Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	call_v	lord_n	sinner_n	2,337	5	7.5568	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96877	A relgious treatise upon Simeons song or, instructions advertising how to live holily, and dye happily. / Composed at first for the use of the truly pious Sir Robert Harley, knight of the honourable order of the Bath but since published by Timothy Woodroffe, B.D. Pastor to the church at Kingsland, in Herefordshire.	Woodroffe, Timothy, 1593 or 4-1677.; Rowe, John, 1626-1677.	1658 (1658)	Wing W3472A; Thomason E2119_1; ESTC R210138	91,617	274

dejected Disciples Lu. 24.17 What manner of communications are these while you walk and are sad Joh. 17. What are you so sad are you not advised that I must depart and glorifie my Father Joh. 14.3 and that when you go hence I must and will prepare mansions of glory for you do not you consider what I am to you and what you are to me whom I have so and so honoured already and am in you the hope of glory Col. 1.27 and that you shall shortly in three days expect my Resurrection from the dead Mat. 16.21 1 Cor. 15.20 Joh. 14.1 an assured evidence of your Resurrection you my beloved Disciples be not troubled at my death and departure Judg. 8.2 nor at your own but praise and give thanks for certainly the gleanings of the grapes of Ephraim which you enjoy are infinitely better then all the vintage of Abiezer the earnest and first fruits which even now you live spiritually upon Eccle. 1.2 chap. 12.8 do excell and transcend all the glory and vanity of things sublunar or below 1 Cor. 1.26 27 28. and before in Deut. 7.7 And indeed my beloved Disciples consider what moved me and my Father to own you rather then others so undeservedly when wee passed by so many of the great men and nobles of the world to make you vessels of honour and to give you an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you Rom. 9.21 2 Tim. 2.21 1 Pet. 1.4 What am I said David and my Fathers house that I should be son in law to a King 1 Sam. 18.18 whence was it that the mother of my Lord should com unto me Luk. 1.43 sayd Elisabeth to the Virgin Mary Great was the joy in the hearts of the four lepers of the great and besieged city of Samari● 2 Kings 7.3 to the 12. whom the Lord so wonderfully relieved and enlarged Alas all these were but as nut-shells and oyster-shells compared with the mercies of blessed Simeon whose mercies as they be reall celestial and lasting for ever so they do call for reall and angelicall prayses Heavens candidates bee glad at deaths approach thou art next apparent to glory and indeed be thankful for it may bee thou maist bee one of the next souls who may be gloriously ushered in thither nay in a sense thou art in heaven already thy faith is there thy hope is there thy conversation is there while thy eye is fixed on thy Christ there and thou art daily translated from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord Eph. 1.3 and all this is sealed to thee by the Spirit of promise of which more fully afterwards mean while do but open thy eyes and thou canst not but be really thankfull fiducially to see all the prophesies and all the promises to thee accomplished although thou see it but a far off And now that thou maist be thus thankful let me be assistant to thee in four or five directions Direction Luk. 2 14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Study thou poor mortall to praise and magnifie thy God and thy Christ in the highest as the Angells did at the nativity of Christ high mercies do cal for high praises thankfulness may be in carnal earthly men for good turns done them yea and gladness in the beast that receiveth fodder But O thou saved by the Lord thou must act higher even from a principle of Covenant-grace reached out to a lost and dead sinner by the hand of unconceivable mercy procured by the Lord Jesus saving thee so mightily and wonderfully not out of the common store-house of divine providence but out of the Ark of the Covenant or bosom-love of thy Lord Jesus Christ Therefore O blessed soul thy thankfulness must be super-abounding and thy whole soul be poured out in this duty with holy vows and fixed resolutions as that sweet singer of Israel Psal 116. I will love thee I will serve thee Psal 116 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgivings and I will pay my vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his people in the Courts of the Lords house in the midst of thee O Jerusalem praise ye the Lord Lo what a pattern of high and reall thankfulness is here presented unto gracious Simeons 2. To be more real in our thankfulness for such salvation-mercies as Simeons here was we must look farther then the superficies and out-side of a mercy for as God in his workings of good providence hath a wheel within a wheel so he hath oftimes a mercy within a mercy and when wee are called to such a piece of thankfulness as is here required wee must brighten the souls eye of faith and by the prospective of divine promises covenant-goodness we must dive deep and look far to see if it were possible not onely the hand of mercy stretched forth to us but the very heart of Gods mercy opened to us Genesis 6. compared with 1 Pet. 3.19 nay through that mercy the soul must look on the Lord himself for else we do but see the Ark of preservation as the old world did not the covenant-goodness of God in that Ark nor his Church in that Ark nor his Christ there nor all the saved of the Lord even thy self there spiritually in the heart of God and Jesus Christ you must look into the inside of your mercies else you will but see the bush on fire and it preserved but not the good will of him that dwelt in the bush Exod. 3.2 Deut. 33.16 for one may observe the Lords faithfulness in keeping covenant and promise and not look on Jesus Christ the promoter of the covenant by and with whom the Lord made such a covenant therefore wee must throughly look as well on the in-side of the mercy whence a mercy comes originally on Gods mind aim end as on the mercy it self reached out to us we must look on Gods mind towards us in the mercy how to walk act before him in fom sutableness expectatiō to the mercy we do enjoy to live more holily to worship more devoutly to act faith in Gods al-sufficiency to trust in him more to recumb depend more to be the Lords more entirely thē ever before For as in many mercies there is a good out-side but a better in-side so in the carriages of the people of God there is not only a more out-side-carriage before the Lord but a more intern spiritual cordial acting of a thankful soul to serve the Lord more sincerely more absolutely more graciously and more holily as David not onely throughout the 116 Psalm but also Psalm 42.5 after more experience of the Lord and a farther inspection into his gracious dealing with him hee sayes O my soul trust thou in God for I shal yet give him thanks and praise him for the help of his countenance so vers 11

or see us die as one going to sleep O meditate on these things now while the glasse runs and hath at least some sands in it that it shall never repent thee to have soundly repented nor to have graciously lived and orthodoxly believed to have self-denyed for Christ taken up his Cross Ma● 16 2● Ma● 19. ●8 Phil. 1.21 followed him in the regeneration to have been the servant of Christ to have lived to Christ dyed in Christ But then will every tongue say not O that I had lived longer but O that I had lived better O that I had sinned lesse and believed more O that I had prayed more Mar. 9.24 been more in duty more in Christian communion conversed more with the Scriptures been more in the promises studied more the covenant of grace sanctified the Lord's day more taught and better educated my family c. So shalt thou never repent any good but rejoyce that ever thou hadst any gracious breathings and wilt say O welcom death and blessed bee my God and Father who now calls for his child and servant I come I come Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart c. farewel my body and you my friends take this body of mine which I so long governed so ill to your dispose and Lord take my soul into the arms of thy mercy since now thou callest me according to thy word So much of the third viz. our holy and solemn meditation of and conference with death 4. The fourth is to set all things in order for an happy death here comes in many things very considerable 1. The soul must be set in order as thy understanding by saving illumination to know the things that belong to thy peace Luk. 19.42 thy will in order to be a sanctified will in its desires dominions and endeavours thy affections in order to fix them upon their right holy objects thy faith in order patiently to wait for the due accomplishment of all the pretious promises which in Christ are made over to a sanctified soul no more of setting the soul in order having said so much already 2. The body must be set in order 3. The estate must be set in order 1. The body is a sinfull mortal decaied naturall body Rom. 6.6 subject to a thousand m●l●dies and miseries which must be mortified and crucified of its reigning domineering power and all the organicall parts must be subj cted unto Jesus Christ till when the body is not in order to dye he that will dye happily must keep a daily funerall of his transgressions errours and sinful miscarriages towards God self and men that albeit they may have a kind of slavish being in us yet they must have no dominion over us 2. The members of the body must becom the mēbers of Christ Rom. 6.12 as the eye to see the tongue to speak 1 Cor. 6.15 the hand to work the foot to walk for Christ and all the parts to suffer with Christ before we can be in order to dye 3 The body must be kept as a chast virgin for Christs use 1 Cor. 6.15.19 and the holy Ghosts use whose Temple it is wee must be sanctified bodies as well as sanctified souls but the dear servants of God have much ado with their bodies to subdue tame and bring under their untruly members of which Saint Paul did sorely complain and said to will is present but to perform that which was good hee found not Rom. 7.18 The reason was because his unregenerate pa●t took so great advantage from and by the inordinate pravity of the body which is become so prone to serve the mind and will in every sinfull motion within and like tinder so naturally proclive to catch at any temptations and allurements to sin from without 1 Thes 5.23 that the blessed Apostle Paul does pray that the Thessalonians bodies as well as their spirits and souls be sanctified throughout and preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 4. The body as well as the soul must be in covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost before it can be in order to die but then though death may kil yet death cannot hurt the body for God is the Saint God and father in death and when the body lies reposed in the grave Psal 116.15 Gen. 50.25 Exod. 13.19 Jos ult 32. precious in the Lords sight is the death of his Saints and God sets a great price even upon their bodies and bones though the Saints themselvs in their sufferings have a low estimate of their bodies which I think hath so steeled and resolved them to under-go and cheerfully to wade through the bloody persecutions of most cruell and butcherly Neroes knowing the Lord God his covenant-goodness even unto their bodies should they be burnt to ashes or torn with wild beasts as multitudes were served in the primitive times since Fox Martyrol Again the Lord Christ is their head even in the grave and they be his members upon which he also sets a great price so as when the soul departs to God who gave it even then the bodies of the Saints have after a sort a principle of life within them do but sleep when they bee dead do belong to Christ by covenant whom he wil raise up Eccl 12.7 Isa 26.19 Mar. 9.21 1 Cor 11.30 chap. 15.20 Eph. 1.19 by that very exceeding greatness of power whereby his own mortall body was raised up and not onely awaken them but introduce their own souls and receive them up to himself to be for ever with him in glory Col. 3.4 Nor is it possible that any one member of Christ Ps 34.20 can loose one muscle nerve artery bone or sinew one eye one limb or one hair of the head but shall arise a compleat beautifull and well-featured body however his or her body was mangled and deformed here before or at the time of death and buriall and since for the bodies in covenāt to be united to Christ a perfect body according to the Apostle a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Eph. 4.13 Nor will Christ suffer one part never so little to be wanting for Christ must account for our bodies to his Father who of terrestiall must make them celestiall of corruptible 1 Cor 15.41 42 43 44. incorruptible of dishonorable glorious of weak powerfull and of natural must make them spirituall bodies 3. The holy Ghost is in Covenāt w th our bodies whose work it is and will be to fil those old mansions with such a plenitude of the spirit as those glorified bodies shall be capable of Ps 16.9.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hope Prov. 7.27 and at present do live in hope of though they groan a while with the rest of the creature so then the body must be in Covenant with God before it is well ordered to lye down in

perswade us that death is an end to such of all their troubles when as 't is most certain that death is the beginning of woes and their entrance into eternall death Observe that Satan would have us dye when we are most unfit to die But O distressed soul know that Gods method is repent and die believe and die pray and die be renewed in thy heart and life and die be sure of thy Salvation as Simeon and then be willing to die get Christ into thy soul and then die Job 2.9 which a godly man would have controverted and not said curse God and die but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blesse God and live not curse God and die I conclude my answere it 's not lawfull to wish for death absolutely but with an holy submission unto our Lord's will To wish for death because we are troubled grieved imprisoned aflicted is an ungodly wish for God hath much work for his Servants to do in their aflictions as well as in their consolations We must glorifie God in our sickness in bonds imprisonments persecutions and fiery trials and this we must strive to do and not presently wish to die and leave our worke this made Simeon keep well to his conditions To die God's Servant To die in peace To die according to the Word but upon other tearms Simeon may not Simeon did not desire to die The second Corallary Very terrible are the thoughts of death to wicked men who under such as their apprehensions are cannot be willing to dye dreadfull are the commemorations of their God-opposing grace-dispising mercy-refusing spirit-quenching life with a thousand abominations charged on them by their own consciences Oh! 1 Thes 5.19 these be daggers at such a ones heart begun even here to be gnawed upon Esa 66.24 Mark 9.44 45 46 47 48. Jude 15.1 The sting of a sin-awakened conscience will not let them be willing to dye by the worme that never dies Poor soul how canst thou desire to die whom such works do follow Oh the sting of a sin-awakened soul is inexorable every word of the tongue is ready to sound out damnation damnation and every colour which the fancy presents is sable even as black as hell 2 The fear of an approaching judgment Heb. 9.27 Wretched sinner how canst thou desire to die who knowst of an approaching judgment after death to be managed by that just and powerfull Judge whose eyes are ten thousand times brighter then the Sun Rev. 1.14 Rev. 2.18 Rev. 19.12 to manifest before the world of men and Angels all thy sinfull thoughts idle and wicked words an account for every talent with all unrighteous actions whensoever wheresoever or howsoever committed against God men or thy self Nor is this all but this righteous Lord God must and will have an exact account of Adam's transgression Coll. 3.10 of the depravednes of thy degenerate nature which was originally dignified with God's own Image and moreover Mat. 25.15 to 29. thou must be accountant for every talent in those three great farmes viz the farme of nature the farme of the world the farme of the Gospell how thou hast received in these talents how thou hast laid them out Luk. 16.2 and what good improvement thou hast made to the glory of thy Lord. Oh! how wilt thou who hast been so unprofitable a seruant once dare to desire death in order unto their appearance before the great God of heaven and earth If Pauls preaching of righteousnesse and judgment to come before Felix did beget such trembling how is it possible thou canst desire to die especially whiles thou art to come before so impartiall a Judge who cannot 4. The thoughts of an impartiall Judge who will not be blinde frighted or corrupted nor varie one silable from the exactest Justice to retribute to every one according to that he hath done 2 Cor 3.10 in the flesh whether it be good or evill Impenitent sinner Ps 1.5 this Judge hath said the ungodly shall not stand in the Judgment since thou foreknowest thy miscariages before that impartiall judge it is not possible that thou canst desire to die The consideration of being friendles 5. The thoughts of being Christless and friendles at that day graceles and Christles at that great and notable day and before the barr of that majestical tribunal without an advocate when gvilty conscience shall most hideously cry out Just Oh Lord is all thy charge against me Oh what will become of my poor soul who turned the grace of God into lasciviousness Jude 4. who despised Jesus Christ coming to save me Mat. 22.3.9 Cant. 5.1 Oh what shal I now do who was so sweetly invited to the feast of grace to eat of those delicates which mercy would have set before me Job 8.13 Job 6.19.20 Isa 6.5 How can I desire to breath out mine anxious soul when all my hopes shal perish nor know I what wil becom of her Rev. 6.16.17 Wo is me wo is me I am undon for even he the Lord Jesus Christ whom I have so provoked is now my Judg inexorable Mountaines fal on me hils cover me hide me from the angry presence of such a vengeance-taking Majesty Yet mountains will not do it nor can hils cover me astonished as I am what shall I do which way shall I look Ma● 15.22 then happily the soul may think to say Lord Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me v. 23. Pro. 21.13 Phil. 2.7.8 but neither will that serve my turn for he will say who art thou that criest after me sinner sinner 't is now too late time was Zach. 7.13 Esa 58.1 Esa 65.12 Luke 19.41 I came to thee in my condescending mercy time was I cryed unto thee lifting up my voice like a trumpet time was I wept over thee bemoaning and bewailing thy misery I stood long at the door of thy heart and thine ears saying open Cant. 5.2 Cant. 2.10 open to me wretched sinner nay I called thee my love my dove my spouse Yea I stood knocking till my head was wet with the dew and my locks with the dropping of the night but as thou wouldst none of me then Mar. 7.23 Rev. 2.21 Mat. 8.12 Luk. 13.18 so neither may I know thee depart from me thou wouldst not weep nor mourn nor repent in the time thereof therefore now thy portion is weeping howling gnashing of the teeth Oh! this shall cut thee to the very heart to see Abraham Isaac and Jacob received into the Kingdome of God and thy self cast out to see those whom thou cursedst saved and those whom thou abhorredst glorified Thou who wast ashamed of Christ Mar. 8.38 and of his word the son of man shall be also ashamed of thee when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy Angels The delivery up of such condemned ones to Satan Then also consider the delivery

hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the help of my countenance and my God direction 3. To be very reall in our thanks we must much revolve in our mindes and consider our great unworthiness and that we are unfit for any mercy as Jacob did Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies that we are then dead doggs as Mephibosheth humbly spoke to King David 2 Sam. 9.8 we must call to mind the number the kind the nature and the good of a mercy the freeness the fulness and choiceness of it and the suitableness of the loving kindness and be thankfull to admiration as David was often and as Simeon was here for his vision which was so adequate to his soul and bodies welfare here and hereafter in life in death and at the last judgment this will make a soul sing and say Luk. 1.69.70 Blessed be the Lord God who hath raised up such Salvation for so miserable a creature as I was and to say with holy David Bless the Lord O my soul Ps 103.2 forget not all his benefits and the better to recollect these mercies Christians must bee carefull to keep records of singular mercies of the year and day the matter the manner the measure the instruments as David did most sweetly for that out of these records shall be made up the song of Moses and the Lamb. 2 Sam. 8.16 2 Kgins 18.18 Joah the son of Asaph was Hezechiahs Recorder Psal 105.6 7 8 9 10 11. Read the 105 Psalm it 's wholly filled with rich enumerations of the Lord 's wonderous works from Abraham to the time of the planting of the Lords people in Canaan and they are bid to remember his marvellous works and the judgments of his mouth how he had remembred his Covenant for ever the Word which he commanded to a thousand generations his Covenant with Abraham his Oath with Isaac and confirmed the same to Jacob for a law and to Israel for an everlasting Covenant c. true thankfulnesse as its long-lived and written with infallible characters so it takes care to eternize the praises of the Lord and sayes as thankfull Job Job 19.23 24. O that my words were printed in a book that they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever have we done so that not God looses his glory and thy soul is too short in thy reall thanks direct 4. 4. Real thanks must be all to God self is little regarded so as Gods name and glory may be exalted Many are somewhat thankful when self is much concerned and wil praise the Lord Psal 68.4 when dangers be over Psal 107. when enemies be defeated cut off and destroyed when afflictions be over and sickness turned to health that now they may enjoy again their honor their ease their pleasure their estates in the world their corn and wine then they will give God thanks and blesse his name Hab. 1.15 they rejoyce and are glad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but still their thanks go no farther then self is concerned which the Prophet cals a sacrificing to their own nets and a burning of incense to their own dragg but such their thanks seldom goes higher then themselvs But I must tell them that those thanks which do begin and end in self bee not reall Christian thanks but true thanks do draw out the soul to bless the Lord for Jesus Christ and the Gospells for the manifestations of his glory power wisdome truth and all his goodness to his Church and for the prosperity of Sion when it goes well there O then thankfull souls will insult for joy and bee full of praises as the Israelites were at the bringing home of the Ark And David danced before the Lord 2 Sam. 6.12 14 15. 1 Kings 8. and was girded with a linnen Ephod And Israel brought up the Ark with showting and with the sound of the trumpet and at the dedication of the Temple as on the contrary when it goes ill with the Church and people of God it goes also ill with gracious souls 1 Sam. 4.13 14 15 vers 19. as with Eli and Phineas wife when the Ark was taken and when the glory was departed from Israell who called her son Icabod And thus so publike spirited was she that her life seemed to be bundled up in the wellfare of the people of God direction 5 True reall thankfulness does acquiesce in God can repose in the Lord his alsufficiency covenant goodness for such a one doth see all the enemies of his salvation ever fall down before the Lord 1 Sam. 5.4 Josh 6. to the 20. Gen. 3.15 Rev. 6.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 4. ult 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Dagon did before the Ark irrecoverably to be demolished like the walls of Jericho such do see the seed of the woman break the serpents head and Christ himself riding conquering and to conquer do see Kings bound in chains and nobles with fetters of Iron in this consideration doth David lay himself down in peace who as from time to time his soul did recollect the Lords manifold great and glorious mercies conferred upon him so he said I will trust in him and he shall be my God for ever this he said after a long enumeration of Sea land-mercies he engageth himself in voluntary vows to devote and consecrate himself to the Lord that shall be all his work for time to come and he will wholly be the Lords not his own so had the Lord obliged his servant that he is at a stand what returns of thankfulness to make but at last concludes to offer thanks to pay his vows and to be for ever realizing the praises of his soul by declaring them and exemplifying them and improving them untill they do empty themselves into beatificall hallelujahs and he himself do sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of heaven Thus of real thankfullness Which sees fiducially into all the Lords covenant-goodness doth substantiate things not seen make things absent as present Thus wee have seen what bee true reall thanks which wil be found in some measure in all thankfull Simeons 1. There be very high praises of God and his Christ 2. They look far and search deep in the heart and in-side of the mercy 3. There 's humble acknowledgments of self-unworthiness 4. God hath the all of true thankfulness as all came out from him so it empties it self into God again 5. It acquiesces and reposeth in the Lord. All this did abundantly shine forth in godly men and so they do in every truly thankfull soul Thus of the first exhortation The second exhortation is to prepare for an happy death Solidly and Timely Exhort 2 ● to prepare for an happy death Psal 90. Be we all exhorted to prepare for an happy death 1. Timely 2. Solidly 1. Timely thy days

be numbred sinner although thou know not the number the time that 's kept under Gods lock and key hee hath pleased to let thee know the sinfulness the cursedness the brevity the vanity and anxiety of thy life under a thousand dangers and maladies but not to know the computation of thy life except in the grosse that the days of a man are threescore and ten 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it may be fourscore albeit not one of twenty attain to live so long v. 10. and if so yet then is their life but labour and sorrow Quest But why blessed Lord may the eternall soul say hast thou concealed this from us Ans That wee should every day wait the good pleasure of our God till our change come Job 14.14 Answ 2. That wee should every day be willing to hearken to the counsel of our good Lord to be prepared to die happily that every prayer we put up that every sermon wee hear should bee poured forth and hearkned unto as our last Ans 3. That every tender and opportunity of mercy bee entertained by us as our last as 't is for ought we know Ans 4. That without the least procrastination we should enter the narrow gate while 't is opened unto us and seek the Lord very humbly Is 55.6 Lu. 19.42 and cordially while he will be found of us that wee should know the things of our peace in the day thereof Ans 5. That we should in due season gratefully accept Jesus Christ's sweet love while he makes such ravishing applications to us Cant. 5.2 saying open to me my sister my love my dove mine undefiled one and come with me from Lebanon my Spouse come away dear heart from the dens of Lions and from the mountains of Leopards So that the Lord by his absconding and darkning deaths time from our eyes doth discipline a poor soul as he did the wise Virgins seasonably to getoyl and lamps our vessels full and lamps burning and to get our loins girt Exod. 12. Mat. 25.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 13.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vers 36. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with our staves in our hands that wee ever shaking off all rusty bedrid-security may bee ever upon our watch being so much advised of death so near for ought we know which way soever we go or whatsoever we are about 2. Solidly Now to the solid preparation of which I am to speak before which I must needs promise a few things to awaken wretched sinners fearfully beguiled in so great a business as is our solid preparation 1. For it is lamentable to see how poor sinners do sin away pretious mercies and implunge themselvs into deaths gulf Ephes 2.2 and into the jaws of hells destruction living in sinful lusts being acted by a satanical spirit of disobedience until they be in the jaws of hungry death who devoureth them as the old world while they were eating and drinking rioting drowning and even damming themselves in the days of Noah or as a deaf and merciless Serjeant seizing on a gallant walking the streets in the pride of his heart but suddainly arrested and dragged violently to the Counter or some nasty prison Luk. 12.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even so do great multitudes befool themselvs into deaths Counter never to be delivered till they have payd the utmost farthing which cā never be while they promise to themselvs through vain confidence long life and happy days and that all shall be well with them at the last though one foot is in the grave and they be ready to drop down as they go poor creatures who boast their faith so strong and their hope so well anchored Lu. 18.11.12 because somtimes they cry God mercy do confide in the formality of some duties and an empty profession of Religion void of the life of faith and of the power of godliness whom a deceived heart hath so long fed with ashes Isa 44.20 and their deluded souls with a lye in their right hand unto all whom I must say in the words of the Prophet O self-deceiver O self-destroyer the Lord hath rejected thy confidence Jer. 2.37 Mat. 7.23 nor shalt thou prosper in them for the Lord Christ will never own thee but will profess he never knew thee and say depart from me ye workers of iniquity 2. Others live to their dying hour in a state of unregeneracy unbelief hardness of heart Mat. 23.27 Ezek. 8.3.14.16 after the course of the world and keep an in-side as corrupt as the sepulchers of rottenness of which our Saviour spake as vile as that Image of jealousy or that idol Tammuz said to be that idol which their women did yearly lament with unseemly ceremonies not to be named or as those who worshipped the Sun Job 31.26 27 28. and had renounced God and his worship But O beguiled soul who hath so bewitched thee that thou dost dream that thou maist live a slave a vassall to base lusts within and to ungodliness without and that all thy days and be saved at last that thou maist live the life of the wicked Numb 13.10 yet dye the death of the righteous certainly these be men and women of no understanding he that made them will have no mercy on them Isa 27 11. and he that formed them will shew them no favour Did not the Ministers of Christ ordinarily tell thee what a self-deceiver thy heart was and what a deceiver sin was worse then the harlot and that the way of sinners Prov. 7. Deut. 29.19 would bee bitterness in the end and how unsafe nay how desperate it would be when a sinner dayly hearing these things blesse himself saying I shall have peace though I walk after the imaginations of mine own heart God sayes Isa 48.22 there 's no peace to the unregenerate soul no peace to the unbeliver to the stone-hearted sinner neither here nor hereafter But thou sayest I shall have peace Quest How shall this be tried I Answ When death comes the horrour trembling and astonishment of spirit which will more or lesse seize upon them shall pass the umpire but a sad one and that which is the beginning of endless and everlasting woes O reader be moved as I professe my self oft troubled within me to hear men and women boast like a Pharisie their faith hope and great expectation saying they shall dye in the arms of mercy because God made them and they have lived under and professed the Gospell have been taken and reputed good christians among men by these and other meerly externall works and insufficient grounds do they too too shallowly conclude that it must needs go wel with them at the last Joh. 3.3.5 2 Cor. 5.17 Heb. 12.14 O let such lay to heart the word of him which shall stand Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven If any man bee in Christ