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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91363	A little cabinet richly stored with all sorts of heavenly varieties, and soul-reviving influences. Wherein there is a remedy for every malady, viz. milk for babes, and meat for strong men, and the ready way for both to obtain and retain assurance of salvation: being an abridgement of the sum and substance of the true Christian religion; wherein the cause of our salvation, the way, the guide, the rule, the evidence, the seals, &c. and the connection of these points together, and dependancy of them one upon another: this I have endeavoured to do orderly, exactly, methodically, with much plainness and clearness. / By Robert Purnell.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1657 (1657)	Wing P4237; Thomason E1575_1; ESTC R209217	254,040	517

4. Consider the nature and cause of justification more particularly viz. Justification is when God meerly of his own grace and free will forgiveth our sins and pronounceth us just and innocent Though Gods Law was by us violated we are absolved from sin and punishment by the grace of God and merits of Christ apprehended by faith and so by him all that believe are justified in all things in which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Act. 13. 39. Justification is an act undivided and all at once and so it differs from sanctification which is done by degrees all different eminent acts as justification sanctification renovation are but one act in God I shall close up what I have to say to this thing by desiring the reader seriously to consider these precious Scriptures all speaking to the same thing Rom. 4. 5. Now to him that workoth not but beleiveth on him that justifies the ungodly his faith is accounted for righteousness Tit. 3. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us Rom. 11. 6. And if By grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace So having spoken to the nature of justification give me leave also to lay down the usefulness of it as to us and the benefits every beleiver have by it the greatest thing that we can desire next the glory of God is our own salvation and the sweetest thing we can here obtain is the assurance of our salvation In this life we cannot get higher then to be assured of that which in the next life is to be enjoyed all godly people shall enjoy a Heaven when they leave this earth some enjoy a Heaven whilst they are here on earth that Christians may enjoy two Heavens let them enquire after diligently seek for and cheerfully embrace this Doctrine of justification freely and only by the grace of God as the cause through Christ as the way the Holy-Ghost as the worker and evidencer 1. This Doctrine is as the foundation and basis of all Christian Religion 2. This Doctrine is the inlet of all spirituall divine peace and consolation 3. This is the root and spring of all Gospel obedience 4. This Doctrine is the great stop and bar to keep out all floods of errour 5. This Doctrine is the main support of a soul under all trialls 6. This is the great Doctrine by which Satans kingdom is undermined and overthrown 7. This is the Doctrine that Satan doth most war against either to pervert or corrupt 8. This Doctrine is the most hardest piece to be learned it being wholly supernaturall in every part of it above the reach of nature and all things in us do oppose it 1. This Doctrine is the foundation and basis of all Christian Religion as doth clearly appear by these severall instances 1. To begin at the bottom our Election is the Election of grace and according to the good pleasure of his will Ephes 2. 4 5. 2. Our Vocation is according to his grace 2 Tim. 1. 9. who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace given us in Christ before the world began 3. Regeneration is of Gods own will Jam. 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us by the word of truth 4. Faith it self is the gift of God Philippians 1. 29. Ephes 2. 28. 5. Justification is freely by his grace Rom. 3. 24. and a free gift Rom. 5. 15. 6. Forgiveness of sins is according to the riches of his grace Ephes 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace 7. Eternall life is the gift of God Act. 15. 11. But we believe that through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they Rom. 6. 23. The gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. If any ask what is the nature of this free grace I answer grace in its proper notion signifies that free goodness favour or good will whereby God is moved to open the eyes of the blind mind and to let him know the love of God that passeth knowledge If any ask why the Doctrine of the Gospel is called by the name of grace I answer because it was only Gods free good will to bestow it upon those that did most want it If any ask farther why this free grace was ever bestowed at all or why one age or place of the world should receive is rather then another or why God should discover this great misterie was kept secret since the world began to those who were sinners of the Gentiles who served dumb Idols or why God should be found of them that sought him not or be made manifest to those that asked not after him I can give no other answer then that 1 Cor. 1. 29. that no flesh should glory in his presence or that in Mat. 11. 35 26. Even so Father because it seemeth good in thy sight Whoever builds and builds not upon this foundation doth build upon the sand and his house in a storm and tempest will fall Mat. 7. 27. or if any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble the fire shall try every mans work of what sort it is see 1 Cor. 3. 10 11 12 13 14 15. 2. This Doctrine is the inlet of all spirituall divine peace to the soul There is a vein through which this peace that passeth understanding is conveyed to the soul which the men and women of the world know not Isa 59. 8. The way of peace they know not they have made to themselves crooked paths whosoever goeth therein shall not find peace Rom. 3. 17. the way of peace have they not known in a word no man or woman under heaven can know the way to this peace untill the Lord give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide their feet into the way of peace Luk. 1. 79. No man can receive retain and enjoy this peace of God unless he wait on God at the springs of peace 1. The first spring of peace is faith Rom. 5. 1. being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ faith seeth Christ to be our peace Ephes 2. 14. and from him freely given to us John 14. 27. and the vein through which it runs to the soul is the vein of faith laying hold on and applying of the free grace of God to the soul Rom. 15. 13. 2. The second way of peace is this a man must not only know it where it is and believe it but he must stay himself wholly upon God in the constant expectation of the increase and supply of it Isa 26. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose heart is stayed on thee 3. The next vein or spring

to 37. If my children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgements If they break my Statutes and keep not my Commandments then will I visit their transgressions with the Rod and their iniquities with stripes Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from them nor suffer my faithfulness to fail my Covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips c. He that lives by Faith in infirmities may be thus characterized 1. He will hear Christ and not the voice of a stranger John 10. 27. 5. 2. He is not offended at whatsoever Christ requires Mat. 11. 6. 3. The revealed will of God in the Scriptures is his Rule and not the light within nor the traditions of men he walketh more by rule then example 4. He will trust God and relye upon his word he eyeth the promise and saith surely in the Lord have I righteousness and strength Isa 45. 24. Jude 3. Act. 20. 31 c. 5. He will hold fast to and earnestly contend for the truth and Faith once delivered to the Saints 6. His sin doth not sink him into despair though he may have many doubtings he will say in the mid ● of all his imperfections I have as much of the love of God acceptation in Christ as the best Saint ever had though I come short in the manifestation my state is as happy as any of theirs Heb. 3. 17. Although the Figtree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the vine c. Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation c. What shall I say more my body shall be raised 1 Thes 4. 16. And I shall have a spiritual body 1 Cor. 15. 43 44. I shall have a glorified body Phil. 3. 21. The Sun in the firmament is not so glorious as my body shall be because the Sun is but a natural body I shall have fulness of knowledge Ephes 3. 18. and fulness of joy and pleasure Psal 16. 11. No misery hunger cold or nakedness pain grief nor weariness shall attend me but I shall rest without labour 2 Thes 1. 7. And I shall have in rest tranquility and in tranquility contentment in contentment joy in joy variety in variety security in security a glorious eternity then shall I be like him and see him as he is 1 John 3. 1 2. compared with 1 Cor. 13. 12. To close up all that I shall speak of this grace of Faith which is of so great concernment give me leave to answer two considerable questions that do arise in the hearts of many 1. What conditions or qualifications must or ought I to find in my felf before I believe or lay hold on a promise 2. If to believe in God is of so great concernment both to being and well being why do so few men and womens sons and daughters believe 1. Quere is What conditions and qualifications must or ought a man to find in himself before he believeth or lay hold of the precious promises in the Scriptures of Truth Answ I know no qualifications or conditions required of us before we come unless these be conditions and qualifications tob uy milk and wine without mony and without price and to take of the water of life freely Isa 55. 1 2 3. Rev. 22. 17. Isa 43. 25. Isa 45. 22. And this I say there will be found in all that do believe without which they will not come to Christ I do not say without which they should not come 1. A sense of his lost condition and great need of a Saviour the whole need not a Physitian saith our Lord Christ 2. There will be poverty of Spirit which doth spring or arise from these two things First that a soul hath a sense that it hath nothing that good is in it self Secondly that he can do nothing to procure good to himself 3. There will be an inquiring after a remedy c. Sirs what shall I do to be saved Lord what wilt thou have me to do 4. There will be a willingness to part with any thing for Christ that stood in opposition to him that so he may enjoy him 5. There will be a resolution and purpose of heart to lead a new life more holily spiritually and heavenly for time to come 6. A resolution to wait upon God in his wayes and to lie at the Pool of Bethesda Now these and the like things are not required as that without which we should not come to Christ but these things will be in him that doth come without which he cometh not 2. Quere What is the reason why so few do believe in God seeing the way is so opened and cleared and the stumbling blocks removed Answ 1. Ground or reason why believing on the Son of God is so hard is because every thing in man doth fight against it hence it doth come to pass that believing doth require the greatest piece of self-denyal in them for a man to break the Law and yet to be freed from the curse of the Law this reason cannot comprehend 2. Ground why so few believe is either because they think they do believe already and yet do not or else they would believe but say they cannot First they think they do believe and yet do not and these are of three sorts First ignorant persons now ignorance and unbelief they alwayes go togegether we read of Paul that did things before he was converted in ignorance and unbelief Jer. 4. 22. My people are foolish they know not me to do good they have no knowledge Secondly those that boast and glory in their own righteousness these have no faith in Jesus Christ and his righteousness The third sort of people that do think they do believe and do not are prophane persons and these be of two sorts men of prophane spirits and men of prophane lives prophane practices 3. Ground or reason why so few believe is because it is the great design of Satan either to hinder or overthrow our Faith because believing doth give the greatest glory to God and brings in the greatest good to us First it doth give the greatest glory to God of any work in the world it doth give glory to his truth and faithfulness and power and mindfulness So it doth give glory to Jesus Christ to his name power and God-head Offices and attributes by doubting we dishonour him frustrate the grace of God make the death of Christ of none effect 4. Reason why believing is so hard a work is because of the multitude of false Doctrines that there are in the world that a man scarce knows who to hear or whom to believe c. Of Repentance unto life REpentance and faith are two inseparable companions where the one doth dwell the other will lodge in the Covenant of grace there is place for repentance and mercy for the penitent Let us first enquire what true repentance is viz. Some say repentance is

Apostles but the Gospel is to be preached chiefly and mainly but the Law accidentally and occasionally as will more fully appear in the following discourse Which is first to be preached the Law or the Gospel THis is the Commission and message of Christ Mark 16. 15. Go and preach the Gospel And it was the practice both of Christ and his Apostles to preach the Gospel in the first place First we find it to be the practice of Christ as for example our Saviour Mat. 5. 3. to the 12. he pronounced nine blessings of the Gospel in his Sermon on the mount before he spake one word of the Law So Mat. 4. 23. We read that Jesus went about a●l Galilee teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom c. So likewise it was the practice of the Apostles viz. we read of Paul 1 Cor. 2 2. That he determined to know or make known nothing amongst the Corinthians save Jesus Christ and him crucified Hence Ministers are called the Ministers of the New Testament 2 Cor. 3. 6. And in another place they are called the Ministers of Christ and of righteousness because they did preach the Gospel in the first place So again Paul when he came to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 15. 3. He delivered unto them first of all that which he also received how that Christ dyed for our sins according to the Scriptures which was plain and pure Gospel So again Paul and Sylus upon the first question propounded unto them by the keeper of the prison Acts 16. 31. They exhort and teach him to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and good reason because believing was to be taught before doing Heb. 11. 6. Tit. 3. 8. without faith it is impossible to please God and those that had believed in Christ should be carefull to maintain good works So again Peter in Act. 2. before he spake of the Jews crucifying of Christ he did preach the free and blessed Gospel to them Object 1. But I have heard some of our brethren of the Presbyterian Congregations object against this truth and say how can men come to see the want and need of Christ if the Law be not first preached Answ It is supposed that all men do look upon themselves as sinners and acknowledge themselves to be sinners although they have not such a particular and sensible conviction the●eof and so the work of the Minister is not so much to shew men the need of Christ first but rather the love of God in giving Christ John 3. 16. and to shew and set forth the riches of Christs grace to sinners in general Romans 5. 8. Object 2. But is it not the first work of the Spirit to convince men of sin John 16. 8. Answ By sin in that place is meant the sin of unbelief Of sin saith he because they believe not on me ver 9. and this sin is not convicted by the Law For that which doth not command Faith cannot discover the sin of unbelief or else consider the Gospel was preached to these people before and they would not believe nor embrace that Gospel but continue under the Law and so the Law is to be preached to them Object 3. If the Law be not to be preached first when and to whom is the Law to be preached Answ 1. The Law is to be preached after the Gospel unto such as do not imbrace the Gospel and yet justifie themselves as the Jews did and that think by their misunderstanding the Law that they keep the Law thus Christ did preach the Law Mat. 5. from 21. to the end 2. The Law is to be preached to those that would make it void and null and of no effect 3. The Law is to be preached and taught unto men after they do believe so far as it doth teach Believers their duty towards God and Christ and their neighbour but the duties and commands of the Law are not ●o be urged to Christians upon any other ground th●n upon that ground which Christ himself did urge them John 14. 15. If ye love me keep my commandment Titus 3. 8. These things I will that thou affirm constantly that they that have believed in Christ be careful to maintain good works Much more might be said to prove this point How the Gift of preaching may be obtained SUrely it is the Lords work to furnish and enable a soul to this great work 2 Cor. 3. 5 6. not that we are sufficient of our selves but our sufficiency is of God who hath made us able ministers of the New Testament So again Eph. 1. 1. Paul an Apostle of Iesus Christ by the will of God Gal. 1. 11 12. But I certifie you Brethren that the Gospel which was preached of me is not after man for I neither received it of man neither was I taught it but by the Revelation of Jesus Christ Now the Lord doth hand forth this gift to his servants many times in use of means First prayer Secondly reading the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto every good work Thirdly meditation 1 Tim. 4. 15. Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all The fourth and last means to be used to attain this gift is studying 2 Tim. 2. 15. Study to shew thy self approved unto God a work-man that needeth not to be ashamed but be sure that thou dost study more Scripture mysteries then humane Histories 1. In each text consider the coherence occasion circumstance and order of the words 2. Consider the denomination of the text as whether it be a Precept Exhortation Threatning Promise Petition Deprecation Similitude Parable c. and that to be insisted upon only which is most agreeable to the principal immediate scope of the holy Ghost in that text then you are to consider of the method that so you may teach clearly convict strongly and perswade powerfully and that you may so do consider the chief parts of a Sermon are these three 1. Explication 2. Confirmation 3. Application Each of these may be further branched and subdivided Then come to the dividing of the Text and there be not too curious for it must not be divided needless or obscure From the division of the words come to the Doctrines which must be deduced from it clearing their inferences shewing their latitude according to their several branches and degrees then come to the confirmation by positive proofs from Scripture the text being divided and the doctrines raised then you come to the reasons which should be such as may tend to convince the judgement the particular heads from whence the reasons are deduceable are these 1. The Necessity 2. The Equity Which are capable of many subordinate branches Then come to application which is either 1. Doctrinal for our

all the Attributes of God the justice of God as well as the mercy of God the holiness of God as well as the grace of God which doth teach us piety towards God and Charity towards men according to Scripture rule that doctrine is true 3. That doctrine that doth teach us to bottom upon Christ alone for Salvation and not upon our own works or qualifications that must needs be true 4. That doctrine that tendeth to the informing of the judgement and reforming the heart and conform the life to the whole will of God that doctrine is true and good 5. That doctrine that doth lead out by the footsteps of the Flock to teach us to have respect to all the ordinancesto seek for and to keep all the commands of God that doctrine is true 1 Chron. 28. 8. Of Prayer and Supplication another standing ordinance of the Gospel 1. OF the nature of it what it is 2. Whom we must pray to 3. For whom we are to pray 4. What extraordinary prayer is 5. The necessity of Prayer 6. The posture to be used in Prayer 7. The place where we are to pray 8. The time in which we are to pray 9. Motives to encourage us to pray 10. Means to be used to obtain the Gift of Prayer 11. Hinderances of Prayer 12. Several sorts of prayer never answered 13. How many wayes doth the Lord answer Prayers 1. Of the nature of it what Prayer is Prayer is a speaking to God face to face wherein we speak to him in Faith Humility Sincerity and Fervencie of Spirit it is Jacobs Ladder by which a soul climbs up to Heaven and it is Noahs dove that goeth forth and returns not till it brings an answer of peace Or prayer is a calling upon God alone in the name of Christ by the help of the Holy Ghost or it is the earnest request of an humble and sanctified Heart together with thanksgiving in behalf of our selves and others with assurance to be heard in what we pray for according to the will of God Phil. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 26. Psal 50. 15. Eph. 6. 18. 1 John 5. 14. James 1. 6. Or Prayer is a Familiar speech with God in the name of Christ 1 John 5. 14. Opening the desires of our hearts unto him and a pouring out of the heart before him for the things we need Psal 50. 15. Jer. 33. 3. Lam. 2. 19. Or prayer is a spiritual gift and grace of the holy Ghost teaching us both what to pray for and how to pray enabling us to pour out our souls unto the Lord with sighs that cannot be uttered Psal 62. 8. Rom. 8. 26. Psalm 145. 18. the Lord is nigh to all them that call upon him in truth Heart and tongue must go together word and work lip and life prayer and practice must eccho one to the other it is not the greatness of the voice nor the multitude of words nor the sweetness of the tone nor the studied notions nor the Eloquent expressions but truth in the inward parts that is prevalent with God now the properties of effectual prayer are these 1. That we pray understandingly 1 Cor. 14. 15. I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with Understanding 2. That we pray earnestly and importunately James 5. 16. compared with Luke 11. 8. 3. That we pray constantly Luke 18. 1. Men ought alwaies to pray and not to faint See Luke 21. 36. Watch ye therefore and pray alwayes 4. We should pray in Faith without wavering James 16. 5. In truth without faining Psal 145. 18. Psal 17. 1. 6. We should pray in humility without swelling Luke 18. 13. 7. We should pray in zeal without cooling Jam. 5. 16. 8. We should pray with resolution to use all good means for the obtaining the things we pray for c. The Heart may pray without the tongue with fruit and feeling 1 Sam. 1. 10. But the tongue without the heart is nothing but vain babling Whom we are to pray unto SUrely we are to pray to God alone and to none other for he alone as the great Searcher of all hearts heareth the voice and knoweth the meaning of the Spirit of Prayer Psalm 25. 2. Rom. 8. 27. Jehosaphat oppressed by his enemies to whom goes he to complain to none but unto God 2 Chron. 20. 12. To whom went David to complain of the bitter words of Cush the Benjamite to none but unto God Psalm 7. 1. O Lord my God in thee do I put my trust save me from all them that persecute me and deliver me He alone is able to grant whatsoever we demand Eph. 3. 20. Wherefore seeing he alone hears all prayers heals all Sinners knows all Suiters Jer. 31. 18. 2 Chron. 7. 14. 1 Chron. 28. 9. Psal 44. 21. He alone hath love enough to pity all and power enough to relieve all our wants and necessities to him alone we are to pray and to none other Mat. 11. 28. Thus we must pray only to God in the only name and for the only sake of his Son our Lord Jesus Christ the alone Mediator between God and man 1 Tim. 2. 5. For whom we are to pray FIrst for all men 1 Tim. 2. 1. even our enemies Mat. 5. 44. because they bare the common Image of God Jam. 3. 9. So that we are to pray for all sorts and degrees of men especially publike persons as rulers and such as are in Authority 1 Tim. 2. 2. and for Ministers that watch over our souls Ephes 6. 19. Col. 4. 3. So also we are to pray for our selves us and ours for all things that we want either for soul or body that doth concern our being or well being And if we be not answered at the present or in the same kind that we desire 2 Cor. 12. 9. yet sooner or latter we are sure to receive even above that we are able either to ask or think if we continue with constancy patience and importunity to seek unto him according to his will Luke 11. 5. and 18. 1. 1 John 5. 14. And that we ought to pray for others will yet further appear by this viz. Abraham prayed for Abimelech Gen. 20. 17. Jacob for his sons Gen. 49. Paul for the people and they for him 1 Thes 1. 2. this kind of prayer is called intercession What extraordinary prayer is EXtraordinary prayer is that which is made upon some special occasion or extraordinary accident falling out felt or feared upon a whole Nation City Family or Person by reason whereof our prayers are both longer and ferventer then at other times Psalm 119. 62. Acts 12. 5. Joel 2. 15. Ionah 3. 6. See Ezra 9. Dan. 9. and Nehem. 9. In these times of Fasting or extraordinary praying or both we are most earnestly and fervently to call upon God either for the obtaining of some singular benefit or special favour that we stand in great need of or for the avoiding of some special punishment or notable judgement hanging

have likewise foretold of these dayes I will instance in a few for all First David Psal 62. 7. there he speaks of the continuance of Christs kingdom as long as the Sun and Moon endureth then he speaks of the extent of this Kingdom vers 8. and that is from sea to sea then he speaks who shall be the subjects of this kingdom vers 11. and that is some of all Nations Isaiah likewise hath not only spoken of the incarnation birth life and doctrine and death resurrection and ascension of Christ but also he hath prophesied of his second coming in power to gather his spiritual kingdom and of the extent injoyment glory and duration of that kingdom See one place for all Isaiah 2. 2 3 4. Jeremiah also bares witness to the same truth Jer. 30. 31 32 33. Ezekiel also hath spoken of this kingdom and reign of Christ Ezek. 34. 11. Daniel hath spoken of this kingdom and raign of Christ Daniel 2. 44 45. Hosea bares witness to the same truth Hos 1. 10 11. 3. 4 5. Amos also hath foretold of these things Chap. 9. 11. to the end Obadiah also speaks to the same truth ver 21. Micah speaks to the same Chap. 4. 6 7. Malachy speaks of his coming and kingdom Chap. 3. 2. 2. We have the testimony of all the Apostles speaking frequently of Christs second coming in all the four Evangelists and in almost all the Epistles to the several Churches see Mat. 24. from 29. to the end and Mark 13. from 24. to the end and Luke 12. from 31. to the end and Luke 21. from 25. to the end and Joh. 14. 3. compared with Joh. 17. 24. So in the Epistles it is called the appearing of the glory of the great God Titus 2. 13. and it is set out with Angelical attendance 2 Thes 1. 7 8 9 10. See a farther testimony of this truth 1 Thes 1. 10. Phil. 3. 20. 3. We have the testimony of Angels Act. 1. 10 11. and whilest that they looked stedfastly towards heaven as he went up behold two Angels stood by them in white apparrell which said ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing up into heaven this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven behold if the testimony of the Prophets yea all the Prophets and the testimony of the Apostles be not enough then here is the testimony of Angels which is accounted stedfast Heb. 2. 2. In a word the second coming of Christ might be farther proved by the immutability of Gods decree and infallibility of his promises and impartiality of his justice c. but I meet with no sort of people denying this truth except a few of those spoken of in the Gospel saying where is the promise of his coming these people have renounced their reason and made nonsense the mother of their devotion therefore their arguments are not worth the answering but the great difficulty lieth amongst those men that do believe a second coming of Christ in power and great glory and thesemen fall into these three ranks the first saith that Christ shall come and reign personally on the earth a thousand years before the last judgement a second sort stands up and saith he shall not reign personally but spiritually a thousand years in his Saints a third sort steps in and contradicts the two former saying there is neither personal reign nor spiritual reign to be looked for at Christs next coming for he comes to judge the world and so to put an end to all things here below c. let the reader consider that it is with us now a little before the second coming of Christ as it was with the Jews and others a little before the first coming of Christ for it is apparent they were in three divisions as we now are as appears by their darkness in these three portions of Scripture that speaks of Christs first coming One Scripture said Mich. 5. 2. thou Bethleem out of thee shall come one to rule Israel Another Scripture said Isaiah 9. 2 6. the land of Zebulon and Nepthaly the people which were in darkness have seen a great light ver 6. for unto us a child is born unto us a Son is given c. A third Scripture Hos 11. 1. we read these words out of Egypt have I called my Son now in these three Scriptures the Prophets did seem to vary in their prophecies and the people after about the coming of Christ in flesh differing as to the place where or in which of these three Christ should be born this difference of theirs begat this great question in Court Mat. 2. 4. Herod gathered together all the chief Priests and Scribes and demanded of them where Christ should be born and they said unto him in Bethleem c. Now the thing that I would have the reader to take special notice of is this that these three Scriptures were fulfilled at the coming of Christ one after another for he was born in Bethleem called out of Egypt and came to the land of Zebulon and there preached and the people that sate in darkness saw a great light c. and why may not all these three things fall in together at the second coming of Christ in power to wit a persosonal coming a spiritual reign and all the time of the reign a judging of the world let not us make those things inconsistent which may be consistent in a sense warily understood this I am sure whilst we are contending what Christ shall do when he comes that we let slip our precious time and not so prepare as we ought for his coming Oh what a state are things in here every one tuging for his interest O Lord put in for thine too do thou gain and let all sit down with loss whose gain lies not in thine cozen all creatures by bringing about a swifter a fuller a more universal happiness by the appearance of our Lord Christ then ever heart could imagine Let the reader consider these eleven things 1. There shall be a coming of Christ in power and great glory 2. That day is very near 3. The manner of his coming 4. The signs of his coming 5. He shall come visibly 6. The posture a Christian should be in at his coming 7. It is the duty of all to wait for his coming 8. The benefits that a Christian shall have at his coming 9. The consideration of his coming should cause us to live here above our contents and discontents 10. The sad condition of all out of Christ at his coming 11. He shall come terribly 1. There shall be a coming of Christ in power and great glory which we have proved before by the testimony of all the Prophets and Apostles and some of the Angels we have proved this truth further by the immutablity of Gods decree and by the infallibility of his promises and by the