Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
soul_n	body_n	eternal_a	spirit_n	5,952	5	5.0650	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A90059	The sinners hope: as his priviledge, and duty, in his worst condition, stated, cleared, and improved. Tending as well to the startling and inviting of the wicked from his sinfull and wretched course, upon the conditionall hopes that are layd out for him; as the confirming and directing of the truly humble and weak Christian in his duty and comfort, in the severall cases of darkness, sin, and affliction. Being the substance of severall sermons, / preached by Henry Newcome, M.A. and one of the ministers of the Gospell, at Manchester, in the county palatine of Lancaster.	Newcome, Henry, 1627-1695.	1659 (1659)	Wing N899; Thomason E1764_2; ESTC R209655	106,234	225

either will serve his turn Alas you that are at a distance from God you patch up a content and satisfaction from the creatures one contributes one part and another another but now if one thing be away one string out of tune there is then no musick all the rest can not joyne together to make up the place of that one thing that is away Alas one sick child puts you all into hurries and imbitters all the other things which you enjoy and so it will be with you as long as you live as you do I cannot see how a carnall man can be sure of any content at al for he must have it out of so many things and a thousand to one some one thing or other is still away Now turn to God and you may have content you may be able to part with many things for your treasure is not in them though the ship be lost yet your adventure is not in that bottome you wil lesse matter your hart will be fixed Psal 112.7 trusting in the Lord so you will not be afraid of evill tidings if many casualties befall thee yet still thou hast God to delight in and he can soon give thee either in another thing or in himself in the light of his countenance much more than this is 2 Chro. 25.9 Secondly for advantages for the future if you would but come in 1. You should have joy in death and this when we come to dye indeed were worth creeping on our hands and knees all the days of our lives to have attained rather than to be without it in the time of need in the hour of trouble Wicked men Alas death feeds on them like sheep the first born of death will seize upon them but now they that are reconciled shall come famously off Psal 49.10 they are by Christ delivered from death and him that hath the power of death who is the Devill Heb. 2.14 15. and from that bondage which all their life-time they were subject unto through the fear of death turn to God and death shall comfort you 2. You shall have Heaven for your soul to them that believe eternall life the other same body is in Heaven already Joh. 3.15 you come at your conversion to an innumerable company of Angels Heb. 12. and spirits of just men made perfect these you are associated to already and you shall shortly be brought to be with them for ever to be with the Lord many turned proselites of the gate among the Jews Luke 14.15 because of the excellency of their religion above all other religions in the world for their religions promised nothing for eternity as this did sure the recompence of reward should fetch you in many that must never come there would yet count him blessed that might eat bread in the kingdom of God I am confident you count it happy to be in Heaven and will you not labour to get thither To them that by patient waiting and continuance in well doing seek for immortality honour and glory Mat. 19.19 Ro. 2.7 eternall life they that look for immortality and glory and seek it in such a way as by patient continuance in well-doing they shall have eternall life Now seriously think of these things which are offered and think what a deal it is you lose for want of turning what a world you must part from if you keep your bad heart Your condition so hopeful and all frustrated by a base heart is very sad This for the first consideration at large in respect of the hopes of and from reconciliation which might induce you to come in 2. Consider these hopes all have them not 2. Motive you have the hopes that many have not and if you be not the better for them your condition wil prove worse then theirs that never had them or are not in your present capacity As 1. The Divels never had any hopes afforded them they were proceeded against at their fall clapt under chains of darkness reserved in present to further torment when God expostulates the business with man for his fall and reasons it with him to draw him to repentance in token of a design of mercy towards him he proceeds to curse the serpent without any parley with him and in his absolute sentence and conclusion of judgment against him le ts fall a promise of the seed of the woman for mans recovery but delivers this in an absolute doom against him Christ took not on him the nature of Angels Heb. 2 16 Dr. Ham mond he took not hold of that nature to save it from sinking never tryed them with a conditional tender of mercy as he hath done the sons of men no doubt they would not stick to say if they had but the probability of reception to mercy which you have if they had but a saviour given amongst them as you have they would have been glad of him and many of them have closed with him with all their hearts on the worst terms immaginable much more on such as he is offered to you As some of the fathers have told us that the Devill on a time when this scripture was read et carro factus est the word was made flesh that he should smite some Christians saying why do ye not worship at this word for if he had taken on him our nature we would have worshiped The moral of it holds and certainly for you that have this hope to get besides it to be in the same condition that the damned Angels are in that never had any is very sad It is called the fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mat. 25.41 it was primarily ordained for them It is not fire prepared so properly for man for they had a mediator provided and upon fair terms might have escaped but for you to pertake of the Devils fire it is but good enough for you when you wilfully put your selves besides your better capacity and neglect your hopes which they never had 2. Many of the Heathens never had these hopes made known to them Ephe. 2.12 the heathen while such before the gospell came among them they were without Hope and so are they stil that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death what hope there is of a Gentiles salvation that never heard of the gospell I shall not here discourse of and I would be loath ours were no otherwise then theirs is yet must hold they shall not be proceeded with in the same manner as Christians shall Viz. 1. for the contempt and neglect of the gospel which they never had But certainly if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon in Sodom and Gomorrah in India and China and Tartary c. which have been done in England London Lancashire and Manchester they would have repented long ago they would embraced Christ and closed with him verily if you stand out and are never the better

will make no difference between thee and the rest of his subjects thou shalt not be opprest with suspitions and jealousies nor upon every occasion be attached but shalt have the freedom of another subject Micah 7 18 19. He 1.8.12 I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more Oh! what a mercy would this be to you to have all these fearfull scores cancelled all these debts payd which if you come to reckon for your selves would prove your undoings It is such an opportunity of freedome as you may not meet with againe The Lord is as ready to forget the sins of a convert as the righteousness of an apostate you shall not be admitted to have your old services all revived upon every new transgression but the Lord will pardon all What a rare thing would this be Psal 32.1.2 they that feele the weight of their sins know how blessed he is whose iniquities are pardoned whose sins are covered that blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not his sin and this state if thou wilt come in may be thine 3. 2 Cor. 5.20 This matter is committed to the ministers to deale in the office is on purpose to make tenders of mercy and reconciliation by Jesus Christ unto you We are ambassadors for God and we are to entreat you in Christs stead as though God did beseech you by us to be reconciled unto God they are sent on purpose to drive on the match between Christ and your soules they have full letters of evidence what they bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and what they loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven Jo. 20.23 They are men of your own selves subject to like passions as your selves are that are to minister between God and you who are kept by Christ on purpose in every place where his Church is and it is to looke to your soules to hear and gather the lambs in their armes to invite you to come in and to helpe you in your Christian course this is the Ministers very business and by that you may perceive that God is in earnest in the work he sets them on and that you might be received if you came in for otherwise this officer was needless and our preaching were in vaine It would do well if some would thinke wel at it that if their lives can be right it were to small purpose for God to keepe up his Ministers as he doth for such lives are besides the councell and designe of the Ministry altogether But come in to these officers appoynted on purpose to invite and entertaine you the cities of refuge were all amongst the Levites still so Christ is to be found amongst the Ministers and happy is that poore soule that hath been pursued by the avenger of bloud that is gotten among the Levites but as long as the Levites have a City Num. 35. there will not be a place of refuge wanting for humbled guilty soules this for the Hopes of reconciliation 2 For the consequents of this reconciliation or hopes from it Oh! turne you little thinke what will follow upon it First In respect of others or the Latitude of this reconciliation Turne and 1. 2 Cor. 6.17.18 The Father will be reconciled unto you Come out of her touch no uncleane thing and I will receive you you shall not want a place if you leave that nor want a Father if you leave your Fathers house for goodnesse sake But I will be your Father and you shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord the Almighty of Rebells you shal be made the Kings Sons God will be at peace with you a friend nay a Father to you 2. The Son will be reconciled so as to undertake your patronage to be your advocate with the Father Oh! this is the Jonathan when the father calls thee in will love thee Like David as his own soule he will be thy advocate put his robe on thee thy pretious saviour surety and brother and speake a word for thee when thou art away 3. The spirit will be reconciled to be thy comforter Let men keepe Christs commandements and God will manifest himselfe unto them nay Christ and the father will by the spirit come into that man Joh. 14.21.23 26. and make their abode with him A sacred place shall that polluted heart of thine be even a Temple for the Holy Ghost to dwell in 4. 1. Cor. 6.19 The Angells will be reconciled so as to be friends with you Some interpret that of reconciling things in Heaven and things on earth Cameron Col. 1.19 to be thus that the Angells are against men while they are sinners not that sin reacheth them but because of their perfect conjuction with Christ and as all that are for the King in a City are against all that are against him so the Angells are against all the Enemies of Christ but when a soule is converted then there is joy in Heaven then they are reconciled before they stood ready if God but speake the word to destroy any notorious sinner but now they are friends with them The Angells are ministring Spirits to all that are Heirs of salvation Heb. 1. ult all that are for Heaven though never so poore so young ones in this way the Angells of God care not what service they do for them and unto them their Angells called so because ready to attend on them upon occasion Mat. 18.11 even on the very littles one the same Angells that behold the face of the Father in Heaven are ready to come forth and atend on any of these little ones If you turne you little thinke what joy there will be in Heaven about it and what a Guard of Angels of the heavenly hoast shal be mmediately setabout you or frequently be imployed from and to Heaven on dispatches for you Oh! a rare alliance this is 5. Good Ministers will be reconciled unto you Alas while you live as you do be it known we cannot be friends to our Master and to you too and therefore know it that while you live as you do we are not satisfied in you our hearts cannot be towards you we are not friends with you we dare not but save our Masters quarrell however you oblige us or we carry fairly towards you you are not the men that we can repose in or go away from you at any time without regret and sorrow but if you will turne you will find us your joyfull friends ready to embrace you councell you pray for you and more hearty towards you then any relations can be When Saul was converted though they were terrified to hear but of his name Act. 9.17 yet when Ananias understood that he was coming in it was brother Saul at first word lay down the enmity of your hearts against Christ and our scruple towards you falls therewith but otherwise we

Cruelty to that which flew to him for refuge Dost thou fly to Christ pursued by Sin Satan and thine own Conscience and dost think he will slay thee The Emperour that proclaimed Who ever would bring in such a Rebell should have so much money The man came in and demanded the Reward himself and the Emperour gave it him Can such Nobleness be found amongst the Creatures and will you think the Lord will not pardon and reward in like manner the Sinner that brings in himself the Rebell unto him If a man could afford to do thus bountifully God can much more Edward 1. King of England Faxe 's Acts and Monument when a Servant of his on the other side of the River crossed him in his sport and he said he would have rebuked him if he had him on that side the man seemed to set him at defiance in that he was on the other side Whereupon he makes his Horse take the River and ventures his life to revenge himself on him the man seeing his Rage never over-ran him but came and held his Neck to his Sword This submission of his cooled him which the River could not and he put up his Sword and touched him not Satis est prostrasse leoni And do you think the Father of Mercies Graciousness and Goodness will come so far behind as to slay the Soul that falls down at his Feet and humbly comes in unto him Certainlie you distrust that in God in the present case which you would not doubt to obtain from many a man in the like case Prov 19.11 It is mans Glory and what not Gods too to pass by a transgression 6. He hath shewed mercy when he hath declared Judgement and will he not shew mercy when he hath promised mercy He said plainly Jon. 3.4 Yet forty daies and Nineveh shall be over-thrown Joxah took it absolutelie thought much it was not over-thrown there was a reserve still for repentance a tacit exception if they repented not And do we think when he promises Mercie upon this condition expresly that he will refuse to shew it Mercie rejoices against Judgment The Penitent hath alwaies such influence on God that Judgments threatned still must be put by if repentance come in and shall Mercie promised to Repentance be denied Jonah saw God so inclined to Mercy that he saies he thought it was no going of a Message of Anger from him to say peremptorily Wrath should follow his prediction Sure then Jon. 4.3 if Jonah had been sent of our Message he would have gone merrily upon it to shew Mercy to the Penitent this was a Message of a matter of the right kind and that which the Lord hath evermore been famous for and never failed the Messenger in performance of it and fulfilling according to his word Mercy breaks forth when Judgments are threatned upon the tacit condition of repentance can we think Mercy will be denied where it is expresly promised to the Penitent Repentance is a thing the Lord hath alwaies so looked at that he hath abated of a Judgment threatned for but the shew of it Ahab did but humble himself in Sackcloath 1 Kin. 21.27.29 and walked softly and the Lord shews Elijah this and defers the Judgment for it to his Sons daies Certainly if he had seen Ahab repent in earnest he that delaied it for a shew would have taken it quite off for true repentance and would have said I will not bring this Judgment upon him at all O the gratious disposition of God to shew mercy may encourage the Penitent to hope in his mercy in this plain case he is in 7. Christ Jesus did never refuse any diseased person that came to him and needed his help when he was on Earth Mat. 8.7 He took on him our Infirmities and bare our sicknesses Though this was especially done when he suffered for our sins on the Cross as you have it applied elsewhere yet in this place Christ when he saw the sicknesses of our nature that came on us for sin 1 Pet. 2.24 in tending to satisfie for sin he was so pitifull that he took himself concerned in those pitifull Maladies he found upon the Nature which he had assumed and as fellowfeeling with us took part with us therin and stirred up his Divine Power for the release of the severall persons so affected Now if Christ did never turn back any poor diseased Creature that came to him with their Bodies but still healed them all Mat. 9.2 and this further usually began at pardon of sin with all his Patients and healed the Soul into the Bargain though seldome that was looked for by them Do we think that he will turn off thee Mat 9.2 that comest to him with a diseased Soul and further seekest for pardon of sin in the first and chief and only place If Jesus Christ turn a diseased Soul off that comes unto him for Cure he doth that which he hath said he will not do nay I may say he doth that which he never yet did And further thou findest him much changed from that gratious disposition that he had when he was here And sure that can never be He is not on the Throne of Mercy in Heaven an Advocate with the Father for his c. to have less pity and mercy then heretofore he had for poor Sinners It is triumphant Mercy now and therefore what he did before he will do that and much more now He ows not a Mite to Justice he is come through all the Demands goes to the Father released from the Grave sin having no more to charge upon him and therefore now he is in his Royalty of Mercy and Interest for us and so sure can want of nothing which ever he shewed of pity to poor Creatures while he was here Now did he ever do as thou fanciest he will do with thee 8. Will he not shew pity How come men to shew pity to you Ministers that see you in trouble that can pity you their hearts are turned towards you for all your Aversions and untowardness heretofore upon a change You are to them as if you had never rebelled and never been otherwise In our esteem and affection we look upon you in unregeneracy and converted as not the same persons Our hearts are opened to you upon your coming in and do you think that we that are but finite streightned hard-hearted Creatures can have so much affection towards you and God who is infinite in mercy that is the Fountain of all pity that he can want favour for you Sure if the Masters chief Stewards be so kind to you they have some Intimation from their Master of his good will towards you or they are not so good to be so forward of themselves or sure they do think it is not against their Masters mind or they durst never shew that favour to you which they do That men should pity you it is a sign that

herein Now as long as any sin remains in this kind that the soul retains and from which it will not part Christ may answer such a one the matter stickes not at me Thou art not yet prepared thou art not yet resolved on the match for thine own part But if it be come clearly to this that the matter is at waiting thou wilt finde that either 1 Christ will come speedily or 2 make it easy to thee to wait for him as if he doe either it will serve thee and be a great mercy to thee and 3. When he comes he will abundantly recompence his delay a small moment I have forsaken thee but with everlasting kindness will I gather thee Es. 54. And therefore study to bring it to this and thou wilt have no reason to cease from hoping in such a way 3. Consider you are not alone of Gods children in this affliction God hath had many of his children in this wilderness hath made their valley of Achor their door of Hope David and Heman and Hezekiah c now this sure might stay thy heart a little in this condition of thine to think 1. That many of Gods eminent servants have been thus heretofore 2. That many of Gods children besides thee are so now or have been 3. That it is a condition many have escaped from many have blessedly been delivered out of this state A disease many have been recovered from and few have perished of a curable a comfortable disease 4. It is the condition which God hath stil chosen to lead his best children through eminentest Christians for life and experience God hath thus trained them Therefore this might stay thee at present thou art under the chastisement of Sons the discipline of Children in these bitterest conflicts thou canst be in as to instance Jon. 2.4 Jonah said he was cast out of Gods sight yet he would look again towards Gods holy Temple He thought in the Whales belly he should never have been seen nor found out more but he would have the other look at Christ for the Temple was a type of him before he quite gave up all and you know he was brought out of that miserable deep and manifold prison againe Ephraim is bemoaning himself Jer. 31.18.19.20 For afflictions that stuck by him God chastised him and he was chastised God makes afflictions to tarry if he sets them on Lan. 3.3.54 he was likewise troubled with an unruly heart Was like a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoke Yet he begs of God to turn and this bemoaning Ephraim is a pleasant Child in Gods eies and he remembers him still nay earnestly remembers him still and will have mercy on him The Church concludes her self to be cut off and laid in the dungeon and a stone upon her made sure for coming forth yet she thence cryed to God and though none else could hear her where she was yet she got the Lord to hear in that place and he drew neer to her notwithstanding the dungeon and stone and says fear not Nay the Church is gotten into further misery Ezek. 37.11 to 16. she is not only in the grave but rotten come to dry bones and says her hope is lost and she is cut off for her part Whatever the Lord will do with others says many such a soul I think for my part I may as well sit still as stir any further I am gone I think for one But God says he would come to their very graves and open them and call them forth and put his spirit into them and make these very dry bones to live The soul in a very far gone condition the Lord will make it to live again He will fetch it out of the grave and bring it back from corruption when it says it is cut off for its part The soul now in this condition from these considerations may move the Lord as David Deal with me Psa 119.132 as thou usest to do to those that love thy name or according to thy custome to those that love thy name Men that give freely at their doors shall not want custome and so if they intend not to be troubled they will say at first If we use them to this we shall never be without such guests now God hath a design to shew mercy and so he hath still used poor people to his doors They can challenge nothing at his dole door but only his custome of giving He hath alwaies been wont to shew favour to those that were distressed and thou mayest hope he will be no worse to thee then to another and thou mayest be well assured of it It is a good house very good to the poor and therefore if thou be needy call at it and hope for relief 4. In this very condition thou art in Es 57.15.16 66.1.2 The Lord hath tender thoughts towards thee The Lord the high and lofty one whose name is Holy c. These are attributes that fright a poor sinner of any The Lord the high and lofty one If I were righteous I would make Petition my only plea so infinite is he and I am nothing before him But then he is an holy God and dwells in the holy place I says the sinner this affrights me for he will not endure sin I am unclean I am a sinfull man my hope is gone to deal with so pure a God God hath mentioned these affrighting attributes on purpose and this high God this holy God will single out this man also will look at him dwell with him that is of an humble and contrite spirit that is broken in peices for sin and that trembleth at his word His greatness will condescend to thy meaness his purity to thy sincetity and to thee of all other will he look And so hè speaks affectionately of a bemoning Ephraim Jer. 31.20 since I speak against him I earnestly remember him still The child cries in secret and the mother that hath beaten it is ready to cry too Josephs Brethren are pitifully troubled and Joseph gets into his chamber and weeps too one would have thought they had beene of no kinne to hear them talke together but Joseph did but this to bring them to repentance Joseph chides to their faces and weeps in a corner and at last weeps on their neck as their dear Brother Joseph The Lord hides great bowels from you all this time of your correction but you will know he is choice of you while he speaks bitterest unto you sure thou art one very gratious with God An eminent divine says if he were to choose a mans prayers he would desire the prayers of such an one above any mans Isa 54 11. O thou afflicted tossed too and fro and not comforteà c. The Lord takes notice of all these passages can call her by the name of all afflictions and sufferings which shews how much his heart is toward poor reatures in this condition Nay he

says plainly in all their afflictions he was afflicted Isa 63.9 Why thou wilt say then why did he not spare himself and me too prethe why doth the mother whip the child whilst at the same time she could cry rather then strike it but she will rather grieve her self then undoe the child and so is thy fathers Wisdome and affection tempered towards thee 5. Soules in this condition should not untowardly put off comforts when they are offered unto them sometimes the word brings something neare you you know not how fairly you can put it off And yet you do not take it you are affraid of applying any comfort Take heed you be not wilfull in your trouble 1. Corruption and Satan is often gratified in a despairing humour in the hearts of Gods children some they study industriously to evade comfort Set themselves to doubt think it good for them count all them unfaithfull that would tender any comfort unto them Alas corruption hath gotten an end in these troubles Psa 77.7.8 9. vers 10 and this pevish discontented sadness pleases thee and thou art therefore thus resolved on it Now this is thy infirmiti So David complaned of such an humour in him he describes how he said God had forgotten to be gracious c. After he censures it says This was his infirmity And so this is thy infirmity and corruption in thee thou studdyest to be sad Never did carnall man study so to presume as some troubled Soules in a righthand-extreame study to despaire 2. It is a great sin for thee to do on this fashion 1. It brings up an evill report on the good Land It is not only thy own suffering or self deniall but Religion suffers herein Alas what will carnal men say of Religion but that it makes folk mad makes them mopish and they will blesse themselves from Religion As indeed who would not be discouraged from putting himselfe into that Physitians hands if all his patients lay languishing and pining in a pittifull condition Certainly our sorrow is better then their carnall mirth but our cheerfulness would be better then our sorrow I cannot but think some of you that are dejected and resolvedly sorrowfull out of hatred to your selves yet you would be loath to be s● out of your love to Religion if you knew you prejudiced others by it 2. 1. Jo. 3.23 It is disobedience It is the command of God that we should believe Yeild to Christ and lay hold of him have honourable thoughts of Gods tendernesse and mercy and readily cast your selves upon him Though I judge that in believing there is more then affiance yet I think affiance is not excluded 1. Jo. 5.10 He that believeth not that God will accept of a poor sinner that desires to come to him in his way hath made him a lyar And therefore this unbelief is a matter of high concernment sure thou wouldst not sin if thou knewest it shall I tell thee thy great sin at this day is thy studied drooping thy invented tricks to put off the Lords consolations This is thy sin 3. It hinders thy Christian course Thou cryest O I could be cheerfull if I could but doe such and such duties Labour to be cheerfull and that were the next way to be able to doe those duties Thou talkest of deadnesse and unaptnesse to any thing that is good why alas thy soul is under a generall discouragement and this must needs make thee unactive but if thou hadst comfort this tree would thrive in the warme sun and on the back of the chimney if any where Neh 8.10 The joy of the Law is our strength Our joy in God puts us on and makes us much more able for service then otherwise we could be 4. It is a dishonour to God not to trust him upon his word not to beleive him further then we see him We will believe nothing he hath said further then we can find it evidenced upon our own hearts The vilest usurer will trust when he hath a pledge as good or better then the thing he lends Jo. 2● 29 so thou wilt trust God if he lay in a pledge with his word Thomas would believe if he might see Blessed saies Christ is he that hath not seene yet hath beleived Herein is the Lord glorified when we beleive his word and rest in that though we find not things within our selves as we could desire In these respects it is thy sin to put off comforts 3. Put not off comforts for cheerfull holyness is better then sinning sorrow Thou thinkest thou doest well to be sad I tell thee no sorrow even not holy sorrow is a condition to dwell in but only to pass thorough Our aim should not be at it though we should be content in it but the height of Christianity is holy rejoycing in the Lord Psa 37.4 To delight in God Our very sorrows are better then the worlds joys but our joyes are better then our sorrows This is not the condition we should rest in To take pleasure in God Isa 58.14 to blesse him to serve him in Holiness without fear is that the Lord delights most in The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his Mercy He takes delight to be hoped in as well as feared Psa 147.11 Cheerfulness should be aimed at sorrow is oft our way but not our choise proper or chiefe work 4. Remember and treasure up comforts formerly received As Mr. Baxter says what are our memories for if we will beleive Gods kindness to us no longer then he is just telling us of it David remembred the days of old Art thou in trouble hath the Lord never comforted thee is there never a piece of a ring nor old Gold no token of love a great while since given thee whome he loves once he loves for ever and therefore think of what is past for thy comfort 5. In this very condition thou art in Bless the Lord Surely there is very much in this thing Thou canst not pray it may be thou art so dark-hearted so overpressed with fears see whether thou canst not praise him Praise him sayst thou how Or for what 1. For thy life Though thou art a troubled soul blesse him thou art a living soul Thou mighst have been dead and out of all Hopes and at the farthest of thy fears 2. That thou hast an healthfull body if it be so with thee that thou art not taken off the means of thy soules good 3. That God hath shewed many Mercies to thee of old For all these troubles those old favours must not be forgotten Isa 45.5 The Lord girded thee when thou didst not know him 4. That he still doth provide outwardly for thee Many a one is poore and hath much adoe to live If thou wert so it would be a great addition to thy present trouble If thou wert in doubt about thy soul and put to it for thy

body too We count oft our troubles great because no greater are upon us Job was sadly deprived of all and not spared in soul neither surely the Lord is good in this to thee 5. That thou art out of Hell Many it may be of thy companions are in the condition which thou fearest and are past fear and hope too That thou art spared out of hell for a time if it must be but a time thou mightest do well to thank God for that The Devils and damned are not spared a minute from their torture 6. That thou art kept from grosse sin That thou art troubled rather then wicked better God trouble thee then thou trouble the World as many a Drunkard Swearer Cheater and prophane Person doth Bless God thou art not one of those 7 That thou hast the prayers and pitty of Christians and thy Ministers 8. That Christ hath not left off treating with thee but is dealing with thy Soul and upon tearms with thee That thou art troubled art sick of Love he hath left thee Cant. 5.4 yet such mirrh is on the handles of the door that thy Bowels are moved for him It is a Mercy that thou art not secure if thou beest all out as bad as thou talkest of Besides take notice of his hearing thy prayers saving thee from trouble his daily passages of preservation towards thee For all this fancyed unkindness take notice of his love and blesse his name And I tell you you little think how near a way this is and of how excellent an use this may be to the recovering of thee from thy trouble of mind 1. It may help thee by diversion variety of Work may help much under discouragement Thou art all for numbling and this hath quite dulled thee turn thee to the duty of praise and it may call up other affections which may change the current of thy heart and work an alteration 2. It may affect thee and let thee know all is not wanting though I have not all yet I have some I have a great deal to praise God for for all my troubles now thou carriest like one utterly destitute 3. It might secretly afford some evidence of thine own sincerity If thou can delight to set up God though thou fearest thy share in him sure this is not of the damned kind that is in thee there is cursing God but no praising in Hell There is ingenuity in thy prayses and enough it would shew thee of Gods grace upon thee 4. It might affect others with Religion Cant 5.10 The spouse that wanted her beloved and spake so in his commendations it drew the daughters of Jerusalem to desire Cant. 6.1.2 to seek him with her If a Christ wanted be thus lovely what is a Christ enjoyed may the stander by say And sure in this very fit thou hast much to say in Christs commendations 5. This Service would be hugely well taken from thee The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit Psa 51.17 But sure then the prayses of a broken spirit would please much 6. This might make way to Mercy more then any thing nay may God say If thou blessest me in this condition it is pitty but thou shouldest be in a better and then thou wouldst blesse me more The Soule resolves to serve him if it may not have him And to commend him to others if it must never enjoy him her selfe this is great ingenuity and this is the ready way to comfort But thus let troubled soules cherish and improve their hopes about their estate And thus we dismiss this part of the improvement of this poynt to the Godly both beginners and others in respect of their darkness or want of comfort CAP. XI The truth improved to the Godly in respect of any prevayling Sin 2 MAke use of the duty of this doctrine in respect of sin And this wil. be of use in respect of comfort toe And it may be some Souls sit down in this recess of sorrow and despondency because of sin some prevalent sin is still in them and they think they shall never get the better of it that there is no hope about that veine and way of sin they find within them But God hath not shut you up in this thing Some sin that is prevalent and you have long striven against do not conclude that it will never be otherwise and so to despair about it either 1. Thence to give over striving and to make some dishonourable truce to give some tolleration to that corruption to strike some way to cast that to the latter ends to put it among thy necessary infirmities as it is hard to fight long with a Sin Or 2. Thence to conclude thy estate to be carnall because of the prevalency of that sin Do not either conclude for the sin or against thy selfe because it is so with thee there is yet Hope left thee about this thing For 1. Thou knowest the badness of no bodys heart but thine own It may be thou concludest thine to be desperate because thou thinkest none like to it but thou knowest none but it that makes thee think so There are few of Gods children but they can vye for thoughts with the worst thou hast if thou knew as much as they know Thou concludest if others knew thy heart they would abhor thee when as they know enough of their own and cannot abhor themselves when a young Divine askt Luther what he thought by such a one that did not believe what he himself preached Melch. Adam thinking that Luther would have pronounced some dreadfull sentence on such a state Luther answered I am glad to hear there is some body else like me which did immediately much comfort the young Divine Thou thinkest no body else is like thee when as the best of Gods Children could shew the same things thou speakest of dost not heare thy sins sometimes confessEd in publick and if none had them but thou how should others confesse them It seems by that these things are stirring elsewhere as well as with thee many a one whom thou thinkest to be free or notwithstanding wouldst not conclude that he wanted sincerity for such thoughts hath the same things in him which thou hast and thinks the like concerning thee 2. Thou art the better for thy striving in that it would be worse with thee if thou strivedst not at al. Though thou hast not such successe as thou wouldst have yet thy labour is not lost For that corruption which remains notwithstanding thy striving how would it prevail much more if thou strivedst not at all If the wind and water carry down thy vessell notwithstanding thy toile at the Oares how fast and how far would it carry thee if thou toyledst not all Therefore this contest of thine though it hath not a positive yet it hath a privative successe Though it bring not that good thou wouldst yet it hinders a greater degree of evill Thou art not sensibly