excellently handled already by so many of our brave Worthies See Mr. Baxters Saints Rest and R. A. his Vindicia Pietatis XII DIRECTION If you would be acquainted with God resolvedly and freely given up your self to him and enter into a most solemn Covenant with him And here I shall make bold with that Reverend Author which R. A. doth mention in his Vindicia Pietatis and present you again with that excellent Form with the preparatories to it which I have lately met with in the forementioned Author After your most serious addresses to God and after a deliberate consideration of the terms of this Covenant and after a thorow search of your own heart whether you either have already or can now freely make such a closure with God in Christ as you have been exhorted to And when you have composed your spirits into the most serious frame possible suitable to a transaction of so high a nature Lay hold upon the Covenant and reply upon his promise of giving grace and strength whereby you may be enabled to perform your promise Resolve in the next place to be faithful having engaged your hearts and opened your mouths and subscribed with your hands to the Lord resolve in his strength never to go back And being thus prepared and some convenient time being set apart for the purpose set upon the work in the most solemn manner possible as if the Lord were visibly present before your eyes fall down on your knees and spreading forth your hands towards Heaven open your hearts to the Lord in these or the like words O most dreadful God for the Passion of thy Son I beseech thee accept of thy poor Prodigal now prostrating himself at thy door I have fallen from thee by mine Iniquity and am by Nature a Son of Death and a thousand fold more the Child of Hell by my Wicked Practise but of thine infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to thee with all my Heart Therefore upon the Call of the Gospel I am now come in and throwing down my Weapons submit my self to thy mercy And because thou requirest as the Condition of my Peace with thee that I should put away mine Idols and be at defiance with all thine Enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against thee I here from the bottome of mine Heart renounce them all freely covenanting with thee not to allow my self in any known Sin but conscientiously to use all the means that I know thou hast prescribed for the Death and utter Destruction of all my Corruptions And whereas I have formerly inordinately and Idolatriously let out my Affections upon the World I do here resign my heart to thee that madest it Humbly protesting before thy glorious Majesty that it is the firm Resolution of my Heart and that I do unfeignedly desire grace from thee that when thou shalt call me hereunto I may practice this my Resolution through thy Assistance to forsake all that is dear unto me in this World rather than to turn from thee to the ways of sin And that I will watch against all its Temptations whether of Prosperity or Adversity lest they should withdraw my Heart from thee beseeching thee also to help me against the Temptations of Satan to whose suggestions I resolve by thy Grace never to yield my self a Servant And because mine own Righteousness is but menstruous Rags I renounce all Confidence therein and acknowledge that I am of my self a hopeless helpless undone Creature without righteousness or strength And for as much as thou hast of thy bottomless Mercy offered most graciously to me wretched sinner to be again my God through Christ if I would accept of thee I call Heaven and Earth to record this day that I do here solemnly avouch thee for the Lord my God and with all possible Veneration bowing the Neck of my Soul under the Feet of thy most Sacred Majesty I do here take thee the Lord Jehovah Father Son and Holy Ghost for my Portion and chief good and do give up my self Body and Soul for thy Servant promising and vowing to serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of my life And since thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ the only means of coming unto thee I do here upon the bended Knees of my Soul accept of him as the only new and living way by which sinners may have access to thee and do here solemnly joyn my self in a Marriage Covenant to him O blessed Jesus I come to thee hungry and hardly bestead poor and wretched and miserable and blind and naked a most loathsome polluted wretch a guilty condemned Malefactor unworthy for ever to wash the feet of the Servants of my Lord much more to be solemnly Married to the King of Glory But since such is thine unparall'd Love I do here with all my power accept thee for my Head and Husband for better for worse for richer for poor for all times and conditions to Love and Honour and Obey thee before all others and this to the Death I embrace thee in all thy Offices I renounce mine own worthiness and do here avow thee to be the Lord my righteousness I renounce mine own wisdom and do here take thee for mine only Guide I renounce mine own will and take the will for my Law And since thou hast told me that I must suffer if I will reign I do here covenant with thee to take my Lot as it falls with thee and by thy Grace assisting to run all hazards with thee verily supposing that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me And because thou hast been pleased to give me thy Holy Law as the rule of my life and the way in which I should walk to thy Kingdom I do here willingly put my Neck under thy Yoke and set my shoulders to thy Burden and subscribing to all thy Laws as Holy Just and Good I solemnly take them as the rule of my Words Thoughts and Actions Promising that though my flesh contradict and rebel yet I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction and will not allow my self in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty Only because through the frailty of my flesh I am subject to many failings I am bold humbly to protest that unhallowed miscarriages contrary to the setled bent and resolution of my heart shall not make void this Covenant for so thou hast said Now Almighty God searcher of hearts thou knowest that I make this Covenant with thee this day without any known guile or reservation beseeching thee that if thou espiest any flaw or falshood herein thou wouldest discover it to me and help me to do it a right And now glory be to thee O God the Father whom I shall be bold from this day forward to look upon thee as my God and Father That ever thou shouldest
come muster up all your jovial Blades together call for your Harps and Viols add what you will to make the consort compleat bring in your richest Wines come lay your heads together and study what may still add to your comfort well is it done Now come away sinner this night thy soul must-appear before God Well now what say you man What doth your courage fail you Now call for your merry Companions and let them chear thy heart Now call for a Cup a Whore never be daunted man shall one of thy courage quail that could make a mock at the threatnings of the Almighty God what so boon and jolly but now and now down in the mouth Here 's a sudden change indeed Where 's thy merry companions I say again all fled Where are thy darling pleasures have all forsaken thee Why shouldest thou be dejected there 's a poor man in rags that 's smiling What art thou quite bereft of all comfort What 's the matter man What 's the matter There 's a question with all my heart to ask a man that must appear before a God to morrow morning Well then it seems your heart misgives you what then did you mean to talk of joy and pleasures are they all come to this Why there stands one that now hath his heart as full of comfort as ever it can hold and the very thoughts of Eternity which do so daunt your soul raise his and would you know the reason he knows he is going to his friend nay his friend bears him company thorow that dirty Lane Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is for God and the soul to dwell together in unity This 't is to have God for a friend O blessed is the soul that is in such a case yea blessed is the soul whose God is the Lord Psal 144.15 Psal 69.15 16 2 Cor. 1.3 Joh. 14.16 Isa 51.11 12 Neh. 8.10 Psal 30.5 Psal 43.4 Prov. 14.10 Isa 29.19 Rom. 14.17 1 Pet. 1.8 Nay David when he seem'd to be somewhat out of tune leaves this upon Record as undoubted truth Psal 73.1 That God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart Let the Devil and his Instruments say what they will to the contrary I will never believe them I have said it before and I see no reason to reverse my sentence Truly God is good Though somtimes he may hide his face for a while yet he doth that in faithfulness and love there is kindness in his very scourges and love bound up in his rods he is good to Israel do but mark it first or last The true Israelite in whom there is no guile shall be refreshed by this Saviour The Israelite that wrestles with tears with God and values his love above the whole world that will not be put off without his Fathers blessing he shall have it with a witness He shall reap in joy though he may at present sow in tears Even to such as are of a clean heart The false-hearted hypocrite indeed that gives God only his tongue and lip cap and knee but reserves his heart and love for sin and the world that hath much of complement but nothing of affection and reality why let such a one never expect while in such a state to taste those reviving comforts that I have been treating of while he drives such a trade he must not expect much of Gods company but of that hereafter What a charge doth God give to his Ministers to keep up the spirits of his people Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith their God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem It 's a gross mistake to think that God loves to see his drooping and hanging down their heads no no he counts it his honour to have his servants chearful O why then should any of the precious sons and daughters of Zion walk up and down as if their friends company were not sufficient to solace them even in the lowest state that a child of God can be conceived to be in While you think God is honoured by you you can't imagine what wrong you do him The world stands by and looks upon you the Devil bids them look on still and ask them how they like such a dumpish life and the service of such a Master all whose servants and friends lead such a doleful life Stay hold these Satan that 's a lye and a loud one too there are and have been thousands of Gods Children that have lived as it were in the Suburbs of Heaven while they have been upon Earth many thousands there have been that have spent their days in true solid joy and peace many that have gone from one Heaven of comfort here to another of glory and comfort in that other world As I said before so I say again It is not the company of God but the want of it makes those sad which you see so besides let me tell you tears and joy are no way inconsistent It may be also those tears that sad countenance may be for thy sake when he sees what comfort thou despisest and knows what a God what a Friend thou refusest he can't but weep it 's no rarity for the people of God in the midst of their spiritual enjoyments to pity poor foolish sinners that slight those things which they know to be so refreshing Thus David did when his heart was solaced with the love of God when his soul was ready to be over-burdened over-powered with the abundant incomes of Gods kindness he can't but with grief and pity think of their state who have nothing to live upon but husks whilest he seeds thus high O let my soul be but acquainted with God let me but taste more of those true comforts drink of that river of pleasures that is at his right hand and then I could spare these lower sensual pleasures then I should scarce envy the most merry ranting Blades their comforts I will not say but then I should with sorrow think of their wants It was spoken by Galeacius Caraxiola one that sometimes had none of the least shares of worldly enjoyments and might have had more could he have dispensed with the absence of this friend could he but have been willing to have wanted those spiritual comforts Let him perish that values not one hours communion with God and the comforts of a divine life above all the pleasures and comforts that the earth can afford Give me such comforts such a friend whose smiles may refresh me upon a death-bed whose presence may revive me when nothing else can Naturalists tells us of a Bird call'd Charadius that being brought into the room where any one lieth sick if he look upon the sick person with a fixed eye he recovereth but if he turn away his eyes the person dies It is true I am sure of this friend in whose favour is life and in whose frowns there is death Ar. Epic. l. 3. cap. 24. Can you help me to
live Wherefore else is it that we are so straightly commanded as we will answer the neglect upon our peril before God at that terrible day that we preach the World in season and out of season To what purpose should Paul expose himself to so many hazards both by Sea and Land Why should he teach this Doctrine of Reconciliation night and day with tears Doth he not tell you that he did all this by Divine Dispensation and that it was as much as his Soul was worth to wave this work And doth not all this speak his willingness to be friends again with man Could not God have sent Legions of Angels with flaming swords in their hands when he sent his Son and thousands of Prophets Apostles Ministers and Teachers might he not have proclaimed war against them for ever when he followed them with the Embassadors of peace If he had had no thoughts of Agreement with them could he not have spoken to them in thunder and lightning with fire and brimstone as well as in the still voyce of the Gospel He could if he had pleased have made them to have known the breach of his Covenant by giving them up to the will of their cruel enemies God could as easily have cut off a whole world of us as we can crush a moth and easier too But he is willing to shew forth the riches of his patience and goodness that thereby sinners might be brought to Repentance How doth God further express his willingness to receive returning sinners by engaging them by many temporal favours Who preserved that tender creature in the Womb and brought it out of those dark Chambers into light Who kept that helpless infant after it was in the world Whose flax and wool do we wear upon our backs To whom is it that we are beholding for every crumb we eat and every drop we drink Who spreads our table for us and makes our cups to overflow Who brought us from the brink of the grave when we had received the sentence from our Doctor and our Disease And what is the Language of all these mercies but return O back-sliding Sinner for in me is thy help found Love delight in and be acquainted with him from whom thou hast received so many kindnesses If thou wouldest accept of him for thy Lord Husband and Friend who hath sent thee these tokens thou shalt have other favours then these be Is not this the meaning of all the common mercies that we daily receive from him Why was not thy breath stopt with an Oath in thy mouth Why is it that so many thousands that were born since thy self are gone to their eternal state when thou art still standing What hast thou done to engage God more then others that Worms should not be feeding on thee when thou art feeding upon the fat and sweet What is the English of all this what are all these droves of mercies which God sends to thee but to cool thy enmity against him and to make thee who art marching out in thy warlike furniture to meet him with tears of joy and friendly embraces Is not Love the Giver written upon all his tokens What means his frequent visiting of thee but desire of acquaintance with thee Had he had no desire at all to know you and to be known of you do you think he would have call'd so oft and so kindly at your door would he have stood knocking with so much patience and have spoke to you so lovingly if he desired still to be a stranger to you Is this like one that desires your ruine Did God never plead with thee by his Ministers and urge the same Argument that I do now Did you never hear such kind of expostulations as these Why wilt thou go on to despise thy God and to refuse his love what reason hast thou to harbour such hard thoughts of him doth he deserve such unkindness at your hands How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity why will ye make light of that you can't possibly overvalue the favour of God and acquaintance with thy maker How oft have you grieved his Spirit by your unworthy contempts how many times have you given him cause to complain of your unhandsome usage when he in very pity and compassion came to visit you He hath reason to say now as well as of old Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth for I have nourished and brought up Children and they have Rebelled against me Isa 1.2 Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise is not he thy Father that bought thee hath he not made thee and established thee Deut. 32.6 O that they were wise And be instructed O Jerusalem least my Soul depart from thee Jer. 6.8 Is not this the voyce of mercy have not these been Expostulations of the mighty God with his Rebellious Creatures and yet how do they stand it out all this while as if God were like to get so much by their acquaintance Return O foolish Sinner if thou makest any thing of Salvation and Damnation if thou valuest everlasting glory if thou thinkest the commands threatnings and promises of the Almighty to be minded come away and make no delay O why wilt thou go on thus madly to undo thy self come away poor Soul for all this it is not yet quite too late thy glass is not yet quite run thy Soul is not yet fully fixed in its unchangeable state Once more I make such an offer to thee as I am sure none but a mad man will refuse such an offer as none of the Kings and Lords of the world can make The great and mighty Monarch of Heaven tenders thee an Alliance with himself he sees how far thou art spent how poor and low thou hast brought thy self by a dangerous and long war against thy maker he foresees what a condition thou wilt be in after a few more merry hours except thou repent and turn Wherefore in compassion to thy precious soul he hath commanded us to follow thee and not to let thee be at quiet till thou hast given us a promise that thou wilt return and humble thy self to thy God and what shall we still lose our labour shall all this come to nothing O prodigy of unkindness O wonder of patience thou hast slighted the friendship of thy God thou hast set light by Christ and undervalued Heaven and Eternity for ten twenty thirty years already and yet the Lord send us once more in his name to ask you whether you are willing to have God for your Friend God hath not yet said Cut him down bind him hand and soot and cast him into that lake that burns for ever Bring those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them and slay them before my face God hath not yet spake that dreadful word Depart O what is it thou stayest for What is it that makes this business to hang so long What Lover is it
against thee thou thinkest therefore it may be it is because God cannot deal with thee and upon this account thy heart is fully set in thee to do wickedly but know thou for all this that God will bring thee to judgement Consider this that as far as it seems to be now the winds may rise the clouds may gather of a sudden the Heavens may be overcast in a moment and what will you do then when Heaven and Earth shall be in a Flame then you will be scraping acquaintance with God then you will be glad to be owned by him then you would willingly Christ should take notice of you and say You blessed of my Father then you will stand at the door and knock and cry and pray and plead and say Lord Lord have I not been oft at thy house have I not eat at thy table and taught in thy name in our streets and yet thou shalt be dimissed with this short and sharp answer Depart I know you not How do you like such an answer as this is how will you take it when you stand begging at the door for one crumb of mercy one drop of Christs bloud to be sent away with a bitter scorn and denial or else to be answered with silence Whereas you were invited to the feast as well as those that went in and you would not hear though God sent messenger after messenger to setch you you thought your oxen better company then your God you took more pleasure in your dogs then in the hunting after those nobler things What do you think of such expostulations as these what replice can you make to these accusations ere long you will find these things realities ere long all your friends will be dead and gone and if they would help you they cannot your estate will be consumed your houses will all be burnt all your attendants except care and fear will shortly forsake you your Gold and Silver will not ere long be worth a rush and what will you do then nay the greatest friends that you had will become your enemies Little do you think as kind as they seem to be what your good fellows the World and the Devil will do against you Little do you think how false your friends will prove when it comes to that that they see that all is going then they also will help forward your ruine Those that you durst have trusted your life with will accuse you and help to cast you Those which incouraged to sin will witness against for sin Your good Fellows your Confederates in wickedness your dear Friends that you loved more then God that you did not spare to venture your life and soul for O it will make your heart ake to see such come in against you which you thought loved you so dearly O to have a Wife a Child a Husband an old Friend to come before the Judge and to make known such things as you hoped had been buried for ever It will make your ears to tingle to hear one crying our Lord if it had not been for him I had turned and repented it 's long of him that I am in this woful condition I was resolved many a time and oft to seek after another world and to provide for my soul but he would not let me alone when I began to be serious he laughed and jeer'd me and would never be at quiet till he had made me as bad as himself he carried me from the Ale-house to the Tavern from thence to a Play-house from a Play-house to a Whore-house from thence to the High-way from thence to the Gaol from the Gaol to the Gallows and from thence I came hither and I may thank him for all this O how will men look when they see the best friends that they had come in thus against them this 't is to trust to faithless friends this 't is to make light of acquaintance with God Your Gold and Silver will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh as with a canker your Children Relations good and bad will speak bitter things against you your own Family will curse you and say Lord we never heard any thing of God except in an Oath from his mouth we never heard any thing of Religion except it were in derision of it in his Family and those of us that were a little serious and began to think of our souls he would snib and brow-beat and never give us a kind look till we did as he did nay the Devil who now doth so much flatter sinners and make them believe that he is so much their friend will then shew himself he will then be as cruel as he now seems kind he that now tempts to sin so impetuously will hereafter accuse for sin violently and torment for sin unmercifully The people of God which weep over sinners and pray for them and wish them well with their souls will then see justice executed upon their nearest Relations without the least sorrow nay they also will come in against them too and say Lord I told them of this woful day O Lord thou knowest I forewarned them of that which is now come to pass I pleaded with them with all the compassion that I could and they scorned my pitty they would not pity themselves but made light of that glory which they are going from and of that Hell that they are going to and now O Lord thou art just and righteous that thou hast thus judged them This will be the language of those that are your best friends the people of God they will be your enemies one day if you will not now mind the making of your peace with God they must and will be on Gods side against all the World they must and will take part with their Friend and clear him when he judges and justifie him when he condemns you O that you that are now strangers to God would but consider of these things O that you would but think what this battel may be where the combatants are so unequal Stand still O Sun in the valley of Ajalom till the Lord have avenged him of his enemies Muster your selves Oye stars and fight in your courses against those miserable sinners that have waged a war against their Maker plant your mighty Cannons shoot down huge Hailstones Arrows of fire and hot Thunderbolts O how do the wounded fall how many are the slains of the Lord multitudes multitudes in the valley of Decision for the day of the Lord is terrible Behold Gods enemies falling by thousands behold the garments rouling in blood hear the prancing of his terrible ones the mountains are covered with Horses and Chariots of fire Gods Souldiers run from one place to another with their flaming Swords in their hands Arm'd with the justice of God jealousie power and indignation O the dreadful slaughter that is made Millions millions fall there are not able to stand not one of them can lift up
find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners Glory be to thee O God the Son who hast loved me and washed me from my sins in thine own Blood and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer Glory he to thee O God the Holy Ghost who by the finger of thine Almighty power hast turned about my Heart from sin to God O dreadful Jehovah the Lord God Omnipotent Father Son and Holy Ghost thou art now become my Covenant-Friend and I through thine infinite Grace am become thy Covenant-Servant Amen So be it And the Covenant which I have made on Earth let it be ratified in Heaven The Conclusion AND now my Work is done I must leave you and whether I shall ever speak to you or see you or write to you again while the world stands I know not My body is frail and I am a poor dying man and before it be long my mouth will be more stopped than it is and yours too And therefore it 's high time for us to look about us As for my part I have with all the seriousness that I could for my soul spoke to you about the great and weighty affairs of your Souls and Eternity I again call Heaven and Earth to witness that I have set Life and Death before you I have in the Name of my great Master been woing of you to accept of his Son for your Lord and Husband himself for your God Father and Friend I have told you what the Lord doth require of them that would be in Covenant with him I have given you a rude Description of him whom I would have you acquainted with I have told you of some of the glorious effects of acquaintance with God I have told you of the danger of being a stranger to God I have told you how thankfully some have closed with these offers and how well they like their choice I have further show'd you what a peaceable state you shall be in immediately upon your Spiritual Alliance with this Great and Noble friend I have told you also of some further benefit and good that will come unto you upon your acquaintance with God I have given you to understand how desirous the Lord is notwithstanding all that is past to forget and forgive and to receive you into favour if you will in good earnest return to him with speed I have again and again propounded this match to you and told you as much as I could well do in so short a time I have stayed a great while for an answer I have put the business forward all that possibly I could because I see how foolishly and madly you make light of those advantageous offers that are made to you I have again and again pleaded with you as if I were ready to starve and begging an alms of you nay if it had been for my very life I could not have spoke with more earnestness I have expostulated the Case with you and asked you several weighty Questions and you have not you cannot answer any one of them but you must condemn your self and by your own confession you have nothing in the world to say against the excellency of this friend And therefore you must either speedily come in upon the invitation and close with those gracious overtures that are made to you or you must without any reason in the world your self being Judg cast your self away And in hopes that all that have heard me will not be so mad as to make light of these things but be asking with some seriousness that great question How shall I do to get acquainted with God How shall I do to get a Friend for my Soul What shall I do to be saved I have laid down some Directions for those that are unfeignedly desirous to be reconciled to God I have told them that they must labour to be thorowly acquainted with that strangeness and enmity that is in their hearts against God and of the unspeakable danger of their being strangers to God I have further directed them that would be acquainted with God to labour to get humble hearts I have advised that they visit him often if they would be intimately acquainted with him that not in a transitory way but to make a Solemn set visit of it and to be sure that they do not forget to get Christ along with them I counselled them also to be much in those places where he is wont to walk and to get intimately acquainted with some of them that know him very well and will do their best to get them to be acquainted with him I have told you that if you would be acquainted with God you must kindly entertain and make much of any Messengers that come from him to you and if men would make sure work I desired them as they loved their Souls that they would follow this great Business with the greatest earnestness and seriousness in the world and that what they do they would do speedily I informed you what arguments the Scripture puts into our mouths which we may urge at the Throne of Grace I intreated you for your Souls sake to take heed of those things which kept God and man unacquainted as namely all sin in general but more particularly Pride Worldly-mindedness Hypocrisie delight in wicked company Unbelief and Sensuality Lastly I direct all such as would be at peace with God to give up themselves to him resolvedly and freely in a Solemn Covenant And have I been beating the Air all this while What will you do after all this What shall become of all these Sermons Dare any of you all still be contented to be Unacquainted with God Can you be very well satisfied after you have heard of such a Friend to be a stranger to him Can any of you look upon your state as safe while God is your enemy O how shall I leave you with Hearts full of Enmity against your Maker Alas alas poor Hearts You look very merrily as bad a condition as you are in but did you but know how neer you are to everlasting Burnings I believe it would put a damp upon your Spirits and spoil your Mirth O how shall I leave that poor sinner that stands as a person altogether unconcerned Whereas death stands ready for his Commission to fetch him away before God and where are you then O where are you then if you come before God as a Stranger O what shall I do for thee What shall I say to thee to prevail with thee O what arguments will perswade thee O how shall we part Brethren my hearts desire is that you may all be saved O that you may all know in this your day the things of your peace O that I could mingle all my words with tears O pitty pitty for the Lords sake pitty your precious Souls O come not here to ask Counsel of God and then go away and take the Counsel of the Devil And what will you yet
case hadst thou been in had God but done by thee as thou hast by him Acquaintance with God! methinks sinful man should stand and wonder at such a word methinks he should be even surprized with an extasie of admiration and say and will God indeed be acquainted with such a Worm such a dead Dog such a Rebel as I Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou shouldest make such an offer to him One would think thou shouldest no more dispute the matter then Esther did when that great Monarch made her his Queen Were it but in sensible things that nothing near such an offer were made which is impossible man would think the very questioning in such a case a strange folly One would think that every one of Gods enemies that have been in open Rebellion against him and are utterly unable to make their part good against him when they hear of such tearms of mercy from their Prince who hath all their lives in their hand should rejoyce at this news and say How beautiful are the feet of them which bring such tidings How did Benhadad look when instead of a Halter he had a Coach When instead of Rebel he heard Brother Whatever we may think of these things David thought it high time for him to bid such a Messenger welcome and to open his heart for the receiving his God Hear what he saith to his own heart and others Psal 24. Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors that tht king of glory may come in And because the door of mens hearts is lock'd and barr'd and bolted and men are in a deep sleep will not hear the knocking that is at the gate though it be loud though it be a King therefore David knocks again Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors Why what haste saith the sinner What haste Why here 's the King at your Gates and that not an ordinary King neither he is a glorious King that will honour you so far if you open quickly as to lodge within to take up his abode in your house to dwell with you but the soul for all this doth not yet open but stands still questioning as if it were an enemy rather then a friend that stood there and ask who is this King of glory Who he answers again It is the Lord of hosts he that if you will not open quickly and thankfully can easily pull your house down about your ears He is the Lord of Hosts that King who hath a mighty Army always at his command who stand ready for their Commission and then you should soon know who it is you might have had for your friend Lift up therefore your heads O ye gates open quickly ye that had rather have God for your friend then for your enemy O why should not the soul of every sinner cry out Lord the Door is locked and thou hast the key I have been trying what I can do but the Wards are so rusty that I cannot possibly turn the Key but Lord throw the Door off the Hinges any thing in the world so thou wilt but come in and dwell here Come O mighty God break through Doors of Iron and Bars of Brass and make way for thy self by thy love and power Come Lord and make thy self welcome all that I have is at thy service O fit my soul to entertain thee But where is the sinner that is in this note How seldom do poor Creatures desire Gods company or bewail his absence Where almost are the men and women to be found that do in good earnest long to be acquainted with God Men are naturally strangers to God and it is a wonderful difficult thing to perswade men to enter into so much as a serious deliberate consideration of these things Though it be so infinitly for their interest though the God that made them out of pity to their souls desires it though he send his Embassadors in his name to beseech them to be reconciled unto God against whom they have been in open arms though in infinite mercy he perswade them to lay down their weapons and promise them Free and General Pardon and to receive them into Favour and to forget and forgive yet where is the sinner almost to be found that with any thankfulness doth close with these tenders Now it being a business of such infinite concernment and it being the very work and business of a Minister of Christ to bring God and man into union to get man acquainted with God I shall in the next place labour to inforce this Exhortation upon the hearts of sinners and do what I can possible to prevail with them that are as yet strangers to get acquainted with God that they may have peace and that thereby good might come unto them EXHORTATION Once more poor sinners That God which can in a moment stop thy breath and send thee into Hell doth offer to be friends with thee If thou wilt come upon his invitation well and good thou art a happy man for ever if not thou wilt rue the day that ever thou wert born yet through mercy the matter is not gone so far but that thou mayest if you will now at last in good earnest humble thy self to him be received into favour Behold a Pardon Mercy and Grace stand astonished O ye Heavens at this infinite condescention wonder O ye Angels and pry into this kindness Was there ever such condescention love and goodness heard of If thou didst but understand O stupid sinner what an offer is made to thee thou couldest not but adore that goodness that can pardon and forget such offences and receive such a Creature into favour thou wouldest also cry out with as great admiration as he did what manner of love you would think it a mercy not to be paralell'd a kindness never to be forgotten a proposal by no means to be refused Now that I may if possible prevail with some that are yet afar off to come near I shall enforce this Exhortation with many powerful Motives the least of which were men but well in their wits as to Spiritual matters were the world not to a wonder fools in the great affairs of their souls and eternity might easily prevail O that I might prevail O that some might be perswaded O that God would put life and power into these words that they might prove effectual to the intended ends O that some poor rebellious sinners might be made to close with the most advantagious offers that ever were or could be made to Creatures in our condition MOTIVES The first Head of Motives that I shall insist upon to inforce this Exhortation shall be taken from the nature of the Person that I would have you acquainted with Consider well what kind of friend you are like to have of him and if after you have well weighed what I
such a friend may all say with as good reason as he that can keep me from all fears O for such a friend This is instead of all pleasures to me to think that God is my Father and to know that I have loved and obeyed him to the utmost of my power not only in words but in deeds this this is the pleasure here 's a friend indeed Now what do you say to all this is God to be desired Is his acquaintance to be sought after Can such a friend be too much valued The truth of it is I would not give a rush for any of your comforts which come not from a sense of our interest in Christ and which have not a solid foundation Scripture-cousolations It is not he that smiles but he that can look up to God as his and look into his soul and see things there in a good composure and kept in a chearful subjection to his maker and Redeemer this this is the state here dwells joys and comforts that deserve such a name This lower Region sometimes is stormy but above there is a constant calm Sen. And is God still to be slighted are his favours is his acquaintance little worth I know you can't be an enemy to comfort and joys why let me tell you here 's the Well of Consolation here 's the Fountain and all other joys which are drawn out of the Cisterns will ere long be dry Come away therefore poor soul and do not refuse such joys as all the carnal world can't parallel for their hearts And this is the next Motive taken from the consideration of the Nature of this Friend which I would perswade you to get acquainted with First He is a loving and kind Friend Secondly He is the most chearing comforting Friend Thirdly He is the most able and powerful Friend He hath all power in his hand and as long as he is but thy Friend who ere is thy Foe thou shalt never be overpowred never be crushed Thou mayst challenge all the Devils in Hell and all his instruments upon earth to do their worst God is on thy side thou needst not fear Thou art in thy self a poor weak Creature easily conquered and broken by a thousand enemies but if thou hast a God to fly to thou also mayest sing as well as those did Isa 26.1 Thou hast a strong City salvation will God appoint for Walls and Bulwarks No wonder then if every wise man think it abundantly worth his while to secure this great Priviledg to himself that God may be his friend This is his best hold his One thing necessary verse 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of God all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his Temple Sin the World and the Devil may tempt a sinner but they can never guard him from the power of this Great and Almighty God And now you that are contented to live as without God in the world let me request you to consider Canst thou spread out the Heavens as a curtain or cover the Sun with darkness Canst thou call to the Lightnings and will they answer thee and say here we are Shouldst thou speak to that hasty Champion and command him to stand still one quarter of an hour would he obey thee If these things be too much why dost thou boast that art but a worm Alas poor sinner when this great God appears in judgment thou art not able to deal with a Fly or a Frogg O then Is it not good prudence for all the sons of men to come and agree quickly with this Adversary while he is in the way for whoever goes on in an Enmity and Rebellion against this Lord of Heaven and Earth shall not prosper but be sure his sin shall find him out And this is another qualification of this Friend which I would commend to your acquaintance he is an able Friend First he is the most kind and loving Friend Secondly he is the most comfortable Friend Thirdly he is the most able and powerful Friend Fourthly he is the most active Friend He commands his to be diligent and industrious alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord surely he will not be slow If the inanimate creature such as the sinner resolveth as a strong man to run his race how active then must the maker of that sinner be if he command him not to deal with a slack hand surely he himself will not deal with a slack hand should you behold this friend of yours riding upon the wings of the Wind and making the clouds his Chariot would you not say O how swift O how active is this glorious friend of mine the feet of this beloved One are as Hinds feet for the good of his friends Yea his very eyes run too and fro through the whole world for their good he keeps constant watch and ward about them and he that can injure any of his our of his sight shall go unpunished Esa 27.3 The Lord speaks this under the Metaphor of a Vine-Yard and doth this great Husbandman neglect his Vineyard doth he not Digg Manure and stone it and keep out the wilde Boar and Foxes Doth he not prune it and tender it charily I the Lord do keep it night and day none shall come into it to gather the Fruit of it without lay leave I will water it every moment So that you see what pains God takes for his Do you believe this friend sits in Heaven and looks down upon the Earth for nothing Be not deceived O sinner that wilt not be perswaded to get reconsiliation with this Great and Holy Majesty The Lord is not slack concerning his comming as some account slackness Let his stay be never so long when he comes to judg the world it will be before the sinner looks for him Indeed there is nothing that a wicked man more pleaseth himself with than the thoughts that it will be a long time before God and he meet but he little considers that a Thousand years are but as One day compared to the dayes of Eternity Now by faith these things are made real to the considerate Christian and as for the supplying of his wants he knows if he comes at midnight to borrow bread of him he will not put you off with this excuse that he is a Bed and cannot rise from his Children but will presently help makeing their necessity his own opportunity to give them what shall be convenient for them as knowing that let the wind sit in what corner it will it shall fit their Sails and bring them nearer the Harbour The worlds friends are infinitely below this Friend One hath chosen Silver and Gold and a great Estate and such a one in the worlds Kalender may be writ down for one of the wisest in his Choyce Well le ts us see now what this friend can do for you
he is coming he is coming he will be here quickly he will not tarry he is at the door Contemplate somtimes on these things and a little antedate that Glory by Spiritual mediation do but think what a brave sight that will be to see the mountains covered with Chariots of fire and Horses of fire when the heavens shall bow before thy friend and the earth shall melt at his presence and yet thy heart not faint within thee when the King shall come in the Clouds to fetch his Friends to his own house where they shall dwell for ever This honour have all the Saints Eleventhly He is a suitable friend It is suitableness that sweetens Society I can easily believe a poor Country Peasant can take as much content in the company of a poor man like himself as in the Society of a Prince an unlearned Country man is no way fit to convers with Courtiers and States-men the vastness of the distance would so much swallow his mind and the unsuitableness of his Spirit to such company takes off that content which otherwise he might enjoy But yet in Spirituals though the distance between God and man beyond a possibility of our conception and the disproportion infinite yet the Soul of man being immediately from God and Spiritual like God and having a Divine new Nature infused into it by the Spirit in Regeneration it finds an infinite suitableness pleasure and content in the injoyment of Gods presence and it is not sunk but raised by an Union converse and Society with it's maker The truth of it is did man but understand his own Original aright he would think it infinitely below his noble Parentage to converse with and have intimate delightful Society with any but God and those which bare the same relation to God with himself or to bring poor strangers acquainted with him as well as themselves There is not a match upon earth fit for the Soul of man to be matched to but in that other Country there is a match indeed every way suitable a Spirit for a Spirit and everlasting God for an everlasting Soul a precious Jesus for a precious Soul a holy God for those which he hath made holy like himself and that is none of the least of mans happiness that notwithstanding that infinite distance that is Naturally between him and his God yet that God should make in his Creature such Noble Dispositions and such Divine Qualifications that there should be the greatest suitableness in the World between God and the Soul and the Soul and God and they both take wonderful content in the enjoyment of one another This is in part here but compleated in Glory This we may find oft in Scripture expressed in the nearest Relations and dearest Affections Hence God is said to be a Father and they his Children a Husband and they his Spouse Now what greater suitableness can there be then between Father and Children Husband and Wife God is also said to delight in them and they in him to rejoyce in their company and they in his and how could this be except there was a suitableness in them one to another Their wills are suited what God wills they will and what God loves they love and so what they love as his Friends God loves one doth not thwart and contradict the other O how sweet then must the company the communion of such Friends be O were our hearts as they should be were we more like God we should quickly experience the unspeakable joy of our Souls how suitable a Friend he is to a soul we should soon find that as clay and stones are as unsuitable sood for the body so the world is unsuitable food for the soul to feed on and that it is God alone that can fill and satisfie the vast desires of it O I say again were we but as we came out of our Makers hands or rather were we trimmed up in our eldest brothers Robes and brought into the immediate presence of this great King where we set before that glorious Throne where the infinite brightness of his Majesty shines so that the Angels themselves do vail their faces before him yet for all that we should not long stand silent as if the place and company were unsuitable to us it would not be long before we should carry it as those that were nearly related and had intimate acquaintance with him that sits upon the throne O the unspeakable sweetness that will be the enjoyment of his company no tediousness no irksomness at all upon our Spirits We shall quickly understand our work our priviledge O infinite goodness O boundless love O let me be always solacing my soul in the contemplation of these things O let the very thoughts of them be a Heaven upon earth to my soul but here O here 's the grief while we are here in a strange Country there is somthing in all the poor fallen children of Adam nay in those of them that are recovered and by grace brought into a re-union with God there is I say something in God unsuitable to them and in them unsuitable to God and this O this makes our lives so uncomfortable but convers with God will wear off a great deal of that When thou comest to lay off thy rages and to put off thy old suit and to put on that new one that is making for thee I mean after death when thou comest to glory thou wilt find the case strangly altered with thee In Heaven there will be a perfect Harmony Suitableness and Agreement between God and thee for ever and thou wilt take infinite complacency and delight in him and he in thee And thus shalt thou spend Eternity in unconceivable joy delight and pleasures This is Heaven a perfect suitableness to God and enjoying him for ever O when when when shall it once be Come Lord Jesus come quickly Come O blessed Father by thy Spirit and burn up what is unlike thee O create a greater suitableness between my Soul and thee O come thou down to me or take me up to thee O could we but talk with one of those happy Creatures that hath been in the very presence of God in glory and should we ask him whether he were not weary of the same work of the same company the same place what answer do you think he would make you No more weary than a man upon the Rack but just before would be of perfect ease no more then a healthful hungry man is of eating no more weary than the Sun is of running than the Fire of ascending or a Stone of falling towards the Center Sen. Epist 10. I know not where I had rather be then with him I was once upon Earth as you are now and now I am in Heaven and in neither of both these places can I find one that I can take more delight in then God I must say as he Psal 73.24 Whom have I in Heaven but him and there is
none upon earth that I can desire in comparison of him I can't desire a better employment then a delightful constant attending upon my God Can I have better Company then such a Father Cana greater happiness be conceived then Eternal Glory a pleasanter place then Heaven That which I can speak you can't hear and could you though in this perfect glory I can't express what you will find and feel when you come hither O had I but known so much as I do now when I was in your condition upon earth I should with incomparable greater earnestness have sought after acquaintance with God then I did In his presence is fulness of joy at his right hand are pleasures for evermore Now I feel now I know it I thought one smile sweet upon earth but now I see and feel infinitely more what you enjoy now is a shadow in comparison of what you will enjoy hereafter O what do you mean that you prize his favour no more that you get no more intimate acquaintance with him What do you mean that you are so unwilling to come to this place of joy O were you but possest of what I speak of you would say what I say you would never be weary of praising and serving him you would never wish your self out of his presence and think it not possible to be in more suitable society Is it so O my soul what then doest thou here Make hast O my soul stay no longer here below but know thy priviledge understand where thy comforts are Twelfthly He is a wise Friend All the men and women in the world have great mighty affairs to mannage and they want Skil Wisdom and Discretion for the right mannagement of these things they are wofully to seek as to their great business they are wise to do evil but in Spirituals they become stupid sottish fools and as to the carrying on of their great work they do it with the greatest imprudence in the world and they will most certainly for ever undo themselves except one that is wiser then themselves undertake to help them All things go backward with them and they labour in the very Fire whilst they act without God and it is impossible it should be otherwise as long as there is such a disproportion between mans business and his Spirit Man is carnal and his work is Spiritual Would an ignorant poor Creature that is but one remove above a beast be fit to mannage the great matters of Government How ridiculously would he behave himself in a Chair of State how strangely would an unlearned man bungle should he go about to open one of the profound Demonstrations of Mathematicks But a natural man is far more unskilful then any of these as to the carrying on of that great Imployment that he hath to look after while he is on this side Eternity his business is to serve his Maker but what pittiful work doth he make of it man is made for an everlasting State he is sent into this world to provide for another a Good a happiness there is which he is to look after he once had a fair estate but he hath spent and lost it all and he is to see to the recovering of it again He hath been in arms against his lawful Soveraign and been guilty of the highest Treason and thereby hath forfeited his Life his Soul now he hath his pardon to sue out and how doth he go to work in this one thing to mention no more Why he goes to beg a pardon arm'd Cap-a-pe and with his Sword drawn he comes to ask pardon for one Treason and he is found acting of another Lord have mercy upon me and give me leave to break thy laws is the sum of all his prayer He talks of Heaven and yet makes all the hast he can to Hell he is told he is out of the way but he laughs at him that tells him so and that 's his best Sometimes he rages and desires with all speed to remove him that would set him in the road to Zion he calls for a Hatchet to cut down the bough upon which himself stands And this is your man of Wisdom The man is under sail in the midst of Rocks and Sands and if he would but look he might see many doleful Spectacles the tops of Masts ship-wacked souls I mean and though the Pilots tell him of the danger yet he says he will never believe but that 's the best and the safest road to the harbour and so on he goes as if he were sure he could not miscarry and all this while he will not be perswaded but that he acts every wisely he judgeth it one of his greatest comforts that he runs to misery without any hinderance and how can it otherwise be except men were spiritually wise and who can teach man this wisdom who shall instruct him who shall help him now his affairs are upon the matter almost desperate why if thou wilt but hear here is one that will yet undertake their foul cause if you will be advised by him for this he will set all at right And O how doth he call after you how willing to give you his advice how desirous to assist you Prov. 1.20 c. Wisdom cryeth without she uttereth her voyce in the streets She cryeth in the chief places of concourse in the openings of the Gates she uttereth her words saying How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity And ye scorners delight in scorning and fools hate Knowledge Turn ye at my reproof Behold I will pour out my Spirit upon you I will make known my words unto you And will you set at naught all his Counsels and have none of his reproofs Will you rather be ruined then beholding to him for advice Let me put in one word if this wise Counsellor be not for you he will be against you and if you find any that can order your sad affairs more to your advantage I pray make use of him but if you will be ruled by him you can't miscarry as ill a condition as you are in though thou beest quite broke yet he will give you such a stock as that you may set up again and such directions as that you can't but thrive if you will but follow them It is he that teacheth his Spiritual Frugality not to part with that for a trifle which will be a rich commodity ere long it is he who perswades us to make the best use of every thing it is he that teacheth Fools more true wisdom then the great Politicians of the World though the world judge them weak yet they have wit enough to make a good bargain to value Heaven before Hell to flye from everlasting burnings They are wise enough to know what is for their real advantage and what not This is he that would bring thee acquainted with him It is he who give his so much understanding as to know the true worth of things and
that doth so long hold back thy heart What is the matter that we can no more speedily and effectually manage this great affair What is it that thou dost prefer before God What is it that thou thinkest more worthy of thy warmest love then Christ What is that great thing that thou stickest not to venture thy soul for Act like a man that is rational and not beside himself If the World be God if Earth be better then Christ then choose that if Christ be God then choose him How long will you stand halting between two love that which will last longest be acquainted with him that is willing and able to do most for thee Is the world worth more now then it was in Davids time when he preferred the favour of God before thousands of Gold and Silver Is the price of it raised Can it bribe death and stop the mouth of Divine Justice and procure thee a reaâ— respect in another world Go chaffer and see what bargain thou canst make tell God that thou wilt give him thousands for thy brothers life and as much more for the lengthning the lease of thy own to Eternity What doth God say is the bargain made is it not enough why add a world to it will that do If it will not do this if this purchase be too great for thy purse then go lower can all thou hast keep thee from fears get thee a stomach procure thee ease rectifie thy constitution will it do this or will it not if not why shouldst thou value that which can do so little for thee before that which can do all things for thee Be perswaded at last to be wise What is God like to get by your love or lose by your hatred What have you to boast of What excellencies to set you out what portion to advance you that you stand thus upon your tearms Come let 's hear a little what it is thou thinkest so highly of thy self for I am sure your over-great beauty can't commend you for a Black-moor may with better reason brag of comliness then such a deformed loathsome creature can of beauty I am sure your helpfulness will not speak for you for thou art a crazy decrepid sickly creature that will cost God more to cure thee then thou art worth a thousand times It can't be for thy Estate that thou art so much desired for all thy Gold is adulterate thy Jewels counterfeit thy All forfeited and what is it then that thou hast yet to boast of come and set it before us that we may acknowledge our mistakes Are the Cloaths upon thy back as fine as thou art thy own is the Food that thou eatest paid for and is this the Creature that must be wooed with so much earnestnes Behold all ye Inhabitants of the world and admire hear O Heavens this is that I want a name to call her by which thinks it below her to be match't to Christ and an undervaluing to be acquainted with her Maker and a shame to have God for her Father from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot there is nothing but wounds and bruises and putrified sores running plague-sores that are broken are her greatest beauty and here 's a thing to be lov'd with all my heart Ezck. 16. Whosoever thou art that readest these lines this was once thy condition in these ornaments he found thee when God came to ask thy heart this was thy dress though thou art thus highly advanced And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are cleansed And after all this O Sinner art thou still as stout and proud as ever Is Christ so willing to bring thee to his Father is he willing to Cloath thee from head to foot with glorious Robes such a dress as may become thee in the presence of a King doth he offer to lead thee in his hands to his own Palace is God so willing and desirous to be your Father and Christ to be your Husband are all the Ministers of Christ so willing to do their utmost to bring this match to protection shall they lie at you day and night to give your consent and to be willing and are you still unwilling Well if all this signifie little and you miss of Christ at last and be not acquainted with God after all remember it was your own doings and that you thought it greater wisdom to marry the Servant then the Master to obey the Rebel rather then your loving Prince Remember you preferred Darkness before Light Hell before Heaven I call Heaven and Earth to Record this day that I have set Life and Death before you and you stand as if it were so difficult a matter to resolve which were the best This sounds strangely and every one will be ready to write Fool upon that mans forehead that acts thus Hold man be not too ready to pass thy censure before thou look within thee Dost thou see an absolute need of Christ Dost thou adore his infinite love and kindness Dost thou give up thy self to him for thy Lord and receive him for better for worse come on it what will Or dost thou not rather spend thy thoughts and let out thy affections upon the vanities and pleasures of the world Dost thou not love Father and Mother Wife and Children Brethren and Sisters House and Lands more then him Why if this be thy case I must say thou art one of the Fools that loves Death and hatest Life thou callest that folly in another which in thy self thou countest wisdom I wonder who it is that you strive to please all this while Is not the hand of Joab in all this hath not Satan been deep in retarding this match hath not he a design to marry thee to some painted Lust though he undoe thee for ever and must he be pleased rather then Is it more necessary to gratifie him that never yet intended to do any of the Sons of Adam any kindness rather then thy best friends Come away for shame and let us lose our breath no longer and let that time we spend in pleading with you for God be spent in singing with you and praising God for you and congratulating your happy acquaintance with God and you matching to his only Son 20. But because man is so wedded to the world and dotes upon his lust that all the arguments that we can use are most commonly unsuccesseful I shall add one more upon this sort of motives drawn from the qualifications of him whom I would fain have you acquainted with and that shall take in all that can be said on this head and that is this Consider that he is altogether lovely he is made up of love goodness and all excellencies and whatsoever pleasure delight and content you find in the Creature it is transcendently in him he is the chiefest of ten thousands ask of them that by Faith have seen him inquire of the Spouse in the Canticles
and ask her what is her beloved more then another beloved what there is in God and Christ more then in the world and she will almost wonder that any one that is rational should ask so foolish a question she thinks you might with as much judgment and reason have ask'd what there is in Heaven more desireable then in Hell What is there is in ease more then in torments in Gold and Jewels more then in dross in a living healthful beautiful Creature more then in a stinking rotten carcase Did you but see his face you would soon think there were something in him more then in another could you but see his eye your heart would be in a flame did you but understand what it is to be brought into his banquetting-house you would say that they are neither fools nor mad-men that can find in their hearts to scorn the beauties and glories of this world in comparison of one look or smile from God and believe that his love was better then wine to be preferred infinitely before the greatest worldly pleasures and think that the Virgins had reason enough to love him Cant. 1.4 How high doth the Church run in his commendations How doth she endeavour to set him out to the life that every one may admire his excellencies and be taken with his beauties as well as her self neither doth she fear to lose him by this nor indeed is unwilling that others should fall in love with him as well as she Cant. 5.9 10. c. She begins first with his face it is white and ruddy the most exact beauty so that she must be blind that is not taken with him and so she goes on as well as she can to set him out but he is so infinitely above her commendations that she wants words to express her self therefore she speaks one great one He is altogether lovely and if you will not believe come and see Do but look upon him by Faith and meditation contemplate his beauties and then if you have any thing yet to object if after you have had a true sight of him and have well weighed all you do not find that there is in him infinitely more then I can tell you why then let me bear the blame for ever Well now let us gather up all these things together and if a multitude of arguments and if weight and reason if vehemency and earnestness may prevail I should have some good hopes that I should not want success in this work nor you of the acquaintance with God and everlasting glory Therefore I say again if kindness and love be taking who so sweet and obliging as he If comfort joy and pleasure be desireable who is there when the Soul is surrounded with a multitude of perplexities that can so much delight refresh and raise it If Power Glory and Majesty if ability to defend from injuries and revenge wrongs might signifie any thing with poor shiftless Creatures who is there that ever yet prevailed against him Who ever contended with God and prospered If vigour activity and care in all the affairs of his friends can intice the dull helpless sinner to receive him who will take more care for and do more for them then he If his humility may engage us if freedom of access notwithstanding that infinite distance that is between us and him signifie any thing as to the commending of him to our acquaintance where can a poor beggar be more welcome then at the house of this mighty Prince Can Faithfulness in the greatest streight raise the esteem of a friend who ever yet trusted him that was deceived Are riches and wealth taking Who is there that can give a Kingdome for a portion a love-token and give everlasting glory and Heaven for a joynture but God Doth pitty in misery simpathy in suffering compassion in distress indear and commend a friend who is more tender-hearted then he Are Honours and preferments such great things Who is that which will make all his favourites Kings and Priests and set them upon Thrones and reward and commend them before the whole World is suitableness a considerable qualification to make up this match who so suitable for the Soul a Spirit as God a Spirit Who can satisfie it's vast and infinite desires but infinity it self Have poor simple Creatures that have quite undone themselves by their folly and indiscretion need of a wise Counsellor to wind them out of their sad intricacies who is there among the profound Polititians and grave Sages of the world to be compared unto him Doth a dying man that hath a never-dying Soul that is to pass speedily into an eternal state lack an ever-dying immortal friend that may stand him in some stead when immortal Are not friends sometimes furthest off from one when one hath most need of them Is not he then a friend highly to be prized who can who will never be absent Doth not God fill heaven and earth What think you of a Soul-friend Is not such a one worth the looking after who takes care that your Soul to be sure shall not miscarry Who ever did more for Souls then Christ Will it not be true prudence to make sure of such a friend as we must have for our friend or we are miserable for ever and where is such a one to be found but he that hath the keys of heaven an hell which is most considerable Time or Eternity and whom shall I most value him that promiseth present pleasures that are lost as soon as felt or him that will bestow everlasting favours and are there not at Gods right hand pleasures for evermore If the trial and experience of so many millions may speak his commendation will not all that ever knew God say truly God is good to Israel Will Gods willingness desire and earnestness prevail with you to come to him What is the substance of the whole Bible doth not almost every Chapter speak the desire that God hath to be reconciled to man if the perfection of all excellencies meeting in one can render him amiable how can he be slighted who is altogether lovely And what say you now are you resolved or are you not Shall the infinite Majesty of Heaven condescend to offer himself to be loved and imbraced by sinful dust shall God say I will be thy Father and shall not the sinner say I would be thy Child Why should not the heart of every Apostate rebellious Traytor that hath forfeited Estate Life and Soul leap at such good news and say will God for all this lay aside the controversy and conclude a peace Will he receive the rebell to mercy will he open his doors to his prodigal and is there yet any hope Is it possible that such sins as mine should be forgiven Can it be conceived that such a Creature as I should be imbraced what look upon me will God indeed take me into favour Yes thee behold he calls thee he offers thee
his Son a Kingdom a Crown behold the Father meets he makes hast to meet his returning prodigal behold the King hath sent to invite thee to the feast nay he will give thee his only Son in marriage the wedding garment is made ready the Bridegroom is coming the wheels of his Chariot run-apace the friends of the Bridegroom are come to bid you make ready up deck your self put on your glorious Apparel make hast make hast ye Virgins your companions are ready all stay for you the Bridegroom is at the door Behold he is at the door and will you still let him knock What! Father Husband a Kingdom What words are these Wilt thou O mighty Jehovah be my Father Wilt thou O blessed Jesus be my Husband shall I have a Kingdom What me a Child a Spouse for the King of glory an Heir of glory Grace Grace Amen Hallelujah Be it to thy servants according to thy word but who are we and what is our fathers house that thou hast brought us hitherto and now O Lord God what shall thy servants say unto thee for we are silenced with wonder and must sit down with astonishment for we cannot utter the least tittle of thy praises What meaneth the highth of this strange love O that the God of heaven and earth should condescend to enter into Covenant with his dust and to take into his bosom the viperous brood that have often spit their venome in his face We are not worthy to be as the hand-maids to wash the feet of the servants of our Lord How much less to be thy Sons and Heirs and to be made partakers of all those blessed Liberties and Priviledges which thou hast setled upon us but for thy goodness sake and according to thy own heart hast thou done all these great things Even so Father because so it seemed good in thy fight Wherefore thou art great O God for there is none like thee neither is there any God besides thee what nation on earth is like thy people whom God went to redeem for a people to himself to make him a name to do for them great things and terrible for thou hast confirmed them to thy self to be a people unto thee for ever and thou Lord art become their God Wonder O Heavens and be moved O Earth at this great thing For behold the Tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people and God himself shall be with them and be their God Be astonished and ravished with wonder for the infinite breach is made up the offender is received and God and man are reconciled and a Covenant of peace entred and Heaven and Earth are agreed upon the tearms and have struck their hands and sealed the Indentures O happy conclusion O blessed conjunction Shall the Stars dwell with the dust Or the wide distant Poles be brought to mutual embraces and cohabitation But here the distance of the tearms is infinitely greater Rejoyce O Angels shout O Seraphims O all the friends of the Bridegroom and Bride prepare an Epithalamium be ready with the marriage Song Lo here is the wonder of wonders for Jehovah hath betrothed himself for ever to his hopeless Captives and owns the marriage before all the world and is become one with us we with him he hath bequeathed to us the precious things of the earth beneath with the fulness thereof and hath kept back nothing from us And now O Lord thou art that God and thy words be true and thou hast promised this goodness unto thy servants and hast left us nothing to ask at thy hands but what thou hast already freely granted Only the word which thou hast spoken concerning thy servants establish it for ever and do as thou hast said and let thy Name be magnified for ever saying The Lord of Host he is the God of Israel Amen Hallelujah And how do you like this musick O ye the lost Sons and Daughters of Adam how do you relish these Dainties what do you think of this march Some you see have been so wise as with the greatest gratitude they can for their souls to close with those happy offers of grace You hear how bravely such and such have bestowed themselves and now they are made for ever And what do you say to the same proposals have they so much reason to bless the day that ever such a motion was made have they cause to rejoyce for ever for those blessed overtures or are they all to be slighted by you will Christ be worse to you then them is Heaven and happiness less necessary for you then them will the loss of a Soul be more inconsiderable to you then it would have been to them Will not Heaven Christ an Glory be as well worth your acceptance as theirs What are you willing to be shut out when the Bridegroom comes to fetch his Spouse home Can you bare it to see such as you thought your inferiours advanced and your self despised What shall I say what words shall I use what shall I do to prevail O that I could pity you a thousand times more than I do O that my eyes might weep in secret for thy folly O that you also might do as some have done before you though indeed they be but few that be so wise O that you would also bestow your heart upon Christ give him your heart-love or he will have your heart-bloody Do not make your self miserable to please any living do not slight Christ because must do so go not with them to Hell for company But that if it be possible I might perswade you I shall add some more motives to prevail with you to get acquainted with God which I am certain will either work that blessed effect or rise up against you to the aggravation of your confusion in that great and terrible day II. HEAD OF MOTIVES The next Head of Motives which I shall insist upon for the inforcing of this Duty of acquainting your selves with God I shall take from the glorious effect of this acquaintance with God 1. The first effect of this acquaintance with God is it makes the soul humble and consequently fits the soul for greater communications from God still and to do God the greater service but of that particular afterwards Acquaintance with God it makes the Soul humble When God comes into the Soul he brings such a glorious light along with him that he makes the Soul to see not only his beauty but it s own deformity Psal 119.130 The entrance of thy word giveth light it giveth understanding to the simple Before the Soul was acquainted with the word of God and by that had some discoveries of God made to it out of the Word why it was in the dark and saw nothing at all of its own vileness it took no notice of that Sink that Hell that was within it consider not its own Treason against the Lord of Heaven
before I leave you for ever I hope I should be contented to be trod in the dirt O that my heart may not deceive me O that my compassion to your souls were greater a thousand times greater O that I could never speak to you of such things as these without tears I must again and again profess I am ashamed of my heart that it is no more sensible of these weighty affairs But O mighty and glorious God if thou pleasest thou canst out of the mouth of a Babe and Suckling ordain strength O that thou wouldest make the worm Jacob to thresh Mountains O that thou wouldest make me of the most unworthy and weakest instrument in that bonourable Service of bringing home some Souls to thy self O if but any one Soul if but one Soul that was estranged from God might by these lines be brought acquainted with him if I might prevail with any other stubborn Enemy to lay down his weapons and be Friends with him I should think my pains well bestowed though if that will make you to regard it ever the more this work hath cost me many an hours study and it hath been interrupted with many bodily distempers groans and sorrows fears and sighs Yet if after all my travel I may hear of any Children born of God if I may meet but one soul the better for it by it brought to Glory I shall have abundant cause to blesse my God and to rejoyce that my labour hath not been in vain in the Lord. But if I might have more I should have more cause to adore infinite Goodness and rich Grace O my dear Friends O precious and immortal Souls What shall I say to you What shall I do for you O did you but know how hardly I fetch my breath at this time did you but see what a crazy Creature he is that writes to you did you but know how faint he hath been sometimes in speaking to you you would go nigh to pitty him O pitty your selves O pitty your own Souls that ere long must be turned naked out of your Bodies and hear the expostulations of a dying man that would gladly live with you in everlasting glory and meet you all among the Friends of the Bridegroom that I may see you among the Sons of God in your great meeting when the Father shall send his Servants the Angels to fetch all his children home to his own house O pitty your Souls let not all my pains be lost trample not under your feet the blood of the Covenant neither count it a common thing remember that the slighting of Christ is a dangerous thing the loss of his favour and the loss of your soul must go together O how shall I leave you How shall I part with you shall I go before my work is done What shall I say more What arguments shall I further make use of O that I knew what to say that I might prevail And are you still resolved to put me off with frivolous excuses Can you put off your consciences thus Are you still contented to be Aliens and Strangers If you are know this that I must leave these lines to bear witness against you Remember this that you were told of these things again and again Those that can forget Sermons here shall remember them hereafter if you be not the better for this discourse you will curse the day that ever you heard it it will be a cutting reflection when another day you shall say to your own Soul at such a time such a one did beseech me in Christs stead to be reconciled to God and I would not Cursed man that I was I made nothing of all the offers of Grace and Mercy I made little account of these intollerable Torments which now make me to gnash my teeth Hear O unhappy Creature that art yet alive Be not ye past hope O that thou mayest see thy sad state before it be quite past remedy O let me take up a lamentation for thee as one whose condition is beyond expression deplorable O that I could speak as affectionately to you as one did lately who spent his strength and life amongst you all viz. That I can neither eat nor drink nor sleep quietly whilst I think of the danger that precious Souls run every moment while they are unacquainted with God! O that mine eyes were waters and my head a fountain of Tears that I might weep day and night for poor Christ-less Creatures that laugh and are as cheerful as if no danger were near them whereas that dismal day approaches apace wherein they must bid an everlasting farewel to all their pleasures and lie down for ever under the scalding wrath of an angry God! O stand astonished O Heavens and wonder O Earth Here 's a man that had rather be a Beast than a man a Devil than a Saint that prefers Hell before Heaven that loves Death and hates Life Here 's a man that makes nothing of going to Hell Damnation is a thing that he jests with 't is but damning he saith But damning Is that so light a thing a thing to be laughed at Well if that damning be nothing never complain of it when you feel it If it be nothing never groan nor bite your tongue nor gnash your teeth for it If Heaven and your Soul the favour of God eternal happiness be such small matters never complain for the loss of them Well then belike you are pleased very well with your choice and you do choose rather to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a moment than the pleasures of Holiness which last for ever There stands a sinner that hears all this and frets and foameth at the hearing of it it 's a torture to his Soul to be within the sound of such Truths Why act like one in his wits If the hearing of Hell and damnation be so troublesome what will the feeling of it be thinkest thou But that I may if possible prevail I shall leave a few serious questions with you which I charge you in the presence of God seriously to consider of and to give a wise answer to these following Questions Quest 1. Are those things which you have heard true or are they not Doth not the Scriptures speak the same things which I do Dare you say that the word of Truth is False Do but open the Bible dip where you will what is that you read there Is it not something that hath a tendency to what I have been teaching of O that you would but give your selves the trouble of searching the Scriptures to see whether these things are so To what purpose do you think should we spend our breath To what purpose should we follow you with such exhortations if we had not some grounds for what we say If there be no such thing in the word of God why then do you not say so Why do you not shew us it if there be such a place that saith there is
and shall not be able Mat. 20.16 Many are called but few are chosen And Luke 12.32 Christ saith his flock is a little flock And the Church complains of the fewness of her number in this Language Mic. 7.1 Wo is me for I am as when they have gathered the summer-fruits I might heap up abundance of Scriptures of the same nature all which speak this to us that it is not so common a thing to go to Heaven as most people reckon upon But yet if thou be resolved come what will come not to change your mind if after so many warnings and pleadings you still continue of this judgement I must speak a dreadful word Your blood be upon your own Soul I have blown the Trumpet I have don what in me lies to convince thee of thy dangerous state while thou art a stranger to God and to bring thee to a speedy acquaintance with him but thou hast after many and many a tender given in this answer that as for God thou dost not desire to be acquainted with him as for your marching with his Son it 's that which thou carest not for hearing of except thou mightest have his estate without his Soveraignty thou wilt not have him for thy husband except he will let thee do as thou list and run a whoring from him when thou pleasest Thou wilt not have Heaven except thou mayst have it without holiness and as for the invitations of God thou still makest light of them neither promises nor threatnings signifie much with you Well then when you find by woful experience what you have don know whom you must lay all the blame on I call Heaven and Earth to record and you your selves are witnesses that I have with all the pity and earnestness that I could for my soul told you of these great things but you think the flattering offers that the Devil makes to be more advantagious then those which God makes and his service to be preferred before the service of Christ and the friendship of the world to be esteemed before the friendship of God and the pleasures of sin which are but for a season you value before those rivers of pleasures which are at the right hand of God for evermore Now if you continue in this mind blame not me if you miscarry for ever you must whether you will or no stand to your choice Do not say but you were told of these things this is not the first time by many but it may be the last that you may ever hear for all that I know Remember you were once well offered Do you think that God will always bare with such unworthy abuses shall Gods Justice never be righted yes yes be not deceived flighted kindnesses will cost dear at last What have you yet to say for your self do you think that I mean you any hurt by all this except you count Salvation a wrong and kindness it self an injury But if all this will not do go then and make the best thou canst of all thy Friends let us see how well and how long they will entertain thee ere a few dayes it may be shall be at an end we shall hear how you like your choice when they shall turn you out of doors and tell you plainly they can do nothing for you you must shift as well as you can as for them they can't provide for themselves much less for you And then let 's see who hath made the best choice he that is acquainted with God and chosen him for his Friend or he that hath taken the world for his friend Let 's see who will do most for their friends when a time of trial comes When Heaven and Earth are all in a Flame when the Trumpet is sounding when the Judge and his Attendants Christ and all his holy Angels are coming when the Prisons the Graves are opened and the Prisoners are brought forth then let 's see who will have the chearfullest countenance he that holdeth up his hand at the bar or they that sit upon the bench with the Judge for know you not that the Saints the Friends of the Judge shall sit with him when he judgeth the world We shall know when the storm riseth whose house was best that which was built upon the sand or that which was built upon the rock O that people were now of the same mind that they will be of at the day of Judgement O that they would consider that if they will not now be at leisure to think of these things they shall be at leisure to repent of them hereafter Do not talk of scorns and reproaches and suffering what do you think that Heaven will not make amends for all that which is most to be feared the scorns of God or the scorns of men which will do you must hurt mans contempt or Gods where is the man that will be laughed out of a great estate because a fool saith that a Jewel is not worth the taking up will you therefore never stoop to take it up The truth of it is if you intend to make any thing of your Profession you must be willing to be counted a fool and a mad man but you must remember it is by those that are so themselves O be not affrighted from your duty by the talk of the rabble If the thing be evil let the vice of it scare you but if it be good let not the fear of them which are very incompetent judges in such a case divert you from it Do you think that such poor excuses will be taken at the day of Judgement What do you intend to say to God then Lord I would have laboured to have known thee I would have taken some care of my soul and I would have taken some pains about the things of Eternity but that I saw that almost every one that did with any seriousness look after such matters were scorned laughed at c. When I had had got into the company of those that were godly and I had half a mind to go with them to Heaven then my friends fell a jeering of me and ask'd me whether I meaned to be mad to undo my self to turn Puritane and Phanatick Do you I say believe that such a plea will stop the mouth of the Judge and keep him from pronouncing the sentence against you will this hold the hands of Justice will the thoughts of this quench or cool these dreadful flames Be better advised O be better advised for your souls sake and consider how such creatures will befool themselves Who would upon such a trifle part with Heaven that would be laughed out of Glory and jeered into Hell Is your mind yet altered have you any thoughts or resolutions to look after your soul and acquaintance with God Are there none of you all that ask by this time what shall I do to be acquainted with God are there none of you that begin to think that it is high time
in that Ordinance doth afford some of his sometimes I have heard another dear Brother say that for some years together he scarce ever failed of some notable Token of Love at that great Ordinance But I would not instead of comforting and incouraging the poor Saint bring him into greater fears and dispondings Judge not therefore that this is the portion of all Gods Children nor of any at all times to have such large Discoveries as these Heaven is reserved for Heaven some have a single Messe some a double some five times more than their Brethren let all be thankful if the great Joseph instead of a Prison give a Feast and in it make himself known to us to be our brother let 's love him and admire his condescention and be ready to wonder that he doth so much for us rather than repine that he doth more for others If thou hast some drawings and longings and mournings after Christ and a deep sence of thy hardness unbelief and worldliness be thankful it may be this is more wholsome entertainment and fitter for the present Temper and Constitution of thy Soul than those Flagons of Wine perhaps they would fly up into thy head and make thee giddy proud and wanton if thou be but well wrought poor and hungry thou wilt be thankful for a little and a Crumb that falls from the Table to an humble Soul is better Intertainment then it knows it deserves or could without a Miracle of Kindness have expected mistake me not as if I would have Christians sit down satisfied with little or no comfort at that Ordinance no t is quite another designe that I am carrying on t is only a hint to quell Ingratitude my great work at present is to quicken diligence in Preparation and to raise the Saints Valuation of that Ordinance and his Expectations from Christ in it I say again Christ usually proportions his Intertainment to the diligent faithful humble preparations of the Soul to meet him they that trim their Lamps and have Oyl in them are most like to meet that Bridegroom with Joy he that hath on the Wedding Garment can't miss of a Welcom and the good and faithful Servant is most likely to have the Masters commendation and to enter into his Joy But more or less every sincere Soul at one time or another will meet with Refreshment at that Supper and amongst all the rare Dishes that are served up no question but some will be sutable if not all to a hungry Spiritual Stomach I can scarce leave this sweet Subject the time draws nigh and the Servants are sent out to invite and thou O my Soul art one of the Guest that art bidden Hark methinks I hear a Royal Proclamation Whosoever is a thirst let him come and drink of the Waters of Life freely Methinks the silver Trumpet of the Gospel and Divine Love sounds a Jubile Methinks the Air ecchoes with a strange Harmony somewhat like that Luke 2.14 Glory to God in the highest and on Earth Peace Good will towards men Don't the very Heavens ring with these Blessed Words A Saviour a Saviour a mighty Redeemer a Pardon a Pardon Liberty Liberty a glorious Liberty and again the Congregations of the Saints and Redeemed ones cry Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah I had thought to have done but the Feast is so sweet I must fall on again Here no Surfeiting the more I feed the more hungry and yet the more satisfied the more delighted Here 's nothing but Fulness Swectness and Love may be written upon every Dish and Royal noble everlasting Bounty may be proclaimed before every Course All the dismal Bonds are thrown in Cancelled all our Debts forgiven and paid the great Surety shews the Acquittance long since granted in the Court of Heaven now it s given in to the Court of Conscience The bloody War is concluded by a happy and firm Peace God is no longer a Judge an Enemy but now the Soul hears such words Friend Father Husband The Challenges of Law Conscience and Sathan are now silenced the Inditements against the Soul are all quashed the Soul may walk now at liberty and fear no Arrest who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect its Christ that justifies who can condemn Christ saith it swears it seals it it cannot but be true why art thou then cast down poor Soul and why art thou disquieted Christ hath made a blessed exchange with thee he hath drank the bitter Cup and offers thee the sweet which is spiced with Grace and Love Christ both purchased the Crown for thee and taken the Cross to himself he took the Rags and gives thee the Robes he became Poor that thou mayst become Rich he emptied himself that thou mayest be filled he was esteemed as nothing that thou mightest from worse than nothing possess all things and what now remains but that with the greatest Gratitude you accept of Christ's offer whensoever he invites thee to his Table what doth better become thee then the deepest resentment of the highest kindness and a grateful closure with all the overtures of Divine Goodness O happy are the people that are admitted to this Intimacy happy are the Souls that know the worth the use of this Ordinance and make it their business wisely to improve it O what an opportunity have such of Christ here what Request may they not then have granted and when Christ is giving what will he what can he deny them which have his heart already I have been the more large in this because it was the particular request of one of my Brethren a Reverend Minister that in the next Edition I would not forget that Ordinance in which God usually doth most signally discover his Love to his people III. DIRECTION If you would get acquainted with God get Christ along with you when you go to God You are like to speed no way so soon as this way nay let me say all that I have said before signifies nothing at all without this There is no Name under Heaven by which we can be saved but by the Name of Christ and whosoever comes to the Father by him he will in no wise cast out God can't deny his own Son any thing he can never forget that great undertaking of his by which he glorified his Fathers infinite Justice and infinite Love and did him more honour than all the Saints and Angels in the world His Son the Lord Christ hath such an interest in his Father that he can as soon despise his own honour as to refuse any request that is presented to him by his Son If Christ come to him and say Father here is a poor sinner that I have undertaken for and that flew to me for refuge Look upon him for my sake why the Fathers Arms are presently open he will not reject his Sons Petitions The truth of it is this is the greatest cause of the miscarriage of poor Creatures that go about to do that
themselves and by themselves which they can never do alone They go to God all alone and no Wonder then they meet with a frown for there is no Name under Heaven by which a man can be saved but by the Name of Christ and out of Christ God is a consuming fire there is but one Mediator the man Christ Jesus And there is but one Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous That which Joseph said of Benjamin God saith of Christ except you bring Benjamin along with you you shall not see my Face except you bring Christ along with you you shall not see my Face There is a notable story which is commonly by Divines applied to our present purpose and that not without good reason it is concerning a Law among the Molossians where whosoever came to the King with his Son in his Arms should be accepted into favour let his fault be what it will So let a man be what he will before yet if ye come to God in Christ he can't be thrust away O therefore if thou wouldest have any countenance from God beg for a Christ to bear thee company into the presence of God I will tell you this for your comfort Christ hath a loving design in his heart to do such offices of kindness for poor Malefactors that understand something of their danger If you see your self lost for want of reconciliation with God Christ he stands ready to lead you into his Fathers house O did you but know how willing he is to bring undone lost Penitents to God it would make your heart leap within you for joy Behold how oft he asks after you what doth that sinner mean to ruine himself I would with all my heart bring him out of all those perplexities and undertake to make God and him Friends if he would be but ruled by me and upon this account he sends up and down many hundreds of his Ministers to tell sinners as much that they may not be undone everlastingly Doth not Wisdom call doth not Christ plead the Case and expostulate with sinners and who would not that hath any understanding at all of his state out of Christ with all possible thankfulness be encouraged to accept of his kindness Christ hath done as much as this comes to already for many Millions and his Father never said to him Son why do you trouble your self and me with so many of these wretched Creatures let them alone to take their course Where did God ever express himself in this manner did he ever take it unkindly that his Son should every day bring such Guests to his house and be continually begging one Boon or other for them or putting up some Petitions upon their account or pleading with his Father for them when they do offend Is God displeased at such work as this is he not as willing to receive such as his Son is to bring them and both Father and Son more willing to save the sinner than he is to be saved O kindness Christ loves the sinner better than he loves himself and as I said before so I say again the Father doth not grutch any thing that Christ gives or doth for poor sinners The Righteousness of Christ it is that Wedding Garment in which we may sit at the Kings Table and are welcome these are the Robes of our elder Brother in which we can't miss of our Fathers Blessing O how many poor Creatures have walked in the dark many years because they have not been brought off from themselves but have sought that by themselves which is to be sought only by Christ because they have looked for that in the Law which is to be found only in the Gospel and no wonder their business went on so slowly when they went the quite contrary way to work When any comes to God without Christ they come like Simon Magus with their own money in their hand to buy a great Commodity which is not to be purchased with such kind of Coyn. If you come to God through Christ you may come with boldness to the Throne of Grace but if you come without him you do but come with Madness upon the point of the flaming Sword V. DIRECTION If you would be acquainted with God come much where he is wont to be frequent his house lye always at the Doors of Wisdom engage much in his Ordinances This was that course that David took when he wanted Gods company away he goes to the house of God and O what earnestness doth he use when the doors of the Lords Tabernacle were shut to get them open again what moan doth he make when he was for some time sequestred by his enemies from the enjoyment of God in his publick Ordinances As the Hart pants after the water-brooks so did his soul pant after God the living God O when should he appear before him when should he again behold the out-goings of God in his Sanctury as sometimes he had How amiable are thy tabernacles saith he O Lord God of Hosts And one thing have I desired and that will I seek after that I may dwell in thy house and see thee and enquire in thy tabernacle Psal 42. Psal 48. Psal 27.4 He thought God was like to be found no where so soon as at his own house he was sure he was never from home David can never forget what usage and entertainment he was wont to have there and that this great Friend was used to have a standing Table an open House and that when his Guests were set he would come and bid them welcome eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved See therefore that you get into that part of Gods house where he doth most frequently come get under the most powerful Ministery O hear the Word with all the Reverence Attention and affection that you can for your soul miss not any opportunities that God puts into your hand least that should be the time in which you might have met with God Lye at the pool of Bethesda and wait for the moving of the Waters set your selves as in the house of God and remember though you see not God that he is always present in all places but he is there more especially present where his people meet together to attend upon him in his own Ordinances Wherefore when you come to hear the Word set your self as in the presence of God and hear as for your life and soul Deut. 32.46 Set your hearts to all the words that you shall hear for it is not a vain thing it is your life Isa 55 2 3. Hearken diligently unto me and cat ye that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatness Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David He that hath ears to hear let him hear what the mighty Jehovah is speaking to his soul Wherefore I
Souls God is their witness they see that your condition requires it that a man in your state is not to be jested with The Lord knows that they take little pleasure in grieving of people they do it that you may rejoyce for ever they watch for your Souls and therefore you must account them worthy of double Honour But of all the Messengers that God sends have the greatest care of dealing unkindly with and grieving his spirit when you have any motions upon your Soul by the Spirit labour to cherish them with all the care and tenderness that you can Turn not Convictions away with I am not at leisure or I will hear you of these things when I have a more convenient season but as soon as you find your heart begin to relent cry out unto the Lord and say O Lord I beseech thee carry on thy work effectually upon my Soul O that I may have through work O let not these convictions wear off from my Soul till they end in a real Conversion O let me not prove but a Half-Christian Any thing in the world Lord so that I may but be made a Christian in good earnest O let me not return with the Dog to his Vomit and with the Sow that is washed to her Wallowing in the Mire Deliver me O God from sinning away these things and getting into a cold World and from shaking off all least I prove worse than eyer and my latter end be more miserable than my beginning Labour to be very curious in the taking notice of Gods absence or presence and when you find your Soul raised in any duty and your Heart somewhat drawn out after God then be sure to own Gods goodness and bless the Lord for it Record his kindness forget not his mercy pass not over such great things in silence Little do men think what a hazard they run when they quench the Motions of God's Spirit You may read in the 5. Cant. how dearly the Spouse had like to have paid for such an unkindness What shall God send his spirit to visit you Shall the infinite Majesty so far condesend as to knock at your Door and will not you open why then you may thank your selves if he never knock more But if you will now open to him he will come into you and sup with you and you shall sup with him VIII DIRECTION Seek his Acquaintance most earnestly if you would have it O why do men and women jest with matters of the greatest weight and importance in the world What do people mean to play with their Souls the wrath of God and damnation O sinners have you nothing else to play with No lower matters to sport with Believe it Sirs Heaven and Glory are not got with sitting still with our Hands in our pockets We think it worth the while to rise early and to sit up late to get an earthly Estate we count it no foolish thing for a man to be very diligent about his Worldly Affairs The poor Country-man Plows and Sows Harrows Weeds Reaps Inns Thresheth and a great deal more before he can eat his bread and shall we look for a rich crop and do nothing at all but eat and drink and sleep Is this the way to be rich is this the way to be happy for ever If you intend to do any thing in Religion to any purpose you must buckle to your business at anothergess rate than most of the Professors of the World do We must take as much pains about our Souls as men do about their Bodies or Estates Is there any comparison between the Soul and the Body between a Worldly Estate and an Heavenly Inheritance Hath a man more reason to look after tricking up his body that must Die or look after the adorning adorning of his soul that must live somewhere for ever Which are matters of the greatest consequence eating and drinking and pampering the flesh and taking our pleasure or looking after Life Salvation and Eternal Joy Do you think that the Scripture faith in vain That we must strive to enter in at the strait Gate Is it a bare seeking that will serve the turn Will a Lord have mercy upon me and bowing the knee do as well as the greatest seriousness and diligence in the World Do you think that God will be put off with the skin and garbage instead of sacrifice with the shell instead of the kernel with chaff instead of the corn Doth not Christ say That many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able O why do not lazy Professors read the Scriptures with trembling Let all those that are angry with us for putting them upon making religion their business and using all diligence to make their calling and election sure Read that one Scripture over again Luk. 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait Gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able c. It was Christ who spoke that word If we tell you of the danger of a formal Religion you will soon fall upon us as Enemies to your peace and those which impose too much strictness upon you We therefore do here produce our Commission for what we say or rather we desire you but to read your selves what Christ spoke as touching this matter O it might justly make a Christians heart to ake to think how many thousands of Professors will be disowned by Christ in that day who will make many fair pleas for themselves and pretend a great deal of acquaintance with him Consider I beseech you here is no fear of Excess never any man in the World that was too solicitous about his Salvation never any man took too much pains for Heaven Awake O sleeper what meanest thou arise and call upon thy God If you make any thing of the loss of a Soul look about you if you think the wrath to come considerable be serious if you would not be burnt by the fire of his Indignation you must take hold of his strength and make peace with him and God will be at peace with you Isa 27.5 It is not without cause that the Prophet doth complain Isa 64.7 There is none that calls upon thy Name that stirs up himself to take hold on thee There is none that calls upon Gods Name One would think that that were strange What none call upon his Name when so many of them made many Prayers as you have it in the first of Isaiah What did they nothing but look upon one another when they had their Solemn Assemblies Did they say nothing to God when they came before him Did they do nothing at all in that 58. of Isaiah when they are said to seek him daily when they seemed to delight in his way Yet in Gods esteem all this goes for nothing at all this prayer is no prayer this is only wording of it with God But prayer it is another kind of thing it is the
begin their life after they have been many years dead though we sit and condemn others as guilty of great imprudence in these affairs yet how do we at the same time justifie them by being as profusely expensive of precious time as they O where 's the man almost to be found that doth improve time to as good advantage as he should Among other Symptomes of a fool this is none of the least To be always beginning to live What an unhandsome sight is it to see an old man learning his Letters O remember man thou hast a great work to do O remember thy precious time runs away with an unspeakable swiftness What do you mean to sit with your hands in your bosoms Look about thee O sinner 't is not time a day for you to be sleeping or playing Methinks a man in your condition should be up and doing with all the diligence that you could for your soul labouring to make your calling and election sure methinks we should hear you asking what you shall do to get a Pardon for your sins get God reconciled to you Methinks you should be enquiring what you should do to redeem your time to spend every moment of it so to the best advantage as that you may appear chearfully before your Master at night That I may inforce this weighty Direction I shall propound a few serious Questions to you Quest 1. Do you think that these things are necessary or are they not If they be necessary why do you not mind them speedily If they be not necessary do not look after them at all Quest 2. Do you expect to be in a better capacity to look after these things hereafter do you hope for more strength when you are worn out with sin and age when your back begins to bend and your joynts to shake Do you think you shall be more at leisure when your work will be much increased Know this that sin grows upon you daily it preys upon your Vitals He that is not fit to day will be less fit to morrow As for leisure I must confess you may have leisure enough in another World to think of these things But I wish you well to consider whether it be great wisdom to repent in this world or in another I would be loath to be repenting in another it 's sad weeping indeed there where tears shall never be dried up I have told you oft that God faith to day and it is both wickedly and foolishly done of man to say to morrow I must tell you but so that it is a dreadful hazard that every delaying Sinner doth run It is a question whether God may not deny his Grace stop the Preachers mouth stop his ears and stop your breath And where are you then with your to morrow delays in these affairs always cost dear they have cost many thousands dear already and if you make no more hast than you have done they will cost you dear too Quest 3. When would you get acquainted with God When he hath shut up his door When would you run this race When you have lost your legs or can but creep with Crutches Is that the best time to do your work in when it is next to impossible to do it Quest 4. Who deserves best at your hands the Devil the World and the Flesh or God Resolve me this I pray Whom do you call your Master Whom have you most reason to make hast for Quest 5. How would you take it if any of them which depend upon you should serve you as you serve God Quest 6. Do you think you can make too much hast Who is afraid of being Rich too soon Although a man may with reason good enough be afraid of that which may make his happiness far more uncertain and his miseries more intollerable Who fears to make too much hast when his Prince sends for him with speed O that men did but know who it is that calls them and whether they are going and what they have to do when they come to their journies end Quest 7. Are you sure you shall live till you are an hour older You are strong and healthful it may be but did you never hear that such have with a very little warning Have you never known a man well one hour and dead the next If you have not I tell you of one now that was very well one moment and dead the next my self being an eye-witness of it It 's possible there may be but one small moment between a strong working healthful man and a breathless Corps Quest 8. What do you think will become of you I ask again if you put off till it be too late Quest 9. What would you do if you were sure you should dye or the day of Judgment come before you were a week older Quest 10. Do you think to get acquainted with God in another world when you do not mind him here Will God think you own them hereafter that disown him here Will he know them in Heaven who would not know him upon the Earth XI DIRECTION If you would be acquainted with God take heed of those things which keep God and man at a distance and make the Lord take no pleasure in us In general take heed of all sin Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do good seek judgement relieve the oppressed judge the Fatherless and plead the cause of the Widow Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord. Isa 1.17 18. You must wash your hands in Innocency if you intend to compass his Altar to sit down it his Table In Psal 101. David is exceeding desirous of Gods company and he cries out O when wilt thou come unto me he thinks long to have a visit from his old friend he would gladly walk with him Now what course doth he take to get Gods company Why he goes the best way to work in the world He will set no wicked thing before his eyes He knows it is to no purpose for him to expect much of Gods company while he doth entertain his greatest enemies therefore he turns them out of doors I hate saith he the works of them that turn aside it shall not cleave to me And that God may dwell with him and make his house as well as his heart a Temple for himself he will not suffer a wicked person to live in it he will have none in his Family but such as shall be ready to serve God and bid this his great Friend welcome But more particular if you would have much of Gods company and be intimately acquainted with him take heed more especially of those particular sins which make God most to estrange himself from As First Take heed of Pride That was the sin which made the first breach between the Creature and the Creator the sin that sunk the Angels that made God and them
who were very good Friends once to be bitter enemies this hath made the breach infinite the feud everlasting the wound incurable And this made the first Quarrel between God and man When man thinks himself too good to be but a man he must be a God he quickly is too had to be a man he is but one remove from the Devil To be a favourite of his Prince is not enough except he may step into the Throne it 's therefore high time for his Prince to remove such from his presence to a Prison from the Court to a Dungeon It was Pride that cast Adam out of Paradise and do you think that that sin is less hateful to God and less dangerous to man than it was five thousand years ago Did it then spend all it's poyson And can it now do no harm Do you believe that God will take that into his bosome now that formerly he abhorred to look upon Now sin hath increased it's strength and deformity and heightened it's enmity against the infinite Majesty of the holy Jehovah shall his hatred against it decrease will he be more willing to accompany proud aspiring Rebells now than then no such matter God is still as holy as ever and hates all sin especially pride as much as ever Do you think that it is for nothing that the word of God speaks so much against this sin Can it be that the Holy-ghost would say Prov. 11. That every one that is proud is an abomination to the Lord except God did indeed hate them Why should God threaten such so much if he took any pleasure in their Society though hand joyn in hand yet the proud shall not go unpunished Now we call the proud happy but shall we call him so when the day of the Lord shall burn as fire and all the proud shall be as stubble And the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord and it shall leave them neither root nor branch When the Lord shall tread down the wicked and they shall be like Ashes under his feet Mal. 3.15 4.1 3. There is not one proud man in Heaven I am sure Nor a proud man upon the Earth that shall have much of Gods acquaintance And let me say he that sets himself above God for that 's the Pride I mean whilest he stands in that state must never expect that God should look upon him with any kindness Heaven and Hell will as soon be agreed as God and such a one shall be united The proud now overlook others that are their betters and scorn their Maker but shortly they shall be paid in their own coyn they shall be scorned too If all the proud Nimrods Pharaohs and Belshazzars in the world should enter into a League and combine against the Almighty and say they will cast away his Cords from them and that they will never debase their noble Spirits so low as to stoop to his commands yet none of them all shall go unpunished They shall be like stubble before the devouring flames and like Chasse before a mighty whirlwind God is not afraid of their big looks Prov. 21.4 Prov. 6.17 Prov. 15.25 Isa 2.12 Luke 1.51 Jam. 4.6 God will cloath himself with vengeance and the mighty Jehovah will gird his weapon upon his thigh and march out in fury and Indignation and draw his glittering Sword and resist the proud and teach them what it is to bid defiance to the Lord of Host We shall soon see who shall be uppermost God or they And when the proud sinner lies conquered at his feet how doth he with infinite scorn look upon him and say behold the man is become like one of us This 't is for man to attempt the dethroning of the Almighty But it may be most may think themselves little concerned in that which I now speak wherefore I must add this one word Be it known unto thee O man whosoever thou art that think'st thou hast no pride I am sure thou art one of those that are in that black Roll which have proclaimed War against Heaven thou art the man that shall never be acquainted with God whilst thou art in that mind It may be thou maist speak Peace to thy self for all this and flatter thy self as if God and you were Friends but let me tell thee I come with heavy tydings in my mouth to thee If thou turn not he will whet his Sword he hath bent his Bow and made it ready he hath prepared for thee the Instruments of death the day of thy Calamity is near The dreadful Jehovah is upon his march and if you ask me whether there be not Peace for thee I answer as Jehu did to Jchoram what peace O haughty sinner so long as the pride of thy heart is so great and thy Rebellions against thy Maker so many There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Wherefore as you value your Soul as you tender your everlasting Salvation and desire to be owned by the Lord in the day of your distress take heed of pride Go quickly and humble your self and make sure your Friend labour to pull down every high Thought and every proud Imagination and let your Arrogant Spirit how before the mighty God there is no way will do but this as ye have already heard You must set the Crown upon the Lords head you must lay your selves at his feet and lick the very dust Your betters have done so before you and have thought it their honor to lye at the feet of Christ this they look'd upon as with good reason too as the first step to preferment If therefore you would be acquainted with God take heed of pride Secondly Take heed of a worldly mind What concord is there between Earth and Heaven What agreement between God and the World What delight can his Holiness take in him who had rather be wallowing in the Mud and treading of Clay then bathing himself in Divine contemplation that thinks it higher preferment to sit by his bags of Gold then to stand in the presence of his God a greater happiness to be rich than to be holy that had much rather be in a Fair Marker or Exchange getting money than with his God getting Pardon Grace and Heaven How pregnant is the Scripture of proofs for the evidencing of this truth to name one or two of a hundred Rom. 8.7 To be carnally minded is enmity against God For it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can it be What do you say to this Scripture Those which walk with God live in the world and yet they live above the world they all look for a City that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God It was not for nothing that the Apostle John layes so strict a charge upon those which he wrote to That they should not love the world nor the things of the world For if any love the world the love fo the Father is not