A69449:67
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.
For so it is, that either the soul seeth no need to depart from sin, or else it thinks it can help it self out of sin; the first is called Security, when the soul being blind, takes rest, and seeing no need to be better, desires it not therefore: Against this the Lord sends Contrition, causing men thereby to know the misery of sin, and to see need of a change: The second is Carnal Confidence, ⟨p. 17⟩when a sinner begins to seek succour, and to scramble for his own comfort in his self-sufficiency; against this the Lord works Humiliation, causing the soul hereby to see the weakness and emptiness of its Duties, and that there is enough in its best services to condemn him for ever. Before we speak of the works, it is not amiss to begin with the lets.
For so it is, that either the soul seeth no need to depart from sin, or else it thinks it can help it self out of sin; the first is called Security, when the soul being blinde, takes rest, and seeing no need to be better, desires it not therefore: Against this the Lord sends Contrition, causing men thereby to know the misery of sin, and to see need of a change: The second is Carnal Confidence, ⟨p. 17⟩when a sinner begins to seek succor, and to scramble for his own comfort in his self-sufficiency; against this the Lord works Humiliation, causing the soul hereby to see the weakness and emptiness of its Duties, and that there is enough in its best services to condemn him for ever. Before we speak of the works, it is not amiss to begin with the lets.
The first is Security: When the soul is taken up with a secure course, and rests it self well apaid in his own practises, and therefore it never seeth any need of a change, nor ever goes out for a change: Now while a man lives thus, and blesseth himself in his sin, it is impossible that ever he should receive faith, or by the power of faith repair unto Christ: where faith comes, it ever works a change, Old things are done away, and then all things are become new; the Lord therefore to remove this let, he burdens the soul extremely, and says, You will live in drunkenness, in covetousness; you will have your sins, then take your sins, and get you down to hell with them. At this voice the Sinner begins to see where he is: Is this true? (saith he) then I am the most miserable creature under heaven; therefore as they said, Men and