peace to be had with me What doth thine heart answer Lord I desire to have thee as such a God I desire to be holy as thou are holy to be made partaker of thy holiness I love thee not only for thy goodness and mercy but for thy holiness and thy purity I take thy holiness for my happiness Oh! be to me a fountain of holiness set on me the stamp and impress of thy holiness I will thankfully part with all my sins aâ— thy command My willful sins I do forthwith forsake and for my infirmities that I cannot get rid of though I would I will strive against them in the use of thy means I detest them and will pray and war against them and never let them have quiet rest in my soul. Beloved whosoever of you will thus accept the Lord for his God he shall have him Again he tells you I am the All-sufficient God Gen. 17. 1. Will you lay all at my feet and give it up to my dispose and take me for your only portion Will you own and honour mine All-sufficiency Will you take me as your happiness and treasure your hope and bliss I am a Sun and shield all in one will you have me for your All 1 Gen. 15. Psal. 84. 11. Now what dost thou say to this Doth thy mouth water after the Onions and Flesh-pots of Egypt Art thou loth to exchange thy earthly happiness for a part in God and though thou wouldst be glad to have God and the world too yet thou canst not think of having him and nothing but him but hadst rather take up with the earth below if God would but let thee keep it as long as thou wouldst This is a fearful sign But now if thou art willing to fell all for the pearl of great price Mat. 13. 46. if thine heart answer Lord I desire no other portion but thee Take the corn and the wine and the oyl whose will so I may have the light of thy countenance I pitch upon thee for my happiness I gladly venture my self on thee and trust my self with thee I set my hopes in thee I take up my rest with thee Let me hear thee say I am thy God thy salvation and I have enough all I wish for I will make no terms with thee but for thy self Let me but have thee sure let me be able to make my claim and see my title to thy self and for other things I leave them to thee Give me more or less any thing or nothing I will be satisfied in my God Take him thus and he is thine own Again he tells you I am the Soveraign Lord. If you will have me for your God you must give me the Supremacy Mat. 6. 24. I will not be an underling You must not make me a second to sin or any wordly interest If you will be my people I must have the rule over you You must not live at your own list will you come under my yoke Will you bow to my government Will you submit to my discipline to my word to my rod Sinner what sayst thou to this Lord I had rather be at thy command than live at mine own list I had rather have thy will to be done than mine I approve of and consent to thy laws and account it my priviledge to live under them And though the flesh rebel and often break over bounds I am resolved to take no other Lord but thee I willingly take the oath of thy supremacy and acknowledge thee for my leige Soveraign and resolve all my days to pay the tribute of worship obedience and love and service to thee and to live to thee as the end of my life This is a right accepting of God To be short he tells you I am the true and faithful God If you will have me for your God you must be content to trust me 2 Tim. 1. 12. Prov. 3. 5. Will you venture your selves upon my word and depend on my faithfulness and take my bond for your security Will you be content to follow me in poverty and reproach affliction here and to see much going out and little coming in and to tarry till the next world for your preferment Mat. 19. 21. I deal much upon trust will you be content to labour and suffer and to tarry for your returns till the resurrection of the just Luke 14. 14. The womb of my promise will not presently bring forth will you have the patience to wait Heb. 10. 36. Now beloved what say you to this Will you have this God for your God Will you be content to live by faith and trust him for an unseen happiness an unseen Heaven an unseen glory Do your hearts answer Lord we will venture our souls upon thee we commit our selves to thee we roll upon thee we know whom we have trusted we are willing to take thy word we will prefer thy promises before our own possessions and the hopes of Heaven before all the enjoyments of the earth We will wait thy leisure What thou wilt here so that we may have but thy faithful promise for Heaven hereafter If you can in truth and upon deliberation thus accept of God he will be yours Thus there must be in a right Conversion to God a closing with him suitable to his excellencies But when men close with his mercy but not with his sin-hating holiness and purity or will take him for their benefactor but not for their Soveraign or for their Patron but not for their portion this is no thorow and so no sound Conversion Dir. VII Accept of the Lord Iesus in all his offices with all his inconveniences as thine Upon these terms Christ may be had Sinner thou hast undone thy self and art plunged into the ditch of most deplorable misery out of which thou art never able to climb up But Jesus Christ is able and ready to help thee and he freely tenders himself to thee Heb. 7. 25. Iohn 7. 37. Be thy sins never so many never so great of never so long continuance yet thou shalt be most certainly pardoned and saved if thou dost not wretchedly neglect the offer that in the name of God is here made unto thee The Lord Jesus calleth to thee to look unto him and be saved Esay 45. 22. to come unto him and he will in no wise cast thee out Iohn 6. 37. Yea he is a suiter to thee and beseecheth thee to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 20. he cryeth in the streets he knocketh at thy door he wooeth thee to accept of him and life with him Prov. 1. 20. Rev. 3. 20. if thou diest 't is because thou wouldst not come to him for life Iohn 5. 40. Now accept of an offered Christ and thou art made for ever Now give up thy consent to him and the match is made all the world cannot hinder it Do not stand off because of thine unworthiness Man I tell thee nothing in all the world can undo thee
that if you will walk by this rule your very thoughts and inward motions must be under government Again that they are very strict and self-denying quite contrary to the grain of your natural inclinations Mat. 16. 24. You must take the strait gate the narrow way and be content to have the flesh curbed from the liberty that it desires Mat. 7. 14. In a word that they are very large for the commandment is exceeding broad Psal. 119. 66. Secondly rest not in generals for there 's much deceit in that but bring down thy heart to the particular commands of Christ. Those Jews in the Prophet seemed as well resolved as any in the world and call God to witness that they meant as they said But they stuck in generals When Gods command crosses their inclination they will not obey Ier. 42. 1 2 3 4 5 6. compared with ch 43 v. 2. Take the Assemblies larger Catechism and see their excellent and most compendious exposition of the Commandments and put thy heart to it Art thou resolved in the strength of Christ to set upon the conscientious practice of every duty that thou findest to be there required of thee and to set against every sin that thou findest there forbidden This is the way to be sound in Gods statutes that thou maist never be ashamed Psal. 119 80. Thirdly Observe the special duties that thy heart is most against and the special sins that 't is most inclin'd unto and see whether it be truly resolved to perform the one and forgo the other What sayst thou to thy bosom sin thy gainful sin What sayst thou to costly and hazardous and flesh-displeasing duties If thou haltest here and dost not resolve by the grace of God to cross thy flesh and put to it thou art unsound Psal. 18. 23. Psal. 119. 6. Dir. X. Let all this be compleated in a solemn Covenant between God and thy soul. Psal. 119. 106. Neb. 10. 29. For thy better help therein take these few Directions First set apart some time more than once to be spent in secret before the Lord. 1. In seeking earnestly his special assistance and gracious acceptance of thee 2. In considering distinctly all the terms or conditions of the Covenant expressed in the form hereafter proposed 3. In searching thine heart whether thou art sincerely willing to forsake all thy sins and to resign up thy self body and soul unto God and his service to serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of thy life Secondly Compose thy spirit into the most serious frame possible suitable to a transaction of so high importance Thirdly Lay hold on the Covenant of God and rely upon his promise of giving grace and strength whereby thou maist be enabled to perform thy promise Trust not to thine own strength to the strength of thine own resolutions but take hold on his strength Fourthly Resolve to be faithful having engaged thine heart opened thy mouth and subscribed with thine hand unto the Lord resolve in his strength never to go back Lastly Being thus prepared on some convenient time set apart for the purpose set upon the work and in the most solemn manner possible as if the Lord were visibly present before thine eyes fall down on thy knees and spreading forth thine hands towards Heaven open thine heart to the Lord in these or the like words O Most dreadful God for the Passion of thy Son I beseech thee accept of thy poor 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 Practice But of thine infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to Thee with all my Heart Therefore upon the Call of Thy Gospel I am now come in and throwing down my weapons submit my self to thy Mercy And because thou requirest as the Condition of my Peace with Thee that I should put away mine Idols and be at defiance with all thine Enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against Thee I here from the bottom of my heart renounce them all firmly Covenanting with Thee not to allow my self in any known Sin but Conscientiously to use all the means that I know thou hast prescribed for the Death and utter Destruction of all my Corruptions And whereas I have formerly inordinately and idolatrously let out my affections upon the World I do here resign my Heart to Thee that madest it humbly protesting before thy Glorious Majesty that it is the firm resolution of my Heart and that I do unfeignedly desire Grace from Thee that when thou shalt call me hereunto I may practise this my resolution through thy Assistance to forsake all that is dear unto me in this world rather than to turn from thee to the ways of sin and that I will watch against all its Temptations whether of Prosperity or Adversity lest they should withdraw my Heart from thee beseeching thee also to help me against the Temptations of Satan to whose wicked Suggestions I resolve by thy Grace never to yield my self a Servant And because my own righteousness is but menstruous rags I renounce all confidence therein and acknowledge that I am of my self a hopeless helpless undone done creature without righteousness or strength And forasmuch as thou hast of thy bottomless Mercy offered most Graciously to me wretched sinner to be again my God through Christ if I would accept of thee I call Heaven and Earth to record this day that I do here solemnly avouch thee for the Lord my God 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 Iehovah 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 days of my life And since thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ the only means of coming unto thee I do here upon the bended knees of my soul accept of him as the only new and living way by which sinners may have access to thee and do here solemnly join 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 sith such is thine unparallel'd love I do here with all my power accept thee and do take thee for my Head and Husband for better for worse for richer for poorer for all times and conditions to love and honour and obey thee before all others and this to the death I embrace thee in all thine Offices I
renounce mine own worthiness and do here avow thee to be the Lord my Righteousness I renounce mine own wisdom and do here take thee for mine only Guide I renounce mine own will and take thy will for my Law And since thou hast told me that I must suffer if I will reign I do here Covenant with thee to take my lot as it falls with thee and by thy Crace assisting to run all hazards with thee verily supposing that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me And because thou hast been pleased to give me thy holy Laws as the rule of my life and the way in which I should walk to thy Kingdom I do here willingly put my Neck under thy Yoak and set my shoulder to thy burden and subscribing to all thy Laws as holy 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 unallowed miscarriages contrary to the setled bent and resolution of my heart shall not make void this Covenant for so thou hast said Now Almighty God searcher of hearts thou knowest that I make this Covenant with thee this day without any known guile or reservation beseeching thee that if thou espiest any flaw or falshood therein thou wouldst discover it to me and help me to do it aright And now Glory be to thee O God the Father whom I shall be bold from this day forward to look upon as my God and Father that ever thou shouldest find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners Glory be to thee O God the Son who hast loved me and washed me from my sins in thine own blood and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer Glory be to thee O God the Holy Ghost who by the finger of thine Almighty power hast turned about my heart from sin to God O dreadful Iehovah the Lord God Omnipotent Father Son and Holy Ghost thou art now become my Covenant-friend and I through thine infinite Grace am become thy Covenant-servant Amen So be it And the Covenant which I have made on earth let it be ratified in Heaven The Author's advice THis Covenant I advise you to make not only in Heart but in Word not only in Word but in Writing and that you would with all possible reverence spread the Writing before the Lord as if you would present it to him as your Act and Deed. And when you have done this set your hand to it Keep it as a Memorial of the Solemn Transactions that have passed between God and you that you may have recourse to it in Doubts and Temptations Dir. XI Take heed of delaying thy Conversion and set upon a speedy and present turning I made hast and delayed not Psal. 119. 59. Remember and tremble at the sad instance of the â—oolish Virgins that came not till the door of mercy was shut Mat. 25. and of a convinced Felix that put off Paul to another season and we never find that he had such a season more Act. 24. 25. O come in while it 's called to day lest thou shouldest be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin lest thy day of Grace should be over and the things that belong to thy peace should be hid from thine eyes Now mercy is wooing of thee Now Christ is waiting to be gracious to thee and the Spirit of God is striving with thee Now Ministers are calling now Conscience is stirring now the Market is open and Oyl may be had thou hast opportunity for the buying Now Christ is to be had for the taking Oh! strike in with the offers of Grace Oh! now or never If thou make light of this offer God may swear in his wrath thou shalt never tast of his Supper Luke 14. 24. Dir. XII Attend conscientiously upon the word as the means appointed for thy Conversion Iames 1. 18. 19. 1. Cor. 4. 15. Attend I say not customarily but Conscientiously with this desire design hope and expectation that thou maist be converted by it Every sermon thou hearest come with this thought Oh I hope God will now come in I hope this may be the time this may be the man by whom God will bring me home When thou art coming to the Ordinances lift up thine heart thus to God Lord let this be the Sabbath let this be the season wherein I may receive renewing Grace Oh let it be said that to day such a one was born unto thee Object Thou wilt say I have been long a hearer of the word and yet it hath not been effectual to my Conversion Answer Yea but thou hast not attended upon it in this manner as a means of thy Conversion nor with this design nor praying for and expecting of this happy effect of it Dir. XIII Strike in with the Spirit when he begins to work upon thy heart When he works convictions Oh do not stifle them but joyn in with him and beg the Lord to carry on convictions to conversion Quench not the Spirit do not out-strive him do not resist him Beware of putting out convictions by evil company or worldly business When thou findest any troubles for sin and fears about thine eternal State beg of God that they may never leave thee till they have wrought off thy heart throughly from sin and wrought it over to Jesus Christ. Say to him Strike home Lord leave not the work in the midst If thou seest that I am not yet wounded enough that I am not troubled enough wound me yet deeper Lord. Oh go to the bottom of my corruptions let out the life blood of my sins Thus yield up thy self to the workings of the Spirit and hoise thy sails to his gusts Dir. XIV Set upon the constant and diligent use of serious and fervent prayer He that neglects prayer is a prophane and unsanctified sinner Iob 15. 4. He that is not constant in prayer is but an Hypocrite Iob 27. 10. unless the omission be contrary to his ordinary course under the force of some instant temptation This is one of the first things that Conversion appears in that it sets men on praying Act 9. 11. Therefore set to this dutyâ— Let never a day pass over thee wherein thou hast not morning and evening set apart some time for set and solemn prayer in secret Call thy family also together daily and duly to worship God with thee Wo unto thee if thine be found amongst the families that call not on Gods name Ier. 10. 25. But cold and lifeless devotions will not reach half way to Heaven Be fervent and importunate Importunity will carry it But without violence the Kingdom of Heaven will
AN ALARME TO Unconverted Sinners In a Serious TREATISE SHEWING I. What Conversion is not and correcting some Mistakes about it II. What Conversion is and wherein it consisteth III. The Necessity of Conversion IV. The Marks of the Unconverted V. The Miseries of the Unconverted VI. Directions for Conversion VII Motives to Conversion Whereunto are annexed divers Practical Cases of Conscience Judiciously Resolved By Ioseph Alleine late Preacher of the Gospel at Taunton in Somerset-shire LONDON Printed by E. T. and R. H. and are to sold by Nevil Simmons at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls-Church-yard 1672. To all the Ignorant Carnal and Ungodly who are Lovers of pleasures more than God and seek this world more than the Life Everlasting and live after the Flesh and not after the Spirit These Calls and Counsels are directed in hope of their Conversion to God and of their Salvation He that hath an ear to hear let him hear Miserable Souls THere is that Life and Light and Love in every true Believer but especially in every Faithful Minister of Christ which engageth them to long and labour for your Salvation Life is communicative and active It maketh us sensible that Faith is not a fantasie nor true Religion a stage-play nor our hopes of eternal happiness a dream And as we desire nothing more for our selves than to have more of the Holy Life which we have alas in so small a measure so what is it that we should more desire for others With the eye of an infallible though too weak faith we see the Heaven which you neglect and the blessed souls in Glory with Christ whose companions you might be for ever we see the multitudes of souls in hell who came thither by the same way that you are going in who are shut out of the glorious presence of God and are now among those devils that deceived them remembring that they had their good things here Luke 16. 25. and how they spent the day of their visitation and how light they once set by God by Christ by Heaven by Mercy whilest Mercy was an earnest solicitour for their hearts And with our bodily eyes we see at the same time abundance of poor sinners living about us as if there were no God no Christ no Heaven no Hell no Judgment no nor Death to be expected as if a man were but a master beast to rule the rest and feed upon them and perish with them And if it were your own case to see what souls do in Heaven and Hell and at once to see how unbelievingly carelesly and senselesly most men live on earth as if there were no such difference in another world would it not seem a pitiful sight to you If you had once seen the five brethren of Dives on earth eating drinking laughing and merry clothed and faring daily with the best and at the same time seen their brothers soul in Hell begging in vain for a little ease and wishing in vain that one from the dead might go warn his brethren that they come not to that place of torment would it not seem to you a pitiful sight would not pity have made you think Is there no way to open these Gentlemens eyes No way to acquaint them what is become of their brother and where Lazarus is and whither they themselves are going No one driveth or forceth them to Hell and will they go thither of themselves and is there no way to stop them or keep them back Did you but see your selves what we see by faith believing God and at once beheld the Saints in Heaven the lost despairing souls in Hell and the senseless sensual sinners on earth that yet will lay none of this to heart sure it would make you wonder at the stupidity of mankind Would you not say O what a deciver is the Devil that can thus lead on souls to their own damnation O what a cheater is this transitory world that can make men so forget the world where they must live for ever O what an enemy is this flesh that thus draweth down mens souls from God! O what a besotting thing is sin that turneth a reasonable soul into worse than a beast What a Bedlam is this wicked world when thousands are so busily labouring to undo themselves and others and gratifying the Devil against the God and Saviour who would give them everlasting blessed life And as we have such a sight as this by Faith to make us pity you so have we so much tast of the goodness of God the sweetness of his wayes and the happiness of believers as must needs make us wish that you had but once tryed the same delights which would turn the pleasures of sin into detestation God knoweth that we desire nothing more for our selves than the Perfection and Eternity of this holiness and happiness which we believe and tast And should we not desire the same for you And being thus moved with necessary pitty we ask of God what he would have us to do for your salvation And he hath told us in Scripture that the preaching of his Gospel to acquaint you plainly with the truth and earnestly and frequently intreat you to turn from the flesh and world to God by Jesus Christ is the means with which his grace is ready to concurr for your salvation when obstinate resistance causeth not the Holy Spirit to forsake the sinner and leave him to himself to follow his own Counsels Lusts and Wills In this hope we undertook the Sacred Ministry and gave up our selves to this great and most important work in the great sense of our unworthiness but yet in the sense of your souls necessity We were not such fools at our first setting out as not to know it must be a life of labour self-denial and patience and the devil would do his worst to hinder us and that all sorts of his instruments would be ready to serve him against our labours and against your souls Christ our Captain saved us by patient Conquest and so must we save our selves and you and so must you save your selves under Christ if ever you be saved It was no strange thing to Paul that bonds and afflictions did every where abide him nor did he account his life dear that he might finish his course with joy and the Ministry committed to him by the Lord. Act. 20. 23 24. It was no strange thing to him to be forbidden to preach to the Gentiles that they might be saved by such as were filling up the measure of their sins and were under Gods uttermost wrath on earth 1 Thess. 2. 15. 16. Devils and Pharisees and most where they came both high and low were against the Apostles preaching of the Gospel and yet they would not sacrilegiously and cruelly break their Covenant with Christ and perfidiously desert the souls of men even as their Lord for the love of souls did call Peter Satan that would have tempted him to save his life and
in a tempting and a wicked world where things or persons will be daily hindering this But I know that this is no more to a man that by Faith seeth Heaven and Hell before him than a grain of sand is to a Kingdom or a blast of Wind to one that is fighting or flying for his life Luke 12. 4. O man that thou didst but know the difference between that which the Devil and sin will give thee if thou wilt sell thy soul and Heaven and that which God hath promised and sworn to give thee if thou wilt heartily give up thy self to him I know that thou maist possibly fall into company at least among some sots and drunkards that will tell thee all this is but troublesome preciseness and making more ado than needs But I know withal what that man deserveth who will believe a fool before his Maker For he can be no better than a miserable fool that will contradict and revile the word of God even the word of Grace that would save mens souls And alas it is possible thou maist hear some of the Tribe of Levi or rather of Cain deriding this serious Godliness as meer Hypocrisy and Phanaticism and self-conceitedness As if you must be no better than the Devils slaves lest you be Proud in thinking that you are better than they That is you must go with them to Hell lest in Heaven you be proud Hypocrites for thinking your selves Happier than they It may be they will tell you that this talk of Conversion is fitter for Pagans and Infidels to hear than Christians and Protestants Because such mens big looks or Coats may make the poyson the easilier taken down I will intreat thee but as before God to answer these following questions or to get them answered and then judge whether it be They or We that would deceive thee and whether as men use to talk against Learning that have none themselves so such men prate not against Conversion and the Spirit of God because they have no such thing themselves Qu. 1. I pray ask these men whether it be a Puritane or Phanatick opinion that men must dye and what all the pomp and wealth and pleasure of the World will signifie to a departing soul Ask them whether they will live on Earth for ever and their merry hours and Lordly looks will have no end And whether it be but the conceit of Hypocrites and Schismaticks that their Carcases must lie rotting in a darksome grave Qu. 2. Ask them whether man have not an Immortal soul and a longer life to live when this is ended Luke 12. 41. Qu. 3. Ask them whether reason require not every man to think more seriously of the place or state where he must be for ever than of that where he must be but for a little while and from whence he is posting day and night And whether it be not wiser to lay up our treasure where we must stay than where we must not stay but daily look to be called away and never more be seen on earth Math. 6. 19 20. 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. and 5. 1 2 3 6 7 8. Qu. 4. Ask them whether God should not be loved with all our heart and soul and might Math. 22. 37. And whether it be not the mark of an ungodly miscreant to be a lover of pleasure more than God 2. Tim. 3. 4. and a Lover of this world above him 1 Ioh. 2. 15 16. And whether we must not seek first Gods Kingdome and his Righteousness Matth. 6. 33. and labour most for the meat that never perisheth Joh. 6. 27. and strive to enter in at the strait Gate Luke 13. 24. and give all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure 2. Pet. 1. 10. Qu. 5. Ask them whether without Holiness any shall see God Heb. 12. 14. Mat. 5. 8. Tit. 2. 14. And whether the carnal mind is not enmity to God and to be carnally minded is not death and to be spiritually minded life and peace And whether if you live after the flesh you shall not die and be condemned and they shall live and be saved that walk after the Spirit And whether any man be Christs that hath not his spirit Rom. 8. 1 5 6 7 8 9 13. Qu. 6. Ask them whether any man have a treasure in Heaven whose heart is not there Math. 6. 21. And whether this be not the difference between the Wicked and the Godly that the first do make their bellies their Gods and mind Earthly things and are Enemies to the Cross of Christ though perhaps not to his name and the latter have their conversation in Heaven and being risen with Christ do seek and set their affections on things above and not on the things that are on earth to which they are as dead and their life is hid or out of sight with Christ in God till Christ appear and then they shall appear even openly to all the world with him in Glory Phil. 3. 18 19 20. Col. 4. 1 2 3 4 5. Qu. 7. Ask them whether is be credible and suitable to Gods word or workings that he that will not give them the fruits of the earth without their labour nor feed and cloath them without themselves will yet bring them to Heaven without any care desire or labour of their own when he hath bid them Care not for the one and called for their greatest diligence for the other Math. 6. 25 33. Ioh. 6. 27. Yea ask them whether these be not the two first articles of all Faith and Religion 1. That God is 2. That he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. Qu. 8. Ask them yea ask your eyes your ears your daily experience in the world whether all or most that call themselves Christians do in good sadness thus live to God in the Spirit and mortifie the flesh with its affections and lusts and seek first God's Kingdom and righteousness and love him above all and lay up treasure and heart in Heaven or rather whether most be not lovers of the world and lovers of pleasure more than God and live not after the flesh and mind not most the things of the flesh I mention not now the drunkards the flesh-pleasing Gentlemen that live in Pride Fulness and Idleness and Sport and Play away their precious time nor the filthy Fornicators nor the merciless oppressors nor the malignant haters of a godly life nor the perjured and perfidious betrayers of mens souls and of the Gospel or their Countries good nor such other men of â—eared Consciences whose misery none questioneth but such as are as blind and miserable It 's not these only I am speaking of but the common worldly fleshly and ungodly ones Qu. 9. Ask them whether the name of a Christian will save any one of these ungodly persons And whether God will like men the better for lying and calling themselves Christians when they are none indeed And whether they dare
preach to the people that a Christian drunkard or a Christian fornicator or oppressor or a Christian worldling needeth no Conversion Qu. 10. Ask them wether they say not themselves that Hypocrisie is a great aggravation of all other sin and whether God hath not made the Hypocrites and Vnbelievers to be the standards in Hell Luke 25. 51. And whether seeking to abuse God by a mock-religion do make such false Christians better than the poor Heathens and Infidels or much worse And whether he be not an Hypocrite that professeth to be a Christian and a servant of God when he is none nor will be And whether he that knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall not have the sorest stripes or punishment Luke 12. 47. Qu. 11. Ask them whether in their Baptism which is their Christening as to Covenant they did not renounce the flesh the world and the Devil and vow and deliver up themselves to God their Father their Saviour and their Sanctifier And whether all or most men perform this vow And whether a perjured Covenant-breaker against God is fitter for salvation than one that never was baptized Qu. 12. Ask them whether the holy nature of God be not so contrary to sin as that it is blasphemy to say that he will take into Heaven and into the bosome of his eternal delights any unholy unrenewed soul 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. Qu. 13. Ask them why it was that Christ came into the world whether it was not to save his people from their sins Mat. 1. 21. and to destroy the works of the Devil 1 Iohn 3. 8. and to purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 14. and to bring home straying souls to God Luke 15. and to be the way to the Father Ioh. 14. 6. And whether Christ save that soul that is not converted by him and saved from his sins Or whether it be the dead Image only of a Crucified Iesus that is all their Saviour while they will have no more of him Qu. 14. Ask them why they believe and were baptized into the Holy Ghost and whether a man can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven that is not born of the Spirit as well as of Water Iohn 3. 3 5 6. and that is not converted and begins not the world as it were anew in a teachable tractable newness of life like a little child Matth. 18. 3. And whether it be not a certain truth that If any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8. 9. Qu. 15. Ask them why Christ gave the world so many warnings of the damnableness of the Pharisees hypocrisie if Hypocritical Christians may be saved And what were these Pharisees They were the Masters of the Jewish Church The Rabbies that must have high places high titles and ceremonies formal garments and must be reverenced of all That gave God lip-service without the heart and made void his commands and worshipped him in vain teaching for doctrines the commandments of men and strictly tythed Mint and Cummin while love mercy and Justice were past by Who worshipped God with abundance of ceremonies and built the Tombs and garnished the Sepulchres of the Saints while they killed and persecuted those that did imitate them and hated the living Saints and honoured the dead They were the bitterest enemies and murderers of Christ on pretense that he was a blasphemer and a seditious enemy to Caesar and the common peace and one that spake against the Temple They were the greatest enemies of the Apostles and silencers of those that preached Christs Gospel and persecuted them that called on his name And had these no need of Conversion because they could say God is our Father when the Devil was their Father Iohn 8. 44. and that they were Abraham's seed And are not hypocritical Christians drunken Christians fornicating Christians carnal worldly infidel Christians the contradiction is your own persecuting Christians false-named hypocritical Christians as bad yea worse as they abuse a more excellent profession Mat. 15. 7 8. and 23. and 22. 18. and 6. 2 c. Luke 12. 1. Qu. 16. Doth not the Holy State of Heaven require Holiness in all that shall possess it Can an unholy soul there see and love and praise and delight in God for ever and in the Holy Society and employment of the Saints Rev. 21. 27. Is he not liker a Mahometan than a Christian that looketh for a sensual and unholy Heaven Qu. 17. What is the difference between the Church and the world Is not the Church a holy Society of Regenerate souls Yea the Church visible is those only that in Baptism vow Holiness and profess it Look these hypocrites in the face and see whether they do not blush when they repeat in their Creed I believe in the Holy Ghost I believe the Holy Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints who shall have the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting Ask them whether they mean Holy Adulterers holy worldlings holy perjured persons Ask them whether they mean a Communion of Saints in a Tavern in a play-house in a gaming house in a whore-house or a jesting canting stage-play Communion If the Church be holy be holy if you will be of the Church If it be a Communion of Saints make it not a Communion of swine and make not Saints and their Communion seem odious either for their infirmities or their crossness to your carnal interests or conceits Qu. 18. Ask them whether there be a Heaven and a Hell or not If not why are they pretended Christians If there be will God send one man to Heaven and another to Hell to so vast so amazing a difference of states if there be no great difference between them here If Holiness no more differenced Christians from others than saying a sermon or saying over a prayer doth difference one from an Infidel where were the Iustice of God in saving some and damning others what were Christianity better than the religion of Antonine Plato Socrates Seneca Cicero Plutarch if not much worse Go into London streets and when you have talkâ— with living prudent men then go to the Painters shop and see a comely picture and to the Looking-glass and see the appearances of each passenger in a glass and to the Periwig shops and see a wooden head with a Periwig upon the bulk and you have seen somewhat like the difference of a Holy Soul and of a dead and dressed formal hypocrite Psal. 23. 27. Qu. 19. Ask them whether Kings and all men make not a great difference between man and man the loyal and the perâ—idious the obedient and the disobedient And whether they difference not themselves between a friend and a foe one that loveth them and one that robbeth beateth or would kill them And shall not the most Holy God more difference between the righteous and the wicked Mal. 3. 17 18. Qu. 20. But if they are dead in every
this he saith Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Psal. 116. 7. and it is even ready to breath out Simeons song Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Luke 2. 29. and saith with Iacob I when his old heart revived at the wellcome tydings It is enoughâ— Gen. 45. 28. When he sees he hath a God in Covenant to go to this is all his salvation and all his desire 2. Sam. 23. 5. Man is this thy case Hast thou experienced this Why then blessed art thou of the Lord. God hath been at work with thee he hath laid hold on thin heart by the power of converting grace or else thou couldst never have done this The Mediate term of Conversion is either Principal or less Principal The Principal is Christ the only mediatour between God and man 1 Tim. 2. 5. His work is to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. he is the way to the Father Iohn 14. 6. the only plank on which we may escape the only door by which we may enter Iohn 10. 9. Conversion brings over the soul to Christ to accept of him Col. 2. 6. as the only means of life as the only way the only name given under Heaven Act. 4. 12. He looks not for salvation in any other but him nor in any other with him but throws himself on Christ alone as one that should cast himself with spread arms upon the Sea Here saith the convinced sinner here I will venture and if I perish I perish if I die I will die here But Lord suffer me not to perish under the pitiful eyes of thy mercy Intreat me not to leave thee nor to turn away from following after thee Ruth 1. 16. Here I will throw my self If thou kick me if thou kill me Iob 13. 15. I will not go from thy door Thus the poor soul doth venture upon Christ and resolvedly adhere to him Before Conversion the man made light of Christ minded the â—arm friends merchandise more than Christ Matth. 22. 5. now Christ is to him as his necessary food his daily bread the life of his heart the staff of his life Phil. 3. 9. His great design is that Christ may be magnified in him Phil. 1. 20. His heart once said as they to the spouse What is thy beloved more than another Cant. 5. 9. He found more sweetness in his merry company wicked games earthly delights than in Christ. He took religion for a fancy and the talk of great enjoyments for an idle dream But now to him to live is Christ. He sets light by all that he accounted precious for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. Phil. 3. 8. All of Christ is accepted by the sincere Convert He loves not only the wages but work of Christ Rom. 7. 22. not only the benefits but the burden of Christ. He is willing not only to tread out the corn but to draw under the yoke he takes up the commands of Christ yea and the Cross of Christ. Mat. 11. Mat. 16. 24. The unsound closes by the halves with Christ he is all for the salvation of Christ but he is not for sanctification he is for the priviledges but appretiates not the person of Christ. He divides the offices and benefits of Christ. This is an error in the foundation Whoso loveth life let him beware here 'T is an undoing mistake of which you have been often warned and yet none more common Jesus is a sweet name but men love not the Lord Jesus in sincerity Eph. 6. 24. They will not have him as God offers To be a Prince and a Saviour Act. 5. 31. They divide what God hath joined the King and the Priest Yea they will not accept the salvation of Christ as he intends it they divide here Every mans vote is for salvation from suffering but they desire not to be saved from sinning They would have their lives saved but withall they would have their lusts saved Yea many divide here again they would be content to have some of their sins destroyed but they cannot leave the lap of Dalilah or divorce the beloved Herodias They cannot be cruel to the right eye or right hand the Lord must pardon them in this thing 2 Kings 5. 18. Oh be infinitely tender here your souls lie upon it The sound Convert takes a whole Christ and takes him for all intents and purposes without exceptions without limitations without reserves He is willing to have Christ upon his terms upon any terms He is willing of the dominion of Christ as well as deliverance by Christ he saith with Paul Lord what wilt thou have me to do Act. 9. 6. Any thing Lord He sends the blank for Christ to set down his own conditions Act. 2. 37. Act. 16. 30. The less Principal is the Laws Ordinances and ways of Christ. The heart that was once set against these and could not endure the strictness of these bonds the severity of these wayes now falls in love with them and chooses them as its rule and guide for ever Psal. 119. 111 112. Four things I observe God doth work in every sound Convert with reference to the Laws and ways of Christ by which you may come to know your estates if you will be faithful to your own souls and therefore keep your eyes upon your hearts as you go along 1. The Iudgment is brought to approve of them and subscribe to them as most righteous and most reasâ—nable Psal. 119. 128 137 138. The mind is brought to like the ways of God and the corrupt prejudices that were once against them as unreasonable and intolerable are now removed The understanding assents to them all as holy just and good Rom. 7. 12. How is David taken up with the excellencies of Gods Laws How doth he expatiate in their praises both from their inherent qualities and admirable effects Psal 19. 8 9 10 c. There is a twofold judgment of the understanding Iudicium absolutum comparatum The absolute judgment is when a man thinks such a course best in the general but not for him or not under the present circumstances he is in pro hîc nune Now a godly mans judgment is for the waies of God and that not only the absolute but comparative judgement he thinks them not only best in general but best for him He looks upon the rules of religion not only as tolerable but desirable yea more desirable than gold fine gold yea much fine gold Psal 19. 10. His judgment is settledly determined that it is best to be holy that 't is best to be strict that it is in it self the most eligible course and that 't is for him the wisest and most rational and desirable choice Hear the godly mans Judgment I know O Lord that thy judgments are right I love thy Commandment above gold yea above fine gold I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate
preacher in the bosom speak Cry aloud and spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet let not the blood of this soul be required at thy hands CHAP. III. Of the Necessity of Conversion IT may be you are ready to say what meaneth this stir And are apt to wonder why I follow you with such earnestness still ringing one lesson in your ears That you should repent and be converted Act. 3. 19. But I must say unto you as Ruth to Naomi Intreat me not to leave you nor to turn aside from following after you Ruth 1. 16. Were it a matter of indifferency I would never keep so much ado Might you be saved as you be I would gladly let you alone But would you not have me sollicitous for you when I see you ready to perish As the Lord liveth before whom I am I have not the least hopes to see ever a one of your faces in Heaven except you be converted I utterly despair of your sâ—lvation except you will be prevailed with to turn throughly and give up your selves to God in holiness and newness of life Hath God said Except you be born again you cannot see the Kingdom of God Iohn 3. 3. and yet do you wonder why your Ministers do so painfully travel in birth with you Think it not strange that I am earnest with you to follow after holiness and long to see the image of God upon you Never did any nor shall any enter into Heaven by any other way but this The Conversion described is not an high pitch of some taller Christians but every soul that is saved passes this universal change It was a passage of the noble Roman when he was hasting with corn to the City in the famine and the mariners were loth to set â—ail in the foul weather Necessarium est navigare non est necessarium vivere Our voyage is of more necessity than our lives What is it that thou dost account necessary Is thy bread necessary Is thy breath necessary Then thy Conversion is much more necessary Indeed this is the Vnum Necessarium the one thing necessary Thine estate is not necessary thou maist sell all for the pearl of great price and yet be a gainer by the purchase Mat. 13. 45. Thy life is not necessary thou maist part with it for Christ to infinite advantage Thine esteem is not necessary thou maist be reproached for the name of Christ and yet happy yea much more happy in reproach than in repute 1 Pet. 4. 14. Mat. 5. 10 11. But thy Conversion is necessary thy damnation lies upon it and is it not needful in so important a case to look about Upon this one point depends thy making or marring to all eternity But I shall more particularly shew the necessity of Conversion in five things for without this I. Thy being is in vain Is it not pity thou shouldst be good for nothing an unprofitable burden of the earth a wart or wen in the body of the universe Thus thou art while unconverted for thou canst not answer the end of thy being Is it not for the divine pleasure thou art and wert created Rev. 4. 11. Did not he make thee for himself Prov. 16. 4. Art thou a man and hast thou reason Why then bethink thy self why and whence thy being is Behold Gods workmanship in thy body and ask thy self To what end did God rear this fabrick Consider the noble faculties of thy Heaven-born soul to what end did God bestow these excellencies To no other than that than shouldst please thy self and gratifie thy senses Did God send men like the swallows into the world â—only to gather a few sticks and dirt and build their nests and breed up their young and then away The very heathens could see further than this Art thou so fearfully and wonderfully made Psal. 139. 14. and dost thou not yet think with thy self surely it was for some noble and raised end O man set thy reason a little in the chair Is it not pity such a goodly fabrick should be raised in vain Verâ—ly thou art in vain except thou art for God Better thou hadâ—â— no being than not be for him Wouldst thou serve thy end Thou must repent and be converted Without this thou art to No purpose yea to Bad purpose First to No purpose Man unconverted is like a choice instrument that hath every string broke or out of tune The spirit of the living God must repair and tune it by the grace of regeneration and sweetly move it by the power of actuating grace or else thy prayers will be but howlings and all thy services will make no musick in the ears of the most holy Ephes. 2. 10. Phil. 2. 13. Hos. 7. 14. Esay 1. 15. All thy powers and faculties are so corrupt in thy natural state that except thou be purged from dead works thou canst not serve the living God Heb 9. 14. Tit. 1. 15. An unsanctified man cannot work the work of God 1. He hath no skill in it He is altogether as unskilful in the work as in the word of righteousness Heb 5. 13. There are great mysteries as well in the practice as principles of godliness now the unregenerate knoweth not the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 13. 11. 1 Tim. 3. 16. You may as well expect him that never learn'd the Alphabet to read or look for goodly musick on the lute from one that never set his hand to an instrument as that a natural man should do the Lord any pleasing service He must be first taught of God Iohn 6. 45. taught to pray Luke 11. 1. taught to profit Esay 48. 17. taught to go Hâ—s 11. 3. or else he will be utterly at a loss 2. He hath no strength for it How weak is his heart Ezek. 16. 30. He is presently tired the Sabbath what a weariness is it Mal. 1. 13. He is without strength Rom. 5. 6. yea stark dead in sin Eph. 2. 5. 3. He hath no mind to it he desires not the knowledge of Gods ways Iob 21. 14. He doth not know them and he doth not care to know them Psal. 82. 5. He knows not neither will he understand 4. He hath neither due instruments not materials for it A man may as well hew the marble without tools or limn without colours or instruments or build without materials as perform any acceptable service without the graces of the spirit which are both the materials and instruments in the work Alms-giving is not a service of God but of vain-glory unless dealt forth by the hand of divine love What is the prayer of the lips without grace in the heart but the carcase without the life What are all our confessions unless they be the exercises of godly sorrow and unfeigned repentance What our petitions unless animated all along with holy desires and faith in the divine attributes and promises What our praises and thanks-giving unless from the love of God and a holy
find eternal life in the broad way is to hope Christ will prove a false prophet 'T is David's plea I hope in thy word Psal. 119. 81. but this hope is against the word Shew me a word of Christ for thy hope that he will save thee in thine ignorance or prophane neglects of his service and I will never to to shake thy confidence 2. God doth with abhorrency reject this hope Those condemned in the Prophet went on in their sins yet saith the Text they will lean upon the Lord. Mic. 3. 11. God will not endure to be made a prop to men in their sins The Lord rejects those presumptuons sinners that went on still in their trespasses and yet would stay themselves upon the God of Israel Esay 48. 1 2. as a man would shake of the briars as one well that cleaves to his garment 3. If thy hope were any thing worth it would purify thee from thy sins 1 Iohn 3. 3. but cursed is that hope which doth cherish men in their sins Obj. Would you have us to despair An. You must despair of ever coming to Heaven as you are Act. 2. 37. that is while you remain unconverted You must despair ever to see the face of God without holiness but you must by no means despair of finding mercy upon your through repentance and conversion neither may you despair of attaining to repentance and conversion in the use of Gods means V. Without this all that Christ hath done and suffered will be as to you in vain Iohn 13. 8. Tit. 2. 14. that is it will no way avail to your salvation Many urge this as sufficient ground for their hopes that Christ died for sinners but I must tell you Christ never died to save impenitent and unconverted sinners so continuing 2 Tâ—m 2. 19. A great Divine was wont in his private dealings with souls to ask two questions 1. What hath Christ done for you 2. What hath Christ wrought in you Without the application of the spirit in Regeneration we can have no saving interest in the benefits of Redemption I tell you from the Lord Christ himself cannot save you if you go on in this estate I. It were against his trust The mediatour is the servant of the father Esay 42. 1. shews his commission from him acts in his name and pleads his command for his justification Iohn 10. 18 36. Iohn 6. 38 40. And God hath committed all things to him entrusted his own glory and the salvation of his elect with him Mat. 11. 27. Iohn 17. 2. Accordingly Christ gives his father an account of both parts of his trust before he leaves the world Iohn 17. 4 6 12. Now Christ should quite cross his fathers glory his greatest trust if he should save men in their sins for this were to overturn all his counsels and offer violence to all his attributes First To overturn all his counsels of which this is the order that men should be brought through sanctification to salvation 2. Thes. 2. 13. he hath chosen them that they should be holy Eph. 1. 4. They are elected to pardon and life through sanctification 1 Pet. 1. 2. If thou canst repeal the Law of Gods immutable counsel or corrupt him whom the Father hath sealed to go directly against his Commission then and not otherwise maist thou get to Heaven in this condition To hope that Christ will save thee while unconverted is to hope that Christ will falsify his trust He never did nor will save one soul but whom the Father had given him in election and drawn to him in effectual calling Iohn 6. 37 44. Be assured Christ will save none in a way contrary to his Fathers will who came on purpose to do his will Iohn 6. 38. Secondly To offer violence to all his attributes 1. To his Iustice. For the righteousness of Gods judgment lies in rendring to all according to their works Rom. 2. 5 6. Now should men sow to the flesh and yet of the spirit reap everlasting life Gal. 6. 7 8. where were the glory of divine Justice since it should be given to the wicked according to the work of the righteous 2. To his holiness If God should not only save sinners but save them in their sins his most pure and strict holiness would be exceedingly defaced The unsanctified is in the eyes of Gods holiness worse than a swine or viper Mat. 23. 33. 2 Pet. 2. 22. Now what cleanly nature could endure to have the filthy swine bed and board with him in his parlour or bed chamber It would offer extremest violence to the infinite purity of the divine nature to have such to dwell with him They cannot stand in his judgment they cannot abide in his presence Psal. 1. 5. Psal. 5. 4 5. If holy David would not endure such in his house no nor in his sight Psal. 101. 3 7. shall we think God will Should he take men as they be from the trow to the table from the harlots lips from the sty and draugh to the glory of Heaven the world would think God were at no such distance from sin nor had such dislike of it as we are told he hath they would conclude God were altogether such a one as themselves as they wickedly did but from the very forbearance of God Psal. 50. 21. 3. To his veracity For God hath declared from Heaven That if any shall say they shall have peace though he should go on in the imagination of his heart his wrath shall smoak against that man Deut. 29. 19 20. That they only that confess and forsake their sins shall find mercy Prov. 28. 13. That they that shall enter into his â—ill must be of clean hands and a pure heart Psal. 24. 3 4. Where were Gods truth if notwithstanding all this he â—hould bring men to salvation without Conversion O desperate sinner that darest to hope that Christ will put the lie upon his Father and nullify his word to save thee 4. To his wisdom For this were to throw away the choicest mercies on them that would not value them nor were any way suited to them First they would not value them The unsanctified sinner puts but little price upon Gods great salvation Mat. 22. 5. He sets no more by Christ than the whole by the physician Mat. 9. 12. he prizes not his balm values not his cure tramples upon his blood Heb. 10. 29. Now would it stand with wisdom to force pardon and life upon them that would give him no thanks for them Will the all-wise God when he hath forbidden us to do it throw his holy things to dogs and his pearl to swine that would as it were but turn again and rent him Mat. 7. 6. This would make mercy to be despised indeed Wisdom requires that life be given in a way suitable to Gods honour and that God provide for the securing his own glory as well as mans felicity It would be dishonourable to God to set his
jewels in the snouts of swine continuing such and to bestow his choicest riches on them that have more pleasure in their swill than the Heavenly delights that he doth offer God should lose the praise and glory of his grace if he should cast it away on them that were not only unworthy but unwilling Secondly they are no way suited to them The divine wisdom is seen in suiting things each to other the means to the end the object to the faculty the quality of the gift to the capacity of the receiver Now if Christ should bring the unregenerate sinner to Heaven he could take no more felicity there than a beast if you should bring him into a beautiful room to the society of learned men and a well furnished table when as the poor thing had much rather be grazing with his fellow-bruits Alas what should an unsanctified creature do in Heaven he could take no content because nothing suits him The place doth not suit him he would be but piscis in arido quite out of his element as a swine in the parlour or a fish out of water The company doth not suit him What communion hath darkness with light corruption with perfection Filth and rottenness with glory and immortality The employment doth not suit him The anthems of Heaven fit not his mouth suit not his ear Canst thou charm thy beast with musick or wilt thou bring him to thy Organ and expect that he should make thee melody or keep time with the skilful quire Or had he skill he would have no will and so could find no pleasure no more than the nauseous stomach in the meat on which it hath newly surfeited Spread thy table with delicates before a languishing patient and it will be but a very offence Alas if the poor man think a sermon long and say of a Sabbath What a weariness is it Mal. 1. 13. how miserable would be think it to be held to it to all eternity 5. To his Immutability or else to his Omnisciency or Omnipotency For this is enacted in the conclave of Heaven and enrolled in the decrees of the Court above that none but the pure in heart shall ever see God Mat. 5. 8. This is laid up with him and sealed among his treasures Now if Christ yet bring any to Heaven unconverted either he must get them in without his fathers knowledge and then where is his Omnisciency or against his will and then where were his Omnipotency or he must change his will and then where were his immutability Sinner wilt thou not yet give up thy vain hope of being saved in this condition Saith Bildad Shall the earth be forsaken for thee or the rocks removed out of their place Iob. 18. 4. May not I much more reason so with thee Shall the Laws of Heaven be reversed for thee Shall the everlasting foundations be overturned for thee Shall Christ put out the eye of his Fathers omnisciency or shorten the arm of his eternal power for thee Shall divine justice be violated for thee Or the brightness of the glory of his holiness be blemished for thee Oh the impossibility absurdity blasphemy that is in such a confidence To think Christ will ever save thee in this condition is to make thy Saviour to become a sinner and to do more wrong to the infinite Majesty than all the wicked on earth or devils in hell ever did or could And yet wilt thou not give up such a blasphemous hope II. Against his word We need not say Who shall ascend into Heaven to bring down Christ from above Or who shall descend into the deep to bring up Christ from beneath The word is nigh us Rom. 10. 6 7 8. Are you agreed that Christ shall end the controversie Hear then his own words Except you be converted you shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 18. 3. You must be born again Iohn 3. 7. If I wash thee not thou hast no part in me Iohn 13. 8. Repent or perish Luke 13. 3. One word one would think were enough from Christ but how often and earnestly doth he reiterate it verily verily verily verily except a man be born again he shall not see the Kingdom of God Iohn 3. 3 5. Yea he doth not only assert but prove the necessity of the new birth viz. from the fleshliness and filthiness of mans first birth Iohn 3. 6. by reason of which man is no more fit for Heaven than the beast is for the chamber of the Kings presence And wilt thou yet believe thine own presumptuous confidence directly against Christs word He must go quite against the Law of his Kingdom and rule of his judgment to save thee in this estate III. Against his Oath He hath lifted up his hand to Heaven he hath sworn that those that remain in unbelief and know not his wayes that is are ignorant of them or disobedient to them shall not enter into his rest Psal. 95. 11. Heb. 3. 18. And wilt thou not yet believe O sinner that he is in earnest Canst thou hope he will be forsworn for thee The Covenant of grace is confirmed by oath and sealed by blood Heb. 6. 17. Heb. 9. 16 18 19. Mat. 26. 28. but all must be made void and another way to Heaven found out if thou be saved living and dying unsanctified God is come to his lowest and last terms with man and hath condescended as far as with honour he could hath set up his pillars with a Ne plus ultra Men cannot be saved while unconverted except they could get another Covenant made and the whole frame of the Gospel which was established for ever with such dreadful solemnities quite altered and would not this be a distracted hope IV. Against his Honour Christ will so shew his love to the sinner as withall to shew his hatred to sin Therefore he that names the name of Jesus must depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. and deny all ungodliness and he that hath hope of life by Christ must purify himself as he is pure 1 Iohn 3. 3. Tit. 2. 12. otherwise Christ would be thought a fautour of sin The Lord Jesus will have all the world to know though he pardon sin he will not protect it If holy David shall say depart from me all you workers of iniquity Psal. 6. 8. and shall shut his doors against them Psal. 101. 7. shall not such much more expect it from Christs holiness Would it be for his honour to have the dogs to the table or to lodge the swine with his children or to have Abrahams bosome to be a nest of Vipers V. Against his Offices God hath exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour Act. 5. 31. he should against both should he save men in their sins It is the office of a King â—arcere subjectis debellare superbos To be a terror to evil doers and a praise to them that do well Rom. 13. 3 4. He is
awakening consideration That Multitudes miscarry by the hand of some secret sin that is not only hidden from others but for want of observing their own hearts even from themselves A man may be free from open pollutions and yet die at last by the fatal hand of some unobserved iniquity And there be these eleven hidden sins by which souls go down by numbers to the chambers of death These you must search carefully for and take them as black marks where-ever they be found discovering a graceless and unconverted estate As you love your lives read them carefully with a holy jealousie of your selves lest you should be the persons concerned 1. Gross Ignorance Ah how many poor souls doth this sin kill in the dark Hos. 4. 6. while they think verily they have good hearts and are in the ready way to Heaven This is the murderer that diâ—patches thousands in a silent manner when poor hearts they suspect nothing and see not the hand that mischiefs them You shall find whatever excuses you have for ignorance that 't is a soul-undoing evil Esay 27. 11. 2 Thess. 1. 8. 2 Cor. 4. 3. Ah would it not have pitied a man's heart to have seen that woful spectacle when the poor Protestants were shut up a multitude together in a barn and a butcher comes with his inhumane hands warm in humane blood and leads them one by one blindfold to a block where he slew them poor Innocents one after another by the scores in cold blood But how much more should our hearts bleed to think of the hundreds in great congregations that ignorance doth butcher in secret and lead them blindfold to the block Beware this be none of your case Make no pleas for ignorance If you spare that sin know that that will not spare you Will a man keep a murderer in his bosome 2. Secret reserves in closing with Christ. To forsake all for Christ to hate father and mother yea and a mans own life for him this is a hard saying Luke 14. 26. Some will do much but they will not be of the religion that will undo them they never come to be entirely devoted to Christ nor fully to resign to him They must have the sweet sin They mean to do themselves no harm They have secret exceptions for life liberty or estate Many take Christ thus hand over head and never consider his self-denying terms nor cast upon the cost and this error in the foundation marrs all and secretly ruines them for ever Luke 14. 28. Mat. 13. 21. 3. Formality in Religion Many stick in the bark and rest in the outside of religion and in the external performance of holy duties Mat. 23. 25. and this oft times doth most effectually deceive men doth more certainly undo them than open looseness as it was in the Pharisees case Mat. 21. 31. They hear they fast they pray they give alms and therefore will not believe but their case is good Luke 18. 11. whereas resting in the work done and coming short of the heart-work and the inward power and vitals of religion they fall at last into the burnings from the flattering hopes and confident perswasions of their being in the ready way to Heaven Mat. 7. 22 23. Oh dreadful case when a man's religion shall serve only to harden him and effectually to delude and deceive his own soul 4. The prevalency of false ends in holy duties Mat. 23. 5. This was the bane of the Pharisees Oh how many a poor soul is undone by this and drops into hell before he discerns his mistake He performs good duties and so thinks all is well and perceives not that he is acted by carnal motives all the while It is too true that even with the truly sanctified many carnal ends will oft times creep in but they are the matter of his hatred and humiliation and never come to be habitually prevalent with him and to bear the greatest sway Rom. 14. 7. But now when the main thing that doth ordinarily carry a man out to religious duties shall be some carnal end as to satisfy his conscience to get the repute of being religious to be seen of men to shew his own gifts and parts to avoid the reproach of a prophane and irreligious person or the like this discovers an unsound heart Hos. 10. 1. Zech. 7. 5 6. Oh Christians if you would avoid self-deceit see that you mind not only your acts but withal yea above all your ends 5. Trusting in their own righteousness Luke 18. 9. This is a soul-undoing mischief Rom. 10. 3. When men do trust in their own righteousness they do indeed reject Christ's Beloved you had need be watchful on every hand for not only your sins but your duties may undo you It may be you never thought of this but so it is that a man may as certainly miscarry by his seeming righteousness and supposed graces as by gross sins and that is when a man doth trust to these as his righteousness before God for the satisfying his justice appeasing his wrath procuring his favour and obtaining of his own pardon for this is to put Christ out of office and make a Saviour of our own duties and graces Beware of this O professours you are much in duties but this one fly will spoil all the ointment â—â—en you have done most and best be sure to go out of your selves to Christ and reckon your own righteousness but rags Psal. 143. 2. Phil. 3. 8. Esay 64. 6. Neh. 13. 22. 6. A secreâ— enmity against the strictness of religion Many moral persons punctual in their formal devotion have yet a bitter enmity against preciseness and hate the life and power of religion Phil. 3. 6. compared with Act. 9. 1. They like not this forwardness nor that men should keep such a stir in religion They condemn the strictness of Religion as singularity indiscretion and intemperate zeal and with them a lively preacher or zealous Christian is but a heady fellow These men love not holiness as holiness for then they would love the height of holiness and therefore are undoubtedly rotten at heart whatever good opinion they have of themselves 7. The resting in a certain pitch of Religion When they have so much as will save them as they suppose they look no further and so shew themselves short of true Grace which will ever put men upon aspiring to further perfection Phil. 3. 12 13. Prov. 4. 18. 8. The predominant love of the World This is a sure evidence of an unsanctified heartâ— Mar. 10. 37. 1 Iohn 2. 15. But how close doth this sin lurk oft-times under a fair covert of forward profession Luke 8. 14. Yea such a power of deceit is there in this sin that maâ—â— times when every body else can 〈◊〉 mans worldliness and covetousness he câ—â—not see it himself but hath so many colours and excuses and pretences for his eagerness on the world that he doth blind his own eyes and perish in his
Laws the mercies the warnings that they were committed against Nehem. 9. Dan. 9. Ezra 9. Oh the work that sin hath made in the world This is the enemy that hath brought in death that hath robbed and enslaved man that hath blacked the devil that hath digged hell Rom. 5. 12. 2 〈◊〉 2. 4. Iohn 8. 34. this is the enemy that hath turned the creation upside down and sown dissension between man and the creatures between man and man yea between man and himself setting the sensitive part against the rational will against judgment lust against conscience yea worst of all between God and man making the lapsed sinner both hateful to God and a hater of him Zech. 11. 8. O man how canst thou make so light of sin This is the traitour that sucked the blood of the Son of God that sold him that mocked him that scourged him that spat in his face that digged his hands that pierced his side that pressed his soul that mangled his body that never lest till it had bound him condemned him nailed him crucified him and put him to open shame Esay 53. 4 5 6. This is that deadly poison so powerful of operation as that one drop of it shed upon the root of mankind hath corrupted spoiled and poisoned and undone his whole race at once Rom. 5. 18 19. This is the common butcher the bloody executioner that hath killed the Prophets that hath burnt the Martyrs that hath murdered all the Apostles all the Patriarchs all the Kings and Potentates that hath destroyed Cities swallowed Empires butchered and devoured whole Nations Whatever was the weapon that 't was done by sin was it that did the execution Rom. 6. 23. Dost thou yet think it but a small thing If Adam and all his children could be digged out of their graves and their bodies piled up to Heaven and an inquest were made what matchless murderer were guilty of all this blood it would be all found in the skirts of sin Study the nature of sin till thy heart be brought to fear and loath it And meditate on the aggravations of thy particular sins how thou hast sinned against all Gods warnings against thine own prayers against mercies against corrections against clearest light against freest love against thine own resolutions against promises vows covenants of better obedience c. charge thy heart home with these things till it blush for shame and be brought out of all good opinion of it self Ezra 9. 6. Meditate upon the desert of sin It cryeth up to Heaven it calls for vengeance Gen. 18. 20. It s due wages is death damnation It pulls the curse of God upon the soul and body Gal. 3. 10. Deut. 28. The least sinful word or thought laies thee under the infinite wrath of God Almighty Rom. 2. 8 9. Mat. 12. 36. Oh what a load of wrath what a weight of curses what a treasure of vengeance have all the millions of thy sins then deserved Rom. 2. 5. Ioh. 3. 36. Oh judge thy self that the Lord may not judge thee 1 Cor. 11. 31. Meditate upon the deformity and defilement of sin 'T is as black as hell the very image and likeness of the Devil drawn upon thy soul. 1 Iohn 3. 8 10. It would more affright thee to see thy self in the hateful deformity of thy nature than to see the devil There is no mire so unclean no vomit so loathsome no carcase or carrion so offensive no plague or leprosie so noisom as sin in which thou art all enrolled 〈◊〉 covered with its odious filth whereby 〈◊〉 art rendred more displeasing to the pure and holy nature of the glorious God than the most filthy object composed of whatever is hateful to all thy senses can be to thee Iob 15. 15 16. Couldst thou take up a toad into thy bosom Couldst thou cherish it and take delight in it Why thou art as contrary to the pure and perfect holiness of the divine nature and as loathsome as that is to thee Mat. 23. 33. till thou art purified by the blood of Jesus and the power of renewing grace Above all other sins fix the eye of Consideration on these two 1. The sin of thy nature 'T is to little purpose to lop off the branches while the root of original corruption remains untouched In vain do men lave out the streams when the fountain is still running that fills up all again Let the axe of thy repentance with David's go to the root of sin Psal. 51. 5. Study thy natural pollution how universal it is how deep how close how permanent it is till thou dost cry out with Paul's feeling upon thy body of death Rom. 7. 24. Look into all thy parts and powers and see what unclean vessels what styes what dunghills what sinks they are become Heu miser quid sum vas fâ—erquilinii concha putredinis plenus foetore horrore August Solil c. 2. The heart is never soundly broken till throughly convinced of the heynousness of original sin Here fix thy thoughts This is that that makes thee backward to all good prone to all evil Rom. 7. 15. that sheds blindness pride prejudices unbelief into thy mind enmity unconstancy obstinacy into thy will inordinate heats and colds into thy affections insensibleness benummedness unfaithfulness into thy conscience slipperiness into thy memory and in a word hath put every wheel of thy soul out of order and made it of an habitation of holiness to become a very hell of iniquity Iames 3. 6. This is that that hath defiled corrupted perverted all thy members and turned them into weapons of unrighteousness and servants of sin Rom. 6. 19. that hath filled the head with carnal and corrupt designs Mic. 2. 1. the hands with sinful practices Esay 1. 15. the eyes with wandring and wantonness 2 Pet. 2. 14. the tongue with deadly poison Iames 3. 8. that hath opened the ears to tales flattery and filthy communication and shut them against the instruction of life Zech. 7. 11 12. and hath rendred thy heart a very mint and forge of sin and the cursed womb of all deadly conceptions Mat. 15. 19. so that it poureth forth its wickedness without ceasing 2 Pet. 2. 14 even as naturally freely unweariedly as a fountain doth pour forth its water Ier. 6. 7. or the raging Sea doth cast forth mire and dirt Esay 57. 20. And wilt thou yet be in love with thy self and tell us any longer of thy good heart O never leave meditating on this desperate contagion of original corruption till with Ephraim thou bemoan thy self Ier. 31. 18. and with deepest shame and sorrow smite on thy breast as the publican Luk. 18. 13. and with Iob abhor thy self and repent in dust and ashes Iob 42. 6. 2. The particular evil that thou art most addicted to Find out all its aggravations Set home upon thy heart all Gods threatnings against it Repentance drives before it the whole herd but especially sticks the arrow in the beloved
told thee what thou must do to be saved Wilt thou now obey the voice of the Lord Wilt thou arise and set to thy work O man what answer wilt thou make what excuse wilt thou have if thou shouldest perish at last through very wilfulness when thou hast known the way of life I do not fear thy miscarrying if thine own idleness do not at last undo thee in neglecting the use of the means that are so plainly here prescribed Rouze up oh sluggard and ply thy work Be doing and the Lord will be with thee A short Soliloquy for an unregenerate sinner Ah wretched man that I am what a condition have I brought my self into by sin Oh! I see my heart hath but deceived me all this while in flattering me that my condition was good I see I see I am but a lost and undone man for ever undone unless the Lord help me out of this condition My sins My sins Lord what an unclean polluted wretch am I more loathsome and odious to thee than the most hateful Venome or noisome carcase can be to me Oh! what a Hell of sin is in this heart of mine which I have flattered my self to be a good heart Lord how universally am I corrupted in all my parts powers performances All the imaginations of the thoughts of my heart are only evil continually I am under an inability to averseness from and enmity against any thing that is good and am prone to all that is evil My heart is a very sink of all sin and oh the innumerable hosts and swarms of sinful thoughts words and actions that have flown from thence Oh the load of guilt that is on my soul my head is full and my heart full my mind and my members they are all full of sin Oh my sins How do they stare upon me How do they witness against me Wo is me my Creditors are upon me every commandment taketh hold upon me for more than ten thousand talents yea ten thousand times ten thousand How endless then is the summe of all my debts If this whole world were filled up from earth to Heaven with paper and all this paper written over within and without by Arithmeticians yet when all were cast up together it would come unconceivably short of what I owe to the least of Gods commandments Wo unto me for my debts are infinite and my sins are increased They are wrongs to an infinite Majesty and if he that committeth treason against a silken mortal is worthy to be racked drawn and quartered what have I deserved that have so often lifted up my hand against Heaven and have struck at the Crown and dignity of the Almighty Oh my sins my sins Behold a troop cometh Multitudes multitudes there is no number of their Armies Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me they have set themselves in array against me Oh! it were better to have all the Regiments of Hell come against me than to have my sins to fall upon me to the spoiling of my Soul Lord how am I surrounded How many are they that rise up against me They have beset me behind and before they swarm within me and without me they have possessed all my powers and have fortified mine unhappy soul as a Garrison which this brood of Hell doth man and maintain against the God that made me And they are as mighty as they be many The sands are many but then they are not great the mountains great but then they are not many But wo is me my sins are as many as the sands and as mighty as the Mountains Their weight is greater than their number It were better that the Rocks and the mountains should fall upon me than the crushing and unsupportable load of my own sins Lord I am heavy laden let mercy help or I am gone Unload me of this heavy guilt this sinking load or I am crushed without hope and must be pressed down to Hell If my grief were thorowly weighed and my sins laid in the ballances together they would be heavier than the sand of the Sea therefore my words are swallowed up they would weigh down all the rocks and the hills and turn the ballance against all the Isles of the Earth O Lord thou knowest my manifold transgressions and my mighty sins Ah my soul Alas my Glory Whither art thou humbled Once the Glory of the creation and the Image of God now a lump of filthiness a Coffin of rottenness replenished with stench and loathsomeness Oh what work hath sin made with thee Thou shalt be termed Forsaken and all the rooms of thy faculties Desolate and the name that thou shalt be called by is Ichabed or Where is the Glory How art thou come down mightily My beauty is turned into deformity and my Glory into shame Lord what a loathsome Leper am I The ulcerous bodies of Iob or Lazarus were not more offensive to the eyes and nostrils of men than I must needs be to the most holy God whose eyes cannot behold iniquity And what misery have my sins brought upon me Lord what a case am I in Sold under sin cast out of Gods favour accursed from the Lord cursed in my body cursed in my soul cursed in my name in my estate my relations and all that I have My sins are unpardoned and my soul within a step of death Alas what shall I do Whither shall I go Which way shall I look God is â—rowning on me from above Hell gaping for me beneath Conscience smiting me within temptations and dangers surrounding me without Oh whither shall I fly What place can hide me from Omnisciency What power can secure me from Omnipotency What meanest thou O my soul to go on thus Art thou in league with Hell hast thou made a covenant with death Art thou in love with thy misery Is it good for thee to be here Alas what shall I do Shall I go on in my sinful ways Why then certain damnation will be mine end shall I be so besotted and bemadded as to go and sell my soul to the flames for a little Ale or a little ease for a little pleasure or gain or content to my flesh Shall I linger any longer in this wretched estate No if I tarry here I shall dye What then is there no help no hope None except I turn Why but is there any remedy for such woful misery any mercy after such provoking iniquity Yes as sure as Gods Oath is true I shall have pardon and mercy yet if I presently unfeignedly and unreservedly turn by Christ to him Why then I thank thee upon the bended knees of my soul O most merciful Iehovah that thy patience hath waâ—ted for me hitherto for hadst thou took me away in this estate I had perished for ever And now I adore thy Grace and accept the offers of thy mercy I renounce all my sins and resolve by thy Grace to set my self against them
and to follow thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life Who am I Lord that I should make any claim to thee or have any part or portion in thee who am not worthy to lick up the dust of thy feet Yet since thou holdest forth the golden Scepter I am bold to come and touch To despair would be to disparage thy mercy and to stand off when thou biddest me come would be at once to undo my self and rebel against thee under pretence of humility Therefore I bow my soul unto thee and with all possible thankfulness accept thee as mine and give up my self to thee as thine Thou shalt be Soveraign over me my King and my God Thou shalt be in the Throne and all my powers shall bow to thee they shall come and worship before thy feet Thou shalt be my portion O Lord and I will rest in thee Thou callest for my heart Oh that it were any way fit for thine acceptance I am unworthy O Lord everlastingly unworthy to be thine But since thou wilt have it so I freely give up my heart to thee Take it it is thine Oh that it were better But Lord I put it into thy hands who alone canst mend it Mould it after thine own heart make it as thou wouldst have it holy humble heavenly soft tender flexible and write thy law upon it Come Lord Jesus come quickly enter in triumphantly take me up for thy self for ever I give up to thee I come to thee as the only way to the Father as the only Mediator the means ordained to bring me to God I have destroyed my self but in thee is my help Save Lord or else I perish I come to thee with the rope about my neck I am worthy to dye and to be damned Never was the hire more due to the servantâ— never was penny more due to the labourer than death and Hell my just wages is due to me for my sins But I fly to thy merits I trust alone to the value and virtue of thy Sacrifice and prevalency of thine intercession I submit to thy teaching I make choice of thy Government Stand open ye everlasting doors that the King of Glory may enter in O thou spirit of the most high the comforter and sanctifier of thy chosen come in with all thy glorious train all thy Courtly attendants thy fruits and Graces Let me be thine habitation I can give thee but what is thine own already but here with the poor Widdow I cast my two mites my soul and my body into thy treasury fully resigning them up to thee to be sanctified by thee to be servants to thee They shall be thy patients cure thou their maladies they shall be thy agents govern thou their motions Too long have I served the world too long have I hearkened to Satan but now I renounce them all and will be ruled by thy dictates and directions and guided by thy counsel O blessed Trinity O glorious Unity I deliver up my self to thee receive me write thy name O Lord upon me and upon all that I have as thy proper goods Set thy mark upon me upon every member of my body and every faculty of my soul. I have chosen thy precepts Thy law will I lay before me this shall be the copy which I will keep in my eye and study to write after According to this rule do I resolve by thy Grace to walk after this law shall my whole man be governed And though I cannot perfectly keep one of thy Commandments yet I will allow my self in the breach of none I know my flesh will hang back but I resolve in the power of thy Grace to cleave to thee and thy holy ways whatever it cost me I am sure I cannot come off a loser by thee and therefore I will be content with reproach and difficulties and hardships here and will deny my self and take up my Cross and follow thee Lord Jesus thy Yoke is easie thy Cross is welcome as it is the way to thee I lay aside all hopes of a worldly happiness I will be content to tarry till I come to thee Let me be poor and low little and despised here so I may be but admitted to live and reign with thee hereafter Lord thou hast my heart and hand to this agreement Be it as the laws of the Medes and Persians never to be reversed To this I will stand in this resolution by Grace I will live and dye I have â—worn and will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments I have given my free consent I have made my everlasting choice Lord Jesus confirm the contract Amen CHAP. VII Containing the Motives to Conversion THough what is already said of the Necessity of Conversionâ— and of the Miseries of the Unconverted might be sufficient to induce any considering mind to resolve upon a present turning or Conversion unto God yet knowing what a piece of desperate obstinacy and untractableness the heart of man naturally is I have thought it necessary to add to the means of Conversion and Directions for a Covenant-closure with God in Christ some Motives to perswade you hereunto O Lord fail me not now at my last attempts If any soul hath read hitherto and be yet untouched now Lord fasten in him and do thy work Now take him by the heart overcome him perswade him till he say Thou hast prevailed for thou wast stronger than I. Lord didst not thou make me a fisher of men And have I toyled all this while and caught nothing Alas that I should have spent my strength for nought And now I am casting my last Lord Iesus stand thou upon the shore and direct how and where I shall spread my net and let me so enclose with arguments the souls I seek for that they may not be able to get out Now Lord for a multitude of souls now for a full draught O Lord God remember me I pray thee and strengthen me this once O God But I turn me unto you Men and Brethren Heaven and earth do call upon you yea hell it self doth preach the doctrine of repentance unto you The Angels of the Churches travel with you Gal. 4. 19. the Angels of Heaven wait for you for your repenting and turning unto God O sinner why should the devils make merry with thee Why shouldst thou be a morsel for that devouring Leviathan Why should harpies and hell-hounds tear thee and make a feast upon thee and when they have got thee into the snare and have fastened their talons in thee laugh at thy destruction and deride thy misery and sport themselves with thy damnable folly This must be thy case except thou turn And were it not better thou shouldst be a joy to Angels than a laughing-stock and sport for devils Verily if thou wouldst but come in the Heavenly Host would take up their anthems and sing Glory be to God in the highest the morning Stars would sing together
Luke 14. 26. Well then pause a little and look within Doth not this nearly concern thee Thou pretendest for Christ but doth not the world sway thee Dost thou not take more real delight and content in the world than in him Dost not thou find thy self better at ease when the world goes to thy mind and thou art encompassed with carnal delights than when retired to prayer and meditation in thy closet or attending upon Gods word and worship No surer evidence of an unconverted state than to have the things of the world uppermost in our aims love and estimations 1 Iohn 2. 15. Iames 4. 4. With the sound Convert Christ hath the supremacy How dear is this name to him How precious is its favour Cant. 1. 3. Psal. 45. 8. The name of Jesus is engraven upon his heart Gal. 4. 19. and lies as a bundle of myrrh between his breasts◠Cant. 1. 13 14. Honour is but air and laughter is but madness and Mammon is fallen like Dagon before the ark with hands and head broken off on the threshold when once Christ is savingly revealed Here is the pearl of great price to the true Convert here is his treasure here is his hope Matth. 13. 44 45. This is his glory My beloved is mine and I am his Gal. 6. 14. Cant. 2. 16. Oh 't is sweeter to him to be able to say Christ is mine than if he could say the Kingdom is mine the Indies are mine Fourthly our own righteousness Before Conversion man seeks to cover himself with his own fig-leaves Phil. 3. 6 7. and to lick himself whole with his own duties Mic. 6. 6 7. He is apt to trust in himself Luke 16. 15. and 18. 9. and set up his own righteousness and to reckon his counters for Gold and not submit to the righteousness of God Rom. 10. 3. But Conversion changes his mind now he casts away his filthy rags and counts his own righteousness but a menstruous cloth he casts it off as a man would the verminous tatters of a nasty beggar Esay 64. 6. Now he is brought to poverty of spirit Matth. 5. 3. complains of and condemns himself Rom. 7. and all his inventory is poor and miserable and wretched and blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. He sees a world of iniquity in his holy things calls his once idolized righteousness but flesh and loss and dogs meat and would not for a thousand worlds be found in himself Phil. 3. 4 7 8◠9. His finger is ever upon his sores Psal. 51. 3. his sins his wants Now he begins to set a high price upon Christs righteousness he sees the need of a Christ in every duty to justifie his person and justifie his performances he cannot live without him he cannot pray without him Christ must go with him or else he cannot come into the presence of God he leans upon the hand of Christ and so he bows himself in the house of his God He sets himself down for a lost undone man without him His life is hid in Christ as the life of man in the heart He is fixed in Christ as the roots of the tree spread in the earth for stability and nutriment Before the news of a Christ was a stale and sapless thing but now how sweet is a Christ Augustine could not relish his before so much admired Cicero because he could not find the name of Christ. How pathetically cries he Dulcissime amantis benignis claris c. quando te videbo quando satiabor de pulchritudine tuâ Medit. c. 37. O most sweet most loving most kind most dear most precious most desired most lovely most fair c. all in a breath when he speaks of and to his Christ. In a word the voice of the Convert is with the Martyr None but Christ. 2. The terms to which are either Vltimate or Subordinate and mediate The Vltimate is God the Father Son and Holy Ghost whom the true Convert takes as his All-sufficient and eternal blessedness A man is never truly sanctified till his very heart be in truth set upon God above all things as his portion and chief good These are the natural breathings of a believers heart Thou art my portion O Lord Psal. 119. 57. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord Psal. 34. 2. My expectation is from him he only is my rock and my salvation he is my defence in God is my salvation and my glory the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God Psal. 62. 1 2 5 6 ◠Psal. 18. 1 2. Would you put it to an issue whether you be converted or not now then let thy soul and all that is within thee attend Hast thou taken God for thy happiness Where doth the content of thy heart lie Whence doth thy choicest comfort come in Come then and with Abraham lift up thine eyes Eastward and Westward and Northward and Southward and cast about thee what it is that thou wouldst have in Heaven or earth to make thee happy If God should give thee thy choice as he did to Solomon or should say to◠thee as Ahasuerus to Esther What is thy petition and what is thy request and it shall we granted thee Esther 5. 3. what wouldst thou ask Go into the gardens of pleasure and gather all the fragrant flowers from thence would these content thee Go to the treasures of Mammon suppose thou mightest lade thy self while thou wouldst from hence go to the towers to the trophies of honour what thinkest thou of being a man of renown of having a name like the name of the great men of the earth Would any of this all this suffice thee and make thee count thy self a happy man If so then certainly thou art carnal and unconverted If not go further wade into the divine excellencies the store of his mercies the hiding of his power the deeps unfathomable of his All-sufficiency Doth this suit thee best and please thee most Dost thou say 'T is good to be here Matth. 17. 4. Here I will pitch here I will live and die Wilt thou let all the world go rather than this Then 't is well between God and thee Happy art thou O man happy art thou that ever thou wast born If a God can make thee happy thou must needs be happy for thou hast avouched the Lord to be thy God Deut. 26. 17. Dost thou say to Christ as he to us Thy father shall be my father and thy God my God Iohn 20. 17. Here is the turning point An unsound professour never takes up his rest in God but converting grace does the work and so cures the fatal misery of the fall by turning the heart from its idols to the living God 1 Thes. 1. 9. Now saies the soul Lord whither should I go Thou hast the words of eternal life Iohn 6. 68. Here he centers here he settles Oh 't is as the entrance of Heaven to him to see his interest in God When he discovers