us all and with him freely gives all good things to his people Canst thou then find in thy heart to go on in provoking so good a God and in sleighting such matchlesse love If thou canst certainly thou hast banisht all gratitude and hast scarce one spark of common ingenuity left in thee yea thou hast put off thy manhood and art become little better than a senslesse bruit for what should sooner work upon a reasonable creature to love another than extraordinary and undeserved-kindnesse which he hath received from him Nay I might go farther and tell thee and that justly too the very beasts themselves have more good nature than such a stupid unthankfull sinner as thou For they have some sense of a good turn and some love to those that doe it they know those that feed them and keep them and use not to doe them any mischief The Dog does not use to bite his Master nor the Horse to kick at him that looks to him And so indeed God himself complains of ungratefull men that when the Ox knows his owner and the Asse his masters crib yet they did not know their Maker and Preserver But to be short let me tell the plainly if thou find'st thy heart nothing mov'd with all this love that God hath revealed in sending Christ to save us from wrath to come by his own sharp sufferings I can no way see but that thy case is full as bad yea rather worse than his who believes not a word of all I have said Nay how indeed can it be imagined that thou believest these things if they make no impression upon thee except thou never use to think of them after thou hast read or heard them but there 's the wonder if thou dost believe them how thou canst chuse but think on them and think again till at length they work some good effect upon thee But if thou hast hitherto been so strangely carelesse let me once again desire thee now at length to set upon the sober thoughts of this unconceivable mercy manifested in the Gospel that when thou hadst even destroy'd thy self God should make haste to thy help that he should send his own Son to undertake for thee who was also willing to this work and should upon him punish thy sins and now after all onely calls thee to cast away thy sin and to return to his love which if thou wilt doe he is willing to be reconcil'd to thee And see if there be not good cause that thou should'st hearken to these invitations and whether there can be given any just or tolerable excuse for thy disobedience If the bitterest enemy thou hadst in the world should but save thy life when it was in his hands much more if he should endanger himself or undergo any losse for thy safety I am confident this would soon take off thy spleen against him and make thee very ready to be restored to his friendship And why the goodnesse of God should not be as prevalent with thee I cannot imagine if it be but soundly believed and well thought on 3. I may farther adde to engage thee to return to the Lord from whom thou aâ—t faln another argument drawn also from the goodnesse of God shewn in the death of Christ as hereby it is most clearly discoverd That there is some unspeakable happinesse which was purchast by the Lord Jesus for those that come to God by him and to which he invites empty miserable creatures Thou canst not imagine that God makes all this adoe with men for nothing It was not upon any triviall errand that he sent his Son into the world nor are they any sleight inconsiderable things which he offers to as many as will receive him It s true the mercy had been rich and glorious if Christ had onely died to save us from misery and to have procured of God that we might have been reduced to nothing rather than to frie in everlasting burnings and no tongue can tell what a priviledge the damned in hell would account this But over and above we read of a Kingdome of glory which Christ will give to his followers And how great this is judge by the price that was paid for it not silver or gold or any such corruptible trifles but the precious Blood of the Son of God without price whose utmost value cannot be exprest by Men or Angels and no more can the glory hereby obtained For if the Merchant be wise the worth of his Jewel may be guest at by the price that he paid for it Precious is the Soul of Man and full dear did the redemption thereof cost more than the the whole world or ten thousand such worlds as this And is not think you the souls portion answerable to its own excellency And the purchased Possession answerable to the greatnesse of that cost that was laid out for it When a common Slave may be freed for a few shillings half a Kingdome will be thought little enough to redeem a captive Prince and we afterward see there is as much difference betwixt them when they have got their liberty the one sits on a dunghill the other on a throne For certain then Christ Jesus came into the world and laid down his life to exalt those that hearken to him to the highest joy and blisse of which the nature of man is capable in delivering them from all sin rendring them exactly conformable to God and placing them in constant full communion with him He that so loved his Church that he gave himself for it to sanctifie and cleanse it by all this design'd to present it â—o himself a glorious Church Upon this account therefore methinks thou should'st easily be perswaded to cast away sin which is thy misery and return to God who is thy onely life and happinesse and that no mean happinesse as I have told thee is evident amongst many other reasons by the infinite value of the price that was given for it Oh little doe any even the best and wisest on earth conceive what are the full fruits of Christs blood what miracles of divine love those are which through endlesse millions of ages will keep alive the admiration joy and praise of Angels and Saints and fill the mouths of Christs Redeemed ones with continuall thankfulnesse for that wisdome and mercy which contriv'd and wrought their delivery and exaltation So that you see laying these things together the death of Christ as discovering the mercy of God lays the greatest engagement that can be upon the sons of men to break off their sins and return to the obedience and love of God in that there is so much mercy procured and tendred as may beget hope and encourage to repentance which is not like to be rejected and as there is so great love exprest as may well call for the return of love and even soften the most stony heart and as it discovers so great a blessednesse to be had in God through
action testifying and confirming a Covenant betwixt God and man as in the Eastern and other Countries they were wont to ratifie their Leagues by feasting together and as they who eat of the sacrifices offered to Devils therereby had fellowship with Devils as the Jews by eating of their sacrifices held communion with and profest subjection to God as you may see them paralleld 1 Cor. 10.16 17 18 19 20. since I say this is on mans part a sign of his being in covenant with God I shall somewhat fuller explain what this Covenant is that you may understand whether you are cordially entred thereinto and are willing to continue in it that so you may know whether you are like to be entertained as worthy guests at the Lords Table which is proper to his Covenant-people In a word then the Covenant which wee renew at the Lords Supper is the very same with that you were entred into in Baptism when you were baptiz'd in the Name of and thereby engaged to the Father Son and Holy Ghost and therefore to those duties which wee owe to God in the several relations wherein he stands to us which are denoted by the Persons of the sacred Trinity That is we are hereby oblig'd to acknowledge God the Father to be our Creator and Preserver and therefore to behave our selves as his creatures ought submitting our selves to his Commands and Providences and placing our happiness in pleasing him and enjoying his love God the Son made man that is Jesus Christ we are hereby bound to take for our onely Saviour through whom alone we hope for the pardon of our offences and for ability to serve and please God and for acceptance and happinesse with him And God the Holy Ghost wee promise to take for our Sanctifier to have our souls by him renewed after the Image of God and those graces given into us which were purchast for us by Christ and the evidences of Gods love and of our title to the future blessedness to bee clear'd up and assur'd to our consciences the Holy Word also which he inspir'd the Prophets and Apostles to write wee are hereby engag'd to take for the Rule of our faith and life And this is your entring inâ—o Covenant with and being consecrated to the Father Son and Holy Ghost which doth necessarily suppose and include our renouncing the flesh the world and the Devil which is in effect the same with Repentance for sin which I spoke to largely under the last Head For he who is truly humbled for and resolved to forsake sin doth hereby renounce his flesh which is pleas'd with sin and will not make carnal self his chief end and he also renounceth the world which is the fuell and food of his lusts all that wherewith the carnal part is gratified as matters of pleasure profit honour and the like not regarding them as means to his happiness and he renounceth the Devil who by temptations drawn from these wordly things would entice him to sin and that wicked nature also which does the office of a Tempter within him All you then who have been baptiz'd into the Christian Faith are thereby bound to take God for your Supream Governor and chief Happiness and Jesus Christ for your Mediatour and way to the Father and the Holy Spirit for your Sanctifier and Guide And since you were Infants when you thus were first dedicated to God it behooves you that are now come to the use of reason and are resolv'd by the grace of God to be stedfast in this holy Covenant to come to the Lords Table and there professe these resolutions and by the receiving of this Sacrament in the presence of the heart-searching God and all your fellow-Christians to renew your engagement that you will take God for your God and that you will be his people Since then it is so plain that they and they only are worthy Communicants who have in heart made this covenant with God in Christ which they are to profess solemnize and confirm by eating and drinking the Sacramental bread and wine it remains that all who would not venture upon damnation by doing this unworthily ought to enter into a faithful examination of themselves whether indeed this be their condition and frame of heart or not And let me beseech thee Reader faithfully to set upon this Work as a businesse of the greatest concernment that ever thou hadst to do in thy life namely to see that thou art sincerely in covenant with God through his Son for this is the very heart and substance of Religion the sum of all Christianity and that upon which thy everlasting happiness wholly depends Know but this once and thou maiest know that Heaven will be thy portion shouldst thou dye at this hour And here that I may do what in me lies to help thee to the true knowledge of thy self let me first advise thee to look carefully into thy own heart for that 's thy surest way if thou art but well acquainted with the workings thereof and wilt deal impartially And in this searching into the state and temper of thy Soul I would wish thee to put these questions to thy self which I shall ask thee and to give in a true answer I demand of thee then what is that great good on which thou hast plac't thy highest love the obtaining of which thou hast made the great business of thy life and which if thou couldst but attain to thou believest thou shouldst be satisfied and made perfectly happy Canst thou say and that truly that God hath the upmost place in thy heart that his Authority swaies thee most and that for the main all things that concern thee are regarded but in order to him Dost thou make it thy principal study and trade to please him And dost thou count of nothing as fit to make thee a portion but his everlasting love If it be thus with thee then thou maist safely conclude that indeed thou hast made God thy chief end But enquire diligently whether it be not quite otherwise and whether thou hast not set up thy self in a distinction from God becoming thy own Idol Art thou not possest with high thoughts of thy self loving and admiring thy self separate from him who gave thee thy being It s true the man who is most heartily devoted to God hath the greatest love and veneration of himself but it is as he is Gods creature and it is his soul which hath his highest esteem and he seeks his happinesse by subjecting himself to God and therefore preferres adores and admires God infinitely above himself regarding himself in and for God accounting it the end of his being to serve his Makers will desiring no other felicity than the feeling of that love of God which he manifests to all such humble obedient ones But the carnall man though he may have some reverence for God and may yield him some tribute of service some prayers some praises and some
subjection yet all this is but in order to his carnal self for the procuring for it such things as cannot be had without God so that God is regarded but as a means to Self and with a respect hereto is all his service of God for the manner and measures of it fram'd and limited Thus may the covetous man whose chief end is to enrich himself pray to God for riches praise him for riches be so far just and charitable as he thinks may forward his thriving yea he may be in all things so far religious as hinders not his chief end but let this once come in competition with any duty to God so that by serving him he should impoverish himself you shall soon perceive what is his God and what rules him most as you have an example in the young man that came to Christ Mat. 19.21 22. wherefore examine I say whether thou art not a lover of thy self more than God Does not thy own will and fancy ordinarily guide thee in thy actions and affairs and is not that course taken which most conduceth to the interest of thy flesh should'st thou not then account thy self well enough provided for if thou wast but compleatly furnisht with all that in the world which tends to the accomplishing and gratifying of man as he is an inhabitant of the earth And is not thy labour most for thy desire after thy delight in such things as tend to the pleasing and advancing thy self in the world Hast thou not been most taken up in making provisions for thy flesh thinking with thy self that to be happy was to live a merry life and take thy ease and pleasure or else to get more money than thy neighbours and to have more respect and esteem that wherever thou goest thou maist be praised and admired Hast thou not taken those for the happiest men that have the greatest share of these things and hast thou not therefore envied them and hated them if they have stood in thy way and kept thee from the like Reader what saith thy conscience to this Doe but hearken and it will speak plain and tell the truth Sure thou canst not but know what thou makest the great end of thy life what it is for that thou desirest to stay in the world what thou risest for every morning and for what thou goest into this company and that and takest all thy journeys and wholly employest thy hands and head All this is either for God or for carnall Self principally for there cannot be two chief ends And if thou art one that livest to and idolizest thy self for shame take not on thee to love God above all as thou usest to doe for indeed thou dost not truly and properly take him to be God nor thy God Again let me ask thee hast thou ever found in thy soul powerfull and prevalent convictions that thou hast no way to attain true happinesse nor to escape misery but by the Lord Jesus Christ And hast thou thereupon heartily consented to his offers and to the conditions he hath appointed for the saving of thy soul being willing to be taught and govern'd by him onely hoping for pardon of sin grace and glory to be given to thee by God through him and for his sake Put the question to thy own heart didst thou ever yet see an absolute necessity of Christ so that thou took'st thy self for an undone creature without him And hath thy soul been kindly and thankfully affected with this amazing mystery of love that God hath shown to poor helplesse sinners through his Son Hath it warmed and rejoyced thy heart to consider it Thus in some good measure will it be with thee if thou art a true believer in Christ. And this depends upon the former for if thou hast taken the everlasting enjoyment of God for thy chief happinesse thou wilt then be ready to comply with that way which leads to this end and that 's onely shew'd to us in and by Christ who is himself the way to the Father and none can come to God but by him And when thou art once thoroughly perswaded of this thou canst not but willingly resign thy self to him consenting to be sav'd by him on what terms and in what way he shall appoint and prescribe to thee and this firm and prevalent consent of thy soul is true and saving faith to which the pardon of sins and everlasting life is promised This is coming to Christ receiving him and severall other way it 's exprest in Scripture but most commonly call'd our believing in him which includes in it our trusting to him for all mercy our hearkning to his teachings and our resolution sincerely to obey his commands and imitate his example Examine thy self well then whether thou hast such a sound faith wrought in thee or not Hast thou not rather contented thy self with a sluggish unfruitfull belief that Christ is the Saviour of the world without ever minding thy own particular need which thou stand'st in of him nor ever making enquiry what he would have thee doe to be saved Have not thy eyes been so far blinded that thou never yet saw'st so much evil in sin as should make thee look out for a deliverer and prize him who hath done so much to redeem thee but canst make shift well enough to live without Christ so thou canst but get those things which thou now takest to be more usefull for thee in order to thy happinesse Thus will it be with thee if thou hast set thy heart upon the pleasing and advancing of thy carnall self thou art not then like to see any great need of Christ or any excellency in him that should make him desirable for he came not into the world to help carnall wretches to the enjoyment of their idols but to turn their hearts off them to the living and true God And therefore as they who have chose this God for their portion doe make it their great work to get an interest in Christ the Mediatour and doe live upon and make use of him to bring them to their portion so they that have made the pleasing of their flesh with any worldly thing their ultimate end they are diligent in the using of all means that may help on this their base end The voluptuous bruitish sinners hunt after sensuall pleasures in their meat and drink wantonnesse sloth excessive sports and merry joviall company The covetous man who hath a greedy insatiable fancy to gratifie wholly spends himself in treasuring up wealth and he tasts sweetnesse in nothing but his gains His Bonds and Bills and Leases are better things to him than the Covenant of Grace and his Houses and Lands and Money more precious than the Blood of Christ. And so the proud and ambitious that would fain have much esteem and honour in the world which is the most naturall vice to almost every man they pursue their design by labouring to get into high places to make
never flack your watch nor let your expectations cool till either you see him comming in the clouds or shall be taken up beyond them With some such Meditations as these which I have suggested to you under each Head let your thoughts be taken up whilst you are emploied in this duty as you shall find your selves most inclined and as Gods Spirit shall direct you for you need not confine your self as to the method and form but rather let your affections have their free course Onely see that you watch narrowly over your hearts through the whole work that deadnesse and distractions may not possesse you Keep up a strong sense of God's presence with you and often lift up your hearts to him for life and quickning And let all the powers of your souls be summoned up and engaged in this action with all possible vigour and closenesse Let your minds be kept cleer from sadning and from impertinent thoughts that you may attend upon the Lord without distraction and be more capable of those sweet foretasts of his goodnesse which may be as a certain pledge of your everlasting enjoyment of all that he hath in store for his people 9. Lastly let me in a word or two direct you to be carefull in the exercise of brotherly love I need not stand I hope to repeat the advice I gave you to get all breaches made up betwixt your selves and brethren to do all that in you lies to obtain peace and if that cannot be had yet to forgive all injuries that have been done you and to cleanse your minds from rancour and malice and all desire of revenge to this let the love of Christ constrain you And moreover let your hearts be let out with a sincere and strong affection toward all your Fellow-members of that body whereof Christ is the Head A pleasant sight it will be to your Master who is in heaven to look down upon you his Disciples and see you here feasting together in mutuall love and delight in the remembrance of all that love which he hath shewn to you and in the joyfull expectation of what farther he hath promised And whilst your love is stirred up to Christ himself it cannot chuse but be imparted to his friends that are in sight such who sincerely love him on whom he hath set his heart and hath shed on them his Spirit whereby they are made like to him and therefore must needs be lovely in your eyes to whom Christ is precious as being also by this same Spirit made like to your selves and when in your joyning with them in this sacred action you remember that these shall be your everlasting companions in the joy of your Lord and shall there joyn with you in sounding forth his praises this will farther engage you to them as being heirs together of the grace of God and will work in you the beginnings of that love which will hereafter be perfect and perpetuall Whilst your love is built upon such right and Catholick principles as these being placed upon a Christian as a Christian you hold a Communion in the Spirit with all true Christians throughout the world though your affections will be most sensibly enlarged to those that you know and with whom you hold a locall communion in the worship of God And your joint assembling at this Table is a badge of your mutuall love and an engagement to the firm continuance of it Here are you made to drink into one Spirit by which you were Baptized into one body according to that Text I named 1 Cor. 12.13 This Sacrament is if I may so call it an Holy Philtre whereby Believers are united in more fervent love to their common Head and to one another The Blood of Christ is the onely cement and soder of souls And this is that Christian love which they are taught of God to which they are inclined by their new nature and which will easily be brought into exercise where the grace is first wrought in the heart wherefore it 's needlesse to stay longer hereon having also spoke somewhat largely to it before Onely one thing let me suggest before I conclude this namely that you take care to give a practicall demonstration of this love by contributing according to your abilities to the necessities of the poor members of Christ. This is a sacrifice wherewith God is well pleased a work never out of season but now most seasonable being an evidence not onely of your compassion to the poor but of the stedfastnesse of your belief in Christ and his promises and of your thankfulnesse for his bounty therefore you find both these mentioned together Heb. 13.15 16. As we must offer thanks so we must not forget to do good and communicate To quicken you to this charity both now and any other time when fit objects are presented Let me onely desire you to imagine to your selves that the Lord Jesus who was willing to part with his blood for you and thinks not an infinite glory too great to give you upon most easie terms that even he comes to you in one of his necessitous members to see what you can find in your hearts to bestow upon him If you that have Estates think he deserves nothing let him have nothing if he deserve but a little give him but a little if your lusts have more right to your riches than he then let your lusts have them rather than he Let Christ in his members starve whilst pride and luxury are maintained if you think this be just If you can improve your Estates better some other way take what you think the most gainfull course For remember Christ himself needs not anything you have or can do onely he 'll try the kindnesse of your hearts His is the earth and the fulnesse thereof and even his poor servants can he sufficiently provide for without you Wherefore if you give notwillingly and cheerfully you may keep your money to your self for any good that an extorted charity is like to do you But remember also you will be sure to lose and leave all that which God hath not one way or other but by giving it to him you send it before you and when all things here below fail you shall enjoy it with infinite advantage in the everlasting habitations And let this suffice by way of Direction for your preparation to and carriage in Receiving A few words for your behaviour afterwards and I shall come to a conclusion CHAP. XVII Directions for duty after the Sacrament 1. WHen you come home get alone and blesse God for the liberty and opportunity of a Sacrament which he hath afforded you and for all the priviledges that are thereby conferr'd upon you And let your souls chew the Cud and retain the savour of those pleasant things you have been entertained with keep them still lifted up and exceedingly gladded in the sence of that love which you have this day been celebrating and tasting in
takes Scripture to be the word of God and acknowledges that Christ is the Son of God and the promised Messiah of whom the Prophets all along in the old Testament foretold But though there are few who openly deny or seem to doubt of these things yet I fear there is a great defect and too common even in this part of Faith which consists in an assent to the truth of the Gospel For many there are who take little pains to settle their belief upon sure foundations which would bear a shaking if any assault should be made and can give little reason why they are of this Religion or opinion rather than any other except because this is that they learnâ— of their parents and is profest by their neighbours and set up and countenanced by the Laws of the Land and surely these are but weak arguments But here let me adde as before that granting you doe believe all that the Gospel reveals yet this is not enough except your belief prevail with you to doe what the Gospel requires in order to your salvation And this is indeed the surest way to get your Faith well strengthned and confirmed even by yielding obedience to the truth and trying by your own experience what benefit comes by conforming your selves to the will of God revealed in his Gospel whether you can find the promises made to such obedient ones in any measure fulfilled to you and when you have found this you will say with the Apostle You are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ because you have begun to find it to be the power of God to salvation Our Lord himselfe tells us Joh. 7.17 That if any man will doe his will he shall know of his doctrine whether it be of God or not This is like a mans tasting of Honey which will give him more assurance of its sweetnesse than all arguments could doe and this will make him confidently to affirm it though the cunning'st Sophister should endeavour by subtle arguments to perswade him to the contrary his experience will confute them all This is the reason why great Wits and profound Schollars sometimes turn Atheists and Infidels whilst the honest weak Christian that hath relisht and well digested the truths of Religion holds them so firmly in his heart rather than brain that he can die for that which he cannot so well dispute for Thus far then I hope you see its manifest that to your right remembrance of Christ so to make you worthy Communicants its necessary that you know who this Christ is and what you have to doe with him and to believe that he is indeed the Redeemer of mankind and that all that Scripture speaks of him is true CHAP. III. II. A right remembring Sin the occasion of his death Of Repentance with Considerations to work and promote it IT may as easily be understood that if at the Sacrament you keep up a Remembrance of Christ and in an especiall manner shew forth his death till he come then you must needs Remember what was the occasion of his dying and that was the sins of the world Had there been no Sin we had needed no Saviour Had we continued in our first estate we had needed no Restorer Now hence it will naturally follow that no man can duely celebrate the Sacrament whose eyes have not been opened to see the exceeding great evil that is in sin and to be convinced of his own sins so as to lament and hate and resolve against them For is it possible for that man to to Remember Christs Death as he ought that sees no hurt in that which put him to death Nay that loves the very Nails and Spear that were thrust into his hands and feet and sides and intends to crucifie him afresh when he is gone away And all this doth he that never yet saw the odiousnesse of Sin and that is not heartily set against it but secretly retains and cherishes it Can he rightly Remember Christs death who sees no great need he stood in of it nor is sensible of any great advantage that comes to him by it but rather thinks Christ might have kept his bloud to himself and that it would be a disadvantage to him to attain the ends and benefits of his bloodshed And such wretched blasphemous thoughts in effect hath he that sees not his sad estate by reason of Sin and that thinks it would be to his losse to part with it Wherefore since it evidently appears that true Repentance is so absolutely necessary to qualifie and fit a man for this Ordinance where it is to be renewed and to which he must come with an humble broken heart let me desire thee to put the question to thy own heart whether thou know'st by experience what it is to repent of and be truly humbled for Sin And that thou maist the better know what I mean let me ask thee Didst thou ever yet seriously consider what thy condition is by nature and by reason of thy carelesse sinfull life And hast thou found thy self sensibly affected and stirred with this consideration so that thou hast been verily perswaded that thou art in thy self a lost creature and except there be a way for mercy art like to perish for ever And hast thou been convinc'd that Sin is the cause of all this misery and danger which thou art liable to And hast thou hereupon heartily griev'd for and bewail'd thy wretched miserable state Hast thou been humbled for the Sin thou broughtst into the world with thee and for all the sins which thou know'st by thy self and canst remember thou hast at any time committed Hast thou been carefull to search into thy heart and to look back upon thy life past that thou might'st find out what thy particular sins are that thou maist confesse them before God and forsake them And hast thou indeed been so sensible of the evil of Sin chiefly as it is rebellion against that God who made thee and hath sent his Son to Redeem and Spirit to Sanctifie thee and hath daily given thee so many mercies to engage thee to please him hast thou I say seen so much vilenesse and basenesse in thy dishonouring and provoking so good a God that this consideration hath melted and broke thy heart and wrought thee into a bitter hatred and loathing of every known sin so that thou hast earnestly desired to be delivered from it which is so odious in its self and so mischievous to thee And hast thou been therefore deliberately resolved by the help of God without any more delay to put away far from thee whatever is displeasing to God and to return to him from whom thou hast faln and to an obedience to those Laws which thou hast violated and contemned Examine thy self faithfully whether thou hast ever experienc'd such a change of thy mind as this I have described which may well be call'd Repentance unto life Or rather on the other hand dost thou not
did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes are we healed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all 1 Pet. 2.21 Christ also suffered for us ver 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree Gal. 3.13 And at the institution of his Supper he acquaints us that his blood was shed for the remission of sins Mat. 26.28 When Man had rebell'd against his Maker and broke that Law which threatned destruction to him that should break it there was no other way that we are told of but either he himself must undergoe the punishment he had deserved or some one else on his behalf And therefore Man being spared there was found no way for the satisfaction and honour of offended justice but by these sufferings which the Lord Jesus our Surety underwent who being so glorious a person even the Son of God made Man he onely being made a sacrifice for sin could condemn sin in the flesh discovering to all the world that sin was a most hainous evil so hateful and displeasing to the blessed Majesty that he would not forgive to any man the least iniquity without satisfaction made and no other satisfaction would he accept but the Death of Christ who is become our propitiation and hath made an attonement for us And can there be possibly imagined any argument of greater weight to bring all considerative persons to detest and forsake that which hath been found so mischievous And give me leave to improve this consideration in two or three particulars that so it may be the clearlier discerned and the force of it more felt 1. Methinks it may be great matter of humiliation to us to think that we should be so hainously guilty in departing from God and living in rebellion against him that we could not by any means avoid his deserved wrath but by these bitter sufferings of the Lord Jesus Certainly Reader hadst thou been present when Christ was so abused by the cruel Jews and their Rulers it would have mov'd thee to compassion if thou hadst onely thought him innocent But if moreover thou hadst known he endured all that for thy sake would it not have affected thee much more If thou hadst seen him spit upon mockt and stricken with the palms of their hands if thou hadst beheld the blood running down when he was scourged or heard his groanings in the Garden or upon the Cross and then hadst thouâ—ht within thy self all this is for my sake this have I been the cause of would it not have moved and melted thy heart If thou should'st now see any of thy friends put to cruell tortures to free thee from them would it not make thy heart even bleed within thee And why then may it not have the same effect upon thee to set a dying Christ before thy eyes who as he became poor for our sakes that we through his poverty might be made rich 3 Cor. 8.9 So he was chastised that we might have peace received stripes that we might have healing as in that forequoted 53. of Isaiah But yet I remember what our blessed Lord when he was going to suffer said to the Women that followed him weeping Luk. 23.28 Daughters of Jerusalem weep nâ—â— for me but for your selves and your children so say I poor sinners weep not for Christ out of a kind of pity to him that he should unjustly as to men be put to so great smart but weep for your selves and your sins that were the cause And this is that I chiefly intend under this Head that seeing Christ hath bore such an heavy load upon thy account amongst the rest thou maist hence learn the true nature and desert of sin of thy own sins which thou art wont to make so light of Certainly the very torments of the damned doe not more plainly discover the evil of sin and Gods hatred of it than the sufferings of Christ doe For it is evident that the greatnesse of the punishment where the Judge is knowing and upright is a plain argument of the greatnesse of the offence if you should see a man by the way hung up alive in chains you would soon conclude it was for murther or some the most horrid wickednesse that he was so dealt with And as evident it is that the worth and eminency of the person who is punisht speaks the offence proportionably of an higher nature If we should hear that a King who is both just and mercifull had caused his own Son 's right hand to be cut off we might well conclude there was some more than ordinary cause but especially if he being guiltlesse himself had suffered this for another mans sake we should reasonably inferre that it was a crime of the highest nature for which was made so dear satisfaction Now what must we think when we see the Lord Jesus upon the Crosse who though he felt pain and sorrow onely as he was in our nature yet was that nature so nearly united to the Divine that it s said God purchased his Church with his own blood Acts 20.28 so 1 Joh. 3.16 Hereby perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us that is Christ who was God as well as Man laid c. the like to mention no more we find Phil. 2. 6 7 8. If then we consider one so far advanced above men laid so low one holy harmlesse undefiled separate from sinners suffering such grievous things may we not in all reason conclude that the sin which caused this was out of measure sinfull for that 's the worst word that can be given it its nature being so odious that nothing can be said of it sufficient to expresse its vilenesse Good Reader then let me perswade thee to judge of sin by this evidence and never more to hearken to thy own flesh or to the subtle Tempter or thy foolish Companions that would make the believe there 's no such hurt in those sins that please thee that thou need'st not be so carefull to avoid them or so deeply humbled for them That Devil who would perswade thee that it is such a matter of nothing to provoke God to anger knows and feels the contrary in himself So much hurt as there is in a Devil compared to an Angel in hell compared to heaven so much hurt he hath learnt there is in sin Beware least thou come to learn it by such sad experience thy self But that I may finish this let me once again ask thee whether thou dar'st say that Christ underwent greater sufferings than he needed to have done in order to make satisfaction for our sins or that God laid on him more then in justice he ought when he was become our Surety If
great men their friends recommending themselves to the world by their sumptuous Houses great Retinues rich Cloathes gentile deportment and the like braveries others by their strength beauty wit learning and the like accomplishments of body or mind Thus you see according to the nature of mens happinesse they make use of means to reach it Search well therefore whether some of these or the like empty trifles have not been more set by and laboured for than â—hâ—ist himself If so never say thou takest him for thy Mâ—diatour for it is apparent thou dost not make him so No but those things are indeed thy Mediatours which thou makest use of to accomplish thy selfish dedesigns And hereby thou dost in effect as much reject and vilifie Christ as if thou didst revolt from him and take Mahâ—met fâ—r thy Saviour Oh beware of deceiving thy self in this point which is so easie so common and dangerous to talk of trusting and relying on Christ whiâ—st the heart relies most upon some outward enjoyment to bring it to the happinesse it seeks for and the most they look for from Christ is to have him keep them from Hell after they have been all their days gratifying their lusts and serving the Devil but they never think of improving him as a Mediatour betwixt God and their souls expecting all their mercies of this life and the next to come by him and by him offering up all their services to God Wherefore I beseech you to remember that nothing will prove you sincerely in Covenant with Christ as one of his living members but a thorow stedfast willingnesse to be brought to happinesse by him in his own way and let it be your care to examine whether you are thus heartily willing And then lastly hast thou submitted thy soul to the powerfull workings of the Holy-Ghost to renew and regenerate thee Hast thou faithfully rendred up thy self to him to be transformed into the divine likenesse to have thy corruptions purged away and all saving graces implanted in thee It is the office of the Holy Ghost to carry on Christs interest in the souls of men to fulfill all the pleasure of his goodnesse and the work of faith with power to bring them to the Father by the Son No man can cry Abba Father and be fill'd with a child-like disposition and nature but he who hath received this Spirit of Adoption and no man can call Jesus Lord and be heartily subject to him but by the help of this almighty Spirit He shews men the vanity of the Creature and the goodnesse the fulnesse and all sufficiency of God and enables the heart firmly to cleave to him He convinces men of sin and shews them the odiousnesse and danger of it and discovers to them a Saviour by whom they may be Redeemed from all their iniquities from the dominion and from the condemnation of sin and he begets in the soul a saving faith making men not onely willing but earnestly desirous to accept of Christ to both these ends Reflect upon thy self then whether thou hast experienc'd any such workings in thy soul or not whether thou art changed by this divine power into a new and heavenly nature and art hereby become a new creature as all in Christ are old things being done away Hast thou ever found the vigorous and warm movings of this holy Spirit upon thy heart conveying light and life to thy dark soul dead in trespasses and sins Hast thou carefully cherisht these motions and complied with this sanctifying work which spreadâ— it self through the whole man And art thou willing to be governed by him to hearken to his voyce within thee and to that word which was inspired by him to be a lamp to thy feet If these things be so then indeed thou hast performed the engagement that was laid upon thee by being baptized into the name of the Holy Ghost But call thy self to account whether it hath not been quite otherwise with thee Dost thou not still remain in the carnall selfish state alienated from the life of God through a blind mind and a wicked stubborn will being still at enmity with him Hast thou not quenched the Spirit and stifled convictions and resisted his operations upon thy soul Art thou not rather guided by the seducing spirit and thy own unmortified lusts Doe not these still remain in strength and power so that whatever they draw thee to must be done let the Word and Conscience say what they will If it be thus never boast of having God to be thy Maker nor Christ thy Redeemer for if thou art not sanctified by the Holy Ghost God will never own thee for his who accepts of none but an holy people Thus by looking carefully into your hearts you may discern whether you are truly in covenant with God or not And if this seem any matter of difficulty to know what your hearts are or rather least you should pretend your hearts are thus right when it is no such thing I shall give one instance more whereby you may know how you stand related to God and that is by the consideration of your lives and conversations for if you are sincerely devoted to God in your hearts then you must needs shew it in the holinesse of your lives which is nothing else but the keeping of that Covenant which is made betwâ—xt God and the soul. If you do indeed fâ—llow after holinesse it 's a sign you account it your chief happiness to see God If you are patient and unwearied in well-doing it 's a sign you seek for honour and glory with God And if you keep the Commandments of Christ endeavouring to walk as he walk't it 's manifest that you love him and believe in him If you bring forth much fruit hereby you and all men may know that you are Christs Disciples that you are living branches of him the true Vine then have you received Christ if you walk in him And if you shew forth the fruits of the Spirit in your lives it 's a sure token that his graces are sown in your hearts If you are led by and walk after the Spirit then indeed the Spirit is with and in you and you live in him Gal. 5.25 But on the other hand it 's as certain thou art a stranger and Aliene from this Covenant I have beâ—ore described if thou be one that servest the Devil rather than the true God Make what profession thou wilt to love God and believe in Christ if thou allowest thy self in any one known sin all thy great pretences will at length come to nothing What doth that man love the Lord who doth not hate evil Nay who delights in that which the Lord abhorrs and wherewith he is griev'd and provokt to fury Doth hee take Christ for his Lord who will not be obedient to him Doth he take him for his Physitian who would not be heal'd but had rather keep his diseases Beware as thou lovest thy soul of
wounded souls and are you not willing it should be applied Methinks common ingenuity should tell you that such matchlesse love as this should not be so sleighted If you was taken captive by the Turks and a dear friend should venture his own life to free you thence sure you would be willing to return with him though you might have great offers to stay behind if it was for nothing else but to gratifie your friend who had ventured so hardly for you that you might not give him cause to repent of his labour And what shall the blood of Christ be as it were spilt on the ground and have no effect on thee How hard is that rock whom this will not soften I beseech thee Reader again and again to think what Christ hath gone through to deliver thy soul from the jaws of death and then think whether it be just and reasonable that he should reurn without his errand I know I have mentioned this before but I shall not stick to inculcate it â—gaiâ— and again that it may have some force some power upon thy heart And to that end before I leave this Head let me entreat thee to imagine that thou saw'st Jesus Christ now before thee all in blood and wounds calling thee to him as he did Thomas bidding thee to thrust thy hands into his side and put thy fingers into the print of the nails and suppose thou heardest him saying to thee Look here Sinner behold these tokenâ— of my love see what I have endured on thy behalf oh be not faithlesse but believing be not perverse and obstinate but willing to come to me who have felt so much pain to procure thy ease if thou dost not wilfully refuse it Cast away those sins which have used me thus trust thy self with me who have given such costly evidences of my desire to doe thee good accept me for thy Redeemer who have paid so dear a price for thee own me for thy Lord who have thus bought thee out of slavery follow me in the way I shall shew thee that I may bring thee safe into the presence of the Father whom I have reconciled to thee Suppose I say thou should'st see Christ even covered over with his own blood importuning thee thus to forsake thy sins and accept of his grace and mercy what would'st thou say what answer would'st thou give could'st thou find in thy heart to contemn him to stop thy ears to his requests and go away without regarding him or would'st thou tell him he had not done enough to engage thee to him and that thou saw'st no reason to hearken to his offers that thy sins were more sweet and precious than grace and glory and any thing he would give could possibly be Surely thou durst not And if not then let not thy heart and practice return the same answer to me who in the name and stead of Christ beseech thee that thou wilt through him be reconciled to God Even by all those wounds which Christ suffered upon the Crosse by all those pangs and dolours which he felt in his soul by his cries and groans by his tears and blood I doe as upon my knees beseech thee to give an hearty entertainment to this Lord Jesus who was thus bruised and wounded for thy sake Oh let him in thee see the travell of his soul and be satisfied No longer cherish those lusts which resist his entrance off with thosâ— barres and bolts that have lockt him out down with those strongs holds that have stood out against him let the gates of thy heart flie open and let this King of glory come in cheerfully thankfully receive him and absolutely render up thy self to him to be disposed of as he shall think fit onely begging that thou maist be taken into the number of his Redeemed ones and be enabled to perform the duties enjoyned them and be fitted to enjoy the priviledges assured to them This is that faith in Christ which I would so fain perswade and beg thee to and that by the consideration of what thy Saviour hath endured upon this account that through faith in him thou mightest be pardoned and saved 4 Consider as what bitter things Christ underwent to purchase salvation for thee if thou reject him not so what a mâ—st reasonable câ—ndition he hath appointed thee to perform that thou mightest obtain salvation by him even thy unfeigned willingnesse to accept him for thy Redeemer and thankfully to receive the benefits which he hath purchast for thee And will not this induce thee to enter into Covenant with him when the terms there of are so fair and gracious This thy hearty consent that Christ shall perform the whole work of a Saviour to thee and for thee is the chief thing required to make thee one of his members This is the great Command of the Gospel to Believe in Jesus Christ. So that thou hast nothing to say on thy own behalf if thou should'st be found at last to have neglected this duty for tell me could'st thou have desired any thing more favourable If thou hadst been enjoyned some gâ—eat thing would'st thou not have done it much more now thou art onely required to be willing to have Christ and life with him and all shall be thine wilt thou not be brought to this But still remember the offices of Christ must not be divided nor his benefits separated He must be taken for thy Lord to rule in thy heart and govern thy life as well as for thy Saviour to keep thee from misery and thou must be as willng to feel in thy soul the power of his Crosse crucifying thy lusts as to have the merit of his Crosse procure thy pardon now thou must be brought to the love of heaven above earth if thou would'st be received thither by Christ when thou leavest the earth But yet in all this it is but the consent of thy soul which is principally required in order to the attainment of the offered mercies And would'st thou have matters brought down lower yet Would'st thou be sav'd against thy will And hal'd to heaven when thy heart is against it Or would'st thou have such kind of exceptions as these put in with the conditions of thy salvation That thou maist have liberty to trample on Christs blood and yet be wash'd in it from the guilt of sin that thou maist have leave to serve the Devil and yet receive from Christ the wages he gives his faithfull servants that thou maist be allowed to love creatures more than God and yet that God should love thee with his dearest love that thou maist live without grace and yet when thou diest be received into glory Would'st thou indeed make such terms as these if it was left to thy own choice Thou could'st not sure be so foolish so basâ—ly disingenuous If not then come in and submit to those conditions that are now offered thee than which thou canst not if thou beest well in thy wits wish
wrath which thou art treasuring up for thy self against the day of wrath Thou liest wholly at his mercy whom thou art daily provoking to fury In all thy ways which are so defiled the holy God beholds thee in anger and even loathes thee for thy filthinesse And he alone knows how short a while he is determined to wait on thee thy glasse is running his patience is expiring death and judgement are hasting hell is ready burning and thou canst not promise thy self a moments safety Whilst thou art sleeping or waking eating or working talking and laughing the heavy doom hangs over thy head and thou hast every day reason to expect the dreadfull vengeance of the Lord to seize upon thee nothing but meer mercy hath kept it off this while which will not always last At night when thou goest to bed it s a great hazard but thou maist awake in flames and never more see the comfortable light or when thou goest out of doors it 's a question whether thou maist not with Judas go to thy own place the infernall mansions before thou returnest home For ought I know or thou either this may be the last Book that ever thou maist read this may be the last warning that ever thou maist have Think a little whether this be a comfortable case for a man to continue in and what wise people they are that venture all upon a Repentance hereafter Moreover in all the troubles thou maist meet with in the world I know not what support what comfort can be administred to thee for there 's none to be given thee from God I am sure whilst thou art a resolved enemy to him What shift thou makest to get a little ease and relief at such a time I cannot but wonder onely the remnants of thy carnall comforts and the hopes thou hast of seeing things better its like may help thee to some false peace But alas poor man Death will shortly arrest thee Death that will strip thee of all that thy heart delighted and trusted in Death that will break the neck of all thy fond hopes and utterly frustrate thy expectations Death that will carry thee out of thiâ— beloved world into a place to which thou hast been a meer stranger not thinking of it at all or but coldly and seldome or with horrour and aversenesse this Death I say will shortly lay hold on thee and then whither wilt thou look for comfort who art a stranger to God and Jesus Christ Into whose hands wilt thou commend thy departing soul who would'st not whilst thou wast living resign thy self to the God who made thee bought thee with his Sons blood Canst thou expect Christ should now receive thee who would'st not be perswaded to receive him What receive a rebel into the kingdome of peace A filthy Swine into the communion of Saints No never expect it And if he will not receive thee who must If heaven may not hold thee what place will Thou canst easily answer these questions And when by a resurrection to condemnation thou art made with all the rest to stand in the presence of thy Judge how wilt thou then appear before him For the Lord's sake yea for thy own sake poor sinner thou that canst not be brought to like of Christ nor his holy Laws and ways not the sanctifying work of his holy Spirit put these questions as thou readest them close to thy heart What wilt thou then say to Jesus Christ for this thy contempt and dislike of his person and government Darest thou then justifie thy unbelief and impenitence when he calls thee to answer for it Or who wilt thou get to plead for thee when the onely Advocate shall condemn thee Who wilt thou make thy friend when he who alone could and would have been so is through thy own fault become thy greatest enemy Dare Angels or Saints speak a word for him against whom their Lord shall speak Or would they if they durst No they will approve his righteous sentence Will the Devil take thy part dost thou think Hath he any power there to secure his followers Why it 's he that is thy accuser and if need be would rather aggravate those faults which he drew thee to Wilt thou then hit him in the teeth with the large promises he made thee and call on him to make them good Alas he 'll but laugh at thee and scorn thee and make thee acknowledge that most justly are all they so served who would trust to the Devils delusions rather than to Gods promises Or dost thou expect relief from thy companions in torment Ah poor creatures they would rather help themselves if they could but cannot Oh then with what an heart with what a countenance wilt thou hear that last dolefull sentence Depart from me ye cursed when thou shalt look round about and see no help no hope but that down thou must lie in that burning lake which the breath of the Lord's fury like a stream of brimstone doth kindle what a posture will thy soul be in I can tremble to conceive it easier than I can expresse it And when thou hast lain some thousands of years in that place of torments what then will the workings of thy heart be when thou hast felt that tribulation and anguish which comes upon those that work evil what thoughts wilt thou have of the ways that brought thee thither what would'st thou not doe for the least dram of hope in that miserable despairing state for the least glimmering of light in that gloomy darknesse But there is none to be had no nor ever will be through a whole eternity the force of which word eternity and the meaning of Hell is now known and felt in another manner than when careless sinners could laugh at the mention of them or sleep whilst they were preacht on But what canst thou not perswade thy self that there are any such torments prepared for unbelievers If not it s to be feared thou art one of those unbelievers for whom they are prepared But if Scripture may convince thee read amongst other places 1 Thes. 1.8 9. Mat. 25.46 Joh. 3.36 and then tell me thy judgement Now indeed all this is but talk Hell 's out of sight and the most terrible words are but wind and therefore it is there is so little care in the world to make sure his favour who can save them from this misery which because it 's neither seen nor felt is sleighted and forgotten Should a King take a company of men out of prison who had committed some fault worthy of death and offer pardon to those that would be sorry for their crime and promise never to be guilty of the like but threaten Death to those that would not and withall should shew them pardons ready sealed and great hopes of money to be given to the penitent but racks and gibbets and fires ready kindled for the execution of the obstinate Doe you think this would not easily
prevail with them when they saw in good earnest what was like to betide them And if Christ would take this course and shew heaven and hell if that were possible plainly to their eye-sight it s like the most stubborn sinners would be awakened but he will not doe thus nor is there any reason he should Since we are made men to be ruled by reason why should he deal with us like bruits that must be led by their senses yet because he will not take this way with them bruitish sinners disregard him as if they needed him not But ah Sirs all you that could see no need of Christ when he was so urged and prest upon you when shortly you shall see all the world stand before him and shall behold the devouring flames into which all they must be cast who have not a part in his love then you will see what benefit comes by Christ then you will no longer count them fools that took it for their greatest businesse to get an interest in him Then if the most passionate wishes that you had been so wise would doe you any good if the loudest roarings and bitterest cries for mercy might preval you would think them all well spent but alas all will be to no purpose Cry Lord Lord with never so much noise and earnestnesse if thou wast here a worker of iniquity no other answer shalt thou obtain but Depart from me I know thee not And thou thy self shalt be forced to acknowledge that this Sentence is as just as terrible For didst not thou here hid Christ to depart from thee thou desired'st not the knowledge of his ways and is it not just he should then command thee to Depart from him as one he will not know nor own Heaven thou didst refuse since it was to be had on no other terms than submission to Christ and therefore thou must needs fall into Hell since there is no third place provided But perhaps thou wilt flatter thy self with a conceit that none of these things shall come upon thee in that as thou pretendest thou putst thy whole trust in God that he 'll save thee and reliest upon thy Saviour Jesus Christ alone to be kept by him from hell and the power of the Devil But beware I beseech thee how thou cheatest thy soul into that misery whence no trick or wile can ever fetch thee Dost thou put thy trust in God he 'll take thee to heaven when thou diest who now allowest thy self in those very sins for which he hath threatned to turn men into hell If indeed thou dost so then I hope it is some promise of his that thou bottom'st thy trust upon or else it is a vain confidence now shew me if thou canst one promise in the whole book of God that gives thee the least ground to hope for happinesse whilst thou continuest in an unregenerate naturall estate in love with thy sins take thy Bible and turn it over from one end to the other and see if thou canst find any such place but I could shew thee an hundred Texts where wrath is threatned to all unconverted sinners continuing such So that in plain English thy trust in God is no more than a wretched presumption that he will be so mercifull as to break his word to save thee and if indeed this word prove false than thy confidence will not deceive thee but if it prove true as for certain it will then woe be to thee for all this pretended trust And of the very same stamp is thy reliance on Christ whilst thou rebellest against him For tell me prethee does the Gospel say that every man who shall believe that Christ will save him shall be saved by him let his heart and life be what it will I am sure neither Christ nor his Apostles ever made known such a doctrine and if thy faith be grounded upon any other Gospel than Christ hath revealed thou art like to go seek another heaven than that he hath promised For he hath told thee plainly that without holinesse thou shalt never see the Lord that he is the author of salvation onely to those that obey him and that he takes off condemnation from none but such who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Now if thou dost truly believe in Christ thou wilt set thy self to seek for happinesse in the way that he hath appointed not in one of thy own devising for else it is a sign thou dost not depend upon him for salvation but on thy own fancy or Satans delusions or whoever it is whose directions thou followest rather than Christs If thou wast in a place where two ways meet and one man should bid thee follow him in this way and another should bid thee follow him in the contrary way if thou would'st come to thy journeys end is it not plain that thou believest him whom thou followest Or if thou hadst some dangerous disease and an able Physician should tell thee that if thou would'st depend upon him by the help of God he would recover thee and should leave with thee such and such Physick to take if in the mean time thou should'st take a conceit that thou mightest be well without following his advice and some one else should direct thee to an easier and cheaper way whereupon thou throwest away his medicines dost thou then depend upon this Physician for cure Thus the Lord Jesus the great Physician of souls assures thee if thou wilt depend on and trust thy self with him or believe in him he will keep thee from that everlasting death whereof thou art in danger and to this purpose he sends his Word and Spirit to cure thee of thy ignorance and wickednesse which is the disease of thy soul he would bring thee to Repentance and thoroughly purifie and sanctifie thy heart but thou think'st this a tedious course and wilt by no means submit to it come on it what will but fanciest thou maist be saved without so much adoe and that forsooth by reliance on Christ. Is not this a very wise businesse to rely on the Physician for health and throw away the Physick that should procure it I know well enough what thou would'st have Christ shall keep thee from hell but yet by all means he must give thee liberty to live in sin that is he must let thee carry fire in thy bosome but yet he must keep thee from being burnt he must let thee drink poison but yet he must keep it from griping thy bowels But believe it Christ came not into the World for any such ends This he hath purchast That no sins great or small shall damn the man that 's truly humbled for and forsakes them and depends upon him for a pardon and is made holy in heart and life but not that he who lives and delights in sin should escape misery which is indeed a kind of impossibility For man is in bondage and sin is his fetters now
the Son would make us free he would set the captive at liberty but must he not then take off his fetters We are polluted Sin is our filth Christ is the fountain opened for our cleansing and can we be clean if we will not be purged from our filthinesse We are slaves to Satan through our lusts by which he leads us whither he will Christ would deliver us from this slavery but must he not then break these chains Sin is the spawn or seed hell is the fruit and off-spring and if the seed be permitted to grow must there not needs be the fruit And this shews how man plainly destroys him self whilst he will hug his lusts which are a Serpent in his bosome presuming that for all that they will not sting him Man by his sins had deserved everlasting wrath Christ came to save him from sin and so from wrath and if men will not believe he came to this purpose or will not improve him in order thereto must they not needs die in their sins and so abide under that wrath which was before upon them and which still follows after sin Joh. 8.24 and 3.36 Acts 4.12 Ignorance of God is one part as well as cause of mans unhappinesse and if men wilfully close their eyes that the light which Christ brings to the world can have no entrance must they not of necessity remain in darknesse Excessive love to our bodies and to the comforts of this life which we shall be stript of and want of delight in God and his holy service is the great misery of a soul and doth engage it in those strifes with it's Maker that cast men into an hell upon earth and kindle the unquenchable fire and if they will not give way to the Spirit of Christ to turn the bent and inclination of their hearts from the world to God doe they not retain their own certain misery Thus thou seest how impossible it is even in the thing it self for all rejecters of Christ to escape damnation supposing they are but continued in being and left to themselves both which Scripture assures us will befall the impenitent in the future state But know moreover to the breaking of thy heart in time thy condemnation is like to be much more heavy for thy rejecting of Christ than it would have been if he had never come into the world or had never offered mercy to thee Canst thou in thy own Conscience think that thou who hast been so importuned and begg'd by so many arguments to accept of Christ shalt escape as easily as they that never heard of him or but very darkly Shall not he that abuseth ten Talents be more severely dealt with than he who hides but one why else does Christ denounce such woes against Chorazin and Bethsaida threatning them with worse punishments than Sodom and Gomorrah was it not because they enjoy'd more mercies and greater means for Repentance Doe we not read Heb. 12.25 that they who refuse to hear the Son speaking from heaven shall much lesse escape than they who refused to hear the Prophets of old And of a sorer punishment whereof they are worthy Heb. 10.29 Though I would not have thee neglect the means whilst there is any hope yet let me tell thee it had been better for thee to have never heard one word of the way to salvation by Jesus Christ than having heard to fleight and disregard it Every Sermon thou hast heard every Book thou hast read and every exhortation thou hast had and neglected will sink thee so much the lower into hell These very lines which thou art now reading if they be not improved will without Repentance be remembred to thy smart another day Be thou well assured though God be the Father of mercies and a God of bowels yet he takes account of the mercies he affords his Creatures and takes notice how they improve them and if they be abused they shall be severely reckoned for God will not be mocked by rebellious Creatures nor shall his precious gifts be trod under feet and they that doe such things escape unpunished Above all then how will the love of Christ in dying for them make their doom more sad if they be not constrained by this love What torments can be great enough for the ingratitude and perversenesse of such If thou Reader be one of them I dare appeal to thy self whether thou deservest not for thy unbelief and impenitency greater sufferings than if Christ had never died For suppose there was a traitor who for his treason being condemned to die the Kings own Son should be content to have his right hand cut off to satisfie the Law and terrifie the people from the like guilt hereafter that he might obtain a pardon of his Father for this poor man and when he had got it should come and tell him what he had done assuring him that if he will but take him for his deliverer relinquish all his traiterous designs and become a good Subject he shall not onely have a pardon but be taken into the Court and there live in the greatest favour and honour but suppose he when he hath heard all instead of a thankfull acceptance of his pardon upon these conditions should kick at the hand that offers it and turn his back upon him with contempt asking him who wisht him to trouble himself for him nay worse than this suppose whilst the Prince is holding forth his pardon he should endeavour with a Knife that he had got to stab him to the heart would'st thou not think that such a wretch deserved the greatest tortures that could be devised And more for this his latter obstinacy than for his first treason And if thou be found guilty of the very same yea worse perfidiousnesse and ingratitude against God thy Maker and Jesus Christ thy Redeemer will not thy own Conscience conclude it most just that the heaviest judgements should be thy portion Wast thou not liable to death to all kind of misery for thy sin Did not the Son of God humble himself to take on him thy nature and then to die a most shamefull cursed death to purchase thy pardon and yet when he offers it upon condition of thy acceptance of him for thy Saviour and becoming a faithfull subject to the Soveraign Majesty thou art so farre from being brought to this that thou rather takest encouragement from this mercy held forth by Christ in the Gospel to continue in disobedience to God than which thou could'st not offer a greater injury to thy Saviour to make him as it were a patron of thy wickednesse doing far worse than they that crucified him whilst thou endeavourest quite to pervert and take away the end of his Death which was to redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 And if indeed this be thy case canst thou say one word in thy own excuse why all the plagues that are
more welcome than to be freed from any outward afflictions you may lie under All you that are sincere and to such only I am now speaking cannot but acknowledge that the frame of your soul is such as I have been enquiring after how harshlie soever you may conclude of your selves notwithstanding And if such as you that love God and holinesse hate sin and are humbled for it have not right to the promises of mercy through Christ I wonder who have Why therefore will you not come to receive the seal to those promises which do so evidentlie belong to you or none But after all perhaps you 'l crie you cannot believe and therefore dare not come hither since this is a Sacrament provided for believers only This objection I suppose ariseth principallie from your mistake of the nature of saving faith Wherefore tell me I pray what do you mean when you say you cannot believe Do you not reallie believe that the witnesse which the Scripture gives of Christ is true Whatever temptations you may have to infidelitie yet is not this the prevalent perswasion of your mindes that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah by whom the fallen World is to be recovered out of its ruines Do you not believe him furnisht with full power and authority to accomplish this design Do you not believe that his death was sufficient for the ransome of the World and all other truths concerning him that you finde revealed in the Gospel And then are you not resolved that this Jesus shall be your Saviour and none but he Doe you not from your hearts acknowledge your selves miserable lost creatures altogether unable to restore your selves or to do any thing that may satisfie Gods justice or in it self deserve recompence or acceptance So that you are convinc'd if ever you are sav'd it must be through Christ And are you not earnestlie desirous of this above all things that God for his Son's sake would pardon and save you Yea more than that are you not sincerelie willing that Christ should rule in your hearts and guide you by his spirit and frame you according to his will Do you not accompt his commands holy just and good And do you not desire strength from him your head to obey them and to conquer all temptations from within and without that would draw you aside Do you not believe the promises which he hath made and the threatnings which he hath denounc'd to be certainly true And do you not desire more that you may have a share in these promises than enjoy any created good And do you not fear his threatned wrath more than any outward sufferings Is it thus with you as I am confident it is and yet will you cry out that you cannot believe What can you not believe Why alas you cannot believe you shall ever be sav'd by Jesus Christ. Is that it then which your belief onlie sticks at But suppose it does you are not therefore presently Unbelievers in Scripture-stile or in God's account For this is not that which is so much prest upon you observe well the language of the Gospel which â—uns thus Believe in Christ and thou shalt be saved not Believe that thâ—u shalt be saved by Christ. This absolute perswasion of thy own salvation is not so much enjoyned thee however not in the first place but rather thy acceptance of Christ that thou mayest be saved by him And yet methinks if thou weigh things well thou maist be rais'd to such well grounded hopes of thy own particular happinesse as may very much conquer these doubtings and fears which thou complainest of under the name of unbelief For let me ask thee seriouslie why is it thou canst not believe thou shalt be saved by Christ It is not I know because thou doubtest of the sufficiencie of his satisfaction or of the truth of his promises or the graciousnesse of his nature For art thou not fullie perswaded that he will save all those who trulie believe in him I make no doubt but thou art wherefore hence it is plain that thy fears of perishing arise from an opinion that thou art not a true Believer But this from thy own acknowledgments I have made evident that thou art whilst thou believest that Christ is the only Saviour of Mankind and art as willing he should take away thy sins from thee as prevent wrath from falling upon thee So that it is rather for want of a clear knowledge of thy self than for want of faith in the promises that thou canst so hardly believe thou shalt be saved Wherefore once again I ask thee art thou not willing that Christ should deliver thee both from the dominion and condemnation of sin If thou art and wilt shew it by using the means he hath afforded for this end then be assured thou art a true believer and as such shalt be own'd and crown'd by the Lord that bought thee And therefore with great alacritie come along with thy fellows to the thankful remembrance of that eternal redemption obtain'd for you by the blood which ratified the everlasting covenant betwixt God and his people 2. What ever your weaknesses corruptions temptations are let them not detain you from but rather send you with more speed to this Ordinance For you know not but this may be the means which God will bless for the removall of them And take this for â— certain truth whilst you have no sin but what is the burden of your soul and which you labour and long to be freed from you have no sin that makes you unfit for the Sacrament nay more this your sense of sin makes you rightly fitted for it And then there is lesse ground of doubt as to the fears and sadnesse you may labour under or any temptations with which you are troubled You cannot sure be so weak as to think your selves upon any of these accounts unmeet for your Lords Table For you must remember he never made this the qualification of his guests that they should come wanting nothing but he calls hither the necessitous to supplie their wants You come not hither only to be thankfull for what you have received but to receive farther what your souls stand in need of You would think he argued at a very silly rate that should tell you you must not go to a feast till your hunger was satisfied nor come to the Fire till you are warm and yet no better is the sophistry of Satan whereby he would perswade you that whilst you feel so many imperfections cleave to you and lie under such great doubtings you must stay away from the Sacrament when as this is one means appointed by God for your relief here 's both physick and food administered to the sick and fainting And God may take this season of revealing himself to you and satisfying those doubts which you could no other way get rid of Thus hath it been with many a soul why may it not be so with you
as these affected your hearts with a sense of your iniquities humbly betake your selves to God and lay open all before him by a free and full confession acknowledge what wretched hainouâ— sinners you are and how unworthy of the least favour and beg of him to work and increase in you that true and kindly sorrow for sin which may fit you for mercy And cease not by your good will from this confession till you finde your souls even melted within you in the apprehension of your own vilenesse but however cease not till you finde in your hearts a loathing of every sin and of your selves by reason of it And if you have but an inward sense of your sores and pollutions you will not want such words to expresse it as will be acceptable to God only see that you be sincere and let your heart make your confessions rather than your tongue Labour to be as sensible of your case as you would be if now you stood before a King whom you had offended from whom except you could beg a pardon you must presently be put to death of which pardon there was good hope if he did but perceive you to be really sorry for your fault Oh how affectionate and earnest would you be in this case and would have words at will to expresse your self How passionately would you acknowledge and bewail the offence you had committed and with what vehemence professe against ever being guilty of the like And how importunately would you beg for mercie when you saw no other way but present death if your importunitie did not prevaile Thus behave your selves towards God and believe that he stands over you now in your Closet and hearkens to your Prayers and observes whether you be heartie in them or not But remember all this while it is an inward-dislike and abhorrence of sin wherein the truth of your Repentance consists more than in bare confessing it and speaking against it with the greatest fervour these are required too but beware of taking up with these Beware I say as ever you hope for mercie of retaining any secret liking to sin or the least thoughts of continuing in it still whilst with a great deal of stir you revile it as such an abominable thing But rather if you finde in your souls a kinde of hankering after some old lust not yet thorowlie mortified betake your selves to those considerations which may bring you out of love with it as how little its like to do for you what an happinesse it doth now and will hereafter deprive you of what a miserie it leads to with other the like formerlie laid down and quit not these thoughts till you finde your selves turned against it For once again let me assure you then and never till then is your Repentance right when you are not only brought to grieve for sin but to hate it when your hearts are not only broken in the remembrance of it but are broken off from and thorowlie bent against it Though this exercise of Repentance seems most properly preparative to the work you are going about yet in such a penitent humble frame would I have you be even when you are at the Lords Table If you eat this bread and mingle the Wine with tears it will be never the worse for your souls And must it not needs affect thee to behold Christs body broken and his blood poured out here in a figure and then to think with thy self This was sin my sin even my pride and earthlinesse and all the wickednesse of my heart and life was part of that load which he bare on his own bodie on the Cross when he cried out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Might not the Lord call to me and even shew me the Print of my many grievous sins in his hands and feet and the deep stabs they gave him and yet ungratefull wretch that I am how little have I valued this his love how little hath my heart been affected herewith where had I been and what had become of me if he had not thus undertaken for me Oh what had my sins brought upon me if he had not interpos'd and kept it off how mad and senslesse have I been in venturing upon sin harbouring and delighting in sin Sin which is so hainous a thing that without shedding of blood it will never be remitted and for which no blood but that of Christs could obtain a remission How more especially hainous then is my guilt in undervaluing this blood so much and so long as I have done How base was my heart to give entertainment to sin after I had heard what it had done against Christ and to deny entertainment to him after I had heard how much he had done for me Was his kindnesse such as to bleed for my sins and shall not I weep for them especially for the unkindnesse I have shewn to him As God never shew'd greater love to Man than in delivering up his Son for our offences so he never shew'd greater hatred of sin than by this action and therefore conformably as we ought hereby to be brought to the greatest love of God so to the deepest hatred of sin and humiliation for it But I have formerly more fully shewn how the consideration of Christs death may bring us to true Repentance and what I there spoke chiefly of a change of state may be applied to the particular exercise of Repentance wherefore I shall insist no more on this Onely let me meet with an Objection that may perhaps be in the minds of some namely That sorrow for sin at this time scarce seems consistent with that hope of mercy that joy and thankfulnesse which are chiefly required in the Communicant Know therefore that I presse no sorrow but what is a preparation to joy and doth even animate and exalt it whilst the humble Christian reflects upon his own nothingnesse and unworthinesse and thence is carried forth to the greater admiration of that mercy that hath so favourably regarded him And take notice farther that I would have the sense of Divine bounty chiefly to raise and keep up this humiliation whilst we think with our selves Oh what wretched creatures are we thus to offend so loving a Father who notwithstanding all our provocations is yet compassionate towards us and upon our return to him is so readily reconciled To retain this apprehension of love in the midst of our mournings will make them most ingenuous and even pleasant to our souls and though it will make us sincere and deep in our repentance yet it will so moderate our spirits that we shall not sorrow as those without hope and I could wish that Christians in all their sorrowings would observe this rule But then that such an ingenuous shame and sorrow as this is consistent with the greatest confidence of mercy there is not the least doubt for which to omit all further proof of a matter so plain see that very
you have a greater evidence of the graciousness of his nature than that very mercy which you are going to remember even his giving his only Son to die for us whilst we were yet ungodly and enemies And did he of his own free grace without our asking and against our deserving provide a Saviour for us and is he yet unwilling to save us did he find out a means for our reconciliation to himself and is he now backward to be reconciled Does he importune us to take that which he is unwilling to give us Be not I beseech you of such an easie belief of the Devil 's grosse fallacies and so hardly drawn to believe what God hath not onely said but done so much to make it past all doubting See the Apostle arguing much after the same manner Rom. 5.6 7 8 9 10. Oh let your hearts then be fill'd with admiration of that love which God hath herein exprest to men the wondrous greatnesse whereof is such that it almost surpasseth our Faith and doth farre surpasse our full comprehension That there should be a way for the recovery of self-destroying sinners contrived by him whom they had offended and brought about by the death of his own Son that they might be raised to the highest happinesse even an eternity of the most ravishing joys in nearest communion with the Divine Majesty and all this to be had for a cordiall thankfull acceptance This is the Lords doing and well may it be marvellous in our eyes Great things hath the Lord done for us whereof let our souls be glad If an host of Angels came from heaven to proclaim these good tidings of great joy to all people shall not the Congregations of Christians eccho back their Glory be to God in the highest who hath sent on earth peace and shewn such good will to men Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good and his mercy endureth for ever Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy Oh do you praise the Lord for his goodnesse and for his wonderfull works to the children of men who hath shewn mercy to such as sate in darknesse and in the shadow of death and hath broken the gates of brasse and cut the barres of iron in sunder and hath sent his word and healed you and delivered you from destruction Oh do you sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare his works with rejoycing Psal. 107. Call upon your souls with the Psalmist in another place Blesse the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord oh my soul and forget not all his benefits who fogiveth thine iniquities and healeth all thy diseases who redeems thy life from destruction and who crowns thee with loving kindnesse and tender mercies Psal. 103. at the beginning Oh think what a deplorable condition we had been in if God had left us in the hands of Satan to whom we had enslaved our selves and had never lookt after us more Oh what a dungeon had this world then been where we should have lived in darknesse and fetters in horrours and torments and all as but an inlet and passage to miseries infinitely worse and altogether unavoidable But oh blessed and for ever praised be his Name who hath visited the earth with his goodnesse and caused the rejoycing light to shine in dark and disconsolate places and hath proclaimed liberty to the captive and shewn a strong hold to which he hath called the Prisoners â—f hope to turn themselves having laid help on one that is mighty sending forth the prisoners out of the pit by the blood of the Covenant Zach. 9.11 This is that blood which by the Wine in the Sacrament is represented to you yea which is thereby put into your hands and given you to drink in remembrance of that which was once shed for you And shall not the hearts-blood of your dearest Lord warm and revive your souls enflame and advance your love Will you not now begin that new song of the heavenly Chore ascribing blessing honour glory and power to him that sits upon the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever who by his blood redeemed us and makes us kings and priests unto God Rev. 5. This is that blood to which you owe all that you have or hope for This quencht those flames which else had fed upon you for ever This satisfied that justice which else had laid hold on you for your disobedience This purchast an inheritance which silver and gold could not buy This purgeth the conscience from dead works and makes the soul fruitfull unto God This pacifies the Conscience and appeaseth the disturbances that sense of guilt is apt to raise By this blood of the Lamb it is that the Saints in all their conflicts do overcome And can you withhold the most affectionate hearty thankfulnesse for this precious all-healing blood Methinks we should even be pained in our selves as not knowing how to give vent enough to our affections especially when our bleeding Lord is set before us Oh let him wholly possesse your thoughts and do you view that transcendent love which he manifested in his whole course but chiefly in the close of it that all may beget in you some answerable returns of love Read as you have leisure those heavenly discourses which were his Farewell Sermons to his Disciples and his last prayer for them which you may find in the 14 15 16 17. Chapters of John and see there how love breathes in every line Follow him to the Garden and there hearken to his groans and behold his bloody sweat which proclaims him to be sick of love of a love that would not be quencht by those crimson streams No still he goes on and go thou after him with the Women that followed him to his Crosse and weep not if thou canst forbear whilst there thou seest him die for love even for love of thee poor soul who do'st sincerely love him Art thou not astonisht at the thoughts of it What could the Lord Jesus see in such miserable worms as we that should incline him to undergo all this on our behalf Nay there 's the wonder he saw nothing and therefore he underwent it Nothing did I say yes he saw our guilt and defilement for which he might have justly loathed us But he seeing all this our misery was rather moved to a compassion for us Such a compassion as never dwelt in a mortall 's breast that he should pity those who pittied not themselves and die to recover those who had even murdred themselves yea that he should die to make them happy whose sins were the cause of his Death and even merit mercy for such as had no mercy on him and give life to them who took his away All this was voluntarily done by the Son of God who became Man on purpose that he might die and do all this for the
sons of men Let Plays and Fictions be hist off the Stage let Romantick follies be shamed into obscurity for here is that which alone deserves the name of Love here 's such Truth as commands our belief such worth and weight as calls for our regard and such stupendious greatnesse as may raise our wonder Here behold the power of love in the fairest display of it that ever was made to the world since its foundations were first laid beyond which imagination it self cannot ascend nay which falls vastly short of it how vastly short then doth expression fall but yet oh that we could feel as much as that little which we speak Was it ever before known that the Shepherd should lay down his life for his sheep not for innocent sheep but to reduce wilfull straglers to his Fold that he who was Lord of all should die for his Subjects not for obedient Subjects but for Rebels appointed to the slaughter Thus continue thy meditations till they have so good an effect upon thee that if Christ should appear to thee at this instant as thâ—u art got alone and should call thee by Name as once he did Peter and ask thee Soul Lovest thou me thou mightest be able truly to return his answer Lord thou knowest that I love thee And then to affect thee yet mâ—re consider of Gods saving love in Christ parâ—icularly revealed to thy soul that he was pleased to say to thee when thou wâ—â—st in thy blood Live Calling thee out of darknesse into his marvellous light laying hold on thee by his Spirit and recovering thee to himself when thou wast running farre away from him and many a tiâ—e preventing and restoring thee by his grace when otâ—erwise thou hadst utterly ruin'd thy self Oh praise him that he left thee noâ— in Satan's kingdome under the power of thy lusts but with a strong hand and outstretched arm brought thee out of that house of bondage and magnifie his name when thou beholdest that blood wherein thy sins were drowned as the Egyptians in the Red-Sea Oh blesse his name that he did not suffer thee to remain dead in trespasses and sins yea that he did not strike thee dead in them and sentence thee to the second death after which there is life no more This is a fit season for recollecting all the special mercies of thy life which God hath shewn either to soul or body to thy self or thine all which thou art to look upon as vouchsaft through Christ which makes the mercy infinitelie greater And when you have thus endeavoured to get your hearts brim-full with love and joy come and let them rise higher and boil over at the Table of the Lord. Let no sadnesse appear in your looks nor a tormenting thought by your good will seize upon your hearts this day Come loathing sin as much as you are able but come loving Christ as much Have as low thoughts of thy self as thou wilt and be as humble as thou canst in remembrance of all thy vilenesse but yet let thy Soul magnifie the Lord and thy Spirit rejoyce in God thy Saviour Thy gracious Lord will not upbraid thee with any former unkindnesse and neglect of his love which thou art heartily asham'd of and sorry for Wherefore though thou maist come blushing and weeping yet come not into his presence daunted and despairing He died on purpose to ease your souls of all those fears which make you all your life time subject unto bondage Will not you receive comfort for whom he hath shed his blood that it might be your Cordiall Let him see you then improve it this day to that purpose for your health and pleasure if it be solid is his delight And if he would have your joy at any time in this World full now it is If you must ever more rejoyce this I am sure is a fit season This is our most solemn Thanks-giving Feast Oh wonderfull That the commemoration of the Master's death should be the Servants Feast It is his pleasure to have it so and let us thankfully comply therewith Instead of his Vinegar and Gall he gives us Bread and Wine and better things than they Here he hath made according to his promise Isa. 25.6 A Feast of fat things a Feast of Wines on the Lees of fat things full of marrow Wines on the Lees well refined And you may be sure the Master of this Feast who entertains his guests with an affection as great as their fare is costly would not have them sit there sad and dejected as if they liked not their provisions or thought themselves not welcome Would it please you to see your friends in such a posture at your Table Oh question not your welcome all yee lovers of Christ but when you are there assembled imagine that you heard him saying to you Eat oh friends drink yea drink abundantly oh beloved Here he hath brought you into his Banquetting-House and his Banner over you shall be love Here will he comfort you with Heavenly Manna and stay with Flaggons all you that are sick of love You Children of Abraham that come from the slaughter of your lusts here doth your Lord meet you as his type Melchizedeck met your Father Gen. 14.18 Setting before you the Bread and Wine for your refreshment And here will he blesse you He shall cause you to sit under his shadow and his fruit shall be sweet to your tast Here may you expect the most comfortable commâ—nion with Christ that is to be had in this lower World Here then believing in and loving him whom you have not seen but whom you may here see represented do you rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory 8. That your hearts may be more heavenly in this work and so more apt to be fill'd with joy and to break out in praise let me earnestly desire you here to have an eye to a glorified as well as a crucified Christ to remember not only his humiliation but his exaltation It was the minde of Christ that his Resurrection rather than his birth or death should consecrate a weekly thanksgiving to be observed by the Churh in all ages which should be call'd the Lords own day and be spent in his praise and service This being the accomplishment of his labours his finall victory over death and the grave and all Enemies that did assault his own person the memorial whereof must therefore needs be most rejoycing to his servants And as his Resurrection cannot be remembred without his birth and death which must of necessity precede it no more can his death be here rightly remembred without we also bear in mind his Resurrection and Ascension to Glory Can we remember what he was and not think what he is Sad meetings had we made indeed if our Lord had been held under the power of death if such a thing may be imagined All the World then might well be in the disconsolate posture of the two Disciples that were
the belief of that pardon which you have received in the hopes of that grace and glory which have been assured to you Meditations of heaven and the exercise of Thankfulnesse are now very proper works Consider also what you have done what an obligation you have laid upon your self how you are no longer your own Man having made a resignation of your self to God by Jesus Christ And beg the assistance of his Holy Spirit to enable you to stedfastnesse and perseverance in this holy Covenant whilst life shall last and beseech him that the Ordinance you have been made partaker of may become effectuall to your souls to all those ends that it was designed for and which are attainable by it Think it not enough to read over these things I entreat thee but do accordingly and now betake thy self to Consideration and Prayer to those ends I have exprest Review moreover what your miscarriages have been and humbly beg of God to forgive either want of due preparation or coldnesse and distractions that your hearts have not been affected suitably to the importance and excellency of the duty and the Majesty of him with whom you have herein had to do And be heartily thankfull for any measure of life and affection any raisednesse and comfort that God hath been pleased to vouchsafe you And here by the way let me caution all humble Christians to beware of a mistake to which they are too prone to wit To judge of their profiting in this or other duties by their present feeling and so to think they get no good except their souls are as it were lift up and ravisht with sensible joys and these onely they take for evidences of Gods acceptance and the having of communion with him But by this means you will often plunge your selves into needlesse sorrows and load your selves with unjust censures and which is worse you will hereby become lesse thankfull to God as thinking you have received little advantage because you found not those delights you expected and will be in danger of becoming weary of the work and ready to throw it off as thinking it unprofitable Wherefore to avoid these ill consequences and the mistake that begets them consider well That it is the uprightnesse and sincerity of your hearts in the performance of your duty which may administer most ground of comfort to you when you reflect upon it for be assured if you have this ornament you were really acceptable to him that lookt down upon you though this acceptance might not be testified with the giving in of any extraordinary joy Let it not then trouble you as if God was not well pleased with you because your affections were not raised up to an higher pitch since he doth not look so much at fits of passion as at the steady bent and tenour of the soul. Nor think because you mist of great joys that you had no favour from nor communion with God for consider again That the truest communion with God is to enjoy the câ—mmunications of his grace to your souls whereby you are made conformable to him and you may enjoy these saving influences of the Spirit when you cannot feel his more abundant consolations Moreover the fruit of this Ordinance is not so much to be discerned at present as in your after-conversation For the great benefit you are to expect being to receive farther measures of Grace from the Holy Spirit accompanying these means it cannot be well known what Grace you have received till you come to the exercise of it when tempâ—ations shall assault you And to allude to the Apostles words in another case Though this Ordinance may not at present be joyous yet it may afterward yield the peaceable fruits of righteousnesse to those that are conversant therein And lastly If you are but sincere as I said in your covenanting with God it is your duty to believe that you have this day received from him a seal to the promise of pardon and eternall life and in this belief may you take much rationall and solid comfort which otherwise you are not like to find And this is the ordinary way whereby the Spirit conveys comfort to the Soul first working in you a belief that the promises of God are in themselves most true enlightning you to the knowledge of your own souls and then enabling you to apply these promises to your selves as being such to whom they belong Thus the Apostle tells us their rejoycing was from the testimony their Conscience gave of their simplicity godly sincerity 2 Cor. 1.12 Wherefore you are not so much to expect any extraordinary immediate assurance from the Spirit that you are the Lords But see to get good grounds for your faith and so to have your hearts fill'd with peace and joy in believing Yet do not misinterpret what I have said thence to indulge your selves in any sloth or dulness or to content your selves with the bare doing of the work without heeding the frame of your heart therein no but take as much pains as you can to raise them to the greatest sensiblenesse affection and if you do so you may reasonably expect to find much sweetness and satisfaction in the work it self but my meaning in this caution is that you should not look so much at the feeling of extraordinary comforts as at the integrity of your hearts in vowing your selves to God and the continuing stedfastnesse of your resolutions to be true to these vows 2. And that 's the next thing I would exhort you to even to discâ—ver this inward truth and sincerity by your future holy and exact walking This is that which must crown all the rest I may say to you as Moses to the Israelites Deut. 26.16 17. You have this day avouched the Lord to be your God to walk in his ways and keep his statutes And the Lord hath avouched you to be his peculiar people And you have promised to take Christ for your Husband and Lord to live in love and obedience to him as you hope to be saved by him One thing now remains that you go and do likewise Say with the Psalmist I have sworn and will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgements Psal. 119.106 Now you have been remembring him that suffered in the flesh arm your selves with this mind no longer to live the rest of your time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God 1 Pet. 4.1 2 3. Let it not happen to you according to the Proverb The Dog is turned to his own vomit again and the Sow that was washt to her wallowing in the mire If God have spoke peace to your souls turn not you again to folly Call to mind particularly what sins you confest and promised to forsake and do accordingly You that have been guilty of drunkennesse or gluttony fornication and wantonnesse pride or covetousnesse be so no more you that have been wont to spend your time in