A25247:207
Prima the first things, in reference to the middle and last things
Prima the first things, in reference to the middle and last things: or, the doctrine of regeneration, the new birth, the very beginning of a godly life. Delivered by Isaac Ambrose, minister of the Gospel at Preston in Amounderness in Lancashire.
London: printed by J.F. for I.A., 1650
Appendix › Chapter 3: The second means to get into the new birth.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
CHAP. III. The second means to get into the new birth.
After examination (which may well serve thee for one days work or two) the next duty is Confession. Now then take the Catalogue of those sins (or if thy awaked conscience can tell thee of any other) which thou knowest thou hast committed, and noted, either in this book, or on some other paper; and kneeling on thy knees, spread thy Catalogue before the Lord, I say, spread thy Catalogue before the Lord, 1as Hezekiah did his letter; there read thou seriously and particularly, saying, O Lord, I confess I have committed this sin, and the other sin [as ⟨p. 60⟩they are before thee in order] of all these sins I am guilty, especially of those sins wherein I delighted, my darlings, my minions, my bosom-sins, [take notice of them, and confess them again] of all these sins I am guilty; And now, O Lord, standing (as it were) at the bar of thy tribunal, I arraign my self, and accuse my self, and judge my self worthy of the utmost of thy wrath and indignation; for one sin thou cast Adam out of paradise, for one sin thou cast the Angels out of heaven, for one sin thou destroyedst a world of men, and what then shall become of me, that have committed a world of sins?—[here pause a while, and meditate on thy unworthiness.] O that I should be so foolish, so brutish, so mad to commit these sins, these manifold sins! O that by these sins I should break so holy a law, provoke so good and great a Majesty! What shall I do, but remembering my evil ways, 2even loath my self in my own sight (yea abhor my self in dust and ashes) for my iniquities and my abominations? &c.—For conclusion, thou mayst imitate the Publican, who not daring to lift up his eyes, smote his breast, so do thou, and sigh,