Selected quad for the lemma: hand_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
hand_n	day_n	lord_n	soul_n	5,145	5	4.8761	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91366	The way step by step to sound and saving conversion, with a clear discovery of the two states, viz: nature, & grace: and how to know in which state one is, and the way to come out of the one into the other. Or, The ready and right path-way for the first Adams posterity to get out of their fallen estate accompanied with sin and misery, into the relation and family of the last Adam, which estate is attended with grace and glory, &c. With many weighty questions answered, and cases of conscience resolved, for the clearing and confirming the truths asserted. / By Robert Purnell.	Purnell, Robert, d. 1666.	1659 (1659)	Wing P4241; Thomason E1800_1; ESTC R209703	66,581	144

God over all blessed for ●ver equal with the Father in being majestie and glorie him in whom his Father See Mr. R. F. in his mystery of godliness pag. 7. delighted from all eternitie his own and his onelie begotten Son promised before to Adam Gen. 3. 15. preached to Abraham Gen. 12. 3. typified in the legal Sacrifices Gal. 3. 18. and prophesied of by Moses and all the Prophets Gen. 18. 18. and Gen. 26. 4. and pointed at by John the Lord sends his Son in the liknesse of sinfull slesh to condemn sin in the flesh him we are to hear and to wait upon in a broken-hearted and diligent use of meanes untill we be made partakers of his free saving grace c. And although in this great work I shall I fear rather lisp than speak plain yet I trust I shall not darken counsel by words without knowledge It is true sometimes a child of light doth walk in darknesse as to the footsteps of the Lord Psal 77. 19. Thy way is in the Sea and thy path in the great waters and thy footsteps are not known compare this with John 3. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst n●t tell whence it cometh and whether it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit saith our Lord Christ c. From these and other Scriptures it doth appear that God doth not work in the same measure and method upon all in the work of conversion some are sanctified from the womb Jer. 1. 5. as Jeremiah was sanctified before he came out of his mothers womb and John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mothers womb Luk. 1. 15. Some are converted by a small still voice See 1 King 19. 11. 12. some must have a great and strong wind renting the mountaines of sinne in their hearts others must have an Earth-quake to awaken them some must be brought through the fire to burn up their drosse some men● flesh is harder to heal then others so some mens hearts a needle may do that to one which a launce will not do to another a frown to one which a blow will not do to another some men are of greater parts of greater places who are not so easily humbled some men are of crabbed and untowards spirits and knotty blocks had need of hard wedges some men have longer scores and greater rekonings have been greater sinners than others and though not alwayes yet ordinarily God doth proportion the sorrow to the sinne Again upon some the Lord doth intend to bestow a greater measure of grace than upon others and so he layeth a proportionable foundation some he intends to use as one of a thousand To comfort others therefore he doth exercise them with difficulties of higher nature that they may experimentally comfort others 2 Cor. 1. 4. and some he intends for great service great imployment either in Church or State and therefore he doth humble them the more at the bringing in as we may se● and read in the conversion of Paul Luther Augustin It is true all Gods people are souldiers but all his people are not Champions all are brought home or shall be but all are not brought home equally alike in every thing and though the conversion of a sinner be a great work yet when the Lord sets about it it is soon done Though conversion be a great work yet it is soon done Vocation regeneration and conversion is many times wrought in an instant God in saying Awake thou that sleepest arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee life makes the soul to awake arise and live in a moment in the twinkling of an eye Isa 45. 22. Look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and there is none else Christ tells us in few words and the Apostle in as few John 3. 14. As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the Sonne of man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in him should be saved Rom. 10. 9. If thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved c. But to proceed consider these three things 1. What preparations conditions or qualifications should a man or woman find in themselves before they lay hold on Christ and the promises 2. How Conversion regeneration repentance and vocation agree or differ 3. The way step by step which the Lord in his ordinary dispensation in these Gospel dayes doth lead a soul as it were by the hand out of a state of nature into a state of grace c 1. What preparations conditions or qualifications should a manor woman find in themselves before they lay hold on Christ and apply the promises For answer hereunto take these considerations Viz. I know no qualifications preparations that are so required as that without it we should not come but there be some without which we will not come we must buy milk and wine although it be without money and without price Isa 55. 1 2. By preparatory work we understand certain inherent qualifications according to the ordinary dispensation of God and so the soul is made sensible of sinne death and curse due to it before it passe through the new birth he must be convinced that the Law is holy just and good the precept holy the promise good the curse just a man must acknowledge himself a lawfull captive before the Lord will set him free all the preparations required in Gods ordinary way of dispensation before conversion may be reduced to these four heads 1. Revelation of Jesus Christ dying for the sinnes of the people according to the Gospel of free grace and so tenders pardon of sinne to all sinners that are sensible of sinne sinners that are broken hearted Isa 61. 1. broken and bruised Luk. 4. 18. that are weary and heavy laden Mat. 11. 28. poor sick sinners Mar. 2. 17. sensible of their misery and necessity of a remedy without which they perish eternally 2. After this sense of misery and want of mercy there will be an inquiring after a remedy Sirs what shall I do to be saved Rom. 16. 30. So Paul Lord what wil● thou have me to do Rom. 9. 6. 3. There will be a waiting upon God in the use of means for the obtaining of mercy But let the Reader consider that whatsoever preparations and qualifications there is required in any before conversion they are wrought in us by the singer of God who worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. So then it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9. 16. how was Paul disposed and affected when Christ calls him Acts 9. had not Pauls calling depended upon Gods choice at that time he had never been called here may

himself out c. Of the preparations or qualifications that we are to find in our selves before we lay hold on Christ and the promise Conversion and Regeneration Vocation and Repentance are but four words to hold forth as it were one and the self same thing Of the way step by step how the Lord in his ordinary dispensation in these Gospel-dayes doth lead a soul as it were by the hand out of a state of nature into a state of grace First by enlightning the soul Secondly by calling him effectually Thirdly by enabling him to believe Fourthly by giving him the spirit of prayer by which he prayes for more light to see his sins and then for pardoning mercy and for purging mercy Fifthly the Lord doth cause the soul secretly to give it self up to God and so he comes to surrender all its own supposed interest that he had in himself unto God that made it and unto Christ that hath dearly purchased it then there follweth the mean● to be used to breed and beget grace and to convert the soul First to keep close to grace-begetting Ordinances viz. hearing the Word preached reading the Scriptures and frequent and earnest prayer Secondly to dwell much upon grace-begetting promises Thirdly to frequent the company of grace-begetting and soul-converting companions Fourthly to call to mind and meditate upon grace-begetting considerations Fisthly to gather and to treasure up grace-begetting and soul-converting experiences and so to be diligent in the use of many other means for the confirming sealing and assuring the soul of salvation these and many other subordinate branches thou hast here presented in a little room and a few words c. Now to proceed a little farther in this great work and so to draw towards a close let the Reader consider these things following viz. 1. If we remain in an unconverted estate let us blame our selves only for the want of conversion is not in God for he makes use of all means and wayes to convert us 2. We shall present the Reader with some of the principal hinderances of Conversion 3. Consider the sad and miserable condition of the unconverted 4. The trials of conversion by which a man may know whether he be converted yea or no 5. The priviledges and benefits of all that are converted 6. Certain Objections answered which some out of weakness and others out of prejudice may be apt to make against the foregoing discourse and so I shall close up this Book The want of Conversion i● not in God but in our selves he makes use of all means and waies to convert us 1. Our conversion and salvation is not a thing impossible for a new and living way is consecrated for us by Christ through the vail his flesh and by his blood we may have boldness to enter into the Holiest he hath borne our burthen he hath removed the impossibilities and nailed to his Cross the hand-writing that was against us Coll. 2. 14 15. So that if any of us perish it is for want of grace in us not for want of satisfaction by the Redeemer salvation is brought even to our doors and thrust in as it were into our hands we have Christ himself offered us and pardon life and salvation with him we have God himself waiting to be gracious and beseeching us to be reconciled to him 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. We have the Lords Embassadors intreating us in his Name and stead the Lord hath provided excellent and plentiful means with promise upon promise of his presence with and blessing upon us in the use of them and if the Spirit make not these means effectual it will not be long of him but of our selves God himself presents and offereth us mercy Prov. 1. 23. and continues his Ordinance● the Angels waits for the joy that is due to them upon our conversion Ministers are preaching and praying for our conversion godly friends and neighbours are praying and longing to see this work wrought in us See Mr. Bax●ers Call to the unconverted in the Preface We study plainness of speach to make them understand we come with serious piercing words to make them feel but they will neither understand nor feel if the greatest matters would work with them we should awake them if the sweetest things would work we should intice them if the most dreadful things would work we should affright them if truth and certainty would take with them we should soon convince them if the God that made them and the Christ that bought them might be heard the case would soon be altered with them if Scripture might be heard we should soon prevail if the best and strongest reason might be heard we should speedily convince them if experience might be heard even their own experience the matter would soon be mended yea if the conscience within them might be heard the case would soon be better with them than it is but if the dreadful God of Heaven be slighted who then shall be regarded If the blood of a Redeemer be made slight of what then shall be valued If the joyes of Heaven is not worth the desiring and the torments of Hell the avoiding what shall we do for such souls as these c Now if after all these and the like means Man will not turn it is not long of God that they are not converted but of themselves so that Mans destruction is of himself James 1. 15. So earnest is God for the conversion of sinners that he doubleth his commands and exhortations Turn ye turn ye why will ye dy Ezek. 33. 11. Again it is the promise of God that the wicked shall live if they will but turn nay the Lord hath confirmed it to us by an oath That he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked See the forementioned place Ezek. 33. 11. Nay farther the Lord condescendeth to reason the cause with all unconverted sinners as to ask them why they will dy in their sinnes See the forementioned place Ezek. 33. 11. Compared with 2 Pet. 3. 9. The Lord is long-suffering not willing that any should perish c. Some of the principal hinderances of Conversion 1. The first Hindrance is ignorance both of their own misery and Gods mercy the kingdome of Satan is a kingdome of darkness and himself the ruler of darkness and the mist and blackness of darkness is reserved to him and his servants for ever Jude 6 13. compared with John 3. 19. this is condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light So that if the Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them but those that are converted can truly say we were once darkness but now we are light in the Lord Ephes 5. 8. 2. Hindrance of conversion is men think it to be either an easie work or a