Barabbas But oh what a hellish word is that Away with spotless Christ away with transcendent Christ and give us the world Now are there any here who will be so gross slighters of this great salvatio Will ye slight this great salvation and embrace your idols which shal once prove a crown of thorns unto you 4. There will be some of Felix humor found here to day that will say O Christ go away at this time and I will hear thee at a more convenient season But I say unto you who will not hear me to day nor embrance this great salvation I shal defy all the Ministers in Scotland to assure you that ye shal get another offer if ye send me away to day There is not one that can or dare engage that the great salvation shal be in your offer any more Therefore I say let none of Felix temper be here to day that will say They will hear Christ at a more convenient season 5. There wil be some of Balaams temper to day who will desire to die the death of the righteous and to have their last end like his yet they desire not to live the lise of the righteous But I say unto you ye shal never die the death of the righteous if ye live not the life of the righteous 5. There will be some of you here to day who I hope at least will be of Agrippas humor that will say Thou hast almost perswaded me to be a Christian I say unto thee O wilt thou quickly out with that word almost and put in that word altogether and say O precious Christ thou hast altogether perswaded me to be a Christian However if thou come no greater length I intreat thee come this length that so thou mayest cry out I am almost perswaded to embrace Christ the great Salvation and may be ere long ye will come further 7. There will be some of Judas temper here to day who will betray Christ for thirty pieces of silver yea some would sell Christ heaven their idols and all for less then thirty pieces of silver 8. I think there will be many of Esaus profine temper here to day who will sell their birth-â—ight for a mess of pottage Now will ye enquire at your selves Am I the person that will give my birth right for a mess of pottage Doth mine heart say I will sell my birth-right because I am hungred and ready to die What will it profit me give me a moss of pottage and I will quite my birth-right I know there are not a few such here to day therefore I intreat you enquire at your selves what is your humor Oh! shal the great Salvation that ye have slighted so long 〈◊〉 slighted this day also And shal there be none to embrace it Oh! enquire and stand in aw lest the wrath of the most High pursue you Now I shal give you these seven considerations which may provoke you not to slight but â—mbrace this great Salvation 1. The first consideration that the not embracing this great salvation is one of the greatest acts of folly that can be Jer. 8.9 They have rejected the word of the Lord and immeditatly it is subjoyned And what wisdom is in them And so Solomon doth assure you they cannot be wise who neglect this great Salvation Prov. 1.7 Fools despise wisdom and instruction Therefore may I not say unto you be ye who ye will though ye were the greatest heads of wit in all this place ye are but stark fools as long as ye neglect this But would you be wise indeed and wise unto eternal life Then I intreat you come and embrace this great Salvation 2. The second consideration to provoke you not to slight the great salvation is this that the ruine and destruction of the slighters of it is most certain and infallible Jer. 11.11 where speaking of slighting the covenant which is indeed the same great salvation there is a therefore put to the threatning Therefore thus saith the Lord I will bring evil upon them which they shal not he able to escape I defy you all who are the slighters of this great Salvation to find a back-door when Justice shal pursue you for there is no door to escape if ye embrace not this great Salvations but the earth will disclose your iniquity and heaven will declare your sin 3. Thirdly let this consideration provoke you not to slight this great Salvation that Christ is exceeding serious and earnest that ye should embrace it And I think that Isai 28.23 speaketh out his exceeding seriousness where soâ—… times he beggeth of his hearers that they would give ear and hear his voice saying Give ear and hear my voice hearken and hear my speech What needeth all these exhortations but that Christ is most serious that they would embrace the great Salvation And O that there were a person here to day as serious to the bargain as Christ is But be who ye will that slight this great Salvation believe me the day is coming wherein ye shal cry out Alace for my slighting of it Wilt thou therefore think presently with thy self O thou slighter of this great Salvation What wilt thou say of thy slighting it When the devil shal be leading thee in thorow these dark gates of hell O slighter of the Gospel how many alaces wilt thou cry when thou shalt be passing thorow these dark gates into thy everlasting prison Wilt thou not then cry out O me a slighter of the everlasting Salvation whether am I now going Alace now for my slighting of the Gospel And as thou passest thorow thou shalt meet with numbers of miserable comforters There is not one in that prison who can comfort thee but many dreadful alaces shalt thou then both cry and hear if thou embrace not this great Salvation 4. Fourthly let this provoke you not to slight the great Salvation that ye will get it for a very look O ye within this house to day ye will get this great Salvation for one look Isai 45.22 Look unto me and be saved all the ends of the earth For a very look ye will get this great Salvation and do ye ever think to get heaven at a lower rate 5. The fifth consideration to provoke you not to slight this great salvation any more is this There is not one of you who is a slighter of is but your slighting it shal increase your immortal bonds Man or woman be who thou wilt when thou art slighting this great Salvation thou art but platting a cord wherewith to bind thy soul eternally in these unquenchable flames Isai 28.22 Be ye not mockers lest your bonds be made strong I say therefore unto you old men mock not lest your bonds be made strong Old women near unto your graves mock not lest your bonds be made strong Young men be ye not mockers lest your bonds be made strong Young women who are in the flower of your time mock not lest your bonds
Christ should tell this in Heaven of you to night I was preached to a pack of stones that none of them would love me Will ye not be feared that this report shall be carried back to Heaven of you For what report can Christ carry back but this Now is the cord of this great salvation let down unto you is there none of you that will take a grip of it Will ye flighter after it Will ye make this a rejoycing day in Heaven that is a fasting day unto you and the way to make it so is to embrace the great salvation Now what say ye to it old men Let me speak to you and ask your thoughts of the great salvation Gray hairs should be a crown of glory if it be found in the way of righteousness Old men speak your minds that young men may not have your bad examples What say ye of this salvation Is it not a most glorious salvation Is it not a most excellent salvation that is in your offer I intreat you speak your minds tell Christ ye are content to take the great salvation otherwise whoever he be that will not partake of this Gospel-Salvation I in the Name and authority of Christ our Master denounce eternal and irrevocable war against him Put on your harness ye shal not boast when ye put it off again The wrath and fury of God shal come upon you to the uttermost if ye embrace not this great salvation Other wars are but for a time the greatest Captains that ever the earth did carry are now laid down in the sides of the pit and their swords broken under their head Armies of ten hundred thousand an hundred years time have laid them all in their graves and ended all their contests but there is no discharge of this war that shal be concluded betwixt Christ and you It shal become an eternal and most terrible war which shal be but beginning when time is ended Now peace or war which of them will ye choose Dare ye send a charge to Christ and say Ye will defie him I am afraid there will be two things that many of us will report to day First I am afraid there be many that will give Pharaohs report to the offer of the great salvation and say Who is the Lord that I should obey him I tell you who he is He is glorious in holiness fearfull in praises doing wonders O embrace him before he go hence and give not Pharaohs report lest ye be drowned in the sea of his wrath whence there shall be no recovery Secondly I fear there will be many here to day that will give Demas report to his precious offer I will go and forsake Christ and embrace this present World O bad exchange Cursed be he that shall make it will ye be of Demas humor I fear there hath been many of that humor of a long time but I intreat you once be wise before you dye I confess that Proverb Old fools are twice fools I think old men that will not embrace the great salvation I think ye are triple fools What wait ye for Is there any thing can afford you any satisfaction but this great salvation Now are ye convinced old men that Christ is waiting for your answer I intreat you before ye go hence speak your minds what ye think of the great Salvation Is it not a lovely Salvation Is it not lovely now What say ye to it I am to go away and the offer is to be taken up at this time and it is hard to say if ever ye shal have an offer again I would only say this to you and be sure of it though I should never be a partaker of this great salvation yet I shal be a witness against you that are not partakers of it I tell and declare unto you I shal be a witness against 〈◊〉 if ye embrace not the great Salvation Now old men are ye perswaded to embrace it Let me obtest you by the beauty of Christ come and partake of the great salvation ye that are travalling upon the borders of eternity Now if ye will give no more give this will ye go home and think upon it I shall not be uncharitable nor enter to judge your thoughts I fear there shal be many declared and found guilty amongst us tâ—… we have declared unto Heaven we will not câ—…brace the great Salvation but have troden tâ— blood of the Son of God under foot Now I iâ— treat you every one of you ask of your selves ye be the persons that will presume in your heaâ—… to do so Now I shal leave it with you let it bâ— witness against you I shal leave it with this 〈◊〉 come away old men young men old women aâ—… maids come and embrace this precious Gospeâ— Salvation Ye may say ye bid us come but wâ— cannot come I desire no more of you but wâ— come with this Lord I am content to come but cannot come Come once to that for if once 〈◊〉 be content to receive it it will not be long before ye be able to receive it Now shal Christ dâ— part and will none of you say ye are content 〈◊〉 take him Will ye charge your own consciencâ— with this am I content to take Christ and thâ— great Salvation O blest blest blest be he that 〈◊〉 the Author of this great Salvation and blest bâ— he that gets any of the ends of the cord of thâ— great Salvation that we sink not under the wraâ—… and fury of the Lord Come and embrace thâ— great Salvation and again I say come and 〈◊〉 brace it for what can ye have if ye want it And what can you want if you have it I shâ—… say no more but close with that word Isai 6â— verse 21. Behold the Lord hath proclaimed to 〈◊〉 ends of the World to those that are far off Wâ—… hath he proclaimed Say ye to the daughter Sion Behold thy salvation cometh behold it comâ—… I say to you that are the ends of the World Salvaâ—ion is brought near to you Stout-hearted and â—ar from righteousness the great Salvation is â—rought near unto you and will ye send it away Oh! consider what ye are doing And to him â—hat can perswade you to embrace the great Salvation we desire to give praise A SERMON Concerning DEATH Psal 86.48 What man is he that liveth and shall not see death c. IT is very hard to determine where all that are here shall be within thirty years for even â—ere that time come many if not all of us who are here shal have taken up our eternal â—odging And whether we shall take it up in the â—eternity of joy or the eternity of pain is also â—hard to determine Only this one thing I am sure of that all of us shal shortly be gone And â—ere long the shadows of death shall be fitting upon â—ur eye-lids and our eye strings shal begin to â—reak Therefore I would the more seriously
and is crying out that word in Isai 65.1 Behold me behold me O may we not summon Angels and those twenty four elders about the Throne to help us to wonder that ever such a command as this came forth that we should believe on the name of the Son of God after that we had broken that first and Primitive command That we should not eat of the forbidden tree VVas not this indeed to make mercy rejoice over judgement And O may we not wonder at the precious oath of the everlasting Covenant whereâ—…y he hath sworn that he delighteth not in the death of sinners What suppose ye were poor Adams thoughts when at first the doctrine of free-grace and of a crucified Christ Jesus a Savior was preached unto him in Paradise What a divine surprisal was this that Heaven should have preached peace to earth after that earth had proclaimed war against Heaven Was not this a low step of condescendency to behold an offended God preaching peace and good-will to a guilty sinner What could self-destroying AdaÌ„ think of these morning first discoveries of this everlasting Covenant Christ as it were in the morning of time giving vent to that infinite love which was resting in his bosome precious heart before the foundatioÌ„ of the world was laid We know not whether the infiniteness of his love the eternity of his love or the freedom of it maketh up the greatest wonder but sure these three joyned together maketh up a matculess and everlasting wonder Would any of you ask that question what is Christ worth We could give 〈◊〉 answer so sutable as this It is above all the Arithmetick of all the Angels in Heaven and all the men on earth to calculate his worth all men here must be put to a divine non plus This was Jobs divinity Job 28.13 Man knoweth not the price of wisdom and must not Jesus Christ who is the precious object of faith and wisdom of the Faither be a supereminent excellent One who hath that name of King of Kings and Lord of Lords not only engraven on his vesture which pointeth out the conspicuousness of his Majesty but even also upon his thigh to point out that in all his goings motioâ—s he proveth himself to be higher than the Kings of the earth And howbeit the naked proposing of the object doth not convert yet if once our souls were admitted to behold such a sight as Christ in his beauty and Majesty and to be satisfied with the divine rayes of his transcendent glory then certainly we should find a blessed necessity laid upon us of closing with him for Christ hath a sword proceeding out of his precious mouth by which he doth subject subjugat his own to himself as well as he hath a sword girded upon his thigh by which he judgeth and maketh war with his enemies We confess it is not only hard but simply impossible to commit an hyperbole in commending of him his worth being always so far above our expressions our expressions alwayes so far beneath his worth therefore we may be put to propose that desire unto him Exalt thy self O Lord above the Heavens But now to our purpose being at this time to 〈…〉 discourse upon that radical and precious grace of Faith we intend to speak of it under this twofold notion consideration First we shal speak of it as it is justifying or as it doth lay hold upon the righteousness of a crucified Savior making application of the precious promises in the Covenant of free grace which we call justifying Faith And in the second place we shal speak a little unto Faith as it doth lay hold upon Christs strength for advancing the work of mortification and doth discover the personal excellencies of Jesus Christ by which we advance in the work of Holiness and divine conformity with God which we call sanctifying Faith However it is not to be supposed that these are different habits of Faith but different acts flowing from the same saving habit laying hold and exercising themselves upon Christ indifferent respects and for diverse ends Now to speak upon the first we have made choise of these words The Apostle John in the former verse had been pointing out the precious advantages of the grace of ObedieÌ„ce of keeping of his CoÌ„mands that such an one hath as it were an arbitrary power with God doth receive many precious returns of prayer As likewise that one who is exercised in the grace of Repentance is Gods delight which is included in this that he doth those things that are well pleasing in his sight And now in these words he doth as it were answer an objection that might be proposed about the impossibility of attaining these precious advantages seeing his commands were so large and that hardly could they be remembred This he doth sweetly answer by setting down in this one verse a short compend or breviary both of Law Gospel viz. That we should love one another which is the compend of the Law and that we should believe on the Name of his Son which is the compend of the Gospel by this he showeth the Christian that there are not many things required of him for attaining these excellent advantages but if he exercise himself in the obedience of these two comprehensive commandments he shall find favor both with God and man And as concerning this precious grace of Faith we have 1. The advantages of it implyed in the words clear also from the scope as no doubt all the coÌ„mands have infinite advantages infolded in their bosom which redouÌ„ds to a believer by his practising of them And 2. the excellency of it holden forth in the words in that it is called his command as if he had no other command but this And the Greek particle is here prefixed which hath a great deal of emphasis and force in it and this is his Commandment But 3. there is this also the absolute necessity of this grace holden forth here in this word his Commandment as if he had said by proposing of this command I do set life and death before you and that you would not conceive that it is an arbitrary indifferent thing for you to believe or not but be perswaded of this that as an infinite advantage may constrain you to the obedience of it so absolute necessity must perswade you to act that which is of your everlasting concernment And lastly ye have the precious object upon which Faith which is justifying doth exercise it self and that is upon the name of the Son of God and no doubt faith is that excellent grace which doth elevate the soul unto a sweet inseparable union with Christ and is that golden precious knot that doth eternally knit the hearts of these precious friends together Faith is that grace that draweth the first draughts of Christs precious image on our hearts by love doth accomplish and perfect them No Faith
upon one that is mighty and to make use of the righteousness of a crucified Savior that so what we want in our selves we may get it abundantly made up in him III. There is this likewise that obstructeth our closing with Christ our too much addictedness to the pleasures and carnal delights of a passing world which is clear from Luke 14.18.19.20.21.22 Mat. 22.5.6 where those that are invited to come to the feast of this Gospel they do make their Apologie and with one consent do refuse it some pretending on impossibility to come and some pretending aâ— unavoidable inconveniency in coming And O! what a ridiculous thing is that poor complement that those deluded sinners used to Christ I pray you have us excused And is not the world the great plea and argument that they make use of when they will not come and make use of Christ IV. There is this lastly which doth obstruct ones coming to Christ their unwillingness to be denied to their own righteousness which is clear from Rom. 10.23 we conceive if once these two were believed which are the great Tropicks out of which all these arguments may be brought to perswade you to imbrace Christ to wit the infinite excellency of his Person on whom we are to believe the infinite loss that those do sustain who shal be eternally rejected of him we might be preswaded to entertain a divine abstractedness holy retirement from all things that are here below and to pitch our desires alone upon him who is the everlasting wonder of Angels and the glory of the higher House O! did we once suppose the unspeakable happiness of those whose Faith is now advanced unto everlasting felicity fruition and hath entered into that eternal possession of the promises might not we be constrained to cry out It is good for us once to be there Christ weepeth to us in the Law but we do not lament he pipeth unto us in the Gospel but we do not dance he is willing to draw us with the cords of men and with the bonds of love and yet we will not have him to reign over us May not Angels laugh at our folly that we should so undervalue this Prince of love and should contemn him who is holden in so high esteem reverence in these two great assemblies that are above of Angels and of the souls of just men made perfect Christ hath now given us the first and second summons the day is approaching when the sad and woful summons shal be sent against us of departing from him into those everlasting flames out of which there is no redemption and this shal be the cap-stone of our misery that we had once life in our offer but did refuse it And though there were four gates standing open toward the North by which we might have entered into that everlasting rest yet we choosed rather to walk in the paths that lead down to death and take hold of the chambers of hell O! but there are many that think the Gospel cunningly devised sables and foolishness they being unwilling to believe that which sense cannot comprehend nor reason reach and this is the ground why the Gospel is not embraced but is rejected as an humane invention and as a morning dream c. SERMON II. JOHN 3.23 This is his Commandment that ye should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ c. THere are three great and cardinal mysteries in the unfolding of which all a Christians time ought to be spent First there is that precious and everlasting mystery of Christs love and condescendency which those intellectual Spirits the Angels are not able fully to comprehend Secondly there is that woful mistery of the desperate deceitfulness and wickedness of the heart which no man was ever yet able to fathom and comprehend And thirdly there is that precious mystery of that eternal felicity and blessedness that is purchased unto the Saints that once they shal reign with Christ not a thousand years only but throughout all the ages of everlasting endless eternity so that there is this difference betwixt this garden of everlasting delights that Christ hath purchased to the Saints and that first Paradise and Eden wherein man was placed There was a secret gate in the first thorow which a man that had once entered in must go out again But in the second and precious Eden there is no access in going out and all that is to be known of these three mysteries is much comprehended in this to know that they cannot fully be known Paul was a blessed proficient in the study of the first mystery and had almost attained to the highest class of knowledge and yet he is constrained to profess himself to be ignorant of this Hence is that word Ephes 3.19 That ye may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge And is it not a mysterious command to desire people to know that which cannot be known The meaning whereof we conceive to be this in part that Paul pressed this upon them that they should study to know that this mystery of Christs love could not be known Jeremiah was a blessed proficient in the knowledge and study of the second mystery he had some morning and twi-light discoveries of that and yet though in some meaâ—ure he had fathomed that deep yet he is constrained to cry out chap. 17. vers 9. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it And indeed that which Solomon saith of Kings Prov. 25.3 may well be said of all men in this respect The Heavens for height and the earth for depth and the heart of man are unsearchable The Apostle Paul also was a blessed proficient in the study of the third mystery having some morning and twi-light discoveries of that promised rest and was once caught up to the third heavens and yet when he is beginning to speak of it 1 Cor. 2.9 he declareth all men to be ignorant of the knowledge of this profound mystery of mans blessedness and cryeth out Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him And if there be any thing further to be known in these mysteries the grace of Faith is sound worthy amongst all the graces of the Spirit to open the seven seals of the great depths of God Is not the grace of Faith that whereby a Christian doth take up the invisible excellency and vertue of a dying Christ Is not Faith that precious grace by which a Christian must take up the spots and blemishes that are within himself And is not the grace of Faith that precious grace that placeth a Christian upon the top of mount Pisga and there letteth him see a sight of the promised Land and doth open a door in heaven thorow which a Christian is admitted to see Christ sitting upon his Throne And faith hath not only
would tell the worst company that one shal have in hell it is alwayes this ye shal go to that place where hypocrites and sinners are and so it would be of your concernment that by the candle of the Lord ye would search the inward part of the belly before ye go down to the grave with a lie in your right hand a deceiving heart having turned you aside We confess it is sad to consider those anxious disappointments that many in these days shal once meet with IV. But there is this last difference betwixt justifying Faith and temporary Faith that there are three precious effects of justifying Faith which a temporary believer cannot win to 1. To be denyed to all his enjoyments and attainments and to walk humbly under them for we may say that it is impossible for an hypocrite to be denyed to his enjoyments he maketh such a Deity of them and worships them or rather he worshippeth himself in them There are three great Graces that an hypocrite doth pursue after though he rather seeketh them as gifts then as Graces knowledge prayer and humility And though it be but little he can attain of any of the three or rather nothing in a saving way yet least of all can he attain to the last yea we may judge that there is always within his bosom a standing conviction that he could never win unto that gracious Grace of Humility O! could ye never win to this to count your own righteousness as filthy rags and to rejoyce alone in the righteousness of a crucified Savior I would press this upon you by the way O Christians of this generation forget your perfections and remember your imperfections have an holy oblivion of your attainments but have a divine remembrance of your short-comings look more to what is before unperfected then to what is behind and thus shal you evidence true justifying Faith 2. It is an effect of justifying Faith to be under some constant and divine impression of the preciousness of Jesus Christ according to that word 1 Pet. 27. To you who believe Christ is precious It is not said that Christ was precious or shal be precious but it is said he is precious which doth import as we use to speak a continued act Did ye never know what it was to dwell twenty four hours under the impression of the matchless excellency and precious worth of a crucified Savior I will pose you with this Are there not some here and else where that pass under the notion of Saints that never knew what it was to dwell half an hour under these high and elevating thoughts of the preciousness of Jesus Christ So that we profess we cannot tell whe◅er we shal call him precious or undervalued but we may conjoin these two together that he is a precious and yet undervalued Christ 3. By justifying Faith a Christian winneth to mortification of his invisible predominant lusts which is impossible for a temporary believer to win to And is there not a great difference betwixt an Idol when it is cast out and an Idol when it but goeth out I will tell you the great mortification of hypocrites the devil was living in them as one that was a black one and now he cometh again and transformeth himself into an Angel of light He was living in them before by his spirit of prophanity and now he liveth in them by the spirit of hypocrisy and counterfeiting of those things that were never clear attainments while it is the noble dignity of Faith Acts 15.9 to purifie the heart but are there not many here who never knew what it was to mortify one lust for Christ Can such a delusion overtake you O Atheists that ye shall reign with Christ if ye die not with him There is an opinion vented in these dayes that there may be repentance in heaven I think it would seem that the Christians of this age have much of that opinion we are so little in repentance while we are here below but know that Faith and Sanctification are two inseparable companions And let me tell you if you will know the compend of the precious exercise of Faith it is this Faith hath three great things that it perpetually contemplates and views 1. Faith looketh to the promise and there it doth rejoyce and rest upon it 2. Faith looketh to the duties that are commanded and there it cryeth out Here am I I will obey and hearken unto the voyce of the Word And 3. Faith looketh to the crown and there it doth exult and sweetly rejoyce in divine expectation And O what a sight is that to behold that everlasting Prince standing at the end of our race having a crown in his right hand with this Motto engraven on it He that persevereth to the end shal be saved And what a Faith suppose ye it shall be thought when we shall get on that immortal crown of blessedness What think ye is the exercise of those that are above O Heaven Heaven if we did know it would we not be in an holy extasie of desire till we were there And blessed be he eternally that hath purchased that precious felicitie to us Now we shal at this time shut up our discourse by speaking a little to those things in which a Christiā doth ordinarily meet with assurāce of this interest in God and is put to the divine actings of the Grace of Faith for there are some sealing times to a Christian I. The first time of the sealing is after the mortification of some predominat lust and Idol then they are admitted to read their names in the precious and ancient records of Heaven and to see in these books their unworthy names written by the hand of that everlasting Prince This is clear Rev. 2.17 To him that overcometh wil I give a white stone and in the stone a new name written that no man knows saving he that receiveth it And from that 2 Tim. 4.8 Believe me more mortification would make more believing but would ye know the original of misbelief It is the want of exercise of spiritual mortification of our lusts I know not where the most part of us intendeth to lodge at night but this is certain that we live with much contentment with our lusts and these predominat Idols that do so much possesse us II. It is secondly a sealing time to a Christian when he is admitted to the divine enjoyment of these satisfying delights that are to be found in Christ When was it that the Spouse cryed out so often My beloved is mine and I am his Was it not when she was brought to the banquetting and his banner over her was love Believe me more communion with an absent Christ would make more intimation in a divine manner of our peace with him We desire to bless those that are above the reach of all these disputings and questions that we are so much subject unto III. This is a sealing time to a
ladder that reacheth betwixt heaven and earth by the steps of which a Christian doth dayly go up to heaven and converse with the higher House Faith is that grace as the Apostle speaketh by which we have access to the Throne of his grace Faith ushers in the believer to the Throne and without it he can have no access there nor joy when he is there V. Here is this advantage that attendeth the exercise of Faith a believing Christian is a praying Christian according to that word in Mark 9.24 where these two are conjoined together Lord I believe and then he falleth to his prayer presently after that confession Help thou our unbelief And it is clear from Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul Christeth for thee And sometimes Faith is a most impatient grace but we may alwayes say of it that it is a most diligent grace Oh! is not the neglect of this precious exercise of Faith and of the duty of secret prayer that makes our leanâ—ness testifie to our face and maketh our souls as a barren wilderness I am perswaded of this that sinc0e Ch i st had any followers and since ever this everlasting Gospel was preached in Paradise the exercise of secret prayer was never so much neglected we have turned over all our prayers into complements with God We know not what it is to rise at mid-night and call upon God and to enquire after our Maker under the silent watches of the night O but it is a sweet diversion from sleep to retire our selves in the silent seasons of the night from all thoughts about worldly matters and to converse with that invisible Majesty IV. There is this sixth consideration to point out the advantage of Faith that Faith is that grace that doth facilitate a Christians obedience and maketh it most pleasant and easie this is clear from Heb. 11.8 By faith Abraham when he was commanded to go to a strange land obeyed and went out not knowing whether he went The word may be rendered he did chearfully obey And vers 17. By faith he offered up his only son Would ye know the reason why his commands are your burden And why his preceps are your cresses It is because of this ye do not believe And so it is most certain that it is impossible for a Christian to attain to a pleasant way of obedience without the exercise of faith Faith holdeth up the crown to a Christian and this crown maketh him to obey Faith gathereth strength from Christ and that strength maketh obedience very easie Faith taketh up the excellency of Christ and this maketh a Christian to look upon his duty more as his dignity then his duty And we are perswaded of this that our chariot-wheel should move more swiftly like the chariots of Aminadab if we were more in the exercise of the grace of Faith Would ye know an answer to that question what is first more requisite for a Christian while here below Faith And what secondly is most requisite Faith And what thirdly is most requisite for a Christian Even Faith Faith above all things and above all things Faith VII There is another advantage of it that by Faith our services and prayers are accepted of God Would ye know what is the prayer of a Christian that is not in Faith It is a smoak in his nostrils and a fire that burneth all the day The unbelivers sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord. This is clear from Heb. 11.4 By faith Abel offered up unto God a more acceptable sacrifice then Cain And we conceive that there are many unanswered prayers which we do put up because we want that noble exercise of Faith VIII And lastly we shal likewise add this that faith is the grace by which a Christian hath that pefect and immediate sight as is were of great things that are promised to him Faith bringeth a Christian within sight of Heaven and Faith bringeth a Christian within sight of God according to that word Heb. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seen And that noble Paradox that is said of Faith Heb. 11.27 By faith Moses saw him that is invisible Is it not an impossible thing to see that which cannot be seen But the meaning of it is this that Faiths discoveries of God are as certain and sure as the discoveries of our bodily eyes are Faith is an intelligent grace yea it is a most sure and infallible grace What will Faith not do And what can you do who want Faith Now to enforce the advantages and excellencies of Faith a little more we shal propose to you the disadvantages of that woful sin of unbelief 1. There is this disadvantage of the sin of unbelief that all the actions that proceed from an unbeliever they are impure and defiled according to that in Tit. 1.15 But unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled their prayer is unclean yea as Solomon speaketh their plowing in sin yea their going about the most excellent duties for matter is an abomination to God according to that word Rom. 14.23 What ever is not of faith is sin So the want of Faith is the great polluter of all our actions and of all our performances 2. There is this second disadvantage of misbelief that it is impossible for one in the exercise of unbelief to mortifie a lust or idol and we may allude unto those words in Matth. 17.20 when his Disciples came to him asked him this question Why could not we cast out this devil Thaâ— was given as an answer Because of your unbelief Unbelief is that which taketh up arms for out idols and doth most strongly defend them for there is nothing that will kill corruption so much as the exercise of Faith and when that is laid aside we have laid by our weapons and have in a manner concluded a treaty of peace with our idols that we shal not offend them if they do not offend us 3. There is this disadvantage that waiteth upon the sin of unbelief that such an one cannot win to attain to the grace of establishment but is alwayes as the waves of the sea tossed to and fro until once he win to the exercise of Faith as is clear from Isai 7.9 Except ye believe ye shal not be established 4. There is this disadvantage that waiteth on it is the mother of hardness and stupidity of heart according to that word in Mark 16.14 where he upbraideth them because of their unbelief and then that danger followeth to with hardness of heart this is clear also from Acts 19 9. where these two sister-devils are conjoined and locked together unbelief and hardness of heart because it is unblief indeed that hindereth all the graces by which the grace of Tenderness must be maintained 5. There is this disadvantage in the sin of unbelief that it is big with child of apostasie from
God and of defection from him according to that word Heb. 3.12 Beware lest their be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief and there the fruit of it to depart from the living God And certainly it is no wonder that unbelief travels in birth till that cursed child of apostasie be brought forth not only because of this that an unbeliever looseth the thought of the excellency of Christ but also because he increaseth in his thoughts of love towards his Idols for Christ doth decrease in those who misbesieve and their Idols do increase in their love and in their desires and in their estimation 6. There is this sixth disadvantage in the sin of unbelief it hindereth the communication of many single workings and tokens of the love and favor of the most High according to that sad word that is in Matth. 13.58 at the close He could not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief Unbelief as it were laid a restraint on Christ that he could not effectuat those things which he was willing to perform And to shut up our discourse at this time I would only add these two aggravations which may somewhat enforce what we have spoken I say there are these two aggravations in the sin of unbelief even in his own who have a right also his call to believe 1. That after that Christ hath given most sensible discoveries of himself Wherein we have seen him as it were face to face yet ye will not believe This is clear from John 6.36 Though ye have seen me saith Christ yet ye do not belive in me There is not a manifestation of Christs presence but it iâ— a witness against you of your unbelief Woulâ— you hear the voyce of sense that is rectified It iâ— this believe on the Son of God 2. That notwithstanding of the signal demonstrations of the power of Christ yet though it were the mortifying of some lust and Idol within them yet they will not believe but upon new temptations will doubt of his love to them Christ preacheth Faith by his Word he preacheth Faith by his sufferings he preacheth Faith by his dispensations he preacheth Faith by his promises he preacheth Faith by his rods and if these five instruments will not ingage your hearts to believe who can move them Doth not his two wounds in his precious hands preach out this point of Faith Believe him Doth not that hole opened in his side preach this doctrine That we should believe in him And these two wounds that he received in his precious feet do they not preach this That we should believe on a crucified Saviour And we would only say this that sometimes it is the caâ—e of his own that after the convictions of this that it is their duty to believe and also after some desires to close with Christ yet they find inability to close with him Is it not certain that to will to believe is sometime present with you but how to perform you know not And I would have a Christian making this fourfold use of such a dispensation as that which is most ordinarily when convictions of our duty to believe and some desires to close with Christ is not followed with actual performances 1. To study to have your convictions more â—eeply rooted within you for it doth sometimes â—…llow that resolutions and mints to believe are â—ot blest with actual believing because the conâ—iction of our duty to believe is not deeply imâ—rinted upon our conscience 2. Be convinced of that desperate enmity and â—hat mystery of iniquity that is within you that â—e can have some will to do without ability to â—erform We confesse it is not an ordinary disâ—ase in these dayes to have such a contrariety betwixt a Christians will and his practice our will â—or the most part being no better than our prastice but somtimes it is which may make you â—ry forth O wretched man that I am who shall deâ—iver me from this body of death 3. That ye would be much in the imploying of Christ that as he hath given you to will so also he might make you to do Christ is about to convince his own in such a dispensation as that That Faith is the gift of God Faith is so noble a grace that it cannot be spinned out from our resolutions not from our endeavors Faith is such a divine plant as the Fathers right hand must plant in our souls 4. Let it convince you of the excllency of the grace of Faith for the difficulty of the attaining to any thing may speak out the excellency of that thing there is no sin but it may be easily win at there is an easinesse and facility to overtake the paths of our Idols but the graces of the Spirit are so excellent things that we must fighâ— before we attain them And you who are straâ—gers to Christ Jesus and have never know what it is to close with him we would requeâ— you in Christs name to be reconciled to him What know ye O men or rather Atheists be this shall be the last summons that ye shal get 〈◊〉 believe And that because ye disobey this precious summons there shal be one presented tâ— you that ye cannot sit I remember of one maâ— who looking upon many thousands that weâ—… under his command weeped over them wheâ— he considered how that within a few years all these should be laid in their graves and should be in eternity O but it were much of our concernment to be trying our selves how it is with us we are not afraid that it is a breach of charit to wish that but one of each ten that are within these doors were heirs of the grace of life and had the solide and spiritual expectation of heaven I think if Christ were to come presently to speak to us He might not only say to each twelve that are here One of you shal betray me but we are afraid that he should say to each twelve that are here Eleven of you shal betray me and but one only shall passe free O doth it not concern you to enquire where you shal rest at night when the long shadows of everlasting evening shal be stretched out upon you I think there are some that are so setled upon their lees that if they were one day in hell and saw all the torments that are there and were brought from it the next day to live on earth they would â—ot repent And more there are some that take â—hem up on day to see the joyes of Heaven and bring them back again they would not pursue after these blessed and everlasting enjoyments O is not Christ much undervalued by us But I must tell you this One wo is past but behold another wo is coming O the searchings of those spirits who are entered into their everlasting priâ—on house out of which their is no redemption What shal be your choise when Christ shall come in the clouds I am
much in the exercise of secret prayer O! but many love much to pray when abroad who never loved to pray when alone and that is a desperate sign of hypocrisie according to that Matth. 6.5 it is said of hypocrites They love to pray standing in the Synagogues and in the corners of the street that they might be seen of men But it is never said of these persons that they love to pray alone only they loved to pray in Synagogues but is is secret and retired prayers by which faith must be kept in exercise 3. And there is this likewise that we would press upon you that you would be much in studying communion and fellowship with God that so your faith may be kept in life And O what a blessed life were it each day to be taken up to the top of the Mount Pisga and there to behold that promised land to get a refreshing sight of the crown every morning which might make us walk with joy all along the day The heart of a Christian ought to be in heaven his conversation ought to be there his eyes ought to be there and I know not what of a Christian ought to be out of heaven even before his going there save his lumpish tabernacle of clay which cannot inherit incorruption till he be made incorruptible And I shal say no more but this many of us are readier to betray him with a kiss and crucifie him afresh then to keep communion with him but wo eternally be to him by whom the Son of man is betrayed and that doth crucifie Christ afresh Iâ— were better that a milstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the depth of the sea I remember an expression of a man not two dayes ago who upon his death-bed being asked by one what he was doing did most stupidly though most truly reply That he was fighting with Christ And I think that the most part of us if he prevent us not shal die fighting with Christ But know and be perswaded that he is too sore a party for us to fight with He will once tread you in the wine-press of his fury and he shall return with dyed garments from treading such of you as would not imbrace him He shal destroy you with all his heart Therefore be instructed least his soul be disjointed from you as that word in Jer. 6.8 And least your soul eternally be separated from him Be instructed I say to close with him by faith Now to him who can make you to do so we desire to give praise In the two Sermons next following you have the rest of these sweet purposes which the worthy Author preached upon the same Text. SERMON V. JOHN 3.23 This is his Commandment that ye should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ c. THere are two great rocks upon which a Christian doth ordinarily dash in his way and motion toward his rest 1. The rock of presumption and carnal confidence so that when Christ dangleth them upon his knees and satisfieth them with the breasts of his consolations and maketh their cup to over-flow then they cry out My mountain standeth strong I shall never be moved And 2. the rock of misbelief and discouragement so that when he hideth his face and turneth back the face of his Throne then they cry out Our hope and strength is perished from the Lord. We know not what it is to bear our enjoyments by humility nor out crosses hy patience and submission O! but misbelief and jealousie are bad interpreters of dark dispensations they know not what it is to read these mysterious characters of divine providence except they be written in the legible characters of sense misbelief is big with child of twins and is travelling till it bring forth apostasie and security and no doubt he is a blessed Christian that hath overcome that woful idol of misbelief and doth walk by that Royal law of the Word and not by that changeable rule of dispensations We conceive that there are three great Idols and Dagons of a Christian that hindereth him from putting a blanâ—… in Christs hand concerning his guiding to Heaven there is pride self-indulgence and security Do we not covet to be more excellent then our neighbors Do we not love to travel to heaven through a valley of roses And do we not ambitiously desire to walk toward Sion sleeping rather then weeping as we go Are there not some words that we would have taken out of the Bible That is sad Divinity to flesh and blood Through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven we love not to be changed form vessel to vessel that so our scent may be taken from us There are three great enemies of Christ misbelief hypocrisie and prophanity Misbelief is a bloody sin hypocrisie is a silent sin profanity is a crying sin those are mother evils And I shall give you these differences betwixt them Misbelief crucifieth Christ under the vail of humility hypocrisie crucifieth Christ under the vail of love and profanity putteth him to open shame Misbelief denieth the love and power of God hypocrisie denieth the omniscience of God and profanity denieth the justice of God misbelief is a sin that looketh after inherent righteousnesse hypocrisie is a sin that looketh after external holinesse only and profanity is a sin that looketh after heaven without holinesse making a connexion between those things that God hath alwayes separat and separating those things which he hath alwayes put together so that their faith shal once prove a delusion and flee away as a â—…ream in the night but let us study this excelâ—ent grace of true and saving faith which shall be 〈◊〉 precious remedy against all those Christ-detroying and soul-destroying evils But now to come to that which we did proâ—ose thirdly to be spoken of from the words which was the sweetness of this grace of faith no â—oubt it is a pleasant command and it maketh all â—ommands pleasant it is that which casteth a â—ivine lustre upon the most hard sayings of Christ â—nd maketh the Christian to cry forth God hath â—oken in his Holinesse I will rejoice We need â—ot stand long to clear that faith is a sweet and â—efreshing command for it is oftentimes recorâ—ed in Scripture to the advantage of this grace â—hat unspeakable joy and heavenly delight are â—…e hand-maids that wait upon it But more â—articularly to make it out we shall speak to these â—hings The first is that this grace giveth a Christian a broad and comprehensive sight of Christ and maketh to behold not only the beauâ—y of his actings but the beauty of his person And there are these three precious sights that Faith giveth to a Christian of Christ First â—t letteth the christian see Christ in his absolute â—nd personal excellency taking him up as the eterâ—all Son of God as the Ancient of dayes as the â—ather of Eternity as the expresse Image of his Fathers person and
them all if we make conscience seriously to obey this command of Faith which is indeed the sweet compend of the Gospel all these things doth most clearly appear iâ— that believing here is called His Commandment by way of excellency as if this were his only commandment But that we may yet a little more particularly point out the absolute necessity of Faith there are these things that speaketh it forth to the full 1. That though rivers of tears should run down our eyes because we keep not his Law though we should never rise off our knees from prayerâ— and should all our lifetime speak to God with the tongue of Angels and though we should constantly obey his commands yet without faith we should never escape that eternal sentence of excommunication from the presence of the Lord there being no action that doth proceed from 〈◊〉 which can please the Majesty of the Lord unless it hath its rise from this principle of faith as iâ— clear from Heb. 11.6 Without Faith it is impossible to please God And though we should offer â—nto him ten thousand rivers of oyl and thousands of rams and should offer up in a burnt sacrifice all the beasts that are upon the mountains and the trees that are upon many hills this should â—e the answer that God should return to us Who â—…th required these things at your hands I take no cleasure in these solemn sacrifices because there is no way of attaining peace with God but through â—he exercise of faith making use of the spotless â—ighteousness of Jesus Christ 2. Let us do our â—tmost by all the inventions we can to bring â—own our body and let us separate our selves from â—ll the pleasures of the flesh yet all our Idols shal â—eign without much contradiction except we do â—nce attain unto this grace of faith which is that â—ictory whereby we must overcome the world and the hand that maketh use of infinite strength for â—bduing of coruptions making the Christian â—weetly to take up that song Stronger is he that is with us then he that is in the world Form all this that we have said both of the sweetness of Faith and the necessity thereof we would propose these few considerations to two or three sorts of persons 1. There are some who live in that vain imaginary delusion of attaining to heaven through a â—ovenant of works and do neglect to seek salvation by Faith in the righteousness of Christ and â—o those who build upon this sandy foundation I â—hal say but these two words First how long shal â—e labor in the fire for very vanity Do ye ever think to put on the cap-stone Know you 〈◊〉 that the day is approching when your house shal fall about your ears your confidence shal be rejected and your hope shal evanish as a dream and flee away as a vision in the night Secondly what a monstruous blindness and what an unspeakable act of folly must it be to say that Christ was crucified in vain which yet ye do practically assert when ye go about to purchase a righteousness through the works of the Law 2. There are some who are secure in their own thoughts concerning their faith they never questioned the reality of it they never examined it O ye whose faith is as old as your selves ye say yâ— never knew what it was to dispute and I may say ye never knew what it was to believe Thou profane hypocrite let me tell thee a strong faith and yet strong idols must needs be a strong delusion Thou wilt not obey the Lord Thou wilt noâ— pray thou wilt not believe a threatning in all the word Thou wilt count all Religion madness and foolishness and yet thou wilt perswade thy self thou believest in Christ Oh! be not deceived God is not mocked and why will ye mock your selves 〈◊〉 Shal I tell you that reprobats have a sad Religion One day they must believe and obey and pray and give a testimony to godliness but alace too late and little to their advantage Shal noâ— he whom all the Ministers on earth could scarce ever perswade to believe so much as a Heaven oâ— Hell or one threatning in all the Book of God at last be forced to believe their own sense when they shal see the Ancient of dayes upon the Throne and shal hear the cryes of so many thouâ—and living witnesses come out both from Heaven and Hell bearing testimony to the truth of threatnings and promises that not one jot of them â—s fallen to the ground and he would never be â—erswaded to bow a knee to God in earnest all his â—…fe Shal he not then pray with greatest fervenâ—y That hills and mountains might fall upon him â—o cover him from the face of the Lamb And he that would never submit to a command of God must he not at last obey that dreadful command Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting torments c. Yea he who was the greatest mocker â—n the world shal then confess that they are blest who put their trust in the Lord as they are excellently brought in though in an Apocryphal â—ook Wisd chap. 5.4 crying out with great terâ—or while they behold that unexpected sight of â—he glorious condition of the godly O here is the men say they whom we mocked whose life we accounted madness and their end dishonorable Be wise therefore in time and do that willingly which ye must do by constraint and do that with sweetness and advantage that ye must do at last with loss and sorrow Thirdly there are some who certainly have some hope of eternal life but content themselves with a smal measure of assurance these I would befeech that ye would be more endeavoring to make your calling and election sure and would be endeavoring to see your names written in the ancient Records of heaven And this we shal press upon you by several arguments 1. Those strong and subtilâ— and soul-destroying delusions that are amongst many who conceive they do believe as we were saying and are pure in their own eyes who yet are not purged from their iniquities O are there not many of us that are in a golden dream that suppose we are eating but when we awake our soul is empty whose faith is a Metaphysick notion that hath no foundation but mans apprehension And this shall never beare us through the gates of death nor convey us in unto eternity of joy 2. May not this press you to follow after assurance that it is the compendious way to sweeten all your crosses as is clear from Hab. 3.17.18 where the conviction of this made Habakkuk to rejoyice in the God of his salvation though the fig tree did not bear fruit and the labor of the olive did fail and there were no sweetness to be found in the vine And from Heb. 10.34 when they take joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing within themselves that they had a better and an enduring substance This is
and portable yoke of his commandments And seventhly there is that last property of Faith it is that grace by which sanctification is promoved hence it is called a coming to Christ It is the soul in a divine motion and travelling from the land of Egypt unto thâ— land of Canaan Faith it is the soul in a pleasant motion from the land of the North the land oâ— our captivity unto the land of perfect liberty all along going out by the footsteps of the flock and walking in that new and living way even in him who is the way the truth and the life And now for a more full application of this we shal speak but two things further 1. We would have it considered that there are some that come unto the covenant of promise with less difficulty and after a more divine and Evangelick way and there are some that close with Christ in a more difficult and legal way There are some that before they can come to Mount Sion they must dwel fourty dayes at Mount Sinai There are some before the decree of heaven shal be given to them they must roar as an ox and must cover themselves with sackcloath having ashes upon their heads We must be a Benoni before we be a Benjamin that is we must be a son of sorrow before we can be a son of consolation But this is certain that Christ leadeth sometimes some to himself through a valley of roses And I would only have you take notice of these two which though we conceive they be not infallible in the rule yet oftentimes experience maketh them out to be truth 1. That there are three sorts of persons who are most ordinarily brought under great terror ere they close with Christ First those who have committed some gross and abominable sin that is most contradicting unto the light of nature Secondly that person that sinneth much against light before conversion Hence it is observed in all the Books of the Gospel and in the Book of the Acts there was a more Gospel and love-way of converting the Gentils then was of converting the Jews See Acts 2.37 there is a sharp law exercised amongst them who had crucified the Lord of life and Acts 9. Paul that had been a grievous persecuter at his conversion he is first stricken dead to the ground before he be made a captive of the love of Christ and constrained to cry out What wilt thou have me to do But look to Acts 8. and chap. 19. and there ye will find a more fair and smooth way of begetting sons to Christ And thirdly that person that is much in conceit of his own righteousneses he useth to be brought to Christ through much terror and exercise of the Law that is clear in Paul his condition also Phil. 3. and Asts 9. compared and certainly whoever thinketh to come that length in self-abasement and will count as the Apostle doth in that Chapter must dwel many days at Mount Sinai and learn his Arithmetick there 2. We would have you take notice of this that though the person that is brought to Christ in a more smooth and Evangelical way may have the preeminency of the person that is brought to Christ after a more legal and terrible way in some thing yet we conceive that a Christian that is brought to Christ through much of the exercise of the Law and through many of the thunderings of Mount Sinai after he hath won to see his righâ— in Christ he is more constant in the exercise of Faith and the reason of it is because that aâ— ordinary ground of misbelief is our not distinct â—ptaking either of the time of our conversion which is oftimes hid from those persons that are converted in a more Evangelick way as likewise this that those persons that are brought to Chirst in a more Gospel chariot are sometimes put to debates whether ever they were under the exercise of the Law and this maketh them often as it were to raze the foundation and to cry forth My hope and my strength is perished from the Lord. And now to shut up our discourse we shal add this one word of exhortation that ye would carefully lay hold upon that noble object and exercise your faith upon him and I shal say but this that all these that have this noble grace of Faith and that are heirs of that everlasting inheritance there is a fourfold crown prepared for you there is a crown of life that is prepared for him that shal fight that good fight of Faith but what may you say is a crown of life except we have joy waiting upon that life For what is life without joy but a bitterness and a burden to it self therefore ye shal have a crown of joy but what were a crown of life and a joy except we had the grace of holiness and were compleat in that therefore ye shal have also a crown of righteousness but what were life joy â—and righteousness without glory therefore ye shal have likewise a crown of glory but what of all these if that crown should once fall from our head and we should be deprived of our Kingdom therefore take this to make up the rest it is an eternal crown of glory That word in Prov. 27. near the close the crown saith Solomon doth not endure for ever but this precious crown that the hands of Christ shal fix upon the head of an overcoming Christian this is the motto that is engraven upon it Unchangeable and Eternal Eternal and Unchangeable And O what a day suppose ye that shal be when that precious crown shal be put upon our heads What think you will be the difference betwixt Christ and believers in heaven They shal have these four crowns which are indeed one but Christ shal have upon his head many crowns according to that word Rev. 19.12 But let me say one word also to you who are strangers from God and are destitute of the grace of Christ and will not by faith close with this excellent object there is a four-fold crown that once shal be put upon your heads but do not mis-interprete the vision there is a difference betwixt the Butler and the Baker ye may prophesie good things to your selves but there is a crown of death which ye shal once have put upon your heads ye shal be always dying and never able to die There is a crown of sorrow that ye shal have put upon your heads when ye shal eternally sigh forth that sad lamentation O to be annihilate and reduced unto nothing When the reduction of you unto nothing would be a heaven when ye shal be tormented in those everlasting flames And I would say this by the way ye will be all miserable and comfortless one to another there will be no ground of consolation that ye shal reap for the community of your sorrow shal increase the degrees of that sorrow And there is another crown also that ye shall
laid up for me a crown of righteousness that the Lord the righteous Judge shal give me at that day And think ye not that very sweet that he would leave something unto you in Christs Name viz. And not for me only but for all them that wait for his appearance Now I come to the third thing proposed viz. To give some directions for helping you to prepare for death Direct 1. I intreat you be much in preparation for death every day for it is even a preparation for heaven to be taking a fight of your grave and latter end every day Direct 2. I intreat you be much in these duties First in self-examination that your compâ—… may be clear with God for many a ragged compt shal we have when death and we shal meet Secondly be much in the exercise of repentance that so ye may have every fault and corruption in you mourned for before death and you meet Thirdly be much in the exercise of faith making your calling and election sure Fourthly be much in the exercise of mortification and that will help you to keep a loose grip not only of the World but also of your other idols and if ye be much in these ye shall undoubtedly be prepared for death Direct 3. Be much in minding the excellent things of heaven a Christian that would be prepared for death should have all his thoughts and conversation there I think it would be an excellent help in preparation for death to take a sight of the crown every day Direct 4. Labor always to keep a good conscience void of offence toward God and man I say labor to keep thy conscience clear and that shal be a continual feast unto thee Direct 5. Slight not any known duty do not crucify any conviction neither break any resolution put these three together and that will exceedingly help you to prepare for death I say see that ye adventure not to slight any known duty see that ye adventure not to crucify any conviction and see that ye adventure not to break your resolutions Now we come to the second thing which we observed from the words viz. That this truth that we shal once see death is not much believed by many of us and to make this appear we shal only give some evidences unto you to prove that we are not as yet prepared for death 1. Evidence Doth not the unspeakable stupidity that hath overtaken many say that we are not people prepared for death Alace many of us would find our selves in a most stupid temper if we were presently to dye for many of us are no more moved with the threatnings and terrors of God then if they did not belong unto us and this saith We are not as yet prepared for death 2. Evid That we are not prepared for death in our pursuing so much after the vain and passing delights of a present World Many of us rise up early and go to bed late at night and eat the bread of sorrow all the day and load themselves with thick clay And I am sure that such a person being night and day taken up with the World is not prepared for death I remember a word recorded of such a wretched one who was exceeding rich said he I would give so many thousands of money if death would but give mâ— one day yet he got it not And O how suddenly will death surprise many of you as it did him 3. Evid Which speaketh forth our unpreparedness for death is our impatience under every petty cross that we meet with for the prepared Christian will be patient under very sharp crosses 4. Evid That we are not prepared is our not endeavouring to live within sight of our interest in God Oh if we were prepared for death durst we live in so much incertainty of our interest in God and of our assurance of heaven 5. Evid Some of us can let our idols lye in our breast six years without repentance and will never study to mortify them nor repent for them and surely such are not prepared for death Now I intreat you seriously to mind what hath been said and that ye may the more seriously think upon it I will tell you some material challenges that your conscience at death will present unto you therefore take heed that ye may know how ye will answer 1. Challenge Is the slighting of much precious time and sinning away the precious offers of grace O what will ye answer to that challenge when death shal present it to you Death will say or rather thine own conscience at death what ailed thee to sin so many hours without either praying reading or meditating Now have ye any thing to answer when death shal present this challenge to you I intreat you premeditate what ye will say I intreat you prevent death by presenting it first seriously to your selves 2. Challenge That death will present unto you will be for the killing of many precious convictions which ye have had What will each of you answer at death when your conscience proposeth this challenge unto you Thou metst with such a challenge at such a time and went home and crucified it And at another time thou metst with another challenge and went home and crucified it These challenges will be laid home to thy door therefore think on them 3. Challenge Death will charge you for a formal hypocritical way of going about duties I say your conscience will then tell you that ye went to such a communion with a selfish end and â— another time ye prayed hypocritically and formally And what will ye have to answer when ye meet with these challenges I confess I know not what ye can answer to these But I charge you be thinking what ye will answer for it may be that these convictions shall ly on your consciences that even this day you have heard two searching Sermons and did meet with some convictions but made no good use of them yea â—nd it may be ye did sleep all that time O! â—hat will ye answer when it will be said to you 〈◊〉 went to such a Sermon and sleeped all the one and ye went to such a Communion but had no other end before your eyes but to be seeâ— of men I intreat you consider presently whâ—… you will answer to these 4. Challenge Will be for your breaking many precious resolutions It will be said to some of you that at the Communion in this place ye took on vows and did break them I am sure yâ— connot question the Justice of this challenge therefore see what ye will answer 5. Challenge Ye slighted many precious offers of the Gospel O men and women in this City what will ye answer to this I was often exhorted to take Christ and yet would never take him What will conscience say to that when death shal table it before you I tell you what you must then answer O cursed I that ever refused Christ in the Gospel