Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

C }I A p, II I. Thefecond means to get into the new birth. Fter c.\:amirration, (which may well fcrve tllee for one dayes work or t~o) the A next duty is Confef!io". Now·then take the Catalogue of thofc fms (or 1f -rhy a– wakccl confciencc can tell thee of arty other) which thou lmoweft th~u haft committed, and noted, either in this book, or m fome other paper; and kneehng on. thy knees, f read thy Catalogue before the Lord, I fay,. fprcad thy Catalogue bcfote the Lord, a; H ez.ck.!_ah did /m lcmr; there read thou fenouOy, and particularly, f.Jymg,: 0 Lord, 1 confeffe Jhave committed this fin, and the other fin [asd1ey are before thee mOlder] of all thtfefins I am guilty, efpeciallyof thofefins whmm I dcltghtcd,. my darlmgs, my minions, 11ty bofom-fins, [take notice of them, and confeffe them agam] ofall thefe fim J am guilty; And now, 0 Lord, ftanding (as it were) atrhe bar of thy mbunal, I ar– raigt~ my[<If, and ttcwfe my fe!f, a. .dJudge myfelf n>mhy of the utmofl ofthy wrath and ,-,1 dignamn; for o11e fi" thon cajfedfl Adam out of Paradift, for one fin thote cafledfl rhe Angels out cfheavw,for one fin tholt deflroyedft r. wwld ofmm, and what then]hall become ofme, that have committedaworld offi'ns? - .-[Bere ~aufe a wh1lc, and med>tate on thy unworthincfs,] 0 that I Jhould befo foolijh, Jo brmtijh, fo mad to commu thefe fins, rhefe manifoldfins! 0 that by rhe(e fins I jhould break.. Jo holy a law, provok§ fo good andgreat a Majefly! WhatJhai!Jdo, bl4t remembrmg my ev,l 1vayes, evmloath myfclf in .my olvn fi.._cht (_yea abhor myfclf mduft a~d.ajhcs)for my t~tqmtus andmy abo~mnatro1~s? &c. --ForconcluGon, thoumayeft 1m1tate thcPubhc~n, \~honot danng to lift up hiseycs, [mote his brcfl: fo do thou, and Ggh, and fay Wtth hlln, 0 God be merciful to me a firmer. CHAP. IV. ScCI:. r. The thir~ means to get into the newbi¥th. AFter ConfejfiotJ (which may well ferve thee for another dayes work) the next duty 3' . \ Luke 18. 13 thou muft labour for, is to feek for true forrow and mourning for thy lin'3: Seek thou muft, and never leave fccking, till thou feel thy heart melt within thee. To this purpofe read fome Tracts ofdeath, of judgement, of hell, of Chrifts paffion, of the joyes of heaven : Lall: of all (and I take it bell: ofall) refolve toJet every day {ome time a part to.beg it ofthe Lord: When Daniel fet himfelf to pray, the Lord came in to him, Dan. 9· 3· When Peter had gone apart to pray; and when Paul had prayed in the Temple, then the Lord came in to them, ACfno. 6. and 22. 1 7· And why may not I b1d thee pray, as well as Peter bid Simon Magus, yet being in thegall ofbimrnefj'e,and bond ofiniquity? Acts 8. 22, 2 3. Refolve then, and at the time appointed fall down on!hY knees, fpread thy Catalogue, confeffe, accufe, judge, condemn thy felf again; wli1ch done, beg, beg of the Lord to give thee that [oft heart he promifed, * Ez.ek.. 36. • Tho pro.i 26. A new beart will!giveyou, and a. new JPirit will!punvirhin you, and !lvi/1 tale.; mifcs of Je·. away r~e flony heart om of your jlejh, and I ivillgiveyo" an heart ofjlejh. Say then to thy remy. ~~. B• felf, Is thu.the Lords promife? 0 Lord, perform it to my heart; tak.; away my flony Hd, 8. 10• heart, gwe me an heart of jlejh, a new he{!rt, a new r.pirit, &c.-[Here make thine Hofe. 2 ' •3· own b f 1 f d J/ b Ho{. •4·4· I[J. prayer, e not care u o wor s, only let the words e the true voice of thy 6s.~.ar<abfo· heart :] and the more to work foftening, thou maycft fob, ana Jigh, and !Jeat thy luro promifes brei[, above all thou mufl pray, and call, and cry with vehcmency and fervency not which are to be uttered. When thou hafl done, ifthe Lord do not yet hear thee, pray again the rnarle nor only t d 1 t:o chcm thac nex ay, anc the next day, yea put 011 this refolution, that thou wilt neverleave befonJ>cpre· 1 b · fenc his p<o• P tfi) ur to them rhu for the prefcnt are nor; which t. R.tilcth up rlie fOul of. an hdplclfe finocr to (Qme hopt (at . Ie~r. 0~~crcy and help from rhe lord. And 2. They fcrvc: to crc:uc: JUcl d(aw our faith in Jdus Chritt inrhe pro.. miGes; Jl rsobf~rvcd~ rhat no coodirional promifc: firf\ly b.:gers fairh '; fur he rhat is under a condition is prcfup" po t<l to ha'e fauh; m the fitll pl•ce therefore look on rh~ abfolure promifes, E\e'<; 36, 2 9· ' praying

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