stranger upon the earth Psal 39. 12. I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner as all my fathers were 8. If we are indeed in the Faith our faith will make the next world evident and desirable 'T wil prove the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the good and true Spy which searches the heavenly Country which is promised and brings back word That that Celestial Canaan is very glorious that an innumerable company of Angels are there and the Spirits of just men and all made perfect that God the Judge of all is there seen face to face and there is Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant crown'd with and in his Fathers throne that there is no need of the Sun or of the Moon to shine for the glory of God doth enlighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Rev. 21. 23. finally that sin and sorrow are eternal strangers but there is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore And Faith giving such a report of the world to come no wonder that 't is judged worth seeking and that with an holy violence Mat. 11. 12. The Kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force 2. We are to prove our selves whether Christ be in us yea or no Christ and Satan divide the world all that have not Christ in them Satan has possession of he is the Spirit that works in the children of disobedience Now whether Christ be really in us may be thus proved and discerned 1. If Christ be in us he has entred by the door of the understanding we cannot be totally ignorant of him True Faith cannot be without knowledge Rom. 10. 14. How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard We must know who and what he was that undertook the work of our redemption how else can we rely upon him He is near a kin to us as Man and is a merciful and faithful high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the people Heb. 2. 17. and surely he was able to finish that work which he undertook for he is over all God blessed for ever Amen Rom. 9. 5. We must also know the benefits of Christ that we may know what to rely upon him for now these benefits are most necessary suitable and excellent as pardon of Sin adoption to be the Sons of God sanctifying grace and endless glory Nay Christ is all in all and Christ being given nothing will be denied Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 2. If Christ be in us our very hearts have been opened to receive him When Christ has knockt at the door we have given him admission it has been our souls language Come in thou blessed Lord wherefore standest thou without And this receiving of Christ is indeed believing in him Joh. 1. 12. To as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe on his Name The heart has been convinced that 't is most highly rational to give entertainment to this Lord of life and glory He uses the strongest arguments for admission makes the greatest offers delivers all out of the depths of misery and advances them to be Saints Sons Priests Kings who shall Reign most gloriously and happily to Eternity that do indeed embrace him 3. â—f Christ be in us the dominion of Sin and our Idols have been thrown down When Darius the Persian Emperour offered half his Empire to the Conquering Alexander Alexander gave this Answer That in the Firmament there was but one Sun and there must be but one Emperor in Persia and therefore continued his Wars till Darius had lost both Life and Kingdom In like manner there cannot be two Rulers in one heart If Christ be there no iniquity has the dominion any longer Where Christ is he works a change so that persons are no longer foolish disobedient and deceived they no longer serve divers lusts and pleasures Tit. 3. 3. And whatsoever has been idolized be it profit pleasure applause now 't is disesteemed that Christ alone may be exalted 4. If Christ be in us we approve and value his Kingdom as well as his Priesthood We shall like and love the Lord. Jesus as a Prince upon the Throne consenting that that Throne should be our hearts as well as a Priest upon the Cross and shall be very desirous to be more fully subdued to him His Yoak is judged easie and his burthen light Mat. 11. ult Christ is really no hard Master though the World think him to be so They that are in Christ and experience what kind of Ruler he is and that he rules by a Law of Faith and Love and Liberty are very glad of his Kingly Office It was matter of praise and thanksgiving to the Apostle that he and other Believers had been made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light and also that God had delivered them from the power of darkness and had translated them into the Kingdom of his dear Son Col. 1. 12 13. 5. If Christ be in us his Word is entertain'd and abides in us also We cannot slight that Word which discovers Christ and was the great means to bring us to Him Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly says the Apostle Col. 3. 16. And hearken what Christ himself speaks Joh. 15. 7. If ye abide in me and my Words abide in you ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done to you Oh with what gladness do Believers give entertainment to the Word since they may have what they will if the Word abide in them and this Word will rectifie their judgments and regulate their wills so that they shall will nothing but what is truely for their good and what is really for their good shall most readily be granted Now Christ and his Word abide together But Christ is rejected if his Word be not received Joh. 12. 48. He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my Word hath one that judgeth him the Word that I have spoken the same shall judge him at the last day 6. If Christ be in us we have the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9. The Apostle does so plainly intimate this truth that he asserts the want of Christs Spirit undoubtedly shews there is no interest in him If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his As all the Members of the Natural Body are animated and acted by the same Soul which in a special manner shews it self in the Head so the same Spirit which is without measure in Christ the Head does animate and act all the true Members of his Body mystical Now where the Spirit of Christ is he enlightens the mind opens the eyes of the understanding he makes a
But he is the Author of Eternal Salvation unto all that obey him Heb. 5. 9. Whom he saves he makes by his power willing and obedient 'T was said unto the Lord Messiah Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power Psal 110. 3. 5. If we have accepted Christ we are born again and made new Creatures 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new Creature And Joh. 1. 12 13. They that receive and believe in Christ are said to be born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Grace does not come by natural descent the flesh has no will or desire after it man though never so eminent is not able to work it but 't is alone from God And all true Believers are born of God they have a new heart a new nature new desires and affections new designs are carried on and they walk in newness of life The old man indeed remains in part but they are burthen'd with it and desire more fully to put on the new which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness 6. If we have accepted Christ we do and we see cause to admire the Fathers love in sending him we look upon him as the greatest gift that ever was given or could be given to the sons of men He is all in all Col. 3. 11. He fills all in all Eph. 1. ult If Christ be ours God is ours Heaven is ours all is ours Here 's a height that none can reach a depth that none can fathom a length that none can measure a bredth that none can comprehend How do Believers admire Jesus and the love of the Father that gave him They know that gift of God and wonder at the Donors kindness 1 Joh. 4. 9 10. In this i. e. in this above all was manifested the love of God towards us because that God sent his only begotten Son into the World that we might live through him If ye talk of love herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our Sins 7. If we have accepted Christ we live upon him by faith we are strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus I live says the Apostle yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. 20. And thus relying upon the sufficient grace and strength of our Lord Jesus which is made perfect in our weakness we shall resolve to follow the Lamb without standing still without turning aside without drawing back from him we shall not cowardly fly nor treacherously revolt from him but follow the Lamb whithersoever he goes Case 6. The sixth Case is this When may Conversion be judged to be sincere and true Man is departed from the Lord and he is brought to this strait either he must turn to God or he must burn in Hell and every turning will not serve our turn The Scripture speaks of a feigned Conversion such a Convert was treacherous Judah Jer. 3. 10. It concerns us to prove our selves whether we are Converts in reality which may be thus known 1. Sincere Converts have been made to consider their own ways and the evil and destructiveness of them David tells us he thought on his ways and turned Psal 119. 59. They have lookt to the end of the broad road in which they once went and seen that burning Lake at the end of it destruction and misery is in that way and so they dare not proceed He never turns from Sin indeed that sees no harm or danger in it Those Scriptures The Soul that sins shall die and The wages of Sin is death are deeply engraven upon the Converts heart 2. Sincere Converts are really grieved that they turn'd no sooner they reflect with sorrow and shame upon that time wherein they were foolish and disobedient and deceived and served diverse lusts and pleasures Tit. 3. 3. and wish they had been so wise as to have served another a better Master How are they afflicted that Sin and Satan and Mammon have stolen away so many of their few days and that their lusts should devour the cream and prime of all their time They think with themselves how much Sin might have been prevented how much Grace might have been gotten how much might have been done for God if they had turned sooner and this makes them to live the remainder of their time in the flesh not to the lusts of men but to the will of God 1 Pet. 4. 2. 3. Sincere Converts turn unto God himself they own him as a Lord and eye him as their happiness in their Conversion to him Jer. 4. 1. If thou wilt return O Israel saith the Lord return unto Me. They seek the Lord himself and his strength and his face evermore the mercies of God indeed they do and may desire but principally the Father of them they see that God has all is all and can be infinitely more than all things unto them they come to him that they may enjoy him here and for ever Lord be my God my Father my Inheritance give thy self to me and then thou wilt deal most bountifully with me That 's the Converts language 4. Sincere Converts turn with their whole heart This is called for Joel 2. 12. Turn ye even unto me with all your heart And the want of this is complain'd of Jer. 3. 10. Her treacherous Sister Judah hath not turned to me with her whole heart but feignedly saith the Lord. When the whole heart is turned no iniquity is regarded there but all is disliked no creature is suffered to have the highest room the whole heart is resigned and given unto God As the Besieged render up the Castle to the Conquerer that he may dispose of it as he pleases so the Convert renders himself all the powers and faculties of his Soul he yields and consents to have all renewed all sanctified which is a perfection of parts and a perfection of degrees is desired and aspired unto he longs to be turned more and more and to be kept from returning again to folly 5. Sincere Converts turn their feet unto Gods testimonies Psal 119. 59. I turned my feet unto thy testimonies They conform to the Word which God has spoken as their Rule This declares best of all Quid pulchrum quid turpe quid utile quid non what is fair and what is filthy what is profitable and what 's destructive By this Word they order their hearts and conversations He that despises the Word of God and the Commands of it is not sincerely converted but damnably deluded True Converts keep close to Scriptures and Ordinances and never fancy themselves above them but with David desire to dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of their lives
and amazing kindness and love of God The Father himself looks here and is delighted in the Obedience and Sufferings of his Son through whom without any prejudice to his Justice and Holiness his Grace and Mercy have a full vent and a free course to be glorified among the Sons of men The Beleivers under the Old Testament looked unto Jesus though he was more darkly represented to them Moses and the Prophets spake of him and Abraham himself rejoyced to see his day And under the New Testament he is more fully revealed Here therefore I will fix my eye and living and dying Behold this Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the World MEDITATION XII I am in my self a lost Creature My sins my sins have ruin'd me the sins which I have lov'd and pleaded for and taken so much pleasure in have done me the greatest harm Wo wo is me that I have sinned I have broken the best Law and rebelled against the best Lord. I have sided with the Enemies of my Salvation to destroy my self 'T is an endless task to number the Stars in the Firmament or the Sand upon the Sea shore or the days of Eternity and I may as well do all this as number my iniquities Innumerable Evils have compassed me about my iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more then the hairs of my Head therefore my heart faileth me And if the wages of the least sin be Death and Hell what large wages and what a low place in Hell have I deserved Gods anger is just his power is terrible his patience is wonderful his mercy is utterly undeserved I should be all despair were it not for the Grace of God and the Blood of God but these are sufficient grounds of hope and Everlasting Consolation MEDITATION XIII I plainly perceive that all mankind have suffered shipwrack The first man Adam had the steering of the Vessel and he run it upon the Rocks and lost himself and his whole progeny All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God The calamity is general the whole World is become guilty before God there is none that understandeth or seeketh after God there is none that doeth good no not one 'T is truly lamentable that the humane nature should be so infected so corrupted as that every mind should be carnal and enmity against God that every Heart should be like an adamant stone that every neck should be like an iron sinew All are born the Children of wrath and with strong inclinations to be the Children of Disobedience So that when the Son of God came into the World to dye and save it He found the World lying in wickedness secure in sin and hastning towards Everlasting misery MEDITATION XIV Whence is this to Man that a Saviour should be provided for him Were there no Creatures fell besides Yes an innumerable Host of Angels kept not their first estate but left their own Habitation The Angels that sinned were excellent and glorious in their first Creation but they grew proud and Enemies to Truth and voluntarily departed and were justly banished from the Lord that made them And when these Angels sinned no mercy that we read of was extended to them The Scripture expressely says that God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell That was a dreadful fall indeed from the highest Heaven to the lowest Hell those mighty Spirits are fettered in Chains of darkness and are reserved unto the judgement of the great day they never that we find had a Redeemer provided nor a pardon offered nor after they had made themselves miserable were they ever brought within the reach and possibility of Mercy The Son of God took not on him the nature of Angels or he took not hold of the Angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham MEDITATION XV. Lord What was man that thou wert thus mindful of him Or the Son of man that the Son of God should come and visit him Admirable condescension That thou whom the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain shouldst rejoyce in the habitable parts of the Earth and that thy delights should be with the Sons of men Can man be profitable unto God Is it any gain to the Almighty that any make their ways perfect Lord Man has the benefit of Salvation 't is but reason that thou shouldst have intirely all the Glory Man is therefore subservient to thine honour because his meanness makes thy condescension and his guilt and vileness does render thy Grace the more wonderful When 〈◊〉 Creature so undeserving nay that deserves so ill is so highly advanced as to be saved the power and grace which does advance and save him is matter of the greater admiration MEDITATION XVI Who is this Lord Jesus that undertakes the work of mans Redemption He is the express Image of his Fathers Person the Brightness of his Glory He is to be Worshipped with the same Worship and has the same Eternal Power and Godhead with the Father and the Spirit He it is who created all things in Heaven and Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones Dominions Principalities and Powers all things were created by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist The Elect Angels adore him the Reprobate ones he has spoyled and triumphed over he has all power in Heaven and Earth and Commands the Keys of Hell and Death He is Wonderful in Counsel the Mighty God the Prince of Peace How safe is it then to trust in this Lord Jesus 't is the highest reason to believe in him that is so mighty that is Almighty for the must needs be able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him Whosoever Believeth in him shall not be confounded MEDITATION XVII O my Soul let thy Faith be fixed and settled on the Godhead of thy Lord and Saviour were he not God 't were both sin and folly to rely upon him Faith in him would be altogether vain but since he is the true God and Eternal Life They shall not perish but have Everlasting Life that do indeed beleive in him Christ thy Righteousness is the Lord Jehovah in him therefore thou mayst confidently expect to be justified and thou mayst Glory and rejoyce for ever The Blood of Christ is called Gods own Blood because 't is the Blood of him that is truly God and over all God blessed forever as well as truly man And surely the sufferings of him that was God can make satisfaction for the sins that thou hast been guilty of against God Thou art amazed to see thy iniquities increased and thy Trespasse grown up to the Heavens Thou art astonished and desolate and horribly afraid to see how high thy sin strikes even at God himself But withal take notice how Christ who is God does stoop and humble himself He that thought it no Robbery to be equal
if an Emperour should bid me take his Crown and Diadem or then if all the Kingdoms of the World and all the Glory of them were offered me When Christ offered up himself a Sacrifice unto God that he might put sin away how great was the Offering If all the Beasts in Earth the Fowls of the Air had been offered this offering could not have made Atonement for the sinner or for one sin Nay if all the Angels in Heaven had proffered themselves to be annihilated in case fallen man might be pardoned Neither would this have been sufficient satisfaction So that when Christ offered himself to God he offered more then all the World then millions of Worlds would amount unto And when the Lord Jesus bids me take him and feed upon this meat indeed this Bread of Life shall I refuse He that receives Christ how much does he recieve He does indeed receive all For Christ is all in all and filleth all in all MEDITATION XXXI Lift up your Heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye Everlasting Doors that the King of Glory may come in Who is this King of Glory The Lord Jesus is the Prince of Life the King and Lord of Glory Behold he stands at the door and knocks if any man hear his voice and open the door he will come into him and sup with him And when he comes and is admitted what entertainment does he bring Meat that perishes is contemptible in comparison Christ will give that Meat which endures to Everlasting Life His Love is better then Wine Nay his favour is better then life it self The Manna in the Wilderness was excellent food but many that Eat it perished But whoever by Faith do feed upon our Lord Jesus in reference to the second Death they become immortal This is the Bread which commeth down from Heaven that a Man may Eat thereof and not dy I am the Bread of Life which came down from Heaven if any man Eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and the Bread that I wil give is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World MEDITATION XXXII When an inheritance is conveyed to me by a sealed Deed the Nature of the wax is not changed but the use of it The Bread and Wine after the Sacramental blessing of them remain Bread and Wine still and so in Scripture they are called but their use is very much altered and they become Christs broad seal to convey to me and to assure me of the Remission of sin of the Renewing of my Nature and of Life and Immortality Let the Papists contend for a gross and carnal presence of the Body of Christ at his Table I am perswaded that as Circumcision is called the Covenant and the Lamb the Lords Passeover So the bread and wine are called the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus And yet I am also fully perswaded that though the Body of Christ is in Heaven yet he is most really present at the Table with them that do believe and such are nourished and strengthened in this Ordinance I learn from Scripture that Spiritual things are most firm most real most substantial most durable and if so then Christs spiritual presence is the most real presence Christ is absent where Transsubstantiation is believed and Romish Devotion and Adoration of the Host is turned into abominable Idolatry MEDITATION XXXIII Lord Thou art my Hope my Help my Saviour my Life my All Thou wouldst have me put thee on to cover my nakedness Thou wouldst have me take sanctuary under thy wings in all my dangers thou wouldst have me use thee as a Physician to cure all my spiritual maladies and when I am hungry and thirsty and my Soul faints within me thou hast enough to satisfie and fill me What one said concerning the Scripture I may apply to my blessed Lord. Adoro Christi plenitudinem I adore the fulness that is in Christ Jesus Draw neerer neerer O thou only Saviour thou deservest the highest the best nay all the room in my Heart thou oughtest to be the most welcom guest Let me have a clearer sight of thy transcendent loveliness a larger taste of thy incomparable sweetness let me clasp about thee and hold thee in more strict embraces Why should I be empty since in thee there is a fulness of the Spirit without stint or measure I would be poor in Spirit but why should I be poor in Grace since in thee there are unsearchable Riches MEDITATION XXXIV Bread is the staff of Life Lord I come to thy Table for support and strength Oh! Let the Bread of God strengthen me with strength in my Soul Let me find and feel the admirable vertue of the Broken Body that I may say from plentiful experience I this is meat indeed Let sin grow weaker and weaker and Mammons interest in me decline and languish but make me strong in Spirit and carry on the work of Faith with Power I have need of strength who have such a way to go and all up Hill who have so much work to do and such mighty Enemies to encounter and overcome My Life lies in believing in thee I stand no longer then Thou upholdest me Without thee I can do nothing or what is worse then nothing I can do nothing but sin and fall but if thou dost strengthen me I shall be able to do all things If thou withdraw from me I shall be weak as a Child unstable as the very Water but if thou dost confirm me by thy Grace I shall be like David nay like unto an Angel I shall fight the good fight of Faith and go on conquering and to conquer till I get the Crown MEDITATION XXXV How great was the breach which sin had made between God and Man that my Lord must be broken to make it up Could not something less have served the turn If Christ must die or sin must not be pardoned judg of the greatness of the fault by the greatness of the Sacrifice and Satisfaction What hath sin done It has filled Earth with troubles it has filled Hell with Souls it has turned Angels into Devils it has provoked the God of Heaven to great and Righteous indignation add unto all this It has killed Christ the Lord of Life He was wounded for our Transgression he was bruised for our iniquities Who would love who would like such an evil If my Father had been stabbed should I embrace the Murtherer or like the Dagger besmeared with his blood Oh hateful sin I 'le be revenged upon thee I will make no provision for thee I will lament because of thee I will detest and abhor thee I will be dead to thee and endeavour to mortifie and kill thee My Lord was not spared for thy sake and thou shalt not be spared Lord Away with these lusts all of them Crucifie them Crucifie them since Christ himself did bear my sins in his own Body on the Tree Oh let me be
nothing sad shall be seen nothing evil shall be feared because the cheifest good shall be possessed MEDITATION LVIII Lord I am thine save me save me or I shall surely perish bring me safe to the Haven preserve me to thy heavenly Kingdom that neither Faith nor Conscience nor my soul may suffer shipwrack Thou hast made an Everlasting Covenant with me and at thy Table this Covenant has been sealed Oh never turn away from me to do me good and let thy power and love and the fear of thy name secure me from Apostacy I am not sufficient to be my own keeper but who shall be able to pluck me out of the hand of Christ and of the Father who is greater then all Thou art of power to establish me and canst easily keep me from falling and present me faultless before the presence of thy glory with exceeding great joy Oh let not my faith fail nor my love cool nor my watchfulness abate let Satans wiles and devices be unsuccessful help me to slight the worlds frowns and to be deaf and dead to the flatteries and smiles of it Let me obtain mercy to be faithful in thy Covenant let my spirit be cured of its natural fickleness and treachery let resolutions to be the Lords and to serve the Lord be peremptory being made and kept with a strength beyond my own And let me at last be able to say O God my Heart is fixed my Heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Herbert pag. 140. KIng of Glory King of Peace I will love thee And that love may never cease I will move thee Thou hast granted my request Thou hast heard me Thou didst note my working breast Thou hast spar'd me Wherefore with my utmost art I will sing thee And the cream of all my heart I will bring thee Though my sins against me cry'd Thou didst clear me And alone when they reply'd Thou didst hear me Seven whole days not one in seven I will praise thee In my Heart though not in Heaven I can raise thee Thou grew'st soft and moist with Tears Thou relentedst And when Justice call'd for fears Thou dissentedst Small it is in this poor sort To enroll thee Even Eternity is too short To extoll thee FINIS Books to be Sold by Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns in Cheapside A Hundred select Sermons on several Texts by Tho Horton D. D. Sermons on 4 select Psalms viz. 4th 42 51 63. by Tho. Horton D. D. Mr. Baxters Christian Directory Sermons on the whole Epistle of Saint Paul to the Collossians by Mr. J. Daille translated into English by F. S. with Dr. Tho. Goodwins and Dr. John Owens Epistles Recommendatory An Exposition of Christs Temptation on Matth. 4. and Peters Sermon to Cornelius and circumspect walking By Dr. Tho Taylor A Practical Exposition on the 3d. Chapter of the first Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians with the Godly mans choice on Psalm 4. v. 6 7 8. by Anthony Burgess Dr. Donns 40 Sermons being his 3 Volumes Pareus Exposition on the Revelations General Martyrlogia with the Lives of 32 English Divines by Sam. Clark A Narrative of the Horrid Popish Plot. A Narrative of Knox and Lane The Witch of Endor Popes Ware-house All four Published by Dr. Titus Oates Robert Jenneson Esq His narrative Dugdales Narrative Mr. Tho. Dangerfields of the Sham Presbyterian Plot. Smiths Account of the 14 Popish Malefactors in Newgate Animadversions on the 5 Jesuits Speeches The Excommunicated Price a Tragedy as it was acted by his Holinesses Servants By Captain William Bedlow Protestant Conformist plea for moderation A Conference between a Bensalian Bishop and an English Doctor concerning Church Government A Caution to all English Protestants A Lenetive for the Clergie Broughtons Works published by Dr. Light-foot Books 4to The Door of Salvation opened by the Key of Regeneration By George Swinnock M. A. An Antidote against Quakerism by Stephen Scandret An Exposition of the five first Chapters of Ezekiel with usefull observations thereupon by William Greenhil The Gospel Covenant opened by Pet. Bulkley Gods holy Mind touching matters Moral which he uttered in ten Commandments Also an Exposition on the Lords Prayer by Edward Eston B. D. The fiery Jesuit or an Historical Collection of the rise encrease doctrines and deeds of the Jesuits exposed to view for the sake of London Horologiographia optica Dyaling universal and particular speculative and practical together with a Description of the Court of Arts by a new Method by Sylvanus Morgan Regimen sanitatis-salemi or the Regiment of Health containing Directions and instructions for the guide and government of mans life A seasonable Apology for Religion by Matthew Pool Seperation no Schism in answer to a Sermon preached before the Lord Mayor by J. S. The Practical Divinity of the Papist discovered to be destructive to true Religion and mens Souls by J. Clark son A Case of Conscience viz. whether it be lawful for any person to act contrary to the opinion of his own Conscience formed from arguments that to him appear very probable though not necessary or demonstrative by Dr. Collings The Creatures goodness as they came out of Gods hand and the good-mans mercy to the bruit-Creatures in two Sermons by Tho. Hodges B. D. Certain Considerations tending to promote Peace and Unity among Protestants Mediocria or the most plain and natural apprehensions which the Scripture offers concerning the great Doctrines of the Christian Religiion of Election Redemption the Covenant the Law and Gospel and Perfection Sermons at the Funeral of Mr. James Janeway by Nath. Vincent The Vanity of man in his best estate in a discourse on Psal 39. 5. at the Funeral of the Lady Susanna Keate by Richard Kidder M. A. Mr. Cautons by Mr. Henry Hurst and Mr. Nath. Vincent Mr. Sorrels by Mr. Benj. Smith Mr. Wadsworth by Mr. R. Bragg Mr. Newcomens by Mr. Fairson Mr. Thomas Vincents by Mr. Slater Mr. Corbets by Mr. Richard Baxter Mr. Bakers by Mr. Nath. Vincent Mr. Marshalls by Mr. Tomlins Mr. Johnsons by Mr. Loid Mrs. Fishers by Mr. Scot. Dr. Whittakers by Dr. Annesly Mr. Wells by Mr. Thomas Watson Mr. Stubs by Mr. Watson Mr. Stubs by Mr. Richard Baxter Hodges Vanity of man as mortal Mrs. Lyes by Mr. Lamb. Vertuous Daughter by Brion Sir Thomas Viners by Dr. Spurslow Mr. Perns by Ainsworth Work and Reward of a Christian by R. Raworth Mr. Wests Funeral Sermon by Mr. Cole Mr. Webbs by Mr. David Burges Baeuters which is the true Church Hodges Creatures goodness Naked Truth Doolitles Protestants Answer Mr. Kidders Charity directed Scholars address Dr. Crossmans Sermon Humphrys peaceable disquisitions Hodges considerations to promote peace An Endeavour for Peace A conference between a Papist and a Jew and a Protestant and a Jew An Essay for the Education of Gentlewomen A warning for Servants or the Case of Margaret Clark An Answer to Dr. Stilling fleets Sermon by the peaceable design A Discourse of Pluralities A
premised 1. The Children of men do owe obedience unto God as their rightful Lord and Governour and consequently it concerns them to examine whether the Lord has been obeyed or other Lords have had and still have the dominion over them Man did not make himself neither is he able to perserve himself and he is farthest off from being able to redeem and save himself therefore man is not his own 't is impious in him to speak that language Psal 12. 4. Who is Lord over me But that God who gave him his being who holds his soul in life and alone can redeem and save his soul from wrath does justly lay claim to him as his subject and require obedience from him 2. The Sons of men are under a law which they are obliged to keep as a rule of righteousness God himself has given them a law which is holy just and good they are therefore to examine what respect they have had to this law Whether it has been kept as it ought like the apple of the eye Or whether it has been hated and broken and cast behind the back For sincere obedience and life and death and disobedience are joyned together Deut. 30. 19 20. 3. We are all of us not only under a law but under the eye of our Lord and Law-giver continually He compasses our path and our lying down and is acquainted with all our ways Psal 139. 3. And shall we be ignorant of our own ways His eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men Psal 11. 4. When we would look more intently our eye-lids are more contracted Gods eye-lids are mentioned to signifie how intently he eyes when he tries the Children of men and shall not they prove and try themselves 4. Naturally we are prone to nothing but what is contrary to that Law and Rule we should walk by The Apostle sticks not to say that the carnal mind is enmity against God and is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can it be Rom. 8. 7. And as the heart of man is desperately wicked so 't is deceitful above all things and it manifests its deceitfulness in concealing and hiding that it may hold fast its wickedness Those that have such hearts how jealous should they be of them How careful to prove and to pry into them And suppose there be a new nature given yet upon proof 't will be found that there is too too much of the old remaining 5. We are endued with a power of self-reflection and may take notice both of our hearts actions There is a law written in our hearts by nature which does in part discover what we should do and be but the Word of God much more fully informs us of our duty We may erect a Bar or Tribunal in our own souls and call our selves before it Conscience can first be Witness and afterwards a Judge And truly a right judging of our selves is one way to escape being condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. 31. 6. All must be Summoned to give an account of themselves unto God at last Rom. 14. 12. So then every one of us must give accout of himself unto God 2 Cor. 5. 10. We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body whether it be good or evil Should we not then try and prove our selves before hand repent of our evil deeds believe in the Mediator and throughly amend our doings that we may be found of our Lord and Judge in peace These propositions premised I shall open the nature of this duty of self-proving 1. Self-proving implies a serious Inquisition and Search into our selves Psal 77. 6. I communed with my own heart and my spirit made diligent search And truly a diligent search is but needful for as Augustine observes Grande profundum est homo Man is a great deep and therefore 't is difficult for a man to sound himself and to come to the bottom of his own heart Job speaks of the secrets of nature and says there is a path which no fowl knoweth and which the Vultures eye though it be so piercing hath not seen Job 28. 7. But the secrets of the heart are more abstruse and hard to be found out The Heathen Poet advised Tecum habita Dwell with thy self our thoughts should dwell much upon our selves that we may find out the utmost of our selves Our whole man is to fall under our inspection our ways our words our senses our souls are all to be lookt over 2. Self-proving implies a fear of self-deceit The Apostle cautions against being deceived by man Eph. 5. 6. Let no man deceive you with vain words against being beguiled by Satan 2 Cor. 11. 3. But I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ He cautions also against self-deceit 1 Cor. 3. 18. Let no man deceive himself He that is not jealous over himself will easily mistake and may go out of the World mistaken and after death the mistake will be impossible to be corrected we must therefore take heed to our selves that our spirits deal not treacherously 3. Self proving implies using the Light of the Word of God This Word is quick and powerful and as the Anatomists Knife dissects all the parts of the Body and lays even the inmost of them open unto view so the Word like a sharp and two edged Sword does pierce through all and divides between Soul and Spirit i. e. between Nature and Grace for the natural man is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the meaning may be that the Word discovers not only the corruption in the Affections and the inferior faculties of the Soul but also that depravation and sin which is in the faculties which are Superior and discerns what the intents and thoughts and reasonings of the heart are Heb. 4. 12. Unless we make use of the light of the Word we shall be lost in the dark while searching our selves The Word makes manifest the very secrets of the heart and hereby 't is plain that God who searches the heart is the Author of this Word and does accompany it 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. We find an Hearer convinced of all and judged of all the secrets of his heart are made manifest and worshipping God he acknowledges God is in the Preachers of a Truth 4. Self-proving implies comparing our selves with that Rule whereunto we ought to be conformed The Commands of God lay an obligation upon the whole man We are required to cleanse our hands and purifie our hearts Jam. 4. 8. We must be holy in all manner of Conversation and our affections must be set on things above not on Earthly things our Minds also and Consciences must be purged from their defilements Now a comparison is to be made between what we should be and what we are This bringing our selves to the right
it than if it were not of Divine Original and Authority but meerly of humane invention Joh. 3. ult He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Mar. 16. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned Joh. 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am He the true Messiah the only Saviour ye shall die in your sins Hell is in a special manner called the portion of the unbelievers If Jesus Christ the only expiatory sacrifice for sins be despised there remaineth no other besides but a certain fearful looking for of vengeance and of fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries Heb. 10. 3. They are in a state of Nature that are resolved workers of iniquity Let the Lord be never so angry and threaten what he pleases they dare to sin notwithstanding Children of disobedience must needs be the children of wrath Col. 3. 6. The wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience Those whose hearts speak that language Jer. 44. 16. As for the word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken to thee but are bewitched by the pleasure and gain of sin still to continue the servants of it these are the persons which shall at last receive the wages of sin death eternal 'T is a mad resolution to be proud and filthy and unjust and profane whatever the Gospel commands to the contrary 't is in effect to give consent to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power 2. Thes 1. 8. 9. 4. They are in a state of Nature who under a profession of Religion practise wickedness secretly or at least regard iniquity in their hearts How many woes does our Lord thunder out against Hypocrites in one Chapter and at last concludes with a terrible vehemency Ye serpents ye generation of vipers how can ye escape the damnation of hell Mat. 23. 33. Hell is especially prepared for the Hypocrites as well as for the unbelievers If our hearts and hands are full of wickedness malice filthiness and secret dishonesty if we can commit sin delightfully and securely as long as 't is done closely what do all our duties signifie The Lord abhors both us and them Hark how he speaks to such Hypocrites Bring no more vain oblations Sabbaths and calling of Assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemn Meeting they are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them And when you spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you and though you make many prayers yet I will not hear you Esa 1. 13 14 15. 5. They are in a state of Nature who are lovers of this present World 1 Joh. 2. 15. Love not the World neither the things that are in the World if any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him The love of the Father may be taken actively and passively The lover of this World has no sincere love to the Father nor any interest in the Fathers special love How plainly and severely does the Apostle James speak Jam. 4. 4. Ye Adulterers and Adulteresses know ye not that the friendship of the World is enmity with God whoever therefore will be a friend of the World is the enemy of God Then we may be said to be friends and lovers of the World when we conform to the sinful customs and manners and fashions of the World living by sence as the World does and when in our hearts and eager pursuits we prefer the VVorld and the gain delights and preferments of it before God before Christ before Grace before Glory Thou that in thy heart despisest a Treasure in Heaven and really esteemest Silver and Gold of far greater value 't is as impossible for thee while of this mind to go to Heaven as for a Camel to go through the eye of a Needle The young man in the Gospel was of an unblameable conversation but he wanted one thing and indeed the principal to make him a real Saint a true Disciple because he valued his great possessions above Christ and a treasure in Heaven that was offered to him Mat. 19. 20 24. Of this mind was that worldly-minded Papist who said He would not leave his part in Paris for a part in Paradise 6. They are in a state of Nature who go about to establish their own Righteousness this was the fault and the ruine of the Jews of old they thought their own righteousness sufficient and the establishing of their own righteousness was their own downfal a proud conceit of their own righteousness hindred them from submitting to the righteousness of God Rom. 10. 3. Trusting in our righteousness will prove as destructive to us as continuance in our iniquities If we think by our prayers and duties and deeds of righteousness to satisfie for the sins which we have committed against the Lord of Heaven 't is a sign we do not understand the Holiness and Justice of God nor the nature and demerit of Sin nor the imperfection of our very best services 'T is a sign of great pride and that Jesus Christ and our need of him are not rightly understood and thus being whole in our own conceit or thinking we can make our selves whole we shall fall short of the onely Saviour who came to seek and to save that which is lost Luk. 9. 10. Who is a Physician not to the well but to the sick Who came to call not the Righteous but Sinners to repentance Mat. 9. 12 13. 7. They are in a state of Nature who are haters of their Brethern God is love but malice is one great part of the Devils Image 1 Joh. 3. 15. Whosoever hateth his Brother is a Murtherer and ye know that no Murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him The malicious man Cain is his Brother Beelzebub is his Father but he is certainly a stranger and enemy to the God of love and peace Let a man speak never so confidently that he is in the light yet if he hate his Brother he is in darkness even until now 1 Joh. 2. 9. so 1 Joh. 3. 10. In this the Children of God are manifested and the Children of the Devil whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God neither he that loveth not his Brother True love will suffer long and be kind it will not envy or be easily provoked it will bear and believe all things it will forgive and cover a multitude of sins But they that will not forgive others 't is expresly said themselves shall not be forgiven Mat. 6. 15. If ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Hatred of the Brethren is a black mark indeed especially if the Brethren are hated because they faithfully reprove and for their holiness sake 8. They are in a state of Nature who embrace damnable Heresies being given up to strong delusions to
are but for a season Job 20. 5 8. Knowest thou not this of old since man was placed upon Earth that the triumphing of the Wicked is short and the joy of the Hypocrite but for a moment Though his excellency mount up to the Heavens and his head reacheth to the Clouds yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung they which have seen him shall say Where is he He shall fly away as a dream and shall not be found yea he shall be chased away as a night vision 3. Better their false peace which must quickly end should be disturbed by Self-trial than that it should cease by their Trial at Gods Bar. The ungodly cannot carry a false peace along with them into another World The rich man in the Gospel that fared sumptuously every day carried none of his good things with him when he died his pleasure then came to a full stop and we read of nothing he met with but evil things torments flames endless and unquenchable Luk. 16. and then the rich man saw it had been better before to have broken off his sinful pleasure by Self-reflection and Repentance 4. Though a false peace upon Self-examination be banished yet there may a true peace be obtained in the room of it Be not unwilling to look into your selves though you find matter of sorrow for godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation They that sow in tears shall reap in joy Psal 126. 5. And Christ pronounces the mourners blessed for they shall be comforted Mat. 5. 4. Case 2. The second Case is this Is it not time enough hereafter for Sinners to search and look into themselves Then when prosperity and youth are gone and affliction and old age are come What necessity is there to put themselves upon the rack presently Ans 1. The longer they defer the more afraid they will be to begin and so it may never be done in this World especially considering that delay will make the work more difficult and grievous The larger the scores are the more loath they will be to look them over and the more peccant and wicked the heart has been the more unwilling it will be to be called to account therefore 't is best to begin this very instant and 't would have been better to have begun before 2. Sin is so great an evil that none can be too soon convinced of it nor too soon converted from it as on the other hand Grace is so excellent that we can never be too early enriched with it and assurance of the love of God so desirable and delightful that it can never be too soon obtained Why should there be a delay in the search after Sin This Enemy should speedily be inquired after since if let alone it may ruine us suddenly before we are aware 3. If Sinners refuse to mind the Lord and themselves in the time of youth and prosperity God may refuse to have any regard to them in the time of their distress Now is the accepted time now they may seek the Lord and search themselves to good purpose but whether the time of affliction may be an accepted time or no is questionable The Lord threatens to laugh at the calamity of some and to mack when their fear comes and that he will not be found of them Prov. 1. 26 28. They that refused to hearken and stopt their Ears and made their hearts like an Adamant Stone see what came to pass at last great wrath came upon them they were scattered with a whirlwind and as he cried and they would not hear so they cried and I would not hear saith the Lord of Hosts Zach. 7. 13. 4. Why should such a short lived creature as Man delay to examine himself What is his life 'T is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanisheth away Jam. 4. 14. How quickly may Death arrest him and summon him before the Lords Tribunal Some are well in one hour sick the next and dead the third nay some are well and sick and dead the same hour if not the same minute Defer not then to look into thy state and heart speedily since upon the sudden it may be said to thee Render an account of thy Stewardship for thou shalt be no longer Steward Luk. 16. 2. Case 3. The third Case follows which is this How shall Sinners that all their days have been careless of and utter Strangers to themselves manage this business of Self-examination Ans 1. Let them get alone not to be speculatively wanton or project for the World or to please themselves with vain and proud and towring imaginations but that they may seriously bethink themselves what is likely to become of them for ever Let them get out of the croud and hurry of worldly business and shake off carnal company and be at leisure to understand their Souls condition Certainly a Soul that is of greater value than all the World is worth minding is worth saving 2. Let the thoughts of God and of Eternity make them serious especially considering how much God has been provoked and how near they may be unto Eternity Time is posting away from them and Death is making great haste towards them and immediately after Death they enter upon Eternal state and how sad will it be if it be a state of eternal woe 3. Let them cry unto God for his Convincing Spirit When the Spirit is given and truely the Lord is ready to give his Spirit unto all that ask him he does discover that in Sin that before was not perceived he makes Hell to become naked and takes off that covering that was upon destruction He holds before Sinners the Glass of Gods holy Law that in that Glass they may behold their hearts and lives shews unto them that the characters of Gods Enemies agree to them and that their spot is not the spot of his Children Deut. 32. 5. Then Sin will revive and Sinners die that is become sensible they are the sons of death and wrath and in great danger of Eternal ruine Now they are to hold up their hands and cry Guilty Guilty and to lament and bemoan themselves as Ephraim did to see themselves in such a lost condition 4. Let them be very inquisitive what they shall do that they might be saved Thus were those Jews that were prickt at the heart Act. 2. and thus was the trembling Jaylour Act. 16. A lost estate being perceived is not to be rested in none ought to be contented to be damned but they must inquire what they must do to escape the wrath to come and they must give themselves to prayer in good earnest and use the other means of grace and the sense of their sin and misery should make them the more servent in crying for that mercy and grace which they so highly stand in need of Case 4. The fourth Case this When Sinners upon Self-trial have found out the badness of their State is there any
reason they should despair of mercy Ans 1. Despair is one of the greatest sins that can be committed dishonouring the grace of God making light of the blood of Christ and very opposite to the Spitit of Grace It is good says the Prophet that a man should hope Lam. 3. 26. Surely then 't is bad that a man should despair This sin thwarts the very design of the Gospel And Satan being hopeless himself would fain hinder sensible Sinners from hoping though he cherishes vain hopes in such as are presumptuous 2. There is a despair that is a Duty that is a despair of help from self and a despair of help from God if there be a resolution to continue in Sin Thou mayest as well hope to get no harm by the fall in throwing thy self off from the top of Londons Monument Thou may'st as well cast thy self into the Fire and hope not to be burnt as go on still in thy Sins and hope to escape everlasting Flames 3. But yet the door of hope is really open to the greatest Sinners that are willing to return to God and become Saints Blasphemous persecuting Saul was let in at this door And 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. you read of a sad Crew that if Hell were to be raked worse could hardly be found Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers effeminate abusers of themselves with Mankind Thieves Covetous Drunkards Revilers Extortioners and yet these were washt and sanctified and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Such instances of the rich and free grace of God should hinder the worst from despairing when they come to themselves and are minded to come home to the Lord. 4. That conviction of sin and misery which sensible Souls have is the common road to Christ and grace and comfort He gives rest to the weary and heavy laden he gives liberty to the captives and binds up the broken hearted Mat. 11. 28. Luk. 4. 18. When Sinners are brought to the brink of Hell in their own apprehension this is an hopeful sign they shall be delivered from that place of woe and sorrow and that they shall not feel what they fear Case 5. The fifth Case is this What course must Sinners take after they have prov'd themselves and found how bad they are to be brought into a better and safe Estate Ans 1. They must not oppose conviction but be willing nay earnestly desirous that it may be thorow that their humiliation may be the deeper they must not only be sensible that their actions have been bad but that their hearts are a great deal worse that their very nature is corrupted and their state most miserable Slight convictions soon wear off and a little sense of Sin is followed only with such goodness that is as the morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away Hos 6. 4. The deeper the humiliation commonly the stricter the holiness afterwards Piscator ictus sapit the burnt Child dreads the Fire And he that hath tasted the Wormwood and the Gall that is in Sin will be the more alienated from it and afraid of contracting new guilt and defilement Let not the pangs of contrition go off too soon for fear there be an abortive instead of the new birth the more you are burthen'd with Sin the more sincere Conversion will be and Christ is the readier to give you rest 2. They must consent to cast away every transgression and cease to be the companions of Transgressors Let not any Sin be kept and rolled as a swee morsel under the Tongue for 't will prove as bitter and deadly as the very gall of Asps at last That promise Iniquity shall not be your ruine is annexed to a command Cast away from you all your transgressions Ezek. 18. 30 31. The wicked man is required to forsake his way which intimates the reformation of his life and also to forsake his thoughts which shews his very heart must be renewed else there cannot be a returning unto God indeed nor mercy and pardon obtained Esa 55. 7. It is reported concerning Agrippina the Mother of Nero Caesar that it was foretold her That her Son should be Emperor of Rome but afterwards kill his own Mother She said Occidat modo imperet Let him kill me so he may but Reign Oh let not any Sinner say so concerning any gainful delightful darling Sin Let it damn me so it may but Reign Let me die by it so I may but live in it And as sinful courses must be abandoned so also sinful company Save your selves from an untoward generation Act. 2. 40. was the advice of Peter to those awakned Souls that askt him what they should do If you would turn to God and go to Heaven you must leave that company that are resolved to go on in Sin and unto Hell 3. They must attend upon prophecy and beg that the Spirit would accompany it The Word of God is the incorruptible seed of which Sinners are born again 1 Pet. 1. 23. and the Word is made effectual by the Spirit 'T is a very encouraging asseveration of Christ Joh. 5. 25. Verily verily I say unto you The hour is coming and now is when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live A meer man might have cried long enough and to no purpose at Lazarus his grave But when our Lord says Lazarus come forth there went out a power along with his word that raised him Let Sinners attend upon the Word of Christ Christ himself may speak to them as well as man and then the Spirit of Life will enter into them and the dead in sin shall live 4. They must look unto Jesus for righteousness and strength Esa 45. 24. The righteousness of Christ is necessary unto Sinners reconciliation therefore God does not impute their own sins to them upon their believing in Christ because he does impute the righteousness of his Son That 's a notable place Rom. 4. 6. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord imputeth righteousness without works Here is an imputed righteousness and lest any should think it a putative or imaginary righteousness 't is called a righteousness of the Lords own imputing Further 't is a righteousness that does not consist in any works or obedience of ours Finally this Doctrine of the imputed righteousness of Christ is asserted by David under the Old Testament as by Paul under the New In Sinners Approach unto God this righteousness is to be relied on for pardon and justification And as his Righteousness is necessary unto Reconciliation so is his strength and the power of his Spirit unto Conversion None will be made free from the power of Sin and Satan none will be delivered from the power of darkness till the Son of God does make them free indeed and translate them into his own Kingdom 5. They must cry unto God to be throughly turned So did Ephraim Jer. 31.
We have known and believed the love that God hath to us 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life And v. 19. Hereby we know that we are of the Truth and shall assure our hearts before him This assurance was not the effect of a particular and extraordinary revelation peculiar to that first age of Christianity but was the result of those charcters of Grace which are to be found even in the Saints now as well as then The consolations of the Spirit were not confin'd to the Primitive times but as a Comforter he is to abide with the Church for ever Joh. 14. 16. And indeed those who walk in the fear of God may expect the comforts of the Holy Ghost without any presumption The Apostle bids us to draw nigh with a true heart in full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. And 2 Pet. 2. 10. We are commanded to give diligence to make our calling and election sure What impiety is it then to say that Assurance is an impious confidence What is it that the Church of Rome does not strike at She strikes at our Liberties at our Lives would clasp the Book of the Gospel and lock it up in an unknown Tongue She would baffle our very senses and lord it over our Consciences and exercise dominion over our Faith and rob us of our peace and comfort and joy in Gods Salvation Vse 2. It may serve for a great and just lamentation that this duty of Self-proving is so exceedingly neglected by the generality even of those unto whom the Gospel is preached Multitudes are as unconcerned what is likely to become of them in another World as if there were not a pin to chuse between Heaven and Hell as if eternal Life did not deserve to be desired and eternal Death were not worthy of their fear Men are willing to know whether they thrive in the World there is anxious enquiring what the Parliament does and what the times are likely to prove whether peaceable and prosperous or full of tumult and confusion But alass alass 't is no part of the enquiry of the most among us What Eternity is likely to prove to them whether an Eternity of horror and woe or an Eternity of joy and blessedness A great number live in the prophane and total neglect of God and godliness and will not give the Gospel so much as the hearing but truely there are also many who will pray attend upon the Word preached and profess high and talk religiously who never talk with themselves nor call their hearts to task nor speak such language as this to themselves O animula vagula blandula Quae nunc abibis in loca O my Soul in what state art thou And where art thou likely to be lodg'd when once thou hast left this earthly Tabernacle The consequences of this neglect of Self-examination are fatal and truely lamentable 1. These careless Sinners that prove not themselves know not themselves they know neither their Sore not the way of Cure their Sins are hid from them and so they must needs be strangers to Repentance and godly Sorrow they remember not their own wickedness so as to mourn and condemn themselves therefore God will remember it so to condemn and punish them He that is ignorant of himself must needs remain impenitent and hard-hearted and such do treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. 2. The not proving themselves is the ground of Sinners presumptuous confidence False hope cannot bear a serious Trial but they that try not themselves are full of such hopes and such hopes the stronger they are the more destructive The hope of them that are Hypocrites and forget God is compared to a Spiders Web 't is spun out of themselves but 't is easily cut off and they and their Hope shall perish together Job 8. 13 14. They that prove not themselves in how certain danger are they of building their house upon the sand And when the Rain descends and the floods come and beat upon their house 't will fall and great will be the fall of it Mat. 7. 27. 3. They that prove not themselves hide their faces and esteem not the Lord of Life and Glory they feel not their sickness they sancy they are whole and value not Physician they are more afraid to be cured of their Disease than to die of it They have no hunger and so they slight the bread of life they never were weary and heavy laden and so they mind not him that alone can give them rest they never were thirsty in a Spiritual sence so the invitation is not hearkned to to come and drink of the Water of Life freely for want of proving themselves they know not in what a most wretched and lost condition they are no wonder then if they neglect great Salvation and how shall such escape Heb. 2. 3. When the Apostle says How shall we escape He does not say what to intimate that the punishment which will follow upon neglecting the great Salvation whereof Christ is the Author is much sorer than tongue can utter or heart is able to conceive or reach 4. They that prove not themselves know not what they are doing they are breaking a Law most worthy to be kept with as great chariness as the Apple of our Eyes they are engaged in the service of Sin whose wages is Death and Hell they are the Devils Vassals who hates and strives to ruine those who serve him with the greatest labour they are provoking the Lord more and more to anger and provoking themselves to the confusion of their own faces 'T is very bad and sad work they are employed about and because they neither prove their work nor themselves they do not in a penitential way cry out What have we done But what they have done they will do still whatever comes on 't therefore the Lord complains Jer. 8. 6. I hearkned and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickedness saying What have I done Every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel 5. They that prove not themselves know not whither they are going these careless Sinners consider not that their most pleasant Sins will be as bitter and as deadly as the very gall of Asps at last that of Solomon is verified in them Prov. 14. 12. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death The end of that broad way our Lord speaks of his hid from the multitude which go in it They are blind and do not see afar off nay though Death is near at hand and Hell follows immediately upon Death yet they do not see it Woe unto them they fly from God and they run post haste towards ruine and do not understand what dreadful and everlasting destruction they are near till they have actually and utterly destroyed themselves and that beyond
into exercise that it may be the more apparent Little Grace is nearest unto no Grace much Grace is nearer unto Glory When Grace lies dormant as it were and asleep in the Habit it may be doubted of but when 't is vigorously acted the Truth of it will more easily be granted Thus the Hare when she sits close is not perceived but when she is started then she is visible to all Pray therefore to resemble the Thessalonians whose Faith did grow exceedingly and whose Love abounded 2 Thes 1. 3. And that your Faith may work and your Love put you upon labour this is the way to have your spiritual estate cleared up to you 5. Find out and avoid what really nourishes and keeps up your Doubts and Fears Entertain not high Thoughts of your selves your gifts your parts your attainments for deadness and darkness and doubting will follow upon spiritual pride Check the spirit in you which lusteth unto Envy Jam. 4. 5. Abhor all lascivious thoughts and motions at the first rising of them Let not any Earthly enjoyment get too high a room in your Heart nor too large a share in your Affections Suffer not your Spirits to be ruffled and disordered by passion and peevishness In short connive at no corruption but mortifie all your members upon Earth Col. 3. 5. Not sparing the right Hand or right Eye For if you deal gently with any of your lusts and suffer them ever an anon to prevail they will render your condition doubtful and will be a strong impediment unto Assurance and Consolation 6. When you are proving your selves heed not Satan in his unreasonable injections You need not doubt but this Accuser of the Brethren will be very busie and use many wiles to hinder you from attaining peace of Conscience The Christians comfort which is the Christians Heaven upon Earth is the Hell and Torment of this envious Spirit therefore he does what he can to hinder it He starts a great many captious questions in the minds of Humbled and Awakened ones How do you know but that you are of the number of the not Elected Is not the day of Grace past and the Spirit quite gone Are you not judicially blinded and hardened Can you ever hope for an interest in and sense of the Love of God who have been such rebels heretofore and such revolters and back-slinders since a profession of Religion Sometimes this Enemy of souls will charge those that are sincere with hypocrisie in a most peremptory manner he tells them that all their duties are a meer Abomination that they have not one jot of saving Faith that they are meer strangers unto godly sorrow and repentance that they have nothing at all of the Love of God in them Calumniare audacter aliquid haerebit Satan charges boldly and thereby hopes something will stick whereby the soul will be disquieted But such injections as these are not to be regarded because they come from him that is called a Lyar and it may be known they proceed from him because he proves not what he injects by Scripture nay he overlooks all that the Scripture speaks for the souls encouragement And his design in these injections is to make duty neglected to drive souls to despair and to lay aside the profession and practice of Religion Be altogether deaf to Satan perceiving his evil design and pray that the God of peace would bruise Satan under your feet Rom. 16. 20. 7. Add not unto the Word of God Prov. 30. 6. My meaning is this believe nothing either for or against your selves but accoring to the written Word of God rightly understood and applyed Many question their state because their Hearts are so dead in Prayer because they find so much hardness and unaffectedness under Ordinances Mercies Afflictions because they fall so exceeding short of what they would fain both be and do But where does the Word tell you that where there is true Grace all deadness and hardness of Heart is removed Or that none are real Saints but who are absolutely perfect in Holiness The Apostle Paul found evil present with him when about to do that which is good Rom. 7. 21. And the beleiving Galatians had flesh as well as spirit and this flesh was very active and lusted against the spirit so that they could not do the things which they would have done Gal. 5. 17. You have spiritual life else you would not have spiritual sense to feel and be weary of remainders of corruption you would not have a will to be and do good and still to be and do better if God had not wrought will this in you 8. Be sure not to thrust away that consolation which the Word of God hands forth to you but humbly and thankfully accept it Though the Heart be naturally deceitful above all things yet so far as 't is renewed it deals truly and sincerely and Conscience being enlightned by the Word of God is to be credittd in its Testimony 1 Joh. 3. 21. Beloved if our Heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God If therefore upon the strictest search your Hearts do witness for you that there are good things in you towards God as it was said concerning Ahijah the Son of Jeroboam 1 King 14. 13. If you find that God is preferred before the World that you are willing to receive the Son as the way to the Father and that you consent nay earnestly desire to be sanctified throughout by the Spirit You should not dispute against your comfort but gladly accept of the peace of the Gospel for you are the Sons of peace You will grieve the Spirit of God and add to your own grief if you will not heed the Scripture speaking plainly for you and for your relief and if your Souls refuse to be comforted Ps 77. 2. Take heed of rash answers of your selves that you are rank Hypocrites and that all the grace you have is but common or counterfeit unbeleif is not to decide but the Word is to judge concerning the sincerity of Grace and if the Word speak peace you are not to keep your selves under trouble 9. Hold on in self-proving and praying and resolve never to give over trying and crying tell you know you are the Lords and have the light of his Countenance Tell him that his favour is better then life and that you know not how to live much less do you know how to dye without the sence of his Love Be thankful for hopes and probabilities but rest not there till you can speak as the Spouse in the Canticles Chap. 6. 4. I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine And as the Apostle Paul does Gal. 2. 20. The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me Beg that the Spirit may put all out of question and seal you to the day of Redemption The Spirits Testimony is of absolute necessity to bring us to an Assurance that we are the Children of God Now this Testimony
Faith Here for his better Information I shall lay down Ten Principles which 'tis highly requisite he should be acquainted with 1. The Communicant must know That there is a God who is from Everlasting to Everlasting and every where present a Spirit of incomprehensible Wisdom Power Righteousness and Goodness the Maker and Governour of Heaven and Earth and all the creatures which are therein Heb. 11. Psal 90. 1. Jer. 13. 23. Joh. 4. 24. Rom. 16. ult Ps 147. 5. Psal 116. 5. Gen. 2. 1. Dan. 4. 34 35. 2. This God is but One and yet he is distinguished into the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost which have the same Godhead Power and Eternity 1 Joh. 5. 7. Matth. 28. 19. 1 Joh. 5. 20. Heb. 9. 14. Act. 5. 4. This Doctrine of the Trinity is revealed that we may have right conceptions of the True God when we Worship him Excellent is that passage of Nazianzen Orat. 40. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am not able to understand One but I am presently struck with the brightness of Three I am not able to distinguish Three but I am presently brought back to One again We are also further to take notice how all these Three Persons in the glorious Godhead do concur in that great Salvation which is brought to light and offered in the Gospel The Father sends the Son to become Man and Mans Saviour the Son is made Flesh and puts away sin by the Sacrifice of himself The Spirit is sent to convince men of sin and of their need of this Saviour and to draw them to him that beleiving in him they may not perish but have Everlasting Life 3. The Communicant must know That Man was at first made upright The first Man Adam had his Makers Image when first he was made which Image did consist in Knowledge Righteousness and Holiness and in having Dominion over the Creatures A Covenant was made with Adam of Life and Immortality upon condition of perfect Obeaience which then he had Power if he would to yeild and he was threatned with Death if he did Eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil Eccles 7. ult Gen. 1. 26. Ephes 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. Rom. 10. 5. Gen. 2. 17. 4. The first man Adam being a publick person and representing his whole Posterity did sin against God in Eating the forbidden Fruit and all his posterity Immanuel excepted who being conceived by the Holy Ghost was Born of a Virgin sinned in him and are Fallen short of the Glory of God so that all are Born the Children of Wrath all have corrupted Natures so that they are Reprobate to every thing that is Good and strongly inclined unto Evil in Thought Word and Deed and every sin being a Transgression of the Holy Law of the great God the Desert and Wages of it is no less then Death and Hell Rom. 5. 14. Gen. 3. 6. Rom. 5. 12. Rom. 3. 23. Luke 1. 35. Ephes 2. 3. Gen. 6. 5. 1 Joh. 3. 4. Rom. 6. ult 5. Jesus Christ the Eternal Son of God did take mans Nature upon him but was perfectly free from Sin and suffered in that Nature becoming Obedient unto Death even the Death of the Cross and his Blood is sufficient being the Blood of him that is God and Man to cleanse from sin and to make peace and he is able to save unto the utter most all that come unto God by him neither is there Salvation in any other Heb. 2. 16. Phil. 2. 6 7 8. Act. 20. 28. 1 Joh. 1. 7. Col. 1. 20. Heb. 7. 25. Acts 4. 12. 6. The Communicant must know That Christ after his Death and Eurial did rise again the third day which shewed that the price he paid for his Churches Redemption was sufficient and having Forty days conversed upon Earth with his Disciples and been seen of several other Witnesses even Five Hundred Brethren at once at length he did Ascend into Heaven and is at the Right Hand of God to make Intercession for them that Beleive in him and from Heaven where he now is He shall be at last revealed with Power and great Glory to Judge the World in Righteousness Rom. 4. ult 1 Cor. 15. 3 4 5 6. Luk. 24. 51. Rom. 8. 34. 2 Thess 1. 7. Matth. 25. 31. Acts 17. 31. 7. Christ has three Offices Prophetical Preistly and Kingly As a Prophet he does Teach his Church and who teacheth like him As a Preist he has made satisfaction and does intercede for them And as a King he does Govern and Defend them And this Church of his are Called Justified Sanctified and shall be Saved And though Earth and Hell hate them yet there shall be somewhere or other a Church of Christ always unto the end of the World Acts 3. 22. Heb. 4. 14. Heb. 10. 14. Rev. 19. 16. Ps 3. ult Rom. 8. 30. 1 Cor. 6. 11. Matth. 28. ult 8. The Communicant must know That the Holy Ghost did move and inspire the Penman of the Holy Scripture so that 't is of Divine Authority and contanis all things needful to be known beleived and done in order to Salvation The Books of the Old and New Testament are to be received as the Word of God Those therefore that lived under the Old Testament had some Knowledge of Christ and the Gospel and were saved no other way but by him But under the New Testament Christ and the things of our peace are much more fully revealed 2 Pet. 1. ult 2 Tim. 3. 16. Ps 19. 7. 2 Tim. 3. 17. Eph. 2. 20. Acts 26. 22 23. Matth. 13. 17. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 9. There is a New Covenant which God has made with his people who Repent and Beleive into which Covenant he has also taken their Infant Seed and therein he has promised to be their God to pardon Sin to give Grace after Death to raise them up at the Last day and to bestow upon them Life Everlasting and this Covenant as it was under the Old Testament confirmed by Circumcision and the Passover so under the New 't is confirmed by Baptism and the Lords Supper which two Sacraments are the Seals of it Heb. 8. 8. 10. 12. Acts 3. 19. Acts 16. 31. Acts 2. 39. Joh. 6. 39. 40. Rom. 6. ult Rom. 4. 11. 1 Cor. 5. 7. Matth. 28. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24 25. 1 Cor. 10. 16. 10. The Communicant must know That the Law of God is not Abolished but Established by Faith as a Rule of Righteousness for Christians to walk by And sincere Obedience to the Law and Gospel through Christ shall be Accepted and Rewarded but those who live and dye Vnbeleiving Impenitent and Disobedient shall suffer the Vengeance of Eternal Fire and their Condemnation will be sorest who have been often offered but have neglected great Salvation Rom. 3. ult 1 Joh. 2. 1. 1 Cor. 15. 58. 1 Pet. 2. 5. 2 Thess 1. 8. 9. Heb. 2. 3. These are the Ten Principles of the Christian Religion which the Communicant is
my prejudice against Holiness removed as if ' iwere unwise uneasie needless and a thraldom to be Holy O my Soul what doest thou long for when thou comest unto thy Lords Banquet Is it not that thy Faith may be strengthened that thy love to God may be more hot and flaming Is it not that thy fear may be greater and more filial and that thou mayest be inabled to follow thy heavenly Father more fully as a dear Child Is not sanctifying Grace preferred before Gold that perishes dost thou not long that the new Creature may be more lively in all the actings of it and that thou mayest become stronger in Spirit If it be thus it is a sign thy Spiritual Appetite is sharp and keen and as the Supper is an ordinance proper and suitable to thee so there is enough and enough to fill thee and thou shalt not be sent away empty for the promise is open thy Mouth wide and I will All it Psal 82. 10. 11. The Communicant should examine and ask himself Do I count the World but loss that I may gain Christ Has he the preeminence in my affections above all things visible above all persons breathing Where Faith is true Christ is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. And Christ is not truly prized at all unless he be prized above all The young man in the Gospel lacked one thing and that was the main Love to Christ above his possessions Those were not fit to taste of the Marriage Supper who preferred their Oxen and their Farms and their Merchandize before it Mat. 22. Our Lord expresly requires us to undervalue what is dearest in this World in comparison of him Luk. 14. 26. If any man come to me and hate not i. e. less Love his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life also and what can be named dearer he cannot be my Disciple Speak therefore thus to thy self O my Soul has thy Saviour and Lord indeed the highest room in thee Corruptible things as Silver and Gold are unsuitable to thy nature which is spiritual and were insufficient to be the price for thy Redemption The world has often proved a snare to thee but Christ is a Saviour the World is vanity and less then nothing but Christ is all in all the World has often disappointed and vexed thee but Christ can ease and satiate and replenish thee The World after thou hadst ruined thy self was ready to help forward thy destruction But Christ has the key of Hell and can keep thee out of it and the key of Heaven and can give thee an abundant entrance into that everlasting Kingdom If Christ can do more then the World can nay if Christ can do all for a Soul and the world can do just nothing at all 't is but reason that Christ should infinitely be preferr'd before it 12. The Communicant should ask himself Am I reconciled to the Commands of God Am I willing that my Heart should be Tables for the Spirit to write his Laws upon that I may delight to do the will of God Do I esteem not only some but all the Lords precepts concerning not only somethings but concerning all things to be right and do I hate every false way Ps 119. 128. O my Soul speak Art thou irritated by the Law of God as formerly are the motions to sin stronger and more vehement because the law forbids Sin Or is the Law of God dear to thee and art thou ready to say at the hearing of every Command Oh that my wayes were directed that I might keep this Statute The stronger Grace is the commands of God are farther off from being grievous You may perceive how David was affected towards them when he said Psal 19. 10. More are they to be desired then Gold yea then much fine Gold sweeter also then Honey and the droppings of the Honeycomb And where Grace is weak though there be an untoward backwardness remaining to yield obedience to the Law that backwardness is lamented and a Burthen and the heart longs to be enlarged that it may run the wayes of Gods Commandments Psal 119. 32. 13. The Communicant should examine himself Am I willing to receive whatever Christ has purchased and is willing to give in this ordinance of the Supper Is every benefit of Christ lookt upon as worthy of all acceptation All the benefits of Christ are dear surely all of them are of great value And there is not one of them that we can be well without for these benefits are excellently suited unto our necessities O my Soul should the Communicant say thou likest the Lord Jesus as he is made unto thee Righteousness as he skreens thee from the Wrath of God and interposes between thee and everlasting vengeance But dost thou see thy need of his Wisdom to direct thee in the way of Truth and to make all the wiles of the subtle Serpent of none effect And to make thee wise to Salvation and for Eternity Dost thou value Chrict as made Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. Dost thou count deliverance from all Iniquity a great and desirable part of Redemption and Sanctification a great and desirable part of Salvation because hereby thou art saved from thy pollutions and defilements Certainly as there is no sin which should be loved so there is nothing in sin to be liked and there is no thing in Christ but what is highly worthy to be esteemed 14. The Communicant should examine and ask himself Am I grieved when I remember what I have done against God and the Lord Jesus Is it indeed the trouble and Affliction of my Soul that I have so naturally and forwardly and so long rebelled against the best Lord and been disobedient to the best Father Do I mourn and would I mourn a great deal more because I have dared the power of God slighted his presence contemned his favour and fellowship hated his holiness abused the riches of his Grace and Mercy O my Soul how foolish and unwise hast thou been thus to requite the Lord that made and bought thee How great an evil has it been in it self and how evil has it been for thee that thou hast forsaken the Fountain of Living waters Mourn that thou hast left such a God and mourn the more kindly because still he is willing to receive thee See O My Soul how thy sin has peirced the only Saviour Behold him in an Agony behold him sweating drops of Blood first and after shedding all upon the Cross See a sorrowful Life ending in a Death more lamentable Harken to thy Redeemer crying out My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me Behold the son of Righteousness setting in a Cloud and sin thy sin the cause of all this Break break hard Heart Let his Blood and Love together melt thee into Godly sorrow 15. The Communicant should Examine himself Am I willing to give to Christ whatever he is willing to
the great interest and business of us all to please him Though others live without God in the World and forget him days without number yet we should be under the powerful impressions of those great Truths That God is All-Seeing that God is All-sufficient and we should walk before him and be perfect for the Eyes of the Lord run too and fro through the whole Earth to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose Heart is perfect towards him 2 Chron. 16. 9. 13. Ask thy self What care have I had to adorn the Gospel this day and to win those who are without to a love and liking of Religion The wicked hate instruction and cast the Word behind them they will not be at the pains to look into the Book of the Gospel and therefore let them be able to read the excellency and the efficacy of the Gospel in the lives of those that are Professors With well doing we should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men We should be Blameless and Harmless the Sons of God without Rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation among whom we should shine as Lights in the World Phil. 2. 15. Calling your selves to an Account thus every day will make the Authority of Conscience to be more own'd and reveverenced The Heart will be the better kept within bounds when it knows it must be Catechised at Evening and severely chidden for every Transgression By this course the practise of Repentance will be promoted if there be a falling into sin and we shall rise and recover the sooner and if we are enabled to walk before God in Truth from day to day and keep a Conscience void of offence we shall the more thankfully and comfortably take notice of the Grace of God in us and with us by which we are what we are and which is not bestowed upon us in vain 1 Cor. 15. 10. And if every day we should thus prove ourselves Vpon the Lords Day we should do it much more We should not be so Sacrilegious as to wast any of that hallowed Time We should examine whether our Hearts took their flight to Heaven at first waking and continued there without descending all the Day We should examine whether God had our thoughts and the very cream and strength of our Affections and the World and the concernments of it were made to stand by while our Hearts did Worship We should examine whether our discourse was altogether spiritual whether Earthly Employments and Recreations were laid aside and whether our Souls did indeed rest in God and Jesus Christ And resist Satan and disallow of every thing which might be a Distraction Deading and Disturbance We should seriously reflect upon our secret Duties and our manner of engaging in publick Ordinances and see whether God was pleased and manifested his Gracious Presence Power and Love And whether our Souls were indeed profited and delighted in the Closet in the Family in the Sanctuary Every Sabbath is indeed a Golden season of Grace which it much concerns us to improve and we should be unsatified unlesse we endeavour to spend it after such a manner in the Affectionate and delightful admiration and Worship of the Lord as the Saints in Heaven do celebrate an Eternal Sabbath VSE IV. Shall be of Exhortation unto the duty in in the Text be perswaded all of you to examine and prove your selves And that the Word of Exhortation may be the more prevalent it shall be particularly directed unto several sorts of Persons First Let Wicked men that are notoriously ungodly prove themselves And truly such at the first view of themselves may presently perceive whose they are Satan works more openly in these scandalous Children of Disobedience and leads them Captive in the sight of all Their Cursing and Swearing their hating of Gods Word and Sabbath and Messengers their Fornication and Adultery their Stealing Injustice and Lying their Covetousness and Drunkenness and Railing at Religion and Abhorring all that are serious These things are the Devils Badg and Livery and plainly declare that such person are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of Iniquity Oh you that declare your sin as Sodom and hide it not You cannot deny your wickedness pray be at last convinced of it and think what will be the end of the course you are taking Let these five words of advice be acceptable 1. Look about you and see innumerable Evils compassing you about Psal 40. 12. How vast is the number how heinous the nature and how high and horrid the aggravations of your inquities Your sins are as Scarlet and Crimson indeed your Trespasses are grown up to the very Heavens and notwithstanding your great Abominations you have been impudent and hardhearted Your Necks have been like an Iron sinew and your Brows Brass and your Hearts like an Adamant-stone you have refused to be ashamed and to return The least of all your sins is enough to damn you and should not the consideration of so many and such great ones daunt and fright you That God who is to judge you knows what you have done He has compassed your Paths has heard your words has lookt into your Hearts is acquainted with all your wayes Psal 139. 1 2 3. And has not forgotten any of your evil works and wickednesse Let all this fill you with trouble and make you tremble 2. Look within you and take notice of a Fountain of sin there The Lord that searches the Heart of man gives it a very bad report Gen. 6. 5. God saw that the Wickedness of man was great upon the Earth and every Imagination of the Thoughts of his Heart was only Evil continually And Christ who knew what was in man expressely tells us that out of the Heart of man proceed all the Evils whereby he is defiled Matth. 15. 19 20. Satan indeed is your Enemy and he showes himself so in Tempting you to Evil but all your sins are properly your own Hearts Off-spring the principal blame is to be laid at your own door Your corrupted natures make you Devils Tempters Enemies to your selves destroyers of your selves Jam. 1. 14 15. Every man is Tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth Sin and Sin when finished bringeth forth Death 3. Look above you and behold an angry God a God angry particularly with you and can you stand before his indignation Take notice of the Mountains quaking the Hills melting the Rocks overturned the Heavens Astonished the Devils trembling when the Lord is Wrath and do you think that you can prosper if you harden you selves against him His Wrath is revealed from Heaven against all Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness of men Rom. 1. 18. When that Wrath is felt how heavy will it be found 4. Look beneath you and see a flaming Furnace That 's a dreadful fire indeed which never shall be quenched which will always
Torment but never quite consume and make an end of those that are burning in it We read that sinners must dwell with Everlasting Burnings Our Lord tells you that in Hell the Worm dies not and the Fire is not quenched and he says this thrice nay six times together that man may believe and fear Mar. 9. 43. 48. And into this Hell the wicked shall be turned and all the Nations that forget God Psal 9. 17. This is as certain as 't is certain God is true and Powerful and Just and Holy 5. Look the very worst of you into the Gospel and behold the Lord Jesus stretching forth his hand all the day long even to them that are Disobedient and Gain-saying Rom. 10. 21. Stretching forth the hand is as much as inviting sinners to come to him and offering Salvation to them He has Justified and washed and sanctified and saved as bad as you And if you will at length consent to be sanctified as well as saved and come to him he will do both for the most guilty and defiled among you Oh! Look to Jesus whom you have slighted and cry to be drawn to him Secondly Let meerly Moral men prove themselves These have very great need to search themselves that they may not be undon for ever by self-confidence When I speak of Morality I do not mean an universal respect unto the precepts of the Moral Law for such a kind of respect only those who are truly Regenerate and Religious yeild unto the Lords Commands But by Morality I understand an external Righteousness and freedom from more gross and notorious iniquities such a Moralist was the Pharisee who said God I thank thee I am not as other men are Extortioners Vnjust Adulterers Luke 18. 11. And such Morality was to be found in the Apostle Paul while he was Graceless before his Conversion Touching the Righteousness of the Law I was blamelesse says he Phil. 3. 6. Now Persons upon Examination may know themselves to be but meerly moral by these following signs 1. Meerly moral men are great strangers to the Corruption of their own Natures Hereupon they think themselves to be whole and do not apprehend any necessity of a new Birth of having a New Heart given to them When Nicodemus the Pharisee came to Christ Christ told him of the Corruption of Nature That which is Born of the Flesh is Flesh and except a man be Born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Joh. 3. 3. 6. The Apostle Paul while a Pharisee was alive in his own Thoughts though really dead in Trespasses and sins Moral men not knowing what they are by Nature continue securely in a state of Nature and suppose they have no need of the Blood and Spirit of Christ whereby alone they might be Justified and Renewed in order to Salvation 2. Meerly moral men though blameless in their Lives yet their Hearts are allowed to be wicked The Pharisees of old were against actual Murther but allowed of Malice Envy and Revenge they were free from gross Adultery but made nothing of Evil Concupiscence Therefore our Lord. Matt. 5. does at large shew the spirituality and extent of the Law of God and how it lays an obligation upon the very Heart unto Purity and Meekness and Love as well as requires external Conformity to the Letter of it in the Life and Conversation What kind of Hearts have these Moral men What Pride and high Thoughts of themselves what hatred is allowed to lodge in them What Ignorance and Contempt of Communion with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ How exceeding suitable and desirable are the Wealth Preferments and Delights of this World but their Hearts are meer strangers unto the Love of God and delight in him and rejoycing in Christ Jesus And which is worst of all they think this is needless and that their Hearts are so good they need not be changed and made better 3. Meerly Moral men do rest in their own External Righteousness and rest upon it They are confident that good living and giving every man his due is enough though the mean while the World and the God of this World fill their Hearts They act as if that Precept were not in the Bible My Son give me thy Heart Prov. 23. 26. As if they had never read of Davids practise Psal 25. 1. Vnto thee O Lord do I lift up my Soul And as they rest in their own external Righteousness as if inward Holiness were not required so they rest and rely upon it as if this were enough to justifie them before God and to purchase their acceptance and Salvation But this ruines them and cuts them short of the Righteousness of the Son of God Rom. 10. 3 4. For they being Ignorant of Gods Righteousness and going about to establish their own Righteousness have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God for Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that Beleiveth Thus you meerly moral men may know your selves And oh That you would be advised 1. To Consider that Morality can neither justifie it self nor you It cannot justifie it self because 't is meerly external a piece of Pageantry and Hypocrisie for want of inward purity and how then can it justifie you before that God who is so glorious in Righteousness and Holiness You certainly stand in need of Christ as well as the greatest sinners in the World and must needs to Hell without Him The Apostle Paul was a great Moralist before he was a Christian but when his Eyes were open Christ was valued as the onely Justifier and Saviour of sinful and lost man and says he I desire to be found in Him not having my own Righteousness Phil. 3. 9. 2. Pray that the Commandment may come with Power and shew your sins even those that lye hid in your very Hearts and make you sensible of your damned and lost Estate Rom. 7. 9. I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sin revived and I died Notwithstanding all my confidence of my Goodness and good Estate before I saw my self by Law a condemned and dead man and no hope of life without Jesus a Mediatour 3. Be sensible of the necessity of the New-Birth and cry for the Spirit Those that are born again are born of the Spirit of God Joh. 3. 6. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit This Spirit God is willing to give to all that ask him seeing indeed their need of him Begg hard for the Spirit that by him you may be enlightned convinced of sin and set at Liberty from it that you may be drawn to Christ and changed into the glorious image of God which does consist not in Righteousness meerly external but in Righteousness and true Holiness Thirdly Let unsound Professors prove themselves Why should such entertain a confidence which the Lord will reject Why should they joyn with a subtle Serpent to deceive themselves Oh! that they