unto Sanctification not for it Eph. 1. 4. God finds nothing in a man to turn his heart but to turn his stomach enough to provoke his loathing nothing to provoke his love Look back upon thy self O Christian Take up thy verminous rags Look upon thy self in thy blood Ez. 16. 6. O reflect upon thy swinish Nature thy filthy swill thy once beloved mire 2 Pet. 2. Canst thou think without loathing of thy trough and draugh Open thy Sepulchre Mat. 23. 27. Art thou struck almost dead with the hellish damp behold thy putrid soul thy loathsome members O stench unsufferable if thou dost but sense thy own putrifaction Psal. 14. 3. Behold thy ghastly visage they crawling Iusts thy slime and corruption Do not thine own Cloaths abhor thee Iob 9. 31. How then should holiness and purity love thee Be astonished O Heavens at this be moved O Earth Ier. 2. 12. Who but must needs cry Grace Grace Zech. 4. 7. Hear and blush you Children of the most high O you unthankful generation that free grace is no more in your mouths in your thoughts no more adored admired commended by such as you One would think you should be nothing but praising and admiring God whatever you are How can you make a shift to forget such grace or to pass it over with a slight and seldom mention What but free grace should move God to love you unless enmity could do it or deformity could do it unless vomit or rottenness could do it How affectionately doth Peter lift up his hands Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who of his abundant mercy hath begotten us again 1 Pet. 1. 3. How feelingly doth Paul magnifie the free mercy of God in it God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us hath quickened us together with Christ by grace ye are saâ—ed Eph. 2. 4 5. The External mover is the merit and intercession of the blessed Iesus He hath obtained gifts for the rebellious Psal. 68. 18. and through him it is that God worketh in us what is well pleasing in his sight Heb. 13. 21. Through him are all spiritual blessings bestowed upon us in Heavenly things Eph. 1. 3. He interceedeth for the Elect that believe not Iohn 17. 20. Every Convert is the fruit of his travel Isa. 53. 11. O never was Infant born into the world with that difficulty that Christ endured for us How emphatically he groaneth in his travel All the pains that he suffered on his Cross they were our birth pains Acts 2. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pulls and throws that Christ endured for us He is made sanctification to us 1 Cor. 1 30. He sanctified himself that is set apart himself as a sacrifice that we may be sanctified Iohn 17. 19. We are sanctified through the offering of his Body once for all Heb. 10. 10. 'T is nothing then without his own bowels but the merit and intercession of Christ that prevails with God to bestow on us converting grace If thou art a new creature thou knowest to whom thou owest it to Christ's pangs and prayers Hence the natural affection of a believer to Christ. The Foal doth not more naturally run after the Dam nor the Suckling to the Dugs than a Believer to Jesus Christ. And whither else shouldst thou go If any in the World can shew that for thy heart that Christ can let them carry it Doth Satan put in doth the World court thee Doth sin sue for thy heart Why were these crucified for thee 1 Cor. 1. 13. O Christian love and serve the Lord whilst thou hast a Being Do not even the Publicans love those that love them And shew kindness to them that are kind to them Mat. 5. 46 47. 3. The Instrument is either Personal or Real The personal is the Ministry I have begotten you to Christ through the Gospel 1 Cor. 4. 15. Christ's Ministers are they that are sent to open mens eyes and to turn them to God Acts 26. 18. O unthankful World little do you know what you are doing while you are persecuting the Messengers of the Lord. These are they whose business is under Christ to save you Whom have you reproached and blasphemed Against whom you have exalted your voice and lifted your eyes on high Isa. 37. 23. These are the servants of the most high God that shew unto you the way of salvationâ— Acts 16. 17. and do you thus requite them O foolish and unwise Deut. 32. 6. O Sons of ingratitude against whom do you sport your selves against whom make you a wide mouth and draw out the tongue Isa. 57. 34. These are the Instruments that God useth to convert and save you and do you spit in the face of your Physicians and throw your Pilots over-board Father forgive them for they know not what they do The Instrument Real is the word We were begotten by the word of truth This is it that enlightens the eyes that converteth the soul Psal. 19. 7 8. that maketh wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. This is the incorruptible seed by which we are born again 1 Pet. 1. 23. If we are washed 't is by the word Eph. 5. 26. if we are sanctified 't is through the truth Iohn 17. 17. This generates faith and regenerates us Rom. 10. 17. Iam. 1. 18. O ye Saints how should you love the word for by this you have been converted O ye sinners how should you ply the Word For by this you must be converted No other ordinary means but this You that have felt its renewing power make much of it while you live be for ever thankful for it Tie it about your Necks write it upon your hands lay it in your bosoms Prov. 6. 21 22. When you go let it lead you when you sleep let it keep you when you wake let it talk with you Say with holy David I will never forget thy precepts for by them hast thou quickened me Psal. 119. 93. You that are unconverted read the word with diligence flock to it where powerfully preached fill the porches as the multitude of the impotent blind halt withered waiting for the moving of the water Iohn 5. 3. Pray for the coming of the spirit in the word Come off thy knees to the sermon and come to thy knees from the Sermon The seed doth not prosper because not watered by prayers and tears nor covered by meditation 4. The final cause is mans salvation and Gods glory We are chosen through sanctification to salvationâ— 2 Thes. 2. 13. Called that we might be glorified Rom. 8. 30. but especially that God might be glorified Isa. 60. 21. that we should shew forth his praises 1â— Pet. 2. 9 and be fruitful in good works Col. 1. 10. O Christian do not forget the end of thy Calling let thy light shine Mat. 5. 16. Let thy Lamp burn let thy Fruits be good and many and in season Psal. 1. 3. Let all thy designs fall in
mine iniquity and am by Nature a Son of Death and a thousand-fold more the Child of Hell by my wicked practice But of thine infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to Thee with all my Heart Therefore upon the Call of thy Gospel I am now come in and throwing down my weapons submit my self to thy Mercy And because thou requirest as the Condition of my Peace with Thee that I should put away mine Idols and be at defiance with all thine Enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against Thee I here from the bottom of my heart renounce them all firmly Covenanting with thee not to allow my self in any known sin but conscientiously to use all the means that I know thou hast prescribed for the death and utter destruction of all my corruptions And whereas I have formerly inordinately and idolatrously let out my affections upon the World I do here resign up my heart to Thee that madest it humbly protesting before thy Glorious Majesty that it is the firm resolution of my heart and that I do unfeignedly desire Grace from Thee that when thou shalt call me hereunto I may practise this my resolution through thy assistance to forsake all that is dear unto me in this world rather than to turn from thee to the ways of sin and that I will watch against all its temptations whether of Prosperity or Adversity lest they should withdraw my heart from thee beseeching thee also to help me against the temptations of Satan to whose wicked Suggestions I resolve by thy grace never to yield my self a Servant And because my own righteousness is but menstruous rags◠I renounce all confidence therein and acknowledge that I am of my self a hopeless helpless undone creature without righteousness or strength And forasmuch as thou hast of thy bottomless Mercy offered most graciously to me wretched sinner to be again my God through Christ if I would accept of thee I call Heaven and Earth to record this day that I do here solemnly avouch thee for the Lord my God and with all possible veneration bowing the neck of my Soul under the feet of thy most Sacred Majesty I do here take thee Lord Iehovah Father Son and Holy Ghost for my Portion and chief good and to give up my self Body and Soul for thy Servant promising and vowing to serve thee in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of my life And since thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ the only means of coming unto thee I do here upon the bended knees of my Soul accept of him as the only new and living way by which sinners may have access to thee and do here solemnly joyn my self in Marriage Covenant to him O Blessed Jesus I come to thee hungry and hardly bested poor and wretched and miserable and blind and naked a most loathsom polluted wretch a guilty condemned Malefactor unworthy for ever to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord much more to be solemnly married to the King of Glory but sith such is thine unparallel'd love I do here with all my power accept thee and do take thee for my Head and Husband for better for worse for richer for poorer for all times and conditions to love honour and obey thee before all others and this to the death I embrace thee in all thine offices I renounce mine own worthiness and do here avow thee to be the Lord my Righteousness I renounce mine own wisdom and do here take thee for mine only guide I renounce mine own Will and take thy◠Will for my Law. And since thou hast told me that I must suffer if I will reign I do here Covenant with thee to take my Lot as it falls with thee and by thy grace assisting to run all hazards with thee verily supposing that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me And because thou hast been pleased to give me thy holy laws as the rule of my life and the way in which I should walk to thy Kingdom I do here willingly put my Neck under thy Yoak and set my shoulder to thy burden and subscribing to all thy Laws as holy iust and good I solemnly take them as the rule of my words thoughts and actions promising that though my flesh contradict and rebel yet I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction and will not allow my self in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty Only because through the frailty of my flesh I am subject to many failings I am bold humbly to protest That unallowed miscarriages contrary to the setled bent and resolution of my heart shall not make void this Covenant for so thou hast said Now Almighty God searcher of hearts thou knowest that I make this Covenant with thee this day without any known guile or reservation beseeching thee that if thou espiest any flaw or falshood therein thou wouldst discover it to me and help me to do it aright And now glory be to thee O God the Father whom I shall be bold from this day forward to look upon as my God and Father that ever thou shouldst find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners Glory be to thee O God the Son who hast loved me and washed me from my sins in thine own Blood and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer Glory be to thee O God the Holy Ghost who by the finger of thine Almighty Power hast turned about my Heart from Sin to God. O dreadful Iehovah the Lord God Omnipotent Father Son and Holy Ghost thou art now become my Covenant friend and I through thine infinite Grace am become thy Covenant Servant Amen So be it And the Covenant which I have made on Earth let it be ratified in Heaven The AUTHORS Advice THis Covenant I advise you to make not only in Heart but in Word not only in Word but in Writing and that you would with all possible reverence spread the Writing before the Lord as if you would present it to him as your Act and Deed. And when you have done this set your hand to it Keep it 〈◊〉 a Memorial of the Solemn Transactions that have passed between God and you that you may have recourse to it in Doubts and Temptations Direct XI Take heed of delaying thy Conversion and set upon a speedy and present turning I made haste and delayed not Psal. 119. 60. Remember and tremble at the sad instance of the foolish Virgins that came not till the door of mercy was shut Mat. 25. and of a convinced Felix that put off Paul to another season and we never find that he had such a season more Acts 24. 25. O come in while it is called to day lest thou shouldst be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin lest thy day of grace should be over and the things that
but appretiates not the person of Christ. He divides the offices and benefits of Christ. This is an error in the foundation Whoso loveth life let him beware here 'T is an undoing mistake of which you have been often warned and yet none more common Jesus is a sweet name but men love not the Lord Jesus in sincerity Eph. 6. 24. They will not have him as God offers To be a Prince and a Saviour Acts 5. 31. They divide what God hath joyned the King and the Priest. Yea they will not accept the Salvation of Christ as he intends it they divide it here Every man's vote is for Salvation from suffering but they desire not to be saved from sinning They would have their lives saved but withall they would have their lusts Yea many divide here again they would be content to haâ—e some of their sins destroyed but they cannot leave the lap of Dalilah or divorce the beloved Herodias They cannot be cruel to the right eye or right hand the Lord must pardon them in this thing 2 Kings 5. 18. Oh be infinitely tender here your souls lie upon it The sound Convert takes a whole Christ and takes him for all intents and purposes without exceptions without limitations without reserves He is willing to have Christ upon his terms upon any terms He is willing of the dominion of Christ as well as deliverance by Christ he saith with Paul Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. Any thing Lord. He sends the blank to Christ to set down his own Conditions Acts 2. 37. Acts 16. 30. The less Principal is the Laws Ordinances and ways of Christ. The heart that was once set against these and could not endure the strictness of these bonds the severity of these ways now falls in love with them and chuses them as its rule and guide for ever Psalm 119. 111 12. Four things I observe God doth work in every sound Convert with reference to the Laws and Ways of Christ by which you may come to know your estates if you will be faithful to you own souls and therefore keep your eyes upon your hearts as you go along 1. The Iudgment is brought to approve of them and subscribe to them as most righteous and most reasonable Psal 119. 112 128 137 138. The mind is brought to like the ways of God and the corrupt prejudices that were once against them as unreasonable and intolerable are now removed The understanding assents to them all as holy just and good Rom. 7. 12. How is David taken up with these excellencies of Gods Laws How doth he expatiate in their praises both from their inherent qualities and admirable effects Psalm 19. 8 9 10 c. There is a twofold judgment of the understanding Iudicium absolutum comparatum The absolute judgment is when a man thinks such a course best in the general but not for him or not under the present Circumstances he is in pro hic nunc Now a godly mans judgment is for the ways of God and that not only the absolute but comparative judgment he thinks them not only best in general but best for him He looks upon the rules of Religion not only as tolerable but desireable yea more desireable than gold fine gold yea much fine gold Psalm 19. 10. His judgments are setledly determined that 't is best to be holy that 't is best to be strict that it is in it self the most eligible course and that 't is for him the wisest and most rational and desireable choice Hear the godly mans judgment I know O Lord that thy judgments are right I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above fine Gold I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way Psalm 119. 127 128. Mark he did approve of all that God required and disallowed of all that he forbad Righteous O Lord and upright are thy judgments Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful Thy word is true from the beginning and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever Psalm 119. 86 160. 162 163. See how readily and fully he subscribes he declares his assent and consent to it and all and every thing therein contained 2. The desire of the heart is to know the whole mind of Christ Psalm 119. 124 125 169. Psalm 25. 4 5. He would not have one sin undiscovered nor be ignorant of one duty required 'T is the natural and earnest breathing of a sanctified heart Lord if there be any way of wickedness in me do thou discover it What I know not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do it no more The unsound is willingly ignorant 2 Pet. 3. 5. loves not to come to the light Iohn 3. 20. He is willing to keep such or such a sin and therefore is loth to know it to be a sin and will not let in the light at that Window Now the gracious heart is willing to know the whole latitude and compass of his makers Law Psalm 119. 18 19 27 33 64 66 68 78 108 124. He receives with all acceptation the word that convinceth him of any duty that he knew not or minded not before or discovered any sin that lay hid before Psalm 119. 11. 3. The free and resolved choice of the will is determined for the ways of Christ before all the pleasures of sin and prosperitys of the World Psalm 119. 103 127 162. His consent is not extorted by some extremity of anguish nor is it only a sudden and hasty resolve but he is deliberately purposed and comes off freely in the choice Psalm 17. 3. Psal. 119. 30. True the Flesh will rebel yet the prevailing part of his Will is for Christ's Laws and Government so that he takes them not up as his toil or burden but his bliss 1 Iohn 5. 3. Psalm 119. 60 72. When the unsanctified goes in Christs ways as in Chains and Fetters he doth them naturally Psalm 40. 8. Ier. 31. 33. and counts Christs Law his Liberty Psalm 119. 32 45. Iames 1. 25. He is willing in the beauties of holiness Psalm 110. 3. and hath this inseparable Mark. That he had rather if he might have his choice live a strict and holy life than the most prosperous and flourishing life in the world 1 Sam. 10. 26. There went with Saul a band of men whose hearts God had touched When God touches the heart of his chosen they presently follow Christ Mat. 4. 22. and tho drawn do freely run after himâ— Cant. 1. 4. and willingly offer themselves to the service of the Lord 2 Chron. 7. 16. seeking him with their whole desire 2 Chron. 15. 15. Fear hath its use but this is not the main Spring of Motion with a sanctified heart Christ keeps not his Subjects in by force but is King of a willing people They are through his grace freely resolved for his service and do it out
my Liege Soveraign and resolve all my days to pay the tribute of Worship Obedience and Love and Service is thee and to live to thee as the end of my Life This is a right accepting of God. To be short he tells you I am the true and faithful God. If you wiâ—l have me for your God you must be content to trust me 2 Tim. 1. 12. Prov. 3. 5. Will you venture your selves upon my word and depend on my faithfulness and take my bond for your security Will you be content to follow me in poverty and reproach and affliction here and to see much going out and little coming in and to tarry till the next world for your preferment Mat. 9. 21. I deal much upon trust will you be content to labour and suffer and to tarry for your returns till the Resurrection of the Just Luke 14. 14. The womb of my Promise will not presently bring forth will you have the patience to wait Heb. 10. 36. Now Beloved what say you to this Will you have this God for your God Will you be content to live by faith and trust him for an unseen happiness an unseen heaven an unseen glory Do your hearts answer Lord we will venture our selves upon thee we commit our selves to thee We roll upon thee we know whom we have trusted we are willing to take thy word we will prefer thy promises before our own possessions and the hopes of Heaven before all the enjoyments of the Earth We will wait thy leisure What thou wilt here so that we may have but thy faithful promise for Heaven hereafter If you can in truth and upon deliberation thus accept of God he will be yours Thus there must be in a right conversion to God a closing with him suitable to his excellencies But when men close with his mercy but yet love sin hating holiness and purity or will take him for their Benefactor but not for their Soveraign or for their Patron but not for their Portion this is no thorow and no sound Conversion Direct VII Accept of the Lord Iesus in all his Offices with all his inconveniences as thine Upon these terms Christ may be had Sinner thou hast undone thy self and art plunged into the Ditch of most deplorable misery out of which thou art never able to climb up But Jesus Christ is able and ready to help thee and he freely tenders himself to thee Heb. 7. 25. Iohn 3. 36. Be thy sins never so many never so great of never so long continuance yet thou shalt be most certainly pardoned and saved if thou dost not wretchedly neglect the offer that in the name of God is here made unto thee The Lord Jesus calleth unto thee to look unto him and be saved Isa. 45. 22. to come unto him and he will in no wise cast thee out Iohn 6. 37. Yea he is a suitor to thee and beseecheth thee to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 20. he cryeth in the streets he knocketh at thy door he wooeth thee to accept of him and live with him Prov. 1. 20. Rev. 2. 30. If thou diest 't is because thou wouldst not come to him for life Iohn 5. 40. Now accept of an offered Christ and thou art made for ever Now give up thy consent to him and the match is made all the world cannot hinder it Do not stand off because of thine unworthiness Man I tell thee nothing in all the world can undo thee but thine unwillingnessâ— Speak man art thou willing of the match Wilt thou have Christ in all his celations to be thine thy King thy Priest thy Prophet Wilt thou have him with all his inconveniences Take not Christ hand over head but sit down first and count the cost Wilt thou lay all at his feet Wilt thou be content to run all hazards with him Wilt thou take thy lot with him fall where it will Wilt thou deny thy self take up thy Cross and follow him Art thou deliberately understandingly freely fixedly determined to â—â—eave to him in all times and conditions If so my soul for thine thou shalt never perish Iohn 3. 16. but art passed from death to life Here lies the main point of thy salvation that thou be found in thy covenant-closure with Jesus Christ and therefore if thou love thy self see that thou be faithful to God and thy soulâ— ere Direct VIII Resign up all thy powers and faculties and thy whole interest to be his They gave their own selves unto the Lord 2 Cor. 8. 5. Present your bodies as a living Sacrifice Rom. 12. 1. The Lord seeks not yours but you Resing therefore thy body with all its members to him and thy soul with all its powers that he may be glorified in thy body and in thy spirit which are his 1 Cor. 6. 20. In a right closure with Christ all the faculties give up to him The Judgment subscribes Lord thou â—t worthy of all acceptation chief of ten thousand Happy is the man that finâ—eth thee All the things that are to be desired are not to be compared with thee Prov. 3. 13 14 15. The understanding lays aside its corrupt reasonings and cavils and its prejudices against Christ and his ways It is now past questioning and disputing and casts it for Christ against all the World. It concludes it 's good to be here and sees such a treasure in this field such value in this pearl as is worth all Mat. 13. 44. Oh here 's the richest bargain that ever I made here 's the richest prize that ever man was offereâ— here 's the sovereignest remedy that ever mercy prepared he is worthy of my esteem worthy of my choice worthy of my love worthy to be embraved 〈…〉 admired for ever more Rev. 5. 12. I approve of his 〈◊〉 his terms are rightteous reasonable full of equity and mercy Again the will resigns It stands no longer wavering nor wishing and woulding but is peremptorily determin'd Lord thy love hath overcome me thâ—â— hâ—st won me and thou shalt have me Come in Lord to thee I freely open I consent to be saved in thine own way thou shalt have any thing thou shall have all let me have but thee The memory gives up to Christ Lord here is a store-house for thee Out with this trash lay in thy treaâ—ure Let me be a granary a repositorâ— of thy truths thy promises thy providences The Conscience comes in Lord I will ever side with thee I will be thy faithful Register I will warn when the sinner is tempted and smite when thou art offended I will witness for thee and judge for thee and guide into thy ways and will never let sin have quiet in this soul. The affections also come in to Christ. O saith love I am sick of thee O saith desire now I have my longing Here 's the satisfaction I sought for Here 's the desire of Nations Here 's bread for me and balm for me all that I want Fear bows the knee with
should never know it while I live yet I beseech thee Lord God let it be found at that day that some souls are converted by these labours and let some be able to stand â—â—râ—h and say that by these â—ersâ—asions they were won unto thee Amen Amen Let him that reade hsay Amen Mr. Alleine's Counsel for Personal and Family-godliness BEloved I despair of ever bringing you to salvation without sanctification Or possessing you of happiness without perswading you to holiness God knows I have not the least hope ever to see one of your faces in Heaven except you be converted and sanctified and exercise your selves unto godliness I beseech you study personal godliness and family-godliness 1. Personal godliness Let it be your first care to set up Christ in your hearts See that you make all your worldly interests to stoop to him that you be entirely and unreservedly devoted unto him If you wilfully and deliberately and ordinarily harbour any sin you are undone Psal 68. 21. Ezek. 18. 20. See that you unfeignedly take the Laws of Christ as the rule of your words thoughts and actions and subject your whole man members and mind faithfully to him Psal. 119. 34. Rom. 6. 13. If you have not a true respect to all Gods Commandments you are unsound at heart Psal. 119. 6. Oh study to get the Image and impress of Christ upon you within Begin with your hearts else you build without a foundation Labour to get a saving change within or else all external performances will be to no purpose And then study to shew forth the power of godliness in the life Let Piety be your first and great business 'T is the highest point of Justice to give God his due Beware that none of you be a Prayer-less person for that is a most certain discovery of a Christless and a graceless person of one that is a very Stranger to the fear of God. Psal. 14. 4. Iâ—b 15. 4. Suffer not your Bibles to gather dust See that you converse daily with the word Iohn 5. 39. That man can never lay claim to blessedness whose delight is not in the Law of the Lord Psal. 1. 1 2. Let meditation and self-examination be your daily exercise But Piety without Charity is but the half of Christianity or rather impious hypocrisie We may not divide the Tables See therefore that you do Justly and love mercy and let Equity and Charity run like an even thread throughout all your dealings Be you temperate in all things and let Chastity and Sobriety be your undivided companions Let Truth and Purity Seriousness and Modesty Heavenliness and Gravity be the constant ornaments of your speech Let patience and humility simplicity and sincerity shine out in all the parts of your conversations See that you forget and forgive wrongs and require them with kindness as you would be found children of the most High. Be merciful in your censures and put the most favourable construction upon your brethrens carriage that their Actions will reasonably bear Be slow in promising punctual in fulfilling Let meekness and innocency affableness yieldingness and courtesie commend your conversations to all men Let none of your relations want that love and loyalty that reverence and duty that tenderness care and vigilancâ— which their several places and capacities call for This is throughout godliness I charge you before the most high God that none of you be fourd a swearer or a lyar a lover of evil company or a scoffer or malicious or covetous or a drunkard or a glutton unrighteous in his dealingâ— unclean in his living or a quarreller or a thief or a backbiter or a railer For I denounce unto you from the living God that destruction and damnation is the end of all such Prov. 13. 20. Iam 5. 12. Rev. 21. 8. 1. Cor. 6. 9 10 Gal. 5. 19 20 21. 2. Family godliness He that hath set up Christ in his heart will be sure to study to sâ—t him up in his house Let every family with you be a Christian Church 1 Câ—r 16 19. every house a house of prayer let every housholder say with Iâ—shua I and my â—â—â—se wiâ—â— serve the Lord Josh. 24. 15. and resolve with David I will walk within my house with a perfect heart Psal. 101. 2. Let me press upon you a few duties In general First Let Religion be in â—â—â—r families not as a matter by the by to be minded at leisure when the world will give you leave but the standing business of the house Let them have your prayers as duly as their meals Is there any of your families but have time for their taking food wretched man canst thou find time to â—at in and not find time to pray in Secondly Settle in upon your hearts that your souls are bound up in the souls of your family They are committed unto you and if they be lost through your neglect will be required at your hands Sirs if you do not you shall know that the charge of souls is a heavy charge and that the blood of souls is a heavy guilt O man hast thou a charge of souls to answer for and dost thou not yet beâ—tir thy self for them that their blood be not found in thy skirts wilt thou do no more for immortal souls than thou wilt do for thy beasts that perish what dost thou do for thy children and servants thou providest meat and drink for them agreeable to their natures and dost thou not the same for thy beasts thou givest them mediclnes and cherishest them when they be sick and dost thou not as much for thy swine More particularly 1. Let the solemn reading of the word and singing of Psalms be your family exercises Isa. 34. 16. Ioh. 5. 39. Psal. 118. 15. See Christ singing with his family viz. his Disciples Mat. 26. 30 Lu 9. 18. 2. Let every person in your families be duly called to an account of their profiting by the word heard or read as they be about doing your own business This is a duty of consequence unspeakable and would be a means to bring those under your charge to remember and profit by what they receive See Christs example in calling his family to an account Mat. 16 11 13 15. 3. Often take an account of the souls under your care concerning their Spiritual estates Herein you must be followers of Christ. Mat. 13. 10 36 51. â—ark 4 10 11. make inquiry into their conditions insist much upon the sinfulness and misery of their natural estate and upon the necessity of regeneration and conversion in order to their salvation Admonish them gravely of their sins encourage beginnings Follow them earnestly and let them have no quiet for you till you see them in a saving change This is a duty of high consequence but I am afraid fearfully neglected Doth not Conscience say thou art the Man 4. Look to the strict sanctifying of the Sabbath by all your housholds Exod. 20. 19. Lev. 23. 3. Many poor
greatest concernment will not do the Soul any good unless by thinking it apply them and extract their vertue nor will the Spirit heal its lamentable Diseases if his influences be not answer'd with suitable endeavours Work then as he works in and with thee take into most serious consideration whatever is apt to promote thy recovery lay those things closest to heart which are likeliest to cure the hardness thereof inculcate and urge them and withal cry mightily unto him who is able and no less willing to help thee till thou feelest his gentle force and comest to a conquering resolution that thou must and wilt do as thou art advis'd till thou dost not only assent to the course propos'd as fit to be taken but art steadily determin'd that it is best for thee that it is absolutely necessary and must effectually be prosecuted that by the grace of God thou wilt thoroughly change thy heart and life and so escape from the greatest evil and make sure of the chiefest good 3. When thou hast seriously consider'd and resolv'd proceed presently to practise with all thy might and without the least delay 'T is commonly a work of some time to alter the temper of the Soul and change the course of the life and according to God's usual methods the longer thou hast been accustom'd to do evil the more time and pains will be requisite to break the force of stubborn lusts to weaken and subdue vitious habits and to gain those of grace and goodness to travel back the way thou hast gone wrong and to get out of it into the path of life 'T is well then if there be days enough before thee to do the one thing needful to be sure thou art not certain of an hour to spare the loss of so small a part may prove the loss of all Besides if thou putt'st off thy reformation though but for a little while 't is a sign thou dost not really intend it at all for thou purposest against conviction to add sin to sin at present and how can that consist with an hearty design of growing good afterward Delude not therefore thy self with such a desperate cheat but imitate the Royal Psâ—lmist When thou hast thought on thy ways turn thy feet unto Gods testimonies Make haste and delay not to keep his Commandments 4. Remember that conversion unto God is but the beginning of thy duty that thou must afterward obey him all the days of thy life and that there is no other way to preserve an interest in his favour and a right to the great expressions thereof They are the largest and the last discoveries of Divine Grace that teach thee to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world and so doing to look for the blessed Object of thy hope they plainly enough warn thee against drawing back unto perdition they threaten a final rejection if thou deniest thy Saviour in words or works and they oft direct and command thee to seek for glory and honour and immortality by patient continuance in well-doing to be faith ful unto death whatever it cost thee that thy Lord may give thee a crown of life These may seem hard sayings but they contain nothing like a reasonable discouragement There 's misery more than enough in Hell to necessitate a prevention by any temporary labours wants and suffâ—rings and an abundantly sufficient happiness in Heaven to encourage a stedfast perseverance in the work of the Lord though it were more harsh and grievous than sinners imagine And even at present Religion is not without a reward yea thou wilt find it if thou triest as thou shouldst a reward to it self when the main difficulties at first are over thy duty will grow daily easier it will have many pleasures mixed with it and become at length it self the greatest It will not abridge thy appetites of any desirable gratifications but give them a new delicious relish of the Fountain from which they flow Instead of the girds and twinges of a bad Conscience and dread of an after-reckoning 't will settle peace within and fill thee with comfortable reflections and joyful hopes and a loving thankful praising obedience will by degrees become thy sweetest employment Therein thou may'st draw still nearer to God delight thy self in and receive from him the desires of thine heart thou may'st walk always in the light of his countenance and feed on his loving kindness which is better than life In short before thou ascendest to Heaven thou may'st be in an Heaven on Earth and find by happy experience that the way to have all thou canst wish hereafter is to be and do what is best for thy self here Useful Questions whereby a Christian may every day examine himself Psal. 4. 4. Commune with your heart upon your beds EVery Evening before you sleep unless you find some other time of the day more for your advantage in this work sequester your self from the World and having set your heart in the presence of the Lord charge it before God to answer to these Interrogatories For your Duties Q. 1. Did not God find me on my Bed when he looked for me on my knees Job 1. 5. Psal. 5. 3. Q. 2. Have not I prayed to no purpose or suffered wandring thoughts to eat out my duties Mat. 15. 8 9. Jer. 12. 2. Q. 3. Have not I neglected or been very overly in the reading Gods holy word Deut. 17. 19. Josh. 1. 7 8. Q. 4. Have I digested the Sermon I heard last Have I repeated it over and prayed it over Luke 2. 19 51. Psal. 1. 2. and 119. 5 11 97. Q. 5. Was there not more of custom and fashion in my family-duties than of Conscience Psal. 101. 2. Jer 30. 21. Q. 6. Where in have I denied my self this day for God Luke 9. 23. Q. 7. Have I redeemed my time from too long or needless visits idle imaginations fruitless discourse unnecessary sleep more than needs of the World Eph. 5. 16. Col. 4. 5. Q. 8. Have I done any thing more than ordinary for the Church of God in this time extraordinary 2 Cor. 11. 28. Isa. 62. 6. Q. 9. Have I look care of my company Prov. 13. 20. Psal. 119. 63. Q. 10. Have not Ineglected or done something against the duties of my Relations as a Master Servant Husband Wife Parent Child c. Eph. 5. 22. to chap. 6. V. 10. Col. 3. 18. to the 4. V. 2. For your Sins Q. 1. Doth not sin sit light Psal. 38. 4. Rom. 7. 24. Q. 2. Am I a mourner for the sins of the Land Ezek. 9. 4. Jer. 9. 1 2 3. Q. 3. Do I live in nothing that I know or fear to be a sin Psal. 119. 101 104. For your Heart Q. 1. Have I been much in holy Ejaculations Neh. 2. 4 5. Q. 2. Hath not God been out of mind Heaven out of sight Psal. 16. 8 Jer. 2. 32. Col. 3. 1 2. Q. 3. Have
refresh my bowels in the Lord. If there be any consolation in Christ any comfort of love any fellowship of the Spirit any bowels and mercies fulfil you my joy Now give your selves unto the Lord 2 Cor. 8. 5. Now set your selves to seek him Now set up the Lord Jesus in your heares and set him up in your houses Now come in and kiss the Son Psal. 2. 12. and embrace the tenders of mercy Touch his Scepter and live why will you die I beg not for my self but fain I would have you happy This is the prize I run for and the white I aim at My soul's desire and prayer for you is that you may be saved Rom. 10. 1. The famous Lycurgus having instituted most strict and wholesom Laws for his people told them he was necessitated to go a Journey from themâ— and got them to bind themselves in an Oath that his Laws should be observed till his return This done he went into a voluntary banishment and never returned more that they might by vertue of their Oath be engaged to the perpetual observing of his Laws Methinks I should be glad of the hard conditions which he endured though I love you tenderly so I might but hereby engage you throughly to the Lord Jesus Christ. Dearly beloved would you rejoyce the heart of your Minister Why then embrace the Counsels of the Lord by me forgo your sins set to prayer up with the Worship of God in your families keep at a distance from the corruptions of the times What greater joy to a Minister than to hear of souls born unto Christ by him and that his Children walk in the truth 2 Iohn 4. Brethren I beseech you suffer friendly plainness and freedom with you in your deepest concernments I am not playing the Orator to make a learned speech to you nor dressing my dish with eloquence wherewith to please you These lines are upon a weighty errand indeed viz. to convince and convert and to save you I am not baiting my hook with Rhetorick nor fishing for your applause but for your souls My work is not to please you but to save you nor is my business with your fancies but your hearts If I have not your hearts I have nothing If I were to please your ears I could sing another song If I were to preach my self I would steer another course I could then tell you a smoother tale I would make you pillows and speak you peace for how can Ahab love this Micaiah that always prophesies evil concerning him 1 Kings 22. 8. But how much better are the wounds of a Friend than the fair speeches of the Harlot who flattereth with her lips till the Dart strike through the liver and hunteth for the precious life Prov. 7. 21 22 23. and Prov. 6. 26. If I were to quiet a crying infant I might sing him to a pleasant mood and rock him asleep But when the Child is fallen into the Fire the parent takes another course he will not go to still him with a song or trifle I know if we speed not with you you are lost If we cannot get your consent to arise and come away you perish for ever No Conversion and no Salvation I must get your good will or leave you miserable But here the difficulty of my work again recurs upon me Lord choose my stones out of the Rocks 1 Sam. 17. 40 45. I come in the name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the Armies of Israel I come forth like the stripling Goliah to wrestle not with flesh and blood but with Principalities and Powers and the Rulers of the darkness of this world Eph. 6. 12. This day let the Lord smite the Philistine and spoil the strong man of his Armour and give me to fetch off the captives out of his hand Lord choose my words choose my weapons for me and when I put my hand into the bag and take thence a stone and sling it do thou carry it to the mark and make it sink not into the forehead 1 Sam. 17. 49. but the heart of the unconverted sinner and smite him to the ground with Saul in his so happy fall Acts 9. 4. Thou hast sent me as Abraham did Eliezer to take a wife unto my master thy Son Gen. 24. 4. But my discouraged soul is ready to fear the woman will not be willing to follow me O Lord God of my Master I pray thee send me good speed this day and shew kindness to my Master and send thine Angel before me and prosper my way that I may take a wife unto thy son Gen. 24. 12. That as the servant rested not till he had brought Isaac and Rebekah together so I may be successful to bring Christ and the souls of my people together before we part But I turn me unto you Some of you do not know what I mean by conversion and in vain shall I persuade you to that which you do not understand and therefore for your sakes I shall shew what this Conversion is Others do cherish secret hopes of mercy though they continue as they be and for them I must shew the necessity of Conversion Others are like to harden themselves with a vain conceit that they are converted already unto them I must shew the marks of the unconverted Others because they feel no harm fear none and so sleep upon the top of the mast to them I shall shew the misery of the unconverted Others sit still because they see not their way out to them I shall shew the means of conversion And finally for the quickening of all I shall close with the motives of Conversion Chap I. Shewing the Negative what Conversion is not and correcting some mistakes about it LET the blind Samaritans worship they know not what Ioh. 4. 22. Let the Heathen Athenians superscribe their Altar unto the unknown God Acts 17. 23. Let the guileful Papists commend the mother of destruction Hos. 4. 6. for the mother of devotion they that know mans constitution and the nature of the reasonable soulsâ— operation cannot but know that the understanding having the Empire in the soul he that will go rationally to work must labour to let in the light here Ignorantiâ— non est consensus And therefore that you may not mistake me I shall shew you what I mean by the conversion I persâ—â—de you to endeavour after It is storied that when Iupiter let down the golden Chaplets from Heaven all of them but one were stolen Whereupon lest they should lose a relique of so great esteem they made five others so like it that if any were so wickedly minded as to steal that also they should not be able to discern which was it And truly my belâ—ved the Devil hath made many counterfeits of this Conversion and cheats one with this and another with that and such a craft and artifice he hath in this mystery of deceits that if it were possible he would deceive the
with Gods that he may be magnified in thee Phil. 1. 20. Why should God repent that he hath made thee a Christian as in the time of the old world that he made them men Gen. 6. 6. Why shouldst thou be an eye-sore in his Orchard Luke 7. by thy unfruitfulness or a son that causeth shame as it were a grief to thy father and a bitterness to her that bare thee Prov. 17 25. Prov. 10. 5. O let the Womb bless thee that bare thee Prov. 17. 21. He that begets a fool doth it to his sorrow and the father of a fool hath no joy 5. The subject is the elect sinner and that in all his parts and powers members and mind Whom God predestinates them only he calls Rom. 8. 30. None are drawn to Christ by their calling nor come to him by believing but his Sheep those whom the father hath given him Iohn 6. 37 44. Effectual calling runs parallel with eternal election 2 Pet. 1. 10. Thou beginnest at the wrong end if thou disputest first about thine election Prove thy Conversion and then never doubt of thine election Or canst thou not yet prove it Set upon a present and thorough turning Whatever God's purposes be which are secret I am sure his promises are plain How desperately do rebels argue If I am elected I shall be saved do what I will if not I shall be damned do what I can Perverse sinner wilt thou begin where thou shouldest end Is not the word before thee What saith it Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted suâ— Acts 3. 19. If you mortifie the deeds of the body you shall live Rom. 8. 13. Believe and be saved Acts 16. 31. What can be plainer Do not stand still disputing about thine election but set to repenting and believing Cry to God for converting grace Revealed things belong to thee in these busie thy self 'T is just as one well said that they that will not feed on the plain food of the word should be choaked with the bones Whatever Gods purposes be I am sure his promises be true Whatever the decrees of Heaven be I am sure that if I repent and believe I shall be saved and that if I repent not I shall be damned Is not here plain ground for thee and wilt thou yet run upon the rocks More particularly this change of conversion passes throughout in the whole subject A carnal person may have some Shreds of good morality a little near the list but he is never good throughout the whole cloth the whole body of Holiness and Christianity Feel him a little further near the ridge and you shall see him to be but a deceitful piece Conversion is not repairing of the old building but it takes all down and erects a new structure it is not the putting in a patch or sowing on a list of holiness but with the true convert holiness is woven into all his powers principles and practice The sincere Christian is quite a new fabrick from the foundation to the Top-stone all fire-new He is a new man Eph. 4. 24. a new creature All things are become new 2 Cor. 5. 17. Conversion is a deep work a heart work Acts 2. 37. and 6. 14. it turns all upside down and makes a man be in a new world It goes throughout with Men throughout the Mind throughout the Members throughout the Motions of the whole Life 1. Throughout the Mind It makes an universal change within First it turns the ballance of the judgment so that God and his Glory do weigh down all carnal and worldly interest Acts 20. 24. Phil. 1. 20. Psal. 73. 25. It opens the eye of the mind and makes the Scales of its Native Ignorance to fall off and turns men from darkness to light Acts 26. 18. Eph. 5. 8. 1 Pet. 2. 9. The man that before saw no danger in his condition now concludes himself lost and for ever undone Acts 2. 37. except renewed by the power of Grace He that formerly thought there was little hurt in sin now comes to see it to be the chief of evils he sees the unreasonableness unrighteousness the deformity and filthiness that is in sin so that he is affrighted with it loaths it dreads it flies it and even abhors himself for it Rom. 7. 15. Iob 42. 6. Ezek. 36. 31. He that could see little sin in himself and could find no matter for confession as it was said of that learned Ignoramus Bellarmine who it seems while he knew so much abroad was a miserable stranger to himself that when he was to be confessed by the Priest could not remember any thing to confess but was fain to run back to the sins of his youth I say he that could not find matter for confession unless it were some few gross and staring evils now sin reviveth with him Rom. 7. 9. he sees the rottenness of his heart and desperate and deep pollution of his whole nature he cries unclean unclean Lev. 13. 45. Lord purge me with Hyssop wash me throughly create in me a new heart Psal. 51. 2 7 10. He sees himself altogether become filthy Psal. 14. 3. corrupt both root and tree Mat. 7. 17 18. he writes unclean upon all his parts and powers and performances Isa. 64. 6. Rom. 7. 18. He discovers the nasty corners that he was never aware of and sees the blasphemy and theft and murder and adultery that is in his heart which before he was ignorant of Heretofore he saw no form nor comliness in Christ no beauty that he should desire him but now he finds the hid treasure and will sell all to buy this field Christ is the pearl he seeks sin the puddle he loaths Now according to this new light the man is of another mind another judgment than before he was Now God is all with him he hath none in Heaven nor in Earth like him Psal. 73. 25. He prefers him truly before all the World his favour is his life the light of his Countenance is more than Corn or Wine and Oyl the good that he formerly enquired after and set his heart upon Psal. 4. 6 7. Now let all the world be set on one side and God alone on the other Let the Harlot put on her paint and gallantry and present her self to the soul as when Satan would have tempted our Saviour with her in all the glory of her Kingdoms yet the soul will not fall down and worship her but will prefer a naked yea a crucified persecuted Christ before her Phil. 3. 8. 1 Cor. 2. 2. Not but that a Hypocrite may come to yield a general assent to this that God is the chief good yea the wiser Heathens some few of them have at last stumbled upon this but there is a difference between the absolute and comparative judgment of the understanding No hypocrite comes so far as to look upon God as the most desirable and suitable good to him and thereupon to acquiesce in
3. 24. Satan may sometimes catch his foot in a Trap but he will no longer be a willing Captive He watches against the Snares and Baits of Satan and studies to be acquainted with his devices He is very suspicious of his Plots and is very jealous in what comes athwart him lest Satan should have some design upon him He wrestles against Principalities and Powers Eph. 6. He entertains the Messenger of Satan as men do the Messenger of Death He keeps his Eye upon his Enemy 1 Pet. 5. 8. and watches in his duties lest Satan should put in his Foot. Thirdly The World. Before a sound faith a man is overcome of the World. Either he bows down to Mammon or idolizes his reputation or is a lover of pleasure more than a lover of God 2 Tim. 3. 4. Here 's the root of Mans misery by the fall he is turned aside to the Creature instead of God and gives that esteem confidence and affection to the Creature that is due to him alone Rom. 1. 25. Mat. 10. 37. Prav 18. 11. Ier. 17. 5. O miserable Man What a deformed Monster hath sin made thee God made thee little lower than the Angels Sin little better than the Devils Iohn 6. 70. and 8. 44. a Monster that hath his Head and Heart where his Feet should be and his Feet kicking against Heaven and every thing out of place the World that was formed to serve thee is come to rule thee and the deceitful Harlot hath bewitched thee with her enchantments and made thee bow down and serve her But converting Grace sets all in order again and puts God in the Throne and the world at his Footstool Psal. 73. 25. Christ in the heart and the World under Feet Eph. 3. 17. Rev. 12. 1. So Paul I am crucified to the World and the World to me Gal. 6. 14. Before this change all the cry was Who will shew us any worldly good but now he sings another tune Lord list thou up the light of thy Countenance upon me and take the Corn and Wine whoso will Psal. 4. 6 7. Before his hearts delight and content was in the World then the Song was Soul take thine ease eat drink and be merry thou hast much Goods laid up for many Years but now all this is withered and there is no comliness that he should desire it and he tunes up with the sweet Psalmist of Israel The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance the Lines are fallen to me in a fair place and I have a goodly heritage He blesses himself and boasts himself in God Psal. 34. 2. Lam. 3. 24. nothing else can give him conâ—ent He hath written Vanity and Vexation upon all his Worldly Enjoyments Eccles. 1. 2. and loss and dung upon all humane Excellencies Phil. 3. 7 8. He hath life and immortality now in chase Rom. 2. 7. he trades for grace and glory and hath a Crown incorruptible in pursuit 1 Cor. 9. 25. His Heart is set in him to seek the Lord 1 Chron. 22. 19. and 2 Chron. 15. 15. He first seeks the Kingdom of Hearen and the Righteousness thereof and Religion is no longer a matter by the by with him but the main of his care Mat. 6. 33. Psalm 27. 4. Now the gawdy Idol is become Nehushtan 2 Kin. 18. 4. and he gets up and treads upon it as Diogenes trampling on Plato's hangings saying Calco Platonis fastum Before the World had the swaying interest with him â— he would do more for gain than godliness 1 Tim. 6. 6. more to pleasure his friend or his flesh than to please the God that made him and God must stand by till the world were first served but now all must stand by he hates father and mother and life and all in comparison of Christ Luke 1. 26. Well then pause a little and look within Doth not this nearly concern thee Thou pretendest for Christ but doth not the world sway thee Dost thou not take more real delight and content in the world than in him Dost not thou find thy self better at ease when the World goes to thy mind and thou art encompassed with carnal delights than when retired to prayer and meditat on in thy closet or attending upon God's Word and Worship No surer Evidence of an unconverted State than to have the things of the World uppermost in our aims love and estimation Iohn 2. 15. Iames 4. 4. With the sound convert Christ hath the supremacy How dear is this name to him How precious is its savour Cant. 1. 3. Psal. 54. 8. The name of Jesus is engraven upon his heart Gal. 4. 19. and lies as a bundle of Myrrh between his Breasts Cant. 1. 13 14. Honour is but air and laughter is but madness and Mammon is fallen like Dagon before the Ark with hands and head broken off on the threshold when once Christ is savingly revealed Here is the pearl of great price to the true Convert here is his treasure here is his hope Mat. 13. 44 45. This is his glory my beloved is mine and I am his Gal. 6. 14. Cant. 2. 16. O 't is sweeter to him to be able to say Christ is mine than if he could say the kingdom is mine the Indians are mine Fourthly Your own Righteousness Before Conversion Man seeks to cover himself with his own Fig-leaves Phil. 3. 6 7. and to lick himself whole with his own Duties Mic. 6. 6 7. He is apt to trust in himself Luk. 16. 15. and 18. 9. and set up his own Righteousness and to reckon his Counters for Gold and not submit to the righteousness of God Rom. 10. 3. But Conversion changes his mind now he casts away his filthy Rags and counts his own Righteousness but a menstruous Cloth he casts it off as a Man would the verminous Taâ—ters of a nasty Begger Esay 64. 7. Now he is brought to poverty of Spirit Mat. 5. 3. complains of and condemns himself Rom. 7. and all his inventory is Poor and miserable and wretched and blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. he sees a world of iniquity in his holy things and calls his once idolized Righteousness but flesh I and loss and dogs-meat and would not for a thousand Worlds be found in himself Phil. 3. 4 7 8 9. His finger is ever upon his sores Psal. 51. 3. his sins his wants Now he begins to set a high price upon Christs Righteousness he sees the need of a Christ in every duty to justifie his person and justifie his performances he cannot live without him he cannot pray without him Christ must go with him or else he cannot come into the presence of God he leans upon the hand of Christ and so he bows himself in the house of his God. He sets himself down for a lost undone man without him His life is hid in Christ as the life of man in the heart He is fixed in Christ as the roots of the tree spread in the earth for stability and nutriment
Before the news of a Christ was a stale and sapless thing but now how sweet is a Christ Augustine could not relish his before so much admired Cicero because he could not find the name of Christ how pathetically cries he Dulcissime amantis benignis caris c. quando te videbo quando satiabor de pulchritudine tua Medit. c. 37. O most sweet most loving most kind most dear most precious most desired most lovely most fair c. all in a breath when he speaks of and to his Christ in a word the voice of the Convert is with the Martyr None but Christ. 2. The terms which are either ultimate or Subordinate and Mediate The ultimate is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost whom the true Convert takes as his All-sufficient and eternal blessedness A Man is never truly sanctified till his very heart be in truth set upon God above all things as his portion and chief good These are the natural breathings of a believers heart Thou art my portion Psal. 119. 57. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord Psalm 34. 2. My expectation is from him he only is my rock and my salvation he is my defence in God is my salvation and my glory the Rock of my strength and my Refuge is in God Psalm 62. 1. 2 5 6 7. Psalm 18. 1 2. Would you put it to an issue whether you be converted or not Now then let thy soul and all that is within thee attend Hast thou taken God for thy happiness Where doth the content of thy heart lie Whence doth thy choicest comfort come in Come then and with Abraham lift up thine eyes Eastward and Westward and Northward and Southward and cast about thee what it is that thou wouldst have in Heaven or Earth to make thee happy If God should give thee thy choice as he did to Solomon or should say to thee as Ahashuerus to Esther What is thy petition and what is thy request and it shall be granted thee Esther 5. 3. What wouldst thou ask go into the gardens of pleasure and gather all the fragrant flowers from thence would these content thee Go to the treasures of Mammon suppose thou might'st lade thy self while thou wouldst from hence go to the towers to the trophies of honour what thinkest thou of being a man of renown and having a name like the name of the great men of the earth Would any of this all this suffice thee and make thee count thy self a happy man If so then certainly thou art carnal and unconverted If not go farther wâ—de into the divine excellencies the store of his mercies the hiding of his power the deeps unfathomable of his All-sufficiency Doth this sâ—it thee best and please thee most Dost thou say 'T is good to be here Mat. 17. 4. Here I will pitch here I will live and dye Wilt thou let all the world go rather than this Then 't is well between God and thee Happy art thou O man happy art thou that ever thou wast born If a God can make thee happy thou must needs be happy for thou hast avouched the Lord to be thy God Deut. 26. 17. Dost thou say to Christ as he to us Thy Father shall be my Father and thy God my God John 20. 17. Here is the turning Point An unsound professor never takes up his rest in God but converting grace does the work and so cures the fatal misery of the fall by turning the heart from its idols to the living God 1 Thes. 1. 9. Now says the soul Lord whither should I go Thou hast the words of eternal life Iohn 6. 68. Here he centers here he settles O 't is as the entrance of Heaven to him to see his interest in God When he discovers this he saith Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Psalm 116. 7. and it is even ready to breath out Simons Song Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Luke 2. 29. and saith with Iacob when his old heart revived at the welcome tidings It is enough Gen. 45. 28. When he sees he hath a God in Covenant to go to this is all his salvation and all his desire 2 Sam. 23. 5. Man is this thy case Hast thou experienced this Why then blessed art thou of the Lord. God hath been at work with thee he hath laid hold on thy heart by the power of converting grace or else thou couldst never have done this The Mediate term of Conversion is either Principal or less Principal The Principal is Christ the only Mediator between God and Man 1 Tim. 2. 5. His work is to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. he is the way to the Father Iohn 14. 6. the only plank on which we may escape the only door by which we may enter Iohn 10. 9. Conversion brings over the soul to Christ to accept of him Col. 2. 6. as the only means to life as the only way the only name given under Heaven Acts 4. 12. He looks not for salvation in any other but him nor in any other with him but throws himself on Christ alone as one that should cast himself with spread arms upon the Sea. Here saith the convinced sinner here I will venture and if I perish I perish If I dâ—â— I will die here But Lord suffer me not to perish under the pitiful eyes of thy mercy Intreat me not to leave thee or to turn away from following after thee Ruth 1. 16. Here I will throw my self If thou kick me if thou kill me Job 13. 15. I will not go from thy door Thus the poor soul doth venture on Christ and resolvedly adhere to him Before Conversion the man made light of Christ minded the Farm Friends Merchandise more than Christ Mâ—t. 22. 5. Now Christ is to him as his necessary food his daily bread the life of his heart the staff of his life Phil. 3. 9. His great design is that Christ may be magnified in him Phil. 1. 20. His heart once said as they to the Spouse What is thy Beloved more than another Cant. 5. 9. He found more sweetness in his merry company wicked games earthly delights than in Christ. He took Religion of a fancy and the talk of great enjoyments for an idle dream But now to him to live is Christ. He sets light by all that he accounted precious for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Phil. 3. 8. All of Christ is accepted by the sincere Convert He loves not only the Wages but work of Christ. Ro. 7. 12. not only the benefits but the burden of Christ He is willing not only to tread out the corn but to draw under the yoak he takes up the commands of Christ yea and Cross of Christ Mat. 11. Mat. 16. 24. The unsound closes by the halves with Christ He is all for the Salvation of Christ but he is not for sanctification he is for the priviledges
to offer the Sacrifice of praise for all his fellow creatures Psal. 147. and 148. and 150. The Lord God expecteth a tribute of praise from all his works Psalm 103. 2. now all the rest do bring in their tribute to man and pay it in by his hand So then if man be false and faithless and selfish God is wronged of all and shaâ—l have no active glory from his works O dreadful thought to think of That God should build such a world as this and lay out such infinite power and wisdom and goodness thereupon and all in vain and man should be guilty at last of robbing and Spoiling him of the glory of all O think of this while thou art unconverted all the Offices of the creatures to thee are in vain thy meat nourishes thee in vain the Sun holds forth his light to thee in vain the Stars that serve thee in their courses by their most powerful though hidden influence Iudges 5. 20. Hos. 2. 21 22. do it in vain thy Cloaths warm thee in vain thy Beast carries thee in vain in a word the unwearied labour and continual travel of the whole Creation as to thee is in vain The service of all the creatures that drudge for thee and yield forth their strength unto thee that therewith thou shouldst serve their Maker is all but lost labour Hence the whole Creation groaneth under the abuse of this unsanctified world Rom. 8. 22. that pervert them to the service of their lusts quite contrary to the very end of their Being III. Without this thy Religion is in vain Jam. 1. 26. All thy religious performances will be but lost for they can neither please God Rom. 8. 8. nor save thy soulâ— 1. Cor. 13. 2 3. Which are the very ends of Religion Be thy services never so specious yet 〈◊〉 hath no pleasure in them Isai. 1. 14. Mal. 1. 10. Is not that man's case dreadful whose sacrifices are as Murder and whose prayers are a breath of abomination Isa. 66. 3. Prov. 28. 9. Many under convictions think they will set upon mending and that a few prayers and alms will salve all again but alas sirs while your hearts remain unsanctified your duties will not pass How punctual was Iebu and yet all was rejected because his heart was not upright 2 Kings 10. with Hos. 1. 4. How blameless was Paul and yet being unconverted all was but loss Phil. 3. 6 7. Men think they do much in attending God's Service and are ready to twit him with it Isa. 58. 3. Mat. 7. 22. and set him down so much their debtor when as their persons being unsanctified their duties cannot be accepted O soul do not think when thy sins pursue thee a little praying and reforming thy course will pacify God thou must begin with thine heart If that be not renewed thou canst no more please God than one that having unspeakably offended thee should bring thee his vomit in a dish to pacify thee or having fallen into the mire should think with his loathed embraces to reconcile thee It is a great misery to labour in the fire The Poets could not invent a worser Hell for Sisyphus than to be getting the Barrel still up the Hill and then that it should presently fall down again and renew his labour God threatens it as the greatest of temporal judgments that they should build and not inhabit plant and not gather and their labours should be eat up by strangers Deut. 28. 30 38 39 41. Is it so great a misery to lose our common labours to sow in vain and build in vain how much more to lose our pains in Religion to pray and hear and fast in vain This is an undoing and eternal loss Be not deceived If thou goest on in thy sinful state though thou shoâ—ldst spread forth thine hands God will hide his eyes though thou make many prayers he will not hear 〈◊〉 1. 15. If a man without skill set about our work and marr it in the doing though he take much pains we give him but small thanks God will be worshipped after the due order 1 Chron. 15. 13. If a servant do our work but quite contrary to our order he shall have rather stripes than praise Gods work must be done according to Gods mind or he will not be pleased and this cannot be except it be done with a holy heart 2 Chron. 25. 2. IV. Without this thy hopes are in vain Job 8. 12 13. The Lord hath rejected thy Confidence Ier. 2. 37. First Thy hopes of Comfort here are in vain 'T is not only necessary to the safety but comfort of your condition that you be converted Without this you shall not know peace Isai. 59. 8. Without the fear of God you cannot have the comforts of the Holy Ghost Acts 9. 31. God speaks peace only to his people and to his Saints Pal. 85. 8. If you have a false peace continuing in your sins 't is not of Gods speaking and then you may guess the Author Sin is a real Sickness Isai. 1. 5. Yea the worst of sickness 't is a Leprosie in the head Lev. 13. 44. the plague in the heart 1 Kings 8. 38. 't is brokenness in the bones Psal. 51. 8. it piercâ—â—h it 〈◊〉 iâ— racketh it tormenteth 1 〈◊〉 â— 10. A man may as well expect ease when his â—â—scases are in their strength or his bones out of joynt as true comfort while in his sins O wretched man that canst have no ease in this case but what comes from the deadliness of the diseaseâ— You shall have the poor-sick man saying in his lightness he is well when you see death in his face He will needs up and about his business when the very next step is like to be into the grave The unsanctified often see nothing amiss they think themselves whole and cry not out for the Physician but this shews the danger of theâ—r Case Sin doth naturally breed distempers and disturbances in the soulâ—â— What a continual tempest and commotion is there in a disconteâ—ted mind What an eating evil is inordinate care What is passion but a very feaver in the mind What is lust but a fire in theÌ„ bones What is pride but a deadly tympany or covetousness but an unâ—atiable and unsufferable thirst Or malice and envy but venom in the very heart Spiritual sloth is but a scurvy in the mind and carnal security a mortal lethargy and how can that soul have true comfort that is under so many diseases But converting grace cures and so eases the mind and prepares the soul for a setled standing immortal peace Great peace have they that love thy Commands and nothing shall offend them Psal 119. 165. They are the ways of wisdom that afford pleasure and peace Prov. 3. 17. David had infinitely more pleasure in the word than in all the delights of his Court Psal. 119. 103 127. The Conscience cannot be truly pacified till soundly purified Heb. 10. 22. Cursed is that peace
sinful states But none of you can say but you have had fair warning Yet methinks I cannot tell how to leave you so It is not enough to me to have delivered my own soul. What shall I go away without my errand Will none of you arise and follow me Have I been all this while speaking to the wind Have I been charming the deaf Adder or allaying the tumbling Ocean with arguments Do I speak to the trees or rocks or to men to the tombs and monuments of the dead or to a living auditory If you be men and not senseless stocks stand still and consider whither you are going if you have the reason and understanding of men dare not to run into the flames and fall into hell with your eyes open but bethink your selves and set to the work of repentance What! men and yet â—un into the pit when the very beasts will not be forced in What endowed with reason and yet dally with death and hell and the vengeance of the Almighty Are men herein distinguished from the very brutes that they have no foresight of and care to provide for the things to come and will you not hasten your escape from eternal torments O shew your selves men and let reason prevail with you Is it a reasonable thing for you to contend against the Lord your Maker Isa. 45. 9. or to harden your selves against his word Iob 9. 4. as though the strength of Israel would lie 1. Sam. 15. 29. Is it reasonable that an understanding creature should lose yea live quite against the very end of his Being and be as a broken pitcher only fit for the dunghill Is it tolerable that the only thing in this world that God hath made capable of knowing his will and bringing him glorâ— should yet live in ignorance of his Maker and be unserviceable to his use yea should be engaged against him and spit his venom in the face of his Creator Hear O Heavens and give Ear O earth and let the Creatures without sense be judge if this be reason that man when God hath nourished and brought him up should rebel against him Isa. 1. 2. Judge in â—our own selves Is it a reasonable undertaking for bryars and thorns to set themselves in Battle against the devouring sire Isa. 27. 4. or for the Potsherd of the earth to strive with his Maker If you will say this is not reason surely the eye of reason is quite put out And if this be reason then there is no reason that you should continue as you be but 't is all the reason in the world you should forthwith repent and turn What shall I say I could spend my self in this argument Oh that you would but hearken to me that you would preâ—ently set upon a new course will you not be made clean When shall it once be What! will no body be perswaded Reader shall I prevail with thee for one Wilt thou sit down and conâ—ider the forementioned arguments and debate it whether it be not best to turn Come and let us reason together Is it good for thee to be here Wilt thou fit still till the tide come in upon thee Is it good for thee to try whether God will be so good as his word and to harden thy self in a conceit that all is well with thee while thou remainest unsanctified But I know you will not be persuaded but the greatest part will be as they have been and do as they have done I know the drunkard will to his vomit again and the deceiver will to his deceit again and the lustful wanton to his dalliance again Alas that I must leave you where you were in your ignorance or looseness or in your lifeless formality and customary devotions however I will sit down and bemoan my fruitless labours and spend some sighs over mâ— perishing hearers O distracted sinners What will their end be What will they do in the day of visitation Whither will they flee for help Where will they leave their glory Isa. 10. 3. how powerfully hath sin bewitched them How effectually hath the God of this world blinded them How strong is their delusion How uncircumcised their ears How obdurate their hearts Satan hath them at his beck But how long may I call and can get no answer I may dispute with them year after year and they will give me the hearing and that is all They must and will have their sins say what I will. Though I tell them there is death in the Cup yet they will take it up Though I tell them 't is the broad way and endeth in destruction yet they will go on in it I warn them yet cannot win them Sometimes I think the mercies of God will melt them and his winning invitations will overcome them but I find them as they wereâ— Sometimes that the terrour of the Lord will persuade them yet neither will this do it They will approve the word like the Sermon commend the Preacher but they will yet live as they did They will not deny me yet they will not obey me They will flock to the word of God and sit before me as his people and hear my words but they will not do them They value and will plead for Ministers and I am to them as the lovely Song of one that hath a pleasant voice yet I cannot get them to come under Christ's Yoke They love me and will be ready to say they will do any thing for me but for my life I cannot persuade them to leave their sins to forgo their Evil Company their intemperance their unjust gains c. I cannot prevail with them to set up prayer in their Families and Closets yet they will promise me like the forward Son that said I go Sir but went not Mat. 21. 30. I cannot persuade them to learn the principles of Religion though else they will die without knowledge Iob 36. 12. I tell them their misery but they will not believe but â—tis well enough If I tell them particularly I fear for such reasons their State is bad they will judge me censorious or if they be at present a little awakened are quickly lull'd asleep by Satan again and have lost the sense of all Alas for my poor hearers Must they perish at last by hundreds when Ministers would so fain save them What course shall I use with them that I have not tryed What shall I do for the daughter of my people Jer. 9. 7. O Lord God help Alas shall I leave them thus If they will not hear me yet do thou hear me Oh that they might yet live in thy sight Lord save them or else they perish My heart would melt to see their houses on fire about their ears when they were fast asleep in their Beds and shall not my soul be moved within me to see them falling into endless perdition Lord have compassion and save them out of the burning Put forth thy divine power and the work will
be done but as for me I cann't prevail Chap. IV. Shewing the Marks of the Unconverted VVHile we keep aloof in generals there is little fruit to be expected It is the hand-fight that does execution David is not awaken'd by the Prophet's hovering at a distance in parabolical insinuations he is forced to close with him and tell him home Thou art the man. Few will in words deny the necessity of the new Birth But they have a self deluding confidence that the work is not now to do And because they know themselves free from that gross hypocrisie that doth take up Religion merely for a colour to deceive others and for the covering of wicked designs they are confident of their sincerity and suspect not that morâ— close hypocrisie where the greatest danger lies by which a man deceiveth his own soul Iam. 1. 26. But mans deceitful heart is such a matchless cheat and self delusion so reigning and so fatal a disease that I know not whether be the greater the difficulty or the displicency or the necessity of the undeceiving work that I am now upon Alas for my unconverted hearers They must be undeceived or undone but how shall this be effected hic labor hoc opus est Help O all-searching light and let thy discerning eye discover the rotten foundation of the self-deceiver and lead me O Lord God as thou didst thy Prophet into the Chambers of Imagery and dig brough the wall of Sinners hearts and discover the hidden abominations that are lâ—king out of 〈…〉 the dark Oâ— send thine Angel before me to 〈◊〉 â—undry Wards of their hearts as thou didst before Peter â—â—d make ever the Iron Gâ—â—es to fly open of their own accord And as Jonathan no sooner tasted the Honâ—y but his eyes were â—â—lightned so grant O Lord that when the poor deceiâ—ed â—â—â—ls with whom I have to do shall cast their eyes upon theâ—e linâ—s their minds may be illuminated and their consciences convinced and awakened that they may see with their eyes and hear with their ears and be converted and thou â—ayst heal them This must be premised before we proceed to the discovery that it is most certain men may have a confident perswasion that their hearts and states be good and yet be unsound Hear the Truth himself who shews in Laodicea's case that men may be wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked and yet not know it yea they may be confident they are rich and increased in grace Rev. 3. 17. There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes and yet is not washed from their filthiness Prov. 30. 12. who better perswaded of his Case than Paul while yet he remained unconverted Rom. 7. 9. So that they are miserably deceived that take a strong confidence for a sufficient evidence They that have no better proof than barely a strong perswasion that they are converted are certainly as yet â—â—rangers to Conversion But to come more close as it was said of the adherents of Antichrist so here some of the unconverted carry their Marks in their foreheads more openly and some in their hands more covertly The Apostle reckons up some upon whom he writes the sentence of Death as in these dreadful Catalogues which I beseech you to attend with all diligence Eph. 5. 5 6. For this you know that no whoremonger nor unclean person nor covetous man who is an Idolater hath an inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the Children of disobedience Rev. 21. 8. But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and Murderers and whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters and â—ll liars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters and adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers or extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God See Gal. 5. 19 20 21. Wo to them that have their names written in these bed-rolls such may know as certainly as if God had told it them from Heaven that they are unsanctified and under an impossibility of being saved in this condition There are then these several sorts that past all dispute are unconverted they carry their marks in their foreheads 1. The unclean These are ever reckoned among the Goats and have their Names whoever be left out in all the forementioned Catalogues Eph. 5. 5. Rev. 21. 8. 1 Cor. 5. 9 10. 2. The Covetous These are ever branded for Idolaters and the Doors of the Kingdom are shut against them by Name Eph. 5. 5. Col. 3. 5. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. 3. Drunkards Not only such as drink away their reason but withal yea above all such as are too strong for strong drink The Lord fills his mouth with woes against these and declares them to have no inheritance in the Kingdom of God Isa. 5. 11 12 22. Gal. 5. 21. 4. Liars The God that cannot lye hath told them that there is no place for them in his Kingdom no entrance into his hill but their portion is with the Father of lies whose children they are in the Lake of burnings Psal. 15. 1 2. Rev. 21. 8 27. Iohn 8. 44. Prov. 6. 17. 5. Swearers The end of these without deep and speedy repentance is swift destruction and most certain and unavoidable condemnation Iam. 5. 12. Zech. 5. 1 2 3. 6. Railers and Back-biters that love to take up a reproach against their Neighbour and fling all the dirt they can in his face or else wound him secretly behind his back Psal. 15. 1 3. 1 Cor. 6. 10. 1 Cor. 5. 11. 7. Thieves Extortioners Oppressors that grind the poor over-reach their Brethren when they have them at an advantage these must know that God is the avenger of all such 1 Thes. 4. 6. Hear O ye false and purloining and wastful servants Hear O ye deceitful tradesmen hear your sentence God will certainly hold his door against you and turn your treasures of unrighteousness into the treasures of wrath and make your ill-gotten silver and gold to torment you like burning Metal in your Bowels 1 Cor. 6. 9. 10. Iames 5. 2 3. 8. All that do ordinarily live in the prophane neglect of God's Worship that hear not his word that call not on his name that restrain prayer before God that mind not their own nor their families souls but live without God in the world Ioh. 8. 47. Ioh. 15. 4. Psal. 14. 4. Psal. 79. 6. Eph. 2. 12. and 4. 18. 9. Those that are frequenters and lovers of evil company God hath declared he will be the destruction of all such and that they shall never enter into the hill of his rest Prov. 13. 20. Psalm 15. 4. Prov.
is thy case such is thy work Every stroke is a thrust at thine heart 1 Tim. 6. 10. Conscience indeed is now asleep but when death and judgment shall bring thee to thy senses then wilt thou feel the raging smart and anguish of every wound The convinced sinner is a sensible instance of the miserable bondage of sin Conscience flies upon him and tells him what the end of these things will be and yet such a slave is he to his lusts that on he must though he see it will be his endless perdition and when the temptation comes lust gets the bit in his mouth breaks all the cords of his vows and promises and carries him headlong to his own destruction VI. The furnace of eternal vengeance is heated ready for thee Isa. 30. 33. Hell and destruction open their mouths upon thee they gape for thee they groan for thee Isa. 5. 14. waiting as it were with a greedy eye as thou standest upon the brink when thou wilt drop in If the wrath of a man be as the roaring of a Lion Prov. 20. 2. more heavy than the sand Prov. 27. 3. what is the wrath of the infinite God If the burning furnace heated in Nebuchadâ—â—zzar's fiery rage when he commanded it to be made yet seven times hotter were so fierce as to burn up even those that drew near it to throw the three children in Dan. 3. 19 22. How hot is that burning Oven of the Almighty's fury Mal. 4. 1. Surely this is seventy times seven more fierce What thinkest thou O man of being a saggoâ—in Hell to all eternity Can thine heart endure or can thine hands be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee saith the Lord of Hosts Ezek. 22. 14. Canst thou dwell with everlasting burnings Canst thou abide the consuming fire Isa 33. 4. When thou shalt be as a glowing Iron in Hell and thy whole body and soul shall be as perfectly possessed by Gods burning vengeance as the fiery sparkling Iron when heated in the â—iercest forge Thou canst not bear God's whip how then wilt thou endure his scorpions Thou art even crushed and ready to with thy self dead under the weight of his finger how then wilt thou bear the weight of his loyns The most patient man that ever was did curse the day that ever he was born Iob 3. 1. and even wish death to come and end his misery Iob 7. 15 16. when God did but let out one little drop of his wrath How then wilt thou endure when God shall pour out all his Vials and set himself against thee to torment thee when he shall make thy conscience the tunnel by which he will be pouring his burning wrath into thy soul for ever and when he shall fill all thy powers as full of torment as they be now full of sin When immortality shall be thy misery and to die the death of a brute and be swallowed into the gulf of annihilation shall be such a felicity as the whole eternity of wishes an Ocean of tears shall never purchase Now thou canst put off the evil day and canst laugh and be merry and forget the terror of the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 11. but how wilt thou hold out or hold up when God will cast thee into a bed of torments Rev. 2. 21 and make thee to 〈◊〉 down in sorrows Isa. 50. 11. When roarings and blasphemy shall be thine only musick and the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his indignation shall be thine only drink Rev. 14. 10. When thou shalt draw in flames for thy breath and the horrid stench of sulphur shall be thy only perfume In a word when the smoak of thy torment shall ascend for ever and ever and thou shalt have no rest night nor day no rest in thy conscience no ease in thy bones but thou shalt be an execration and an astonishment and a curse and a reproach for evermore Ier. 42. 〈◊〉 O sinner stop here and consider If thou art a man and not a senseless block consider Bethink thy self where thou standest why upon the very brink of his â—urnace As the Lord liveth and thy soul liveth there is but a step between thee and this 1 Sam. 20. 3. Thou knowest not when thou lyest down but thou mayest be in before the Morning thou knowest not when thou risest but thou may 〈◊〉 drop in before the Night Darest thou make light of this Wilt thou go on in such a dreadful conditionâ— as if nothing ailed thee If thou puttest it off and sayest this doth not belong to thee look again over the foregoing Chapter and tell me the truth are none of these black marks found upon thee Do not blind thine eyes do not deceive thy self see thy misery while thou mayst prevent it Think what 't is to be a vile cast-out a damned reprobate a vessel of wrath into which the Lord will be pouring out his tormenting fury while he hath a Being Rom. 9. 22. Divine wrath is a fierce Deut. 32. 22. devouring Isa. 33. 14. everlasting Mat. 25. 41. unquenchable fire Mat. 3. 12. and thy soul and body must be the fuel upon which it will be feeding for ever unless thou consider thy ways and speedily turn to the Lord by a sound conversion They that have been only singed by this fire and had no more but the smell thereof passing upon them Oh what amazing spectacles have they been Whose heart would not have melted to have heard Spira's out-cries to have seen Chaloner that monument of Justice worn to Skin and Bones Blaspheming the God of Heaven cursing himself and continually crying out O Torture Torture Torture O Torture Torture as if the flames of wrath had already took hold on him To have heard Rogers crying out I have had a little pleasure but now I must to Hell for evermore wishing but for this mitigation that God would but let him lie burning for ever behind the back of that fire on the earth and bringing in this sad conclusion still at the end of whatever was spoken to him to afford him some hope I must to Hell I must to the furnace of Hell for millions of millions of Ages O if the fears and forethoughts of the wrath to come be so terrible so intolerable what is the feeling of it Sinner 't is but in vain to flatter you this would be but to toll you into the unquenchable fire know ye from the living God that here you must lie with these burnings must you dwell till immortality die and immutability change till Eternity run out and Omnipotency is not longer able to torment except you be in good earnest renewed throughout by sanctifying grace VII The Law dischargeth all its threats and curses at thee Gal. 3. 10. Rom. 7. Oh how dreadfully doth it thunder It spits fire and brimstone in thy face Its words are as drawn swords and as the sharp arrows of the mighty it demands
satisfaction to the utmost and cries Justice Justice It speaks Blood and War and Wounds and Death against thee Oh the Execrations and Plagues and Deaths that this murdering piece is loaded with read Deut. 28. 15 16 c. and thou art the mark at which this snoâ— is levelled O man away to the strong hold Zech. 9. 12. away from thy sins haste to the sanctuary the City of refuge Heb. 13. 13. even the Lord Jesus Christ hide thee in him or else thou art lost without any hope of recovery VIII The Gospel it self bin deth the sentence of eternal damnation upon thee Mark 16. 16. If thou continuest in thine impenitent and unconverted estate know that the Gospel denounceth a much forer condemnation than ever would have been for the transgression only of the first Covenant Is it not a dreadful case to have the Gospel it self fill its mouth with threats and thunder and damnation To have the Lord to roar from Mount Sion against thee Ioel 3. 16. Hear the terror of the Lord. He that believeth not shall be damned except ye repent ye shall all perish Luke 13. 3. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light Iohn 3. 19. He that believeth not the wrath of God abideth on him Ioh. 3. 36. If the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Heb. 2. 2 3. He that despised Moses's Law died without mercy Of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy that hath trampled under foot the Son of God Heb. 10. 28 29. Application And is this true indeed Is this thy misery Yea 't is as true as God is Better open thine eyes and see it now while thou mayst remedy it than blind and harden thy self till to thine eternal sorrow thou shalt feel what thou wouldst not believe and if it be true what dost thou mean to loyter and linger in such a case as this Alas for thee poor man how effectually hath sin undone thee and deprived and despoiled thee even of thy reason to look after thine own everlasting good O miserable Caitiff what stupidity and senselesness hath surprized thee Oh! let me knock up and awake this sleeper Who dwells within the walls of this flesh Is there ever a soul here a rational understanding soul Or art thou only a walking Ghost a senseless lump Art thou a reasonable soul and yet so far brutified as to forget thy self immortal and to think thy self to be as the beasts that perish Art thou turned into flesh that thou savourest nothing but gratifying the sense and making provision for the flesh Or else having reason to understand the eternity of thy future estate dost thou yet make light of being everlastingly miserable which is to be so much below a brute as it is worse to act against reason than to act without it O unhappy soul that wast the glory of man the mate of Angels and the image of God! that wast God's representative in the world and hadst the supremacy amongst the creatures and the dominion over thy Maker's works Art thou now become a slave to sense a servant to so base an Idol as thy Belly for no higher felicity than to fill thee with the wind of mans applause or heaping together a little refined earth no more suitable to thy spiritual immortal nature than the dirt and sticks Oh why dost thou not bethink thee where thou shalt be for ever Death is at hand The Iudge is even at the door Jam. 5. 9. Yet a little while and time shall be no longer Rev. 10. 5 6. And wilt thou run the hazard of continuing in such a state in which if thou be overtaken thou art irrecoverably miserable Come then arise and attend thy nearest concernments Tell me whither art thou going What wilt thou live in such a course wherein every act is a step to perdition And thou dost not know but the next night thou mayst make thy Bed in Hell Oh! if thou hast a spark of reason consider and turn and hearken to thy very friend who would therefore shew thee thy present misery that thou mightest in time make thine escape and be eternally happy Hear what the Lord saith Fear ye not me saith the Lord Will ye not tremble at my presence Jer. 5. 22. O sinners do ye make light of the wrath to come Mat 3. 7. I am sure there is a time coming when you will not make light of it Why the very Devils do believe and tremble James 2. 19. What! you more hardned than they Will you run upon the Edge of the Rock will you play at the hole of the Asp will you put your hand upon the Cockatâ—ice's den Will you dance about the fire till you are burnt or dally with devouring wrath as if you were at a point of indifferency whether you did escape it or endure it O madness of folly Solomon's mad-man that casteth fire-brands and arrows and death and saith Am I not in jest Prov. 26. 18. is nothing so distracted as the wilful sinner Luke 15. 17. that goeth on in his unconverted estate without sense as if nothing ailed him The man that runs on the Cannons mouth that sports with his blood or le ts out his life in a frollick is sensible sober and serious to him that goeth on still in his trespasses Psalm 68. 21. For he stretcheth out his hand against God and strengthneth himself against the Almighty He runneth upon him even upon his neck upon the thick Bosses of his Buckler Job 15. 25 26. Is it wisdom to dally with the second death or to venture into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21. 8. as if thou wert but going to wash thee or swim for thy recreation Wilt thou as it were fetch thy vieze and jump into eternal flames as the children through the bon-fire What shall I say I can find out no expression no comparison whereby to set forth the dreadful distraction of that soul that shall go on in sin Awake awake Eph. 5. 14. Oh sinner arise and take thy flight There is but one door that thou mayst fly by and that is the strait door of conversion and the new birth Unless thou turn unfeignedly from all thy sins and come in to Jesus Christ and take him for the Lord thy righteousness and walk in him in holiness and newness of life as the Lord liveth it is not more certain that thou art now out of Hell than that thou shalt without fail be in it but a few days and nights from hence O set thine heart to think of thy case Is not thine everlasting misery or welfare that which doth deserve a little consideration Loâ—â— again over the miseries of the unconverted If the Lord hath not spoken by me regard me not But if it be the very word of
Jesus Christ Acts 4. 12. Thou must unlearn tâ—y self and renounce thine own wisdom thine own righteousness thine own strength and throw thy self wholly upon Christ as a man that swimmeth casteth himself upon the water or else thou canst not escape While men trust in themselves and establish their own righteousness and have confidence in the flesh they will not come savingly to Christ Luke 18. 9. Phil. 3. 3. Thou must know thy gain to be but loss and dung thy strength but weakness thy righteousness rags and rottenness before there will be an effectual closure between Christ and thee Phil. 3. 7 8 9. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Isa. 64. 6. Can the lifeless carcass shake off its grave cloths and loose the bonds of death Then mayst thou recover thy self who art dead in trespasses and sins and under an impossibility of serving thy Maker acceptably in this condition Rom. 8. 8. Heb. â—1 6. Therefore when thou goest to pray or meditate or to do any of the duties to which thou art here directed go out of thy self call in the help of the Spirit as despairing to do any thing pleasing to God in thine own strength Yet neglect not thy duty but lie at the pool and wait in the way of the Spirit While the Eunuch was reading then the Holy Ghost sent Philip to him Acts 8. 28 29. when the Disciples were praying Acts 4. 31. when Cornelius and his friends were hearing Acts 10. 44. then the Holy Ghost fell upon them and filled them all Strive to give up thy self to Christ Strive to pray strive to meditate strive an hundred and an hundred times try to do it as well as thou canst and while thou art endeavouring in the way of thy duty the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee and help thee to do what of thy self thou art utterly unable unto Prov. 1. 23. Direct V. Forthwith renounce all thy sins If thou yield thy self to the contrary practice of any sin thou art undone Rom. 6. 17. in vain dost thou hope for life by Christ except thou dâ—part from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. Forsake thy sins or else thou canst not find mercy Prov. 28. 13. Thou canst not be married to Christ except divorced from sin Give up the Traitor or you can have no peace with Heaven Cast the head of Sheba over the wall Keep not Dalilah in thy lap Thou must part with thy sins or with thy soul. Spare but one sin and God will not spare thee Never make excuses thy sins must die or thou must die for them Psal. 68. 21. If thou allow of one sin though but a little a secret one though thou may'st plead necessity and have a hundred shifts and excuses for it the life of thy soul must go for the life of that sin Ezek. 18. 21. and will it not be dearly bought O sinner hear and consider If thou wilt part with thy sins God will give thee his Christ Is not this a fair exchange I testifie unto thee this day that if thou perish it is not because there was never a Saviour provided nor life tendred but because thou preferredst with the Jews the Murderer before thy Saviouâ— sin before Christ and lovedst darkness rather than light Iohn 3. 19. Search thy heart therefore with Candles as the Jews did their Houses for Leaven before the Passover Labour to find out thy sins enter into thy Closet and consider What evil have I lived in What duty have I neglected towards God What sin have I lived in against my Brother And now strike the darts through the heart of thy sin as Iâ—ab did through Absalom's 2 Sam. 18. 14. Never stand looking upon thy sin nor rolling the morsel under thy tongue Iob 20. 11. but spit it out as poyson with fear and detestation Alas what will thy sins do for thee that thou shouldst stick at parting with them They will flatter thee but they will undo thee and cut thy throat while they smile upon thee and poyson thee while they please thee and arm the justice and wrath of the infinite God against thee They will open Hell for thee and pile up fuel to burn thee Behold the Gibbet that they have prepared for thee Oh serve them like Haman and do upon them the Execution they would else have done upon thee Away with them crucifie them and let Christ only be Lord over thee Direct VI. Make a solemn choice of God for thy portion and blessedness Deut. 26. With all possible devotion and veneration avouch the Lord for thy God. Set the world with all its glory and paint and gallantry with all its pleasures and promotions on the one hand and set God with all his infinite excellencies and perfections on the other and see that thou do deliberately make thy choice Iosh. 24. 15. Take up thy rest in God Iob. 6. 68. Set thee down under his shadow Cant. 2. 3. Let his promises and perfections turn the scale against all the world Settle it upon thy heart that the Lord is an all-sufficient portion that thou canst not be miserable while thou hast a God to live upon take him for thy shield and exceeding great reward God alone is more than all the world Content thy self with him Let others carry the preferments and glory of the world place thou thy happiness in his favour and the light of his countenance Psal. 4. 6 7. Poor sinner thou art fallen off from God and hast engaged his power and wrath against thee Yet know that of his abundant grace he doth offer to be thy God again in Christ 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. What sayest thou man Wilt thou have the Lord for thy God Why take this counsel and thou shalt have him Come to him by his Christ Ioh. 14. 6. Renounce the Idols of thine own pleasures gain reputation 1 Thes. 1. 9. Let these be pulled out of the Throne and set Gods interest uppermost in thine â—eare Take him as God to be chief in thine affections estimations intentions for he will not endure to have any set above him Rom. 1. 24 Psal. 73. 25. In a word thou must take him in all his Personal Relations and in all his Essential Perfections First In all his Personal Relations God the Father must be taken for thy Father Ier. 3. 4 19 22. O come to him with the Prodigal Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and am not worthy to be called thy Son but since of thy wonderful mercy thou art pleased to take meâ— that am of my self a dog a swine a devil to be thy child I solemnly take thee for my Father commend my self to thy care and trust to thy providence and cast my burden on thy shoulders I depend on thy provision and submit to thy corrections and trust under the shadow of thy wings and hide in thy chambers and â—ly to thy name I renounce all confidence in my self I repose my confidence in thee I depose my concernments with
thee I will be for thee and for no other Again God the Son must be taken for thy Saviour for thy Redeemer and Righteousness Iohn 1. 2. He must be accepted as the only way to the Father and the only means of Life Heb. 7. 25. O then put off the rayment of thy captivity on with the wedding garment and go and marry thy self to Jesus Christ. Lord I am thine and all that I have my body my soul my name my estate I send a bill of divorce to my other lovers I give my heart to thee I will be thine undividedly thine ever lastingly I will set thy name on all I have and use it only as thy goods as thy loan during thy leave resigning ad to thee I will have no King but thee Reign thou over me Other Lords have had dominion over me But now I will make mention of thy name only and do here take an oâ—th of fealty to thee promising and vowing to serve and love and â—ear thee above all competitors I disavow mine own righteousness and despair of ever being pardoned and saved for mine own duties or graces and lean only on thine all-sufficient sacrifice and intercession for pardon and life and acceptance before God. I take thee for mine only guide and instructer resolving to be led and directed by thee and to wait forâ— thy counsel and that thine shall be the casting voice with me Lastly God the Spirit must be taken for thy sanctifier Rom. 8. 9 14. Gal. 5. 16 18. for thine Advocate thy Counsellor thy Comforter the teacher of thine ignorance the pledge and earnest of thine inheritance Rom. 8. 26. Psal. 73. 24. Iohn 14. 16. Eph. 1. 14. Iohn 14. 26. Eph. 4. 30. Awake thou Northwind and come thou Sâ—â—th and blow upon my Garden Cant. 4. 16. Come thou Spirit of the most highâ— here is a house for thee here is a Temple for thee Here do thou rest for â—ver dwell here and rest here Lo I give up the possession to thee full possession I send thee the keys of my heart that all may be for thy use that thou mayst put thy goods thy grace into every Room I give up the use of all to thee that every faculty and every member may be thine iâ—â—â—â—ument to work righteousness and do the will of my Father which is in Heaven Secondly In all his essential perâ—ections Consider how the Lord hath revealed himself to you in his word will you take him as such a God Oâ— sinner here 's the blessedest News that ever came to the sons of Men. The Lord will be thy God Gen. 17. 7. Rev. 21. 3. if thou wilt but close with him in his excellencies Wilt thou have the merciful the gracious the sin-pardoning God to be tâ—â— God O yes saith the sinner I am undone else But he farther tells thee I am the holy and sin-hating God. If thou wilt be owned as one of my people thou must be holy 1 Pet. 1. 16. holy in heart holy in life Thou must put away all thine iniquities be they never so near never so natural never so necessary to the maintaining thy fleshly interest Unless thou wilt be at defiance with sin I cannot be thy God. Cast out the leaven put away the evil of thy doings cease â—o do evil learn to do well or else I can have nothing to do with thee Isa. 1. 16 17 18. Bring forth mine enemies or there is no peace to be had with me What doth thine heart answer Lord I desire to have thee as such a God. I desire to be holy as thou art holy to be made partaker of thy holiness I love thee not only for thy goodness and mercy but for thy holiness and parity I take thy holiness for my happiness Oh! be to me a fountain of holiness set on me the stamp and impress of thy holiness I will thankfully part with all my sins at thy command My wiâ—ful sins I do forthwith forsake and for my infirmities that I cannot get rid of though I would I will strive against them in the use of the meaâ—s I detest them and will pray and war against them and never let them have quiet rest in my soul. Beloved whosoever of you will thus accept of the Lord for his God he shall have him Again he tells you I am the All-sufficient God Gen. 17. 1. Will you lay all at my feet and give it up to my dispose and take me for your only portion Will you own and honour mine All-sufficiency Will you take me as your happiness and treasure your hope and bliss I am a Sun and a Shield all in one will you have me for your all Gen. 15. 1. Psal 84. 11. Now what dost thou say to this Doth thy mouth water after the Onions and Flesh-pots of Egypt Art thou loath to exchange the earthly happiness for a part in God and though thou wouldest be glad to have God and the World too yet canst thou not think of having him and nothing but him but hadst rather take up with the earth below if God would but let thee keep it as long as thou wouldst This is a fearful sign But now if thou art willing to sell all for the Pearl of great price Mat. 13. 46. If thine heart answer Lord I desire no other portion but thee Take the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl whoso will so I may have the light of thy Countenance I pitch upon thee for my happiness I gladly venture my self on thee and trust my self with thee I set my hopes in thee I take up my rest with thee let me hear thee say I am thy God thy Salvation and I have enough all I wish for I will make no terms with thee but for thy self Let me but have thee sure let me â—e able to make my claim and see my Title to thy self and for other things I leave them to thee give me more or 〈◊〉 any thing or nothing I will be satisfied in my God. Take him thus and he is thine own Again he tells you I am the Soveraign Lord If you will have me for your God you must give me the supremacy Mat. 6. 24. I will not be an underling You must not make me a second to sin or 〈◊〉 worldly interest If you will be my people I must have the rule over you You must not live at your down list Will you come under my yoke Will you bow to my government Will you submit to my discipline to my word to my rod Sinner What sayest thou to this Lord I had rather be â—t thy command than live at mine own list I had rather have thy â—ill to be done than mine I approve of and consent to thy Laws and account it my priviledge to lie under them And though the flesh rebel and often break over bounds I am resolved to take no other Lord but thee I willingly take the Oath of thy supremacy and acknowledge thee for
awe and veneration Welcome Lord to thee will I pay my homage Thy word and thy rod shall command my motions Thee will I reverence and adore before thee will I fall down and worship Grief likewise puts in Lord thy displeasure and thy dishonour thy peoples calamities and mine own iniquities shall be that that shall set me abroach I will mourn when thou art offended I will weep when thy cause is wounded Anger likewise comes in for Christ Lord nothing so enrages me as my folly against thee that I should be so befooled and bewitched as to hearken to the flatteries of sin and temptations of Satan against thee Hatred too wâ—â—â— side with Christ. I protest mortal enmity with thine enemies that I will never be friends with thy foes I vow an immortal quarrel with every sin I will give no quarter I will make no peace Thus let all thy powers give up to Jesus Christ. Again thou must give up thy whole interest to him If there be any thing that thou keepest back from Christ it will be thine undoing Luke 14. 33. Unless thou wilt forsake all in preparation and resolution of thy heart thou canst not be his Disciple Thou must hate Father and Mother yea and thine own life also in comparison of him and as far as it stands in competition with him Mat. 10. 37. Luke 14. 26 27 c. In a word thou must give him thy self and all that thou hast without reservation or else thou canst have no part in him Direct IX Make châ—ice of the Laws of Christ as the rule of thy words thoughts and actions Psal. 119. 30. This is the true Converts choice But here remember these three rules 1. You must chuse them all There 's no coming to Heaven by a partial obedience Read Psal. 119. 6 128 160. Ezek. 18. 21. None may think it enough to take up with the cheap and easie part of Religion and let alone the duties that are costly and self-denying and grate upon the interest of the flesh You must take all or none A sincere Convert though he makes most conscience of the greatest sins and weightiest duties yet he makes true conscience of little sins and of all duties Psal. 119. 6 113. Mat. 23. 23. 2. For all times for prosperity and for adversity whether it rain or shine A true Convert is resolved in his way he will stand to his choice and will not set his back to the wind and be of the religion of the times I have stuck to thy testimonies I have enclined my heart to perform thy statutes alway even to the end Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever Psal. 119. 31 111 117 44 93. I will have respect unto thy statutes continually 3. This must not be done hand over head but deliberately and understandingly That disobedient Son said I go â—ir but he went not Mat. 24. 30. How fairly did they promise All that the Lord our God shall speak unto thee we will do it and it 's like they spake as they meant but when it came to tryal it was found that there was not such a heart in them as to do what they had promised Deut. 5. 27 29. If you would be sincere in closing with the laws and ways of Christ First Study the meaning and latitude and compass of them Remember that they are very spiritual they reach the very thoughts and inclinations of the heart so that if you will walk by this rule your very thoughts and inward motions must be under government Again that they are very strict and self-denying quite contrary to the grain of your natural ineâ—inations Mat. 16. 24. You must take the strait gate the narrow way and be content to have the flesh curbed from the liberty it desires Mat. 7. 14. In a word that they are very large For thy Commandment is exceeding broad Psal. 119. 96. Secondly rest not in generals for there 's much deceit in that but bring down thy heart to the particular commands of Christ. Those Jews in the Prophet seemed as well resolved as any in the world and call'd God to witness that they meant as they said But they stuck in generals When Gods command crosses their inclination they will not obey Ier. 42. 1 2 3 4 5 6. compared with Chap. 43. v. 2. Take the Assemblies larger Catechism and see their excellent and most compendious exposition of the Commandments and put thy heart to it Art thou resolved in the strength of Christ to set upon the conscientious practice of every duty that thou findest to be there required of thee and to set against every sin that thou findest there forbidden This is the way to be found in Gods statutes that thou maist never be ashamed Psal. 119. 80. Thirdly Observe the special duties that thy heart is most against and the special sins that 't is most inclin'd unto and see whether it be truly resolved to perform the one and forgo the other What sayest thou to thy bosom sin thy gainful sin What sayest thou to costly and hazardous and flesh displeasing duties If thou halâ— est here and dost not resolve by the grace of God to cross thy flesh and put to it thou art unsound Psal. 18. 23. Psal. 119. 6. Direct X Let all this be compleated in a solemn Covenant between God and thy soul Psalm 119. 106. Neh 10. 29. For thy better help therein take these few Directions First Set apart some time more than once to be spent in secret before the Lord. 1. In seeking earnestly his special assistance and gracious acceptance of thee 2. In considering distinctly all the terms or conditions of the Covenant expressed in the form hereafter proposed 3. In searching thine heart whether thou art sincerely willing to for sake all thy sins and to resign up thy self body and soul unto God and his service to serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of thy life Secondly Compose thy Spirit into the most serious frame possible suitable to a transaction of so high importance Thirdly Lay hold on the Covenant of God and rely upon his promise of giving grace and strength whereby thou may'st be enabled to perform thy promise Trust not to thine own strength to the strength of thine own resolutions but take hold on his strength Fourthly Resolve to be faithful having engaged thine heart opened thy mouth and subscribed with thy hand unto the Lord resolve in his strength never to go back Lastly Being thus prepared on some convenient time set apart for the purpose set upon the work and in the most solemn manner possible as if the Lord were visibly present before thine eyes fall down on thy knees and spreading forth thine hands toward Heaven open thine heart to the Lord in these or the like words O Most dreadful God for the Passion of thy Son I beseech thee accept of thy poor Prodidigal now prostrating himself at thy Door I have fallen from thee by
belong to thy peace should be hid from thine eyes Now mercy is wooing of thee Now Christ is waiting to be gracious to thee and the Spirit of God is striving with thee Now Ministers are calling now Conscience is stirring now the Market is open and Oyl may be had thou hast opportunity for the buying Now Christ is to be had for the taking Oh! strike in with the offers of Grace Oh! now or never If thou make light of this offer God may swear in his wrath thou shalt never tast of his Supper Luke 14. 24. Direct XII Attend conscientiously upon the Word as the means appointed for thy Conversion James 1. 18 19. 1 Cor. 4. 15. Attend I say not customarily but conscientiously with this desire design hope and expectation that thou mayest be converted by it To every Sermon thou hearest come with this thought Oh I hope God will now come in I hope this day may be the time this may be the man by whom God will bring me home When thou art coming to the Ordinances lift up thine heart thus to God. Lord let this be the Subbath let this be the Season wherein I may receive renewing Grace Oh let it be said that to day such a one was born unto thee Object Thou wilt say I have been long a hearer of the word and yet it hath not been effectual to my Conversion Ans. Yea but thou hast not attended upon it in this manner as a means of thy Conversion nor with this design nor praying for and expecting of this happy effect of it Direct XIII Strike in with the Spirit when he begins to work upon thy heart When he works convictions O do not stifle them but joyn in with him and beg the Lord to carry on convictions to conversion Quench not the Spirit do not out-strive him do not resist him Beware of putting out convictions by evil company or worldly business When thou findest any troubles for sin and fears about thine eternal State beg of God that they may never leave thee till they have wrought off thy heart throughly from sin and wrought it over to Jesus Christ. Say to him Strike home Lord leave not the work in the midst If thou seest that I am not yet wounded enough that I am not troubled enough woundâ— me yet deeper Lord. O go to the bottom of my Corruption let out the life-blood of my sins Thus yield up thy self to the workings of the Spirit and hoise thy Sails to his gusts Direct XIV Set upon the constant and diligent use of serious and fervent Prayer He that neglects prayer is a prophane an unsanctified sinner Iob 15. 4. He that is not constant in prayer is but an Hypocrite Iob 27. 10. unless the Omission be contrary to his ordinary course under the force of some instant temptation This is one of the first things Conversion appears in that it sets men on praying Acts 9. 11. Therefore set to this duty Let never a day pass over thee wherein thou hast not Morning and Evening set apart some time for set and solemn prayer in secret Call thy family also together daily and duly to worship God with thee Wo be unto thee if thine be found amongst the families that call not on Gods name Ier. 10. 25. But cold and lifeless devotions will not reach half way to Heaven Be fervent and importunate Importunity will carry it But without violence the Kingdom of Heaven will not be taken Mat. 11. 12. Thou must strive to enter Luke 13. 24. and wrestle with tears and supplications as Iacob if thou meanest to carry the blessing Gen. 32. 24. comp with Hos. 12. 4. Thou art undone for ever without grace and therefore thou must put to it and resolve to take no denyal That man that is fixed in this resolution Well I must have grace and I will never give over till I have grace and I will never leave seeking and waiting and striving with God and mine own heart till he do renew me by the power of his grace this man is in the likeliest way to win Grace Obj. But God heareth not sinners their prayer is an abomination Ans. Distinguish between sinners 1. There are resolved sinners their prayers God abhors 2. Returning sinners these God will come forth to and meet with mercy though yet afar off Luke 15. 20. Though the prayers of the unsanctified cannot have full acceptance yet God hath done much at the request of such as at Ahab's humiliation and Ninevehs Fast 1 Kings 21. 26. Ionah 3. 8 9 10. Surely thou mayst go as far as these though thou hast no grace and how dost thou know but thou mayst speed in thy suit as they did in theirs Yea is he not far more likely to grant thee than them since thou askest in the Name of Christ and that not for temporal blessings as they but for things much more pleasing to him viz. for Christ Grace Pardon that thou mayst be justified sanctified renewed and fitted to serve him Turn to these soul incouraging Scriptures Prov. 2. 1 to 6. Luk. 11. 9 10 11 12 13. Prov. 8. 34. 35. Is it not good comfort that he calleth thee Mark 10 49. Doth he set thee on the use of means and dost thou think he will mock thee Doubtless he will not fail thee if thou be not wanting to thy self O pray and faint not Luke 18. 1. A person of great Quality having offended the Duke of Buckingham the Kings great Favourite being admitted into his presence after long waiting prostrates himself at his feet saying I am resolved never to rise more till I have obtained your Grace's favour with which carriage he did overcome him With such a resolution do thou throw thy self at the feet of God. 'T is for thy life and therefore follow him and give not over Resolve thou wilt not be put off with bones with common mercies What though God do not presently open to thee Is not grace worth the waiting for Knock and wait and no doubt but sooner or later mercy will come And this know that thou hast the very same encouragement to seek and wait that the Saints now in glory once had for they were once in thy very case And have they sped so well and wilt thou not go to the same door and wait upon God in the same course Direct XV. Forsake thy evil Company Prov. 9. 6. and forbear the occasions of sin Prov. 23. 31. Thou wilt never be turned from sin till thou wilt decline and forego the temptations of sin I never expect thy Conversion from sin unless thou art brought to some self-denial as to fly the occasions If thou wilt be â—ibling at the bait and playing on the brink and tampering and medling with the snare thy soul will surely be taken Where God doth expose men in his providence unavoidably to temptations and the occasions are such as we cannot remove we may expect special assistance in the use of his means
But when we tempt God by running into danger he will not engage to support us when we are tempted And of all temptations one of the most fatal and pernicious is evil company Oh what hopeful beginnings have these often stifled Oh the souls the estates the families the towns that these have ruined How many a poor sinner hath been enlightned and convinced and hath been just ready to give the Devil the slip and hath even escaped his snare and yet wicked company have pull'd him back at last and made him seven fold more the Child of Hell. In one word I have no hopes of thee except thou wilt shake off thy evil company Christ speaketh to thee as to them in another case If thou seek me then let these go their way Joh. 18. 8. Thy life lies upon it Forsake these or else thou canst not live Prov. 9. 6. Wilt thou be worse than the beast to run on when thou seest the Lord with a drawn sword in the way Numb 22. 33. Let this sentence be written in Capitals upon thy Conscience A COMPANION OF FOOLS SHALL BE DESTROYED Prov. 13. 20. The Lord hath spoken it and who shall reverse it And wilt thou run upon destruction when God himself doth forewaâ—â— thee If God do ever change thy heart it will appear in the change of thy company Oh fear and fly this Gulf by which so many thousand souls have been swallowed into perdition It will be hard for thee indeed to make thine escape Thy Companions will be mocking thee out of thy Religion and will study to fill thee with prejudices against strictness as ridiculous and comfortless They will be flattering thee and alluring thee but remember the warnings of the Holy Ghost My Son if sinners entice thee consent thou not If they say come with us eâ—st in thy lot among us walk not thou in the way with them refrain thy foot from their path Avoid it pass not by it turn from it and pass away For the way of the wicked is as darkness they know not at what they stumble They lâ—y wait for their own blood they lurk privily for their own lives Prov. 1. 10. to the 18. Prov. 4. 14. to the 19. My soul is moved within me to see how many of my hearers are like to perish both they and their houses by this wretched mischief even the haunting of such places and company whereby thâ—y are drawn into sin Once more I admonish you as Moses did Israel Num. 16. 26. And he spake unto the Congregation saying Depart I pray you from the Tents of these wicked men Oh! flee them as you would those that had the Plague-Sores running in their fore-heads these are the Devils Panders and Decoys and if thou dost not make thine escape they will toll thee into perdition and will prove thine eternal ruin Direct XVI Lastly Set apart a day to humble thy soul in secret by fasting and prayer to work the sense of thy sins and miseries upon thy heart Read over the Assemblies Exposition of the Commandments and write down the duties omitted and sins committed by thee against every Commandment and so make a Catalogue of thy sins and with shame and sorrow spread them before the Lord. And if thy heart be truly willing to the terms join thy self solemnly to the Lord in that Covenant set down in the IXth Direction and the Lord grant thee mercy in his sight Thus I have told thee what thou must do to be saved Wilt thou not now obey the voice of the Lord Wilt thou arise and set to thy work Oh man what answer wilt thou make what excuse wilt thou have if thou shouldst perish at last through very wilfulness when thou hast known the way of life I do not fear thy miscarrying if thine own idleness do not at 〈◊〉 undo thee in neglecting the use of the means that are so plainly here prescribed Rouze up Oh sluggard and ply thy work Be doing and the Lord will be with thee A Short Soliloquy for an Unregenerate Sinner AH wretched man that I am What a condition have I brought my self into by sin Oh! I see my heart hath but deceived me all this whâ—â—e in flattering me that my condition was good I see I see I am but a lost and undone man for ever undone unless the Lord help me out of this condition My sins My sins Lord what an unclean polluted wretch am I more loathsome and odious to thee than the most hateful Venom or noisome carcase can be to me Oh! what a Hell of sin is in this heart of mine which I have flattered my self to be a good heart Lord how universally am I corrupted in all my parts powers performances All the imaginations of the thoughts of my heart are only evil continually I am under an inability to averseness from and enmity against any thing that is good and am prone to all that is evil My heart is a very sink of all sin And Oh the innumerable hosts and swarms of sinful thoughts words and actions that have flown from thence Oh the load of guilt that is on my soul My â—â—ad is â—ull my heartfull my mind and my members they are all full of sin Oh my sins How do they stare upon me How do they witness against me Wo iâ— me my Creditors are upon me every Commandmâ—â—â— taketh hold upon me for more than ten thousand 〈◊〉 Talents yea ten thousand times ten thousand How endless then is the sum of all my debts If this whole world were filled up from Earth to Heaven with paper and all this paper written over within and without by Arithmeticians yet when all were case up together it would come unconceivably short of what I owe to the least of Gods Commandments Wo unto me for my debts are infinite and my sins are increased They are wrongs to an infinite Majesty And if he that committeth Treason against a silken Mortal is worthy to be racked drawn and quartered What have I deserved that have so often lifted up my hand against Heaven and have struck at the Crown and Dignity of the Almighty Oh my sins my sins Behold a Troop cometh Multitudes Multitudes there is no number of their Armies Innumerable evils have compassed me about Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me they have set themselves in aray against me Oh! it were better to have all the Regiments of Hell come against me than to have my sins to fall upon me to the spoiling of my soul. Lord how am I surrounded How many are they that rise up against me They have beset me behind and before They swarm within me and without me They have possessed all my powers and have fortified mine unhappy soul as a Garison which this brooâ— of Hell doth man and maintain against the God that made me And they are as mighty as they be many The Sands are many but then they are not great The Mountains great but then they are not many
But wo is me my sins are as many as the Sands and as mighty as the Mountains Their weight is greater than their number It were better that the Rocks and the Mountains should fall upon me than the crushing and insupportable load of my own sins Lord I am heavy loaden let mercy help or I am gone Unload me of this heavy guilt this sinking load or I am crâ—â—hed without â—ope and must be pressed down to Hell. If my grief were thorowly weighed and my sins laid in the balances together they would be heavier than the Sand of the Sea therefore my words are swallowed up They would weigh down all the rocks and the hills and turn the balance against all the Isles of the Farthâ— O Lord thou knowest my manifold transgressions and my mighty sins Ah my Soul Alas my Glory Whither art thou humbled Once the Glory of the Creation and the Image of God now a Lump of filthiness a Coffin of rottenness replenished with stench and loathsomness O what work hath sin made with thee thou shalt be termed Forsaken and all the rooms of thy faculties Desolate and the name that thou shalt be called by is Ichabod or Where is the Glory How art thou come down mightily My Beauty is turned into deformity and my Glory into shame Lord what a loathsome Leper am I The Ulcerous Bodies of Iob or Lazarus were not more offensive to the eyes and nostrils of men than I must needs be to the most holy God whose eyes cannot behold iniquity And what misery have my sins brought upon me Lord what a case am I in Sold under sin cast out of Gods favour accursed from the Lord cursed in my body cursed in my soul cursed in my name in my estate my relations and all that I have My sins are unpardoned and my â—oul within a step of death Alas What shall I do Whither shall I go Which way shall I look God is frowning on me from above Hell gaping for me beneath Conscience smiting me within temptations and dangers surrounding me without Oh whither shall I flee What place can hide me from Omnisciency What power can secure me from Omnipotency What meanest thou O my soul to go on thus Art thou in league with Hell Hast thou made a Covenant with Death Art thou in love with thy misery Is it good for thee to be here Alas what shall I do Shall I go on in my sinful ways Why then certain damnation will be mine end and shall I be â—o besotted and bemadded as to go and sell my soul to the flames for a little Ale and a little ease for a little pleasure or gain or content to my flesh Shall I linger any longer in this wretched estate No if I tarry here I shall die What then Is there no help no hope None except I turn Why but is there any remedy for such woful misery Any mercy after such provoking iniquity Yes as sure as God's Oath is true I shall have pardon and mercy yet if presently unfeignedly and unreservedly I turn by Christ to him Why then I thank thee upon the bended knees of my soul O most merciful Jehovah that thy Patience hath waited upon me hitherto For hadst thou took me away in this estate I had perished for ever And now I adore thy grace and accept the offers of thy mercy I renounce all my sins and resolve by thy grace to set my self against them and to follow thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life Who am I Lord that I should make any claim unto thee or have any part or portion in thee who am not worthy to lick up the dust of thy feet ' Yet since thou holdest forth the golden Scepter I am bold to come and touch To despair would be to disparage thy mercy and to stand off when thou biddest me come would be at once to undo my self and rebel against thee under the pretence of humility Therefore I bow my soul to thee and with all possible thankfulness accept thee as mine and give up my self to thee as thine Thou shalt be Soveraign over me my King and my God Thou shalt be in the Throne and all my powers shall bow to thee they shall come and worship before thy feet Thou shalt be my Portion O Lord and I will rest in thee Thou callest for my heart O that it were any way fit for thine acceptance I am unworthy O Lord everlastingly unworthy to be thine But since thou wilt have it so I freely give up my heart to thee Take it it is thine Oh that it were better But Lord I put it into thine hand who alone canst mend it Mould it after thine own heart make it as thou wouldst have it holy humble heavenly soft tender flexible and write thy Law upon it Come Lord Jesus come quickly Enter in triumphantly take me up to thee for ever I give up to thee I come to thee as the only way to the Father as the only Mediator the means ordained to bring me to God. I have desâ—royed my self but in thee is my help Save Lord or else I perish I come to thee with the rope about my Neck I am worthy to die and to be damned Never was the hire more due to the servant never was penny more due to the labourer then Death and Hell my just wages is due to 〈◊〉 for my sins But I fly to thy merits I trust alone to the value and virtue of thy Sacrifice and prevaâ—â—â—cy of thine intercession I submit to thy teaching â— make choice of thy Government Stand open 〈…〉 doors that the King of Glory may come in O thou spirit of the most high the comforter and sanctifier of thy chosen come in with all thy glorious train all thy courtly 〈◊〉 thy fruits and graces Let â—â—e be thine habitacion â— I can give 〈◊〉 But what is thine 〈◊〉 already but here with the poor Widdow I casâ— my two miâ—es my soul and my body into thy treasury fully resigning them up to tâ—â—â—e to be sanctified by thee to be servants to thee They it all â—e thy Patients Cure thou their Malady they shall be thy Agents Govern thou their Moâ—â—câ—s Too long have I served the world too long have I hearkned to Satan but now I renounce them all and will be ruled by thy Dictates and Directions and guided by thy Counsel O blessed Trinity O glorious Unity I deliver up my self to thee receive me write thy name O Lord upon me and upon all that I have as thy proper goods Set thy mark upon me upon every member of my body and every faculty of my soul. I have chosen thy precepts Thy law will I lay before me This shall be the Copy which I will keep in my eye and study to write after According to this rule do I resolve by thy Grace to walk After this law shall my whole man be governed And though I cannot perfectly keep one
of thy Commandments yet I will allow my self in the breach of none I know my flesh will hang back But I resolve in the power of thy Grace to cleave to thee and thy holy ways what ever it cost me I am sure I cannot come off a loser by thee therefore I will be content with reproach and difficulties and hardships here and will deny my self and take up my Cross and follow thee Lord Jesus thy Yoke is easie thy Cross is welcome as it is the way to thee I lay aside all hopes of worldly happiness I will be content to tarry till I come to thee Let me be poor and low little and despised here so I may but be admitted to live and reign with thee hereafter Lord thou hast my heart and hand to this agreement Be it as the laws of the Medes and Persians never to be reversed To this I will stand In this resolution by Grace I will live and die I have sworn and will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments I have given my free consent I have made my everlasting choice Lord Jesus confirm the Contract Amen Chap. VII Containing the Motives to Conversion THough what is already said of the Necessity of Conversion and of the Miseries of the Unconverted might be sufficient to induce any considering mind to resolve upon a present Turning or Conversion unto God Yet knowing what a piece of desperate obstinacy and untractableness the heart of man naturally is I have thought it necessary to add to the means of Conversion and Directions for a Covenant-closure with God in Christ some Motives to perswade you hereunto O Lord fail me not now at my last attempts If any soul hath read hitherto and be yet untouched now Lord fasten in him and do thy work Now take him by the heart overcome him perswade him till he sayâ— thou hast prevailed for thou wast stronger than I. Lord didst thou not make me a Fisher of men And have I toiled all this while and caught nothing Alas that I should have spent my strength for nought And now I am casting my last Lord Jesus stand thou upon the Shore and direct how and where I shall spread my Net and let me so enclose with arguments the souls I seek for that they may not be able to get out Now Lord for a multitude of souls I Now for a full draughtâ— O Lord God remember me I pray thee and strengthen me this once O God. But I turn me unto you Men and Brethren Heaven and Earth do call upon you yea Hell it self doth preach the Doctrine of Repentance unto you The Angels of the Churches travel with you Gal. 4. 19. the Angels of Heaven wait for you for your repenting and turning unto God. O sinner why should the Devils make merry with thee Why shouldst thou be a morsel for that devouring Leviathan Why should Harpies and Hell-Hounds tear thee and make a feast upon thee and when they have got thee into the Snare and have fastened their Talons in thee laugh at thy destruction and deride thy misery and sport themselves with thy damnable folly This must be thy case except thou turn And were it not better thou shouldst be a joy to Angels than a laughing stock and sport for Devils Verily if thou wouldst but come in the Heavenly Host would take up their Anthems and sing Glory be to God in the Highest the Morning Stars would sing together and all the Sons of God shout for joy and celebrate this new Creation as they did the first Thy Repentance would as it were make Holy-day in Heaven and the glorious Spirits would rejoice in that there is a new Brother added to their society Rev. 22. 9. another Heir born to their Lord and the lost Son received safe and sound The true penitents tears are indeed the Wine that cheareth both God and Man. If it be little that Men and Angels would rejoice at thy Conversion know that God himself would rejoice over thee even with singing and rest in his love Luke 15. 9. Isa. 62. 5. Never did Iacob with such joy weep over the Nâ—ck of his Ioseph as thy Heavenly Father would rejoice over thee upon thy coming in to him Look over the Story of the Prodigal Methinks I see how the Aged Father lays aside his estate and forgets his years Behold how he runneth Luke 15. 20. Oh the haste that mercy makes The Sinner makes not half that speed Methinks I see how his Bowels turn how his compassions yearn How quick-sighted is love Mercy spies him a great way off forgets his riotous courses unnatural rebellion horrid unthankfulness debauched practices not a word of these but receives him with open Arms clasps about his Neck forgets the nastiness of his Rags kisses the Lips that deserve to be loathed the Lips that had been joined to Harlots that had been commoners with the Swine calls for the fatted Calf the best Robe the Ring the Shooes the best cheer in Heavens Store the best attire in Heavens Wardrobe Luke 15. 6 9 23. yea the joy cannot be held in one breast c. others must be called to participate the friends must meet and make merry Angels must wait but the Prodigal must be set at the Table under his Fathers wing He is the joy of the feast He is the sweet subject of the Fathers delight The Friends sympathize but none knows the felicity the Father takes in his new born Son whom he hath received from the dead Methinks I hear the Musick and the Dancing at a distance Oh the Melody of the Heavenly Choristers I cannot learn the Sonâ— Rev. 14. 3. But methinks I over-hear the burden at which all the harmonious Quire with one consent strikes sweetly in for thus goes the round at Heavens Table For this my Son was dead and is alivâ— again was lost and is found Luke 5. 23 24 32. I need not farther explain the parable God is the Father Christ the Cheer his Righteousness the Robe his Graces the Ornaments Ministers Saints Angels the Friends and Servants and thou that readest if thou wilt but unfeignedly repent and turn the welcome Prodigal the happy instance of all this grace and blessed subject of this joy and love O Rock Oh Adamant What! not moved yet not yet resolved to turn forthwith and to close with mercy I will try thee yet once again If one were sent to thee from the dead wouldst thou be perswaded Why hear the voice from the dead from the damned crying to thee that thou shouldst repent I pray thee that thou wouldst send him to my Fathers house for I have five Brethren that he may testifie unto them lest they also come into this place of torment If one went unto them from the dead they will repent Luke 16. 27 28 c. Hear O man thy Predecessors in impenitence Preach to thee from the infernal Gibbets from the Flames from the Rack that thou shouldst repent O look
down into the bottomless Pit. Seest thou how the smoak of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever Revâ— 14. 11. How black are the Fiends How furious are their Tormentors 'T is their only musick to hear how their miserable Patients roar to hear their bones crack 'T is their meat and drink to see how their flesh frieth and their fat droppeth to drench them with burning metal and to rip open their bodies and to pour in the fierce burning brass into their bowels and the recesses and ventricles of their hearts What thinkesâ— thou of those chains of darkness of those instruments of cruelty Canst thou be content to burn Seest thou how the worm gnaweth how the oven gloweth how the fire rageth What say'st thou to that River of Brimstone that dark and horrible vault that gulf of perdition Wilt thou take up thy habitation here O lay thine ear to the door of Hell. Hearest thou the curses and blasphemies the weepings and the wailings how they lament their folly and curse their day Mat. 22. 13. Rev. 16. 9. How do they roar and â—ell and gnash their teeth How dâ—ep are their gronas How feeling are their moâ—ns How unconceivable are their miseries If the shâ—ieks of 〈…〉 and Abiram were so terrible when the Earth 〈◊〉 asunder and opened her mouth and swallowed them up and all that apperâ—ained to them that all Israel fled at the cry of them 〈◊〉 16. â—3 â—4 Oh how fearful worâ—id the cry be if God should take off the covaring from the mouâ—h of Hell and let the cry of the damned aseend in all its teâ—ror among the Children or men And of all their moans and miseries this the piercing killing emphasis and burden for ever for â—vâ—r Why as God liveth that made thy soul thou art but a few hours distant from all this except thou repent and be converted Oh! I am even lost and swallowed up in the abundance of those arguments that I might suggest If there be any point of wisdom in all the world it is to repent and come in if there be any thing righteous any thing reasonable this is it If there be any thing in the world that may be called madness and folly and any thing that may be counted sottish absurd brutish unreasonable it is this to go on in thine unconverted estate Let me beg thee as thou wouldst not wilfully destroy thy self to sit down and weigh besides what hath been said these following Motives and let conscience speak if it be not reason that thou shouldst repent and turn 1. The God that made thee doth most graciously invite thee First His most sweet and merciful nature doth invite thee Oh the kindness of God his working bowels his tender mercies they are infinitely above our thoughts higher than heaven what can we do Deeper than hell what can we know Iob 11. 7 8 9. He is full of compassion and gracious long suffering and plenteous in mercy Psal. 86. 15. This is a great argument to perswade sinners to come in Turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful â—low to anger of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil If God would not repent of the evil it were some discouragement to us why we should not repent If there were no hope of mercy it were no such wonder if rebels should stand out but never had Subjects such a gracious Prince such Piety Patience Clemency pity to deal with as you have Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity c. Mic. 7. 18. Oh sinners See what a God you have to deal with if you will but turn He will turn again and have compassion on you he will subdue your iniquities and cast all your sins into the depth of the Sea V. 19. Return unto me saith the Lord of Hosts and I will return unto you Mal. 3. 7. Zech. 1. 3. Sinners do not fail in that they have too high thoughts of Gods mercies but in that 1. They overlook his Iustice. 2. They promise themselves mercy out of Gods way His mercy is beyond all imagination Isa. 55. 9. great mercies 1 Chron. 21. 13. manifold mercies Neh. 9. 19. tender mercies Psal. 25. 6. sure mercies Isa. 55. 3. everlasting mercies Psal. 103. 17. Isa. 54. 8. and all thine own if thou wilt but turn Art thou willing to come in Why the Lord hath laid aside his terror erected a Throne of Grace holds forth the golden Scepter Touch and live Would a merciful man slay his enemy when prostrate at his feet acknowledging his wrong begging pardon and offering to enter with him into a Covenant of peace Much less will the merciful God. Study his Name Exod. 34. 7. Read their experience Neh. 9. 17. Secondly His Soul encouraging calls and promises do invite thee Ah what an earnest suiter is mercy to thee how lovingly how instantly it calleth after thee how passionately it wooeth thee Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Only acknowledge thine iniquity Turn O back-sliding children saith the Lord for I am married unto you return and I will heal your back-slidings Thou hast plaid the Harlot with many Lovers yet return unto me saith the Lord Jer. 3. 11 12 13 14 22. As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that he turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die O house of Israel Ezek. 33. 11. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him in his righteousness that he hath done shall he live Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruin Cast away from you all your transgressions and make you a clean heart and a new spirit for why will ye die O house of Israel For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God wherefore turn your selves and live ye Ezek. 18. 21 23 30 31 32. Oh melting gracious words The voice of a God and not of a man This is not the manner of men for the offending Sovereign to sue to the offending traiterous varlet Oh how doth mercy follow thee and plead with thee Is not thy heart broken yet Oh that to day you would hear his voice 2. The Doors of Heaven are thrownâ— open to thee The Everlasting Gates are set wide for thee and an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven administred to thee Christ now bespeaks thee as she her Husband Arise and take possession 1 Kings 21. 15. View the glory of the other world as set forth in the map of the
of the worms if compared with God. As he doth infinitely exceed the glory and power of his glittering dust so he will beyond all proportion exceed in doing for his Favourites whatever Princes can do for theirs He will give you grace and glory and withhold no good thing from you Psal. 84. 11. He will take you for his Sons and Daughters and make you Heirs of his promises Heb. 6. 17. and establish his everlasting Covenant with you Ier. 32. 40. He will justifie you from all that Law Conscience Satan can charge upon you Rom. 8. 33 34. he will give you free access into his presence and accept your persons and receive your prayers Eph. 3. 12. Eph. 1. 6. 1 Iohn 5. 14. He will abide in you and make you the men of his secrets and hold a constant and friendly communion with you Iohn 14. 23. Iohn 15. 15. 1 Iohn 1. 3. His ear shall be open his door open his store open at all times to you His blessing shall rest upon you and he will make your enemies to serve you and work about all things for good unto you Psal. 115. 13. Rom. 8. 28. 4. The Terms of mercy are brought as low as possible to you God hath stooped as low to sinners as with honour he can He will not be thought a fautor of sin nor stain the glory of his holiness and whither could he come lower than he hath unless he should do this He hath abated the impossible terms of the first Covenant Ier. 3. 13. Mark 5. 36. Acts 16. 31. Acts 3. 19. Prov. 28. 13. He doth not impose any thing unreasonable or impossible as a condition of life upon you Two things were necessary to be done according to the Tenour of the first Covenant by you 1. That you should fully satisfie the demands of Iustice for past offences 2. That you should perform personally perfectly and perpetually the whole Law for the time to come Both these are to us impossible Rom. 8. 3. But behold Gods gracious abatement in both He doth not stand upon satisfaction he is content to take off the surety and he of his own providing too what he might have exacted from you 2 Cor. 5. 19. He declares himself to have received a ransom Iob 33. 24. 1 Tim. 2. 6. and that he expects nothing but that you should accept his Son and he shall be righteousness and redemption to you Iohn 1. 12. 1 Cor. 1. 30. And for the future obedience here he is content to yield to your weakness and remit the rigour He doth not stand upon perfection as a condition of life though he still insists upon it as due but is content to accept of sincerity Gen. 17. 1. Prov. 11. 20. Though you cannot pay the full debt he will accept you according to that which you have and take willing for doing and the purpose for the performance 2 Cor. 8. 12. 2 Chron. 6. 8. Heb. 11. 17. and if you come in his Christ and set your hearts to please him and make it the chief of your cares he will approve and reward you though the vessel be marred in your hands Oh consider your Makers condescention Let me say to you as Naaman's servant to him My Father if the Prophet had bâ—d thee do some great thing wouldst then not have done it how much rather when he saith unto thee wash and be clean 2 Kings 5. 13. If God had demanded some terrible some severe and rigorous thing of you to escape eternal damnation would you not have done it Suppose it had been to spend all your days in sorrow in some howling Wilderness or pine your selves with famine or to offer the fruit of your bodies for the sin of your souls would you not have thankfully accepted eternal redemption though these had been the conditions Yea farther if God should have told you you should have fryed in the fire for millions of ages or been so long tormented in Hell would you not have gladly accepted it Alas all these are not so much as one sand in the glass of eternity If your offended Creator should have held you but one year upon the rack and then bid you come and forsake your sins accept Christ and serve him a few years in self-denial or lie in this case for ever and ever Do you think you should have stuck at the offer and disputed the terms and have been unresolved whether you were best to accept of the motion O sinner return and live why shouldest thou die when life is to be had for the taking and mercy should be beholding to thee as it were to be saved Couldst thou say indeed Lord I know that thou wast an hard man Mat. 25. 24. thou hadst some little excuse but when the God of Heaven hath stooped so low and bated so far if now thou shouldst stand off who shall plead for thee Obj. Notwithstanding all these abatements I am no more able to perform those conditions in themselves so easie of faith and repentance and sincere obedience than to satisfy and fulfil the Law. Answ. These you may perform by Gods grace enabling whereas the other are naturally impossible in this state even to believers themselves But let the next consideration serve for a fuiler answer 5. Wherein you are impotent God doth offer grace to enable you I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded Prov. 1. 24. What though you are plunged into the ditch of that misery from which you can never get out Christ offereth to help you out he stretcheth his hand to you and if you perish it is for refusing his help Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man open to me I will come in Rev. 3. 20. What though you are poor and wretched and blind and naked Christ oftereth a cure for your blindness a cover for your nakedness a remedy for your poverty he tendreth you his righteousness his graces I counsel thee to buy of me gold that thou mayst be rich and white rayment that thou mayst be cloathed and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve that thou mayst see Rev. 3. 17 18. Do you say the condition is impossible for I have not wherewith to buy You must know that this buying is without money and without price Isa. 55. 1. This buying is by begging and seeking with diligence and constancy in the use of God's means Prov. 2. 3 4. God commandeth thee to know him and to fear him Dost thou say Yea but my mind is blinded and my heart is hardened from his fear I answer God doth offer to enlighten thy mindâ— and to teach thee his fear that is presented to thy choice Prov. 1. 29. For 〈…〉 hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. So that now if men live in ignorance and estrangement from the Lord it is because they will not understand and desire notâ—â—e knowledge of his ways Job 21. 14. If thou cryest after knowledge if thou seaâ—eâ—t her as
and every one that is in distress and every one that is discontented gather your selves unto Christâ— and he will become a Captain over you He will be your protection from the arrests of the Law He will save you from the hand of Justice Behold he is an open sanctuary to you he is a known Refuge Heb. 6. 18. Psal. 48. 3. Away with your sins and come in unto him lest the avenger of blood seize you lest devouring wrath overtake you Ho every ignorant sinner come and buy eye-salve that thou may'st see Rev. 3. 18. Away with thine excuses thou art for ever lost if thou continuest in this estate 2 Cor. 4. 3. But accept of Christ for thy Prophet and he will be a light unto thee Isa. 42. 6. Ephes. 5. 14. Cry unto him for knowledge study his word take pains about the Principles of Religion humble thy self before him and he will teach thee his way and make thee wise unto salvation Mat. 13. 36. Luke 8. 9. Iohn 5. 39. Psal. 25. 9. But if thou wilt not follow him in the painful use of his means but sit down because thou hast but one talent he will condemn thee for a wicked and slothful servant Mat. 25. 24 26. Ho every prophane sinner come in and live Return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon thee Be inâ—â—eated Oh return come Thou that hast filled thy mouth with oaths and execrations all manner of sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven thee Mark 3. 28. if thou wilt but throughly turn unto Christ and come in Though thou wast as unclean as Magdalen yet put away thy Whoredoms out of thy sight and thine adulteries from between thy breasts and give up thy self unto Christ as a vessel of holiness alone for his use and then though thy sins be as 〈◊〉 they shall be as wooll and though they be as crimson they shall be as white as snow Luke 7. 37. Hos. 2. 2. 1 Thes. 4. 4. Isa. 1. 18. Hear O ye drunkards How long will you be drunken put away your wine 1 Sam. 1. 14. Though you have rolled in the vomit of your sin take the vomit of repentance and heartily disgorge your beloved lusts and the Lord will receive you 2. Cor. 6. 17. Give up your selves unto Christ to live soberly righteously and godly embrace his righteousness accept his government and though you have been swine he will wash you Rev. 3. 6. Hear O ye loose companions whose delight is in vain and wicked society to sport away your time in carnal mirth and jollity with them come in at wisdoms call and choose her and her ways and you shall live Prov. 9. 5 6. Hear O ye scorners hear the word of the Lord Though you have made a sport at godliness and the professors thereof though you have made a scorn of Christ and of his ways yet even to you doth he call to gather you under the wings of his mercy Prov. 1â— 22 33. In a word though you should be found among the worst of that black roll 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. yet upon your through Conversion you shall be washed you shall be justified you shall be sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God ver 11. Ho every formal professor that art but a luke-warm and dough-baked Christian and restest in the form of godliness give over thy halving and thy halting be a throughout Christian and be zealous and repent and then though thou hast been an offence to Christ's stomach thou shalt be the joy of his heart Rev. 3. 16 19 20. And now bear witness that mercy hath been offered you I call Heaven and Earth to record against you this day that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that you may live Deut. 30. 19. I can but woo you and warn you I cannot compel you to be happy if I could I would What answer will you send me with to my Master Let me speak unto you as Abrahams servant to them and now if you will deal kindly and truly with my Master tell me Gen. 24. 49. O for such a happy answer as Rebekah gave to them Gen. 24. 57 58. And they said we will call the damsel and inquire at her mouth And they called Rebekah and said unto her Wilt thou go with this man and she said I will go O that I had but thus much from you Why should I be your accuser Mat. 10. 14 15. who thirst for your salvation Why should the passionate pleadings and wooings of mercy be turned into the horrid aggravations of your obstinacy and additions to your misery Judge in your selves Do you not think their condemnation will be doubly dreadful that shall still go on in their sins after all endeavours to recall them Doubtless it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon yea for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Iudgment than for you Mat. 11. 22 24. Beloved if you have any pity for your perishing souls close with the present offers of mercy If you would not continue and increase the pains of your travelling Ministers do not stick in the birth If the God that made you have any Authority with you obey his command and come in If you are not the despisers of grace and would not shut up the doors of mercy against your selves repent and be converted Let not Heaven stand open for you in vain Let not the Lord Jesus open his wares and bid you buy without money and without price in vain Let not his Ministers and his Spirit strive with you in vain and leave you now at last unperswaded lest the sentence go forth against you The Bellows are burnt the Lead is consumed of the fire the Founder melteth in vain Reprobate Silver shall men call them because the Lord hath rejected them Jer. 6. 29 30. Father of Spirits take the heart in hand that is too hard for my weakness Do not thou have ended though I have done Half a word from thine effectual power will do the work O thou that hast the Key of David that openest when no man shutteth open thou this heart as thou didst Lydia's and let the King of glory enter in And make this soul thy captive Let not the tempter harden him in delays Let him not stir from this place nor take his eyes from these lines till he be resolved to forgo his sins and to accept of life upon thy self-denying terms In thy name O Lord God did I go forth to these Labours in thy name do I shut them up Let not all the time they have cost be but lost hours let not all the thoughts of heart and all the pains that have been about them be but lost labour Lord put in thine hand into the heart of this Reader and send thy Spirit as once thou didst Philip to join himself to the Chariot of the Eunuch while he was reading the word And though I