upon conscience Guilt Guile 1. Guilt there is guilt upon the conscience every sin leaves guilt behind it The whole world is become guilty before God Rom. 3.15 Because the whole world are sinners or subject to the Judgment of God But then there is guilt upon the man and guilt upon the conscience There are some sins that leave guilt upon the man but do not immediatly leave guilt upon the conscience as sins of ignorance these leave guilt upon the man but not allways upon the conscience because such sins conscience does not nor can take notice of and so they cannot be called sins against conscience Guilt there is upon conscience 1. When conscience through remissness or neglect does not take notice of them nor charge the soul to take heed of them 2. When though conscience does know sin to be sin and those particular acts that I am tempted to to be sinful acts yet lust prevails to bring us on upon the commission of them against conscience Thou knowest that lying is a sin thy conscience tells thee so and yet thou wilt lye Thou knowest that drunkenness that defrauding that profaning the sabbath that neglect to pray and to hear are sins And thy conscience tells thee they are and yet thou wilt lye or be drunk or work or travel upon the Lords day neglect to pray c. This leaves a guilt upon thy conscience O how great O how dreadful guilt is there upon the consciences of many of us How many bills of indictment will thy conscience have to bring forth against thee before thy Judge The guilt of neglecting Christ the guilt of hardning thy heart against mercy besides all the guilt of thine oaths and of thy drunkenness and of thy covetousness and of thy lying and stealing and scoffing all this guilt lyes upon thee and this is one thing that conscience must be recovered from ere it can be a good conscience 2. Guile or falshood or treachery of conscience Conscience will juggle and deal deceitfully it will dispense with or give allowance of sin it will connive and wink at iniquity Some sins which can be better spared it resists others such as interest or inclination lead more strongly to it lets them pass and will not see them to be sin and therefore dares not examine whether they be sin or no. This is a guileful conscience it is true of Christians what is said of Nathaniel Joh. 1.47 An Israelite indeed in whom there is no guile Psal 32.2 Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile This is a good conscience that is plain and honest and faithful Heb. 13.18 We trust ye have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly Now these being the diseases in conscience guilt and guile from these we must get them recovered and their recovery must be wrought by bloud and water By the bloud of Christ Heb. 5.14 How much more shall the loud of Christ purge your consciences And by water also by he water of sanctification and by the water of repentance Penitent tears have their use to the washing of conscience Sinners take heed have no guilt upon your consciences have you no guile in your consciences O how dreadfully guilty O how miserably guileful hath that conscience of thine been Get your consciences purged get the bloud of Christ to be sprinkled upon them Draw water so the pouring forth penitent tears is expressed .. 1. Sam. 7.6 They drew water and poured it forth before the Lord and fasted that day Draw water sinners weep before the Lord for your sins and this will be the washing your consciences from the guilt and guile that is upon them 2. Keep conscience working Though method would require that I speak to this of keeping conscience under the next general the keeping of the heart yet I choose rather to speak to it here Keep conscience working A lazy sleeping conscience is good for nothing it is a stirring working conscience that does its office that must industriously be maintained Conscience hath 1. An eye 2. A Book 3. A Tongue 4. A Scepter 1. An eye And the eye of conscience must be kept open The eye of conscience is even as the eye of God it may be said of conscience in its measure as of God Psal 139.2.3 Thou knowest my down fitting and uprising thou understandest my thoughts and art acquainted with all my wayes The eye of conscience beholds our very inwards all things are naked and open even before that conscience with which we have to do and this is somthing you have to keep you doing to keep the eye of conscience open Let not conscience wink at your follies let it see and observe what ever you do 2. A Book A Register or book of records where it writes down what it sees Jer. 17.1 The sin of Judah is written It is graven upon the tables of the hearts the meaning there is it hath entered into their hearts it hath corrupted and eaten into their hearts there are the scars and impressions of it upon them Their iniquities have marked them and marked them in their very hearts for vile and ungodly ones This graving of sin upon the heart notes the hearts defilement the corrupting of the heart But then there is a writing for remembrance a writing of scores or books of account and thus mens sins are written in the book of conscience now this also must be looked to that conscience be faithful and book down all our sins that they may be remembred by us and repented of The book of conscience will be written whether men will or no if conscience will be negligent and will not write down its own faults God will do it and will write down all our sins if conscience will not If we mark not God will mark them Jer. 2.22 Thine iniquity is marked before me If we record not God will record them What conscience writes conscience may read and remember but what God writes upon the neglect of conscience sinners cannot read or remember now but there it shall all be to be seen at the great day of accounts when the book shall be opened and read before Angels and men Sinners what is there written in those books within you Are your sins written there Hath conscience kept a record of them It is well if it have look into that book read over and remember all your ways go and ask thy conscience if thou hast not been a Lyar if thou hast not been a swearer a Drunkard a covetous liver a flesh pleaser ask thy conscience if it hath not been so How many have been thy lyes how many have been thine oathes how many drunken bouts how many rioting days how many greedy and covetous practices hast thou been guilty of Look into that book in thy bosom if conscience hath been faithful there thou maiest read and remember and so come to be humbled for them But if conscience hath not noted these things but
which have been consented to between the Lord and thee recorded in thine heart whilst thou keepest thine heart clean there thou may'st read thy Title to Glory thou wilt find that within thee which will comfort thee concerning thine everlasting state There are the very Prints and Marks of the Lord Jesus his image formed upon thy soul which mark thee out for an heir of life but what wilt thou do for comfort when these writings and this holy image are all blotted when thy Circumcision is become as uncircumcision will blotted evidences Satisfie thee will a defaced image prove thy Title to Christ goâ—d Set a guard against Sin allow not your selves in any iniquity fear what sad work it will make upon your inner man Hath the bloud of Christ blotted out the hand-writing that was against you hath the Spirit of Christ engraven a new hand-writing for you O watch against iniquity which will renew the old hand-writing and blot out the new Have you any comfortable Title to Glory any comfortable evidences for heaven O sin them not away Whatever comfortable evidences you have never look that they should speak comfortably to you longer then you keep your watch against sin nor never trust to that comfort which will hold up the head whilst thou allowest thy self in sin Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not hear my prayer And what comfort canst thou have when thou art become such a one as God will not hear when thou prayest Thou art a Professor of Religion and thou hast comfort in Christ and confidence thou shalt be saved through him and yet for all this thou canst lie for thy advantage or to cover a fault thou canst drink if not to down right drunkenness yet to intemperate excess and make thy self a fool if not a down-right beast or at least be a companion of Drunkards in their drunkenness Thou canst defraud or do wrong put off false wares use deceitful ballances thou canst defame or backbite thou canst be peevish and give rope to thy fretful passions and let thine anger rest upon thee thou canst prophane the Sabbath by Working or Travailing or Loytering thou canst live in an ordinary neglect of thy Family and the Souls of them without instructing them or praying with them and the like and thou canst let thy self alone in these evils or some of them or some other such like But how dost thou hold up thine head under these things when thou lookest into thine heart how dost thou find it there dost thou not find thy sins to be blots within thee dost thou not find the writing blotted thine evidences blurr'd the image of Christ defaced thy comforts vanished If thou dost not if thou canst be of good comfort still if thou art of good chear and confident still this comfort this confidence is not the comfort of God but false and deceitful Thou may'st comfort thy self and speak peace to thy self still but mistake not thy self God speaks not a word of comfort to thee in such a case if thou hadst any real comfort before that thou wilt find all blotted and the true sense of it utterly lost If thou hast peace in thine heart 't is none of the peace of God that is broken by thy returning to have peace with sin Psal 85.8 God will speak peace but let them not turn again to folly 2. Blots will defile They are stains upon all our Glory The coming in of Sin upon the heart is as the breaking in of the Heathen upon Gods inheritance Psal 79.1 O God the heathen are come into thine inheritance thine holy temple have they defiled The heart of a Christian is as is said the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord is holy Holiness becometh thine house Psal 93.5 't is only a clean heart that is a fit habitation for God God hath been at great cost to make the hearts of his people clear that they may be a fit habitation for him He hath washed them with bloud with the bloud of his Son hath washed out those original blots and stains that were upon them 1 Joh. 1.7 The bloud of Jesus Christ cleanseth He hath washed them with water The Sanctifying work of his Spirit God hath made him a clean habitation and he looks that we should keep it clean 1 Cor. 3.17 If any man defile the Temple of the Lord him shall God destroy God will depart from God will pull down that house and make a dunghil of it which sin is suffered to defile we had need take heed of such blots and stains upon our hearts lest they drive out the holy One of Israel from us Whilst we keep our selves pure the Lord God will delight to take his abode with us Who is it Christians you would have to dwell in you O let me be an habitation for the Lord let the holy Jesus let the holy Spirit dwell in me none but God none but Christ thou Lord art mine inhabitant let me be thy habitation Where God dwells there light dwells there peace dwells there hope and joy dwells I count upon nothing I have no joy no hope no peace all that I have is lost all that I have to comfort me all that I have to stay or support me all that I have to delight and refresh me all is lost yea I have lost my self when God is departed from me Do you indeed look upon it as so miserable a case when the Lord hath forsaken you then take heed how you defile his habitation Let wilful sin in and that will certainly drive the Lord out and if you would keep sin out of the heart keep it out of your lives Life sins are heart blots Jer 2.22 Their iniquity is marked before me And 't is the heart that bears its black marks upon it O friends what sad marks have we upon us what speckled and spotted souls have we how miserably are our insides defiled Minds defiled Affections defiled Consciences defiled 't is a sign what Lives we have lived 't is a sign how well we keep our Garments how well we keep us from practical iniquity our heart stains our heart defilements shew sufficiently how much iniquity hath abounded in us Friends look inward see what work sin hath made within you what a Conscience hath it left you what affections hath it left you how hath it dimm'd and defaced the Image of God in you Do you complain that God is withdrawn from you that you have lost his quickning presence his comforting presence that you have lost your Acquaintance lost your Communion with God that your only friend and portion and hope is become a stranger to you learn to keep you cleaner if you would have it better count upon it there is no hope that God should take pleasure in you or give you any pleasure in him that God should be a comfort to you longer then you keep you more pure Oh get your hearts washed anew we
life of Christ begotten in them O what multitudes of lost souls are there among us if every soul be lost that makes light of sin What account dost thou make of it Thou sinnest dayly thou livest an idle and a careless and a sinful life thou art proud or covetous or a sensual flesh-pleaser and is not all this this sin Thou art a Liar a Promise-breaker a defrauder and is not this thy sin Thou art perverse and peevish and of a froward heart and is not this thy wickedness But what account dost thou make of all this Is it an heavy thing to thee to be thus sinful No not at all thou makest light of thy pride and light of thy covetousness and light of thy frowardness thou makest just nothing of them or at least but small matters Thou dost not feel them to be such a weight and burthen to thee but thou canst bear them and go out with them well enough Or if thou dost sometimes feel some smart or pain by them yet it is but such a light touch that what ever thou thinkest at present thou wilt quickly after them again at thy lying again at thy swearing again at thy froppish and froward carriages again It is such a deep sense of sin as will make us beware of it for the future that wil prove our recovery What shall we then think of them that make a mock of sin that make a sport of sin that take pleasure in iniquity Without all controversie these are lost souls and those that make but little reckoning of it that pass by their sins as small matters that are either not toucht at all or but lightly toucht for them so lightly that their sin hath still the power and dominion over them thou that art but such a one thou art a lost soul thy soul is lost and not recovered 4. Th sâ— that make light of Christ their recoverer Christ that is sent down as the Physitian of souls to seek and to save them that are lost hath ordinarily the same entertainment as the King in the Parable had amongst the Guests that he invited to his Feast Mat. 22.5 but they made light of it Here 1. There are some sinners that do make light of Christ Jesus Christ is worthy of all acceptation What is Jesus Christ He is the Son of God full of grace and truth Joh. 1. God equal with the Father the brightness of his Fathers glory the express image of his person and upholdeth all things by the word of his power Heb. 1.3 He is the Head of all Principalities and Powers the Prince of the Kings of the earth Rev. 1 5. What is Jesus Christ to sinners He is the everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Is 9.6 his name shall be wonderful What comes this Jesus into the world for To reconcile them to God to save them from their sins to die for the sins of the World and to wash them in his own bloud And to what end comes he to particular sinners wherefore is he preached to them wherefore is he offered to them To what end is it that sinners are so importunately invited to entertain and accept of him to be willing that he that was the Saviour might become their Saviour that he that was the Reconciler might become their Recoverer to recover them from the snare of the Devil and to bring them into the everlasting Kingdom This is that Jesus that by the Gospel is preached unto you Who could imagine that such a great and mighty and glorious one who is the everlasting King the God of all the earth who would think but he should be reverenced where-ever he come They will reverence my son said the King in the Parable Mat. 22.37 It might be well presumed they would however it proved in the issue Who could imagine that one that came upon such a gracious design to reconcile poor Rebels unto God to redeem poor Prisoners out of Prison to recover and raise the dead to life and ransom them from the Pit and give them an entrance into the everlasting kingdom who would think but Christ coming upon such a gracious and glorious design should have wonderful chearful entertainment Who would think but that the whole World should ring with acclamations of joy and praise at his appearing amongst them Who would think but when Christ comes to particular sinners and makes a free offer of himself to them to be theirs their Redeemer their Saviour but such an offer should be greedily catched at and readily embraced Doth the King of Glory come unto me Hast thou shed thy bloud and poured forth thy soul and laid down thy liâ—e and purchased pardon and an interest in Heaven for me And dost thou now come to give thy self and all that thou hast purchased to be mine What answer would any one think would be given by lost souls to such questions Wilt thou be mine Shall I be thine Art thou willing to be redeemed to be washed from thy sins to be healed of thy diseases Shall my bloud which is shed for the salvation of sinners shall my bloud be thine and the peace and reconciliation it hath made be thine Shall I come into that miserable soul of thine and dwell there and rule there and cast that Devil out that hath been thy destroyer and murderer Shall I love thee and delight in thee and bless thee with my salvation What answer would any one think that undone lost sinners should give to such questions What wilt thou come unto me love and bless me With all my soul Lord come in thou blessed Lord all that is within me shall rejoyce that thou wilt thus enter upon me and take me for thy possession and habitation This one would think should be the answer that sinners would give But behold such miserably foolish souls are sinners become that they make light of all this A cup of drink a carnal companion a lust a sensual pleasure is made more reckoning of than Christ and all his love As it is said of those Builders the Scribes and Pharisees Acts 4.11 It is true of all sinners this stone this pretious stone this corner stone this foundation stone upon which alone their hopes of salvation might be built this stone is set at nought by them Is 53.3 He was despised and rejected of men they made no account or reckoning of him but even tread under foot the Son of God And this is the general entertainment that Christ hath among the sinners of the earth so light do they make of him he comes to them but they will not receive him How often says he would I have gathered you Mat. 23.37 but you would not And what is the common case of sinners is it not thy case Art not thou one that makest light of Christ He hath been preached unto thee he hath come and tendered himself to thy soul That vile heart of thine sinner that dark hole where the Devil and Lust
to be found Reprobates at Judgment and then to have the sentence of reprobation pronounced upon you why sure sinners the very next misery to that is to be in a state of reprobation O take this home to you as your portion from the Lord every unconverted one take this word home to you take it into your own mouths O what shall I do I am a lost child I am a lost soul wo is me I am undone a son of perdition and an heir of damnation What is it to me that I have kept my body in good case that I am in health What is it to me that I have kept my estate and have not been such a prodigal of that that I have my house and my lands and my money what is it that I have kept my credit and my friends O my soul my poor soul is lost and what good shall my estate or my health or my credit or my friends or my life do to me 2. Mens souls are not so lost here but that they are recoverable In a little time if they look not to it they will be past recovery for ever Yet a little while and the Gospel will be a sealed Book to you never again to be opened yet a little while and the door of mercy and grace will be shut against you never again to be unlocked When death hath once sealed up sinners eyes when the grave hath shut her mouth upon them then every one of you that is found in his sins the Gospel is sealed up the door of mercy is shut up and thou wilt be lost forever irrecoverably lost But yet sinners these lost souls may be recovered There is great hazard at present that thou mayest not be recovered but yet there is hope 1. Ther 's great hazard at present that thou mayest not be recovered Do not make light of the hazard that is do not make sure say not such a word I doubt not but by the grace of God I shall have mercy and be saved Ther 's great hazard that that soul of thine which is a lost soul this day may be lost for ever and never be converted and saved How great that hazard is I have formerly told you out of the Pulpit and now you may read the same things from the Press namely in my discourse on Prov. 28.14 read that book carefully once especially from p 171. to page 198 where you may understand how great hazard there is that lost souls may not be recovered 2. Yet there is hope thou mayst be recovered For 1. Your souls are yet every one of them within the reach of the bloud of Christ You are come to that bloud of sprinkling Heb. 12.24 Which speaks better things then the blood of Abel There is not one Sinner among you but at present the bloud of Christ speaks for you and what doth it speak Father if this Sinner turn and repent let him not be rejected let him be pardoned and be saved For Believers it speaks thus Father these my Friends have believed and have repented and therefore I pray thee let them not fail of having the benefit of my bloud let them not fail of their pardon and salvation Thus for Saints and even for every unconverted Sinner it speaks conditionally ut supra if they will believe if they will yet turn let them also have the benefit of my bloud Hitherto every one of you are thus far within the reach of the bloud of Christ it pleads thus with the Father for you and if you will come in will make an attonement for and redeem and recover you from all your sins When once Death hath closed your eyes in your unconverted estate you are gone for ever out of the reach of the bloud of Christ it can now no longer profit you nor plead for you There is nor one drop of that pretious bloud shall ever fall into the Pit nothing of the bloud of Christ shall come into Hell and find you out there but only the guilt of his bloud that shall fall upon Sinners in Hell the guilt of despising his bloud the guilt of trampling on his bloud This is all that shall be said to sinners there in the Pit these are they that would none of me I would have washed them with my bloud but they would not be washed I would have saved them by my bloud but they would not be saved I called upon them to turn from their sins and come unto me but they would not turn they would not come I offered to purge them from their sins to pardon and make reconciliation for their iniquities but they would not be pardoned nor purged they loved their sins and hardened their hearts and threw back my bloud in my face they would none of me and now let the guilt of my bloud be upon them to heighten their flames and burn in their bowels for ever The guilt of his bloud shall reach to Hell but the expiation and attonement of his bloud shall never come there After Death there is nothing but Hell and out of Hell there is no recovery those Sons of Perdition are lost for ever O thank God Sinner that thou art not yet fallen in thither thank God that that soul of thine is not in Hell How many younger sinners than thou are there already roaring under the sense of their madness in neglecting Christ and his Redemption O thank God that thou art here thank God that thou art yet alive that Christ yet calls to thee to come to him that Christ yet offers thee that if thou wilt but turn and repent his bloud shall cleanse thee from all unrighteousness and save thee from coming into condemnation Sinner there is yet hope of thee that thou mayest be saved though there be hazard great hazard that thou wilt yet harden thy heart to thy destruction that thou wilt never be converted and be saved there is great hazard that though thou be yet out of Hell thou wilt be there shortly though thou art yet within the reach of the bloud of Christ thou wilt in a little time be without its reach but though there be such great hazard that thou mayest die for ever and be irrecoverably lost yet there is at present hope concerning thee that thou mayest be recovered and there is this hope concerning thee that thou art yet within the reach of the bloud of Christ O thank God for it and do not go on to harden thy heart till thou art past recovery I say again thank God that thou art here but yet I must add thank God and repent thank God and be converted or else it were even as good that thou wert in Hell this hour as to be here in thy sins nay it were better for thee that that body of thine were now rotting in the Grave and that soul of thine were now roaring in Hell this would be better for thee than to be here hearing the Gospel if after all thou shouldst
come and make a Saint of thee Hath Sin made a very Devil of thee and art not thou willing that Christ should make thee a Saint What wouldst thou do in Heaven if thou wilt not be made a Saint or dost thou think thou mayest continue a Devil whilest thou livest on the earth and yet at last be a Saint in Heaven What say you sinners There be some it may be of you that have made a mock at holiness that have despised the saints that are on earth and made them the objects of your scorn rather than your desire but speaks man art thou yet willing that Christ should come this day and make thee a saint Wilt thou that he should humble thee and bring thee to repentance Wilt thou that he should wash thee and bring thee to holiness Wouldst thou who camest hither an ignorant sinner an hardned sinner an impenitent sinner be glad at thine heart if thou mayst r turn an enlightned a convinced yea a converted sinner a beleiver a sincere christian Wouldst thou carry home another heart than thou broughtst hither a new heart transformed and changed into the image of him that created thee or art thou content to go home as thou camest such an ignorant hardned polluted creature as thou camest hither If thou be heartily willing of such a change as this that is a great part of thy cure Art thou willing to be cured willing to be cleansed Then bring forth that leprous soul of thine lay it at the feet of Christ and speak to him as the leper did Mat. 8.2 Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean As vile a state as this soul of mine is in as deadly as my diseases are as very a Leper as my soul is become yet Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Let Christ hear such a word from thee Lord help me Lord heal me if thou wilt thou canst And then there is hope that thou maiest hear the same words from Christ as that poor Leper did I will be thou clean And immediately his Leprosie was cleansed 2. Take Christs medicines To what purpose is it that the physitian comes to a sick man and prescribes to him and adviseth him to what will recover him if he will not take what he prescribeth Christ hath medicines to recover sick souls but his medicines must be taken or they will not recover them Christs medicines are 1. His bloud His bloud is purging and cleansing bloud Heb. 9 14. 1 Joh. 1.7 Therefore he is said to wash us in his bloud By the bloud of Christ is meant the same with the death of Christ There is vertue in the death of Christ to destroy the life of sin Our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed Rom. 6.6 It is the body of sin that must be first laid at The inward pravity of our natures our original corruption Christs physick must be firstly applyed to the root and fountain of our disease those sinful natures those depraved habits and sinful dispositions within you must be changed The inward enmity must be slain and there is nothing will do that but the bloud of a crucified Iesus That is the soveraign medicine that must help and heal you But how must this medicine the bloud of Christ be taken 1. Christ himself must be taken Christ offers himself to you to be yours and you must accept of him for your own Your hearts must by faith consent unto Christ to put your selves into his hands to put your life into his hands expecting and depending upon him trusting your selves with him for your recovery It is Christ alone with whom I lay up all mine hopes upon whose sufficiency and faithfulness I will venture my soul If I die I le die under his hand and if I live I look for life only from him Put your selves thus into the hands of Christ and take Christ into your hearts Take him as your own he gives himself to you to be your own Christ offers to every sinner among you I will be thine own thine own Jesus thine own Saviour if thou be willing to have me Take him at his word Since he says to thee I will be thine own if thou wilt let thy heart lay hold on this blessed word and say content Lord since thou wilt thou shalt be mine own I accept thee with all my heart Now if Christ be once yours his bloud shall be yours his death shall be yours and all the benefits of his death Whereas nothing of Christ can be yours nor any fruit of his death if he be not first yours Let Christ be once imbraced by you and if there be any purging or cleansing or sin-killing ver ue in his bloud your sins shall be purged away If all that the bloud of Christ can do for thee will recover thee thou shalt be recovered 2. You must have frequent recourse to the bloud of Christ by renewed acts of faith Look up to this crucified Jesus Cast thy polluted soul into the fountain of his bloud Zach. 13.1 He is a fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness His bloud is the fountain cast thy soul into it You are come into the bloud of sprinkling Heb. 12.24 Christians are so and they may freely lay hold on it for their cleansing 1. Believe that there is such vertue in him to cleanse thy soul Say with the woman Mat. 9.21 If I may but touch him I shall be made whole 2. Believe that it is free for theâ— Thou mayst come with boldness to him Christ would have thee to be bold with him and to lay thine help upon him Believe that it is free for thee to lay hold on the bloud of Christ and 3. Come and lay hold upon it Lean upon him for his help and trust him for it 4. Lift up a prayer to him Lord here is a polluted dying soul that is even lost and choaked up in the mud and mire of my sins there is no help for me but I must die and perish in them if thou wilt not look upon me and save me In thy bowels I have hope in thy bloud I have hope and that is all the hope I have O sprinkle me with thy bloud wash me in thy bloud and my soul shall live Wherefore Lord didst thou die Wherefore didst thou shed that precious bloud Was it not for the recovery of lost souls for the cleansing of polluted souls Is not my poor soul one of the number of those for whom Christ died Have not I as great need of of thee as any Is it not thou thy self that hast brought this my soul to thy door crying for thine help Lord Jesus hear let some drops of that bloud some of the vertue of thy death be shed abroad upon my sinful heart and it shall live My sins must die Lord or my soul will never recover I must get this lust destroyed this enmity slain this proud and hard and stubborn
hath been asleep and let thee alone to run thy course without its keeping an account yet God hath written down all Though thou hast forgotten what thou hast been though thou hast forgotten or taken no notice of what thou hast done yet God hath his book of remembrance against thee thine iniquities are all marked before him These things thou hast done and I kept silence but I will reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thee Psal 50.21 The Lord stood by and saw thee when thou wert in thy cups the Lord hearkened and heard all thine oaths thy lies and though he kept silence and let thee alone for the time and said little to reprove or affright thee yet thou shalt see and know that he saw thee where ever thou were and marked what ever thou hast done thou shalt know it by this that he will hereafter reprove thee and set all thy sins in order before thee And O what a fearful sight will that be when thou shalt have the black roll of all the wickedness that thou hast done in thy life at once presented to thy view Now you would be ready to say I know nothing by my self or no great matters at least thou hast but a few things against thy self and those few thou countest small matters But when God shall bring forth the whole roll and force thee to read every line and to see every sin in its colours then shalt thou see every one of thy sins as so many Devils to torment thee forever Sinner how dost thou think thou shalt look in that day how will thy face grow pale and thy countenance be changed and thy bones tremble at such an horrid sight of all thy sins at once O prevent this misery by getting Conscience to be faithful let Conscience keep its Book open and write down all thy ways that there thou maist read them at present and remember them in order to thy repentance and their being blotted out by the bloud of the Lamb. 3. A Tongue Conscience is called by a Proverb the Preacher in the bosom How shall this Preacher preach if he hath not a tongue to speak God be merciful to those Congregations which have dumb Priests and to those sinners that have dumb Consciences How long may poor Congregations sit under a dumb Priest ere they hear any thing to purpose either of their duty or their faults they may be blind and ignorant souls and never hear one word of instruction or of the danger of their ignorance they may be without Christ and without God in the World and so may continue to their dying day and never hear one word to bring them to Christ or turn them to God They may be Liars Drunkards Swearers Sabbath-breakers or what they will and whatever they be they never hear a word to bring them to repentance They may live without prayer reading or so much as thinking of God or their everlasting state and not a word spoken to bring them to these necessary duties And just thus sadly it fares with people that are under dumb consciences They may do what they will be as wicked as they will and conscience lets them alone Sinner dost thou not find this to be true in thy case Thou canst go all thy days without serious prayer no prayer in secret no prayer in the family thou canst live in this respect like a very heathen and thou canst lye and swear and drink and scoff and be covetous and what says conscience to all this Not a word Thy conscience may say in its wickedness as God said in his righteousness These things thou hast done and I kept silence Such mens consciences it may be said of them as concerning David towards his son Adonijah 1. Kings 1.6 His father had not displeased him at any time in saying why hast thou done so Mens consciences will not displease them will not displease their lusts but will let them alone and say nothing to them good nor bad How often dost thou hear of thy conscience When did it check thee or reprove thee or warn thee When dost thou hear such a word within thee How shall I do this wickedness and sin against God With what conscience can I be thus false or fraudulent or froward With what conscience can I keep such vain or lewd company With what conscience can I live without prayer or any thing of the worship of God in my house Is there any conscience in this lying or promise-breaking or deceitful dealing Is there any conscience in this idle careless life to live thus in the neglect of God and my soul When dost thou hear such a word within thee thou hast a conscience such as it is but it hath lost its tongue and will not reprove thee or warn thee but let thee alone to follow thy lust and humour without controul and in what a woful case art thou that art under such a dumb conscience We read that Christ in great wrath said to his Disciples concerning the Pharisees Mat. 15.14 Let them alone they be blind leaders of the blind let them alone say nothing to them Hath Christ said thus to conscience concerning thee Let him alone say not a word to him let him be blind while he will let him be hardned while he will speak no more to him to awaken him Is not this a dreadful case O Friends pray for a faithful conscience that will not cease to warn you from day to day Do not muzzle the mouth of conscience encourage your consciences to speak to you by giving them free leave to speak yea by asking and enquiring of conscience Conscience what sayest thou to this course I am going on in If I ask my will or my affections or my lusts concerning these vain ways these all are pleased and like it that I go on thus But what sayest thou O my conscience Is it good that I be a Worldling or a Sensualist or a Liar or unjust or unmerciful Is this as God would have it Is this the life that God is well pleased with Ask conscience such questions and put conscience to it to give in its answer and there is hope it will speak And then hear what conscience speaks If conscience speak and speak and men will not hear this is the next way to stop its mouth a deaf ear will make a dumb conscience If conscience speaks and it cannot be heard if the warnings and items of conscience be born down by lust and appetite this is the next way to put conscience to silence that it speaks no more Sinners you have been hitherto consulting with flesh and bloud taking counsel of sense and appetite and carnal interest and whilest conscience hath kept silence you see in what away you have gone on Would you have conscience speak or have it hold its peace Will you henceforth enquire of conscience what it does in earnest judge of your present life what it does judge best for
things honestly in all things and at all times This exercise of keeping to conscience is a painful exercise you can never live a conscientious life unless you will be content to live a painful life to take pains with your hearts to take pains with your thoughts and affections to take pains with your tongues and all your members to hold them close to the rule of conscience this painful exercise will get you an heat will beget warmth in those cold and careless hearts The most conscientious Christians are the most warm and lively Christians and according as you get and keep your hearts warm so will your diseases waste the health of your souls return into you Remember what I have said if ever you would recover your lost souls recover conscience if ever you would recover conscience get the guilt the guile of conscience purged away by the bloud of Christ and water of repentance keep the eye of conscience open let conscience be the Supervisor of all your ways let the book of conscience be kept clear from blots and blurs and let there be a faithful record kept there of all your ways let the tongue of Conscience have leave to speak and warn you from day to day and submit to its Scepter and government be no longer govern'd by Will or by appetite or by lust or by the fashions and customs or examples of men but be govern'd by Conscience Do not give Conscience a Kiss and a Stab hearken to it in some things and wound it in other things but study to live in all good Conscience on your Sabbath-dayes on your working-dayes in the House of the Lord in your own houses in the houses of your Friends in the Field in the Market in the matters of God in the matters of the World when you are alone when in company when you are in good company when you are fallen into evil company wherever you are whatever you are a doing still have an eye upon Conscience an ear open to Conscience and let Conscience prescribe to you what you should do and how you should carry it in every affair 3. Beware of taking cold That 's a special rule Physicians use to give to the recovering Patient when Persons are upon recovery of their bodily diseases how ordinary is it that upon a little cold they relapse and sometimes die of their disease Is thy Soul upon recovery take heed of Colds Soul such there are who when they begin to be wrought upon and brought to any sence of Religion there appears a great heat and fervour of spirit upon them 't is with them as with the Prophet Jer. 20.9 Thy Word was in me like fire their love and desire and zeal for God seem all in a flame O what warm affections have they how warm in their Duties how warm in their converses they seem to be all Life and Soul and then after a time they grow stark cold and little life is left in them and some of them never recover again while they live Hath thy Spirit gotten an heat hath the Word heated thee and those Exercises of Prayer Repentance and keeping Conscience gotten thee into an heat then take heed of growing cold keep you constant to those Exercises that have begotten an heat in you Keep you in the Sun-shine all your heart-warmth is begotten and must be maintained from above live in the beholding the face of God live under the Sun-beams of the Sun of righteousness keep you close to God keep you near to Christ live in intimate communion with God Take heed of those clouds your sins that will obscure the Sun Isa 59.1 Take heed of an Eclipse see that this Earth do not interpose betwixt your Souls and Heaven take heed of the damp Influences of the dead that you live amongst We live in a cold World a cold Age that Age has overtaken us which Christ Prophesied of Mat. 24.20 Wherein the love many of should wax cold Those that are grown cold themselves will serve for nothing but to chill and damp the Spirits of others Be not unnecessarily conversant with this cold World trust not your selves in their Company have you never found how much your Souls have lost by carnal Correspondencies Professors how is it with you Do you still retain your first vigour as when you began to be recovered May not the Lord complain over some of us as of Israel Jer. 2.2 I remember the kindness of thy Youth and the love of thine Espousals I remember it as a thing that is past that now is not or as Ephesus Rev. 2.4 Thou hast lost thy first Love and what follows from this decay Hence is it that we are become a Company of sickly Professors of Carnal Professors of Earthly Professors the World hath return'd upon us the Flesh hath gotten head again in us the things that are Eternal and the influences of them upon us are even lost and swallow'd up of things Temporal our Stocks and our Businesses and our Trades how have they even choak'd up our Religion Friends it 's matter of astonishment to consider how very few lively Christians there are to be found amongst us Thus we every one talk what a General decay of Religion there is among us has not thine own Mouth complain'd of the coldness of this Age But whilst thou complainest of the Age how is it with thee Art not thou sick of the same Disease Look homeward look inward into thine own House into thine own Heart what Spirit of Religion is there going in thine own Family Hast thou not by thy negligence let all run to decay there What Life of Religion is there maintain'd in thine own Heart Friends feel you every man his own Pulse lay your hand every Man upon his own Heart and feel how faintly it beats Heaven-wards Sure Friends if we should examine our own Cases we should find enough to set us all a Weeping over our own decays and she should hear that voice within us Weep not for others but weep for thy self and thine own Children O take heed lest such of you as are fallen back among the Sick do not also return among the Dead and make your recovery again more hopeless at last than 't was at first You that stand be warn'd by those that are fallen stand with your Loyns girded and your Lights burning and you that are fallen fallen to decay fallen to a dead and flat and lifeless State you that are fallen remember whence you are fallen remember and repent remember and recover strengthen the things that remain if there be any sparks left blow off your Ashes blow up the Coals Let the Life of God and the love of Christ and a Zeal for Holiness be again kindled in you and if ever the Lord should recover you again there 's great hazard whether he may thou mayest die of the Cold thou hast taken the Consumption that hath Eaten up so much of thy Vitals may be unto
to you Be more Zealous for the Salvation of your own Souls be more fearful of their Damnation be more tender of wounding and wronging your Souls Take heed of sin Prov. 8.36 He that sinneth wrongeth his own Soul all they that hate me love Death You that sin against God ye wrong your own Souls Love your Souls better and you will never be such proud Livers or such Worldlings or such Drunkards or Rioters you would be sober and serious and circumspect If you lov'd your Selves better you would take heed of this Lying and these Oaths and this unrighteous Dealing of this hardness of Heart in your sins you would fall upon your Knees you would fall upon your Faces and be ashamed and bewail and repent of your sins and return to the Lord from them all had you more of this true Self-love within you Sinners why come you not in to Christ Why will you not yet be perswaded to repent Why Man hast thou no love to thy Self The Apostle tells us Eph. 5.29 No Man ever yet hated his own Flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it He useth that word to press Husbands to love their Wives who says he are their own Flesh Dost thou not love thy Self What wouldst thou say of a Man that doth not love his Wife but would play the Tyrant and Tygre brawling and snarling yea fighting and beating her You would say This were a Monster among Men rather than a Christian worse than the very Brutes amongst whom it 's seldom seen that the Male snarleth or biteth or pusheth at the Female What then is he that loveth not his own Soul Lovest thou thy Self Lovest thou thine own Soul Then take heed of going on in thy Sins then take heed of standing it out against Christ You hear what a reward there is for the Righteous you hear what an Inheritance Christ hath laid up for his Saints an Inheritance in Light Life Love Joy everlasting Pleasure and everlasting Glory Christ would make those poor Souls blessed Souls joyful Souls glorious Souls partakers of the everlasting Riches of his Glory and Joy But what wilt thou say My Soul shall have no part in it My Soul shall never come there my Lot shall never be with the Saints but shall be without amongst Unbelievers Impenitents amongst Dogs and Sorcerers and Idolaters In refusing to come to Christ to Repent and be made Holy thou sayest in effect my Soul shall never come to Heaven Let it to Hell amongst Dogs and Devils and that vile and wicked Generation of the Damned But Sinner hast thou forgot that thou art a Man Art thou a Monster of Men Hast thou lost all love to thy Self to thine own Soul Doest thou neither love nor pity thine own Soul Wouldst thou that Christ should ever love thee when thou whilt not love thy Self Wouldst thou that Christ should ever pity thee when thou wilt not pity thy self O Sinners love your own Souls pity your own Souls be not so cruel and hard-hearted to your selves Will you for the love of your Lusts for the love of the World sell your Souls to the Devil sell them to Hell to make Faggots for the everlasting Burnings Where are your Bowels O pity pity that poor blind and miserable Soul of thine and bring it to Christ for pity's sake go on in thy evil ways no longer be a Drunkard no longer a Worldling no longer a Lyar a Scoffer no longer be no longer hardned in your sins but come away to Christ and escape for your Lives if you love your Selves come if you have any pity for your Selves come let the dread of the Cruelties of the Devil bring you back from following him and come you in and cast your Selves upon the Blood upon the Bowels and Compassions of Christ who is such an High Priest as can have compassion upon the Ignorant and those that are out of the way and even on the worst of Sinners that will return to him What shall I say more to you I will speak but the same words let every one of you see that he so love himself as Christ loved the Church washing it and saving it by his Blood Love your Selves and save your Selves love your Selves and bless your Selves in the God of Truth Don't bless your selves in the Earth in your Money in your Lands in your carnal Pleasures in your carnal Friends these things are not nor ever think they will be your Blessedness but bless your Selves in the God of Truth bless your Selves in Jesus whom God hath sent to bless you in turning you from your Iniquities Act. 3.26 Turn to Christ and you shall be blessed be Believers and you shall be Blessed come in this day and let your Names be written among the blessed of the Lord come every one of you and put in your Names among the Disciples of Christ Let me be one Lord let me be another write down my Name for one among thy Disciples I am willing to be thine and do solemnly covenant and this very day give my Self to Thee Who of you are there that will thus come in Will you be perswaded to it or must I lose my labour Are there any of you Is there any one of all the Sinners in this Company that will thus come in Come then in the Name of the Lord come get your Names to be thus written in the Lamb's Book and and he will write it in Heaven there it will be found in the last Day written in the Book of Life this do and then you that have been hitherto the Haters and Wrongers and Cruel will hence-forth appear to be Lovers of your own Souls 2. There is a sinful Self-love this is the great Heart Idolatry and the Root of all Rebellion and Disobedience to God Here I shall shew you 1. What this sinful Self-love is 1. It is a Love of mistaken Self of Carnal-self a love of the Flesh and it's Affections and Lusts a love of that Flesh which Christ would have us to hate and deny Mat. 16.24 Himself that is his Flesh or Carnal-self Men are mistaken in themselves and count that their Self which is not their Self as Christ said to the Woman of Samaria John 4. concerning her Husband He that thou hast for an Husband is not thine Husband so may it be said to Sinners That which thou takest for thy Self is not thy Self this Flesh which thou takest for thy Self and lovest as thy Self is not thy Self You that love your Flesh you love your Enemy you that please your Flesh you are pleasing your Enemy you that are working for your Flesh and providing for your Flesh and pampering your Flesh you are working for and feeding your Enemy you count you are seeking of and working for your Self no 't is for your Enemy this Flesh is your Mortal Enemy Now this is one sort of sinfull Self-love when we love our Flesh or our corruptions when we love our Selves as Fleshly-minded Men when we love to please and
Rejoyce not so as to forget your own Sins or your Brethrens Afflictions 1. So as not to forget your Sins 1. Rejoyce not so in the Lord as to forget your Sins against God Your Joy must arise from this that God hath forgotten them but though God hath forgotten you must remember them they must still stand written in your own Book though God hath blotted them out of his 1. Forget not in your Joy the Sins that you are guilty of that so you may rejoyce with Mourning we are apt in our rejoycing to forget our sins if we do not remember our sins when we are lifted up in Joy we are too apt to be puffed up with Pride Godly sorrow will be of the same use to us in our rejoycing as Paul's Thorn in the Flesh 2 Cor. 12.7 to prevent our being exalted above Measure That Joy which killeth Godly Sorrow whilest we are here what a Divine Tincture soever it seems to have 't is suspicious that it is not the right Joy the more solid Joy of the Saints hath it's Foundation in Godly Sorrow When we consider what great things the Lord hath done for our Souls how he hath Regenerated reconciled and called us by his Grace pulled us as Brands out of the Burning and raised us as Worms out of the Dunghill and made us sit together with Christ in Heavenly Places cloathed with Garments of Salvation and made us to shine forth in his Image when we remember what the Lord is to us our Rock our Refuge our Father our All-sufficient Portion all Love and Life all Bowels Compassions and everlasting Consolation when we remember this and therein do rejoyce we must then consider But what have I been to him What have I done against him who hath done so great things for me What an unworthy Wretch what a sinful Polluted and unthankful Creature am I God hath loved me God hath saved me the Lord God is become my God and herein I do and I will rejoyce but woe is me I have sinned against the God of my Mercy and therefore I will rejoyce with Mourning whilest I Joy in the Lord I will weep over my sinful unworthy and guilty Soul Whilest you say with the Psalmist Psal 66.16 Come unto me all ye that fear the Lord and I will tell you tell you with Joy tell you with Praise what he hath done for my Soul what a gracious God what a Compassionate Merciful God I have found him to be to me whilest you say thus Come and I will tell you what God hath done for me you must say also Come and I will tell you tell you with shame tell you with sorrow what my Soul hath done against God O how vile have I been How Proud and how false to God How many wayes guilty before him of neglecting of abusing of walking unworthy of his wonderful Love The Lord is my God therein I will rejoyce I have sinned against God and for these things I weep and lament 2. Not so as to forget the sins that have been Conquered by us that we may rejoyce in Triumph the Victories that we have gotten over sin will be both an advance to our Joy in God and the Evidence of the sincerity of that Joy Those that are still in the Chains and Fetters of Lust in whom their Pride or their Covetousness or their Frowardness doth still Lord it over them and can yet rejoyce in God it is to be doubted that their Joy is false and foolish Joy a Light of their own Sparks and no Divine Sun-beam fear that Joy and trample upon it which will consist with a Slavery to Lust as the Apostle sayes concerning Death 1 Cor. 15.57 so should we concerning Sin Thanks be to God that hath given us the Victory this is Matter of Praise this is Matter of Joy When the Israelites saw the Egyptians Dead upon the Sea-Shore Exod. 14.30 then they Sang a Song of Joy and Praise Luke 10.20 Rejoyce not that the Devils are subject to you that is that you have Power to cast the Devils out of Possessed Bodies Rejoyce not that is not so much in this but rather rejoyce that your Names are written in Heaven and that 's the same with this Rejoyce not that the Devils are cast out by you but that your sins are Conquered by you Victory over sin is an Evidence of our Title to Glory next to the Blood of the Lamb the Blood of our mortified sins is the best Ink to write our Names in the Book of Life Rev. 3.12 Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the House of my God and I will write upon him the Name of my God and the Name of the City of my God c. Christians what have you done in your War against Sin What work have you made with those Lusts which War in your Members Can you tell of any Conquest you have gotten Where be the Persons among you that can say This Heart was once a Proud Heart but now through the Grace of God 't is more humble this Heart was once a froward Heart but now through Mercy it 's become meek the Lion is become a Lamb this Heart was once a Covetous Heart an Hungry greedy Heart all Earth and Earthy clogged and chained to this World by its Worldly Lusts but now through Grace the Cloggs are knocked off the Chain is broken and my Soul is gotten loose from this Earth and can now despise it in comparison of God and the things above Friends have you any of you experiences of any such Victories Forget them not keep them by you and in the day of your rejoycing in God let your Eye be upon these your Conquests of Sin and this will be a means that your joy will be the more full then will you Triumph in Christ Jesus when with your Conquering Captain you have your Enemies in Chains 3. Not so as to forget the Sins that we are in danger of but to rejoyce with trembling we are still in our Warfare and how far forth soever we have Prospered in it we have Enemies still before us that we are in perpetual danger of therefore as it is said let not him boast so let not him rejoyce that 's putting on his Armour as if he were putting it off The Canaanite is still in the Land sin lies at the Door and will be upon you if you stand not upon your guard Christians must build up themselves in their Holy joy as the Jews built the Wall of Jerusalem Nehem. 4.17 They must have a Trowel in one Hand and a Sword in the other they must Build and Watch Build and Fight there is an evil Worm that is apt to grow out of our Joy which will overthrow and devour it and that is Security or secure Confidence It was this that spoiled the Psalmist's Joy who was a better Man and a Wiser than any of us Psal 30.6 7. I said in my Prosperity I should never be moved
Christ reconciling you to himself 2 Cor. 5.19 You have not had us dealing with you in the name of Christ who are the Ministers of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.18 but he who is the great Reconciler Christ himself hath been dealing with you and hath reconciled you to God So sure as the Devil hath been dealing with sinners he hath drawn them away from God drawn them to sin and wickedness against God hath been hardning them against God you could never have been so wicked you could never have been so hardned against God as you are hardned against conversion hardned against repentance if the Devil had not been dealing with you You see what hard hearts you have we cannot humble you we cannot perswade you to repent and turn our words do nothing with you you will not be perswaded to return but you go on your way and remain stupid and sensless of your sin and misery you will not be perswaded 't is so bad with you We cannot for our hearts make you sensible of your wretched cases nor put a stop to you in your sins You may see well enough who hath been dealing with you that you continue so sinful still and so hardned in your sins It is the Devil that hath had to do with you thus to deprave you and to harden you as sure as the Devil hath been dealing with sinners so sure hath Christ been dealing with his Saints 'T is not Ministers that have awakened you that have convinced and humbled you and brought you about to the Lord 't is Christ that hath done these things for you We could never have humbled you we could never have perswaded nor turned nor reconciled you to God if Christ himself had not done it You were once foolish and disobedient led about with diverse lusts you were once Drunkards Liars Covetous and Prophane and you had been amongst this uncircumcised Crew to this day if Christ had not fetched you off 't is with him you have had to do as 't is said Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and open before his eyes with whom we have to do You have to do with Christ Christ hath been dealing with you that are Christians or you had never come to this you had never been these living Souls you had never known what you do of God nor known what you do of Sin nor been washed from your sins your had never been here praying and hearing and praising the Lord and become followers of the Lamb if Christ had not had to do with you Particularly you that are Christians there have been great transactions betwixt God and your Souls 1. In point of Covenant Behold you that are Christians you are in Covenant with the Lord by reason whereof I may say concerning you as Moses concerning Israel Deut. 26.17 18. Thou hast avouched the Lord to be thy God to walk in his ways and keep his statutes And the Lord hath avouched thee to be his peculiar People You have avouched the Lord to be yours and the Lord hath avouched you to be his a solemn and mutual Covenant hath there passed between the Lord and you he is become your Covenant God you are become his Covenant People How came this to pass how is it that you are not still as poor sinners are in Covenant with Death and Agreement with Hell how comes it to pass that when poor sinners are in Covenant with the Devil you are in Covenant with God O you may thank Christ for this he hath been effectually dealing with you in this thing He hath not only procured such a gracious Covenant a Covenant of Mercy a Covenant of Pardons a Covenant of Peace but he hath also 1. Made offer of this Covenant of God to you inviting you to come and joyn your selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall never be forgotten 2. He hath made void your Covenant with Death and disanull'd your Agreement with Hell He hath given you an heart to break and make void that wicked Covenant to break with the Devil to break with Sin and the World and to come out from among them 3. He hath effectually perswaded you into this Covenant of God He hath brought you into the bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20.37 He hath sprinkled you with the Blood of the Covenant and hath gained your hearty acceptance of all this You have opened your Mouth to the Lord you have vowed your selves you have sworn your selves his Covenant Servants not with your Mouths only not in profession only but you have engaged your hearts to the Lord. Jer. 30.21 Your Hearts are no longer your own you have given them to the Lord to be his for ever So that you can now say through Grace to the Lord what he said to Israel Is 54.20 The Mountains shall depart and the Hills shall be removed but through the help of God my faithfulness shall not depart nor shall the Covenant of my peace ever be removed His I am and through his Grace I am determined to be the Lords for ever Friends such a solemn and sacred Covenant transaction hath there been in those very Hearts of yours betwixt the Lord and you He hath avouched himself to be yours and you have avouched your selves to be his own and those Hearts of yours are the Records wherein this Transaction is registred and kept Remember and look back and consider if there have not been such mutual engagements passed betwixt the Lord and you Look into your Closets and remember what of this kind hath passed between him and you in secret look back to your Sacraments and remember what Covenanting have been between the Lord and you at his Table and what solemn sealing there hath been God sealing to you and you sealing back to him Your Hearts are the Records wherein these Sacred Transactions have been Registred look into thine Heart doth not this testifie for thee how thou hast bound thy self to be the Lords for ever and hast accepted of his Bond to thee The remembrance of this Covenant Transaction will be of use to you as long as you live will be of use to comfort you in the day of your doubts and fears to confirm you in the day of Temptations to hold you close to the Lord according to the Vows that are upon you to quicken you and hold you on in that way of holy and lively Obedience which you have covenanted for When you grow cold and careless and remiss in your way of Religion then remember Is this the Life I covenanted with God to live When you are tempted to decline to a worldly life or a fleshly life then remember I have promised to the Lord that I will never return to such a life again When you are out of heart and complain of weaknesses and want of strength and so are discouraged and disheartned I shall never be able to hold to such an industrious life then remember the Covenant of the Lord with you who
God Prepare him an holy habitation open the doors and let the King of Glory come in and then shut the door and let no unclean thing enter to offend and displease him that so the Lord may take pleasure in you and delight in you and may say concerning you this is my rest here will I dwell for ever 2. How the heart is to be kept under Guard 1. What 't is to be guarded against that is against Theeves Blots Distempers 1. Against Theeves The great Thief is the World and all that is of the World and all that in the World which is purloyning from the heart Its profits or worldly gains its Pleasures and carnal Mirth its Favour and Friendship and Fawnings These all lie in wait for entrance into the heart to the end they may rifle and spoil it of all that it hath The World steals in upon the heart and it never comes there but to steals away its Treasure and therefore 't is to be observed that the hearts of such Christians as are most possessed of the World are ever the most poor and beggarly Never look to find much of Christ or his Grace if any thing at all where the World hath gotten Possession Christ comes into the heart on purpose to carry away the heart from the World his Word is where he comes give me thine heart Prov. 23.26 Love not the world nor the things of the world 1 Joh. 2.15 And the world comes into the heart on purpose to steal it away from Christ again There is never any one that embraceth this present World but 't is to his loss whatever the World brings it takes away better than it brings 2 Tim. 4.10 Demas hath forsaken us and embraced this present world He embrac'd the World and what got he by it the same day he embraced the World he forsook Christ Christian art thou fallen in with the World Are its gains and its pleasures gotten into thy heart doth it fawn and smile upon thee and is thine heart taken and pleased with its fawnings Look to thy self what hast thou within thee hast thou Grace hast thou Peace does thy Soul flourish for ought I know thou hast seen the last of thy good days what time this World is thus embraced by thee O friends set a watch against this Thief set a guard against it Take heed and beware of Covetousness Luk. 12.15 That 's the same Counsel as guard your hearts against this World Covetousness is the opening the door to let the world in nay the world is gotten in already where Covetousness is Thou which hast a Covetous heart thine heart is already possessed of the world May be thou hast yet but a little of it in thine hand but thine heart is already full of it the whole world is gotten in where Covetousness is gotten in Worldly Professors methinks you should be startled at it if you considered what a Theif you have within you Whatever thou seemest to have of Christ or the Treasures of heaven thou art like to be but a poor wretch in a little time And how is it like to be with thee whose heart hath entertained the Pleasures and the merriments of the world or the favours and fawnings of the Men of the world who lovest to be some body with evil men to have their respect and esteem he that would fain be some body with the world is like to be no body with Christ Make the world to know its distance and whatever you have to do in it keep it at a distance from your hearts Never look to thrive in Christianity whilst you venture to be too busie with this world or to dote on its favours or friendship O it were well with us were we yet but sensible what a snare this world is to us what a bane it is to all that 's good in us Never a flower in all our Garden will flourish where these thorns stand so thick about it that little Grace you have will be less dayly it will be choked up and devoured if you keep you not more clear of this world It were happy for us were we deeply sensible of the danger we are in but there 's the Misery of it people will not be sensible nor be warned to take heed of it this Theif steals away mens Reason and Consciences makes them such children and fools that they will not understand what an enemy it is to them How many Sermons have been preached and published to warn you to take heed of a worldly heart and yet how very few hearts are there that do escape it 't is who can be richest and who can be greatest in the world that the most of our hearts are set upon 't is not who can be the holiest or most heavenly 't is not who can improve in the Faith and Hope of the Gospel in the love and fear of the Lord who can get most of Christ and Heaven into his heart and grow rich unto God but who can grow greatest in this present world Is not this too common a Case though the Lord hath been knocking off our fingers from it pulling off our Chariot wheels and making us to drive heavily letting loose the spoilers upon us to catch from some of us what we have gotten fed the Husbandman with short harvests filled the Tradsman with complaints of bad Markets yet all is one how little soever many men can catch of this world yet they will catch after it still and what wonder is it then while this world doth so generally carry our hearts that Christ hath so much lost them You that would save any thing of what you have left in you you that would ever get any more while you live you that would not go down to your graves strip'd and naked of all that should then comfort you get again I say to you take heed of this world take heed of this worldliness 2. Against blots that is against wilful allowed sins Every wilful sin will be a blot upon your hearts Our sins are blots and blemishes upon our lives but every blot upon the life is also a blot upon the heart Blots will Darken and Obscure Defile 1. Blots will darken and obscure the Heart I told you that in the heart is kept all our evidences for heaven our sins that we give way to will be blots upon our evidences will so obscure and blur them that they will not be legible Our sins will do the direct contrary to what the blood of Christ will do the bloud of Christ will blot out the hand writing that was against us Col. 2.14 Our sins will blot out whatever hand-writing there is for us Thou that art a Christian there is an hand-writing upon that heart there is the Covenant of God which is thy Charter for glory written upon thy heart There is the token of the Covenant and thine interest in it the Circumcision of the heart there are the Articles of the Covenant
and watch 3. Keep close by your Captain and Physician 1. Keep by the side of Christ You know what a stream there once ran down from that precious side a stream of Blood and Water this stream as to the vertue and influence of it is running down daily and it is for the healing of diseased and for the washing of spotted Souls There 's no balm will heal our diseases this Bloud is it Christ must do it There 's no Sope will scowre off our spots this water must cleanse us this Physick will heal every disease this water will cleanse us from every spot and will present us at last without spot or wrinkle Eph. 5.27 but what will diseased polluted Souls do when their Physician is out of the way Many sick persons die of those diseases which had they been near the Physician might have been cured Keep you ever near to Christ his Presence will be either preventing Physick and keep off your Soul Diseases that they sieze not upon you or else 't will be curing Physick that no disease shall be mortal to you We never wander from Christ but we catch that which we cannot easily claw off if the Devil can but catch a Christian wandring what sad work doth he make with him we may all say of our wandrings from Christ as Naomi Ruth 1.21 I went out full but I return empty I went out whole but I return wounded I went out fat and full but I return lean and naked What a sad plight do we see loose and wandring Souls to be in keep you home When Dinah Jacobs Daughter would be gadding abroad what a blot got she Gen. 34.1 She went out a Virgin and came home a Whore Our very departings from Christ are our playing the Harlots against him our other lovers to whom we turn aside do deflour us What harlots do many of our hearts often become We cannot stay by our Lord out we must be running after other lovers and so we are defiled O prevent your Soul Pollutions by keeping home Art thou gotten near to Christ know when thou art well and keep thee there As Naomi said to Ruth Ruth 2.22 Let not the man find thee in another field Gleaning after other Reapers gadding after other Lovers he will take that unkindly if he do and thou maist smart for it Hath Christ done by thee as Boaz by Ruth spread his Skirt over thee and charged thee keep fast by me and by my Servants dare not to be gadding after others you will smart for it if you do and if ever you return it will be by weeping Cross Whatever wounds you receive you will not say as Zach. 13.6 These are the wounds which I received in the house of my friend but these wounds I have gotten in my absence from my Friend If I had kept me in I had saved all this hurt O prevent your miseries that you sustain by departing from Christ by keeping you by him And if you have been wandring and catch'd any hurt O return to your Physician and when thou art made whole then say to thine heart as Christ to the Man Joh. 5.14 Sin no more wander no more lest a worse thing come unte thee Christians In our first coming to Christ and our union with him our deadly disease is cured we that were dead are made alive we that were sick are made sound But the same Jesus that gave us this Life and Health is he that must maintain our Souls in Life and that life and spiritual health which we received from Christ by our Union must be preserved by our Communion with him See that you be in Union with Christ that you be by Faith joyned to the Lord and then live in constant Communion with him take heed of Ruptures and breaches take heed of distances and estrangements from Christ Have you gotten Christ within you O keep him within you Let your beloved lodge between your breasts and keep his dwelling in your Souls and let there not be in you an heart of unbelief let there not be in you an heart of vanity or iniquity an heart of Pride or Guile a Carnal or Worldly heart to depart from the living God Keep your hearts true to Christ keep your hearts chast keep you pure in his sight In your Union or Espousals to Christ you Covenanted against forsaking him Hos 2.19 I will betroth you unto me for ever So you have said the same to him Lord I betroth thee unto me for ever Betrothing or espousing is both the nearest Union and the firmest Union 1. 'T is the nearest Union Our becoming Christians is our Union of hearts with the Lord. Christ hath therein given you his heart and you have therein given him your hearts and your heart and his become as one heart You that are Christians are near unto Christ as his own Soul 1 Cor. 6.17 He that is joyned to Christ is one spirit He loveth you he careth for you he tendereth you as his own Soul 2. It is the firmest union I will betroth thee forever It is written concerning Christ and his Saints as concerning Husband and Wife whom God hath joyned together let no man no nor Devil neither put asunder Now when there is such a nearness of Relation and such a dearness of Affection there must be also Cohabitation You must live together and dwell together with Christ This is not only your duty as Christians but your safety depends upon it He who is your Husband is your refuge where you may dwell safely your only rock in whom you may hide your selves from danger if you forsake your Rock take heed you be not forsaken of your Rock Take heed you neither prove runaways from Christ and forsake him utterly no nor slink away and skulk out or turn aside from him Keep constant to Christ and keep close to him Let there be intimacy and dearness maintained betwixt Christ and your Souls keep you in the memory of Christ let your beloved be ever before your eye bâ— looking dayly towards him keep you ever in the 〈◊〉 of Châ—iâ—◠〈◊〉 much in solacing your selves in the Contemplation of his love and keep your hearts in a flame of love to him Be render how you provoke him to jealousie against you Keep you close to Christ by making all your carnal things keep their distance from your hearts Keep you in the diligent exercise of all the acts of Christianity whereby your Communion with Christ is maintained let there be nearness to Christ in point of Conversation walk with Christ yea walk in Christ as the Expression is Col. 2.6 as ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him Whilst others walk in the Flesh let Christians walk in the Spirit Walk in Christ both in Union with Christ living in the strength of Christ and in Conformity to Christ in all wel-pleasing before him Let no place be a place for you let no way be a way for you let no
heart broken and nothing but the bloud of Christ the lamb will ever melt this hardness or wash me from this uncleanness This will do it and therefore here I am come before the throne of thy grace and here I will stand and look and beg and hope till thou hear and answer me Help Lord for in thee I trust and look for thy salvation only 2. His word The word of God as it is food for souls so it is medicine or physick for souls And it hath in it a remedy for every disease 1. It is an awakening word to sleepy souls On these it thunders that it may awaken them Ministers must be as Barnabas sons of consolation so also as Boanerges sons of thunder And all their thunder bolts they are to have out of the word of God O how many trumpets have been sounded in your ears how many thunder claps have you heard how many thundring Sermons hast thou heard in thy time What and yet art thou asleep still Man what is that heart of thine made of What a dead sleep art thou in that art not yet awakened This world is all asleep asleep in their sins and therefore the Ministers of the word are to do as the Prophet was to do Is. 58.1 Cry aloud spare not lift thy voice like a trumpet and tell my people of their sins Our first work is to call unto them as the mariners to Jonah Arise sleeper carest thou not that you perish Awake thou that sleepest stand up from the dead This thunder is the voice of the Lord. Psal 29.6 c. The God of glory thundereth the voice of the Lord is powerful the voice of the Lord is full of majestie it breaketh Cedars it maketh the wilderness shake This word of the Lord which is his voice is a thundring voice It breaketh the Cedars the tall and mighty sinners and it shakes the wilderness shakes up those Beasts of the earth out of sleep This sleepy evil is the disease of sinners and it binds them up under a senselessness of all their other diseases till the voice of the Lord doth shake them up out of sleep 2. It is an enlightning word that giveth sight to the blind In this word is that eye salve Rev. 1.18 Wherewith sinners eyes are to be anointed that they may see This eye salve are the instructions of God 3. It is for the breaking and mollifying hard hearts In the word is revealed 1. The righteousness and severity of God Herein is the wrath of God revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men Rom. 1.18 And thus it is Gods Hammer whereby he breaks the rocks and Gods Axe Whereby he hews the blocks in pieces 2. The goodness and kindness of God And thus it is Gods oyl whereby he supples and dissolves and melts them into a plyableness to his will 4. It is for the changing the tempers and inward dispositions of sinners It is a transforming word we are changed into the same image 2. Cor. 3.18 a sanctifying word Joh. 17.17 Sanctify them by thy truth thy word is truth This is one of Christs medicines and this medicine is to be taken But what is it to take this medicine Why it is to hear the awakening word and to suffer it to work upon you to be awakened by it to receive the instructions of the word and so to be enlightned by it to be broken and mollified to be transformed and changed by it Now this is that which I exhort you to if you would recover let the word of God come let it have a free passage into your hearts and let it do its work upon you Be awakened when you hear an awakening word let it shake you up out of your sleep Awake sinners awake you that sleep hear the voice of the Lord and rouze you up out of that secure and sensless state Where is it that thou sleepest At the very mouth of the Lions Den on the top of a Mast I have heard of a drunken man riding in the night on full speed he knew not whither rode to the top of St. Vincents Rocks near Bristol and the horse and man tumbled down the horse was crushed in pieces the man caught by the boughs of a Tree and there fell asleep till morning It was a strange place to sleep in none but a drunken man could have ever slept in such a place In such a desperate sleep art thou as upon the brow of a Rock on the bough of a Tree whence thou art every moment in danger of dropping down into the deep Sleeping sinners this is the case of every one of you it is a wonder you have not broken your necks that you have not fallen into the deep before this day and yet here thou art asleep still Awake you that sleep and understand the danger you are in 2. Get those blind eyes of yours to be opened and receive the instructions of the Word Here we bring you eye-salve be anointed with it that you may see 3. Get those hard hearts to be broken and melted Gods hammer is lifted up lay that stony that hard heart of thine under it that it may be broken Gods Ax is a hewing come bring that knotty piece under it that it may be cut cloven asunder Consider the severity and kindness of God his severity if thou still continue in thine hardness if his Hammer do not break thee his Mill-stones his wrath and indignation will shortly grind thee to powder Consider his severity and consider his goodness and kindness what a wonder is it that after thou hast so long abused the goodness of God and hardned thy self against mercy that mercy should not have given thee off and let thee alone to perish without remedy It is a mercy of God that he is yet preaching to thee of his severity it is the mercy of God that he is yet hammering and hewing at that hard heart of thine God is so good and so kind to thee that he hath sent his Word once more to trie if any good may be done upon thee he is loth thou shouldst perish he would fain thou shouldst recover and live he hath pity upon thee he hath compassion upon that wretched soul of thine and thence is it that he continues to be dealing with thee for thy recovery O wonder wonder that such mercy should not melt thee that such goodness and kindness should not wound thee to the soul that thou shouldst abuse such strange grace that thou should yet resist and stand it out against such a God of compassion Wonder at thy self and be ashamed wonder and be confounded and blush and weep and fall down now at last and yield unto God What art thou hardned still a stone or a stock still Wilt thou go away as far from remorse as far from repentance as thou camest hither God forbid man God forbid that yet thou shouldst provoke the Lord farther against thee Thou hast