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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	covenant_n	faith_n	justification_n	6,618	5	9.6345	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56307	A serious exhortation to an holy life, or conversation With a clear discovery of the nature of it, what it is. The means of attaining it. The trials of it, how it may be known. The motives, or inducements to it. Or, a profitable companion for conversion. Confirmation. Illumination. Consolation. By Robert Purnell.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1663 (1663)	Wing P4240; ESTC R222001	22,777	109

A Serious EXHORTATION To an HOLY LIFE OR Conversation With a clear Discovery Of The Nature of it what it is The Means of attaining it The Trials of it how it may be known The Motives or Inducements to it OR A profitable Companion For Conversion Illumination Confirmation Consolation By Robert Purnell LONDON Printed for Edward Thomas at the Adam and Eve in Little Brittain 1663. An Epistle To the READER Reader COnsider there are many wayes to Damnation and but one way to Salvation and that is strait and the gate narrow so that although the runners are many the obtainers are few Now that we may so run that we may obtain is my desire and endeavour in this little Piece for there is a way if we could light on it which I have pointed at how to possesse what we want how to live long in a little time and to have one Foot as it were in Heaven whilst the other is upon the Earth This small piece is the Birth of many Prayers and the sum and substance of many sweet Converses and Meditations and the Judgement of most precious Christians so that this Book is of great Worth though but of small Price The best and chiefest Authors that I have consulted withal in compiling the ensuing Treatise are the Prophets and Apostles mentioned in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament so that here is no loose corns to blow off nor mis-spent words that I know of I did lately meet with a small piece about this bigness having the same Title Page upon the matter with this written by one Mr. Thomas Wadsworth sometimes Preacher at Newington near London in which Piece there are many choice things but I finding it lame or short as to the beginning carrying on and finishing the work of a Holy Conversation and finding the necessity of such a Piece in these loose Times wherein the Lords Day is profan'd his Ordinances slighted or adulterated his People despised c. I have made bold to put Pen to Paper and so to compose the ensuing Work which is neither deficient in necessaries nor abundant in superfluities Thou shalt finde it for Order Methodical for Matter Spiritual for Brevity Compendious for Use Precious c. Consider the Truth is the same in all Ages only it shines more and more clear from Age to Age until that which is perfect is come the Truth held forth is the same though with more of God and less of Man such addition is no innovation but illustration not a new light but new sight A man may not be said to make a new World when he makes a new discovery of the old My Friends labour to keep close to God in this loose Age spend not your precious time in complaining on others as most do but rather endeavour in the use of all means to reform your selves lay the Foundation of Mortification deep reserve no lust from the stroak of Jesus Christ let your Speech be seasoned with Grace take heed of neglecting or slighting any of the Ordinances of God in order hereunto read seriously this small Piece being a serious Exhortation to an Holy Life and Conversation and if thou wilt read so as to profit much by it consider observe these three things 1. Consider that Sanctification or an holy Life is the Eccho of Election and Holiness the Blossom of Happiness and Piety the inlet of Felicity whereas an unholy Life brings external internal and eternal misery upon Persons and Nations 2. Have no hand in any Plot but against Hells Policy have no design but against Sin learn how to act to thy God Fidelity to thy Prince Loyalty to thy self Humility so shalt thou be kept from future Falls and guarded from present Fears for God hath either the Castle of a Providence or the Ark of a Promise or the All-sufficiency of his own Grace for a retirement of his People in the greatest Storms and Tempests 3. Make a most strong Determination from the bottom of thy heart to embrace and observe whatsoever thou shalt finde to be the will of God though all the world should be against thee for it so shall all thy Duties and Services be regulated by Precept and winged by Promises Farewell A Serious EXHORTATION To An Holy Life And CONVERSATION THe Lord of Glory who is the great Master-piece of Speech when he speaks from Heaven he makes use of three several Texts of Scripture in one breath Mat. 17. 5. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him First This is my beloved Son that Scripture you have in Psal 2. 7. In whom I am wel pleased this we have in Isa 42. 1. Hear him this we have in Deut. 18. 15. This high and mighty one hath gather'd up all practicall Divinity into ten Precepts Exod. 20. and Moses reduceth them to four Heads Deut. 10. 12. And the Prophet Micah to three Micah 6. 8. and our Saviour Christ to two Mark 12. 29 31. and all that we can pray for or against into six heads or petitions Matth. 6. 9. to the 14. verse And the Apostle Paul reduceth all into one Rom. 13. 9. He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law if there be any other Commandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self Now that I may manifest my love to my neighbour I do here present him with this little piece which I have for my own and his sake taken great care and pains in I shall reduce the body of this Book to these two great Doctrines of Grace and Works and so shall begin With the great Doctrine of Gods free Grace and End with the Doctrine of Works which is the ready way to get the apprehension and application of mercy to our selves The Papists say if we are freely justified by Grace we need not to do any good works and if we cannot fall from Grace we need not fear to commit sin but every true Christian will say that Faith and Works must go together in our conversation First To begin with the Doctrine of Grace if we minde and understand the Covenant of Grace justification by Grace the Doctrine of Grace we shall finde that the Apostles all along were very careful to keep this Covenant and Doctrine of Grace distinct from all other things they all along do oppose the Law and Grace Works and Faith our Righteousness and Christs Righteousness teaching us thereby how needful it is that they be kept each in his place asunder and that we do not as most do jumble them both together This Doctrine of Grace hath been and still is a bone of contention Why so because learning cannot reach it natural wisdom is confounded at it evil Angels do not know it most men do turn their backs upon it being bereaved of the knowledge of it or else corrupted from the simplicity of it Let the Reader consider these Scriptures all speaking to the same thing Rom.

trials when all things do fail free Grace and love doth never fail Heb. 13. 5. compared with Joshua 1. 5. our nearest and dearest friends may fail our eyes may fail our tongues may fail our strength may fail our flesh and our hearts may fail our spirits may fail but the Lord hath promised that he will never fail nor forsake us Josh 21. 45. and 1 Kings 8. 56. what shall I say more the pure glorious matchless and spotless Righteousness of Jesus Christ is a souls righteousness and resting place But he that understands not this Doctrine his life must needs be a burthen to him he is apt to spend his dayes in sorrow and mourning sighing and complaining in doubting and questioning sometimes saying within himself my confidence is but presumption and my enjoyments are but delusions Whereas on the contrary he that understands receives and abides in the Doctrine of Grace doth rest satisfied in God alone in this rest there is tranquility in tranquility contentment in contentment joy in joy variety in variety security in security an assured hope of eternity This Doctrine is that by which Satan is or shall be overthrown and his kingdom turned up-side down it was Satan that tempted our first Parents to eat the forbidden Fruit it was Satan that put Cain upon murdering Abel it was Satan that provoked David to number the people it was Satan that put Peter upon perswading of Christ not to suffer it was Satan that put treason into the heart of Judas it was Satan that put Ananias upon lying Now there are no weapons but spiritual weapons that will stead the soul in combating with the Devil and what greater weapon hath the Lord put into our hands than this free love of Christ to us Ephes 6. 13. to the 16. This is the Doctrine that Satan doth most war against either to pervert or corrupt as those who know his wiles may easily perceive Oh! how hath Satan caused the Church of Rome to pervert and corrupt this Doctrine The Papist saith if we are freely justified by Grace we need not do any good works and if we cannot fall from Grace we need not fear to commit sinne How hath he corrupted and perverted this Doctrine in the Quaker Arminian and Formalist it would be endless to reckon up his wiles herein This Doctrine is one of the hardest points in Religion to be learned it being above the reach of nature and all natural parts c. To do well and have well is natural but to believe and live well is supernatural to be righteous by anothers righteousness and to be saved by anothers suffering these are mysteries and paradoxes which no natural man perceiveth 1 Cor. 2. 14. Neither can he know them because they are spiritually discern'd so that as in 1 Cor. 1. 21. The world by wisdom knew not God but remains ignorant of the Righteousness of God and so go about to establish their own Righteousness and seek salvation as it were by the works of the Law Rom. 9. 32. not considering that it is impossible to obtain salvation hereafter or any firm settled peace here if our confidence towards God be grounded upon our own best and choicest performances seeing there is something polluted and something defective for all our duties are tainted with disproportion to rule and beleapor'd with spots and blots so that it is in vain to expect a bed of rest in the barren wilderness of our own performances for that bed is shorter then that a man can stretch himself on it and the covering is too narrow for one to wrap himself in it O the spots the blots the blemishes that are to be seen upon the face of our fairest duties so that the best of us may say with the Prophet Isa 64. 6. All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags therefore let us say no more to the works of our own hands Ye are our gods for in the true God the Fatherless finde mercy Hosea 14. 3. Therefore in vain is salvation hoped for from the Hills or from the multitudes of Mountains therefore let us not be like the Spider spinning out a Web of his own and so think to climb up to Heaven by a thred spun out of our own bowels no no that will not do the Law that we have broken must have a perfect personall universall and perpetuall obedience or else we remain under the curse from which there is nothing that can relieve us but that which is answerable to the evil of sin Now there is no righteousnesse in the world that is proportionable to the evil of sin but the righteousness of Christ onely For Our own righteousness is too short and is called a menstruous rag and so cannot cover us and menstruous so that if it should cover us it were but to cover filth with filth Neither is the righteousness of the Law large enough if a man could keep it because it will not acquit us for former disobedience see Gal. 3. 21. compared with Rom. 8. 3 4. Neither can the righteousness of all the Angels do it because this also is a created righteousness a finite righteousness and no way proportionable to the evil of sinne If we should weep as many tears as the Sea holds drops and humble our souls as many dayes as the world hath stood minutes all this were too short to purchase the pardon of one sin if the stung Israelites had made a medicine of all the best Herbs in the Wilderness and a plaister of all the sovereign ingredients in the whole world and applyed it with Mountains of Prayers and Seas of tears this would not have helped them if withall they did not look upon the Brazen Serpent the free grace of God in Jesus Christ In a word God will have all blessings and happiness to flow from Free Grace That the worst of sinners might have strong ground for hope and comfort For the praise of his own glory and exaltation of his own Grace That vain man may not boast That our mercies and blessings might be sure to us Yet for all this let men have a care that in crying down the righteousness of works they do not cry down the works of righteousness Object If there be a reward hereafter for our Works how can it be of Grace Answ It is of Grace that the Lord doth put it into our hearts to minde it It is of Grace that the Lord doth enable us to do it It is of Grace that Works shall be rewarded seeing they are but our duty And so much for the Doctrine of Grace now we come to the Doctrine of Works Object If our Election Vocation Regeneration Justification Sanctification Acceptation and Salvation be of Grace and onely of Grace what need is there of so much crying up and pressing of Works or an Holy Life and Conversation Answ There are many strong prevailing Arguments to engage us and all people to an Holy Life notwithstanding all is of Grace take

it For drawing others to sin by your bad examples and courses For not reproving others for their sin as if thou wast afraid to speak for God against those that dishonoured him For a world of precious time which thou hast mis-spent in the world For a multitude of secret unknown sins committed in thy childe-hood youth and man-hood all thy omissions and commissions will then come into thy minde There comes in a long Bill which thou never dreamedst of much less couldest repent of ignorance will be no plea in this Court all our sinfull thoughts resolutions words and actions together with all our commissions and omissions stand up and bear testimony against thee Oh! consider if ever any Bill were like unto this I could almost say to the Reader as Nathan to David Thou art the man It is true that in Courts of Justice exceptions against Witnesses are sometimes allowed but thou canst except against none here unless it be the devil but if thou cashire his testimony what canst thou say against thy partners in sin do not they know all thy wayes what canst thou say against good men that with grief of heart beheld thy sinful courses what canst thou say against good Angels that will not belye thee what canst thou say against thine own conscience what canst thou say against the true and all-knowing God that cannot lye Then hear the sentence Mat. 25. 41. Go ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels 3. Let us a little consider the torments which he is like to suffer in Hell there shall be punishment without pitty misery without mercy sorrow without succour crying without comfort mischief without measure torment without ease where the worme dieth not and the fire is never quenched in which flame thou shalt ever be burning and never consumed ever dying and never dye but here thou shalt be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power and so here for want of an holy Conversation thou hast changed Heavens felicity for Hells fury it is better to creep towards Heaven though through the valley of tears than to gallop towards Hell upon the mountains of pleasure Consider the duration of that miserable estate Mat. 25. 41. Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire this eternal condition admits of no alteration decay or consumption future hopes or expectation waste or diminution mans eternal condition admits of no mixture or moderation events or issues of Providence mans eternal condition admits of no comparison or revocation there is no sounding a retreat after we are lanched into this Ocean millions of ages past away yet not a minute wasted this is utter darkness and blackness of darkness weeping and gnashing of teeth the worm that never dyeth the fire that never goeth forth c. and all this is but the effect and product of an unholy Conversation I hope by this time the Reader of these lines findeth a necessity of a serious exhortation to an holy life and conversation Now to avoid all these miseries consider what is before written and these few things following after and so I close up this little piece not doubting but by Gods blessing thou mayest gain much by it Now then if thou wouldst avoid Hells misery and obtain Heavens felicity learn these few things and put them in practice Keep thy heart with Solomons diligence Pro. 4. 24. Keep thine eyes with Jobs Covenant Job 31. 1. Keep thy tongue with Davids Bridle Psal 39. 7. Keep thy foot with Solomons guard Eccles 5. 1. That thou and I may do so let us put on the whole Armour of God and not trust any member without its keeper Have a care of spending precious time about things unprofitable or impossible for mans idle time is the Devils busie time Therefore seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Let thy thoughts which are the first blossom of thy soul be awful and godly 2 Cor. 10. 5. Let thy speech and talk be seasoned with grace let it be little and true profitable seasonable and savoury Prov. 10. 21. Let thy works be profitable holy charitable and measurable Let thy carriage or manners be grave courteous and chearful Let thy diet be moderate and temperate bring thine appetite under a rule of reason that it exceed not the bounds of moderation when thou makest a feast be not like Dives who fared deliciously nor like Martha troubled about many dishes or varieties Be content with thine allowance if thou canst not raise thy estate to thy minde let us stoop our mindes to our estates Let thy apparel be sober neat and comely be rather too sparing then over lavishing rather abridge thy self of somewhat thou mightest have then abound rather come short of thine allowance then any whit at all to exceed it Let thy recreation be lawful brief seldom and seasonable Let thy companions be chiefly those that are godly beware of too deep familiarity with wicked ones for they will talk much to little purpose see Prov. 4. 14. Let thy sleep be moderate quiet and seasonable lie not down to sleep in thy sins neither sinne in thy sleep Let thy prayers be short fervent frequent and devout remember Christ prayed often and briefly and commands us to learn of him Have a care of spending so much time and pains about the form of godliness as to neglect the power Charge thy memory to retain the best things not forgetting Death Judgement Punishment or Glory If thou wilt live and dye in a continual peace maintain a continual warre against the world the flesh and the Devil if ever we come to Heaven we must fight our every step of our way step by step as a Ship cuts out its way in the Sea Endeavour alwayes to keep thine heart in such a frame that thou mayest be ready to receive or do good Endeavour to warn them that are unruly comfort the feeble minded support the weak be patient towards all men 1 Thes 5. 14. Let the Word of God be thy rule his glory thy aim his Spirit thy guide his Angels thy guard his Promises thy support his People thy companions his Ordinances thy delight As we do approve of the end which the Almighty aims at which is the glory of his Name and the good of his people so we should like and assent to the way which he doth act in to accomplish the same which is sometimes by means sometimes without means sometimes contrary to means sometimes by small means and inconsiderable Seriously consider that general which takes in all the former particular rules Phil. 4. 8. Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think on these things so as to walk in them or observe and do them so shalt thou have prudence to guide thy thoughts to order and grace thy speech to help thee to understand things present to guess at things to come to recall matters past to possess that you do want to live long in a little time and to carry thy self in all states in all conditions under all administrations both to God and his people and thy relations as a righteous obedient Christian It is reported of Alexanders body that it was of such an exact and excellent constitution that it gave a sweet scent like a perfume so should a Christians conversation be a sweet smelling savour both to God and man so then thou shalt not be afraid to dye nor ashamed to live Therefore let us spend more time and pains about that which will make us live happily and dye comfortably and reign with Christ eternally We may assure our selves it is not the knowing man nor the talking man but the doing man that at last will be found the happiest man for if our knowledge be not turned into practice the more knowledge we have the more miserable shall we be Although no man merits assurance by obedience yet God usually crowns obedience with assurance An unholy Professour shall alwayes want these things viz. Comfort and Content Confidence and Assurance Read and consider these Scriptures and I have done leaving thee to him that never forsakes his The Scriptures follow viz. Hebrews 6. 8. But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected and is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned Matthew 3. 10. Now the axe is laid to the root of the tree therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire 1 Thessalonians 4. 1. Furthermore then we beseech you brethren and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God so ye would abound more and more for this is the will of God even your sanctification verse 3. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour Hebrews 13. 20. 21. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ the great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen