Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	able_a	body_n	destroy_v	4,435	5	7.8202	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46526	Compunction or pricking of heart with the time, meanes, nature, necessity, and order of it, and of conversion; with motives, directions, signes, and means of cure of the wounded in heart, with other consequent or concomitant duties, especially self-deniall, all of them gathered from the text, Acts 2.37. and fitted, preached, and applied to his hearers at Dantzick in Pruse-land, in ann. 1641. and partly 1642. Being the sum of 80. sermons. With a post-script concerning these times, and the sutableness of this text and argument to the same, and to the calling of the Jews. By R.J. doctor of divinity.	R. J.	1648 (1648)	Wing J27; ESTC R213600	381,196	433

my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek And elsewhere Lo I come Psal 40.7 8. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy law is within my heart This was chiefly verified in Christ who herein is an example to us Hebr. 10.5 so if God call us to suffer of whom also we must learn to become obedient if need be unto death even the death of the Crosse that is the most shamefull painfull and accursed death if we bee called thereunto for his names sake Rev. 2.10 In all these we must obey First before laying aside 1. All excuses Now in all these whether in matters of salvation religion and worship or of obedience generally we are being called to obey God cheerfully and sincerely as is said laying aside before 1. all excuses whereby we shew our selves both to obey as did Moses Exod. 4.1 2. 10.13 with whom God was therefore angry vers 14. Where God injoynes any thing hard dangerous and impossible to us we must trust to his promised assistance which is ever implied 2. 2. All delayes All delayes I made haste said David and delayed not to keep thy Commandments 3. All feares Psal 119.60 3. All feares such feares would not excuse Saul in his disobedience but increased his sin as fearing man more then God 1 Sam. 15.24 Let us hear what God said to Jeremy Whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speake Be not afraid of their faces for I am with thee to deliver thee saith the Lord be not dismayed at their faces lest I confound thee before them Jer. 1.7 8 17. Yea let us consider what Christ saith to his Disciples and to us incouraging and comforting against persecution Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell Matth. 10.28 2. After we have done any thing which is good 1. Let us lay aside all opinion of merit Secondly After we must 1. Renounce merit and empty and cast down our selves before him confessing that as Christ adviseth us when we shall have done all those things which are commanded us we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do Luke 17.10 Can a man be profitable unto God as he that is wise may be profitable to himself Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous Job 22.2 3. understand it of our gratifying and adding ought to God which he hath not otherwise our obedience rightly performed is a thing pleasing and acceptable to him If thou be righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he at thine hand Job 35.7 Our well doing extendeth not to him Psal 16.2 neither for our works faith or any other grace done or foreseen to be done Rom. 3.28 and 9 11. hath he saved us and called us but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began 2 Tim. 1.9 and Tit. 2.5 2. And as we are to renounce merit so are we not to rest in any duty done by us though never so good and holy and not performed without some assistance from Christ 2. Not rest in the duty done so as to thinke the duty is good and commanded which we have done yea and we as we thinke have done it with a good heart and intention too therefore our estate is good and we doubt not of salvation Indeed duties sincerely and in poverty of spirit and self-deniall performed are testimonies of true faith and so of election as being effects of the same and may assure us as hath been said of our finall perseverance and salvation 2 Pet. 1.10 But then we must not take up therewith and rest therein as done by our selves or own strength or for our selves and our own ends unlesse as we acknowledge them to proceed from the free and powerfull grace of God in us so they carry us further even to Christ and that wee give God the glory of his grace in us and expect acceptance only from his favour and grace and good will in his Christ with whom only he is well pleased and accept of us and all we doe in his beloved Eph. 1.6 It s a sign of one left to himself and out of Christ as yet to rest in his own legall righteousness and to take up with the performance simply of his duty but of denying our selves in duty formerly SECT 2. An Exhortation to obedience with the comfort of it at Christs coming contra Conclusion of all exhorting and shewing the needfulness 1 Of submitting our selves to the word at first NOw for the conclusion of this and of the whole Treatise how will it concern us all first to become and truly to be as these converts here ready to submit in all things to the convictions and ordering of Gods holy word in the ministerie of it to be guided by it to embrace Christ upon his own termes not barely by outward profession but by answering effectually our baptisme and by performing the vowes and promises there made wherein we seem to make as free an offer and to profess as much if not more and as fair as these here and by an effectuall faith in Christ and obedience and submission to the Gospell 2. Of living according to it over after Secondly to walk constantly with God throughout the course of our whole lives according to the only rule of his Word framing our selves to the obedience thereof as in the main business of our salvation so in the religion worship and service of God and generally in all duties both of our generall and particular callings and that constantly to the end Thus doing besides the true and full content and satisfaction 1. The comfort of so doing at Christs coming which for the present we shall find to our wounded 02 consciences if ever we be truly pricked in heart for our sins it will be matter of unspeakeable comfort for us to be found when Christ comes to us either by death or by the last judgement and shall find us each one walking in his uprightness or before him Isa 57.2 Oh blessed and for ever blessed is that servant whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing Matth. 24.46 When Christ shall come and find us his servants hard at work watching and in a readiness nor only to every good work but at his coming ready to give up our acounts to him with joy With what boldness may such stand before the Lamb as not only being now at peace with him but found in his service and doing his work when hee comes and his reward with him Paul was such an one who as at his first conversion submitted to the voice of Christ as we see in Paul and by his confidence at death and freely offered himself to do whatsoever Christ should direct him to saying Lord what

expected finding themselves to have been worse afraid then hurt This should teach us wisedom and not either to be led away with pleasures present or to be so out of love with Gods ways But I hasten CHAP. VI. How Peters Converts came to be pricked in conscience BEfore we particularly shew the Order and Degrees of Conversion It would first be inquired and considered How these converts came to be pricked Answ how these Converts here upon Peters Sermon came thus to be pricked I answer They God opening their hearts as he did Lydia's to attend came upon Peters wise and skilfull handling and applying of the sharp sword of the spirit or word of God which pierceth to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and by piercing pricketh at once to see and be convinced within themselves of their sinne against Christ in crucifying of him 1 Generall and of Gods wrath thereupon and vengeance hanging over their heads and of their own just damnation and hereupon were pricked in heart struck with fear made sorrowful When Peter so deeply charged them that they were the crucifiers of Christ they knew well and remembred that they indeed had desired Pilate to crucifie him and now hearing and by such apparant signes from heaven as on that day which in some degree had astonished them all seeing a divine power therein and being told that it was Jesus now exalted to glory Verse 33. who shed forth that which they did now see and hear and apprehending him to be indeed a King the Christ and that Lord who now as David foretold did sit at the right hand of God they are afraid of him as of an avenger now raigning in heaven whom on earth as a bountifull and mercifull Saviour they contemned and slew 2 Particular By being convinced of their sinne 1 Of murder 2 Parricide More particularly they hearing and generally believing that to be true which they were told concerning Christs glory do see and are convinced 1 Of sinne their sinne 1 Of murther whereby they procured or consented to the death of Jesus as a man yea an innocent man 2 Of Parricide and withall of extream ingratitude and unthankfulnesse in crucifying him as Jesus as a Saviour yea as their own Jesus who came to save them 3 Of Infidelity and unbelief whereby they so long had rejected him their onely Messias or Christ 3 Of unbelief refusing him that spake unto them and whom God had annointed to be their teacher or their Prophet 4 Disobedience and their Priest yea King 4 Of Disobedience in not submitting themselves to him as their Lord and King 5 Of Impenitency 5 Impenitency obstinacy and hardnesse of heart in not repenting and relenting at his doctrine and preaching who was incarnate and came into the world to call them to repentance 6 Ignorance 1 Cor. 2.8 6 Lastly of their Ignorance of him as Lord of glory whom if so they had sooner known to be they would not have crucified him But now conceiving of him as Lord and Christ they are wounded and pricked in that they wounded and pierced him Even as Pauls conscience was touched a little after he had reviled the high Priest when once he came to know him so to be Act. 23.5 but much more when he came first to know Christ and that it was he even the Lord of glory whom he persecuted in his ignorance and unbelief Act. 9.5.6 1 Tim. 1.13 2 of judgement which made them 1 fear 2 These Jews thus convinced of their sinne 1 fear and quake in apprehension of Gods judgements due to such grievous sinnes and offences as have been named whilst they now see that as Christ himself told Paul afterwards they did all this while but kick against the pricks and run upon their own death and destruction in provoking the mighty God and Christ their Lord and King against them Now they look upon him whom they had peirced and see him whom they slew to be one who being Lord of heaven and earth was able yea for ought they then saw ready to destroy them in souls and bodies and therefore they tremble 2 Despair of themselves 2 Yea they withall despair in themselves and see themselves unworthy of that salvation which they rejected and are at their wits end not knowing what to do to undo what they have done or to appease Gods wrath Thus they came to be perplexed troubled and sorrowfull and pricked in heart 3 Sorrow They came thus to be pricked by reasoning within themselves Now this was done by a kind of reasoning with themselves and communing with their own hearts by a practicall syllogisme The Proposition whereof the Law written in their hearts and word of God afforded them in effect this Murtherers especially of their Saviour and of the Lord of life are under the curse Gal. 3.10 and no murtherer or none that hates his brother hath eternall life abiding in him John 3.15 But saith Peter and their own consciences We are murtherers and that even of Christ then follows the conclusion Therefore we are under the curse and debarred of life Now out of this conclusion made by conscience follows in the affections fear despair in themselves sorrow horrour and perplexity in a word wounding and pricking and it is as when an evil doer a secure sinner thief or murtherer Out of the conclusion of which syllogisine issued this pricking is apprehended and brought to the barre where the Judge giving the charge declares what is Law what sinnes and crimes are against Law and by Law deserve death after which the Malefactour is accused of such crimes as deserve death and by sufficient witnesse proved to be guilty and he himself cannot deny the fact whereupon the Judge passeth sentence of condemnation and of death at which the party is stricken with astonishment and pricked at heart as with the point of a sword Such is the work of conscience in sinners the same conscience being as a Law to inlighten and to judge generally of good and evil it is also a witnesse to convince and lastly a Judge to give sentence against it self and so to terrifie Thus it was with these Jews and no otherwise it is with other Converts as comes now to be shewed so that looking on this pricking of heart as the beginning of or first step to conversion we do raise and make this Generall observation following namely that CHAP. VII SECT 1. That all true Converts must first be pricked in heart Hence with the explication of the point True Converts must first be pricked in heart SVch as God will convert and save must lesse or more be first pricked in heart for their sin Such as to whom God intends to shew mercy must in some measure be troubled in mind and conscience in sight of their sinne and miserie So that so long as sinne never troubles men there is no conversion as we see

though they pretend they do well in rejecting of them is to be sorrowed for Yet doublesse some do too much please themselves in it thinking now they have just cause to cast off these precise preachers and Doctours of despaire who do all they can to shame men and drive them to despaire and to hearken to such as will not make the way to heaven so narrow 3 Naturall sorrow grounded on naturall causes is not saving sorrow 3 There is naturall sorrow proceeding from naturall causes either more inward and lesse discerned as from melancholy sadnesse of disposition heavinesse of heart and naturall feares and terrours whereby they dare hardly be alone especially in the dark and are often heavy and dejected but they can scarce tel for what Not that which is from occasions which are outward by which we are not to measure our sorrow for sinnne or more outward palpable and known as from crosses and losses in estate friends health liberty name and from toyl labour trouble and vexation in their callings and conditions of life Such sorrow as this causeth mistakes in judging of true sorrow divers wayes some finding their sorrow excessive and that they can shed plenty of teares for worldly occasions Evcesse in such sorrow causeth some doubtings in the godly of the truth of their sorow for sinne as if it were as losse of wife husband child friend c. but that they cannot so sensibly mourn for their sins do hereupon question the truth of their sorrow for sin as not sufficient or enough because not so great as they conceive as worldly sorrow is in them but without just or sufficient ground seeing 1 worldly sorrow runs with the stream of nature which it hath to help it not enough But it should not Why whereas spirituall sorrow runs against the stream of nature and is meerely from grace which often receives resistance and abatement from the opposition of nature and carnality 2 Sorrow would be considered as in the will well guided and led by soundnesse of judgement and not so much as it is in the sensitive part of the soul and so sin is most hated and abhorred and in gods account and acceptance most sorrowed for whilst it is by true judgement acknowledged a greater and truer cause to deserve and procure sorrow then any wordly losse or crosse whatsoever 3 sorrow for sin may be and is in Gods deare children greater in vertue though the other seem greater in quantity as good corn in time will overgrow the weed which for the present is higher and as the small spring or fountain and still stream fed by a spring will outrun and outlast the violent land-flood which though for the present it run over its banks and make a greater noise yet when the great rain that caused it is done It soon runs it self dry but the other still keeps its tenour and constant course An affection then whether of Joy or grief is not to be measured by the sudden indeliberate passing motion of it How we are to judge of the affection of grief and joy but according to the setled habit in the judgement and estimation and as is said dislike in the will for as on the one hand a man sometimes laughs and cannot but laugh at a toy in which he yet joyes not so much as in many other things concerning which he doth not for the act of laughing so lively carrry himself so on the other hand a man may be more stirred and moved whether with anger or with sorrow for a trifle or a thing of lesse concernment in the main then for a greater matter and spirituall losse for which yet more solidly truly and lastingly he mourns Lighter sorrows make men cry out Difference betweeen naturall and spirituall grief in regard 1 of causes when greater do more deeply affect and are thought on more in silence As then there is great difference in the cause of sorrow wordly grief being caused by worldly and nnaturall causes but true sorrow is wrought by the word and is for sin so also in the continuance naturall grief pain and sorrow wears away with time as who grieves now for the pain sorrow sicknesse or losse he suffered many years ago whereas true contrition 2 Of Continuance even after pardon will and ought to be renewed for our further humbling all our life long in remembrance of sinnes of youth Caveat long since repented of Onely to such I say let this serve to humble you the more when you find your selves so excessive in worldly losses greater sorrow for natural causes then for sin should more humble us but not dishearten us and so remisse in the other be hence excited to mourn the more for sin to check your hearts for this inordination and to turn the stream of your tears into the right channell and if such a crosse or losse be so bitter cry out oh bitter sin of mine which hath caused all this sorrow Howsoever measure not thy sorrow for sin as not by other mens scantling as is lately said so not by thy own greater sorrow as at least thou thinkest in and for temporall evils But far be it from thee to mistake sorrows labour toyl and suffering in and for temporall things for or in stead of saving sorrow and such as will bring thee to heaven Bodily sorrow is not godly sorrow simply as is mistaken 1 By Papists in their sufferings 1 Voluntary as yet divers do who having as yet never shed one tear or so much as fetched one hearty sigh for their sins either all many or yet any one yet perswade themselves that their sorrows sufferings are to salvation Such are the Popish sort generaly who ascribe so much to their sufferings whether voluntarily inflicted on themselves by hard usage of the body by whippings scourgings fastings pilgrimages the like where they take penni worths on their skins but their sins souls are no whit touched or mortified but increased rather a superstitious conceit of merit and satisfaction made thereby to Gods justice or justly inflicted on them by the hand of justice for their disloyalties 2 Inflicted treasons conspiracies poysonings or attempts to destroy their Soveraign Liege Lords Kings which just punishment of theirs they will falsely call martyrdome and a Baptisme of blood washing them from all their sins without any other sorrow for their evil deeds in wh ch they rather glory rejoyce standing in stead of all other punishment to them either in Purgatory or yet in hel which by this means they hope and suppose they do escape prevent 2 By common Christians who acknowledge no other sorrow for sin then such as is outward Others there are who through their ignorance or rather as they are leavened with Popish principles conclude with themselves they need no more sorrow then such as they have found for if sorrow be good they have had

Text they presumed on nothing in themselves but said to the Apostles What shall wee do yet not by our own strength no and on no power or worthiness in man as Peter and John in case of healing the lame man ascribed all to Christ his power and grace Act. 4.12 16. and nothing at all to their own power or holinesse so is it much more in the conversion of a sinner and in true repentance where is not onely the restoring the lame to his feet but the born blinde to his sight the deaf to hearing and in a word the dead to sense and life This presumption keeps men in whole or in part from Christ that they feek not to him or depend not wholly on him for this and all other grace as having the same at least in part within the compasse of their own power and so not fully and heartily seeking to Christ or depending on Christ his grace and power for it by going wholly out of themselves they wholly go without true and saving contrition otherwise then in seeming and in theiorw●n presumption and thus harbouring though secretly it may be and so as they take no great notice of it a conceit of some sufficiency in themselves they misse of Christ whose grace and power must either do all or in effect it doth nothing at all these by presumption think they need not so much be beholding to the grace of Christ as contrariwise some men apprehending the greatnesse of wrath due to them for their sin which whiles some closely conceit suffer themselves to be swallowed up of despair for seeing no power or sufficiency at all in themselves for their own help they fall to despaire as well of Gods help as their own and will not seek to Christ which is through a kind of pride stoutnesse and stubbornnesse of heart whereby seeing they cannot have what is needful of their own they will not go to any other to receive it and so their despaire is not out of sight and sense of sin and punishment so much as out of stoutnesse of heart as in Cain whose sins were not so great as King Manasses his were who yet despaired not being both humbled in himself and not without hope of help in God They either despair wholly or in part and so are long kept from comfort And this sometimes keeps even such as otherwise are broken-hearted and prove true Converts from their comfort a long while an apprehension of their own unworthinesse which makes them repel mercy as so exceedingly unworthy of it that they dare not apply the promise Belike then if they were in themselves more worthy they then durst go to Christ as if Christ were not able alone without some worthinesse or power of theirs to save and succour them through a secret Pride undiscerned by them whereby they still object their own unworthinesse but that they must joyn something with Christ in furthering the work of their salvation As such a conceit as this keeps the proud Papist for all his seeming austerity and Compunction from true sorrow for sin and from saving repentance they like Naaman in his fit of pride and scorn refusing their own help healing and salvation because they will not have it so easily without somewhat of their own so these though they have as much Compunction as would and should drive them to Christ yet in a nicenesse because they are such great sinners so disabled so unworthy they dare not be so bold and so couch and lie down under the burthen of their sins conceiting if their sins were lesse fewer or not so hainous they could better hope for mercy and might be bolder to beg it or to cast themselves on it as if God ever accepted any for any righteousnesse of their own whether simple or comparative because they are not so great sinners as some others or yet rejected from mercy the greatest of sinners that in a sense of sin and of the burthen thereof could or would come unto him True Compunction then and contrition of heart must be grounded on some Hope generall at least True Compunction is grounded on Hope in God and not in our selves if not speciall and particular but then that hope must be grounded on nothing in our selves on no power worthinesse and lesse unworthinesse and sinfullnesse of ours but onely on the mercy and goodnes of God in Christ and so by such hope our sorrow shall prove saving and not end in despaire If either thy hope be presumptuous as grounded on thine own power or worthines or none at all in God because thou canst see nothing in thy self to make thee hope thou hast cause to think that thy sorrow is not found It s true many mans sense of sin and miserry is such that in a fit and for a time they either cannot or will not see any ground of hope yet such as God will save are not alwayes left to themselves True Converts are sustained by some hope in God as Lam. 3.18 19 20 21. but are secretly sustained with some hope and perswaded of a possibility of help in God and from his All sufficiency free love and abundance of mercy which he hath for the greatest sinners upon their repentance whereby they are able to say when their soul is humbled or bowed in them this I recall to mind therefore have I hope though formerly they could say my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord so Jonah in the fishes belly I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward thy holy Temple so these Converts in my Text secretly sustain themselves with hope Jonah 2 2 4. and in these Converts in my Text. they say not desperately there is no hope there is nothing to be done all means are in vain but what shall we do Is there no way for us being so guilty to escape our deserved punishment yes certainly if we could light on it ah good Sirs men and brethren let us know it tell us what 's to be done what course is to be holden that we may be saved so that they conceiving some hope and possibility resolve not to go on or to continue in their guiltiness or to adde sin to sin as some in like case desperately would say seeing we must go to hell and be damned we will take our pleasure while we live as one expresseth it and be damned for something but being inwardly and truly touched in soul and heart with sence of their sin as well as of hell and wrath deserved they become truly remorsefull and resolve not to despaire of that goodness and saving mercy offered them in Christ against which they had thus grievously sinned and therefore sustained with some hope of acceptance if they might be well directed to the means thereof they ask saying What shall we do Whereupon they are directed to the true meanes in the next Verse And thus we see their

But should not a people seek unto their God for the living to the dead c. Isa 8.19 20. Some will direct thee to such Ministers of Antichrist as would heal a wounded conscience with Reasons 7 To the Ministers of Antichrist and not by the Word and promises thereof who turn rather tormentors then Physicians taking often as a worthy Divine observes advantage of the bruisedness of mens spirits to relieve them with false peace for their own worldly ends D. Sibs Bruised reed p 202. inasmuch as a wounded spirit will part with any thing who counsel for themselves and for their own gain Herein are they like some cruel Surgeons who delight to make long cures to serve themselves upon the misery of others 8 Not to Libertines Familists and Antinomians Lastly some take an easier course which is not the curing but the searing of the conscience These are our Familists Libertines and Antinomians if you please so call them who will tell you if your conscience be troubled for any sin though otherwise gross especially after your supposed Conversion or that Christ is once come to you that your sin is onely an act of the outward man who do not cure but sear the conscience and therefore ought not to trouble your conscience yea they will tell you that to be troubled for sin again is to bring your selves back under the spirit of bondage Conscience of sin is but slavery whereas not to know See Calvin's Tract contra Libertinos or as their phrase is to unknow sin that is not to take such notice of sin as to be troubled in conscience for it upon conceit of displeasing God thereby and of incurring his disfavour is to be like unto Adam in his innocency who then knew onely good and not evill By all means say they you must take heed of being cast down for any failings Their Objections against us Yea they tell us It is vain babling when men are cast down to raise them by duties and flat daubing to build men on doings though duties died in the blood of Christ But contrariwise we build not men on duties but on Gods free and gracious promises answered which promises being yet made upon conditions the conditions must not be excluded they are indeed required of us as duties How we cure how we teach duties but not performed by any strength of our own and so they being rightly performed are blessings and gifts of Gods free grace and consequently meet to assure us but merit nothing they are to be done because commanded but not to be rested in or trusted to as any way meritorious Not so as to rest or trust in them duty must be done but when we have done it we must and do say We are unprofitable servants we have done that by Gods blessing and powerfull grace which was our duty to do Luke 17.10 So that we see duty is commended where merit is condemned But tell me Doth not Peter here raise men cast down and asking what they shall do by duties when ver 38 and 39 he bids them repent and be baptized and elsewhere Acts 16.31 beleeve And is there not a renewed act of repentance and of faith flying to our Baptism and to the Covenant there sealed after particular failings required Are not men called on to repent and do their first works Rev. 2.5 But to what end not to rest in them we abhor that but to help us to Christ and as assurance of our election but onely to fit and prepare us to come to Christ and to establish our own hearts seeing we cannot do any of these things but by the effectuall grace of God and to make our calling and election sure to our selves see 2 Pet. 1.5 6. c. with v. 10. for so after doubts and dejections we are raised comforted and assured of the constancy of Gods love and grace to us in Christ so also Hebr. 12.12 13 14. I am sure the Apostle Paul both requires this casting down for failings 1 Cor. 5.2 blaming the want of it and commends such as in whom it is 2 Cor. 7.7 8 9 10 11. Take we heed therefore that we seek not to vain helps as Hos 5.13 and in case of trouble of conscience that we fall not into the hands of such Physicians of no value as who in stead of curing will kill us but happy is he that findes such a wise faithful able and godly Physician for his soul that can direct him how to secure his estate to answer Satans objections and scruples of conscience to assure him of his adoption he hath found a jewell for such a one is one of a thousand Job 33. SECT 3. Containing two moe Vses Vse 2 A Second Use of what hath been said is to discover the paucity of such as are truly wrought upon by Gods word Discovering that few are pricked in conscience fo● sin and thereby wounded in their spirits for sin we must needs conclude so much for most Congregations because there is so little recourse to the spirituall Physician so few doubts and cases of conscience propounded to him The Divine's house as once was said of the Lawyers house should be Oraculum Civitatis as the Oracle of the City and we plainly see it that the Lawyers house or chamber is frequented yea thronged in a Term or Session-time especially when the Divines house by all is passed by there is so little resorting to good Ministers for counsell an argument men are more careful and more sensible of their outward estate titles goods then of the estate of their souls they question and find the one questioned much more by men then the other by Satan or their own doubting consciences but flocking to Lawyers to secure their estates They desire to know the worst in their estates titles to lands and claims and must yea will what-ever it cost know of their Lawyer what to do to secure themselves and estates when like care is wholly neglected for their souls though inwardly they have many doubtings and gripings of conscience How also is the Physician for the body sought to and to Physicians of the body and the Surgeon in case of a distempered body a wound a broken and dis-joynted bone Yea as is said in case of some trouble of minde how shall we finde or to places of sport c. it may be Play-houses gaming-rooms at home or abroad drinking-houses and the like filled and all to put away melancholy when the Divine is wholly passed by Nay do not many wish the Minister if faithfull and godly far enough off them in such case do they not or would they not think themselves happy So far are they from being troubled in conscience that they are ready to cry out they cannot be quiet for their Minister Onely troubled that such faithfull Ministers are so neer them and in case any such godly

interceding for them urged God much with his glory Exod. 32.11 12. so confessing their sin he begs pardon at leas sparing for them saying v. 32. Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin and if not blot me I pray thee out of thy book which thou hast written that is the book of life or of Gods predestination So Paul in his zeal of Gods glory and desire of his brethren the Israelites salvation or wishing the salvation of his brethren with respect to the glory of God as Moses also did seriously and from the heart protesteth that as he had great heaviness in his heart in consideration of their rejection so saith he I could wish and Paul 's that my self were accursed or separated from Christ for my brethren my kinsmen according to the flesh who are Israelites c. Rom. 9.1 2 3. That is not to speak of some other mens interpretation as if he meant only of deferring his glory or being deprived of it for a time or that he meant by Christ the annointed Priests or that he spake only hyperbolically or otherwise in a violent passion of charity or according to the disposition of the inferiour part of the mind but even to be deprived of the glory and fruition of Christ and that Christ by his utter perishing might be glorified in their salvation Thus wishing and as in another case it is said judging it better and more profitable that one member perish Mat. 5.29 and Chrysost ibid. and not that the whole body should be cast into hell Now whereas Paul knew he could not indeed be separated from Christ as he but a little before professed Rom. 8.39 that nothing was able to separate the eelect from the love of God which is in Christ our Lord and so may seem as Moses also to desire a thing impossible we must know this was only a conditionall vow or wish whose wish yet was but conditionall if it were the will of God as when Christ prayed for the passing away of the cup of his death So here he speakes of this not as a thing possible but under a condition if it might be Otherwise such excessive love to Christ seems not to separate but more firmly to joyn him unto Christ seeing love is a cause of union This comes not to be a case Revel 3.5 neither was it in Paul and this comes not to be a cast for it was not whether Paul should be cut of or the whole body of that nation neither was Paul or Moses so put to it But this I say seeing God hath otherwise manifested his glory in their rejection for a while Rom. 11.31 32 33. If God had required this of Paul or of Moses or that it had been a case whether they or their charge should have perished so that the perishing of the one should have been the salvation of the other In this case yet if it were it should be yeelded unto Gods glory in the salvation of many should be preferred before the other And it is a duty in us also if it were required of us Now in such things as God may justly require we are if not to desire the same yet to shew a willingness and so far to denie our selves as if we knew that God in such a case or otherwise should will our damnation to submit willingly and to shew no reluctancie In such case we should so say Thy kingdom come as first to say Hallowed be thy name And if God declared his will were to hallow his name In as much as Christ in effect did as much for us by denying us his kingdom or share in it then to submit and say Thy will be done And good reason Christ did as much for us and for our salvation who so far denied himself for us men and for our salvation as to deny his own will as man and submit himself to the will of God the Fathers and his own as God and that not to die simply and barely for us but such a death as wherein I will not say with some he suffered hell torments for us but somewhat equivalent for the time whilest in our nature he was denied the sence and feeling of his Fathers love crying out Why hast thou forsaken me as the damned shall be for ever and being made a curse for us For it is written Gal. 3.13 Cursed is every on that hangeth on tree Which curse properly belonged to us as it is written Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them For there it was a true case where it was a true case supposing Gods gracious will to us that way either Christ must have died and suffered such things for the elect or grant it in some sence for the whole world or the elect and the whole world all and each should have perished eternally though Christ so dying was not as the damned are and shall be separated from God being even then able to say My God my God why hast thou forsaken me How soever if it hold true in the former branch concerning others damnation then in our selves also if once we knew Gods will in it for what are we to God more then others considered in our selves I conclude this point with the speech of a dying man The speeth of a dying man as I have heard it to this effect related who having accused himself with God yet said he here is my comfort I am able to say that in my most serious thoughts I ever preferred God above my self And now Lord thou knowest my heart if my damnation may more glorifie thee then my salvation Lo here I am And thus I may truly say we in all true submission of our selves souls and bodies unto God ought to be affected And so I conclude this first and large Use wherein if in some passages of it I may seem to have digressed yet I hope I shall not be thought by such especially as desire truly to deny themselves to have transgressed I not knowing whether This was preached at Dantzick in Prusia in March 1642. in regard of my doubtfull stay among you I shall have like occasion again to fall upon this so necessary an argument of Self-deniall SECT 10. Containing a Second Vse or a Reproof of such as being convicted by the Word do yet oppose it and are all for themselves Second use of reproof NOw secondly The practise of these Jewes in my text doth justly reprove all such as being especially convinced of their evill waies and doings by the word 1 Generally of such as being convicted do yet oppose the word do yet oppose the same and withstand the saving work of it by standing so much upon their own wisedome will worth and good conceit of themselves in which through self-love and self-pride they cannot deny themselves in the least Are we blind also said the