A73600:58
The beginning of the doctrine of Christ. Or A catalogue of sins showing how…The beginning of the doctrine of Christ. Or A catalogue of sinnes shewing how…
The beginning of the doctrine of Christ. Or A catalogue of sins showing how a Christian may find out the evils, he must take notice of in his repentance. With rules, that show a course, how any Christian may be delivered from the guilt and power of all his sins. By N. Bifield preacher of Gods Word, at Isleworth in Middlesex.The beginning of the doctrine of Christ. Or A catalogue of sinnes shewing how a Christian may finde out the euils, hee must take notice of in his repentance. With rules, that shew a course, how any Christian may be deliuered from the guilt and power of all his sinnes. By N. Bifield preacher of Gods Word, at Isleworth in Middlesex.
London: printed for R. Rounthwaite, 1619
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.
The third thing thou1 must labour for distinctly, is, to conceive true mourning and sorrow for these sins thus confessed. This is that sacrifice is so wellpleasing to God, and this is every where in Scripture expressly required, & the promises fastened (divers of them) upon this condition, as these places manifestly show, Math. 5. 5. Jam. 4. 9. ⟨p. 39⟩Joel 2. 12. 13. Zach. 12. 12. Isaiah 1. 16. Psalm. 31. 17. Isaiah 61. 1. 2. 3. Jerem. 50. 4. Jerem. 31. 18, 19. Now that thou mayst attain unto2 softness of heart, I advise thee to take this course: Resolve with thy self to set some time apart, at least once every day for this business; and when thou dost stand before the Lord with thy former mournful indictment, and while thou strivest to judge thy self, and to keep an assize upon thy own soul, beg of God to give thee that soft heart he promised, Ezech. 36. 26. beg it (I say) of God, ⟨p. 40⟩but let thy prayers be without limitation for the time. If the Lord hear thee not the first time, yet pray for it the next time again, and so the third day, and so still, till the Lord do hear thee, and make thee feel thy hart to melt, and (if it may be) tears to trickle down thy cheeks before the Lord; yea, put on this resolution, that thou wilt never stand before the Lord for any request while this course lasts, but thou wilt remember this petition, to beseech him to give thee secret sorrow and sensible for thy sins. It may be, the