Holy and Profitable Sayings
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A37131.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
Holy and Profitable Sayings OF THAT REVEREND DIVINE, Mr. WILLIAMDYER, Late Preacher of the Gospel at Chesham And Chouldsbury, in the County of Bucks.
MAny have the space of Repentance who have not the Grace of Repentance.
It's better to Repent without perishing, than to perish without Repenting
For if the second Birth have no place in you, the second Death shall have power over you.
There is more bitterness following upon sins ending than ever there was sweetness flowing from Sins Acting
Love to Christ begets a hatred of sin; now he love not Christ at all who loves him not above all.
All our precious Mercies come swimming to us in precious Blood.
They that sow Holiness in the Seedtime of their live • shall Reap happiness in the Harvest of Eternity.
It is better swimming in waterworks of Repentance, than burning in the Fireworks of God's Vengeance.
For there is no coming to the fair Haven of Glory, without sailing thorough the narrow strait of Repentance
If Christ had not freed us from the Curse, we had lived cursedly and died cursedly, and been damned forever.
They who despise the Death of the Lamb, shall surely feel the Wrath of the Lamb.
They that will not own Christ at his first coming, Christ will not own them at his second coming.
He that came from Heaven to make the Saints Righteous, will also come from Heaven to make the Saints Glorious. He is the rich Jewel in the Cabinet of Glory.
Whosoever hath him cannot be poor, and whosoever hath him not cannot be Rich.
Saints take as much delight in those Precepts, that injoin Holiness, as they do in those promises that assure Happiness.
If the day of Mercy leave you Graceless, the day of Judgment will find you Speechless.
Inraged Justice will avenge the Quarrel, of abused Mercy. The longer God forbears not finding amendment, the sorer he strikes when he comes to Judgment.
If God's forbearing Mercy do not draw you to Repentance, his Judgment will drive you to Destruction.
The Sea of Damnation, shall not be sweetened with a drop of Compassion.
As you look for Happiness as long as God hath a being in Heaven, so God looks for Holiness as long as you have a being on Earth.
Man is the Excellency of the Creature, The Saint is the excellency of Man.
Grace is the excellency of the Saint, and Glory is the excellency of Grace.
It is a Greater Favor to be Converted than to be Created. Yea, far better to have no being, than not to have a new being.
Inward Holiness is better than outward Happiness.
Goodness without Greatness is better than Greatness without Goodness.
Christ threw himself into the Sea of his Fathers Wrath, to save poor Believers from Drowning.
He hath shut the Door of Hell, took us from perdition, and he hath opened the Gate of Heaven to let us into Salvation.
O how much is it the Duty of Man to serve God, since God hath made all the world to that purpose.
If the Life of Christ be not your Pattern, the Death of Christ will never be your portion.
The Soul of Man is the Cabbinet, the Grace of God is the Jewel; now Christ will throw away the Cabbinet, where he finds not the Jewel.
Wherever Christ is a Priest for Redemption, he likewise is a Prince for Dominion.
Wherever he is a Savior, there is he a Ruler.
Where he is a Fountain of happiness there he is a a Fountain of Holiness.
It is seldom seen that the sparkling Diamond of a great Estate, is set in the Gold Ring of a Gracious heart.
A sight of ourselves in Grace, will certainly bring us to a sight of ourselves in Glory.
Those Sins shall never make a Hell for us, that be a Hell to us, for where men are so diligent as to do their best, God is so Indulgent he will forgive the worst.
To be in Christ is Heaven below, and to be with Christ is Heaven above.
But therre is no being with Christ above, if we are not in Christ here below.
Though Holiness is that which a Sinner scorns, yet Holiness is that which a Savior Crowns.