A69449:203
The doctrine & directions but more especially the practice and behaviour of a man…The doctrine & directions but more especially the practice and behavior of a man…
The doctrine & directions but more especially the practice and behaviour of a man in the act of the new birth A treatise by way of appendix to the former. By Isaac Ambrose, minister of Christ at Preston in Amounderness in Lancashire.The doctrine & directions but more especially the practice and behavior of a man in the act of the nevv birth A treatise by way of appendix to the former. By Isaac Ambrose, minister of Christ at Preston in Amounderness in Lancashire.
London: printed by J.F. for Nathanael Webb and William Grantham, 1650
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
But (poor soul) art thou yet shut up in Unbelief? do then as the Prisoners in New-gate, what lamentable cries do they utter 1to every Passenger by? So do thou, look out from the gates of Hell, and from under the bars of Infidelity, and cry, that God would look on thee in mercy, and say, Spare, Lord, a poor unbelieving wretch, locked up under the bars of Unbelief, good Lord succour, and deliver in thy due time. David could say, Let the 2sighing of prisoners come up before thee; that indeed was meant of bodily imprisonment, yet the argument prevails much in regard of the Spiritual: Good Lord, let the sighing of prisoners come up before thee; let the sighing of poor distrustful souls come up before thy Majesty: O send help from heaven, and deliver the soul of thy servant from these wretched distempers of heart. Is there no cause thus to pray? He that believeth not (saith our Saviour) 3is condemned already: He is cast in heaven and earth, by the Law and Gospel, there is no relief for him abiding in this condition; lay this under thy pillow, and say, How can I sleep, and be a condemned man? What if God should take away my life this night? Alas! I never knew what it was to be enlightened, or wounded for sin; I can commit sin, and play with sin, but I never knew what it was to be wounded for sin; I never knew what it was to be zealous in a good cause; O I confess I have no faith at all! Beloved! would you yield this, then were there some hopes that you might get out of this condition and state, to have a sense of its want, to go to the Lord by prayer, and to ask hearty counsel of some faithful Minister, are the first steps to obtain it. And to help a poor wretch in this case, O you that are gracious, go your ways home, and pray for him: Brethren, let us leave preaching and hearing, and all of us fall to praying and mourning: In truth, I condemn my own soul, because I have not an heart to mourn for him; we reprove his sin, and condemn him of his sin; and we must do so: but where are the ⟨p. 64⟩heart-blood petitions that we put up for such a one? Where are the tears that we make for the slain of our people? You tender-hearted Mothers and you tender-hearted Wives, if your children or husbands be in this woeful case. O mourn for them, let your hearts break over them, and say, O woe is me for my children, O woe is me for that poor husband of mine!