for you I must not damn my soul to please my flesh Touching the practice of this Duty take these two further Directions 1. Every day morning and evening set apart sometime for secret prayer and when you go to pray do not rush inconsiderately upon it but first sit down and take one of those Heads meditate on what the Scriptures speak upon them and then propose the several questions to your hearts and when you find your hearts affected and warmed by these Meditations then fall to prayer 2. Let each mornings Meditation be ordinarily matter for your thoughts to work on and for discourse that day unless providence cast in and calls you to some other profitable subjects The matter of Meditation is purposely divided into seven Heads to the end you may take one of the Heads for each dayes Meditation and so in every week you may go over the whole being the chief things of Religion And thus continuing from day to day from week to week you will be both more thorowly acquainted and more deeply affected with the things of God and will find through his blessing more liveliness and enlargement in Prayer and more comfortable successe Only take heed of formalitie of resting in the work done of going on in a round of Duty without a due regard to the end of Duty Let this be your aim in all to get your hearts more fixed upon and affected with the things of the world to come more enlarged and quickned and more effectually carried on in that course of holy and heavenly walking the end whereof is everlasting life But now least any should complain that this course is too tedious and that which they cannot have time daily for or that by reason of ignorance or want of helps they cannot perform it I shall adde this that such persons who are weaker in their understandings and thence unable to go through with this course and all others at such seasons as they are unavoidably straitned for time nay instead of the larger take this shorter course When ever thou settest upon the Duty of prayer sit down and ask thy heart these Questions Quest 1. What am I am I a Believer or an unbeliever converted or unconverted do I think in my Conscience I belong to God or do I not fear I am yet the child of the Devil Quest 2. What do I what are my wayes are they such as please the Lord and tend to the Salvation of my Soul or are they the wayes of death and damnation Quest 3. Before whose presence do I now stand Is it not before the Lord the Almighty God who is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him and the avenger of those that slight or rebel against him Quest 4. What am I come before the Lord about Is it not to plead with him for my soul to beg my life at his hands to beg my pardon and redemption from everlasting death and to obtain grace for the salvation of my Soul This short and 〈◊〉 course would be some advantage thou 〈…〉 that are able and can redeem so much 〈…〉 would commend the constant use of 〈…〉 â—rections THe third special Duty I shall direct you in is Self-examination It is of great use to the carrying us on in an holy course to know our state For By the knowledge of our state we shall the better know our work when we know what we are we shall the better know what we have to do If the question be What must I do to be saved The answer of that will depend upon another question How far forth am I come already Am I converted or unconverted in a state of sin or in a state of grace Let that question be first answered and the answer of the other will be easie 2 By the knowledge of this that we are in a good estate we shaâ—l have much encouragement to hasten on Assurance will quicken and encourage us on in the way of holyness Those that aâ—firm that the Doctrine of assurance is a licentious Doctrine and serves for nothing but to maintain men in a loose lazy and idle life understand not what they say nor whereof they affirm 'T is all one as if they affirmed That the more assurance any person hath of the love of God the less he will love God or that the more he loves God the less care he will take to serve or please him Those that know no other motive to Duty but fear may preach such Doctrine but those that have found the quickning and constraining power of love must lay down both their reason and sense too before they can believe it The way to know our selves is to search and examine our selves 1 Cor. 13. 4. Examine your selves prove your selves know ye not your own selves Now to help you in this duty of Self-examination I shall give you these two Directions 1. When you set to examine your selves by any marks or signs In the first place examine your Marks that you would try your selves by If you would prove your selves whether you have true grace or no by any mark that 's given examine that Mark by the Scriptures whether it be a certain and infallible sign of grace so that you may be bold to conclude that if you can find this Mark in you you are undoubtedly in the state of grace That 's a proper mark of true grace which whosoever hath it hath grace and whosoever hath it not hath not grace If you take that for a mark of true grace which is common to Saints and Sinners you may take your selves to have grace when you have none And if you take a mark to try your selves by which is proper to Saints but is not common to all Saints you may take your selves to have no grace when you have The former mistake may lose you your peace this may lose you your souls therefore Christians be wary here try your marks before you try your selves by them 2. For the matter of your enquiry let it be 1. Whether you are gotten into the way of life or not or whether you are translated out of a state of sin and death into a state of grace and salvation And if so then 2. Whether you be in a thriving or flourishing state or in a languishing or decayed state To help you in the former tryal I might only send you back to those directions formerly given concerning your closure with Christ whence it will not be difficult to gather some certain marks to try your selves by but I shall add two or three more wherein let it not be offensive to any that I follow that light which I have received from the worthy labours of that faithful Servant of Christ Mr. Baxter whence I confess my self to have through mercy grown into the fuller acquaintance with mine own heart and which I shall therefore the rather make use of for the help and benefit of others 1. Mark 1. Wheresoever there is true
serious Question But what am I all this while Let this thought sawce thy sweet Morsel spice thy pleasant Cups be the Burthen of thy merry Songs After this Hell Snares Fire and Brimstone the Vengeance of Eternal Fire Oh an Heaven a Paradise oh my dear pleasures oh my sweet Laughter oh merry dayes what Mortal can part with you I but what comes after What is there at the bottom Look a little before thee and if that sight turn not thy stomack sure thou art sufficiently hardy Study thy case and tremble and when thou tremblest there 's hope thou wilt turn Think not of Repentance or escaping from thy sinful staâ—e till thou see and fear it We read Isa 42. 7. that Christ was sent to open the blind eyes and to bring out the Prisoners out of Prison If the Prisoners eyes be shut 't is to little purpose that the Prison doors be open Their Eyes must be first open'd not only that they may see their way out but that they may see themselves in Prison Open thine Eyes Sinner if ever thou wilt escape open thine Eyes and see where thou art Thy Fools Paradise wherein thou blessest thy self is thy Souls Prison where thou art like to be held under Eternal Bondage 2. Give a present Bill of Divorce to every sin hug not Death one minute longer in thy Bosom If thou lovest thy Life say not of any one sin Nothing but Death shall part thee and me No not so much as this Yet a little while and I will let thee go Today to day if your will hear his voice hearden not your hearts 4. Dread it as Hell that thy hope in Christ should lessen thy fear of sin Let not thy hope of a Saviour be thy damnation Make not Christ the Pandor of sin continue not in sin because Grace hath abounded 4. Break off from thy Companions in sin wilt thou love them to the death Christ and thy Soul can never be married till thy Soul and Sinners be parted Escape for thy life get thee up from the Tents of these men linger not Thou art held under the power of the Devil by cords and by knots by the cords of thy sinnes and by the knots of thy Companions There 's no hope that the cords of sin will be broken till the knots of evil Companions be loosed Sinner these binding Cords will if thou look not to it become whip cords to torment thee Oh take heed thou never come to be lashed with such knotted cords Thy Companions in sin as they now heighten thy pleasures so will they hereafter sharpen thy plagues Sinners comfort their hearts with this thought That if they be damned they shall have store of company but let them know That the fire of Hell will burn just so much the cooler for the multitudes that are there as the fire of their Chimney does for the store of fewel When thou art charmed with the roaring of thy Companionâ— in the Ale-house think what musick their roaring with thee will make when you shall all meet in your eternal Prison Away from evil company you will remember hereafter when â—is too late how much and with how little success I have laboured with you in this thing 5. Baffle not Conscience once more Awakened Sinner Charm not thy Conscience into silence nor dash it out of countenance Thy Conscience is the only Friend that God or the Soul hath left within thee Thy will and thy affections and thine appetite are all gone the Devil hath stoln them away and hired them all against thee thou hast nothing but poor Conscience left Thy Conscience hath been often upon the pleading with thee for God and for pity to thy Soul It hath warned thee reproved thee and often whisper'd thee in thine Ear What dost thou mean whither art thou going when wilt thou return Away with thy sins have done with thy Companions no more of this drunkenness this riot this covetousness Thou art a lost man thy Soul is lost if thou go on Thus Conscience hath warned thee and thou hast sometimes hearkned to it and spoken it fair The throbs and the pangs and the wounds thou hast felt and received from it have wrung from thee now and then a promise Well through the Grace of God I 'le hearken to Conscience I 'le be a new man Away from me ye sinners I will keep the Commandments of my God And yet shortly after when thy Temptations return thy Companions come all 's forgotten and along thou goest as a fool to the Stocks or an Ox to the slaughter and this hath been thy way and thy mannâ—r from time to time Now and then Conscience draws a sigh or a â—ear from thee and by and by receives a kick or a stab Beware Sinner Conscience will not alwayes be thus us'd If ever it speak again say it not Nay It 's next word may be it's last if ever thou weariest it into perpetual silence then farewel all for ever Conscience is the only Friend thou hast left Convinced Soul How wilt thou bear the revenges of an awakened abused Conscience all thy bâ—fflings of it here will be repeated over in eternity How will all this look when it shall meet thee before thy Judge Save thy self from that hour Baffle nor Conscience once more 6. Let not the gâ—eatness of thy sins nor the difficulty of Christs terms hinder or discourage thee from making a present close with Christ Say not his Yoke is too heavy his Cross is too grievous for me to bear or my sins are too great for him to bear Set the Throne against the Yoke the Crown against the Câ—oss infinite Merit and Mercy against mighty sins and go unto Jesus cast thy self on his bloud and bowels and put thy self under his Yoke and Scepter If he will give Life to thee be content that he give Laws to thee and as ever thou expectest to live by him be resolved to live to him and no longer to thy self Go to Jesus and when thou goest take with thee these two Scriptures Mat. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn of me and you shall find rest unto your Souls Joh. 6. 37. Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out 7. Fall close to Duties and keep close to Ordinances 1. Let secret and Family Prayer be thy daily exercise Count not thy self a Christian till thou give thy self to prayer 2. Let not reading the Word Catechising c. be strangers in thy house 3. Prize improve and sanctifie the Sabbaths The Lord on those dayes comes down upon his Mount to meet thy Soul to commune with thee to bless thee to feed thee and fill thee with whatsoever thy Soul desireth or wanteth Get thee up to meet thy God But remember when thou goest leave thy staff behind thee 4. View often and take an account of thy self of the
evil men If they be hypocrites any of them and you know them to be such call them hypocrites but do not take the name of Saint or Precisian or holy Brother and put them as marks of disgrace and scorn upon them he that calls a Saint hypocrite reproaches the Christian he that in scorn calls an hypocrite Saint or holy Brother reproaches Christianity it self Vse 2. But I have yet a greater request unto you then to have a good opinion of these men and no longer to reproach them my request to you farther is That you would come in and be of this number Some of you it may be will be ready to reply he shall have hard work that will perswade me to be a Precisian and truly I am afraid so too if all that the Devil can do will hinder it if all that your carnal reason and fleshly lusts can do if all that your sinful companions can do will hinder it I shall be sure enough not to prevail with you yet know that the motion which I make to you is from the Lord and if you deny me you therein deny him and if you deny him you must come upon it there 's another day coming when he will deny you You say you will not be perswaded but what is it you will not be perswaded to Why this is it you will not take the Yoke of Christ upon you you will not be advis'd nor be rul'd by him so as to live as he would have you live but you will have your liberty still to walk according to your own mind and hâ—â—rt that is you will not be Christians Will you not Are you in good earnest Are you content that the Lord should take you at your word and for ever give you up to your hearts lust and let you alone to walk in your own counsels Are you content from henceforth to give up your hope in Christ are you content to be damn'd Brethren this is the choice you are put to either an holy Life or everlasting Death either you must submit to the Yoke of Christ or you can have no benefit by the Cross of Christ either you must kiss his golden scepter or be broken in pieces with his Rod of Iron refuse to follow him in his Kingdom of Grace and you thereby shut your selves out of the Kingdom of Glory Whereof that I may the more effectually convince you I shall yet farther prove to you both by Scripture and reason that this strict and precise way of life is so undoubtedly and absolutely necessary to salvation that whosoever doth not thus walk cannot escape the damnation of hell I know carnal men are confident that they shall be saved without so much ado and this is that which hardens them in their sins their strong conceit that the way is not so strait and narrow as many would make them believe they doubt not but they have found out a shorter and easier way than this and what is this easier way Why 't is but call upon God for mercy keep thy Church do no body any wrong be no drunkard no swearer no adulterer or if thou be sometimes overtaken ask God forgiveness cry God mercy and then hope well never despair of Gods mercy fear not thou shalt be safe enough Now I shall make it plain to you that this loose and easie way of Religion will certainly leave every soul that goes no further to perish everlastingly and that this strict holy life which hath been described is indispensably necessary to salvation Beloved the matter I am upon is weighty a mistake in your Religion is mortal if that which you have taken up for the way of life be not so you are undone for ever and that this your easie way is not it I shall now make evident 1. From Scripture Let us but seriously examine and weigh those many high expressions which we find in Scripture in the Commands Exhortations Instructions Instances Promises and Prayers recorded in it in all which the one way of life is described and then let any reasonable man judge if all this amount to no more than that poor and pitiful and empty thing which carnal men count their Religion 1. For Scripture-commands consider these Strive to enter in at the strait gate looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God Work out your salvation with fear and trembling not sloathful in business but fervent in spirit serving the Lord Put off concerning the conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts and put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Wash thine heart from thine iniquities that thâ—â— mayst be saved How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee â—et no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but speak ye that which is good to the use of edifying that may minister grace to the bearers Walk in love love one another love your Enemies bless them that curse you pray for them which persecute you render to no man evil for evil but overcome evil with goodness mortifie your members which are upon the Earth walk in the spirit abstain from all appearance of evil be watchful stand with your loyns girded and your lights burning 2. For Scripture-instructions consider these The Grace of God which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaching us that denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live righteously godly and soberly in â—his present World pure Religion and underfâ—led before God and the Father is this To visit c. and to keep himself unspotted of the World They that be Christs have crucified the flesh with affections and lusts He that is angry with his Brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgement He that looketh on a Woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart Of every idle word men shall give account at the day of Judgment If any Man seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue that Mans Religion is vain 3 For Scripture-instances David is said to be a man after Gods own heart did that which was right in the sight of the Lord turned not Aside from any thing that the Lord had commanded him all the dayes of his life save only c. Of Josiah it is recorded That his heart was tender and perfect with the Lord his God and that he turned not aside to the right hand or to the left Paul professes that he served the Lord instantly night and day that forgetting those things which are behind he reached forth to the things that are before pressing to the mark c. The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God To me to live is Christ to dye is gain I so run not as uncertainly so fight I not as one that beateth the air but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection lest
true Man had a true Body and a true Soul That his sayings were true He was a true Prophet That his sufferings were true He was a true Priest That as he was truly dead so he as truly rose ascended and is the Lord both of the dead and of the living and is a true King That he hath truly and fully accomplished his whole undertaking Am I speaking to Jewes or Pagans that I need prove this Am I not speaking to Christians who must prove themselves lyars their profession a lye and their faith vain if they deny these things But wherefore was all this What came Christ into the world for Wherefore was he born Wherefore did he live dye rise ascend What was the intent of all this Why it was to make a total and blessed change upon the miserable condition of whomsoever of this sinful world shall embrace and give entertainment to him 't was to make this old world new this crooked world strait this miserable world blessed 'T was to bring deliverance to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound Isa 61. 1. To make an end of sin to finish transgression and to bring in everlasting righteousness Dan. 9. 24. 'T was to undo all that mischief which sin and the Devil hath wrought and brought upon this world 1 John 3. 8. For this cause the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil 'T was to abolish death and bring life and immortality to light 'T was to redeem from all iniquity and purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 14. 'T was that being delivered from our enemies we might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of our lives Luk. 1. 74 75. That they who live should not henceforth live to themselves but to him that dyed for them and rose again 2 Cor. 5. 15. Hereupon sayes the Apostle Tit. 2. 11 12. The grace of God which bringeth salvation teacheth us that denying all ungodliness and worldly lâ—st we should live righteously soberly and godly in this present world And lastly to redeem us 1 Pet. 1. 4. To an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fades not away reserved in heaven for us 1. To an inheritance Christians are not brought out of Egypt and redeemed from their house of bondage and then left to shift for themselves or to perish in the wilderness they are redeemed to an inheritance they are a purchased people and there is for them a purchased possession 2. An incorruptible and undefiled inheritance an enduring possession and an holy habitation Holiness is a great part of the blessedness of the Saints Sinners you that despise holiness despise one of the riche stjewels in the Crown of glory 3. Reserved in heaven there 's the good land where their inheritance lies that 's the Country which Christ hath purchased for his ransomed ones The whole land is theirs theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven This is that Redemption which by the Gospel is preached unto you and if Christ had failed of performing and accomplishing of any of all this he had been but an incompleat and imperfect Redeemer By the way learn what great reason there is that the Gospel should have better entertainment than for the most part it meets withal in the world one would think who considers what entertainment it hath and the Ministry of it that it were some dismal word and a dreadful errand that it came upon if Christ had come to destroy the world could he have had less welcome If the Gospel were as the Law not only a dead but a killing Leter a Ministration of Death and Condemnation If the Ministers of the Gospel had been Messengers sent up from the bottomless Pit to deceive the Nations to destroy Souls to drag them down to everlasting darkness there could hardly have been a greater hate and out-cry then there is against it and them Surely such a message and such messengers deserve better welcome and better usage But to our purpose You have heard what that Redemption is which the Gospel brings us Now doth Christ do his work by haives Deliver out of Prison and leave his ransomed Ones in their vile Prison-garments change their Relations and never change their Conditions redeem them from death and not redeem them from iniquity Was this the intent of Christ in dying for sinners that they might play the beasts and the rebels more securely Did this grace abound that sin might super-abound Doth the law of faith make void the law of righteousness Doth it not establish it What 's the import of those several expressions forementioned That he might redeem from all iniquity and purifie a peculiar people zealous of good works that we might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness that they that live should not live to themselves but to him that dyed for them that denying all ungodliness c. Is not all this included in the redemption which Christ hath wrought And what doth all this import other then that godliness we are pleading for Is this a part of that which Christ hath redeemed us to and is there nothing in it Hath Christ sweat and groaned and laboured and travel'd in pain and all this to bring forth a lye Hath he dyed to purge and purifie and wash and cleanse his people and when all comes to all at this nothing but a cheat Did Christ dye but in conceit and arise and ascend but in conceit As certain as it is that Christ did not barely personate a Redeemer so certain it is that his redeemed do not barely personate Saints Let all the world be Judges what honour those persons have for Christ that have no better opinion of the fruits of his Death Hence it appears 1. That the Redemption of a sinner is the destruction of sin Christ dyed to save men from their sins not in them to redeem from iniquity all as well as from wrath 2. That Redemption and Regeneration are linked together He that is bought from being a â—lave is born a Son he that is not partaker of the renewing of the Holy Ghost is not partaker of the Redemption of Christ The Doctrine of Redemption by Christ is abused by wilful Sinners and made to serve as their great Plea against the necessity of Holinesse Convince them of sin of the necessity of turning of the danger of continuing and going on here they presently take Sanctuary Christ dyed for sinners and here they think themselves sufficiently secured not only against all the threatnings of wrath but against all exhortations to Holinesse Argue with them from the Command of God This is the Will of God even your Sanctification â—ast away your transgressions why will you dye turn and live From the threatnings of God If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye c. Yet this they think will answer all Your Arguments Christ dyed for Sinners I put
my trust in Christ that I shall be saved What trust in Christ and not turn to Christ Hope to be saved by Christ and refuse to be sanctified Will Christ redeem those from the Curse who will not be redeemed from iniquity Jer. 7. 9. Will ye steal and murther and commit Adultery and swear falsly c. And come and stand before me in my House and say we are delivered to do all these abominations Will you do wickedly walk in all manner of wantonnesse lasciviousnesse lust excesses c. and then come and take hold of a Redeemer as if you were delivered to do all this wickednesse Is my House become a Den of Robbers Are the Redeemed of the Lord a generation of Rebels Enemies of all Righteousnesse Lyars Proud Covetous Blasphemers Are these the followers of the Lamb 'T is true the Apostle sayes Such were some of you 1 Cor. 6. 11. Yet he adds But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Christianity without Godliness this is a fancy indeed Let every one that nameth the Lord Jesus depart from iniquity either turn from iniquity or talk no more of Christ a Christian and an Infidel are not more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than a Christian and a Libertine Take heed sinners and let not the Gospel undo you let not Mercy damn you put not your Faith to do the sad office of infidelity Beloved let it never be said while the Just live you must die by your Faith this is like to be your case you would never have dared so to have slighted Holiness and persisted in sin had it not been for your trust in Christ You must count Christ to be no Christ no Redeemer or but an half or deceitful Redeemer if you count your selves good Christians while you are yet in your sins You must have another Christ another Gospel ere ever you can be saved in your sinful state Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them which are in Jesus Christ who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit This is Gospel wherein you have the Redeemeds Charter and the Redeemeds Character His Charter He shall not come into condemnation His Character He walks not after the flesh but after the Spirit that is He is a man of a godly life Whom doth the Gospel secure from condemnation Why those that are in Christ But who are they Why only those who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit those that walk otherwise can have no benefit by the Gospel You all stand as convicted malefactors guilty of death you have sinned and what have you to say why you should not dye and have your sentence of condemnation past upon you May be you will call for a Psalm of mercy my Book Lord my Book the Gospel will I hope secure me No sinner thou canst not have it thou art one that livest after the flesh and canst not have the benefit of the Gospel This is the Law and the Gospel says not one word to reverse it If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Christ never intended the benefit of his Redemption to any of you whether you would repent or no be holy or no you may as well write for Gospel this He that believeth shall be damned as this He that obeyeth not the Gospel shall be saved And you may as well say that sinning is serving of Christ as that those that live after the flesh obey the Gospel 4. The Doctrine of Regeneration is a real truth There are three things most evident concerning this 1. That there is such a change and that necessary to salvation 2. That this is a great and mighty change 3. That this is an inward and Soul-change 1. That there is such a grace as Regeneration and that necessary to salvation 1 Joh. 3. 3. Verily verily or truly truly or certainly except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God 2. That the change that is wrought by Regeneration is a great and a mighty change it is as great as the making something of nothing Regeneration is a new Creation it is as great as the raising up of persons from death to life Regeneration is a Resurrection You hath he quicked who were dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2. 1. There is as great a power as much of Divinity manifested in quickning a dead soul as in raising a dead body When God would confirm the faith of the Jews concerning their Conversion and Restauration after their cutting off which the Apostle tells us shall be as life from the dead he evidences that he was able to accomplish it by his making dry bones to live Ezek 37. 3. Can these bones live Son of man prophesie unto â—ese bones say unto them Oh ye dry bones hear the Word of the Lord 'T was a strange service the Prophet was put upon but yet â—e prophesies and behold there was a great shaking and bone came to his bone and they were covered with sinews and with flesh and the breath of life was breathed into them and they stood upon their feet a great Army These bones saith the Lord are the house of Israel and Judah That is as they lay in their state of rejection from God and if the Lord could not have made the bones to live he had failed of his confirmation of their faith touching the Redemption of this dead people When the Ministers of the Gospel are sent forth to preach to sinners it is even as likely a service as if they had been sent among the Tombs and the Graves to prophesie to the Skulls and the Bones and the dust of the dead And if there were not a Divine and Almighty power accompanying their Ministry their successe would be the same as if they had been preaching the beasts of â—he field into Men or of Stones attempting to raise up Children unto Abraham 3. It is an Inward Soul change Regeneration is â—he uniting of dead Souls to Christ Gal. 4. 19. My little Children of whom I travel in birth untill Christ be formed in you Here note three things 1. That the result of this union with Christ is a new Life 1 John 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath Life Generatio unius est corruptio alterius In this Generation there is a Death and a Life 1. A Death Colos 3. 3. Ye are dead that is Your sins are dead your old man is dead Our old man is crucified with him Rom. 6. 2. A Life There is new sense and motion there is a living power communicated to souls united to Christ whereby they are enabled to move and act in such an holy spiritual and heavenly way as was impossible before Grace is a living thing that spirits and animates all the Faculties a new that puts life into all the duties and performances of the Saints which though for the matter of them they might
Grace there is an hearty willingness to part with every sin The first work of the sanctifying Spirit upon the soul is the discovering of sin making it appear to be an enemy and the first saving work is the dividing betwixt sin and the soul making an utter breach betwixt them The Spirit of God makes us first to look on sin as an enemy and then to deal with it as an enemy to hate it to fear it to be impatient at the presence of it Rom. 7. 24. Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death When the good Spirit enters into the heart from that day forward the Soul looks on sin as Saul look'd on David when the evil spirit fell upon him It 's said he eyed David from that time forward he looked on him with an evil eye with an envious eye Oh! that I were once well rid of this David Oh! saith a Convert that I were once well rid of this Lust It 's now become to the Soul as the Daughters of Heth were to Rebeccah Gen. 26. 35. A grief of mind to it a weariness to it I am weary of my life because of these daughters of Heth. When there is this breach made betwixt sin and the Soul it 's grace that hath made it when sin hath lost the will it hath lost the man when Christ hath gotten the will he hath gained the man The will is the heart give me thy heart is the same as be willing to be mine the will is the strong hold of the soul this is it that holds out last against God when this is won all is won Sin may have lost the understanding and lost the conscience these may plead for God and for holiness and may cry out against sin Away with it away with it Crucifie it crucifie it there is Death and Hell in the bowels of it away with it But as long as sin hath the will for it it still hath the man Reason saith I ought to tura Conscience saith I must turn but yet nothing follows but when the heart sayes I will turn then the work is done Reason saith these Idols ought not to stand Conseience saith these Iusts must be subdued these my sinful pleasures these my sinful wayes these my sinful companions must be left but when the will sayes to them Get you hence there 's a work of Grace begun But now this willingness to part with or turn from sin that it may infallibly prove grace to be in us must be 1. Universal A willingness to be rid of all sin The enmity against sin that 's wrought by grace is against the whole kind against all sin Root and Branch Body and Members A true Israelite would not have one Canaanite left in the Land would have the whole generation rooted out Psal 119. I hate every false way Psal 139. Search me O Lord and see if there be any wickedness in me 2. Habitual It must not be onely for the time that the heart is set against sin when it is under some terrour or trouble but there must be an abiding willingness Pharaoh when the Thunder and the Hail and the Fire and the Frogs and the Flies were upon him for the time was willing to let Israel go but presenrly after he meant no such thing 'T is not what thou art in a fit in a fright or sudden passion in sickness or under the apprehensions of death that will give thee any certain light by which thou mayest judge of thy state but what thou art in the standing and abiding disposition and bent of thy soul A Godly man is never unwilling when he is himself to be rid of every sin 3. Prevalent The willingness must be greater than the unwillingness A gracious heart is more willing to be rid of sin than to continue in sin He had much rather if it were put to his choice live without all sin than to be allowed to live in any sin Whatever the pleadings and reasonings of his flesh are for an indulgence to any particular sins whatever the advantages of yielding to the flesh herein mîght be whatever dammages or prejudices might follow upon his parting with them yet he had much rather whatever comes of it be freed from them all If the Lord should come to such a soul and give him as large â—grant as he did to Solomon Ask what I shall give thee ask what I shall do for thee write down what thou wilt and thou shalt have it this is that which he would have Lord take away mine iniquittes 'T is not the lives of mine enemies or a revenge upon them that I desire 't is not freedom from trouble or affliction that I desire make me a clean heart O Lord purge me from my sins let my lusts die my corruptions die and then though mine enemies live and their malice lives and my troubles live yet if my sins be once dead I have my desire And this willingness will discover it self to be prevailing by bringing forth 1. Resolution 2. Resistance against sin 1. Where a man is truly willing to be rid of sin there will be resolution against it he will not only be patient and content to give God leave to crucifie all his beloved lusts and darling corruptions and give the world leave to hew and strike home at the root of them without hiding them or warding off the blow or wishing they might be spared to him but stands stedfastly on Gods side and taking part with him against sin resolves to use all his means for the conquering and overcoming of them 2. This resolution will bring forth resistance An heart that 's weary of sin will fall to striving against sin Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh for these two are contrary the one to the other Contraries are naturally expulsive each of other Such a pair as a Jacob and an Esau such Twins as an Isaac and an Ishmael cannot lie quietly togethâ—â— in the same womb no nor live quietly together in the same house but there will be a mutual prosecuting and persecuting each of other fire and water may as well agree in the same vessel as grace and sin in the same heart A gracious heart will be restraining curbing and withstanding it in all its workings It 's a mere vanity for men to talk of being willing to be rid of sin when they let it live and work and rule and run in its course without ever laying the hand to the bridle to restrain it Let me add one word more if you strive against sin and your striving be attended with success if you have gotten any degree of victory the evidence will be much more full and clear This now is the first Mark by which you may try your selves whether there be the truth of grace in you or not He that is willing to be freed from all sin habitually willing prevailingly willing
within me says Amen Brethren will you yet again say your Lord nay shall Christ have his wish shall your Servant for Jesus sake shall I have my wish will you now at last conâ—ent to be â—anctified and to be saved let me have this wish and I dare promise from the Lord you shall have yours even whatever your Soul can desire Brethren this once hear this once be prevailed upon be content that your lusts be rooted out and your Lord planted into your Souls Be content to be pardoned content to be converted content to be saved This once hear lest if ye now refuse ye no more be perswaded with oh that they would but be for ever confounded with oh that they had Lest all our wishes and wooings of you be turned into weepings and mournings over you this once hear Oh that you would I heartily thank you for your good wishes and good will towards me for your willing and chearful entertainment of my person and attendance on my Ministry and particularly for your passionate desire of my longer stay among you Which desire if God had not my Soul could not have denied you Though the Almighty to whose pleasure it 's meet that we all submit hath said nay to that wish of yours yet let your Souls say Amen to this last of mine that the Lord God would dwell among you and in you both now and for ever And having thus finished my Labours among you I shall now close up with this double account 1. Of my discharge of my Ministry in this place 2. Of my deprival And shall so commit you to God and to the word of his Grace which is able to huild you up and to give you an Inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified 1. Of my discharge of my Ministry What my Doctrine and manner of life hath been is known to you and what my aim and intent hath been is known to God The searcher of hearts knows that 't is the salvation of Souls that hath been the mark at which I have levelled My way hath been to use all plainness that I might be made manifest in your Consciences Weaknesses and infirmities both natural and sinful the Lord pardon it I have had many I am sensible that much more might have been done both in publick and in private had it not been for a weakly body and a sloathful heart I repent that I have had no more zeal for God no more compassion to Souls I repent that I have been no more constant and importunate with you about the matters of Eternity Oh Eternity Eternity that thou wert no more in the heart and Lips of the Preacher in the hearts and ears of the hearers But while I thus judge my self for my failings Blessed be God for any sincerity to his name and good will to your Souls that he hath seen in me Blessed be God I have a witness in my Conscience and I hope in yours also that I have not shunned to declare to you the whole Counsel of God Brethren I call Heaven and Earth to witness this day that I have set before you life and death good and evil and have not ceased from day to day to warn you to choose life and that good way that leads to it and to escape for your lives from the way of sin and death Oh remember the many instructions I have given you the many Arguments whereby I have striven with you the many Prayers that have been offered up for the guiding and gaining your Souls into the path of life and the turning your feet out of the way of destruction Oh might I be able to give this Testimony concerning you all at my departure they have trodden in the right path they have chosen the good part that shall not be taken from them Beloved Brethren with whom I have travelled in birth that Christ might be formed in you I must shortly give up my account in a more solemn Assembly will you help me to give it up with joy by shewing your Souls before the Lord as the Seal of my Ministry Every sincere Convert among you will be a Crown of rejoycing to me in that day So let me rejoyce and let my joy be the joy of you all What shall I say more If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love any bowels and mercies if the Glory of the Eternal God the Honour of the everlasting Gospel the safety of your immortal Souls the incorruptible Crown the exceeding eternal weight of glory weigh any thing with you then once more let me beseech you by all this to hearken to that word of the Gospel which God hath spoken to you by me 2. Of my deprival The most glorious morning hath its evening the hour is come wherein the Sun is setting upon not a few of the Prophets the shadows of the evening are stretched forth upon us our day draws our work seems to be at an end Our Pulpits and our places must know us no more This is the Lords doing let all the earth keep silence before him It is not a light thing for me Brethren to be laid aside from the work and cast out of the Vineyard of the Lord and it must be something of weight that must support under such a severe doom I know there are not a few that will add to the affliction of the afflicted by telling the world t is their own fault they might prevent it if they would whether this be so or no God knoweth and let the Lord be Judge Blessed be God whatever be this is not laid to our charge as the reason of our seclusion either insufficiency or scandal You are not ignorant what things there are imposed on us as the condition of our continuing our Ministration which how lawful and expedient soever they seem in the Judgment of many yet have the most specious Arguments that plead for them left me utterly dissatisfied in my Conscience about them I must profess before God Angels and Men that my non-submission is not from any disloyaltie to Authoritie nor from pride humour or any factious disposition or design but because I dare not contradict my light nor do any thing concerning which my heart tels me the Lord says do it not After all my most impartial Enquiries after all my seeking counsel from the Lord after all my considering and consulting with men of all perswasions about these Matters I find my self so far short of satisfaction that I am plainly put to this choice to part with my Ministry or my Conscience I dare not lie before God and the World nor come and tell you I approve I allow I heartily consent to what I neither do nor can but must choose rather that my Ministry be sealed up by my Sufferings than lengthned out by a Lie Through the Grace of God though men do yet my heart shall not reproach me while I live If our hearts condemn us God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things But however though I must now no longer act as a Minister I shall through the Grace of God endeavour peaceably and patiently to suffer as a Christian I should to testifie my Obedience to Authority have become all Things to all Men to the uttermost that I could with any clearness of heart But since Matters stand so that I must lose my place or my peace I chearfully suffer my self to be thrust off the Stage And now welcome the Cross of Christ welcome Reproach welcome Poverty Scorn and contempt or whatever else may befall me on this account This Morning I had a Flock and you had a Pastor but now behold a Pastor without a Flock a Flock without a Shepherd This Morning I had an House but now I have none This Morning I had a living but now I have none The Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the Name of the Lord. Beloved I am sensible of my Weaknesses and Disadvantages I am under which may render a suffering state the harder to be born help me by your Prayers and not me only but all my Brethren also with whom my Lot must fall Pray for us for we trust that we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly Pray 1. That God would make our Silence speak and preach the same holy Doctrine that we have preached with our Lips 2. That he would give Supports answerable to our Sufferings that he who comforteth those that are cast down will also comfort his Servants that are cast out 3. That according to our earnest expectation and our hope as always so now also Christ may be magnified in us whether it be by Life or Death And thus Brethren I bid you farewel in the words of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally Brethren farewel be perfect be of good comfort be of one mind live in peace and the God of Peace and Love shall be with you And that God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good work to do his will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever AMEN FINIS The Terms of our Communion are either from which or to which The Terms from which we must turn are sin Satan the World and our own Righteousness which must be thus renounced The Terms to which we must turn are either ultimate or mediate The ultimate is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost who must be thus accepted The mediate terms are ei-Principal or less principal The principal is Christ the Mediator who must thus be embraced The less principles are the Laws of Christ which must be thus observed
man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart were only evil continually God saw Gods eye cannot be deceived men may think they see what they see not and may not see what is before their eyes But can Gods eyes fail him 2. That sin is the greatest of evils The Apostle to set forth the formidable appearance that sin had by the Law expresses it thus Rom. 7. 13. That sin might appear to be sin He could find out nothing more evil and odious to express it by than it self If he had said that sin might appear to be a snare a Serpent a Viper a Devil an Hell that had been much but yet not enough to set forth this evil of evils Sin never is seen in its perfect odiousness but when it shews its own naked face and looks like it self We can never know how great an evil sin is till we know how good the Lord is how precious Christ is how precious the Soul of man is to all which sin is so contrary and destructive Rom. 8. 7. It is said to be enmity against God God hath no â—nemy in the world but sin and those whom sin hath made him Sin hath set all the earth against the God of glory From this enmity which sin hath filled the hearts of men with arise all their rebellions against his word and government all their unwillingness and averseness from his ways their weariness of his service their frowardness murmurings impatiences frettings and insurrections of heart against his dispensations providence The unruliness and stubbornness of the wills of men the distemper and disorders of their passions and affections the vanity vileness and confusion of their thoughts the defilement and deadness of their consciences the ebulition of so many hellish lusts setting mens hearts upon all mischief Whence is all this but from sin that dwells in them Sin hath made men very Devils set upon all manner of mischief Devils against God hating reproaching blaspheming cursing fighting against God There should quickly be no God nor Heaven nor Being left if the wickedness of mans heart had power answerable to its malice Devils against themselves set upon the destruction and damnation of their own souls there needed not another Devil to attempt and devour them if God should but let them alone they would quickly make their distruction sure of themselves Devils one against another There is not one sinner but if God should pull up the fluces and let his wickedness have its full course would do his utmost to damn all the World enemies friends husbands wives children all should be destroyed And can there now be a greater evil then this imagined I you will say if all this be true it is a great evil indeed But may be for all these great words there may be no such great matter in it Why do but consider what sin hath done and cannot be envied and then you will see reason to believe all that hath been said Go to Mount Calvary and see what it hath done there What was it that slew the Lord of glory that put Châ—â—st to death Was it not those sins that were laid upon him These were his betrayers and murtherers These were the thorns the nails the spear that wounded him the gall and vinegar that was given him to drink Let the sweat the cries the groans the blood the soul that were pressed and poured out by sin let these speak if too much hath been saâ—d Turn aside from Mount Calvary and go down to the Valley of Hinnon lay your ear to the mouth of Tophet and hearken what work sin hath done there What is it that hath filled Hell so full already that hath sent down Cain and Judas Ananias and Saphira with those millions of damned Souls that are already tormented in those flames Did God damn so many Souls for nothing or for a trifle inflict so great a torment for a small offâ—â—nce What is it that hath cast them in thither Was it their righteousness was it not their iniquities If you could step down into those Chambers of Death and ask those wretched creatures Friends How came you in hither What would they answer Oh it is our sins that brought us into this place of torment Oh! it was my covetousness brought me hither would one say Oh! it was my lying brought me hither saies another Oh! it was my pride or my passion or my wantonness or my sloathfuness that brought me hither saies a third Oh sin sin this is it for which we burn we roar we rave we dye we dye eternally Can there be too much said of the evil of sin that hath done all this mischief 3. Spiritual sins are the greatest of sins Soul pollutions are the most foul pollutions By how much the more excellent the soul is above the body in its nature by so much the more vile and mischievous being depraved with sin The soul of man is the prime subject of the image of God in man there was much of God to be seen in the body or externals of man but the face of God the glory of God was stamped upon his soul the soul being corrupted it became the express image of the Devil Satan is rudely limb'd and some darker shadows of him drawn on the outward man but he is drawn out to the life in the soul the very face the heart of Satan his pride malice envy falshood is engraven on the heart A proud heart hath more of the Divel than a proud look a wanton heart is more vile â—â—an a wanton eye a murtherous or adulterous heart is worse than a murtherous or adulterous act It is true when Sin is committed without it is worse than when it sleeps in its causes within and sin in its birth is worse than in its bare conception and the reason is because when sin is committed there are both parts the outward and the spiritual together there is the sin of the hand and the sin of the heart too to make up the murther But then if you should distinctly consider that which the heart hath done towards the murther and that which the hand hath done the hearts part would appear to be incomparably the worst The sins of the heart are the root sins the spring that sets all the wheels a going the fountain that sets all the streams a running the fire that sets the furnace a smoaking Carnal men make little of outward sins nothing of spiritual If they would not be Extortioners or Oppressors oâ— Swearers or Cursers some of them yet evil thoughts may lodge in them Lust may bear the rule in them Pride Envy Ignorance Atheism Heart-blasphemy these are scarcely accounted evils What are Thoughts a little inward discontent anger and the like that we should trouble our selves with these Oh! You do not know what there may be in a Thought or a secret lust there may be a Thousand evil Words and actions in the
The Lord calls thee this day calls thee to return and repent that thine iniquities may be blotted out bethink thy self what answer thou wilt return Wilt thou hearken or not III. Head concerning Christ Direct 1. FIrst Consider what the Scriptures speak 1. Concerning the Excellencie of his Person John 1. 14. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth Heb. 1. 3. Who being the brightnesse of his Glory and the expresse Image of his Person 2. Concerning the Glorie of the Mystery of Christ Crucified Isa 53. throughout He is despised and rejected of men a man of Sorrowes and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him He was despised and we esteemed him not Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrowes yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God But he was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisements of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like Sheep have gone astray and have turned every on to this way and God hath laid on him the iniquities of all He was oppressed and afflicted yet he opened not his mouth Col. 1. 27. To whom God will make known what is the riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of Glory Phil. 2. 6 7 8. Who being in the Form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the forme of a Servant and was made in the likenesse of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross The Gospel is a Mystery full of wonders 1. There is a wonder of Righteousnesse and Severitie That God should not spare but punish Sin though upon his own Son 2. A Wonder of wisdome That God should being Light out of Darknesse Life out of Death that God should bring about the Rising of the World by the Fall of the Lord the Riches of the Word by the Povertie of their Lord the Fulnesse of the Saints by the emptinesse of the King of Saints 3. A Wonder of Mercy That God should harden his Heart against the Crie of his Son and open his Bowels to the cry of Sinners 4. A Wonder of Love Love in the Father in giving his Son Love in the Son in giving himself his blood his life his Soul a Ransom for sin and all this for Worms Traytors Enemies Direct 2. Ask thy heart these Questions Quest 1. Oh what monster is sin What an Hell what a bottomless pit is it of malignity and wickednesse that none but God can expiate or purge it away that God cannot do it but by taking flesh that God manifested in the flesh could not purge away sin but by suffering that no suffering would serve but Death that no death could serve but such a cruel and cursed death Oh what a Monster is Sin that must have such blood the blood of God to take it away Quest 2. What strange Love is the Love of Christ 1. Strange in regard of the fruit and benefit of it All that Holinesse and Beauty that my Spirit is cloathed with all that peace and joy that possesses my heart all my glorious hopes and expectations for hereafter all that difference that is betwixt my state and the state of Cain Judas and the whole reprobate World this is the Love of Christ Where had I now been had it not been for the Love of Christ 2. Strange Love in regard of the fervency and ardency of it and that not onely to the whole generation of the Elect but to my Soul in particular To expresse this ask this one Question farther What if Christ had done and suffered all this for me alone What if there had been but one Sinner in the World and I had been that Sinner and Christ should have come down from Heaven cloathed himself with flesh giving himself to death given such a glorious Gospel sent forth such a multitude of Ambassadours to preach to to convert and save this one Soul this my Soul this had been strange love Such is the love of Christ to every Elect person that if there had been but one Sinner Christ would have done and suffered all this for one sinner rather then he should have perished Quest 3. Is Christ mine Have I a share in the Gospel is my name written in the Lambs Book All are not Israel though Christ died for all yet all are not made alive by him There are many from whom the Gospel is hid there are many that have rejected the Gospel that have put from them the Word of Life Whilest there are such multitudes that are lost and perish for ever is my Soul found found in Christ Hath he that hath died for me drawn me to himself Hath he that hath given me a liberty to lay hold on him given me a heart to lay hold on him Hath he given me his Spirit in my heart to sanctifie and cleanse me from my sins If I have not the Spirit of Christ in me I am none of his Vnless I wash thee thou hast no part with me If he be not mine then Quest 4. What may I doe to get Christ to be mine May I have him without seeking him Can I live by Christ without coming to Christ believing repenting and following of Christ is this ignorance this idleness is this earthly this Carnal course I take is this loose and vain life I live is this the way to get an interest in Christ if Christ be mine then Quest 5. How may I walk worthy of Christ Is it not by being made conformable to him Conformed to his image by being holy humble and meek Conformed to him in his obedience chearfully and readily doing the Will of God Conformed to him in his sufferings by being content to be brought down and laid low and made vile for his Name Conformed to his Resurrection and Ascension that this poor Soul which hath descended with Christ may also ascend with him Ascend in holy desires and affections ascend in holy praises and acknowledgements confessing to him Worthy is the Lamb that waâ— slain to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing for thou hast redeemed my Life from Death and Crowned me with loving Kindness and tender Mercies IV. Head concerning the vanitie and miserie of a worldlie life BY a Worldly life understand any course or way of life which is short of a godly life That which the Apostle calls Ephes 2. 2. The course of this World Such a life the main business care and delight whereof lies in the managing our Worldly affairs and interests in buying selling working trading to get together this worlds good The main comfort whereof stands in
the life to come on godliness of life here Quest 4. Can I be too godly Can I have too much likeness to God too much care of my ways too much fear of sin Can I be too sure that God is mine Can I have too much peace too much joy and inward comfort I may be too rich to be happy too great to be good too merry to be wise but I cannot be too gracious too humble too watchful too circumspect Let me ask of dying persons whether they have taken more care then needs whether they have more grace then needs Let me ask of those who when they come at last to be weighed in the ballance are found wanting whether there were any fear of making too sure or being too busie and diligent and painful about the work of their Souls Quest 5. Shall I now without any longer delay set upon a godly Life If it be necessary to take up this holy course When shall I begin Shall I this day resolve upon it Can I begin too soon Can I look after God too soon I may defer too long till it be too late and what if I should What if I should stay so long in Sodome till it be too late to escape to Zoar What if I should dwell in the Tabernacles of Wickedness till it be too late to return into the way of Righteousness Awake O my Soul awake from thy worldiness and sensuality away from thy carelesness To day to day if thou wilt hear his voice give thy self to God give thy self up to the power of his Spirit and government of his Word Hitherto I have been a fool hitherto I have been a Servant of Sin and the World Oh that from henceforth I might yield my self to God as one made alive from the dead VI. Head concerning Death and Judgement Direct 1. THink on what the Scriptures speak concerning The Dread Death of Death 1 Concerning the Dread of Death Rev. 6. 8. It is set forth by a pale Horse an horse for strength there is no resistance of it an horse for its swiftness an horse for its office and use to carry away a pale-Horse for its gaâ—â—â—iness Death hath a grim and gastly countenance that strike terrour into all hearts and paleness into all faces Job 18. 14. It is called the King of terrours the Black Prince the Prince of Clouds and Darkness as some render it Darkness hath its terrour in it and the King of Terrours that notes the highest and most terrible of Terrours The terrour of death arises 1 From its Office or Errand upon which it comes which is 1 To arrest the guilty sinners and commit them to custody to be reserved to Judgment 2 To revenge the quarrel of an angry God By sin death entered Death came into the world not onely as the Per dissequa peccati one of its Retinue or Attendants but as the vindex peccati By sin man provoked God by death God takes vengeance on man 3 To cut off and carry us away to our place Death is the door betwixt the two worlds the parting point where sinners take their leave for ever of their pomps and their pleasures of their Houses and Lands and their Friends so as never to return to them again It is dreadful to be carried away from our habitations and acquaintance we know not whither sad was the death of him who dying said Anxius vixi dubius motior nunc quo vado nescio I have lived in care I die in doubt but whither I am going I cannot tell but to them that understand whither death is carrying them as it is the case of self-condemned sinners into the place of darkness and eternal misery This is it that make Death indeed the King of Terrours 2 From its Armour Death is furnished 1 With a Dart this notes the stroke of Death wheâ—â—by it dissolves this Tabernacle divides betwixt Soul and Body This dart of Death is such against which there is no Armour of Proof can secure us from which no quality or condition can exempt us neither King nor Captive neither Rich nor Poor neither evil Men nor good Men can escape this Dart whomsoever Death strikes it strikes sure and strikes home and never fails of doing Execution 2 With a Sting 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of Death is sin A sting doth two things 1 It pierces 2 It poysons Hence follow those rumours and inflamations and that anguish that a sting puts men to But what is the sting of Death 'T is Sin This is the Poyson upon the Dart of Death that makes it so full of torment an evil heart an evil conscience an evil life this is it that makes Death so terrible A guilty Conscience often stings a sinner in his life in his health in the midst of all his prosperity but when Death and a guilty Conscience strike in together then it stings with a witness 2 Concerning the Death of Death or its destruction This Enemy is to be destroyed Hos 13. 14. Yea it is in part destroyed already 2 Tim. 1. 10. Christ by dying and rising again hath overcome Death and this not for himself but for his Members on whose behalf he hath disarmed Death and taken away its sting so that though it strike them yet it cannot sting them Death aâ— an hornet hath stung our Lord and in him hath lost his sting Hereupon the Apostle in the persons of all Believers triumphs over Death 1 Cor. 15. 55 57. O Death where is thy sting Thanks be to God who hath given us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Christians that through Christ have conquered sin by the same Jesus have conquered Death so that now it is possible for thee to live above the fear of Death some natural fears there may be some shrinkings back of the flesh but the great fear is over the bitterness of Death is past 2 Consider what the Scripture speaks concerning Judgement Consider these two Scriptures 2 Cor. 5. 10. For we must all appear before the Judgement-Seâ—â— of Christ Mat. 25. 34. to the end Theâ— shall the King say unto them on the right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world c. Direct 2. Ask thy heart these questions Quest 1. Must I not dye Quest 2 Whither will my death carry me In which of the two Regions of the other world is my death like to land me Either in the Region of Everlasting Light or in the Region of Everlasting Darkness To which of those two Regions am I now travelling By this I may guess whither my death will transport me Quest What a strange change will Death make upon me What a change of my Judgment and Opinion With what a different eye shall I look on all things then from what I do now Shall I look on God on Christ on Holinesse on peace of Conscience with such a slighting and undervaluing eye
or on the Glory and Pleasures and Lusts of the World with such an admiring and doting eye when Death comes as now I do A godly Life a good Conscience the promises and priviledges and hopes of the Gospel I can now look on as follies and fancies and trifles shall I count them so then Sin and guilt I make a matter of nothing now shall I have the same thoughts at death It I could speak with any soul that 's gotten one step beyond the Grave and should ask him What do you think of sin and the pleasures of sin now What an answeâ— might I then expect What a strange change will Death make upon my person When if I be a Saint this poor Soul that hath had its habitation in Meshech hath been imprisoned in a sinful body mourning and sighing and labouring under the burthen of sinnes and lusts and temptations and doubts and fears and scotts and scornes shall in an instant be set at liberty from all this and be lodged in the armes and bosome of the Lord of Glory Or if I be a sinner when I shall be taken from all my glory and greatnesse from all my delights and dalliances from all my hopes and confidence and be thrown down like Lucifer Son of the Morning from all my brightnesse into the blacknesse of darknesse for ever When though I lie down in hopes and confidence that I shall have rest yet within a minute after Death hath closed mine eyes I shall awaken in everlasting flames How will my undone soul then cry out Oh where am I Is this my place Must this be my dwelling for ever Are all my hopes and confidences come to this Is all my mirth and my pleasures come to this Wo wo wo to me miserable Wretch how am I deceived whether am I fallen Quest 4. How dreadful will this day of Death be to sinners when it is come Whilst its only preached or thought of at a distance it affects but little but when the day of darkness is come and they shall feel their house of Clay falling when their last Sand is running their last breath drawing their miserable souls lanching into the depth of Eternity when a few minutes will lodge them in the place of darkness and everlasting torments What a black day will it appear then Quest 5. On which hand am I like to stand in the Judgment Am I like to stand on the right hand or on the left Among the Sheep or among the Goats On which hand do I stand now Have I my Conversation among the Goats my fellowship with the Goats here and can I expect to have my sentence with the Sheep Quest 6. What may I do to get above the fear of death and Judgment How blessed is the state of those Christians that are gotten beyond this fear They may well be content to bear the Cross they may well be patient in tribulation they need fear none of those things they shall suffer here their great fear is over Death is swallowed up in victory But how may I upon good grounds be out of this fear How I be fit to die to stand in the Judgement and not may thence be afraid Oh if I could get the Sting of Death out this sin crucified this guilt removed Oh if I could get such a Life over which Death can have no power if I could get Christ to be my Life my Judge to be my Friend then welcome Death and the Grave welcome the Great Day then that black hour will become the blessed hour then that dark and gloomy day at the approach wherof this sinful world will call to the Mountains to cover 〈◊〉 and the Rocks to fall on them would be to me a glorious day wherein I should lift up my head with joy because my Redemption is so nigh So let me live that I may be fit to die and then let my Lord comâ— whenever he pleases Yea then I may say Whâ—â— are the wheels of his Chariot so long a coming Make haste my Beloved and be thou like to a Roe on the Mountains of Spices VII Head concerning Eternitie or the World to Come THere is a two-fold Eternity Of Blessednesse and of Misery The ones the portion of the Saints the other the reward of all the ungodly of the Earth Direct 1. Consider what the Scriptures speak 1. Concerning the Eternity of Blessednesse Heb. 4. 9. There remaineth therefore a Rest to the People of God Psal 16. ult At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Whence note that the state of the Godly in another World is 1. A State of Rest 2. A State of Joy 3. A State of Glory 4 That the Joy of this Rest is unspeakable and unconceivable Therefore called the Rest of God the Joy of the Lord When a King makes a Feast he makes a Royal Feast When a King gives Gifts and Favours he gives like a King God will save like a God reward like a God such shall be the reward of the Righteous that men shall say Verily he is a God that Judgeth Psal 58 11 5. that this Joy is Eternal 2 Cor. 4 18. The things which are not seen are Eternal 2. Concerning the Eternity of Misery Isa 30. 33. For Tophet is ordained of old Tophet is a place lying in the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem where the Idolatrous Jewes burnt their Children in Sacrifice to Molock And it is used as a Type to signifie Hell or the place and Punishment of the Damned hereafter Whereof this is the Description He hath made it deep and large the Pile thereof is Fire and much Wood the breath of the Lord like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it Matth. 8. 12. But the Children of the Kingdome shall be cast into utter darknesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of Teeth Mark 9. 44. Where their Worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched Whence note That the torments of the ungodly in another world shall be 1. Intollerable It is the wrath of the Lord that will lie upon them the breath of the Lord shall kindle and feed their flames As the Lord will save like a God so he will punish like a God The Wisdome Power Severity and Justice of God shall be exercised in compounding such a deadly Draught such exquisite Torments that the ungodly World shall feel that he is a God with whom they have to do 2. Eternal That shall never have an end This makes Hell to be Hell indeed a Pit without bottome a night that hath no day following it a Grave from which there is no Resurrection Oh the heighth and depth and length and breadth of this one word Eternity Direct 2. Ask thy Heart Quest 1. Who shall ascend into the Holy hill Shall the unclean enter in thither Or the Ignorant or unbelievers or
lye a lye to bring down the price It s naught it s naught saith the buyer A lye to bring down the seller I will not give your price and yet give it Oh how common an evil is this and how little considered How few are there that have great dealings in the world that can altogether acquit themselves of it How many are there that live upon lies that feed themselves with lieâ— â—hat cloath themselves with lies their unlawful gains that their trade of lying hath brought them in Christians especially you that are most ordinarily under such temptations be sensible of this evil and avoid it be resolved and watchful Resolve to be true be true though it be to your loss be losers rather than lyars Sell not Conscience with your commodities for a penny or two pence profit extraordinary Resolve to be true and be watchful Consider what you say before you speak that you be guilty of falshood neither purposely nor unwarily 2. Be Just Observe that Rule of Righteousuesse Do to others as you would they should do to you And let this Rule be observed in all your words yea and your thoughts also as well as actions If you would not be wronged do not wrong if you would not be oppressed do not oppress if yâ—u would not be defrauded do not defraud and so if you would not be defamed or reviled do not defame or revile if you would not upon everie report or groundlesse surmise be evil thought of do not think evil of others You that professe Christianity are you altogether faultless upon this account Would you that all should come upon you which by you hath fallen upon others Would you that all the world should be to you what you have been to any in the world If you have been knowingly unjust in your dealings yet have you neither been injurious in your words Would you that your faults and iâ—firmities should be the ordinary discourse and table-talk and merriment of others and have not yet others infirmities or faults been yours Would you not be causlâ—sly suspected condemned or despised in the thoughts of others and have you never dealt thus by others Is this not too common and yet little considered When you are together everie evil report that 's going either for want of other discourse or from a worse cause must be brought in to fill up the time and evil reports quickly beget evil thoughts surmises Do as you would be done by if you would not be thus dealt with by others deal not so with others 3. Be Merciful Luke 6. 36. Be ye merciful as your Father is merciful You have a Merciful Father you have a Merciful High-Priest be ye also merciful As you have received mercy as you look for mercy be careful to shew mercy Give to him that asketh lend to him that would borrow visit relieve refresh the bowels of him that is in misery Be cheerful in shewing mercy let your hearts give as well as your hands Be liberal be bountiful He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly He that is merciless to the bodies of men is therein cruel to their souls Hardness and niggardliness in Professors of Religion will disgrace their Profession and harden the hearts of sinners from entertaining the Gospel Can you perswade me that this is the way of God that this is true Religion What a merciless Religion a merciless Profession God keep me from such a Religion Your feeding of hungry bellies your cloathing of naked backs may be a means to save many a soul from death The penny besides that it may gain thee many pounds a plentiful reward it may gain many a soul to thy Lord. 4. Be peaceable Mark 4. 50. Have peace one with another Heb. 12. 14. Follow peace with all men The Lord is a God of peace Christians are sons of peace The wisdom which is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated Peaceableness stands 1. In an unwillingness to provoke or offend A peaceable man will not break the Peace is not quarrelsome or contentious will not stir up strife forbears all provoking carriage hath no provoking tongue he hath peace in his heart and that brings forth peaceable language and carriage 2. In an unaptness to be proved A peaceable spirit is a patient spirit 3. In a readiness to be reconciled James 3. 17. Easie to be intreated A peaceable spirit is hardly provoked easily pacified 1. In a forwardness to reconcile those that are at variance A peaceable spirit is a peace making spirit such an one is both a blessed man Mat. 5. Blessed are the peace-makers and a blessing to those he lives amongst Our angry quarrelsome spirit may be a plague and one peaceable and healing spirit may be a blessing to a whole society 5. Be Courteous Sweet and affable in your carriage towards all 1 Pet. 3. 8. This will much win upon the hearts of those you converse with and beget their good liking of whatever good they behold in you This will both mollifie their spirits towards you and make them more willing to hearken to you Morosity and sourness will fright them out of your company and harden them against your Counsel Your candor will be the sugar that will help to convey-down any pill of admonition or reproof you give them which otherwise their stomacks would rise against and spit out in your faces Carry your selves so to all that you may convince them that you are their friends the friends of their souls whilst you appear the enemies of their sins that your counsels are the counsels of a friend that your reproofs are the wounds of a friends which are better than the kisses of an Enemy But still take heed that your courtesie to sinners do not lead you in a compliance with them in their sins that what you intend as a Net to take their Souls become not a Trap to take yours Whilst you are a friend to their persons beware you be not drawn aside to have fellowship with them in their wickedness It is better to be uncivil than ungodly Be as courteous as possible yet so far only that your courtesie be neither a snare to you nor an encouragement to them in their sins Be wise as well as kind Christians do not pass over these second-Table duties which I have for brevities sake packed up into a narrow room as the lower things of Religion wherein you may be excused or dispenced with which a little praying or confessing will make up and so you may go on Truth and Temperance and Justice and Mercy c. are to be reckoned among the weightier matters of the Law there is so much Religion in them that there can be no Religion without them Though there may be morality where there is no true Religion yet there can be no Religion where there is not Morality Micha 6. 11 12. Shall I count them pure with the wicked ballances and the bag of deceitful
whatsoever All Difficulties Straits Disasters Disappoyntments whatsoever that may come upon you shall make for your good Rom. 8. 31. If God be with us who shall be against us Who can be against us that is None can be against us Or if any be yet those that are against you shall be for you Gen. 42. 36. Joseph is not and Simeon is not said old Jacob and must Benjamin away too all these things are against me but yet as old as he was he liv'd to see all making for him Rom. 8. 26. We know all things shall work together for good to those that love God This is such a Promise as if it were throughly believed would set our feet on the necks of all our fears and dangers and will prove the tâ—uth of Sampson's Riddle Out of the eater came meat and out of the strong sweetness Now because there is so great encouragement to godliness in it I shall sperd the more time in enlarging upon it and shall shew 1. VVhat those things are which are especially intended in that comprehensive terme all things 2. What that good is which these things shall work to 3. To whom these things shall work for good 4. How these things shall work for good 5. That they shall undoubtedly work for good to them that love God 1. What those things are which are especially intended in that comprehensive term All things Some there are as Augustine with others who understand it universally of all things whatsoever whether good or evil extending it even to the sins of the Saints It 's true God doth often bring good out of these evils making use of former sins to be forces against future as the thorn that did hurt in the Garden will be of use in the Hedge sin often becomes it's own death which was intended to be the death of the Soul There 's nothing that doth make the Sinner more weary and wary of sin than Sin it self the review of what we have done doth oftenest fright us of doing so any more When you look back on sin and see it's face for sin carries it's face in it's back you 'l fear it the more when ever you meet it again There 's no argument doth more effectually humble and break the heart and make it more fearfull and watchfull against sin than the shame and the smart of those sins we have fallen by he that hath felt the wound will take heed how he playes with edge-tools This is true God doth often make this use of sin to be it's own cure and therefore 't is not seldome seen that the chief of Sinners have come to be the cheif of Saints Yet besides that this is not the subject matter that the Apostle is here treating of let those that bring sin within the compass of this promise and make this to run into the sence of it that even all the sins of the Saints shall work for their good let such tell us how or in what way its imaginable that the sinful decayes of such who back-slide from God and never recover to their former life and vigour but live and dye in a languishing state of Soul leâ— them tell us how such sins can be imagined to work for their good 'till then we must enter our dissent from this Interpretation This then is not the sence of the promise that all sins shall work together for good And yet if it were it would be but a poor argument to take the more liberty to sin because God will turn it to good this would be even as rational as for a man to tear his flesh break his bones pluck out his eyes burn his house c. because God will turn all his sufferings to good he is little better than mad that would not conclude such a man out of his Wits Others restrain it to the evil things that befall the Saints not the turpia but the tristia their sufferings and afflictions to that vanity and those vexations they are in bondage under and under which with the whole Creation they groan and travel in pain waiting for their redemption of which the Apostle had been treating in the former part of this Chapter And yet while they pitch the sence especially on such things as these they grant it may be extended to all other things sin only excepted ad omnes res â—reaturas eventus tum secundus tum adversos To all things and events whether prosperous or afflicted So Paraeus with others And these I take to have hit the right All heavy things all the sufferings and afflictions of the Saints and not only these but all things else whatsoever that in the whole course of providence be their lot or poâ—â—ion all the dealings of God with them all the dispâ—â—â—ations of Providence towards them shall all work for their good 2. What is that good which these things work to the Saints or in what sence all things may be said to work good to them The sence in general is this They shall all work to their welfare they shall all happen to them for the better there shall nothing befall them but one time or other they shall have reason to say 'T was well for me that it was thus with me The wisdome and goodness of God did cut out such portions continually for me did lead me thorow such a series and succession of cases and events which though I could not understand yet now I see that every condition every contingency and occurrence of my life through which Providence led me was useful and could not well have been wanted but it would have been the worse for me Thus in the general Particularly for the fuller understanding what good it is that all things to consider that there is a twofold good of the Saints Such as they obtain and enjoy whilst they are in via in their way or Course or such as they shall obtain when they are in termino when they are gotten to the end of their way when they are come to their place Or thus There is a threefold good of the Saints Temporal Spiritual Eternal â— Temporal good or our bona câ—rporis the outward good things of this life which may serve and please and delight us in these dayes of our pilgrimage which may abide with us and attend us to our graves but there will take their leave of us 2. Spiritual good or our bona animae and those are either 1. Exeternal as the Ordinances of God the Light Liberties and priviledges of the Gospel the Society and Communion of Saints and our peaceful and plentiful enjoying of them 2. Internal as spiritual â—race Faith Love Hope Patience c. 3. Eternal good or that glory and joy that everlasting rest and peace the possession of that inheritance incorruptible and undefiled that is reserved in Heaven for us Now here note these things 1. That our bona corporis our outward good things are only good for us as they are
the Palms of thine Hands and in the very prints of thy Feet whose Malice against God and his Holiness may be read in every look in every word in every Line of thy life needest thou any further proof that thou art not of God Thou mayst as well put me to prove that Hell is not Heaven that the Devil is no Saint as that thou art no Christian Dost thou love God art thou under the hope of the Promise Ask thy ways man and let these tell thee 2. Doest thou mean to keep at this distance from God to the Death Doest thou in earnest Is there nothing in those rich Promises that have been laid before thee which thou canst with 't were thine Is there no such word in thine hearâ— Oh that my Lot were here Art thoâ— content thy name should be left out for ever Is there so little in the peace of God that thou canst fell it for the pleasures of sin Art thou content that nothing should prosper with thee but that every thing should be a Gin and a Snare and a Curse to thee Art thou content that the Piâ— should be thy place Eternal Wrath thy Portion and that every Creature every Comfort every Cross that comes should give thee a pluck down from Heaven and a kick towards Hell canst thou think they mean thee any thing else when all does but harden thee in thy sin and make thee kick against thy God Art thou so unwilling to leave thy sins for the hope of the Promise of God that thou art content to give up thy hopes for the love of thy sins Darest thou say Let me have my part in the pleasures and contentments of this life and I am contented to relinquish my part in Christ Let God let me alone in my sins and let him damn my Soul Let me live at my ease and my liberty and let my name be blotted out of the Book of Lifo I am content to take my place and my lot among the damned in another world so I have my pleasure with them in this World And dost thou say less or other than this whilest thou refusest or resolvest against following thy God He that refuses to accept of the Redemption of Christ upon the holy Terms upon which 't is offer'd says in effect I am lost I am sold for a Captive to the Devil my first Father sold me for an Apple Christ would now buy me back again to my self but for my part I am contâ—nt that the first Bargain stand As to my interest I confirm the Bargain As for my Soul being sold to the Devil to the Devil let it go This is the voice of every wilful Refuser of the Terms of the Gospel Oh Wretch does not thy heart tremble does not thy hair stand on end do not thy knees shake and are not the Joints of thy Loins loosed to consideâ— what thou hast done and art still a doing Sinners I have but a little more to speak to you but shall that little be nothing Hither to you have stood it out and will rot be perswaded by ought that God hath spoken by me But oh must I leave you thus Why may not a word at parting do more than all that hath been spoken Oh that it might Shall neither my first nor last words prevail with you What if my last should be your last If the last that I must preach be the last that you must hear There is a day set that will be your last day There is a Sabbath that will be your last Sabbath There is Sermon that will be your last Sermon There is a VVarning that will be your last warning Oh what if this should be it If the Lord should take your this dayes denial for your final Answer and never ask your consent again for ever But whether it be your last or no I must be henceforth silent to you And oh will you send me away with so sad an Heart with the sorrow and shame of the disappointed Will you break my Heart by persisting to hearden yours Is this all I shall have to return to the Lord that sent me unto you I have declared thy Name unto them but they did not regard it I have invited them to come to thee but they would not follow me I have warned them to return from their sins but they would not hearken Are you willing that I shall give in this Answer and bear this Wiâ—ness against you at the Great Day sinners hearken is there not one blind person among you that is yet willing to have his Eyes open'd Is there not one Captive to Lust Vanity that 's willing to be set free from his Bondage Is there not one more that will be perswaded to be wise and to prefer an immortal Soul God Glory Eternity before his bruitish perishing pleasures Is there not one Drunkaad more that will yet be perswaded to be sober Not one vain person that will be perswaded to be serious Am I making my last Draught among you and shall I take nothing Not one Soul more If you will not yet be prevailed with then hear the Word of the Lord Ezek. 3. 19. If thou warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness he shall dye in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul But if there be any few relenting hearts among you who are brought but thus far to cry out Why what must I do I would leave with such these few words of counsel and oh that my counsel might be accepted by them 1. Get a deep sense of thy dreadful state What art thou sinner What is thy state at ease in peace out of fear in pleasure What and yet a sinner In the bond of iniquity Captive to the Devil without Christ without the Promise under the curse Study these Scriptures Joh. 8. 34. He that committeth sin is the servant of sin vers 44. Ye are of your Father the Devil 2 Tim. 2. 26. Held captive by him at his will Act. 8. 23. In the gall of bitterness and in the Bond of iniquity 1 Joh. 5. 19. The world lyeth in wickedness Ps 11. 6. Vpon the wicked he shall reign Snares Fire and Brimstone and an horrible Tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. Psal 49. 15. Like Sheep they are laid in the Grave Death shall feed upon them Rise Sampson the Philistims are upon thee awake sleeper the Devil is upon thee Death is at thy back the Gin is at thy heel the Curse is over thy head the very next step may be Hell Thou lyest in wickedness to day mayst be in fire and brimstone before to morrow Sure thou art in a dead â—leep that canst take thine ease in such a Lodging Is this the state thou art so loath to change Is this the state thou so boastest of and blessest thy self in When thine heart is merry with thy Wine swel'd with thy pride jollity amongst thy Companions put in such a