foureteenth and doth containe in it many worthy and gracious Lessons for our instruction and devotion in heavenly things proposed unto us out of the practice and Christian carriage of this holy Prophet and Man of God David a perfect patterne of all true zeale and pietie In the thirteenth Portion immediately going before David had delivered specially two things First How by his love reading study and meditation in Gods Word he had attained most excellent knowledge wisedome and understanding so that thereby he was become farre more wise than his enemies that is than Saul and all his politike Courtiers and Counsellors of State Hee had more understanding than his Teachers than the great Doctors and Rabbins for all their deepe Learning being not sanctified unto them He understood more than the grave and ancient men for all the worldly wisedome and great experience they had gathered in many yeeres and through length of dayes Where by the way take this Lesson There is no wit or policie not all the Learning in the World or worldly wisedome can make a man truly wise that is wise unto salvation but onely a powerfull and working knowledge out of the holy Word of God The Reason is Because all other wisedome doth onely provide for the Body for a temporall happinesse in this life for a few and evill dayes and leaves the Soule in a sinfull and wretched estate shortly in the day of Visitation to be overtaken and fearefully confounded with strange astonishments horrors and despaire and hereafter wofully to be tormented amongst wicked Devils in the Lake that burnes with fire and Brimstone for evermore But wisedome out of the Word of God doth so furnish a mans Soule with Grace and all holy Vertues that in despight of all creatures hee may live comfortably in this Vale of teares and in endlesse joyes in the World to come Now I pray you tell me whether is truly the wiser man hee that for an inch of time makes much of his wretched Body that must shortly rot in the grave and be devoured of Wormes and turned into dust but in the meane time lets his immortall Soule that can never die sinke into the Dungeon of everlasting woe and miserie or hee which by taking sound and saving counsell and direction out of the Word of God and howsoever he be hated and neglected of this vaine World yet yeelding chearefull and constant obedience thereunto provides unspeakable comfort rest and blessednesse both for Body and Soule through all eternitie Secondly In the second part and foure last Verses of the former Portion David sets downe the fruit use and benefit which sprung from his divine knowledge It sweetned his heart with much comfort and sound contentment and cheared him with joy unspeakable and glorious amidst all crosses and discomforts it bridled and restrained him from every evill way it kept and preserved him in the paths of righteousnesse it bred in him a hatred and loathing of the wayes of error falsehood and hypocrisie Where by the way I would give you this other Lesson We must labour and be sure that we draw our knowledge in Gods Word into practice action and exercise otherwise it will not onely be unprofitable and unfruitfull unto us but indeed bring upon us a greater and more fearefull condemnation For For He that knowes his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes Luke 12. 47. All our knowledge is in vaine except by the power of it our inward affections be sanctified our words seasoned

Soule and to teare it in pieces while there is none to helpe all the creatures armed and in a readinesse with whole Armies of Plagues and Vengeance to be revenged upon him for dishonouring God by ignorance in his Word Yet hee sees none of all this Hee neither knowes feeles or suspects these many dangers with which he is incompassed but goes on plodding with ungrounded confidence and wicked securitie in the way of wickednesse and destruction hee passeth with much desperate boldnesse through many dangerous and fearefull wayes wherein at every step he wounds his Conscience with one sinne or other in the meane time and at length falls headlong and suddenly body and soule into the Pit of Hell This is certainely the miserable and wofull state of all those that live in spirituall Darkenesse and are ignorant in Gods Word and the wayes of godlinesse It may be they may flatter please and perswade themselves that their case is good enough that when they heare of Heaven and those everlasting pleasures at Gods right hand they thinke notwithstanding that they shall come thither at length though they know never a foot of the way take no direction by the Light of Gods Word nor set one step by new obedience towards that place of blessednesse But indeed and truth they doe very fearefully deceive and over-shoot themselves And their case is just as if a man should fall asleepe upon the edge of some high and steepe Rocke and there dreame that he is made a King attended with a glorious Traine of Nobilitie furnished with sumptuous Pallaces and stately Buildings enriched with the Revenues Soveraignetie and Pleasures of a whole Kingdome But upon the sudden starting up and leaping for joy falls irrecoverably into the mercilesse and devouring Sea and so loseth that little comfort which he had in this miserable life Many wretched men lye and ●leepe and snort in ignorance and spirituall blindnesse thinking that skill in the Booke of God and points of Religion belongs onely to those that are Booke-learned entertaining much vaine hope of salvation without all truth or ground But when upon their Death-bed their Consciences are awakened by the finger of Gods justice out of the slumber of sinne they then too late find and see that all was but a Dreame for they suddenly fall and sinke into despaire horror and endlesse desolation The state then of ignorant men though perhaps they little thinke upon it or take it to heart is most fearefull in this life and will be most horrible hereafter In this World because they are unacquainted and untaught in Gods Truth points of Religion and way to Heaven they neither know their owne miserie the great mysterie of godlinesse or meanes to salvation and therefore live as aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel strangers from the Covenant of Promise without hope and without God in the World Which is a miserie of all miseries They are condemned alreadie For as it is Iohn 3. 18. He that beleeveth not in him is alreadie condemned And Saint Paul saith Rom. 10. 14. How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they heare without a Preacher So that without knowledge in Gods Word there can be no faith and without faith there is no salvation You may further see a notorious Linke of many wretched mischiefes which arise from ignorance Eph. 4. 17 18 19. Vanitie of mind and darkenesse of understanding are naturally in all men for wee are all starke blinde and utterly dead in respect of matters of Heaven and spirituall affaires From thence comes grosse Ignorance of God and all godlinesse and this Ignorance if it be not removed and dispelled by the Light of Gods Word is the root and cause of strangenesse from the Life of God Hardnesse of Heart Searednesse of Conscience and want of Feeling an itching wantonnesse and eagernesse to sinne a committing of any sinne without remorse occasion being offered an unsatisfiednesse and greedinesse in the pursuit of sinfull pleasures and in fulfilling the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and pride of life These are the bitter and poysoned fruits of Ignorance and want of knowledge in the Word of God and way to Heaven And what is to be expected hereafter appeares 2 Thess 1. 7 8 9. The Lord Iesus will shew himselfe from Heaven with his mightie Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance unto them that doe not know God and which obey not the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Seeing then the comming of the Lord will be so terrible and fearefull to the ignorant so that they shall desire the Mountaines to fall upon them that they might hide themselves from the fierce wrath of the Lord and not behold his fearefull countenance and that they shall wish full many times they had never beene borne how ought every man which lives without the Light and knowledge of Gods holy Word feare and tremble And yet God knoweth hee cannot conceive the thousand part of those horrible torments which the ignorant and wicked persons endure for ever For as the heart of man cannot comprehend those blessed and glorious joyes which God hath prepared for those that love him so the woe torments and endlesse vexations which shall be poured with wrath and vengeance upon the head of the wicked infinitely passe the understanding of man None can conceive how horrible they are but onely he that feeles them It very deepely then concernes you Beloved in Christ Iesus as you tender the everlasting good and happinesse of your owne soules to labour by all meanes to be instructed and inlightened by the holy Word of God which is holden out unto you as a Lampe and Torch to leade you through this Vale of Teares and World of Darkenesse to the blessed fruition of the most glorious and everlasting Kingdome of Heaven Otherwise if you will needes continue in ignorance still marke what is your wofull state and condition howsoever you may seeme to shine outwardly to the eye of the World or in your owne conceits in pleasures in plentie in civill honestie in outward mirth and other worldly contentments yet in deed and truth your life is a life of darkenesse The god of this World the Prince of Darkenesse hath blinded the eyes of your mindes that your Vnderstandings are not onely darkened but you are Darkenesse it selfe Eph. 5. 8. Your workes are the workes of Darkenesse your way is the way of Darkenesse you are fettered and enchained in the power of Darkenesse Coloss 1. 13. In the darkenesse of crosses and afflictions of this life you shall be without any glimpse of true comfort and refreshing from the Lord upon your Death-beds you shall meete with nothing but darkenesse of despaire and horror in the Grave Sathan will guard you with the

and secret judgement to suffer some of our fore-fathers to live and die under the tyranny and darknesse of Antichrist how much are we bound to blesse God that we are borne and brought up in the light of the Gospell and what heavie plagues and great damnation doe wee bring upon our selves if wee neglect or despise so great salvation I but yet further will some say wee have lived some of us fortie some thirtie some twenty yeares without so much preaching and yet have holden good credit and reputation in the world and prospered in our wayes would you now have us so forward in running to Sermons Strange it is to see how wise the simplest are in matters of the world about their temporall state but how simple and blinde the wisest worldlings are in the affaires of Heaven and about their greatest spirituall and eternall good Let us suppose a man to have lived long in a poore Cottage and now at length to have some great and rich Lordship befallen him doe you thinke hee would reason thus Why I have lived some thirtie or fortie yeer●● now alreadie in this low estate with good conte●●●ent and credit amongst my neighbours and therefore here I will rest the rest of my dayes I am too old now to change my former estate Would such a foole as this be found in a whole Countrey And yet many Countries are full of such fooles in respect of spirituall advancement and the salvation of their soules Me thinkes those that have long lived in ignorance and blindnesse should rather conclude thus Have I thus long and so fearefully lived without God in the World without knowledge of his Truth faith in Christ and Conscience of my wayes Oh then it is more than high time now at length to awake out of sleepe and to open mine eyes and to imbrace this glorious Sun-shine of the Gospel which the Lord of his great mercy hath brought unto me that so I may be enlightened to eternall life As for prospering in the World that is no marke of a good soule nay it is commonly the Let of the wicked not to be plagued like other men but to bring their enterprises to passe Psalme 73. Nay yet further There is no greater Curse can befall any man than to prosper in the World and be out of the way to Heaven I but will others say to the attaining of eternall life what needs so much adoe so much preaching catechising expounding conferring meditating teaching and praying with our families which are so much and so often urged upon us When all comes to all this is the summe and end of all To feare God and keepe his Comm●●dements That we love God above all and our neigh●●● as our selves And we hope we can doe this without all this adoe To feare God and keepe his Commandements which is the whole dutie of man as the Preacher speakes in his last chapter and to love God above all and our neighbors as our selves upon which hangeth the whole Law and the Prophets as Christ tells us Math. 22. are indeed soone spoken but not so easily truly learned and most hardly sincerely practised Is it enough thinke you to make a man a good Carpenter or Mason to say That that is soone learned and I know as much as the best workman can teach or tell me To build an House is nothing but to lay the foundation to reare the walls and cover it with a Roose Is it enough to make a good Husbandman to say I know as much as the best Husbandman can teach me for Husbandry is nothing else but to sowe and reape Is it enough to make a good Preacher to say It is no such great matter to make a Sermon I know as much in that point as the best Scholler amongst them can tell me To preach is nothing else but to expound the Text gather Doctrines and make use and application to the hearts consciences of the hearers But it would be long before these idle and emptie vaunts would build Houses fill Barnes or save Soules There is farre more required to these businesses than so There is to be undergone much toile and labour much care trouble expence and exercise before any of these workes can be rightly accomplished It is even so in the great worke of salvation and the attainment of Heaven The state of grace and trade of Christianitie is not so easily purchased practised There goes more to saving of a soule than bold ignorant brags than to say If that be all I hope I can quickly and easily learne to love God above all my neighbor as my selfe For before these there goes many things as knowledge of Gods will and Word a thorow view of our owne misery corruptions in the glasse of the Law strange agonies and sore pangs in the new-birth and sorrow for sinne refreshings and coolings by the mercies of God and merits of Christ faith repentance sanctification a blessed holy change in the whole man both body soule and spirit And then follows new obedience which consists in the uprightnesse and sinceritie of our owne hearts a conscionable and charitable carriage towards our neighbors and a zealous constancy in all religious duties and right service of God which must be universall in respect of the object that is we must walk in all his Commandements totall in respect of the subject that is we must serve him in all the powers of our soule and parts of our body in our thoughts words and actions In all which things and holy courses if a man be not particularly instructed experienced practised his love of God and his neighbour is but in word and tongue not in deed and truth A man if he be disposed may quickly perceive and discerne the truth or hollownesse of his heart in this point God hath straitly commanded an entire sanctification and keeping holy of the Sabbath Let a man then consider if he suffer himselfe to be drawne away from holy Exercise on that day by pleasures profit pastime companie ease idlenesse or other worldly occasions why then he preferres meere vanities and the desires of his owne heart before the glory and honour of God and so doth not love God above all The true love of a mans selfe doth chiefly principally consist in furnishing himselfe with saving knowledge sinceritie of heart godlinesse of life a good Conscience and spirituall comfort against hee come to Iudgement Now if hee love his neighbour as himselfe he is not still talking with him of worldly matters but especially labours with him for his conversion entertainment of grace and encrease in godlinesse If these be not his cares both for himselfe and his neighbour he truly loves neither Thus may a man examine himselfe through all the Commandements in particular and see whether it be so easie to love his neighbour as himselfe and God

may be they may heare attend and understand what is delivered but it breedes no more reverence impression or spirituall reformation than an ordinarie Tale or humane discourse As though that holy toyle and sacred breath were spent onely to entertaine the Time and busie mens eares for an Houre and not as Christ tells Paul To open their eyes that they might turne from Darkenesse unto Light and from the power of Sathan unto God 4 Vpon some the Iudgement and Curse of comming without Conscience and due preparation doth so farre prevaile and hath such power that they become scorners and raylers against the Minister or his Doctrine or both at every Sermon they catch something that they may cavill at deprave and calumniate And so wickedly and wretchedly oppose their discourse wit and spirit of contradiction against the face of Heaven and heart of Divine Truth They wrangle and repine in deed and truth whatsoever their pretences or protestations may be to the contrarie against that Great Majestie whose Message it is against that Holy Spirit which should sanctifie them and the Word of Grace which should save them 5 Others there be even of good hearts and affections Professors and in some good measure practisers of the power of godlinesse yet because they are carelesse and neglective of this needfull Christian dutie of preparation are possessed with much deadnesse of heart and dullnesse of spirit at those holy Exercises Their zeale and fervencie which should be quickened and inflamed at every Sermon is dulled and benummed with senselesnesse and satietie They doe not so tremble or are cast downe with Divine Comminations and denouncements of Gods Iudgements against sinne or so refreshed with the gracious promises of Life and Salvation as they ought to be They doe not enjoy and reape the thousandth part of that delight comfort and benefit as they well might by the Ministerie of the Word because their hearts are not purged and prepared They doe not with that chearefulnesse receive with that sweetnesse taste and rellish with that life and vigour disgest the Food of Life The eye of their minde for want of premeditation doth not so clearely see and discerne the infinite beautie of that sacred Majestie represented unto them or that glorious grace shining unto them in the face of CHRIST IESVS Their hand of Faith doth not with that feeling and fastnesse lay hold upon and claspe about the rich Treasures revealed in the Gospell In a word they bereave themselves of much good blessing comfort and growth in grace which they might and ought to have by hearing of the Word for want of due preparing and disposing the heart thereto This dutie of Preparation then though that it be not much thought upon or ordinarily practised yet it is of great necessitie and speciall use for all those which looke for benefit or blessing by the preaching of the Word There is no great Affaire or of weight and consequence eyther in Nature or Art in necessarie businesses and civill Negotiations or in matters of Complement Ceremonie and Enterview but there is required some bethinking preparation and prae-dispositions for the more happie and successefull accomplishment execution and performance how much more in the affaires of God matters of Heaven businesses of eternitie and salvation of mens soules The Ground must be manured and prepared for the Seed if wee looke it should fructifie and prosper how much more should our dull and dead hearts bee stirred up and furrowed as it were with humiliation reverence and repentance that by the grace of God and the sanctifying power of the Spirit it may lodge and take deepe root in them and spring up to eternall life The Body must be fitted with a Preparative and the humours as it were gathered unto a head if wee desire the Physicke should worke forcibly and kindly and rid us of their noxiousnesse and superfluitie how much more ought our Soules with an impartiall and narrow inquisition to be searched and layd open before they receive the Water of Life and spirituall Manna that so they may more seasonably and soundly be washed and purged from corruptions and imperfections preserved in spirituall health and prepared for eternall life The Ground must be layd and some imperfect Draughts Shadowes and resemblances premised before a Picture can be done to the Life or a full proportion and lively representation pourtrayed or presented to the eye how much more ought the ground of our hearts to be fitted and prepared that by the preaching of the Word the Image of Christ Iesus may with a lively and fresh impression be stamped upon them Were a man the next day to goe about a businesse that mainely concerned eyther his life or livelyhood the state of his Lands or danger of his life Would not his minde be troubled before-hand Would it not breake his sleepe the night before Would he not be musing and plotting by what meanes he might worke out his deliverance and safetie what behaviour and carriage might be fittest to winne favour and grace in so weightie an affaire How much more ought wee before wee intrude into the House of God where matters of our greatest and highest interest are proposed handled and debated by the Minister of the Word even life eternall and everlasting estate in another World I say how ought wee to thinke with our selves how wee may make our soules fittest to understand and accept the Covenant of Grace to receive the Seale of the Spirit and to get assurance of that glorious and royall Inheritance in the Heavens Nay yet further even in matters of complement and enterview there is wont to be preparation especially if the presence and persons were the greater Ioseph when he was sent for to goe before King Pharoah hee shaved his head and changed his rayment because hee was to appeare before so high and royall a presence Queene Hester durst not presse into the presence of King Ahashuerosh before shee had prepared her selfe How much more ought wee to fit and prepare our selves base and miserable wretches Wormes and no men as wee are with feare and trembling when wee come into the House and presence of the mightie Lord of Heaven and Earth before whom the Seraphins hide their faces the Nations are as a drop of a Bucket and the inhabitants of the Earth as Grasse-hoppers especially sith there hee offers and tenders unto us enlargement from the slaverie of sinne purgation from our pollutions and a Crowne of life upon that condition that wee repent forsake all our sinnes and resigne up our selves in sincere and humble obedience unto all his Commandements Inducements we have and Motives many both from Precept and Practice in the Booke of God for the performance of this Christian dutie of Preparation Take heed to thy foot sayth the Preacher when thou enterest into the House of God and be more neere to heare than to give the sacrifice of fooles for