sure of earth he would let go heaven and had rather stay here then be removed thither A life of perfect holiness in the sight of God and in his love and praises for ever in heaven doth not find such liking with his heart as a life of health and wealth and honour here upon earth And though he falsly profess that he loveth God above all yet indeed he never felt the power of Divine Love within him but his mind is more set on the world or fleshly pleasures then on God In a word whoever Loveth earth above heaven and fleshly prosperity more than God is a wicked unconverted man On the other side a Converted man is illuminated to discern the Loveliness of God and so far believeth the Glory that is to be had with God that his heart is taken up to it and set more upon it then on any thing in this world He had rather see the face of God and live in his everlasting love and praises then have all the wealth or pleasure of this world He seeth that all things else are vanity and nothing but God can fill the soul and therefore let the world go which way it will he layeth up his treasure and hopes in heaven and for that he is resolved to let go all As the fire doth mount upward and the Needle that is touched with the load-stone still turneth to the North so the Converted soul is enclined unto God Nothing else can satisfie him nor can he find any Content and Rest but in his Love In a word All that are Converted do Esteem and Love God beetter then all the world and the Heavenly felicity is dearer to them then their fleshly prosperity The proof of what I have said you may find in these places of Scripture Phil. 3.18 21. Mat. 6.19 20 21. Col. 3.1 2 3 4. Rom. 8.5 6 7 8 9 18 23. Psal. 73.25 26. Secondly a wicked man is one that maketh it the principal business of his life to prosper in the world and attain his fleshly ends And though he may read and hear and do much in the outward duties of Religion and forbear disgraceful sins yet this is all but upon the by and he never makes it the trade and principal business of his life to Please God and attain everlasting glory but puts off God with the leavings of the world and gives him no more service then the flesh can spare for he will not part with all for heaven On the contrary a Converted man is one that makes it the principal care and business of his life to Please God and to be saved and takes all the blessings of this life but as accommodations in his journey towards another life and useth the creature in subordination unto God he loveth an holy life and longeth to be more holy he hath no sin but what he hateth and longeth and prayeth and striveth to be rid of The drift and bent of his life is for God and if he sin it is contrary to the very bent of his heart and life and therefore he riseth again and lamenteth it and dare not wilfully live in any known sin There is nothing in this world so dear to him but he can give it up to God and forsake it for him and the hopes of glory All this you may see in Col. 3.1 2 3 4 5. Mat. 6.33 20. Luk. 18.22 23 29. Luk. 14.18 24 26 27. Rom. 8.13 Gal. 5.24 Luk. 12.21 c. Thirdly the soul of a wicked man did never truly discern and relish the mystery of Redemption nor thankfully entertain an offered Saviour nor is he taken up with the love of the Redeemer not willing to be ruled by him as the Physitian of his soul that he may be saved from the guilt and power of his sins and recovered unto God but his heart is insensible of this unspeakable benefit and is quite against the healing means by which he should be recovered Though he may be willing to be carnally Religious yet he never resigneth up his soul to Christ and to the motions and conduct of his Word and Spirit On the contrary the Converted soul having felt himself undone by sin and perceiving that he hath lost his peace with God and hopes of heaven and is in danger of everlasting misery doth thankfully entertain the tidings of Redemption and believing in the Lord Jesus as his only Saviour resigneth up himself to him for wisdom righteousness sanctification and redemption He taketh Christ as the Life of his soul and liveth by him and useth him as his salve for every sore admiring the wisdom and Love of God in this wonderful work of mans Redemption In a word Christ doth even dwell in his heart by faith and the life that he now liveth is by the Faith of the Son of God that hath loved him and gave himself for him Yea it is not so much he that liveth as Christ in him For these see Iohn 1.11 12. 3.19 20. Rom. 8.9 Phil. 3.7 8 9 10. Gal. 2.20 Ioh. 15 2 3.4 1 Cor. 1.20 2.2 YOU see now in plain terms from the Word of God who are the wicked and who are the Converted Ignorant people think that if a man be no swearer not curser nor rayler nor drunkard nor fornicator nor extortioner nor wrong any body in their dealings and if they come to Church and say their prayers these cannot be wicked men Or if a man that hath been guilty of drunkenness or swearing or gameing or the like vices do but forbear them for the time to come they think that this is a Converted man Others think if a man that hath been an enemy and scorner at godliness do but approve it and joyn himself with those that are godly and be hated for it by the wicked as the godly are that this must needs be a Converted man And some are so foolish as to think they are Converted by taking up some new and false opinion and falling into some dividing party as Anabaptists Quakers Papists or such like And some think if they have but been affrighted by the fears of Hell and had Convictions and Gripes of Conscience and thereupon have purposed and promised amendment and taken up a life of Civil behavour and outward Religion that this must needs be true Conversion And these are the poor deluded souls that are like to lose the benefit of all our perswasions and when they hear that the wicked must Turn or Die they think that this is not spoken to them for they are not wicked but are Turned already And therefore it is that Christ told some of the Rulers of the Jews who were graver and civiler then the common people that Publicans and Harlots do go into the Kingdom of God before them Mat. 21.31 Not that an harlot or gross sinner can be saved without Conversion but because it was easier to make these gross sinners perceive their sin and misery and the necessity of a change
their worldly business and little trouble their minds with such thoughts And if they be but restrained from scandalous sins and can say I am no whore-monger nor thief nor curser nor swearer nor tipler nor exâ—ortioner I go to Church and say my prayers they think that this is true Conversion and they shall be saved as well as any Alas this is foolish cheating of your selves This is too much contempt of an endless glory and too gross neglect of your immortal souls Can you make so light of Heaven and Hell Your corpses will shortly all lye in the dust and Angels or Devils will presently seize upon your souls and every man and woman of you all will shortly be among other company and in another case then now you are you will dwell in those houses but a little longer you will work in your shops and fields but a little longer you will sit in those seats and dwell on this earth but a little longer you will see with those eyes and hear with those ears and speak with those tongues but a little longer till the Resurrection day and can you make shift to forget this O what a place will you be shortly in of Joy or Torment O what a sight will you shortly see in Heaven or Hell O what thoughts will shortly fill your hearts with unspeakable Delight or Horrour What work will you be employed in to Praise the Lord with Saints and Angels or to cry out in fire unquenchable with Devils And should all this be forgotten And all this will be endless and sealed up by an unchangeable decree Eternity Eternity will be the measure of your Joyes or sorrows and can this be forgotten And all this is true Sirs most certain true when you have gone up and down a little longer and slept and awak't a few tunes more you 'l be dead and gone and find all true that now I tell you and yet can you now so much forget it You shall then remember that you heard this Sermon and that this day from this place you were remembered of these things and perceive them matters a thousand times greater then either you or I could here conceive and yet shall they be now so much forgotten Beloved friends if the Lord had not awakened me to believe and lay to heart these things my self I should have remained in the dark and selfish state and have perished for ever but if he have truly made me sensible of them it will constrain me to compassionate you as well as my self If your eyes were so far opened as to see Hell and you saw your neighbours that were Unconverted dragg'd thither with hideous cries though they were such as you accounted honest people on earth and feared no such matter by themselves such a sight would make you go home and think of it and think again and make you warn all about you as the damned worldling in Luke 16.28 would have had his Brethen warned lest they come to that place of torment Why faith is a kind of sight it is the eye of the soul the Evidence of things aot seen If I believe God it is next to seeing And therefore I beseech you excuse me if I be half as earnest with you about these matters as if I had seen them If I must die to morrow and it were in my power to come again from another world and tell you what I had seen would you not be willing to hear me and would you not believe and regard what I should tell you If I might preach one Sermon to you after I am dead and have seen what is done in the world to come would you not have me plainly speak the truth and would you not crowd to hear me and would you not lay it to heart but this must not be God hath his appointed way of teaching you by Scripture and Ministers and he will not humour Unbelievers so far as to send men from the dead to them and to alter his establisht way if any man quarrel with the Sun God will not humour him so far as to set him up a clearer light Friends I beseech you regard me now as you would do if I should come from the dead to you for I can give you as full assurance of the truth of what I say to you as if I had been there and seen it with my eyes For its possible for one from the dead to deceive you but Jesus Christ can never deceive you the Word of God delivered in Scripture and sealed up by the Miracles and holy workings of the Spirit can never deceive you Believe this or believe nothing Believe and obey this or you are undone Now as ever you believe the Word of God and as ever you care for the salvation of your souls let me beg of you this reasonable request and I beseech you deny me not that you would without any more delay when you are gone from hence remember what you heard and enter into an earnest search of your hearts and say to your selves Is it so indeed must I Turn or Die Must I be Converted or Condemned It s time for me then to look about me before it be too lâ—te Oh why did I not look after this till now Why did I venturously poste off or flubber over so great a business Was I awake or in my wits Oh blessed God what a mercy is it that thou didst not cut off my life all this while before I had any certain hope of eternal life Well God forbid that I should neglect this work any longer What state is my soul in Am I Câ—nverted or am I not Was ever such a change or work done upon my soul Have I been illuminated by the Word and Spirit of the Lord to see the odiousness of sin the need of a Saviour the Love of Christ and the Excellencies of God and Glory Is my heart broken or humbled within me for my former life Have I thankfully entertained my Saviour and Lord that offered himself with pardon and life to my soul Do I hate my former sinful life and the remnant of every sin that is in me Do I flie from them as my deadly enemies Do I give up my self to a life of Holiness and Obedience to God Do I love it and delight in it Can I truly say that I am dead to the world and carnal self and that I live for God and the Glory which he hath promised Haâ—h Heaven more of my Estimation and Resolution then Earth And is God the dearest and the Highest in my soul Once I am sure I lived principally to the world and flâ—sh and God had nothing but some heartless services which the world could spare and which were the leavings of the flesh Is my heart now turned another way Have I a new design and a new end and a new train of holy affectâ—ons Have I set my hopes and heart in heaven And is it now the scope and design
and bent of my heart and life to get well to heaven and see the glorious face of God and live in his everlasting Love and Praise And when I sin is it against the very habitual bent and design of my heart And do I conquer all gross sins and am I weary and willing to be rid of mine infirmities This is the state of a Converted soul. And thus must tâ— be with me or I must perish Is it thus indeed with me or is it not It s time to get this doubt resolved before the dreadful Iudge resolve it I am not such a stranger to my own heart and life but I may somewhat perceive whether I am thus Converted or not if I be not it will do me no good to flatter my soul with false conceits and hopes I am resolved no more to deceive my self but to endeavour to know truly off or on whether I be Converted yea or no that If I be I may rejoyce in it and glorifie my gracious Lord and comfortably go on till I reach the Crown and if I am not I may set my self to beg and seek after the Grace that should convert me and may turn without any more delay For if I find in time that I am out of the way by the help of Christ I may turn and be recovered but if I stay till either my heart be forsaken of God in blindness and hardness or till I be catcht away by death it s then too late There is no place for Repentance and Conversion then I know it must be now or never Sirs this is my request to you that you will but take your hearts to task and thus examine them till you see if it may be whether you are Converted or not and if you cannot find it out by your own endeavours go to your Ministers if they be faithful and experienced men and desire their assistance The matter is great let not bashfulness nor carelesness hinder you They are set over you to advise you for the saving of your souls as Physitians advise you for the curing of your bodies It undoes many thousands that they think they are in the way to salvation when they are not and think that they are Converted when it is no such thing And then when we call to them daily to Turn they go away as they came and think that this concerns not them for they are turned already and hope they shall do well enough in the way that they are in at least if they do pick the fairest path and avoid some of the foulest steps when alas all this while they live but to the world and flesh and are strangers to God and Eternal life and are quite out of the way to Heaven And all this is much because we cannot perswade them to a few serious thoughts of their Condition and to spend a few hours in the examining of their states Is there not many a self-deceiving wretch that heareth me this day that never bestowed one hour or quarter of an hour in all their lives to examine their souls and try whether they are truly Converted or not O merciful God that will care for such wretches that care no more for themselves and that will do so much to save them from Hell and help them to Heaven who will do so little for it themselves If all that are in the way to Hell and in a state of damnation did but know it they durst not continue in it The greatest hope that the Devil hath of bringing you to damnation without a rescue is by keeping you blindfold and ignorant of your state and making you believe that you may do well enough in the way that you are in If you knew that you are out of the way to heaven and were lost for ever if you should die as you are durst you sleep another night in the state that you are in durst you live another day in it Could you heartily laugh or be merry in such a state What! And not know but you may be snatcht away to hell in an hour Sure it would constrain you to forsake your former company and courses and to betake your selves to the waies of Holiness and the Communion of the Saints Sure it would drive you to cry to God for a new heart and to seek help of those that are fit to counsel you There 's none of you sure that cares not for being damned Well then I beseech you presently make enquiry into your hearts and give them no rest till you find out your condition that if it be good you may rejoyce in it and go on and if it be bad you may presently look about you for recovery as men that believe they must Turn or Die What say you Sirs Will you resolve and promise to be at this much labour for your own souls Will you fall upon this self examination when you come home Is my request unreasonable Your consciences know it is not Resolve on it then before you stir Knowing how much it concerneth your souls I beseech you for the sake of that God that doth command you at whose Bar you will shortly all appear that you will not deny me this reasonable request For the sake of those souls that must turn or dye I beseech you deny me not even but to make it your business to understand your own Conditions and build upon sure ground and know off or on whether you are Converted or no and venture not your souls on negligent security But perhaps you 'l say What if we should find our selves yet unconverted what shall we do then This question leadeth me to my second Doctrine which will do much to the answering of it to which I shall now proceed Doct. 2. IT is the Promise of God that the wicked shall Live if they will but Turn Vnfeignedly and throughly Turn The Lord here professeth that this is it that he takes pleasure in that the wicked Turn and Live Heaven is made as sure to the Converted as Hell is to the Unconverted Turn and Live is as certain a truth as Turn or Dye God was not bound to provide us a Saviour nor open to us a door of hope nor call us to Repent and Turn when once we had cast our selves away by sin But he hath freely done it to magnifie his Mercy Sinners there 's none of you shall have cause to go home and say I preach desperation to you Do we use to shut up the door of Mercy against you O that you would not shut it up against your selves Do we use to tell you that God will have no mercy on you though you Turn and be Sanctified When did you ever hear a Preacher say such a word You that bark at the Preachers of the Gospel for desiring to keep you out of Hell and say that they Preach Desperation tell me if you can when did you ever hear any sober man say that there is no hope for you
and judgement and of the certainty and excellency of the Joys of Heaven and of the certainty and terrour of the torments of Hell and the Eternity of both and of the necessity of Conversion and an holy life Steep your hearts in such Considerations as these DIRECTION III. IF you will be Converted and Saved attend upon the word of God which is the ordinary means Read the Scripture or hear it read and other holy writings that do apply it constantly attend on the publike preaching of the Word As God will lighten the world by the Sun and not by himself alone without it So will he Convert and save men by his Ministers who are the Lights of the world Acts 26.17 18. Mat. 5.14 When he hath miraculously humbled Paul he sendeth him to Ananias Acts 9.10 and when he haâ—h sent an Angel to â—oâ—nelius it is but to bid him send for Peter who must tell him what he is to believe and do DIRECTION IV. BEtake your self to God in a course of earnest constaâ—t Prayer Confess and lament your former lives and beg his grace to illuminate and Convert you Beseech him to pardon what is past and to give you his Spirit and change your hearts and lives and lead you in his waies and save you from temptations And ply this work daily and be not weary of it DIRECTION V. PResently give over your known and wilâ—ul sins Make a stâ—nd and go that way no further Be drunk no more but avoid the place and occasion of it Cast away your lusts and sinful pleasures with detestation Curse and swear and rail no more and if you have wronged any restore as Zacheus did If you will commit again your old sins what blessing can you expect on the means for your Conversion DIRECTION VI. PResently if possible change your Company if it have hitherto been bad Not by forsaking your necessary Relations but your unnecessary sinful companions and joyn your selves with those that fear the Lord and enquire of them the way to heaven Acts 9.19 26. Psal. 15.4 DIRECTION VII DEliver up your selves to the Lord Iesus as the Physitian of your souls that he may pardon you by his blood and sanctifie you by his Spirit by his word and Ministers the instruments of the Spirit He is the way the truth and the life there is no coming to the Father but by him Iohn 14.6 Nor is there any other name under heaven by which you can be saved Acts 4.12 Study therefore his Person and Natures and what he hath done and suffered for you and what he is to you and what he will be and how he is fitted to the full supply of all your necessities DIRECTION VIII IF you mean indeed to Turn and Live Do it speedily without delay If you be not willing to Turn to day you be not willing to do it at all Remember you are all this while in your blood under the guilt of many thousand sins and under Gods wrath and you stand at the very brink of hell there is but a step between you and death And this is not a case for a man that is well in his wits to be quiet in Up therefore presently and fly as for your lives as you would be gone out of your house if it were all on fire over your head O if you did but know what continual danger you live in and what daily unspeakable loss you do sustain and whaâ— a safer and sweeter life you might live you would not stand trâ—flâ—ng but presently turn Multitudes miscarry that wilfulâ—y deâ—ay when they are convinced that it must be done Your lives are short and uncertain and what a case are you in if you die before you throuâ—hly turn You have staid too long already and wronged God too long sin getteth strength and rooting while you delay Your Conversion will grow more hard and doubtful You have much to do and therefore put not all off to the last lest God forsake you and give you up to your selves and then you are undone for ever DIRECTION IX IF you will Turn and Live do it unreservedly absolutely and universally Think not to capitulate with Christ and devide your heart betwixt him and the world and to part with some sins and keep the rest and to let go that which your flesh can spare This is but self-deluding you must in heart and resolution forsake all that you have or else you cannot be his Disciples Luke 14.26 33. If you will not take God and Heaven for your portion and lay all below at the feet of Christ but you must needs also have your good things here and have an earthly portion and God and Glory is not enough for you it is in vain to dream of salvation on these terms For it will not be If you seem never so Religious if yet it be but a Carnâ—l Religiousness and the fleshes prosperity or pleasure or safety be still exâ—epted in your devotedness to God this is as certain a way to death as open prophaness though it be more plausible DIRECTION X. IF you will Turn and Live do it Resolvedly and stand not still deliberating as if it were a doubtful case Stand not wavering as if you were yet uncertain whether God or the flesh be the better Master or whether Heaven or Hell be the better End or whether sin or holiness be the better way But away with your former lusts and presently habitually fixedly Resolve Be not one day of one mind and the next of another but be at a point with all the world and Resolvedly give up your selves and all you have to God Now while you are reading or hearing this Resolve Before you sleep another night Resolve Before you stir from the place Resolve Before Satan have time to take you off Resolve You never Turn indeed till you do Resolve and that with a firm unchangeable Resolution So much for the Directions AND now I have done my part in this work that you may Turn at the Call of God and Live What will become of it I cannot tell I have cast the seed at Gods command but it is not in my power to give the increase I can go no further with my message I cannot bring it to your hearts not make it work I cannot do your parts for your to entertain it and consider of it Nor I cannot do Gods part by opening your heartâ— to cause you to entertain it Nor can I shew you Heaven or Hell to your eye-sight nor give you new and tender hearts If I knew what more to do for your Conversion I hope I should do it But 〈◊〉 thou that art the gracious Father of Spirits that hast sworn thâ—n delightest not in the death of the wicked but rather that they Turn and Live deny not thy blessiâ—g to theâ—e Perswasions and Directions and suffer not thine enemies to triumph in thy sight and the great deceiver of souls to prevail against the Son thy Spirit and thy Word O pitty poor Vnconverted sinners that have not hearts to pitty or help themselves Command the blind to see and the deaf to hear and the dead to live and let not sin and death be able to resist thee Awaken the secure Resolve the uâ—resolved Confirm the wavering and let the eyes of sinners that read these lines be next employed in weeping over their sins and bring them to themselves and to thy Son before their sin have brought them to perdition If thâ—u say but the word these poor endeavours shall prosper to the winning of many a soul to their everlasting Ioy and thine everlasting glory Amen Finitur 1656. Decemb. 31. Mr. R. Rowly of Sâ—rew bury upon Aâ—ham-bridge
see the right ordering of the Church and of the Ordinances of God but the power of sin in our people doth frustrate almost all Nowhere almost can a faithfull Minister set up the unquestionable Discipline of Christ or put back the most scandalous impenitent sinners from the Communion of the Church and participation of the Sacraments but the most of the people rail at them and revise them as if these ignorant careless souls were wiser then their teachers or then God himself and fitter to rule the Church then they And thus in the day of our visitation when God calls upon us to Reform his Church though Magistrates seem willing and faithful Ministers are willing yet are the multitude of the people still unwilling and sin hath so blinded them and hardned their hearts that even in these days of Light and Grace they are the obstinate enemies of Light and Grace and will not be brought by the Calls of God to see their folly and know what is for their good O that the people of England knew at least in this their day the things that belong unto their peace before they are hid from their eyes Luke 19.42 O fâ—olâ—sh miserable souls Gal. 3.1 who hath bewitched your minds into such madness and your hearts into such a deadness that you should be such mortal enemies to your selves and go on so obstinately towards damnation that neither the word of God nor the perswasions of men can change your minds or hold your hands or stop you till you are past remedy Well sinnerâ— this life will not last alwayes this patience will not wait upâ—n you still Do not think that you shall abuse your Maker and Redeemer and serve his enemies aâ—d debase your souls and trouble the world and wrong the Church and reproach the godly and grieve your Teachers and hinder reformation and all this upon free cost You know not yet what this must cost you but you must shortly know when the righteous God shall take you in hand who will handle you in another manner then the sharpest Magistrates or the plainest dealing Pastors did unless you prevent the everlasting torments by a sound conversion and iâ— speedy obeying of the Call of God He that hath an ear to hear let him hear while mercy hath a voice to Call One desperate Objection which I have after touched but with too much brevity I find sticks close to the hearts of many ungodly men They think that God doth not so much care what men think or say or do as we perswade them and therefore they care so little themselves For the convincing of such Atheistical men as these I shall propound these following Question 1. Dost thou think God careth whether thou be a man or not If not Who made thee and preserveth thee If he do then sure he careth whether thou behave thy self as a man No man is so foolish as to make any instrument or build an house or a ship and not to care when he hath done whether it be good for the use he made it for Do not for shame then impute such folly to the God of Wisdom as if he made so noble a creature as man and endowed him with such noble faculties and all for nothing and careth not what becometh of him when he hath done Why should God give thee a mind that can know him and a heart that can love him if he cared not whether thou know him and love him or not Do you not see that in the course of â—ature every thing is fitted to its use The beasts know not God nor are capable of loving him becaâ—se they were made for no such use but thy capacity shews that thou wast made for God and for a life to come 2. Dost thou think that God is everywhere present and infinite and Al-sufficient If not thou dost not believe that he is God And it is uâ—reâ—sonable to imagine that God hath made a world that is greater and more extensive or comprehensive then himself for none can communicate more then he hath But if thou aâ—t forced to confess that God is everywhere and as sufficient for every single mâ—n as if he had never another creature to regard you must needâ— confess then that he is not careless of the hearts and wayes of the Sons of men For they are things that are still before his eyes It is base and blasphemous thoughts of God as if he were limited absent or insufficient that makes men think him so regardless of their hearts and ways 3. Dost thou think that God careth what becomes of thy body Whether thou be sick or well whether thou live or die If not then how comest thou by thy life and health and mercies If they come from any other fountain-tell us from whence Is it not to God that thou prayest for life and health Darest thou say to him I will not depend upon thee I will not be beholden to thee for the life and mercies of another day If so then thou art a blinded Atheist But if thou think God cares for thy body canst thou think he cares not more for thy soul If he must regard to furnish thee with mercies he will sure have a regard whether thou Love and Live to him that gave them 4. Dost thou believe that God is the Governour of the world or not If not then there can be no rightfull Government For as no Iustice of Peace can have Power but from the Soveraign so no Soveraign can have power but from God nor be a lawful Governour but under him And then all the world would be turned into confusion But if thou must needs confess that God is the Governour of the world what an unwise unrighteous Governour wouldst thou make him if thou think that he regardeth not the hearts and ways of those whom he doth govern This still is but to deny him to be God 5. If God do not care so much what is in our hearts or what we do Why then would he make a Law for our hearts and words and ways Would he command us that which he doth not care for Would be so strictly forbâ—d us sin if he were indifferent whether we sin or no Would he promise eternal life to the holy and obedient if he care not whether we be holy and obedient or no would he threaten Hell to all that are ungodly if he care not whether we were godly or not Darest thou say that the Almighty Holy God is fain to rule the world by a Lie and to deceive men into obedience Yea the very Law of nature it self doth contain not only precepts of our duty but the Hopes and fears of a Life to come wâ—thout which the world could not be governed And certainly they are no deceits by which are infinite Wisdom and Power and Goodness doth govern the world 6. If God did not much regard our hearts and lives why doth he make all the world to be our Servants
your souls for the Love of God is the Fountain of this offer Iohn 3.16 and the blood of the Son of God hath purchased it the faithfulness and truth of God is engaged to make the promise good Miracles have sealed up the truth of it Preachers are sent through the world to proclaim it the Sacraments are instituted and used for the solemn Delivery of the mercy offered to them that will accept it and the Spirit doth open the heart to entertain it and is it self the earnest of the full possession So that the truth of it is past controversie that the worst of you all and every one of you if you will but be Converted may be Saved Indeed if you will needs believe that you shall be saved without Conversion then you believe a falshood and if I should preach that to you I should preach a lie this were not to believe God but the Devil and your own deceitful hearts God hath his promise of Life and the Devil hath his promise of Life Gods promise is Return and Live The Devils promise is you shall live whether you turn or not The word of God is as I have shewed you Except ye be converted and become as little children ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven Matth. 18.3 Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God John 3.3 5. Without holiness none shall see God Hebrews 12.14 The Devils word is You may be saved without being born again and Converted you may do well enough without being holy God doth but frighten you he is more merciful then to do as he saith he will be better to you then his word And alas the greatest part of the world believe this word of the Devil before the word of God just as our first sin and misery came into the world God said to our first parents If ye eat ye shall Die And the Devil contradicteth him and saith Ye shall not Die and the woman believed the Devil before God So now the Lord saith Turn or Die. And the Devil saith You shall not die if you do but cry God mercy at last and give over the acts of sin when you can practise it no longer And this is the word that the world believes O hainous wickedness to believe the Devil before God! And yet that is not the worst but blasphemously they call this a Believing and Trusting God when they put him in the shape of Satan who was a lyar from the beginning and when they believe that the word of God is a lye they call this a Trusting God and say they Believe in him and Trust on him for salvation Where did ever God say that the unregenerate unconverted unsanctified shall be saved Shew such a word in Scripture I challenge you if you can Why this is the Devils word and to believe it is to believe the Devil and the sin that is commonly called Presumption and do you call this a believing and trusting God There is enough in the Word of God to comfort and strengthen the hearts of the sanctified but not a word to strengthen the hands of wickedness nor to give men the least hope of being saved though they be never sanctified But if you will Turn and come into the way of Mercy the Mercy of the Lord is ready to entertain you Then Trust God for salvation boldly and confidently for he is engaged by his word to save you He will be a Father to none but his children and he will save none but those that forsake the world the Devil and the flesh and come in to his family to be members of his Son and have Communion with his Saints But if they will not come in it is long of themselves His doors are open He keeps none back He never sent such a message as this to any of you Its now too late I will not receive thee though thou be Converted He might have done so and done you no wrong but he did not he doth not to this day He is still ready to receive you if you were but ready unfeignedly and with all your hearts to Turn And the fulness of this truth will yet more appear in the two following Doctrines which I shall therefore next proceed to before I make any further application of this Doct. 3. GOD taketh Pleasure in mens Conversion and Salvation but not in their Death or Damnation he had rather they would Return and Live then go on and die I shall first teach you how to understand this and then clear up the truth of it to you And for the first you must observe these following things 1. A simple willingness or complacency is the first act of the will following the simple apprehension of the understanding before it proceedeth to compare things together But the choosing act of the will is a following act and supposeth the comparing practical act of the understanding and these two acts may often be carried to contrary objects without any fault at all in the person 2. An unfeigned willingness may have divers degrees Some things I am so far willing of as that I will do all that lieth in my power to accomplish it and some things I am truly willing another should do when yet I will not do all that ever I am able to procure it having many Reasons to disswade me there from though yet I will do all that belongs to me to do 3. The will of a Ruler as such is manifested in making and executing Laws but the will of a man in his simple natural capacity or as absolute Lord of his own is manifested in desiring or resolving of events 4. A Rulers will as Law-giver is first and principally that his Laws be obeyed and not at all that the penalty be executed on any but only on supposition that they will not obey his precepts But a Rulers will as Iudge supposeth the Law already either kept or broken and therefore he resolveth on rewards or punishments accordingly Having given you these necessary Distinctions I shall next apply them to the case in hand in these following Propositions 1. It is in the glass of the word aâ—d creatures that in this life we must know God and so according to the nature of man we ascribe to him Vnderstanding and will removing all the imperfections that we can because we are capable of no higher Positive conceptions of him 2. And on the same grounds we do with the Scripture distinguish between the acts of Gods will as diversified from the respects of the objects though as to Gods essence they are all one 3. And the boldlyer because that when we speak of Christ we have the more ground for it from his humane nature 4. And thus we say that the simple Complacency Will or Love of God is to all that is Naturally or Morally good according to the nature and degree of its goodness And so he hath pleasure in the Conversion and Salvation
hath no pretence left to deny or question therefore the truth of the point in hand For this is confirmed by the Oath of God and therefore must not be distorted to reduce it to other points but doubtful points must rather be reduced to it and certain truths must be believed to agree with it though our shallow brains do hardly discern the agreeement Vse I Do now intreate thee if thou be an Unconverted sinner that hearest these words that thou wouldst ponder a little upon the forementioned Doctrines and bethink thy self awhile who it is that takes pleasure in thy sin and damnation Certainly it is not God he hath sworn for his part that he takes no pleasure in it And I know it is not the pleasing of him that you intend in it You dare not say that you drink and swear and neglect holy duties and quench the motions of the Spirit to please God That were as if you shouâ—d reproach the Prince and break his Laws and seek his death and say you did all this to please him Who is it then that takes Pleasure in your sin and death Not any that bear the image of God for they must be like-manded to him God knows its small pleasure to your faithful Teachers to see you serve your deadly enemy and madly venture your eternal state and wilfully run into the flames of Hell It s small pleasure to them to see upon your souls in the sad effects such blindness and hard-heartedness and carelesness and presumption such wilfulness in evil and such unteachableness and stifness against the waies of life and peace they know these are marks of death and of the wrath of God and they know from the word of God what 's like to be the end of them And therefore it is no more Pleasure to them then to a tender Physitian to see the Plague-marks break out upon his Patient Alas to foresee your everlasting Torments and know not how to prevent them To see how near you are to hell and we cannot make you believe it and consider it To see how easily how certainly you might scape if we knew but how to make you willing How fair you are for everlasting salvation if you would but Turn and do your best and make it the care and business of your lives but you will not do it If our lives lay on it we cannot perswade you to it We study day and night what to say to you that may convince you and perswade you and yet it is undone we lay before you the word of God and shew you the very Chapter and verse where it is written that you cannot be Saved except you be Converted and yet we leave the most of you as we find you We hope you will believe the word of God though you believe not us and that you will regard it when we shew you the plain Scripture for it but we hope in vain and labour in vain as to any saving change upon your hearts And do you think that this is a pleasant thing to us Many a time in secret prayer we are fain to complain to God with sad hearts Alas Lord we have spoken to them in thy name but they little regard us we have told them what thou bidst us tell them concerning the danger of an unconverted state but they do not believe us We have told them that thou hast protested that there is no peace to the wicked Isaiah 48.22 and 57.21 but the worst of them all will scarce believe that they are wicked we have shewed them thy word where thâ—u hast said that if thâ—y live after the flesh they shall die Rom. 8.13 but they say they will believe in thee when they will not believe thee and that they will trust in thee when they give no credit to thy word and when they hope that the threatnings of thy word are false they will yet call this a hoping in God and though we shew them where thou hast said that when a wicked man dyeth all his hopes perish yet cannot we perswade them from their deceitful hopes Prov. 11.7 We tell them what a base unprofitable thing sin is but they love it and therefore will not leave it We tell them how dear they buy this pleasure and what they must pay for it in everlasting torment and they bless themselves and will not believe it but will do as the most do and because God is merciful they will not believe him but will venture their souls come on it what will we telâ— them how ready the Lord is to receive them and this doth but make them delay their repentance and be bolder in their sin Some of them say they purpose to repent but they are still the same and some say they do repent already when yet they are not Converted from their sins We exhort them we intreat them we offer them our help but we cannot prevail with them but they that were drunkards are drunkards still and they that were voluptuous flesh pleasing wretches are such still and they that were worldlings are wordlings still and they that were ignorant and proud and self-conceited are so still Few of them will see and confess their sin and fewer will forsake it but comfort themselves that all men are sinners as if there were no difference between a Converted sinner and an Vnconverted Some of them will not come near us when we are willing to instruct them but think they know enough already and need not our instruction and some of them will give us the hearing and do what their list and most of them are like dead men that cannot feâ—l so that when we tell them of the matters of everlasting consequence we cannot get a word of it to their hearts If we do not obey them and humour them in baptizing the children of the most obstinately wicked and giving them the Lords Supper and doing all that they would have us though never so much against the word of God they will hate us and rail at us but if we beseech them but to confess and forsake their sins and save their souls they will not do it We tell them if they will but Turn we will deny them none of the Ordinances of God neither Baptism to their children nor the Lords Supper to themselves but they will not hear us they would have us to disobey God and damn our own souls to please them and yet they will not turn and save their own souls to please God They are wiser in their own eyes then all their Teachers they rage and are confident in their own way and if we would never so fain we cannot change them Lord this is the case of our miserable neighbours and we cannot help it we see them ready to drop into hell and we cannot help it we know if they would unfeignedly turn they might be saved but we cannot perswade them if we would beg it of them on our knees we cannot
perswade them to it if we would beg it of them with tears we cannot perswade them and what more can we do These are the secret complaints and moans that many a poor Minister is fain to make And do you think that he hath any Pleasure in this Is it a Pleasure to him to see you go on in sin and cannot stop you to see you so miserable and cannot so much as make you sensible of it to see you merry when you are not sure to be an hour out of Hell to think what you must for ever suffer because you will not Turn and to think what an everlasting life of Glory you wilfully despise and cast away What sadder thing can you bring to their hearts and how can you devise to grieve them more Who is it then that you Pleasure by your sin and death It is none of your understanding godly friends Alas it is the grief of their souls to see your misery and they lament you many a time when you give them little thanks for it and when you have not hearts to lament your selves Who is it then that takes Pleasure in your sin It is none but the three great enemies of God whom you renouâ—ced in your Baptism and now are turned falsly to serve 1. The Devil indeed takes pleasure in your sin and death For this is the very end of all his temptations For this he watcheth night and day You cannot devise to please him better then to go on in sin How glad is he when he sees thee going to the Ale-house or other sin and when he heareth thee curse or swear or rail How glad is he when he heareâ—h thee revile the Minister that would draw thee from thy sin and help to save thee These are his delight 2. The wicked also are delighted in it For it is agreeable to their nature 3. But I know for all this that it is not the pleasing of the Devil that you intend even when you please him but it is your own flesh the greatest and most dangerous enemy that you intend to please It is the flesh that would be pampered that would be pleased in meat and drink and cloathing that would be pleased in your company and pleased in applause and credit with the world and pleased in sports and lost and idleness this is the gulf that devoureth all This is the very god that you serve for the Scripture saith of such that their bellies are thâ—ir gods Phil. 3.18 But I beseech you stay a little and consider the business 1. Quest. Should your flesh be pleased before your Maker Will you displease the Lord and displease your Teachers and your godly friends and all to please your brutish appetites or sensual desires Is not God worthy to be the Ruler of your flesh If he shall not Rule it he will not save it you cannot in reason expect that he should 2. Qu. Your flesh is pleased with your sin but is your conscience pleased Doth not it grudge within you and tell you sometimes that all is not well and that your case is not so safe as you make it to be and should not your soul and conscience be pleased before that corruptible flesh 3. Quest. But is not your flesh preparing for its own displeasure also it loves the bait but doth it love the hook It loves the strong drink and sweet morsels it loves its case and sports and merriment it loves to be rich and well spoken of by men and to be some body in the world but doth it love the curse of God Doth it love to stand trembling before his Bar and to be judged to everlasting fire Doth it love to be tormented with the Devils for ever Take all together for there is no separating sin and hell but only by faith and true Conversion if you will keep one you must have the other If Death and Hell be pleasant to you no wonder then if you go on in sin but if they be not as I am sure they be not then what if sin were never so pleasant is it worth the loss of Life Eternal Is a little drink or meat or ease is the good words of sinners is the riches of this world to be valued above the Joyes of heaven Or are they worth the suffering of Eternal fire Sirs these questions should be considered before you go any further by every man that hath Reason to consider and that believes he hath a soul to save or lose Well the Lord here sweareth that he hath no Pleasure in your Death but rather that you would Turn and Live if yet you will go on and Dye rather then Turn remember it was not to Please God that you did it it was to Please the world and to please your selves And if men will damn themselves to please themselves and run into endless Torments for Delight and have not the wit the hearts the grace to hearken to God or man that would reclaim them what remedy but they must take what they get by it and repent it in another manner when it is too late Before I proceed any further in the Application I shall come to the next Doctrine which giveth me a fuller ground for it Doct. 5. SO earnest is God for the Conversion of sinners that he doubleth his commands and exhortations with vehemency Turn ye Turn ye Why will ye Dye This Doctrine is the Application of the former as by a Use of Exhortation and accordingly I shall handle it Is there ever an Unconverted sinner that heareth these vehement words of God Is there ever a man or woman in this Assembly that is yet a stranger to the renewing sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost It is an happy Assembly if it be not so with the most Hearken then to the voice of your maker and Turn to him by Christ without delay Would you know the will of God Why this is his will that you presently Turn Shall the living God send so earnest a Message to his creatures and should they not obey Hearken then all you that live after the flesh the Lord that gave thee thy breath and being hath sent a message to thee from heaven and this is his Message Turn ye Turn ye why will you die He that hath ears to hear let him hear Shall the voice of the Eternal Majesty be neglected If he do but terribly thunder thou art afraid O but this voice doth more nearly concern thee If he did but tell thee thou shalt die to morrow thou wouldst not make light of it O but this word concerneth thy life or death everlasting It is both a Command and an Exhortation As if he had said to thee I charge thee upon the allegiance that thou owest to me thy Creator and Redeemer that thou renounce the flesh the world and the Devil and Turn to me that thou maist Live I condescend to intreate thee as thou either lovest or fearest him that made thee as thou
thee to Return 5. It is the voice of the gracious examples of the Godly When thou seest them live a heavenly life and fly from the sin which is thy delight this really Calls on thee to Turn 6. It is the voice of all the Works of God For they also are Gods books that teach thee this lesson by shewing thee his Greatness and Wisdom and Goodness and Calling thee to observe them and admire the Creator Psal. 19.1 2. The Heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work Day unto Day uttereth Speech night unto night sheweth Knowledge Every time the Sun riseth upon thee it really calleth thee to Turn as if it should say What do I travel and compass the world for but to declare to men the Glory of their Maker and to light them to do his work And do I still find thee doing the work of sin and sleeping out thy life in negligence Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Ephes. 5.14 The night is spent the day is at hand it is now high time to awake out of sleep Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armour of light Let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkeness not in chambering and wantonness not in strife and envying but put ye on the Lord Iesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof Rom. 13.11 12 13 14. This Text was the means of Austins Coversion 7. It is the voice of every Mercy thou dost possess If thou couldst but hear and understand them they all cry out unto thee Turn Why doth the earth bear thee but to seek and serve the Lord why doth it afford thee its fruits but to serve him Why doth the air afford thee breath but to serve him Why do all creatures serve thee with their labours and their lives but that thou mightest serve the Lord of them and thee Why doth he give thee time and health and strength but for to serve him Why hast thou meat and drink and cloathes but for his service Hast thou any thing which thou hast not received And if thou didst receive them its reason thou shouldst bethink thee from whom and to what end and use thou didst receive them Didst thou never cry to him for help in thy distress and didst thou not then understand that it was thy part to Turn and serve him if he would deliver thee He hath done his part and spared thee yet longer and tryed thee another and another year and yet dost thou not Turn You know the Parable of the unfruitful fig-tree Luke 13.6 7 8 9. When the Lord had said Cut it down why cumbreth it the ground he was intreated to try it one year longer and then if it proved not fruitful to cut it down Christ himself there makes the application twice over ver 3. 5. Except ye Repent ye shall all likewise perish How many years hath God looked for the fruits of Love and Holiness from thee and hath found none and yet he hath spared thee How many a time by thy wilful ignorance and carelesness and disobedience hast thou provoked Justice to say Cut him down why cumbereth he the ground And yet mercy hath prevailed and Patience hath forborn the killing damning blow to this day If thou hadst the understanding of a man within thee thou wouldst know that all this calleth thee to Turn Dost thou think thou shalt still escaâ—e the Iudgement of God Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to Repentance but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous Iudgement of God who will render to every man according to his deeds Rom. 2.3 4.5 6. 8. Moreover it is the voice of every affliction to call thee to make haste and Turn Sickness and pain cry Turn and poverty and loss of friends and every twig of the chastising rod cry Turn and yet wilt thou not hearken to the Call These have come near thee and made thee feel they have made thee groan and can they not make thee Turn 9. The very frame of thy Nature and being it self bespeaketh thy Return Why hast thou Reason but to Rule thy flesh and serve thy Lord Why hast thou an understanding soul but to learn and know his will and do it Why hast thou an heart within thee that can love and fear and desire but that thou shouldst fear him and love him and desire after him 10. Yea thine own engagements by promise to the Lord do call upon thee to Turn and serve him Thou hast bound thy self to him by a Baptismal Covenant and renounced the world the flesh and the Devil this thou hast confirmed by the profession of Christianity and renewed it at Sacraments and in times of affliction And wilt thou promise and vow and never perform and Turn to God Lay all these together now and see what should be the issue The holy Scripture calls upon thee to Turn the Ministers of Christ do call upon thee to Turn The Spirit cries Turn thy Conscience cries Turn the godly by perswasions and examples cry Turn the whole world and all the creatures therein that are presented to thy consideration cry Turn The patient forbearance of God cries Turn All the Mercies which thou receivest cry Turn The rod of Gods chastisements cries Turn Thy reason and the frame of thy nature bespeaks thy Turning and so do all thy Promises to God And yet art thou not resolved to Turn 3. Moreover poor hard hearted sinner Didst thou ever consider upon what terms thou standest all this while with him that calleth on thee for to Turn Thou art his own and owest him thy self and all thou hast and may he not Command his own Thou art his absolute servant and shouldst serve no other Master Thou standest at his Mercy and thy life is in his hand and he is resolved to save thee upon no other terms thou hadst many malicious spiritual enemies that would be glad if God would but forsake thee and let them alone with thee and leave thee to their will how quickly would they deal with thee in another manner And thou canst not be delivered from them but by Turning unto God Thou art fallen under his wrath by thy sin already and thou knowest not how long his patience will yet wait Perhaps this is the last year perhaps the last day his sword is even at thy heart while the word is in thine ear and if thou Turn not thou art a dead and undone man Were thy eyes but open to see where thou standest even upon the brink of hell and to see how many thousands are there already that did not turn thou wouldst see that its time to look about thee
Worldlings they are and Worldlings they will be though God hath told them that the Love of the world is enmity to God and that if any man love the world in that measure the love of the Father is not in him James 4.4 1 John 2.15 so that consequentially these men are willing to be damned though not directly They are willing of the way to Hell and Love the certain cause of their torment though they be not willing of Hell it self and do not love the pain which they must endure Is not this the Truth of your case Sirs You would not burn in Hell But you will kindle the fire by your sin and cast your selves into it you would not be tormented with Devils for ever But you will do that which will certainly procure it in despite of all that can be said against it It is just as if you would say I will drink this rats-bane or other poison but yet I will not die I will cast my self headlong from the top of a steeple but yet I will not kill my self I will thrust this knife into my heart but yet I will not take away my life I will put this fire into the thatch of my house but yet I will not burn it Just so it is with wicked men they will be wicked and they will live after the flesh and the world and yet they would not be damned But do you not know that the means do lead unto the end and that God hath by his righteous Law concluded that you must repent or perish He that will take poyson may as well say plainly I will kill my self for it will prove no better in the end Though perhaps he loved it for the sweetness of the Sugar that was mixt with it and would not be perswaded that it was poyson but that he might take it and do well enough But it is not his conceits and confidence that will save his life So if you will be Drunkards or Fornicators or worldlings or live after the flesh you may as well say plainly we will be damned For so you shall be unless you Turn would you not rebuke the folly of a thief or murderer that would say I will steall and kill but I will not be hanged when he knows that if he do the one the Judge in justice will see that the other be done If he say I will steal and murder he may as well say plainly I will be hanged So if you will go on in a carnal life you may as well say plainly we will go to Hell 2. Moreover The wicked will not use those means without which there is no hope of their Salvation He that will not eat may as well say plainly he will not live unless he can tell how to live without meat He that will not go his journey may as well say plainly he will not come to the end He that falls into the water and will not come out nor suffer another to help him out may as well say plainly he will be drowned So if you be carnal and ungodly and will not be converted nor use the means by which you should be converted but think it more ado then needs you may as well say plainly you will be damned For if you have found out a way to be saved without Conversion you have done that which never was done before 3. Yea this is not all but the wicked are unwilling even of salvation it self Though they may desire somewhat which they call by the name of Heaven yet Heaven it self considered in the true nature of the felicity they desire not Yea their hearts are quite against it Heaven is a state of perfect holiness and of continual Love and Praise to God And the wicked have no heart to this The imperfect Love and Praise and holiness which is here to be attained they have no mind of Much less of that which is so much greater The joyes of Heaven are of so pure and spiritual a nature that the heart of the wicked cannot truly desire them So that by this time you may see on what ground it is that God supposeth that the wicked are willing of their own destruction They will not turn though they must Turn or die they will rather venture on certain misery then be converted and then to quiet themselves in their sin they will make themselves believe that they shall nevertheless escape 2. And as the Controversie is matter of wonder that ever men should be such enemies to themselves as wilfully to cast away their souls so are the Disputants too That God should stoop so low as thus to plead the case with man and that man should be so strangely blind and obstinate as to need all this in so plain a case yea and to resist all this when their own salvation lieth upon the issue No wonder if they will not hear us that are men when they will not hear the Lord himself As God saith Ezek. 3.7 when he sent the Prophet to the Israelites The house of Israel will not hearken unto thee For they will not hearken unto me For all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted No wonder if they can plead against a Minister or a godly Neighbour when they will plead against the Lord himself even against the plainest passages of his word and think that they have Reason on their side When they weary the Lord with their words they say wherein have we wearied him Mal. 2.17 The Priests that despised his name durst ask Wherein have we despised thy name And when they polluted his Altar and made the Table of the Lord contempâ—ible they durst say Wherein have we polluted thee Mal. 1.6 7. But Wo unto him saith the Lord that striveth with his Maker Let the Potsheards strive with the Potsheards of the earth Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it What makest thou Isa. 45.9 Quest. But why is it that God will reason the Cause with man Answ. 1. Because that man being a reasonable creature is accordingly to be dealt with and by Reason to be perswaded and overcome God hath therefore endued them with Reason that they might use it for him One would think a reasonable creature should not go against the clearest and greatest Reason in the world when it is set before him 2. At least men shall see that God did require nothing of them that was unreasonable but that whatever he commandeth them and whatever he forbiddeth them he hath all the right Reason in the world on his side and they have good Reason to obey him but none to disobey And thus even the damned shall be forced to justifie God and confess that it was but Reason that they should have turned to him and they shall be forced to condemn themselves and confess that they had little reason to cast away themselves by the neglecting of his Grace in the day of their visitation Vse LOOK up your best and strongest Reasons
of men that will quench Hell-fire or make him a saver that loseth his soul. O if you had heard what I believe if you had seen what I believe and that on the credit of the word of God you would say there can be no reason to warrant a man to damn his soul You durst not sleep quietly another night before you had resolved to Turn and Live If you see a man put his hand into the fire till it burn off you 'l marvail at it but this is a thing that a man may have Reason for as Bishop Cranmer had when he burnt off his hand for subscribing to Popery If you see a man cut off a leg or an arm it s a sad sight but this is a thing that a man may have good reason for as many a man doth it to save his life If you see a man give his body to be burnt to ashes and to be tormented with strappado's and racks and refuse deliverance when it is offered this is a hard case to flesh and blood But this a man may have good reason for as you may see in Heb. 11.33 34 35 36. and as many an hundred Martyrs have done But for a man to forsake the Lord that made him and for a man to run into the fire of Hell when he is told of it and intreated to Turn that he may be saved this is a thing that can have no Reason in the world that is Reason indeed to justifie or excuse it For Heaven will pay for the loss of any thing that we can lose to get it or for any labour which we bestow for it But nothing can pay for the loss of Heaven I beseech you now let this word come nearer to your hearts As you are convinced that you have no Reason to destroy your selves so tell me what Reason have you to refuse to Turn and live to God What Reason hath the veriest worldling or drunkard or ignorant careless sinner of you all why you should not be as holy as any you know and be as carefull for your souls as any other Will not hell be as hot to you as to others Should not your own souls be as dear to you as theirs to them Hath not God as much authority over you Why then will you not become a sanctified people as well as they O Sirs when God bringeth the matter down to the very Principles of nature and shews you that you have no more reason to be undgodly then you have to damn your own souls if yet you will not understand and Turn it seems a Desperate case that you are in And now either you have Reason for what you do or you have not If not will you go on against Reason it self Will you do that which you have no Reason for But if you think you have produce them and make the best of your matter Reason the case a little with me your fellow-creature which is far easier then to reason the case with God Tell me man here before the Lord as if thou wert to die this hour Why shouldst thou not resolve to Turn this day before thou stir from the place thou standest in What Reason hast thou to deny or to delay Hast thou any Reason that satisfieth thine own conscience for it Or any that thou darest own and plead at the barr of God If thou hast let us hear them bring them forth and make them good But alas what poor stuff what nonsense instead of reason do we daily hear from ungodly men But for their necessity I should be ashamed to name them 1. One saith If none shall be saved but such Converted and Sanctified ones as you talk of then heaven would be but empty then God help a great many Answ. What! it seems you think that God doth not know or else that he is not to be believed Measure not all by your selves God hath thousands and millions of his sanctified ones but yet they are few in comparison of the world as Christ himself hath told us Matthew 7.13 14. Luke 12.32 It better beseems you to make that use of this truth which Christ teacheth you Strive to enter in at the strait gate for strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that find it but wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many they be that go in thereat Luke 13.22 23 24. Fear not little flock saith Christ to his sanctified ones for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the Kingdom Luke 12 32. Object 2. I am sure if such as I go to Hell we shall have store of company Answ. And will that be any ease or comfort to you Or do you think you may not have company enough in Heaven Will you be undone for company Or will you not believe that God will execute his threatnings because they be so many that are guilty All these are silly unreasonable conceits Object 3. But are not all men sinners even the best of you all Answ. But all are not unconverted sinners The godly live not in gross sin and their very infirmities are their grief and burden which they daily long and pray and strive to be rid of Sin hath not dominion over them Object 4. I do not see that Professors are any better then other men They will over-reach and oppress and are as Covetous as any Answ. Whatever hypocrites are it s not so with those that are sanctified God hath thousands and thousands that are otherwise Though the malicious world doth accuse them of what they can never prove and of that which never entred into their hearts And commonly they charge them with heart-sins which none can see but God because they can charge them with no such wickedness in their lives as they are guilty of themselves Object 5. But I am no whoremonger nor drunkard nor oppressor and therefore why should you call upon me to be Converted Answ. As if you were not born after the flesh and had not lived after the flesh as well as otherâ— Is it not as great a sin as any of these for a man to have an earthly mind and to love the world above God and to have an unbelieving unhumbled heart Nay let me tell you more that many persons that avoid disgraceful sins are as fast glued to the world and as much slaves to the flesh and as strange to God and a verse to heaven in their more civil course as others are in their more shameful notorious sins Object 6. But I mean nobody any harm nor do no harm and why then should God condemn me Answ. Is it no harm to neglect the Lord that made thee and the work for which thou camest into the world and to prefer the creature before the Creator and to neglect the grace that is daily offered there It is the depth of thy sinfulness to be so insensible of it The dead feel
not that they are dead If once thou wert made alive thou wouldst see more amiss in thy self and marvell at thy self for making so light of it Object 7. I think you would make men mad under pretence of Converting them It is enough to rack the brains of simple people to muse so much on matters too high for them Answ. 1. Can you be madder then you are already or at least can there be a more dangerous madness then to neglect your everlasting welfare and wilfully undo your selves 2. A man is never well in his wits till he be converted He never knows God nor knows sin nor knows Christ nor knows the world nor himself nor what his business is on earth so as to set himself about it till he be converted The Scripture saith that the wicked are unreasonable men 2 Thes. 3.2 and that the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God 1 Cor. 1.20 and Luke 15.17 it s said of the Prodigal that when he came to himself he resolved to Return It s a wise world when men will disobey God and run to Hell for fear of being out of their wits 2. What is there in the work that Christ calls you to that should drive a man out of his wits Is it the Loving of God and calling upon him and comfortable thinking of the glory to come and the forsaking of our sins and loving one another and delighting our selves in the service of God are these such things as should make men mad 3. And whereas you say that these matters are too high for us you accuse God himself for making this our work and giving us his word and commanding all that will be blessed to meditate in it day and night Are the matters which we were made for and which we live for too high for us to meddle with This is plainly to unman us and to make beasts of us as if we were like them that must meddle with no higher matters then what belongs to flesh and earth If heaven be too high for you to think on and provide for it will be too high for you ever to possess 4. If God should sometimes suffer any weak-headed person to be distracted by thinking of eternal things this is because they misunderstand them and run without a guide and of the two I had rather be in the case of such a one then of the mad unconverted world that take their distraction to be their wisdom Object 8. I do not thâ—nk that God cares so much what men think or speak or do as to make so great a matter of it Answ. It seems then you take the word of God to be false and then what will you believe But your own reason might teach you better if you believe not the Scriptures For you see God set not so light by us but that he vouchsafed to make us and still preserveth us and daily upholdeth us and provideth for us And will any wise man make a curious frame for nothing will you make or buy a Clock or Watch and daily look to it and not care whether it go true or false Surely if you believe not a particular eye of providence observing your hearts and lives you cannot believe or expect any paricular providence to observe your wants and trouble to relieve You. And if God had so little cared for you as you imagine you would never have lived till now An hundred diseases would have striven which should first destroy you Yea the Devils would have haunted you and fetcht you away alive as the great fishes devour the less and as Ravenous birds and beasts devour others You cannot think that God made man for no end or use And if he made him for any it was sure for himself And can you think he cares not whether his ends be accomplished and whether we do the work that we are made for Yea by this Atheistical objection you make God to have made and upheld all the world in vain For what are all other lower Creatures for but for man What doth the earth but bear us and nourish us and the beasts do serve us with their labours and lives and so of the rest And hath God made so glorious a habitation and set man to dwell in it and made all his servants and now doth he look for nothing at his hands nor care how he thinks or speaks or lives This is most unreasonable Object 9. It was a better world when men did not make so much ado in Religion Answ. It hath ever been the custom to praise the times past That world that you speak of was wont to say it was a better world in their fore-fathers dayes and so did they of their fore-fathers This is but an old custom because we all feel the evil of our own times but we see not that which was before us 3. Perhaps you speak as you think Worldlings think the world is at the best when it is agreeable to their minds and when they have most mirth and worldly pleasure And I doubt not but the Devil as well as you would say that then it was a better world for then he had more service and less disturbance But the world is at the best when God is most loved regarded and obeyed And how else will you know when the world is good or bad but by this Object 10. There are so many waies and Religions that we know not which to be of and therefore we will be even as we are Answ. Because there are many will you be of that way that you may be sure is wrong None are further out of the way then worldly fleshly Unconverted sinners For they do not only err in this or that opinion as many sects do but in the very scope and drift of their lives If you were going a journey that your life lay on would you stop or turn again because you met with some cross waies or because you saw some travellers go the horse way and some the foot way and some perhaps break over the hedge yea and some miss the way or would you not rather be the more careful to enquire the way If you have some servants that know not how to do your work right and some that are unfaithful would you take it well at any of the rest that would therefore be idle and do you no service because they see the rest so bad Object 11. I do not see that it goes any better with those that are so godly then with other men They are as poor and in as much trouble as others Answ. And perhaps in much more when God sees it meet They take not earthly prosperity for their wages They have laid up their treasure and hopes in another world or else they are not Christians indeed The less they have the more is behind and they are content to wait till then Object 12. When you have said all that you can I am resolved tohope well and trust in
sanctifie you by his Spirit and you resist and quench it If any man reprove you for your sin you fly in his face with evil words and if he would draw you to an holy life and tell you of your present danger you give him little thanks but either bid him look to himself he shall not answer for you or else at best you put him off with an heartless thanks and will not Turn when you are perswaded If Ministers would privately instruct and help you you will not come at them your unhumbled souls do feel but little need of their help If they would Catechize you you are too old to be Catechised though you are not too old to be ignorant and unholy Whatever they can say to you for your good you are so self-conceited and wise in your own eyes even in the depth of ignorance that you will regard nothing that agreeth not with your present conceits but contradict your Teachers as if you were wiser then they you resist all that they can say to you by your ignorance and wilfulness and foolish Cavils and shifting evasions and unthankfull rejections so that no good that is offered can find any welcome acceptance and entertainment with you 4. Moreover its apparent that you are self-destroyers in that you draw the matter of your sin and destruction even from the blessed God himself You like not the contrivances of his Wisdom You like not his Justice but take it for cruelty You like not his Holiness but are ready to think he is such a one as your selves Psal. 50.21 and makes as light of sin as you You like not his Truth but would have his Threanings even his peremptory Threatnings prove false And his goodness which you seem most highly to approve you partly resist as it would lead you to repentance and partly abuse to the strengthning of you sin as if you might the freelyer sin because God is Merciful and because his Grace doth so much abound Yea you fetch destruction from â—he blessed Redeemer and Death from the Lord of life himself And nothing more emboldneth you in sin then that Christ hath died for you as if now the danger of death were over and you might boldly venture As if Christ were become a servant to Satan and your sins and must wait upon you while you are abusing him and because he is become the Physitian of souls and he is able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him you think he must suffer you to refuse his help and throw away his Medicines and must save you whether you will come to God by him or no so that a great part of your sins are occasioned by your bold presumption upon the death of Christ. Not considering that he came to redeem his people from their sins and to sanctifie them a peculiar people to himself and to conform them in Holiness to the image of their heavenly Father and to their head Mat. 1.21 Tit. 2.14 1 Pet. 1.15 16. Col. 3.10 11. Phil. 3.9 10. 6. You also fetch your own destruction from all the providences and works of God When you think of his eternal fore-knowledge and Decrees it is to harden you in your sin or possess your minds with quarrelling thoughts as if his Decrees might spare you the labour of repentance and an holy life or else were the cause of your sin and death If he afflict you you repine If he prosper you you the more forget him and are the backwarder to the thoughts of the life to come If the wicked prosper you forget the end that will set all reckonings strait and are ready to think it s as good be wicked as godly And thus you draw your death from all 7. And the like you do from all the Creatures and mercies of God to you He giveth them to you as the tokens of his love and furniture for his service and you turn them against him to the pleasing of your flesh You eat and drink to please your appetite and not for the glory of God and to enable you for his work Your cloathes you abuse to pride Your Riches draw your hearts from heaven Phil. 3.18 Your honours and applause do puff you up If you have health and strength it makes you more secure and forget your end Yea other mens mercies are abused by you to your hurt If you see their honours and dignity you are provoked to envy them If you see their riches you are ready to covet them If you look upon beauty you are stirred up to lust and it s well if godliness be not an eye-fore to you 8. The very gifts that God bestoweth on you and the Ordinances of grace which he hath instituted for his Church you turn to sin If you have better parts then others you grow proud and self-conceited if you have but common gifts you take them for special Grace You take the bare hearing of your duty for so good a work as if it would excuse you for not obeying it Your Prayers are turned into sin because you regard iniquity in your hearts Psalm 66.18 and depart not from iniquity when you call on the name of the Lord 2 Tim. 2.19 Your prayers are abominable because you turn away your ear from hearing the Law Prov. 28.9 And are more ready to offer the Sacrifice of fools thinking you do God some special service then to hear his word and obey it Eccles. 5.1 You examine not your selves before you receive the Supper of the Lord but not discerning the Lords body do eat and drink judgement to your selves 1 Cor. 11.28 29. 9. Yea the persons that you converse with and all their actions you make the occasions of your sin and destruction If they live in the fear of God you hate them If they live ungodlily you imitate them if the wicked are many you think you may the more boldly follow them if the godly be few you are the more emboldened to despise them If they walk exactly you think they are too precise if one of them fall in a particular temptation you stumble upon them and turn away from holiness because that others are imperfectly holy as if you were warranted to break your necks because some others have by their heedlesness sprained a sinnew or put out a bone If an hypocrite discover himself you say They are all alike and think your selves as honest as the best A Professor can scarce slip into any miscarriage but because he cuts his finger you think you may boldly cut your throats If ministers deal plainly with you you say they rail If they speak gently or coldly you eiâ—her sleep under them or are little more affected then the seats you sit upon If any errours creep into the Church some greedily entertain them and others reproach the Christian Doctrine for them which is most against them And if we would draw you from any ancient rooted errour which can but plead two or three
or six or seven hundred years custom you are as much offended with a motion for Reformation as if you were to lose you lives by it and hold fast old errors while you cry out against new ones Scarce a difference can arise among the ministers of the Gospel but you will fetch your own death from it And you will not hear or at least not obey the unquestionable Doctrine of any thing that jumps not with your conceits One will not hear a Minister because he readeth his Sermon and another will not hear him because he doth not read them One will not hear him because he saith the Lords prayer and another will not hear him because he doth not use it One will not hear them that are for Episcopacy and another will not hear them that are against it And thus I might shew it you in many other cases how you turn all that comes near you to your own destruction so clear is it that the ungodly are self-destroyers and that their perdition is of themselves ME thinks now upon the consideration of what is said and the review of your own waies you should bethink you what you have done and be ashamed and deeply humbled to remember it If you be not I pray you consider these following truths 1. To be your own destroyers is to sin against the deepest principle in your Natures even the principle of self preservation Every thing naturally desireth or inclineth to its own felicity well-fare or perfection And will you set your selves to your own destruction When you are commanded to love your neighbours as your selves it is supposed that you naturally love your selves But if you love your neighbours no better then your selves it seems you would have all the world be damned 2. How extreamly do you cross your own intentions I know you intend not your own damnation even when you are procuring it you think you are but doing good to your selves by gratifying the desires of your flesh But alas it is but as a draught of cold water in a burning feaver or as the scratching of an itching wild-fire which increaseth the disease and pain If indeed you would have pleasure or profit or honour seek them where they are to be found and do not hunt after them in the way to hell 3. What pitty is it that you should do that against your selves which none else in earth or hell can do If all the world were combined against you or all the Devils in Hell were combined against you they could not destroy you without your selves nor make you sin but by your own consent And will you do that against your selves which no one else can do you have hateful thoughts of the Devil because he is your enemy and endeavoureth your destruction And will you be worse then Devils to your selves Why thus it is with you if you had hearts to understand it when you run into sin and run from godliness and refuse to turn at the Call of God you do more against your own souls then men or devils could do besides And if you should set your selves and bend your wits to do your selves the greatest mischief you could not devise to do a greater 4. You are false to the trust that God hath reposed in you He hath much entrusted you with your own salvation and will you betray your trust He hath set you with all diligence to keep your hearts and is this the keeping of them Prov. 4.23 5. You do even forbid all others to pitty you when you will have no pitty on your selves if you cry to God in the time of your calamity for Mercy Mercy what can you expect but that he should thrust you away and say Nay thou wouldst not have mercy on thy self who brought this upon thee but thy own wilfulness And if your Brethren see you everlastingly in misery how shall they pitty you that were your own destroyers and would not be disswaded 6. It will everlastingly make you your own Tormenters in Hell to think on it that you brought your selves wilfully to that misery O what a griping thought it will be for ever to think with your selves That this was your own doing That you were warned of this day and warned again but it would not do That you wilfully sinned and wilfully turned away from God That you had time as well as others but you abused it You had Teachers as well as others but you refused their instructions You had holy examples but you did not imitate them You were offered Christ and Grace and Glory as well as others but you had more mind of your fleshly pleasures You had a price in your hands but you had not an heart to lay it out Proverbs 17.16 Can it choose but torment you to think of this your present folly O that your eyes were opened to see what you have done in the wilful wronging of your own souls and that you better understood those words of God Pro. 8 33 34 35 36. Hear instruction and be wise and refuse it not Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors For who so findeth me findeth life and shall obtain the favour of the Lord. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul All they that hate me love death AND now I am come to the Conclusion of this work my heart is troubled to think how I shall leave you lest after this the flesh should still deceive you and the world and the Devil should keep you asleep and I should leave you as I find you till you awake in Hell Though in care of your poor souls I am affraid of this as knowing the obstinacy of a carnal heart yet I can say with the Prophet Ieremy 17.16 I have not desired the woful day the Lord knoweth I have not with Iames and Iohn desired that fire might come from heaven to consume them that refused Jesus Christ Luke 9.54 But it is the preventing of the eternal fire that I have been all this while endeavouring and O that it had been a needless work That God and conscience might have been as willing to spare me this labour as some of you could have been Dear friends I am so loth you should lie in everlasting fire and be shut out of Heaven if it be possible to prevent it that I shall once more ask you What do you now resolve Will you Turn or Die I look upon you as a Physitian on his Patient in a dangerous disease that saith to him Though you are far gone take this medicine and forbear but these few things that are hurtful to you and I dare warrant your life but if you will not do this you are but a dead man What would you think of such a man if the Physitian and all the friends he hath cannot perswade him to take one medicine to save his life or to forbear one or two poysonous things that
would kill him This is your case As far as you are gone in sin do but now Turn and Come to Christ and take his Remedies and your souls shall live Cast up your deadly sins by Repentance and return not to the poysonous vomit any more and you shall do well But yet if it were your bodies that we had to deal with we might partly know what to do for you though you would not consent You might be held or bound while the medicine were poured down your throats and hurtful things might be kept from you But about your souls it cannot so so we cannot Convert you against your wills There is no carrying mad men to Heaven in fetters You may be Condemned against your wills because you sinned with your wills but you cannot be saved against your wills The wisdom of God hath thought meet to lay mens salvation or destruction exceeding much upon the choice of their own wills that no man shall come to heaven that chose not the way to heaven and no man shall come to hell but shall be forced to say I have the thing I chose my own will did bring me hither Now if I could but get you to be willing to be throughly and resolvedly and Habitually willing the work were more then half done And alas must we lose our friends and must they lose their God their happiness their souls for want of this O God forbid It is a strange thing to me that men are so inhumanâ— and stupid in the greatest matters that in lesser things are very civil and courteous and good neighbours For ought I know I havâ— the Love of all or almost all my neighbours so far that if I should send to ever a man in the Town or Parish or Country and request a reasonable courtesie of them they would grant it me And yet when I come to request of them the greatest matter in the world for themselves and not for me I can have nothing of many of them but a patient hearing I know not whether people think a man in the pulpit is in good sadness or not and means as he speaks For I think I have few neighbour but if I were sitting familiarly with them and telling them of what I have seen or done or known in â—he world they would believe me and regard what I say But when I tell thee from the infallible word of God what they themâ—elves shall see and know in the world to come they shew by their â—â—â—ves that they do either not beleve it or not much regard it If I met ever an one of them on the way and told them Yonder is 〈◊〉 Cole pit or there 's a quick-sand or there are thieves lie in wait for you I could perswade them to turn by But when I tell them that Satan lyeth in wait for them and that sin is poison to them and that Hell is not a matter to be jested with they go on as if they did not hear me Truly neighbours I am in as good earnest with you in the Pulpit as I am in any familiar discourse and if ever you will regard me I beseech you let it be here I think there is never a man of you all but if my own soul lay at your wills you would be willing to save it though â— cannot promise that you would leave your sin for it Tell me thou Drunkard that art so crueâ— to me that speaks to thee that thou wouldst not forbear a few cups of drink if thou knewest it would save my soul from Hell Hadst thou rather I did burn there for ever then thou shouldst live soberly as other men do If so may I not say thou art an unmerciful monster and not a man If I came hungry or naked to one of your doors would you not part with more then a cup of drink to relieve me I am confident you would If it were to save my life I know you would some of you hazzard your own And yet will you not be entreated to part with your sensual pleasures for your own salvation Wouldst thou forbear an hundred cups of drink man to save my life if it were in thy power and wilt thou not do it to save thy own soul I profess to you Sirs I am as hearty a beggar with you this day for the saving of your own souls as I would be for my own supply if I were forced to come a begging to your doors And therefore if you would hear me then hear me now If you would pitty me then be intreated now to pitty your selves I do again beseech you as if it were on my bended knees that you would hearken to your Redeemer and turn that you may live All you that have lived in ignorance and carelesness and presumption to this day All you that have been drowned in the cares of the world and have no mind of God and eternal Glory all you that are enslaved to your fleshly desires of meats and drinks and sports and lusts and all you that know not the necessity of holiness and never were acquainted with the Sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost upon your souls that never embraced your blessed Redeemer by a lively faith and admiring and thankfuâ— apprehensions of his love and that never felt an higher estimation of God and Heaven and an hearâ—ier Love to them then to your fleshly prosperity and the things below I earnestly beseech you not only for my sake but for the Lords sake and for your souls sakes that you go not on one day longer in your former condition but look about you and cry to God for converting grace that you may be made new creatures and may escape the plagues that are a little before you And if ever you will do any thing for me grant me this request to Turn from your evil waies and live Deny me any thing that ever I shall ask you for my self if you will but grant me this And if you deny me this I care not for any thing else that you would grant me Nay as ever you will do any thing at the request of the Lord that made you and redeemed you deny him not this For if you deny him this he cares for nothing that you shall grant him As ever you would have him hear your prayers and grant your requests and do for you at the hour of death and day of judgement or in any of your extremities deny not his request now in the day of your prosperity Oh Sirs believe it Death and Judgement and Heaven and Hell are other matters when you come near them then they seem to carnal eyes afar off Then you would hear such a message as I bring you with more awakened regardful hearts WELL though I cannot hope so well of all will hope that some of you are by this time purposing to Turn and Live and that you are ready to ask me as the Jews did Peter Acts 2.37 when they were pricked