A31997:347
The Godly mans ark, or, City of refuge, in the day of his distress…The Godly mans ark, or, City of refuge, in the day of his distresse…
The Godly mans ark, or, City of refuge, in the day of his distress discovered in divers sermons, the first of which was preached at the funeral of Mistress Elizabeth Moore : the other four were afterwards preached, and are all of them now made public, for the supportation and consolation of the saints of God in the hour of tribulation : hereunto are annexed Mris. [sic] Moors evidences for heaven, composed and collected by her in the time of her health, for her comfort in the time of sickness / by Ed. Calamy ...The Godly mans ark, or, City of refuge, in the day of his distresse discovered in divers sermons, the first of which was preached at the funerall of Mistresse Elizabeth Moore : the other four were afterwards preached, and are all of them now made publick, for the supportation and consolation of the saints of God in the hour of tribulation : hereunto are annexed Mris. [sic] Moores evidences for heaven, composed and collected by her in the time of her health, for her comfort in the time of sickness / by Ed. Calamy ...
London: printed for John Hancock, 1658
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.
Rule 3.
3 The more sensible thou art of thine own unworthiness to lay hold upon the Promises,1 the more thou art fitted and qualified to lay hold upon them. For the promises are (as I have showed) the fruit of Free-grace. Nothing moved God to enter into a Covenant with his people, and thereby to become their Debtor, but his free love. Free grace brought Christ down from Heaven,2 and it is Free Grace must carry us up to Heaven. Christ himself is called, the gift of God, John 4. 10. Moses tells the Israelites, Deut. 7. 7, 8. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people, &c. but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the Oath which he had sworn unto your Fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you, &c. God doth not love us, ⟨p. 174⟩because we are worthy of his love, but because he loves us, therefore he makes us worthy. We must not bring worthiness to Christ, but fetch worthiness from Christ. And therefore if thou beest sensible of thine own nothingness, emptiness, and unworthiness; lay hold upon that excellent Promise, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.3