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	flesh_n	world_n	4,209	5	4.5466	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85388	The tyranny of Satan, discovered by the teares of a converted sinner, in a sermon preached in Paules Church, on the 28 of August, 1642. By Thomas Gage, formerly a Romish Priest, for the space of 38 yeares, and now truly reconciled to the Church of England.	Gage, Thomas, 1603?-1656.	1642 (1642)	Wing G116; Thomason E119_20; ESTC R3263	28,403	44

to God to Caesar by taking mony out of a fishes belly and sending it for trib te to Caesar a lesson for all Subjects yea for the Popes themselves who can be no better than Christ and Peter to acknowledge their duty and Allegiance next to God unto their Kings and Princes But when I saw by this cleare doctrine my ugly shape of a disloyall disobedient and trecherous monster nourished with the venemous and poysoned milk of the Whore of Babylon which teacheth her Popes to be above all Temporall Princes and no wayes bound to pay them tribute O how would I fly and fling like a Monky at the Christall glasse of the Protestant doctrin that thus represented unto me mine own monstrous shape O when I used to read study the grounds of the Popish Transubstantiation and found them groundlesse saying that one body may be in 2 places nay in a 1000. And upon that salfe ground proving that Christs body may be really present in the Sacrament in a thousand places at one time at the same time also in Heaven How clearely did I see the contrary in the Christall glasse of our Churches doctrine For if Christs body being a naturall and physicall body can be at one time in severall places then at one time also it may be subject to severall and contrary accidents it may bee hot and cold at once for it may bee in a hot and cold place at one time it may bee also stabbed in one place as the Papists confesse it hath been by Jews and in another place at the same time it may not be stabbed so then 2 contradictories simul semel are true and truly verified of the same body It is stabbed and it is not stabbed Also in one place it may bee be gnawn and devoured by vermin mice or worms and in another place at the same time it may not be gnawn As my self can witnes who saying Masse one day in the West Indias in a town called Portabel 6 years ago after I had consecrated the Bread or Wafer host upon the Altar making a short mentall prayer with mine eyes shut which they call the Memento for the Dead suddainly came upon the Altar a Mouse and stole away the Sacrament I opening mine eyes and missing it before me began to be troubled and looking about on one side I saw the vermin running away with the Bread I stirred up the people of the Church who running to me caused candles to be lighted and with another Priest searched all the holes that were in the wall behind the Altar and at last found the Sacrament gnawn and halfe eaten up The halfe part of it the Priest tooke out and carrying it to the Altar in Procession lifted it up to be adored with knocking of breasts by the common people Behold here according to the damnable doctrin of the Papists Christ's body is gnawn by a creature and it is not gnawn for they say that the body of Christ is truly and really tetus in toto totus in qualibet parte all in all and all and whole in every little part Then if this be true Christ was whole and entire in that part which was devoured and he was also whole and entire in the part which was left so he was eaten and gnawne and he was not eaten and gnawne Here are two contradictories truly verified at one time against the light of reason and phylosophy Besides the absurdity which followeth that Christ should leave his body to be so devoured by vermin and dumb beasts All these absurdities and monstruous shapes of Popish doctrin I well perceived and viewe● in the pure christall glasse of our Protestant doctrin And yet like a beast I would fling at this cleere glasse that thus represented my Popish errorus unto me I would spitefully oppose the true sense and figurative meaning of our Saviour when he said This is my body Yea comming into England with a purpose to conforme my selfe to the truth having met here with a learned Treatise of one Master Stephen Vassall against this damnable doctrin of Transubstantiation which he directed to one Mistris Bury a Gentlewoman seduced and blinded by a Popish Priest I took upon me for some worldly and temporall respects to some friends to answer his learned grounds and reasons against mine own conscience And though in his cleare doctrine I well perceived the ugly and monstruous shape of mine own idolatrous and defiled soule Yet did I fling and fly at the glasse like a Monky Why Because I was blinded by Satan the window of my soule was rammed up by the Devil that no light might enter into it I have been that false and disobedient Priest Balaam so blind that I would not see the dangers of my soule neere 40 yeares But though the sword of Gods Iustice hath-beene drawne against me though his bow hath been bent to kill me and many instruments of death prepared against me yet would I wilfully run on my ways to curse the good and elect People of the Lord to oppose the true ancient and Apostolike Church of England True it is I have heard much good doctrin preached repre●enting unto me these dangers which my soule was in I have heard that if wilfully I should have died in that wretched estate my soule would have been plunged into the deepest and bottomlesse pits of Hell I have heard much pre●ching of the me cies of God of the glory of Heaven of the paines of Hell Yet all this I have heard as a Play and sport of pastime not hearing it with my soule inwardly but only with my outward eares I have heard that for God we must leave all in the world both kindred father mother preferments and wealth yet I would not heare this to any purpose I was loath to forsake all my kin●ed who are Papists I was loath to forsake that meanes which I have had from them and now must lose it I was loath to see my selfe in want and poverty O I knew my kinred and best friends would cry out shame upon me and would threaten to kill me All these worldly and temporall respects shut up my eares and made me deafe against the truth which teacheth that it is better to live here in want and poverty than to broyle for ever in Hell that it is better to forsake here and abandon all flesh and blood Brothers Sisters and Kinred than to go with them to everlasting paines and torment Christ himselfe teacheth us that we must not feare them that can hurt out bodies but can do no harme at all unto our soules and that we must feare only him that can cast our soules into the fire of Hell This it is O Lord which now maketh me feare thy might thy power and wrath I feare My soule it is that hencef●rth I will tender for this Iewell I for sake this day all the world for my Soule 's sake I take my leave this day of all

my kinred and dearest friends Awake awake my soule and like Abraham leave now thy flesh and bloud that thou mayst become rich and great in the sight of thy Lord Away all feares away all humane and temporall respects away to much love of worldly pelse O Lord I for thy sake I hate and leave this day that meanes which hither to from Papists I have received O Lord I know they threaten my destruction but into thy hands do I this day commend my spirit O let that be safe I though here my body be mangled and torne into thousand pieces do thou protect me and I will feare no enemies do thou continue thy mercies to me and I with David will sing and teach them for ever Now dearely Beloved I have disclosed unto you the miseries of a wretched sinner the cruelty and unsatiable tyranny of Satan over those that he sifts away from the fruitfull granes of Christ's Church I have discovered unto you the heavy blows he giveth them and have made my self a President of so miserable and wretched an estate Now give eare I beseech you to the second poi●t of my Text where Christ having told Peter how Satan desired to have him that he might sift him as wheat Christ comforted him presently saying But I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not For to teach us that though we be never so tyrannized by Satan never so abused and beaten never so dumb so blind and so deafe Yet the mercies of God are able to relieve us And God himselfe would not be mercifull and omnipotent if any miseries of ours how great soever should prevaile or exceed the power of his mercies Nay when by sin we are most wretched and most forlorn then doth God shew most the power of his sweet and comfortable mercies and forgetteth not 40 only but a 1000 yeares ill spent in sin and iniquity as David teacheth us Psalm 90. 3 4. saying Thou turnest man to destruction Again thou sayest Come again ye child en of men for a thousand yeares in thy sight are but as yesterday Behold though a man be turned to destruction though a soule be quite lost utterly defaced and spoyled Yet Come again ye children of men Let but these destroyed and forlorne soul●s turne again unto the Lord and a thousand years ill spent in sinnes and iniquities shall bee pardoned so easily that they shall seeme but as one day ill spent for God is mercifull and will make the least that may bee made of our sinnes if from our hearts wee turn unto him Nay when most we offend him then chiefly doth he strive with his mercies to allure us unto him By the greatnesse of his mercies he striveth to shew himselfe our God and Saviour as I have observed in that answer which he sent unto John in the 11 of Mat. where John sent two of his Disciples to know of him if he were the Messias and Saviour of the world whom they expected To which message our Saviour made no other answer but that of the 5 verse saying The blind receive their sight and the lame walke the lepers are cleansed and the deaf heare the dead are raised up and the poore have the Gospel preached unto them The only way to know that Christ is a Saviour is by seeing his works of mercy either Spirituall or Corporall for by the blind which he corporally and spiritually cureth by the leprous soules and bodies which he cleanseth by the deaf to whom he restoreth corporall and spirituall hearing by the dead in soule and body whom he raiseth up he is sufficiently known to be a true Messias a true Saviour a most loving and mercifull Father And much more by using these mercies when least we deserve them when furthest we are from him when most grievously we offend him for then it is that he striveth with the power of his mercy to prevaile against the power of Satan In the 12 Chap. of Matth. 14. 15 verses this may casily be observed where it is said Then the Pharisees went out and held a Councell against him how they might destroy him Behold here wretched sinners the instruments of the Devill united and confederate against our Saviour What doth he unto them Doth he destroy them Doth he poure down fiery darts upon them No What then doth he Read forward the 15. verse and ye shall see what he doth And when Jesus knew it he withdrew himselfe from thence and great multitudes followed him and he healed them all When most they strive against him to offend him then both he cure and heale their infirmities for to reach us that he is so mercifull a Father that he holdeth it a disparagement to his great goodnesse that our wickednesse should be greater than his mercies that when most we offend him than doth he most mercifully cure and heale the lepers and diseases of our afflicted soules So in the 32 of Exodus you shall find the mercies of God striving with the wickednesse of men for whilest the Israelites withdraw themselves from God at the foot of the mountain worshiping a golden Calf●… God on the top of the mountaine is ordering a Law for them to bring them to righteousnesse and to the port of true Salvation In the 9 Chap. of the Acts there also ye shall find a strong encounter between the malice of a wicked finner and the kindne●…e and mercy of God for whilest Saul breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord goeth to the high Priest and desireth of him letters to Damascus to the Synagogues that if he sound any followers of Christ men or women he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem Then at that very time strives God with his mercies for the upper hand as you may read in the 3 verse And suddainely there shined round about him a light from heaven And Gods mercies prevailing against Sauls stubbornes from a wicked sinner from a wicked Persecutor he was made an Apostle and a chosen vessell to beare the name of the Lord before the Gentiles the Kings and the Children of Israel O how doth the Prophet Hosea in the 2 Chap. of his Prophecies in the 13 and 14 ver. teach the truth of this doctrin saying And I will visite upon her the dayes of Baal●m wherein she burnt incense to them and she decked her self with her carrings and her jewels and she went after her lovers and forgate me saith the Lord Behold here a Harlot a soule most abommable given to idolatry burning incense before her Idols following her pleasures the vanities of the world decking and trimming up her selfe to entice and allure her gallants following her gallants and lovers and quite forgetting her Lord and God But what will God do now with this lewd harlot with this abominable soule Will he d●stroy her Will he shew the strength and power of his justice against her O no! Heare what followeth in the 14 verse Therfore Behold

Matth. 25. 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his Angels If this be a horrid thing to consider and which ought to make our haire stand upright and our flesh to tremble let not us laugh but feare and tremble to fall into Satans hands hearing out of the words of my Text that his only desire is to sever us from the elect and godly to prepare us for the finall sentence of Iudgment to make us ready for the curse of God and everlasting fire of hell For what can more plainly be understood by these words of our Saviour to Peter Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat What doth the Husbandman when he sifteth his wheat but with the help of the wind separate the chaffe from the good grane Even so the Devill striveth and endeavoureth to sift us as wheat which is as much as to say to separate us from the Elect and chosen people of the Lord from the good Laws of God from the good and wholesome Doctrine of the Church This was the only endeavour of Satan the night of the Passion of our Lord to sever and separate not only Peter but the rest of the disciples from the company of their master like chaffe from the true grane who said of himselfe that he was the grane that was to be buried in the earth that afterwards he might spring up again with great increase for all his Church O if every Christian soule would take this point to consideration how the Devill desireth and endeavoureth to sever us like chaffe fit for nothing but for the fire and for that dreadfull sentence of damnation Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire Doubtles we would feare to commit the sins which daily we commit doubtles we would tremble to yeeld to the power of such a tyrant doubtlesse we would take no rest in sin as we do if we did but consider that by it we are become dry chaffe separated from the heavenly grane our Saviour Christ severed from all those fruitfull granes and members of the Church who standing on the right hand shall through their fruitfull Faith at last be laid up in that storehouse of everlasting blisse and felicity when the sinner like chaffe already severed from the grane by the Devils endeavours expecteth nothing but death to burn for ever In the 12 Chap. of Judges and 6 ver. I have observed a pretty History for this purpose where the Scripture speaking of a battaile fought betwixt the Gileadites and the Ephraimites saith that the men of Gilead smote Ephraim and put the Ephraimites to flight towards the river of Jordan And the Gileadites tooke the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites And it was so that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said Let me go over that the man of Gilead said unto him Art thou an Ephraimite If he said Nay Then said they unto him say now Shibbobeth and he said Sibboleth for he could not frame to pronounce it right Then they tooke him and slew him at the passage of Jordan and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites fourty and two thousand Dearely Beloved two things I would wish you to note in this History of Holy Scripture The first that at the passages over Jordan these Ephraimites were examined who they were Secondly that because they could not say Shibboleth but insteed of it they said Sibboleth therefore they were slaine Shibboleth according to the true translation signisieth An eare of Corne And Sibboleth signifieth the chaffe or the straw that remaineth when the corne is separated from it So that we find that the sword killed all such as could not say Shibboleth or Eare of Corne but instead of it pronounced Sibboleth Straw or chaffe separated from the corne O Christian and devout Soule take out of this a lesson of morality and judge thy selfe a rebellious Ep●raimite always warring against thy God and Maker When thou sinnest what doest thou but rebell against thy Creator who at last will be too hard for thee But when When he shall meet thee at the passage over Jordan that is when as water thou shalt slide away Omnes morimur quasi aqua dilabimur we do all dye and like water slide and fall away O what a day will that be when thy Soule is to passe away from thy body When thy Soule is to passe over from this world to the other yet never seen O then shall meet thee the true Gileadite against whom thou hast rebelliously fought with the Sword of Iustice in his hand then shall begin thy tryall for thy life or death of thy Soule then shalt thou be commanded to say Shibboleth to say if truely thou beest an ear full of weighty and fruitfull grane of fruitfull Faith But if thou canst not say but Sibboleth that thou art fruitlesse that thou art a light straw a little chaffe separated from the true grane Christ Iesus then expect the wrath of God expect the the bloud of his sword of Iustice expect if he find thee among the wicked separated from the good that this thy being sifted this division and separation of thee from the just and righteous shall be a fore-running messenger of that finall sentence of damnation Depart from me you cursed into everlasting fire God forbid that in this Congregation there be any such chaffe any such dry straw separated from the fruitfull granes of the Church and fit only for the flames of Hel. I hope the Devill hath not so far prevailed with any But of my selfe with shame I may say that I have been that rebellious Ephraimite that have almost 40 years warred obstinatly against my Lord and Maker I am that wicked Ephraimite not able to pronounce since my first use of reason this word Shiboleth not able to say I had ever any fruitfull Faith or have ever been a f●uitful grane but have always pronounced Sibboleth have alwayes beene like bran sifted from the white flower like chaffe separated from the grane fit onely for the fire of Hell For what fruitfull Faith could be in me that instead of worshipping only my God and Lord have bowed my knee so often to worship for God a peece of bread according to that damnable doctrine of the Papists which now I abjure and renounce who teach that in their Communion is no substance of bread or wine but the true Reall and Physicall body and bloud of Christ A thing so against Scripture which teacheth that Christ since his glorious Ascension can be no more upon the earth much lesse in severall places and severall peeces of bread but that he must be in Heaven untill that last Iudgment day as ye shall find in the 3 Chap. of the Acts in the 20 21. vers. saying And hee shal sena Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you whom the heavens must receive untill the time of restitution of all things which God hath

I will allure ●●r and bring her into the wildernesse and speak comfortably unto her She shall not thinke that her wickednesse can be greater than my mercies When she most flies from me then will I most allure her Behold here dearely Beloved the good nature of our good God who like unto a su●er and wooer when his mistris most disdaineth him wooeth her more allureth her with faire and courteous promises Even so doth God with a Soule when we follow most the vices of our heart the vanities of the world seeking to please our senses and bellies more than the Lord disdaining and contemning our God and Maker then doth he wooe our Soules then doth he allure them then doth he bring them into the wildernesse from all occasions of pride of selfe-love of vanities and pstimes There when he hath got them from the worldly pleasures doth he speak comfortably unto them O Soule saith he why dost thou follow any lovers but me there is none loveth thee better than my selfe I have bestowed more upon thee than any adulterous lover of thine The beauty of thy face which thou so much esteemest is my guift The dainties of fowle and fish which so voluptuously thou bestowest upon thy belly I first bestowed them upon thee The riches of pearles rubies rings and diamonds wherewith thou shewest thy selfe so faire an object to thy lovers eye are all my gifts The flowers of all sorts and best persumes wherewith thou delightest so much thy senses I gave them to thee Why then deare Soule dost thou turne from me Why dost thou shun me for other lovers They carry thee to perdition but I to blisse and happinesse They seek thy paines and torment I thy rest and glory They fall away like a flower which to day is and to morrow will not be but I shall remaine for ever Thus O dearly Beloved doth God speake comfortably to a Soulel thus doth he allure her thus doth he woo and entice her thus doth he when furthest she flys from him discover the riches of his mercies to her An ancient Doctor called John Raulinus Cluniacexsis saith what by experience we daily know Quanto magis srigus viget tanto magis videtur Coelum stellatum The greater the frost and cold is the m●re bright do the star's appeare and shew themselves in the darkenesse of the night Lauretus who borrowed his doctrine out of Thomas Aquinas and Austin saith also of the stars in a morall explication Stellae productae in Coelo designare possunt dona Spiritus Sanctir That they may be a symbole or figure of the favours and guifts of the Holy Ghost What then meaneth it that these stars which are symbols of Gods favours shine brightest when the frost and cold is greatest O it signifieth that when a heart is most cold and frozen most voyd of the heat of the love of God then doth the Lord strive to shine brightest into that heart than doth he most discover the glittering spangles of his mercy than doth he manifest the glorious stars of his Heavenly comforts for to teach us that none shall despaire though never so deeply plunged into sin though never so cruelly tyrannized by the Devill for God with his mercies can and often hath changed a wicked sinner to a holy life and of a persecut●r and e●emy hath made a holy Apostle I cannot here passe over with silence a witty observation of Chrysostome upon those words which the Angell of the Lord spoke to Joseph Mat. 2. 13. saying Arise and take the young childe and his mother and fly into Aegypt and be thou there untill I bring thee word for Herod will secke the young Childs to destroy him Vpon these words Chrysostome groundeth great admirations wondring that God would send his only begotten Son into Aegypt a Countrey that above all Countreys misused and kept under hard slavery Gods own chosen people not suffering them to go out till God hardned Pharaoh's heart and Moses after many wonders shewed with the hand of the Lord tooke them out of bondage Now then if this Countrey was first so rebellious against God himself and his Commands how commeth it to passe saith Chrysostome that God will trust his Deare and only Son Jesus Christ with so perfidious and disobedient a Nation Could not there be Order given that Christ might bee kept from the fury of Herod in any other Countrey and not in Aegypt so stubborne an enemy to God and his Elect People Chrysostome answereth O commutatio dextrae excelsi ut popului qui a tefuerat persecutor populi primogeniti postea sieret custos unigeniti● O wonderfull change and alteration of the right hand of the Lord saith Chrysostome that that people which before had been a persecutor and enemy of the first chosen People of God now should be trusted with Gods only Son and should be made keeper of him to desend him and protect him from the wicked plots of Herod What is this But to magnifie and set out the great mercies of God who so strangely worketh alterations in Nations and in particular soules making those his dearest friends which were his greatest enemies and persecutors This is the power of the mercy of God which can prevaile against all the strength of Satan who can deliver a soule possessed by the Devill and bring it to a state more happy than ever miserable it was in Satans power This the Prophet Micah prophecied in the 4 Chap. of his Prophecies and 10 ver. saying Be in pain and labour to bring forth O daughter of Sion like a woman in travell for vow shalt thou go forth out of the City and thou shalt dwell in the field th●u shalt go even to Babylon there shalt thou bee delivered there the Lord shall redeeme thee from the hand of thine enemies What greater confusion was there ever than in Babylon What greater blindnesse than there What greater or crueller slavery than there Yet saith Micah there shalt thou bee delivered there the Lord shall redeeme 〈◊〉 from thine enemies for to teach us that there is no sinner so deeply drowned into the depth of sin so bitterly beaten by Satan so hardly captivated and bound with the bonds and fetters of his iniquities but yet the mercy of the Lord is able to take him out Therefore O dearely beloved make use of this doctrin never despaire of Gods savours though as Christ said in my text to Peter Satan sift you as wheat separating you from the white flower of the elect and chosen p●ople though he separate you like chaffe from the corne from the sin●…full granes and members of the Church by beating you as Corne is beaten with the flaile by striking out your eyes that you may not see by making you dumb that you may not speake nor cry unto the Lord by making you deaf that you may not heare any goodnesse yet despaire not of his mercies for out of Babylon the place of greatest confusion

there shalt thou be delivered saith the Lord Let my Conversion be a President to you of this truth and strengthen you that you may not despaire of Gods mercies For if I who have sucked my first milk of the Whore of Babylon of the most erroneous Popish doctrin who have worshiped creatures and Saints instead of my Creator who have been disloyall and treacherous to my King and Countrey who have beleeved a damnable doctrine of Purgatory derogating thereby from the infinite merits of the satisfaction of Christs Passion who have superstitiously offered up a sacrifice of the Masse for the quick dead as if the Sacrifice which Christ himselfe offered of his own body upon the Crosse were not a sufficient Sacrifice for a whole world yea and many more worlds if I who erroneously have beleeved that by my own works I might merit de condigno the glory of heaven as if any human or naturall works may work a thing supernaturall and merit a glory which required the meanes and satisfaction of Christ not as man only but as God and man If I who have been almost 40 years thus blinded who have so many years persecuted the chosen elect and Protestant people of the Lord who have so many years been frozen and void of all heat of the love of God who have so many years been in Babylon in confusion and slavery there have been delivered there have found the mercies of God like stars in a winter night shining most confortably into my cold and frozen soule O let none despaire of the mercies of God nor willingly fall into sin by my example least their comming out of Babylon be as hard to them as my conversion hath been to me But how great soever your miseries be trust in the Lord that as he prayed for Peter that his Faith might not faile as he hath pleaded for me before his ●…ernall Father So he may also be an Advocate and only Mediator between God and you when deepest you are in sin and according to mans judgement hardest to be brought out of it The last Point which is plainly to be observed in my text is a precept and cōmand of our Saviour to Peter contained in those words And when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren This Peter did and this all they are bound to do who are truly converted from sin and from a wicked estate to the true knowledge of Gods Laws True it is Peter did fall and did most cowardly thrice deny his Master But after our Saviour looked upon him and with one look turned his heart then Peter went out and wept bitterly And he did not only weep and repent within himselfe but most zealously endeavoured to strengthen his Brethren as you may observe Acts 2. when having received the Holy Spirit himselfe he preached couragiously unto the Jews to convert them and strengthen them in the true Faith as you may read from the 14● to the 38 verse and forward where publickly he said unto them Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost O he was a true converted man and thought he must not be contented to be himselfe converted only but that he was bound to convert and strengthen others So did Saul who had been so great a Persecutor when he was truely converted presently he strived to do good to others as you may read Acts 9. 19 20. verses And when he had received meat he was strengthned Then was Saul certaine dayes with the Disciples that were at Damascus And strait way he preached Christ in the Synagogue that he is the Son of God And further in the 22 ver. But Saul increased the more in strength and confounded the Jews that dwelt at Damascus prouing that this is very Christ Behold how this converted Apostle is not satisfied with his own conversion but presently burneth with an inward zeale of communicating unto others that good which he had received from God by his Conversion Your Divines say that Bonum est diffusivum sui that which is truly good in it selfe is with a natu●all inclination to impart it selfe yea prodigally to pou●e it self out to others This doctrin also David teacheth us in his 51 Psal. where he repenteth himself for the Adultery which he had committed and having begged of God that he would create in him a clean heart and renew a right spirit within him Then saith he in the 13 verse will I teach transgressors thy ways and sinners shall be converted unto thee Lo how David doth not only repent himselfe and manifest his conversion by words of sorrow and bitter compunction but promiseth God that he will strengthen others by teaching them the ways of God that also they may come to be converted In the first Chapter of the Canticles ver. 4. You shall find a few words easy in this sense but hard to be understood in any other where the Spouse speaking to her Beloved saith Draw me we will run after thee The King hath brought me into his Chamber we will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love Me thinkes the Spouse should have said draw me I will run after thee The King hath brought me into his chamber I will be glad I will remember thy love If one be drawn why do many in the plurall number run If one be brought into the Kings chamber Why be many glad and rejoyce O dearely Beloved it is to teach us how we ought to be have our selves when we are truly converted The Spouso signifieth a soule wedded by Faith to God the true and heavenly Bridgroome The Chamber whereinto this foule is brought is the true Church Therfore if one Soule be drawn by God many must run after this one if one Soule be brought into the true Ancient and Apostolike Church many must be glad and rejoyce Why B●cause we must not be contented to be drawn alone from our iniquities we must not be contented to be brought alone into the Church we must also draw others we must make others also rejoyce by strengthning them by teaching them by converting them by our words works and good example This is the command and precept of our Saviour to Peter in the words of my text And when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren This cōmand of Christ I that am this day converted brought into the Heavenly Bridgrooms chamber into his true Church must also obey O I must not be contented to be drawn alone I must be the cause that many may run after me This dearely Beloved I have begun to performe already having brought one from the snares of Popery strengthned one soule in the true Protestant Apostolik Religiō of this Kingdom This by the Grace of God both by preaching writing and printing I will endeavour all my life to performe by discovering and laying open to the world those Rocks and quicke sands of Popish doctrin whereupon so many soules do run and are dayly cast away by the ignorance of foolish and unskilfull Pilots O dearely beloved never were you in greater danger than at these times for in Ireland you see how the Papists threaten us with their erroneous doctrines here at home they secretly plot to bring in their superstitions therefore let me warne you this day to hoyse up your sailes and top masts and with the gale of that heavenly Spirit of that Divine blast save your soules from being splinted upon these Rocks of Popish superstition from being swallowed up with the quick sands of Antichristian doctrin O beloved abhor all your lives the chief and principall point of all Popery which is that false authority that Supremacy which the Papists give to the Pope above all the Church O never admit this erroneous doctrin nor ever thinke that Christ left Peter or any other to be Supream head and only head over the Church but this authority was given equally to all the Apostles as ye may gather out of Matth. 28. 3 last ver. where our Saviour equally and with equall authority sent all his Apostles to preach and teach saying Go ye therefore and teach all Nations And further he saith And loe I am with you alway even unto the end of the world Behold how Christ sendeth not only Peter but all his Apostles to preach and teach And saith he will bee not only with Peter but with all his Apostles inspiring spiritually and instructing them all and not Peter alone to rule and governe feed with spirituall food his flock If this be so dearly Beloved never beleeve that the authority which the Pope challengeth to himself over all the Church is due unto him who usurpeth his authority seeketh by it to encroach upon Kings and Princes Crowns as I shall in some other occasion more largely declare Fly therefore deare soules from this chief and most dangerous Rock of all Popery and having once discovered the dangers of this false doctrin abhor then all other erroneous doctrins of Rome which come from him that usurpeth Christs own power and challengeth it to himselfe alone O let my conversion be your strength and comfort O beleeve an experienced and skilfull Pilot who hath travailed almost over all the world and hath by experience of almost 40 yeares discovered all those rocks and quick sands of Popish errors of Antichristian doctrines and superstitions which threaten the losse and utter overthrow of your soules O that this day I may performe what Iesus said to Peter And when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren O let my example dearely Beloued strengthen you all in the true Protestant Religion that so I may say with the spouse draw me and we will run that I being drawn this day unto the true Faith yee may all run more hastily and speedily to the same that I being brought this day into the Kings chamber that is into the true Church ye may all be glad and rejoyce finding in your soules a new greater strength to continue and dye in this ancient and Apostolike Church that so we may all meet and rejoyce together after this life in another chamber of our Heavenly Bridegroome in the triumphant Church of Heaven Amen FINIS