Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	free_a	grace_n	justification_n	4,592	5	9.0747	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60546	An account of the behaviour of the fourteen late popish malefactors whil'st in Newgate and their discourses with the Ordinary ... : also a confutation of their appeals, courage, and cheerfulness at execution / by Samuel Smith ...	Smith, Samuel, 1620-1698.	1679 (1679)	Wing S4197; ESTC R10786	43,028	42

Contrite for sin as he desired that he was much perplexed that he had no more Assurance of a future happy state I stated the nature of true saving-Faith that it was an adherence to the free grace of God in Christ for pardon and Eternal Life joyned with an obedient self-resignation and where this was wrought the soul-state was safe tho assurance of Gods Love might be wanting For this was not an essential Priviledge absolutely necessary to Salvation but only a peculiar favor given to strict walking Christians and that only at some set-times in great extremity and need of such hidden Manna That it was rather of the nature of a Rational short sensation than the Ground of setled Comfort which is the result of an Heroical strain of Faith to trust in God when he seems to reject and slay us and that the Lord doth more esteem this resolute dependency in the midst of seeming-contradictions than the most multiplyed Acts of external Worship Upon this he was somwhat more serene in his mind And I told him that in praying and seeking the Lord more fervently comfort would gradually be obtained The next day he distrusted his Heart as to the Truth of his Faith and Repentance which I told him was a good signe that he was in a hopeful way of making his Peace with God That he must wait in believing that he should obtain Comfort promised to the Penitent He desired me to pray with him and for him and to prepare to speak somwhat of the sufferings of Christ when I should next Visit him Accordingly from that Text I am Crucified with Christ I treated of many parts of his Bitter Passion and of his Soul-agonies inferring matter not only of Comfort from thence but also of Instruction for our Imitation and Conformity I left him afterward in a frame more willing and fit to Die and comming to him on the very Morning he was to Suffer he told me that Now he had more Comfort and an hope of his future Happy-state yet renouncing all opinion of worth in his own Tears Prayers and Humiliation He was solicitous if the Executioner should deal with him according to the strictness of the Sentence lest feeling any pain if Cut down ript up Alive he should Curse or use any Unchristian word Which rather than to do said he I would Bite my Tongue in pieces for I dread Sin now more than Death I told him that I hoped the manner of his Execution would be mitigated however that God would prevent Sin in him at the time of his Suffering because he was so anxious as to distrust himself and cautious to avoid all unbecomming Words or Gestures After some farther Discourse I pray'd with him and he was much pleased with my attendance about him yet he spared me from going with him to the place of Execution for some Reasons I cannot say how he declared himself there because I was not present But upon my whole Observation of his Behaviour in Prison I do charitably judge he was a real Penitentiary It was doubtful to some whether he dyed in the Roman or Protestant Religion because as I think he did not at last declare himself either way Yet this I am sure of that if he had solid and true Comfort in Dying this could not proceed from such a sandy foundation as his old Popish Principles but only from Self-abhorrency in the sense of his great Sinfulness and the defectiveness of his best Repentance and Obedience that he might build his hope on Christ and his Righteousness only as the Rock of Eternal Life II. Mr. Coleman I Come now to Coleman of whom I can say very little because he had an Arrogant opinion of his own Abilities and out of an Hope to be Canonized for a Saint despised and rejected any Assistance from me either by Discourse or Prayer I offered him both on the next day after the Sentence of Death pass'd upon him but he returned me this Answer by the Messenger I sent to him to know if he would admit me That he had but a very short time to Prepare himself for Death and would not be hindred in the Loss of any part of it thanking me for my offer of Visiting him but desired me to forbear I put a fair construction on the Message brought me at the first thinking he might be very busie at that time about some extraordinary emergency or indisposed to be Visited and therefore told the Messenger that I would attend on him on some other fit time The Officer told me that Mr. Coleman would never admit me and he inferred it from his manner of speaking that Message which he sent by him he observed his Countenance and Gestures in the delivery of it So I totally desisted Yet when he was brought down from his Chamber in the Press-yard-side to go to the Sledge I stayed him a little saying Mr. Coleman You did not think well of admitting me yet know I have earnestly Prayed that God would give you true and great Repentance for your great Crimes stand not out in your denying of them Some other words I used to which he replyed in short and quick tone Thank you thank you As I moved nearer with him towards the gate he said Sir I must beg your Pardon It being a strange word to drop from Him I askt him for what He replyed That I did not Admit you but truly it was not in any contempt of your Office but when you sent to me I was under some perplexed Thoughts and for other Consideratious thought it not Convenient Then I told him that I would pray for him as a dying man which he took well and so we parted III. Mr. Grove MR. Grove was Executed on Friday the 24th of January 1678. I spake to him in the Chappel these words before he was carried down the Stone-stairs unto the Sledg Sir I earnestly desire you Now that you are going to appear at the Tribunal of Christ that you would clear your Conscience and speak the Truth that you may die in Peace And I do Exhort you that you would beg of God great Repentance for your great sins He repli'd That he did understand his Duty Yet I persisted to exhort him not to trust to the merits of any Saint or Angel but wholly to go out of himself not grounding any Confidence of his Salvation on any prayers tears nor the deepest Humiliation of his own heart That even Cardinal Bellarmine said when dying It was safest to rely wholly and solely on the Alsufficient Merits of the blessed Jesus Mr. Grove replied That Thomas a Kempis had said the same To which I replied Do you consider of it and Act accordingly For you must not hazard your Souls eternal welfare by any presumptious mixing of your own good works with Christs Infinit Satisfaction and Merits For the Apostle saint Paid saith If Justification be of Works it is altogether of Works but if of free Grace it is