shall know the one to their comfort and the other to their cost Exod. 3.7 How doth he awaken for their help and gird on his sword upon his thigh and march out with fury how doth he cloath himself with vengeance as with a robe and brandish his glittering sword and sheath it in the hearts of his and their enemies Wherefore is it that God hath so many controversies with Edom Ammon and Amalek Why doth he muster up his forces with violence against Babylon Whose quarrel doth he engage in What was the ground of that War If you read over all the indictments that are before this great Judge you will find this a common one their hatred of his people and this to be sure he will not put up And that which puts an Accent upon all this is the unworthy carriage of most of them towards him all this while But of that under the next Head which is this Ninthly He is the most patient Friend Never any one in the world could have disgested such affronts born such indignities as God hath many a time and even from the best of those that he takes into this intimacy with himself Had it not been for this Covenant of Friendship Judah and Ephraim too had been soon unpeopled as for them they soon forgot their Covenant yet for all that God remembers his though Ephraim forget to be a Child yet God can't forget to be a Father Read that Text and wonder Hos 11.7 8. And my people are bent to back sliding though they called them to the most high yet none at all would exalt him Though they had many compassionate Prophets that called after them day and night when they saw them turning their backs upon God yet they were not minded Who now would conceive that God should ever think a thought of kindness towards them more yet hear what God saith How shall I give thee up O Ephraim how shall I deliver thee O Israel how shall I make thee as Admah and how shall I seat thee as Zebulon My heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man the holy One in the midst of thee and I will not enter into the City Well now tell me if ever there were such a compassionate meek patient Friend Ephraim was up in open Arms against his maker he did rebel most unworthily against his good Lord and Friend to whom he was bound by infinite Engagements Ephraim had quite cast off God and he will have nothing to do with him and Judah is not far inferiour to his treacherous Brother and what will God do One would think as I said before he should ease himself quickly of such false friends one would think that after such unfaithfulness he should for ever banish them his Court one would soon conceive that he should think of dis-inheriting such rebellious Children for theirs was not the first second nor third time that they had served God thus who then could imagine that he should ever trouble himself with them any more Should one not look every day when he should quite cast them off Why God seems sometimes to threaten as much and seems ever and anon to act towards them as if he would never look upon them more while the world stands Go saith God to your Idols let them save you what do you come to me for you have resused to have me for your God go cry to your gods and let them deliver you Thus he seems to turn away his face yea for all that see how soon he forgets his displeasure Ephraim is his Child his dear Child and he can't but pitty him and how shall I give thee up O Ephraim c. how hardly is God brought so much as to chastise his Children he never corrects them but when there is an absolute need of it ask the Church under the rod and she can't but say as much Lam. 3.32 33. For though he cause grief yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the Children of men He calls judgment his work his strange work and when he doth correct his stubborn Children how doth he many times give them a lash and a kiss a frown and a smile O what would have become of the holiest men living if God should upon every provocation have broke with them If God should mark iniquities O who should stand Which of the fallen Sons of Adam hath not abused his high kindness and yet for all that how is his Patience and goodness exercised towards them well might the Psalmist make that the burden of one of his songs O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works towards the children of men that of another For his mercy endureth for ever What created being could have born the thousandth part of that from any hand that God doth every day from his dearest children What peevishness and unfriendly quarrelling what murmuring and repining doth he bear even from them for whom he hath done such great things How strangely do they carry themselves how seldom and complemental in their visits of him how cold and formal in their addresses to him how frequently are they conversing with his basest enemies How much treachery and underhand-dealing doth he find in them yet for all this how great are his kindnesses and how open are his arms upon their acknowledgement to receive them again Little do we think what unkindness the Lord overlooks and indeed except we knew what it was to be infinite in holiness could we any way conceive how infinite his Patience is Psal 106 43 44. Many times did he deliver them but they provoked him with their counsel and were brought low for their iniquities Nevertheless he regarded their affliction when he heard their cry and he remembred for them his Covenant c. Here here 's Patience here 's love and goodness with a witness What Prince under Heaven would trust a Rebel that hath been in arms a hundred times against him and that at the best doth serve him with so little delight What friend would continue his familiarity and kindness there where he hath found abundance of falseness and who but thou O God is so merciful and gratious Long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth As for the trouble that any of his meet with most commonly they may thank themselves for it and it 's always sent them in kindness there is none of them all but may say this is my iniquity this is the fruit of my back-sliding this I have got by my estrangment from God Tenthly He is an honourable friend and to be acquainted with him is the highest honour in the world This word honour sounds great in the ears of this proud world what running and catching to get a little of
case hadst thou been in had God but done by thee as thou hast by him Acquaintance with God! methinks sinful man should stand and wonder at such a word methinks he should be even surprized with an extasie of admiration and say and will God indeed be acquainted with such a Worm such a dead Dog such a Rebel as I Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou shouldest make such an offer to him One would think thou shouldest no more dispute the matter then Esther did when that great Monarch made her his Queen Were it but in sensible things that nothing near such an offer were made which is impossible man would think the very questioning in such a case a strange folly One would think that every one of Gods enemies that have been in open Rebellion against him and are utterly unable to make their part good against him when they hear of such tearms of mercy from their Prince who hath all their lives in their hand should rejoyce at this news and say How beautiful are the feet of them which bring such tidings How did Benhadad look when instead of a Halter he had a Coach When instead of Rebel he heard Brother Whatever we may think of these things David thought it high time for him to bid such a Messenger welcome and to open his heart for the receiving his God Hear what he saith to his own heart and others Psal 24. Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors that tht king of glory may come in And because the door of mens hearts is lock'd and barr'd and bolted and men are in a deep sleep will not hear the knocking that is at the gate though it be loud though it be a King therefore David knocks again Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors Why what haste saith the sinner What haste Why here 's the King at your Gates and that not an ordinary King neither he is a glorious King that will honour you so far if you open quickly as to lodge within to take up his abode in your house to dwell with you but the soul for all this doth not yet open but stands still questioning as if it were an enemy rather then a friend that stood there and ask who is this King of glory Who he answers again It is the Lord of hosts he that if you will not open quickly and thankfully can easily pull your house down about your ears He is the Lord of Hosts that King who hath a mighty Army always at his command who stand ready for their Commission and then you should soon know who it is you might have had for your friend Lift up therefore your heads O ye gates open quickly ye that had rather have God for your friend then for your enemy O why should not the soul of every sinner cry out Lord the Door is locked and thou hast the key I have been trying what I can do but the Wards are so rusty that I cannot possibly turn the Key but Lord throw the Door off the Hinges any thing in the world so thou wilt but come in and dwell here Come O mighty God break through Doors of Iron and Bars of Brass and make way for thy self by thy love and power Come Lord and make thy self welcome all that I have is at thy service O fit my soul to entertain thee But where is the sinner that is in this note How seldom do poor Creatures desire Gods company or bewail his absence Where almost are the men and women to be found that do in good earnest long to be acquainted with God Men are naturally strangers to God and it is a wonderful difficult thing to perswade men to enter into so much as a serious deliberate consideration of these things Though it be so infinitly for their interest though the God that made them out of pity to their souls desires it though he send his Embassadors in his name to beseech them to be reconciled unto God against whom they have been in open arms though in infinite mercy he perswade them to lay down their weapons and promise them Free and General Pardon and to receive them into Favour and to forget and forgive yet where is the sinner almost to be found that with any thankfulness doth close with these tenders Now it being a business of such infinite concernment and it being the very work and business of a Minister of Christ to bring God and man into union to get man acquainted with God I shall in the next place labour to inforce this Exhortation upon the hearts of sinners and do what I can possible to prevail with them that are as yet strangers to get acquainted with God that they may have peace and that thereby good might come unto them EXHORTATION Once more poor sinners That God which can in a moment stop thy breath and send thee into Hell doth offer to be friends with thee If thou wilt come upon his invitation well and good thou art a happy man for ever if not thou wilt rue the day that ever thou wert born yet through mercy the matter is not gone so far but that thou mayest if you will now at last in good earnest humble thy self to him be received into favour Behold a Pardon Mercy and Grace stand astonished O ye Heavens at this infinite condescention wonder O ye Angels and pry into this kindness Was there ever such condescention love and goodness heard of If thou didst but understand O stupid sinner what an offer is made to thee thou couldest not but adore that goodness that can pardon and forget such offences and receive such a Creature into favour thou wouldest also cry out with as great admiration as he did what manner of love you would think it a mercy not to be paralell'd a kindness never to be forgotten a proposal by no means to be refused Now that I may if possible prevail with some that are yet afar off to come near I shall enforce this Exhortation with many powerful Motives the least of which were men but well in their wits as to Spiritual matters were the world not to a wonder fools in the great affairs of their souls and eternity might easily prevail O that I might prevail O that some might be perswaded O that God would put life and power into these words that they might prove effectual to the intended ends O that some poor rebellious sinners might be made to close with the most advantagious offers that ever were or could be made to Creatures in our condition MOTIVES The first Head of Motives that I shall insist upon to inforce this Exhortation shall be taken from the nature of the Person that I would have you acquainted with Consider well what kind of friend you are like to have of him and if after you have well weighed what I
against thee thou thinkest therefore it may be it is because God cannot deal with thee and upon this account thy heart is fully set in thee to do wickedly but know thou for all this that God will bring thee to judgement Consider this that as far as it seems to be now the winds may rise the clouds may gather of a sudden the Heavens may be overcast in a moment and what will you do then when Heaven and Earth shall be in a Flame then you will be scraping acquaintance with God then you will be glad to be owned by him then you would willingly Christ should take notice of you and say You blessed of my Father then you will stand at the door and knock and cry and pray and plead and say Lord Lord have I not been oft at thy house have I not eat at thy table and taught in thy name in our streets and yet thou shalt be dimissed with this short and sharp answer Depart I know you not How do you like such an answer as this is how will you take it when you stand begging at the door for one crumb of mercy one drop of Christs bloud to be sent away with a bitter scorn and denial or else to be answered with silence Whereas you were invited to the feast as well as those that went in and you would not hear though God sent messenger after messenger to setch you you thought your oxen better company then your God you took more pleasure in your dogs then in the hunting after those nobler things What do you think of such expostulations as these what replice can you make to these accusations ere long you will find these things realities ere long all your friends will be dead and gone and if they would help you they cannot your estate will be consumed your houses will all be burnt all your attendants except care and fear will shortly forsake you your Gold and Silver will not ere long be worth a rush and what will you do then nay the greatest friends that you had will become your enemies Little do you think as kind as they seem to be what your good fellows the World and the Devil will do against you Little do you think how false your friends will prove when it comes to that that they see that all is going then they also will help forward your ruine Those that you durst have trusted your life with will accuse you and help to cast you Those which incouraged to sin will witness against for sin Your good Fellows your Confederates in wickedness your dear Friends that you loved more then God that you did not spare to venture your life and soul for O it will make your heart ake to see such come in against you which you thought loved you so dearly O to have a Wife a Child a Husband an old Friend to come before the Judge and to make known such things as you hoped had been buried for ever It will make your ears to tingle to hear one crying our Lord if it had not been for him I had turned and repented it 's long of him that I am in this woful condition I was resolved many a time and oft to seek after another world and to provide for my soul but he would not let me alone when I began to be serious he laughed and jeer'd me and would never be at quiet till he had made me as bad as himself he carried me from the Ale-house to the Tavern from thence to a Play-house from a Play-house to a Whore-house from thence to the High-way from thence to the Gaol from the Gaol to the Gallows and from thence I came hither and I may thank him for all this O how will men look when they see the best friends that they had come in thus against them this 't is to trust to faithless friends this 't is to make light of acquaintance with God Your Gold and Silver will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh as with a canker your Children Relations good and bad will speak bitter things against you your own Family will curse you and say Lord we never heard any thing of God except in an Oath from his mouth we never heard any thing of Religion except it were in derision of it in his Family and those of us that were a little serious and began to think of our souls he would snib and brow-beat and never give us a kind look till we did as he did nay the Devil who now doth so much flatter sinners and make them believe that he is so much their friend will then shew himself he will then be as cruel as he now seems kind he that now tempts to sin so impetuously will hereafter accuse for sin violently and torment for sin unmercifully The people of God which weep over sinners and pray for them and wish them well with their souls will then see justice executed upon their nearest Relations without the least sorrow nay they also will come in against them too and say Lord I told them of this woful day O Lord thou knowest I forewarned them of that which is now come to pass I pleaded with them with all the compassion that I could and they scorned my pitty they would not pity themselves but made light of that glory which they are going from and of that Hell that they are going to and now O Lord thou art just and righteous that thou hast thus judged them This will be the language of those that are your best friends the people of God they will be your enemies one day if you will not now mind the making of your peace with God they must and will be on Gods side against all the World they must and will take part with their Friend and clear him when he judges and justifie him when he condemns you O that you that are now strangers to God would but consider of these things O that you would but think what this battel may be where the combatants are so unequal Stand still O Sun in the valley of Ajalom till the Lord have avenged him of his enemies Muster your selves Oye stars and fight in your courses against those miserable sinners that have waged a war against their Maker plant your mighty Cannons shoot down huge Hailstones Arrows of fire and hot Thunderbolts O how do the wounded fall how many are the slains of the Lord multitudes multitudes in the valley of Decision for the day of the Lord is terrible Behold Gods enemies falling by thousands behold the garments rouling in blood hear the prancing of his terrible ones the mountains are covered with Horses and Chariots of fire Gods Souldiers run from one place to another with their flaming Swords in their hands Arm'd with the justice of God jealousie power and indignation O the dreadful slaughter that is made Millions millions fall there are not able to stand not one of them can lift up
his hand their hearts fail them paleness and trembling hath seized upon the stoutest of them all The bow of the Lord is strong from the blood of the slain from the fat of the mighty the bow of the Lord turneth not back the sword of the Almighty returns not empty How do the mighty Ones fall in the midst of this battell A hot battell indeed in which none scape Who is he that cometh from Edom with dyed garments from Bosrah This that is glorious in his apparel and travelling in the greatness of his strength the Lord of Hosts is his Name Wherefore art thou red in thy apparel and thy garments like him that treadeth the wine-fat I have troden the wine-press alone and of the people there was none with me For I will tread them in mine anger and trample them in my fury and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments and I will stain all my raiment for the day of Vengeance is in my Heart and the year of my Redeemed is come And I will tread down the people in mine anger and make them drunk in my fury and I will bring down their strength to the Earth the band of the Lord shall be known the power of the mighty Jehovah shall be felt and his indignation towards his Enemies For behold he will come with fire and with chariots like a whirlwind to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire For by fire and by his sword will he plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many and the Saints shall go forth and look upon the Carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me for their worm shall not dye neither shall their fire be quenched and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh Upon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and horrible tempest This shall be the portion of their Cup This 't is to fight against God! This 't is to defie the Lord of Host This 't is to refuse a peace that would have been so unspeakably advantagious To speak a little plainer this is all that sinners are like to get by their standing it out against the tenders of Grace and Mercy And are you still desirous to engage in this dreadful war Will you still bid defiance to the Almighty and make nothing of such things as you have heard of Is the loss of your blood the loss of your Soul your utter undoing for ever no great matter with you Well then go on bold sinner Arm thy self Cap-a-pee gird thy sword upon thy thigh get thy shield and buckler ready prepare to meet thy God Go up O thou valiant Warrior and let 's see thy valour behold thy enemy hath taken the field go up and look thy God in the face if thou darest come shew thy self a mark for God and turn not thy back like a coward venture upon the mouth of the Cannon rush upon the thick bosses of Gods buckler if you long to perish everlastingly You have heard what the war will cost you and as you like it now do And what do you laugh at all this well then go on but be it upon your peril your blood be upon your own Soul As for me I could not have said much more then I have to disswade you from this desperate enterprise I foresee what a case you will be in when you are in the heat of the battell and I desire to weep in secret for thee as one that will most certainly be undon if thou dost not speedily alter thy mind wherefore my loyns are filled with pain pangs have taken hold upon me as the pangs of a woman that travelleth I am bowed down at the thoughts of thy misery I am dismayed at the seeing of thy destruction The sinner ventures for all this He is marched into the field Set a watch-man let him declare what he seeth Who meets that furious wretch A Lyon a lyon roareth he is torn in pieces and none can save him he is gon he is gon he is gon for ever and who may the mad man thank for all this Who could help it He would venture though he was told as much Well then see what 's like to befall the enemies of God You hear what is like to be the condition of all them that will not be aquainted with God First or Last you likewise may behold what a case you your self shall be in ere it be long except you do speedily repent of your folly and meet your adversary in the way and humble your self before the mighty Jehovah speak quickly What will you do Turn or Burn Repent or Dye Yet you do but hear you do not feel but thousands and millions feel what the displeasure of God is what the breach of his Covenant is and what effects of a war with the Lord of Hosts is O be wise by their falls let their destruction be your instruction take heed what you do lest you be the next that God shall deal with as an enemy As yet God offers to be Friends with you but whether God will do as much to morrow as he doth to day I do not know I tell you but so it 's hard putting it to the venture Remember you had large proffers of Grace and pardon made to you God hath sent us to let you know his will and pleasure and we demand of you from him to give us your answer speedily And what can't you yet resolve Is it so difficult a business to determine what to fix upon O foolish people and unwise O unspeakable madness How just must their condemnation needs be who are offered salvation so often and refuse it who are so oft told of damnation and yet run into it in a word who might have God for their Friend and had rather have him for their enemy 4. The next head of Motives by which I might inforce this duty of acquaintance with God may be taken from the examples of them which made all the Friends they can to get acquainted with God Behold a cloud of witnesses which do all with one consent speak high in the commendation of this Friend that I am perswading you all that I can to be acquainted with Are you wiser then all your neighbours is the ignorant objection of some that would take it very heinously if we should call them fools when we put them upon a serious diligence in pursuit of the best things Why let me retort this objection upon themselves are you wiser then Enoch and Noah have you more understanding then Abraham Isaac and Jacoh Have you more wit then David Are you wiser then Heman Daniel and many others of those brave worthies which were the wonders of the world the Non-suches of their age and a pattern to future Generations This was the greatest piece of their wisdom to walk with God this was the best of their policy to get so potent an Allie this spake them to
before God and to complement him much and to sit oft at his Table and yet not to be any of his peculiar Friends and special Acquaintance now it ever you would make any thing of Religion and be made highly to praise Gods favour to be really acquainted with him you must labour to understand your distance from him and the unconceivable hazard that you run while you are in a state of Separation from God that there is but one step between you and the state of the Damned for what would become of you if God should say to you this night thy Soul shall be required of you How easily can God in a moment stop your breath and send your Soul and Body into that lake that burns for ever ever is it not then time for you to look about you O this ignorance of our selves how doth it expose us Ar. Epict. l. i. c. 26. He was not a whit mistaken who said That the not knowing of our selves was one of the chiefest causes of our sin and misery and that the consideration of the state of the Soul and the through understanding it's depravedness was the beginning of Wisdom for it's weakness being well known a man will not afterwards trust it in the determination of the greatest things but man will be desirous to consult that great Oracle the will of his Maker and finding his old guide is blind and hath oft misled him thereupon he is the readier to be acquainted with such a one who may direct him in the way to true happiness If you would therefore be acquainted with God you must get well acquainted with your selves you will upon the knowledg of your self be afraid of your self He was none of the weakest men who said That a true sense of folly is no small sign of some proficiency in wisdom Look into thy self O man search every corner behold what abundance of Armour there is in such and such a dark Celler but is this Armour strong enough to encounter a God withal Can'st thou with these Fig-leaves defend thy self against the arrowes of the Almighty behold what a condition thou art in if thou stirrest a step further Yield speedily and throw down thine Arms or you are a dead man Do you know this do you really believe this Is it possible what believe that your Treason is found out and that you are within a little of Execution and yet not tremble yet not seek nor desire pardon When a man throughly understands how things stand between him God and how unable he is to carry on a War against him he will speedily cast a bout how he may conclude a Peace upon any terms As soon as Benhadad knew what a condition his Army was in when he saw the Crowns of his thirty Kings shaken and his warlike Captains cut in pieces or to tremble be like women when instead of a mighty Army of gallant Warriors in martial order behaving themselves bravely in the field he saw their karkases upon heaps their garments rouled in blood the Shields of his mighty Ones cast away and himself wosully deserted how speedily doth he send away his Servants with Ropes about their Necks to beg Peace upon any Terms When the Gibeonites heard what dangerous fighting it was against Joshuah they were not long before they made means to make a Covenant with him So the Soul when it doth seriously consider what a sad Condition it is in while it continues in Rebellion against God it 's impossibility to stand it out long and utter inability to conquer him When it perceives the designs of Satan who first caused this difference between the Soul and God and hath still instigated and stirred it up to persecute with all the violence that might be I say when the Soul sees this before it is quite too late O how doth it bewail it's condition how doth it cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me O what will become of me if I make War still against God And as for flying whether shall I fly from his presence and where shall I Hide my self out of his sight And how shall I look him in the face whom I have thus desperately and ungratefully opposed Can such a Traytor as I possibly expect any mercy if the Lord should look upon me and not immediately cast me into Hell it would be a miracle of Patience And thus the man that begins a little to understand himself speaks to himself and after that he with Ephraim sinites upon his thigh and bemoans his condition exceedingly O that he should ever take up Arms against his gracious Prince O what shall become of him Well I have heard that the God of Heaven is a merciful King I will go and cast my self at his feet if I perish I perish If I continue in this rebellion there is no hopes if I fly there is no escaping and if I yield I can but perish O sad sad is my condition Woe and alas what shall I do in these dreadful perplexities But why do I stay here The avenger of blood followes after me apace well I will go to my God through Christ and I have heard that this is the only way and that there is not the least hope in the world any other way to get a pardon to escape the Wrath to come O that the precious and merciful Jesus would pitty me and stand my Frind now if ever O that he would speak a good word for me Have mercy upon me Jesus thou Son of David have mercy me O make peace for me by thy blood if thou wilt thou canst do more with a word speaking then all the Saints and Angels in the world if ever any poor Creature in the world had need of mercy then have I. O mercy mercy mercy for thy bloods sake But because I shall speak to this under another Direction I shall be the briefer Now when a man is at this pass he is in a fair way for peace but now as long as a man is ignorant of all this he is quite in another note he will never buckle and therefore he shall be broken Therefore consider well your condition observe the actings of your own Soul if you be one of the Friends and Acquaintance of God what means your breaking and hating of his Spiritual Laws What 's the reason if you love God that you can take no delight at all in his company no pleasure in his Sabbaths If you are a Friend of God how hap you come no oftner to his house when he dwells so near you Why do you knock no oftner at his door Why are you so rare in your visits Is this your kindness Is this like a Friend How comes it to pass that there are so many Arms found hid in your house What are they all for What is the meaning of all those Meetings that you give to Gods Enemies What do all those whisperings plots and
not sleep to thine eyes or slumber to thine eye-lids but deliver thy self from the hand of the hunter and as a bird from the hand of the fowler Go to the Ant thou sluggard Consider her ways and be wise which having no guide over-seer or ruler provideth her meat in the Summer and gathereth her meat in the Harvest How long wilt thou sleep O sluggard When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep Yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth and thy want as an armed man and will you now labour to get acquaintance with God as you would to get food for your body will you endeavour as much to make sure of his love as you would do to make sure of a pardon in case of the forfeiture of your life If so we have some hopes the work may have some considerable issue IX DIRECTION If you would be acquainted with God be much in expostulating the case with God and in urging those arguments which the Scripture doth afford you in such a case Take with you words and come unto the Lord and spread your requests before him and say O Lord thou hast sent thy servant the Ministers and hast invited me to come unto thee and thou offeredst peace and reconciliation and to be acquainted with me O God I desire from my soul to come upon thy call and would fain be acquainted with thee I see myself in an undone state while I am a stranger to thee but O Lord I have a cursed base heart that keeps me back from thee and I can't tell what in the world to do O Lord I beseech thee help thy poor Creature to come unto thee lead me by the hand let thy goodness and love constrain me conquer me by thy kindness come Lord into my soul and let me see thy face look upon thee till I am in love with thee O why art thou as a stranger to me wilt thou forsake me for ever shall I be one of those thine enemies which shall be slain before thy face shall I be one of those that shall dwell with everlasting burnings O Lord pity pity pity for Christ his sake a poor creature that would fain love thee be acquainted with thee I am convinced that I must be damned without thee come to thee of my self I cannot O draw me O carry me O compel me constrain me make me willing in the day of thy power I cannot get loose my heart is too hard for me my lasts are too strong for me my temptations are too many for me to conquer of my self O Lord help me Turn me and I shall be turned Pluck my feet out of the snare or I shall be utterly destroyed for ever Forgive mine iniquity make me a clean heart make me thy servant Tell God that thou hast heard of his goodness and mercy and that the King of Israel is a merciful King and that it is his nature to pitty Say to him O I am a poor undone creature and wilt thou send me away without mercy will the God of Grace send me away without Grace hast thou not called me O God thy servants tell me so O Lord speak and give me ears to hear O Lord I am come in upon thy merciful Proclamation and I desire to lay my self at thy feet mercy Lord mercy upon what terms thou pleasest Didst thou not say in thy Word Ho every one that thirsteth come and buy Wine and Milk without Money and without price Have not thy servants pleaded with me to come and hast thou not sent for me O! a blessing a blessing for me even for me O my father Hast thou not a blessing for me shall I be sent away as I came O Lord I come at thy word Do not say unto me Be gone out of my sight I cannot go I will not go whither shall I go from thee For thou hast the words of Eternal Life Though I cannot say Be just to me a Saint yet I will say Be merciful to me a sinner You may read more in R. A. his first part of his Vindiciae Pietatis pag. 232. the whole Treatise is excellent Plead the blood of Christ you may safely say that if there be not enough in Christ to save you you do not desire Salvation for in him there is all fulness You may plead your own absolute necessity Tell God that if ever poor creature in the world had need of mercy you have tell him that you are resolved not to be content without his love You may plead his promise in which he hath said That he will take away the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh that he will put his fear in our hearts write his laws in our inward parts You may plead also the power of God whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself and many such like arguments you may find in many places in the Scripture But because I have touched upon this before I shall pass this by X. DIRECTION If you would be acquainted with God look after it speedily defer not a moment your enemy is marching on apace you may be surprized your soul is hasting upon it's Eternal state your glass is almost run there are but a few sands behind therefore seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Ere long it will be too late wherefore what thou dost do quickly What is the voyce both of Scripture and Providence Doth not the Word of God say Now and commend the present time above all Acquaint now thy self with him Remember now thy Creatour Turn now unto the Lord. Let a poor Heathen Epict. En. c. 75. shame you into greater speed in this necessary work I shall translate his words into English How long saith he will you defer the looking after the best things How long will you abuse your reason Have you not heard such Precepts which you ought to agree to and you seemed very well to like of What kind of Teacher is it that you stay for For whose coming do you defer before you will mend and turn You are come now to years of discretion if I should say you were not you would be angry if you will neglect and delay and add one delay to another if you will add one put off to another and make one resolution and purpose after another and set one day after another in which you will think of these things consider that all this will do you no good for all your resolutions and promises for all that I see you are like to die a common man therefore now live as a perfect growing man and follow that which is most excellent unalterably If any thing of difficulty intervene remember that now is the time for you to shew what respect you have for your God and your soul Remember the goal is not