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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
king_n	work_n	work_v	young_a	30	3	5.8589	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A41331	The real Christian, or, A treatise of effectual calling wherein the work of God is drawing the soul to Christ ... : to which is added, in the epistle to the reader, a few words concerning Socinianisme ... / by Giles Firmin ...	Firmin, Giles, 1614-1697.	1670 (1670)	Wing F963; ESTC R34439	271,866	392

of Solomon The words which his Mother taught him it seems Bathsheba used to catechize and drop into her Son Solomon Prov 4.3 4. David did also instruct him but David must be at Court or in the field in war Bathsheba is with her Son continually she carries on the work in Davids absence whether Absalom Amnon or Adonijah's Mother did so I doubt it the Scripture saith nothing To return to our question When was the time of Preparing these Infants for Christ It would be hard for Samuel Timothy and divers others in Scripture for the most of those who are mentioned for godly men in Scripture were so from their youth for ought we can find Obadiah Josiah to find this preparing time when they were so humbled to be quiet without Gods love content to be at Gods disposing for damnation yea or for legal terrors I know full well that those who thus are educated do find both legal fears and sorrows also but not as preparative to faith which is our question for they were regenerated before Sometimes in the children of wicked men such at least as we cannot judge to be godly there do such things appear that we must judge certainly God hath wrought some good work in them We read of Abijah 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V. 3. He is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Kings 14.13 There was some good in him how old he was I know not but very young he was whether he had this preparing time is hard to prove To say then there is such a Rule layed down for preparative works both words express the youngest The 70. have not this History The Aloxand Copy 3. read v. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Drusius in his Copy that every one must pass through before they can be regenerated or have faith I cannot yet be convinced of it unless you can tell me how Infants can be prepared according to Mr. Shepberds method Therefore I say in those who are adult grown up to some ripeness of years before God works usually it is so but to say that in every one of these the work of Compunction is sensible afflicting as it is in some others I dare not affirm that neither For Lydia Mr. Shepheard answers she might be a Convert before so nothing can be proved from her Be it so but what shall we say to Zacheus what was in his heart when like a Boy he runs to climb up the tree to see Jesus I know not but I question whether he had any thoughts of that which followed The third v. saith he sought to see Jesus who he was which words imply nothing of any gracious work on Zacheus's heart only he had heard men talk of one Jesus and now he would see who he was Luke 19.9 This day is salvation come to this house If Zacheus had been a Convert before would Christ have said This day is salvation come Surely it was come before when he was converted but it appears it was not before this day when he also is become a Son of Abraham Where were those legal sore Compunctions The Samaritans Acts 8.5 8. there was great joy at Philip's preaching and faith too but where are these sore Compunctions That these were real Converts Acts 9.31 prove They walked in the fear of the Lord c. It is very much then there should be a standing Rule for preparatory works and we read of so many Converts and no mention of that Rule in practise Surely these examples in Scripture are not to be slighted Because the rugged Jaylor Acts 16. that spared not to execute what the persecuting Magistrates gave him in charge concerning Paul and Silas met with such work and the Jews who crucified the Lord met with such compunction Acts 2. as made them cry out must there be a Rule from hence made that All those who come to Christ must come under such sensible afflicting Compunctions But usually or commonly it is so when as I said persons be adult before God works That it is so and usually must be so experience doth testifie and we need not trouble our heads to find the reason of it So blind are we in the matters of eternity such great thoughts have we of Creatures and Creature-enjoyments such slaves unto our lusts our hearts so set upon our iniquities Hos 4.8 witness those terrible blows a man will endure before he will part with them so well conceited of our polluted righteousness that did not the Spirit of the Almighty set his power to work open our eyes to see our selves sin and creatures and filthiness that is in our righteousness in which we so bless our selves and disquiet the soul that lieth so at rest in Dalila's lap Christ might call and call long enough before we would come to him we may hear him indeed but as the Country Proverb is Hear as Hogs in harvest a similitude good enough for us who are compared to Swine 2 Pet. 2. ult though I know in some respects it holds not which is not required in similitudes Hogs in harvest-time when they are gotten into good Shack when they at home call them and knock at the trough the Hogs will lift up their heads out of the stubble and listen but fall to their Shack again home they will not go they are pleased where they are This is the frame of our swinish hearts feeding in the Shack of the world and our lusts let Christ call it may be if there be some warm man at the work that shows himself a workman we can lift up our heads and hear what he saith but to our shack we go again home we will not go to him who calleth us our swinish hearts looking upon the things of the Gospel that same holiness but as sowre swill but the things of this world the lust of the flesh lust of the eye and pride of life these are the sweet grain Absalom sends for Joab once and again 2 Sam. 14.30 but Joab is busie hath other matters to mind but when he sets his Barly-field on fire then he comes And thus God when he sends more then once but we are so taken up about other matters we will not come sometimes sets our creature-comforts on fire or causeth the sparks of Hell fire to be felt in a mans Conscience then God may hear of us When the heart is set upon an object upon which it feeds with delight as we do upon our lusts and the creature if you would take it off give me a reason saith the will and a reason must be given and such a reason as the will accepts God works rationally upon the rational Creature sutable to its principles if then you can make the soul see the object it feeds upon is really evil and at best but vain and can shew it a better so as the heart is convinced of it then you may take

bondage but what the Apostle saith of him as a Priest Heb. 7.26 Such an High-Priest became us c. so I say of him as a King Such a King became us not only one who hath authority to give us Statutes but power to cause us not force us to walk in his Statutes Ezek. 36.27 and to this doth Mr. Pemble Diodati and Junius agree upon that Zech. 6.23 Christ sitting and ruling upon his Throne He delivers us from our spiritual enemies gives his Spirit to incline us to voluntary obedience enacts a Law of the Spirit as they said before were it not thus poor Christians must go look for their comfort where they can find it when obedience to Commands is prest and holy walking with God required To this of Zechariah doth the speech of Peter Acts 5.31 agree Him hath God exalted with his right hand Christ then is upon his Throne to be a Prince and a Saviour both his Offices as in Zechariah to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins This exalted Saviour on his Throne gives forgiveness of sins this exalted Prince on his Throne gives repentance to Israel If Christ as a Prince only gives Laws he gives no repentance for to gives Laws is not to give repentance Christians then in the work of faith or union receive Christ such a Prince and Lord as gives repentance to the Soul who receives him he gives what Ethraim and true Converts pray for Jer. 31.18 Turn thou me and I shall be turned Such a King then we receive as hath power over our wills and affections to incline them to obedience rules them and yet saves their liberty makes us freely and sweetly to obey what is commanded by him Do causa Dei l. 3. c. 29. p. 738. We say with profound and pious Bradwardin Illum nolo pro Deo nostro habere qui non sit omnipotens in agendo qui non habet omnipotentissimum Dominatum super meam debilem voluntatem qui non posset omnipotentissime facere me velle facere quicquid velet c. quinimo constanter libera voce dico Illum nole pro Deo meo habere cujus beatissimam voluntatem ego miser peccater possum facillime a summa arce suae dignissimae libertatis detrudere c. This receiving of Christ our Lord and King gives ease to a poor Christian that lies under the sense of his perverse will his crooked nature that cursed fountain of sin within him when he hears duty required and the holiness of the Command urged it is the office of this King whom I receive To work in me both to will and to do Phil. 2.13 To make * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to go in the path of his Commandments Psal 119.35 He is made of God to us Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 The real Christian willingly freely receives this King the Office likes him he is well pleased with it yea so well pleased is he with it that a great part of his comfort dependeth upon it Christ were but half a Redeemer to him not so glorious so beautiful to him were he not such a King To destroy the works of the devil in him 1 John 3.8 and redeem him from all his iniquities Tit. 2.14 The believer answers his temptations from guilt of sin with the Priesthood of Christ he answers all his temptations from the power of sin with this Kingly power of Christ were I left alone to grapple with my corrupt heart strong lusts and the worlds temptations I must give up all hopes and comfort and resolve to meddle no more with Religion saith the Believer See then Christian how thy heart answers here and let me advise thee to look to two things in the receiving of Christ as Lord and King First When the heart is not so well pleased with this but yet rather than I will not have Christ for my Priest I will have him for my King rather than I will not have him for my Saviour to deliver me from hell I will have him for my Lord You had best look to this keep your eye upon your heart for here may be a deceit that will undo all I do not say absolutely there is the deceit as yet for I know at the first fears of hell wrath guilt work strong and a Christian under the sense of these will yield too much rather than to fall under that misery which he fears Now if this be the sense of thy heart that it looks on the receiving of Christ as King to be a hard term but as we say of two evils chuse the least so the Soul will chuse this evil rather than hell which is the worse so that Christ as King is not looked on as good the work that he doth in turning out of lusts and idols in thy heart and subduing thy will to his will working up thy Soul to an obedient holy conversation before him and walking with him this is not pleasing it would not be chosen if I knew how to help it but I submit to it rather than to go to hell though it be a hard condition now look to your self for if the fears of hell once draw off if Conscience come to be quieted again that no trouble be felt the next news we may fear will be thy heart will go back to its old lovers again I know this is the great Argument to make the Soul at first coming home in those whom God works upon when adult to accept of Christ as Lord and King that it may have him for a Saviour and God may carry on the work more afterwards and so make the Soul see an excellency in Christ as King as well as Saviour so make Christ appear yet more lovely and higher prized this Christians know experimentally therefore at first I do not condemn it but yet I say look to thy self for if all that God hath made Christ to be for lost man do not please thee if less than compleat Redemption will ferve thy turn Redemption from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.13 Redemption from all thy iniquities Tit. 2.14 Redemption from thy vain conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 Redemption from the earth Revel 14.3 If less than this Redemption were better in thy esteem look to thy self for thy faith will prove but feigned Secondly Thou receivest Christ Lord and King thou sayest as well as Saviour or Priest Take heed of generals we have a saying Dolus latet in universalibus if true any where it is true here for this is such a deceit as ruines thousands in their supposed faith and closing with Christ Ask them do you receive Jesus Christ for your Saviour and your Lord Yes they do so but this only in general Quest But how shall we find out this deceit Answ Bring down this general into particulars and then we shall find rottenness enough I will but name a few Heads not all you may enlarge First Carry this Lord to thy particular bosom

turn from sin to God there is weight in those Arguments which were little regarded before and now he begins to think seriously there must be a Divorce between him and his Dalilah Fourthly His heart begins to be loosened from his Idols and if God will now separate between him and his fins he doth not now resist the work of the Spirit as before Mr. Shepherd makes Compunction to consist in three things p. 65. 1. Fear 2. Sorrow 3. Separation from sin I conceive Separation from Sin is more properly an effect of Compunction then a part of it Fear and Sorrow produce this effect make the Soul not to resist the Spirit or not unwilling to have his Sin and Soul parted p. 85. So much loosening from sin as makes the Soul willing or at least not unwilling that the Lord Jesus should take it away This severing from Sin he conceives to be a further stroke found in the Elect then in the Reprobate p 98. Fears and Sorrows were common to both but this severing from Sin the Spirit works in the Elect under Compunction p. 86. He bids us remember for ever that no more sorrow for sin no more separation from sin is necessary to thy closing with Christ then so much as makes thee willing or rather not unwilling that the Lord should take it away And know it if thou seekest for a greater measure of Humiliation antecedent to thy closing with Christ then this thou shewest the more pride therein c. Yes blessed Saint we shall remember well what you bid us remember for if such a measure of fears and sorrows under the work of Compunction as works a willingness to be separated from Sin and so much separation from Sin as makes us willing or at least not unwilling to close with Christ to take it away if this I say be such a true measure of Humiliation antecedent to our closing with Christ that it is pride to look for a greater and blessed be Grace we can experience this very well then I hope our Conversion and Faith in Christ may be sound though we have not arrived at that pitch to be content to be damned which is a great part of the next Chapter treating of Humiliation Moreover if this willingness to be separated from Sin and to take Christ to separate Sin and the Soul be a distinguishing note between the Elect and Reprobate under Compunction and this is wrought by the Actual grace of the Spirit of God and therefore must be a fruit of Gods Love for certainly all sound Christians look upon their redemption from their lusts creature idols and enmity against God to be the effects of Gods love as well as redemption from Hell though this may more affect for the whole Soul and the whole of the Soul fly from Hell and dreads that but Sin yet remains in us then how the Soul must come to be content without the love of God though he will never give grace never work grace and this must be wrought by the Spirit too as in his next Chapter I cannot understand it This willingness to be separated from Sin under the work of Compunction and so proper to the Elect in the work of preparation Mr. Shepherd observes is not received by many worthy Divines who think this belongs to Sanctification and is wrought in the Soul after union with Christ by Faith I do indeed find divers able Divines to be of a contrary opinion to Mr. Shepherd who though they maintain preparatory works before Conversion yet they think they are common to the Reprobate with the Elect and that no preparatory works have any certain or necessary connexion with the Form that is to be introduced but they are only material dispositions which render the subject more susceptive or fit for the form to be introduced as driness in the Wood makes the Wood more fit to receive the fire but no more fire in the dry then in the green Wood so nothing that hath any saving distinction between the Elect and Reprobate prepared but Faith answering the Call of God and uniting to Christ who is our life is the first saving distinguishing note This Question fall it which way it will makes no trouble to a sound Christian in examining of its work Separation from Sin must be Christ only can separate from Sin The will must take Christ as King and so must be separated from Sin So then the thing be done whether it were begun under Compunction before union with Christ or after union it matters not the truth of our Conversion depends not upon the priority in the Question yet with submission to other learned Divines I cannot see that Mr. Shepherd in this point is mistaken there seems to be clear Reasons on his side For First I cannot see how it is possible the Soul can hold married affections to two and those contrary The Crown and the Bed admit but one Can the Soul be married to Christ while it is married to its lusts at the very same time Will Christ admit this Or will he not first have a Divorce to be consented to at least not resisted How Christ should ingraft or implant the Soul into himself who grows upon the old Stock and will not be cut off from it I cannot tell Secondly If a man be called from one Term to another surely in order of nature he must first turn from the Term in which he was when he was called before he can come to the Term to which he was called In effectual calling the Term from which the Soul is called is not primarily and properly Hell all are willing enough to turn from that though some Monsters of men have it often in their mouths God damn me but Sin Creature-idolizing Inordinate-self which Hell attends this is the proper Term from which we are called and Hell is a strong Argument to make us attend to the Call if that be the wages of Sin Must not then a man in order of nature first turn from Sin before he can turn to God Can he come to this Term and not move first from the other Thirdly Is that man rightly prepared for Christ whose will doth actually resist him in the terms upon which he is offered Is not Christ cloathed with all his Offices with compleat Redemption the person to whom we are called and must he not thus be received But if the will of man refuse to be separated from its lusts doth it not resist Christ in his Kingly Office and great part of his Redemption If the Soul be not made willing or at least not unwilling to use Mr. Shepherds notion that Christ should come and separate Sin from it then I think it doth resist him in his work Fourthly Dr. Ames de praepa peccat ad Conversionem Thes 6. Take up the similitude of dry wood which that learned Author useth Doth not the waterish moisture in the green wood resist the fire and hinder it