her steps take hold on hell thus the soul by the power of grace being made acquainted with the loathsomness and bitterness of sin begins to be weaned from its brest and forsakes its embraces let God or man say what can be said of sin in respect of the vileness of it the soul can give its free assent and consent unto it yea it s so hateful to the soul that it hates the very name of any thing that doth but tend to sin yea it hates it in its most glorious robes of pleasures profits honors credits or what ever the world can afford it will shake them off as Paul did the Viper from his hand it knows sin to be viperous infective and stinging it looks upon it as its bane its poyson its undoing yea in the souls apprehension its worse then hell then the devil or all or any thing that can be thought upon The next thing is Self-denial that 's a soul that hath no Self no will when any thing comes in competition with God with Christ it owns its being from God it renounceth any self-existency its naked till cloathed from above its barren till made fruitful by Christ it stands in need of all things till supplied by that Fountain that openeth his hand and filleth all things with his blessing this Grace subjecteth the soul and makes it lie down at Christs feet it s alwayes lying under the droppings of Grace that it might receive replenishings from the Spirit this causeth the soul to look out of it self and to be carried out with an expectation hungering and thirsting after Christ and his righteousness this makes the soul to decrease that Christ may increase it debaseth it self that it might advance Christ its willing to part with all that Christ may be all in all it doth not onely make the soul to see emptiness in it self but to see emptiness in every thing besides In a word It s a soul-denying and a Christ-advancing Grace in whatever it doth it will not suffer the soul to aim at any thing which may tend to sinister ends it doth willingly cast off ease profit pleasure honor or what ever can be thought on before God and Christ shall lose their glory this Grace brings the soul into a right temper where this Grace hath its true working the bias of the soul runs from the world and runs heavenward God-ward and Christ-ward Self-denial as its Faith 's concomitant so it worketh with Faith in purifying the heart in mortifying of sin Matth. 12.37 39. and in following of Christ For he that will follow me saith Christ must first deny himself not regarding profits pleasures afflictions or what ever else lies in the way to life and glory For he that loveth any thing whether it be father or mother more then Christ is not worthy of Christ and he that will finde his life shall lose it but he that loseth his life for Christs sake shal finde it Fourthly Love its Gods will to man and it is a grace shed abroad into the hearts of the Saints by the holy Ghost in man it s a certain passion flowing from the Affections which are the souls wheels to carry it to its Object be it either God or man It may be stiled a characterizing grace whereby men may know God for God is love whereby men may know Saints from Reprobates 1 Joh. 4.8.3.14 the children of God from the children of the devil it s a sign that you are departed from death to life because you love the brethren he that loves not his brother is not born of God neither doth he know him to her much is forgiven because she loved much Love is of such an excellent nature that it transcends the tongues of men and Angels it excells the gifts of prophesie all mysteries 1 Cor. 13.1 2. all knowledg nay all faith it is of an enduring nature as Paul saith in the 1 Cor. 13.8 Charity never faileth it out-lives faith and hope 1 Cor. 13.8 for they shall cease but love shall be perfected and endure for ever Quest 2 Secondly how comes godliness into the soul and what are the steps thereof Answ 2 That as godliness is the fruit of grace and grace the cause of godliness as I have shewed before so are they made perfect in the soul at one and the same instant of time that is perfect in parts not in degrees for there are degrees of grace as well as glory one Christian more eminent in grace then another yet the least spark is as true as the greatest flame the whole man is at one and the same time changed and become new all the faculties of the soul all the members of the body are at once transformed and renewed the understanding that 's illuminated the Judgement rectified the will turned to that which is good the affections run after the right object conversion is not in part but in whole the feet cannot be washed alone but the hands and other members must be also cleansed for so said Christ unto Simon Peter one of his Disciples when he said unto him Lord wash not onely my feet Joh. 13.9 10. but also my hands and my head Jesus answering said unto him he that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit c. intimating that he that is washt by the blood of Jesus Christ is not onely cleansed from one sin but from all not onely purified in one member of his body but in all he is sanctified throughout both in soul and body but though this grace of sanctification or godliness be thus thorowly operative in it self yet oft times its not so to the souls apprehension that 's in Gods ordinary way of working now to open unto you in a word how to mans apprehension this great work of conversion grace and godliness is wrought First God by the preaching of his word together with the working of his spirit gives a touch to the conscience of an elect vessel which the Scripture cals a prick in the heart that 's in the ministery of the word as those in the Acts were pricked in their hearts saying Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved Act. 2.37 God doth here discover a mans condition to himself whereby he comes to see himself First To be a woful miserable and sinful creature Secondly that there is an exact satisfaction to be given to Divine Justice for those sins that he stands guilty of before God Thirdly that there is nothing in him that can possibly give satisfaction or make up that breach which he hath made by his sin there is no possibility in Angels or men in Heaven or earth that can take of the guilt of one sin And yet that divine justice must be satisfied or he is a lost man he is undone for ever yea he stands at the very brink of hell ready to be swallowed up every moment now these and the like reasonings
it was God that chose thee thou didst nor couldst not choose him O that an incomprehensible God should be comprehended by a poor wretched creature that he should bestow himself upon him and give him the riches of his grace O let the Saints for ever breath out thanks and praise to this gratious God and begin that work on earth which shall be their work for ever in the highest Heavens From the consideration of your redemption 3. Redemptio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is no less then a glorious redemption as being bought with a glorious price not with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the pretious blood of Jesus Christ of more worth and excellency then all the created powers in heaven and earth Consider what you are Redeemed from First From the curse of the Law Secondly From the wrath of an infinite God Thirdly From the power of sin Fourthly From a vain conversation Fifthly from the second death Sixthly Out of the jaws of Satan that great red dragon even from hell and condemnation What you are Redeemed to First To be in an estate of Son-ship to be the Sons of God Secondly To be heirs and joynt heirs with Jesus Christ Thirdly To have a sweet communion with God Christ and the Spirit of grace Fourthly To have communion with Saints Fifthly To enjoy life glory for ever where you shall sin no more where all teares shall be wiped from your eyes where you shall reign with God Christ Saints and Angels to all Eternity O this cals for thankfulness render unto him therefore the praises due unto his name 4. Justificatio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est propria ipsa judicis de innocente reo pronunciatio significatione nimirum activa The consideration of your justification which is done by the merits of Christ that is to be fully acquitted of all sin as if a man had never sinned to stand right and just in the sight of God Christ having paid the debt to Divine Justice and blotted out the hand-writing against you so as now it s with the Saints as if they had never been defiled with sin you and onely you are they which stand justified in his sight in that fift to the Romans are these three words used viz. Justifying Justification Justice and they are thus distinguished The first Signifieth the merit of Christs Justice whereby the Saints are Justified The second The action it self of Justification whereby Christs Justice is communicated to the Saints The third the Justice it self which is imparted and communicated to the Saints you know by sin every man is bound over to the Judgment Seat there to answer before God for all things done against him in the flesh and to pay that debt that the Law requires now Christ is the Saints surety and in their behalf hath taken this debt upon himself and hath paid the utmost farthing that can be exacted by the Law he hath loosed the chains of darkness broken the strong holds and hath enlarged and set free the Saints in the sight of God so that neither the Law sin nor the devil can lay any charge or accusation against them they have their pardon written on their breast declaring there is no condemnation unto us because we are in Christ Jesus let the Saints therefore never cease to magnifie and praise the name of the God of their Salvation From the consideration of your vocation 5. Vocatio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your calling out of darkness into the marvellous light whereby you can rejoyce in God your Saviour whereby your soul enjoyes the manifestation of all its comforts yea of its communion with God and Christ while its in the body God might have called his Saints at the last hour of their departure out of this life and so they might have lived without God in this world as every man doth before his calling and so without comfort and joy in the Holy Ghost now then if one hours communion with God be more worth then thousands of worlds O how are the Saints bound to bless God for so great a mercy as their enjoyment of communion with him here in this life for many days and yeers after they are called praise God therefore for your Vocation 6. Sanctificatio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From the consideration of your Sanctification and holiness a godly man ought to be as truly and really thankful that his sins are purged as that his sins are pardoned it is one of the greatest mercies that a soul can partake of to be purified washed and cleansed from all filthiness of flesh and spirit to receive of Christs communicated holiness to be imputed holy for Christs sake so that he who hath this robe of righteousness is made pure yea so pure and holy as if he had never sinned the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin and this holiness and purity of spirit is a soul invested with by vertue of the blood of Christ flowing to it in the Covenant of Grace O this must needs be a strong motive to inlarge your hearts with gratitudes for so inestimable a mercy to be made pure as Christ is pure and holy as he is holy and for that this your holiness and Sanctification is not only universal but its perfect in its parts in every part of soul and body God doth not sanctifie one part now and another part at another time but he sanctifieth the soul thorowly at one the same time Therefore know that if thy heart be sanctified then thy judgment thy will thy understanding thy affections yea all the members of thy body and all the faculties of thy soul are sanctified also Yet you must know likewise that no man is perfect in the degrees of holiness on this side heaven yet bless God who ever thou art who knowest that sanctifying grace doth rest upon thy spirit here for though now it be in part yet it shall be made perfect in heaven for ever The seventh and last motive to stir up the Saints to thankfulness is this that thou who art a partaker of the power of godliness shalt be preserved to Eternal Life in spight of sin devil hell or any thing that can gainsay thou mayest slip and fail but never totally fall thou hast the spirit of God to guide and sustain thee thou art already passed from death to live with God eternally thou shalt never miscarry concerning thy eternal being thy trips and slidings shall but set thee forwarder on thy journey God will be thy God for evermore thou art safe for eternity and thy soul lieth in the bosome of Christ thou art given to Christ of the Father and those the Father hath given him he hath promised that none shall take them from him O bless the God of Gods whose mercy endureth for ever whose love is permanent whose purpose immutable and whose power All-sufficient to preserve thy soul and body unto eternal life Vse 6
it set you down safe in the midst of a most glorious and ever-induring kingdom of heaven and having finished her blessed task resign you up leave you for ever in the bosome of Christ the Author and finisher of your course there to remain everlastingly blessed in the injoyment of fullness of joy and pleasures at his right hand even to all Eternity Your hearty wel-wisher in Christ Tho. Hubbert To the READER Christian Reader I Fear I may take up that complaint of the Prophet Isaiah in his time Isa 53.1 Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed If this Prophet had cause to complain in his dayes O what cause have Christians to complain in these dayes wherein error and profaneness shake hands together and are at union and band themselves against the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Who is sufficient for this complaint What deep contentions about Trifles Forms and Shadows when pretious Things and real Truths are accounted circumstantial of no value So that the life of Christ the power of godliness and communion with God the Summum bonum of mortal man is generally neglected if not made a scorn and reproach and how many men which heretofore have made large professions of the Gospel of Christ do now by their base looseness on the one hand and by their gross errors on the other bid defiance to the very face of Christ and so become a shame to Religion and as so many goades and thorns to the Saints and all real professors of it Certainly I may say of these men as a Heathen Philosopher said of his gods Deos non naturae ratione sed honoris causâ nominamus we call them gods not that they are so by nature but for honors sake so these men are called Christians not that they are so by nature but it s a name of honor that they take upon them which will do them no good nor stand them in any stead another day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for though Christ be the end of the Law to his Saints yet these men without Repentance shal find Christ the terror of the Law to them most men in these erronious days make Religion to be like a nose of Wax they can turn it which way it may serve their own turn best that is called truth that corresponds best with private gain advantage what profession soever it be that answers not the gaping mouth of profit is cried down for erronious unsound now adays the objects of most mens choice are according to the dictates of their covetous hearts it is not godliness but gain that sways their affections These things I having seen and felt in my spirit did consider with my self whether that Scripture was not now fulfilled 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5. I concluded on the affirmative and he that runneth may read it for its most clear that a form of Religion is now in fashion and all the other sins in the first four Verses bound up in it Christ in his dayes on earth cried out Wo unto you Hypocrites but we have just cause to ingeminate this cry Wo wo wo for our age is over-grown with a kinde of profane hypocrisie our Religion is become formal and extrinsecal when the intrinsecal part thereof to wit the power and life of it is not regarded O there was never more strife contention and disputes about Opinions yea meer circumstantials not deserving the least consumption of pretious time nor ever was there less practice in the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ the sense whereof deeply affecting my spirits caused me in discharge of my conscience to publish this ensuing Treatise the scope whereof is not here intended to be delivered but having respect unto the welfare of thy soul that thou maist more fully discover it read and ruminate upon it at thy convenient times I have caused it to be more amply set forth and published in this following Book Which if thou wilt but read thorowly read love and practise it may be to the conducement of thy good here and eternal happiness hereafter Read it not with a censorious eye let not a supercilious brow be cast upon it but let love sobriety patience wisdom and willingness to be instructed be thy Guides and Schoolmasters to teach thee to read and peruse it and the blessing of the eternal Spirit of Grace the grand Schoolmaster and edifier of thy soul rest upon thee directing thee humbling thee and throughly instructing thee in the right and constant practice and performance of it till it hath conducted thee unto the full end and enjoyment of thy hopes eternal life and glory the accomplishment whereof unto thy soul Is the Prayer and delight of Thy Soul-pittying Friend Tho. Hubbert From my House in More-Fields this 6th of June 1649. Pilula REcipe tantum verae fidei quantum Christum tenaeciter comprehendat cujus fructus cor mundificat tantum amoris quantum te ad fingulis Christi mandatis obediendum cogat tantum resipiscentiae quantum te ab operibus carnalibus resuscitet in te timorem Domini viventis figat tantum vitae integritatis quantum te Deum ipsum de amoris tui simplicitate approbandâ audacter appellare faciat tantum sinceritatis quantum cum eo in sanctâ communione te integram agere vitam provocet Haec componantur in massam pietatis tantum capiaes quolibet mane quantum animam tuam ab omni impuritate tum carnis tum spiritus intactam reddat conservetque haec Pilula per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum usque ad vitam aeternam te salvum custodiet Probatum est Si Deus pro nobis quis contra nos The Pill TAke as much true Faith as will lay sted fast hold upon Christ the fruits of which purifie the heart as much love as may constrain thee to obedience to all the commands of Christ as much Repentance as will raise thee from dead works and make thee fear the living God as much Sincerity as may make thee boldly appeal to God for the truth of thy love unto him as much Uprightness as may make thee walk perfectly with him in holy communion all thy days Make these up into a mass of godliness and every morning take as much as may keep thy soul from the infection of all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit And this Pill shall preserve thee to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. If thou wilt reade nothing but what was intended by the Author amend these misprintings The rest are but small PAge 2. In the Margent pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 13. l. 8. r. most p. 18 l. 22. r. God p. 22. in the Mar. r. devenerunt p. ibid. l. 12. r. Spirit p. 52. l. 17. r. O self sanctity p. 60. l. 9. r. commune p. ibid. l. 23. r. eating p 67. l. 16. r. low p. 77.
l. 13. dele will p. 84. l. 11. r. he is incomprehensible p. 97. l. 2. dele of p. 108. l. 11. dele and p. ibid. l. 20. r. continue p. 111. l. 22. r. alive p. 131. l. 21. r. the poor in spirit p. 139. l. 10. r. walks p. 140. l. 18. r. the. p. 143. l. 26. r. got p. 143. l. 26. r. especial p. 147. l. 3. r. own p. 180. l. 6. r. adultery p. 189. l. 8. r. your p. 196. l. 7. r. and. p. 212. l. 21. r. it p. 213. l. 3. r. suffered p. 224. l. 21. r. wicked p. 233. l. 28. r. Tables p. 234. l. 1. r. not Pilula ad expurgandam Hypocrisin A PILL to Purge FORMALITY 2 Tim. 3.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Habentes formam pictatis sed qui vim ejus abnegarint Istos igitur vel etiam istos aversare Having a forme of godliness but denying the power thereof from such turn away THis glorious Apostle of the Gentiles by the Spirit of prophesie foreseeing those evils that would abound in the last times writes unto Timothy that it might be made known to the Churches as a warning peece to future ages vers 1 The words have their precedency beginning at the first verse A Catalogue of sinners In the last dayes shall be perillous times soul-dangering and soul-damning times souls shall be in peril of being lost and lost eternally not lost to be found but found to be lost vers 2 They shall be lovers of themselves but properly termed haters of themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-Self-love is soul-hatred he that will come to Christ must first deny himself condemn himself yea hate himself self-seeking stands in opposition to soul-saving in a lofty self-admiring soul dwels no love of God vers 3 Yea these men shall be so far from grace as that they shall be void of natural affection besides all the abominations that they are guilty of vers 4 They shall be traitors to God to man and to their own souls in stead of loving the Lord of life and the people of God they shall embrace and fall in love with the pleasures of death that is those pleasures which lead unto eternal death These things by way of explication premised we shall return unto the words which as they stand in reference unto the precedent are the Epitome of the ninteenth abomination and though they are the last in number yet not the least in nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having a forme of godliness Obser 1 That men notoriously wicked many times take upon them a shew of godliness or form of godliness what greater sinners and sins then these enumerated by the Apostle viz. Pride blasphemy covetousness disobedience to parents traitors heady high minded c and yet at this time when they lie under the guilt of these soul-destroying abominations even then are they said to have a forme of godliness Absalom when he was a traitor to his fathers crown and sought his fathers life even then he craved leave of the King to pay his vowe unto the Lord in Hebron And Absalom said unto the King 2 Sam. 15.7 8. I pray thee let me go and pay my vow which I have vowed unto the Lord in Hebron For thy servant vowed a vow while he abode in Geshur in Sira saying if the Lord shall bring me indeed to Jerusalem then I will serve the Lord. In the next words observe how he sent spies thorow out all Israel saying When ye hear the trumpets blow then say that Absalom reigns in Hebron You may see his pretence was to serve the Lord but his intent was to serve himself by depriving his father of his Crown and life 2 Sam. 17 1 2. for when Ahitophell said that he would go out against David with twelve thousand men and smite the King this saying pleased Absalom well O bloody Absalom that under shew of paying a vow to the Lord would kill his own father one that loved him as his own life Thus the Jews sent forth some faining themselves to be just men Luk. 20.20 that they might intrap Christ himself And they sent forth spies which should feign themselves to be just men that they might take hold of his words and deliver him to the Governor O wicked form of godliness that would betray the Lord of life you see traitors can insinuate and feigne themselves to be Saints Judas betrayes Christ with a kiss Luk. 23.48 Judas betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss Yet how smoothly and seeming innocently did he carry it all the time that he walked with the Disciples in so much that none did suspect him for when Christ said One of you shall betray me Mark 14 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one began to question and search into his own heart questioning amongst themselves Is it I is it I so that they did more suspect themselves then Judas here was a glorious forme when he went to sell and destroy the power and glory of Heaven and earth this was a white seeming Saint Rom. 2.20 21 22 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a black devil see saith Paul Thou art confident that thou art a teacher of babes an instructer of the foolish who hast a forme of knowledge of the law thou that preachest a man should not steal dost thou steal Thou that teachest a man should not committ adultery dost thou commit adultery Thou that art a Minister in a parish that teachest men should not be proud art thou proud thou that teachest a man should not be covetous art thou covetous thou that teachest that men should be of peaceable humble meek and lowly spirits art thou a kindle-coal and an incendiary art thou he that studies mischief art thou he that teachest men should walk in love and wilt thou make division dost thou teach that men should follow their own callings and wilt thou entermeddle with State affaires and labor to fire a Kingdom thou that wouldest not that any should bear rule and Lordship over thy conscience and yet wilt thou lord it over the conscience of thy brother and have all men undone that see not with thy eyes though otherwise godly O what a shame is this This is the meer forme of godliness but I must take heed of raking too deep into this dunghil least I meet with some ominous Basiliske I shall therefore lay aside this coal and with another pencil shew you what is meant by these words forma c. The next thing is to inquire what is here meant by the words forma pietas forme and godliness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word forme signifies the shape the outside the fashion the beauty the likeness or maner of any thing the bark of the tree cannot be properly called the tree the shadow of a man in the Sun is not the real man so the habit or forme of godliness is not godliness indeed but you must know that
though there may be a form of godliness without the power yet there cannot be the power without the forme I mean not a bare speculative and seeming forme such as is spoken of before but a practicall and active forme represented in the whole life and conversation a man cannot carry coals in his bosome and not be burnt So no man can carry grace in his heart but it will spread forth and appear in his life it s in vain for that man to say I have a good and upright heart whose life and conversation is altogether loose and licentious the tree must first be made good and then its fruit will be good let there be soundness in thy heart and there will be no rottenness in thy life thy conversation will be suitable to thy heart and thy heart correspondent to thy conversation let the fountaine be pure and the streams will issue pure The other word is Godliness 2 Gal. 20. 2 Cor. 4. â—1 Godliness is sometimes called the life of God the Image of God the new creature a man born again Its godliness for a man to have a good conscience and love towards God man and to be void of offence 2 Cor. 5.17 John 3.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It s spoken Metonymically in such a man dwels godliness Godliness is in that soul where God acteth so as it unites the soul to God as by his power it lives to God it walks with God it hath God communicating himself to it in Christ where the soul by a reflex act gives out it self to God it acts as God acts it follows the foot-steps of God this is true godliness in the soul of which more anon Habentes formam Pietatis Having a forme of godliness Quest It will be worth inquiry to see how it comes to pass that wicked men take upon them the forme of Religion or of godliness And that generally they do upon this accompt Ans 1 Men do it oft times to please their friends Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the dayes of Jehojadah the Priest what is the reason 2 Reg. 12.2 was it not for that Jehojadah had saved his life and made him King when all his brethren were slain by Athaliah the Queen 2 Reg 11.1 for she arose and destroyed all the seed Royal. So Absalom would draw his father into a belief that he was very godly and made conscience in paying of his vows and that at Hebron he knew this would please his father well Ans 2 Others do it to stop the mouth of conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.14 15. I mean of a natural conscience for by nature men will be worshipping in one kinde or other All men having the law written in their hearts their consciences also bearing them witness and their thoughts the mean while excusing or accusing one another that made Saul to offer a burnt offering in Samuels absence the text saith he forced himself to offer a burnt offering because he had not made supplication to the Lord for the Philistines were drawing neer but Samuel tells him he had done foolishly in what he had done 1 Sam. 13.12 Ans 3 Others take up a forme of Religion that they may be gainers by it Judas by his forme carried the bag and the text saith he was a thief thus grew he into credit and trust by a notional and colourable forme of Religion yea how many in these days purchase unto themselves vast estates out of formal professions to Religion Religion not the cause of sin but the want of Religion whereby they profess nothing more then the delusion cozenage and over-reaching of others who are simply and really godly which Hypocritical actions the prying and curious worldling glories to bewray and thereby takes occasion though scandalously to inveigh against Religion it self in the purity of its profession Surely such men in their abundance have want and in their want abundance that is they in the midst of their abundance of their outward and formal performances have the absence and want of the soul-solacing testimony of an upright and sincere conscience towards God and the inward consciousness of this want will at length work in the soul abundance of horror and confusion of spirit whereby their souls without the infinite mercy of God are swallowed up into the abysse of despair and then woe will be the lot of such by whom offences shall come such men may deceive poor weak infant Christians but alas their deceit will retort into their own bosomes and heavy and sad will be their condition Ans 4 Others have a forme onely in relation unto the present and temporary credit and fashion of Religion it may be the State favors it or the current of the times runs that way so that many men choose their Religion more out of fear of men then love of God for they think they shall be looked on with an evil aspect if they do not forme and fashion themselves unto the government of the times whether it be Ecclesiasticall or Civil Ans 5 A form of Religion doth not displease the world but the power makes them mad for a man to keep his parish Church to live peaceably amongst his neighbors to live civilly and to pay every man his own to be indifferent in matters of Religion not daring to professe too much nor being zealous in it this is the godly man in the eye and esteem of the world this man shall be honoured and live at quiet and rest though all this while he be but a meer formalist when in the mean time the power of Religion living and acting in a poor despicable and unminded godly soul is trampled under foot yea scorned and vilified Ans 6 The devil likes a form well he is the grand Formalist he is that Proteus that can assume variety of formes and no wonder if his servants affect the same You know the devil could plead Scripture again and again to Christ himself a form doth not oppose the devils Kingdom when the power beats it down a man in a form may go on long enough the devil will not disturbe him he knowes he hath him fast enough this man saith Satan will do us no hurt we are sure of him he will not disrellish any thing all things are alike with him if any be unsavory or distastful it will be the good he can swallow down any thing do as men will have him do he will make no disturbance in the parish where he lives nor question or scruple any false or ceremonious dispensation of ordinances but wormwood will be as sweet to his unsound palate as hony he will do as the most do his suffrage shall be ecchoed forth after the general vote the major conformity shall be the rule for his life he will be fair to them that will be fair to him his affections are steered by popularity he will keep
this point were not fulfilled in our eyes Forms are more contended for then power outside more then inside she l more then kernel the truth is extrinsecall things are more set by then intrinsecall the outward reading of the bare letter then the inward influences of the spirits holiness of life and the lively power of godliness is now out of fashion with most professors outward performances are the requies of their conscience and the sole perfection of their holiness their duties are taken up in contentions and strifes about words and questions disputes and conferences about differences in Judgment these have almost disputed the power of Religion out of this Kingdom for it is now come to that pass that he that cannot invent some new thing never heard of before is accounted no body in matters of Religion this is the condition of most on the one hand There are others that on the other hand love to bear such sway and rule over others that they must have all men come to their bow Here I intend the temporizing Clergy who are like the Maypoles neither root nor Branch only a weather cock on the top thereof they must be honored and reverenced with high respects they must be looked on as men of an infallible spirit all that they do is done Jure divino when indeed being well examined it proves very hardly jure humanoâ— yet they are the onely men whose lips must preserve knowledg and at whose mouth you must seek the Law all they say is Gospel and all they decree is to be obeyed to question any thing that they propound is faction and to contradict them is heresie they look on themselves as the absolute pattern if you go before them then you go too fast if you come after them then you go too slowly if you speak against them it is Blasphemy nor will their pride suffer them to walke cheek by jole and yet these mens Religion is Parliamentary If the Parliament decree Popery then they are for that if Episcopacy then for that if Presbytery or any other then for that they have such excellent skil that they are like the Philosophers stone that turns all things into Gold so can these men make any government Jus divinum As do but consider that story of those that in King Edward the sixth time had preached mightily against Popery and were very zealous for Reformation and the advancement of the Protestant Religion how soon did they conform to the Sacrament of the Altar and to all manner of Popery in Queen Maries time yea did not they in their convocation house at their first meeting subscribe to all those Popish Articles but very few excepted And of that generation how many â—ave we in this Kingdom nay of a more suddain mutability then the former who at one time were very fiery and zealous for the maintenance of Episcopacy and were esteemed learned Preachers and much followed Yet out of the abundance of their learning or rather superstition could bow and cringe before the Altar and read Service there as well as any Popish Priest in Rome and yet almost in the same punct of time or a very little space intervening were and still are mighty and earnest acclamators of Presbytery and if you will demand the reason it is only this Because Presbytery was the next in fashion and being in fashion they are resolved never to be out unless another government succeed and take place they are so much obliged to form that they will make any Goverment whatsoever Jus divinum They have their consciences made of retching leather and their hearts of wax the one can be made as large as you will and the other can receive what impression soever provided that it be a State Seal wherein authority pride and covetousness may shelter it self when Episcopacy was in fashion then they could worship towards the East now Presbytery is in fashion they worship towards the North they are so skilful in turning and resolved to play so sure a game that they will never be out they will not swim against the stream they have not been used to any such labor nay they are not onely mutable but violent how would these men have persecuted their brethren to death it self had not God put it into the minde of the Parliament to retain the power in their own hands yea we should have had Boner Gardner Harpsfield Succedunt alii homines non alii mores Watson and the rest of them risen up in this Kingdom for though these men are dead yet their spirits live in too many men They will deceive the very Elect if it were possible O whited walls O painted Sepulchres O form of godliness where is thy power Reader do but consider what enemies such as these have been to Christs Kingdom and to Saints in all Ages See but their carriage to Christ himself how did the Scribes Pharisees and High Priests combine themselves together that they might intrap him insnare him intangle him yea put him to death which design they never deserted till they had accomplished Look into all Ages Times Kingdoms Nations Read but the Ecclesiastical Histories yea do but consider the great and wofull miseries of Germany and examine whether those that go under the notion of Clergy men have not been the introducers of all differences and distractions yea they have been so are so and will be so as long as any State Kingdom or Nation will commit the reins into their hands they do so much affect Soveraignty that they will break Kingdoms States and Nations to pieces before they will be abridged of any of their honors or preferments their pride or covetousness it is bred in the bone and will never out of the flesh and no marvel for the most part they are men endued with admirable gifts and parts of natural Knowledg and Learning which indeed are the outward gifts of God yet not being spiritualized and sanctified serve onely to the elation and puffing up of the heart whereby nothing but Self is admired upheld and maintained whatsoever they do though indeed tending to their own ends must be done under a form of godliness as the Jews did under the keeping of the Sabbath washing of Cups and Platters c. O generation of Vipers who shall deliver you from that wrath that is to come it s not your learning your parts your high looks your crying up Jus Divinum nor your form of godliness that can do it nay rather all these shall be aggravators and pleaders against you you were born and bred the brats of Babel Amos 2.4 and confusion will be your end unless God turn your hearts in time unto himself I may well say of England Isai 3.12 as the Prophet Isaiah said of Israel O England they that pretend to be thy Teachers are they that have caused thee to err yea and they shall be destroyed that are led by them Offences will come
expect that Preach nothing but division dissention incitations and provokings to new wars and bloody designs and onely grounded upon humane prescript and authority These men are good at turning and can do it by art yet they cannot dance so in the dark but men may see them if they are not blinde or Priest-ridden yea to mine own knowledg some of them did in a manner promise the ingagers victory again how many of the people did underwrite great sums of money and lay out all their endeavors for a fresh engagement to war well may the people be seduced that are led by such spirits and yet of a suddain how did this slowing stream abate and upon how dead and low water did the spirit of these men move behold how your furious Jehus assumed new spirits or at least seemed so to do what preparations what goings out to meet that Army in a seeming kiss of love whom ere while they were plotting to destroy how did they seem to congratulate with presents those that so lately they did abominate and detest O damnable design O hellish hypocrisie But I shall not shew more of the nakedness of these men to the publike eye I shall onely advise the Reader not to suffer this sort of men to delude him any longer under any specious pretence whatsoever for though the Saints count godliness gain yet these men count gain godliness yea they fear men more then God and so are opposers of godliness while they hold out the form thereof They always oppose a through-reformation or at least like it not What The English Proverb is None too old to learne must a man that hath lived fourty or fifty yeers in a parish alwayes receiving the Sacrament freely now have his faith called into question must he now be catechised as boyes are before he can be admitted O this goes against the grain this cannot be indured yet in this thou opposest godliness They love Christs enemies they love cherish their bosom-sins their lusts their corruptions are very dear unto them they will enjoy them though they never enjoy Christ they will not be willing to part with a secret beloved vanishing darling for a perpetual and an everlasting Kingdom yea for heaven it self such as these are of the same mind that Theotimus was Theotimus saying Vale Lumen amicum who being told by his physitians unless he would leave his uncleanness he must look to lose his eyes his answer was then farewell sweet light so is it with these men they are resolved to have their lust though it cost them the loss of the most pretious light and the love and favor of Christ yea what mad men are these to do what in them lieth to damn their souls for the embraces of a momentany lust which they must forgo when they come to die Those that oppose godliness can hear of the nicknames and reproaches cast upon the Saints with delight and approbation and do not lay it to heart and mourn for it but make it their sport and matter of rejoycing and publish it to the world this is the custome of thousands of our professors in these dayes if they can but hear the least ill report against a man differing from them in Judgement they will be sure to add to it and spread it further and further it will be the tickling and delight of their hearts to set such a mans credit upon the tainter hooks do but consider Can a son indure that dirt should be thrown in his fathers face surely no then how can a man rejoyce in the reproachings of the godly whereby dirt is thrown in the very face of God himself and yet this man at the same time professing God to be his father but God loaths the owning of such children for they are of their father the devil and his works they do That man that onely likes Religion well in a great man and applauds him for it but despiseth it in a poor man and condemns him for it James 2.2 It s not Religion that this man applauds but the man this clearly shews that it s not Religion this man loves but the persons of men are onely had in admiration with him yea I must say that civility in a great personage is reputed to be an high form in Religion when true godliness is vilified in a man of a love condition yea and among them that a man dares not say but that they look heaven-ward O this is sad indeed for even these oppose Religion in the power and purity of it Lastly those that dare even in their Pulpits mock and cry out against new lights yea and others that in their conferences and disputes inveigh against any that shall speak of a further revelation of light in the Gospel of Christ what 's this but a mighty opposing of the power of godliness when John had seen many heavenly visions in the three first Chapters of his Revelation yet it is said in the first verse of the fourth That he looked and saw a door opened in heaven c. and the truth is the more true Gospel and spiritual light that any man hath the more darkness he sees in himself and the more light he desires and the reason why men do so much despise Gospel light is because they themselves are in darkness and have never had their souls ravish'd with the beams of the glory of God shining in the face of Jesus Christ unto them for let a man but taste of this glimpse of glory he is never at rest till he can have a further enjoyment of it Not that hereby I may seem to â—ustifie any vain phantasies or whimsies in men that will labor to bring the Gospel to their light and not their light to or from the Scripture that will forsake fundamentals in Religion and tell us there is another way to heaven for men of yeers besides that of Faith and repentance which is the old and sure way but so far forth as new light keeps close to sound fundamentals so far let the Saints own and embrace it as true saving light with all thankfulness It may inform us that the power of godliness hath many enemies besides those that profess themselves so to be some preach Christ out of envy and some of good will and some to add afflictions to the Saints bonds so some profess Christ of envie some of good will and others that they might spie out the Saints liberty and heap up the measure of their sufferings had not Judas been privie to Christ and his Disciples meetings in the garden he could not so readily have known where to have found him when he came with the high priest officers to apprehend him for the Holy Ghost saith he knew the place Now the reason why the power of godliness hath so many secret enemies is for that it fighteth and contends against every secret and bosom sin what irksomness and reluctancie of spirit will
indeed their case be very miserable as they stand at defiance with heaven yet I will not seal them up to condemnation nor give them all for lost let me yet set the Gospel before their eyes If yet you can beleeve you shall be saved If yet you return Though your sins be as crimson they shall be made as white as snow though they be as scarlet they shall be as wooll there is efficacy enough in the blood of Christ to wash you from all your filthiness add not then impenitency and unbelief to the rest of your abominations take heed of that soul-damning sin look upon the blood of Christ as that Fountain that stands open for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in for sin and for uncleaness remember that Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance O this is a true saying and worthy of all acceptation saith Paul that Christ came into the world to save sinners whereof I am chief Thou that hast sinned against free Grace against the tenders of Love and Mercy against the very bowels of Christ yea against the blood of the Covenant know that thou hast cause to bless God that yet thou art not in Hell that yet thou art not quite without hope its possible yet for the breath of Life to be breathed into thy soul thy salvation is yet attainable if God do but yet inspire his Grace and Power into thy soul to make use of present means and opportunities of mercy O remember that God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself yea the world indefinitely why maist not thou that hast been a formal professor all thy dayes that hast been an opposer of the power of godliness have a part in that great mercy of reconciliation God he intreats thee to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5.20 hear what Paul saith We are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead that you would be reconciled to God for he hath made him to be sin for us which knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him In which places of Scripture you may take notice that there is nothing required on thy part but to be willing to receive a pardon and to be reconciled to God yea and God himself will work both the will and the deed tell me thou desperate sinner wilt thou be saved or no art thou willing to be made partaker of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ art thou willing to be transplanted out of the wilderness of the world into the Eden of God art thou willing to be snatcht from a Dunghill unto a Paradise to be cured of a loathsome Leprosie and to enjoy perfection of health and beauty what sinner so impudent what sinner so vile as to deny a consent and willingness to this yet to lay open a little further the rich Treasury of the Mercies of God unto any such obdurate soul that will harden his heart and refuse to be willing to receive pardon let him know that Christ will save him whether he will or no if he belong to the election of Grace God will will not lose any of his Elect ones nor suffer any to pluck them from him long may Satan bear rule and sway in the soul of a chosen Vessel of God from all eternity and such a one may seem in the eyes of the Saints to be a reprobate and lost creature to be a vessel of wrath destined for destruction yet may God at length come with the tender whisperings and breathings of his Spirit which breatheth and bloweth when and where it listeth upon such a miserable soul and calm the storms thereof and poure in fresh oyl into its wounds and put in marrow strength and vigor into its dry bones and say to such a soul Come out of thy bloud and live for he hath given a greater price for the redemption of his people then heaven or earth then Angels or men for he hath given his own blood for his Church Acts 20.28 and for his Elect and why maist not thou then be one of them for as great sinners as ever thou wert have been saved Where sin abounds there Grace aboundeth much more yet sin not that Grace may abound take heed of that there 's an absit a God forbid put to that But now though a man hath sinned with never so high an hand and never so high a nature against God the commission of the sin against the holy Ghost excepted yet for such a man to receive pardon of his sin and to be made holy through the righteousness of Christ this shews an abundance of Grace and infinite Mercy yea it makes for the greater exaltation of the glory and riches of free Grace to pardon the greatest sinners it sets forth more the glory of Gods rich Grace to pardon a Mary Magdalen to be reconciled to a persecuting Saul to free a Thief from the guilt of his misled life and carry him immediatly from a Cross the deserved end of his wretched life unto an everlasting crown to snatch him from the power of sin and bring him unto the freedom and fellowship of Saints to receive him into his own bosome whom the world loathed and spued out O the heighth and depth of the Love of God in Christ There is more advancement of the Glory of God in this then in the saving of an Abraham an Isaac or a Jacob who were never guilty of such sins as they were It s a greater honor for a Prince to pardon one that hath been a Traytor against his Crown Dignity and Life then to pardon one for stealing a trifle or for picking a pocket and so more honor redounds unto the Lord in his being reconciled to an old sinner to one that hath stood out against him all his dayes who hath been a Traytor against God and Christ the Gospel and the Saints then in his pardoning one that hath onely sinned against him of infirmity now there cannot be a worse Traytor against God then that man that hath onely a form of godliness and opposeth the power thereof yet let not this man nor any other in the like condition cast away the strong Anchor of Hope so long as he breathes on this side Hell for there is salvation purchased for such as well as for lesser sinners if they will but lay hold of the proffers of Mercy in the Gospel let them look upon Christ as a full Object of salvation for the greatest sinners and is not this incouragement enough for the vilest sinners to come in to God and to Christ nay especially when Christ will do all their works in them and for them and reacheth forth such strong and free invitations as so many cables for the supportation of any sinking soul when he calls in general unto every one that thirsteth Isai 55.1 To come and buy Wine and Milk without money and without price Come unto
and satisfying themselves in types forms and denegating substance and reality types and representations are good if the power and body typified and represented be joyned with them but when there comes a disjunctive particle but between form and power then all is lost Religion lost profession lost and the professor also the fabrick of that soul being built upon such a formal and sandy foundation must needs perish and fall to ruine Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof This monosyllable but includes many syllables of truth and high concernment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed it is very authoritative and significant and though it be but short in it self yet oft times it reacheth as far as hell it self as here in this place where it parts the power of godliness from the form you know that it is many times said of the Kings of Israel that they reigned such and such a time and did such and such acts but they did evil in the sight of the Lord now this but spoiles all all seems well untill this exception or reservation comes in it s a common thing for men to say such a man is a good Preacher endued with admirable gifts but he is covetous but he is proud but he will be conformable to the times this interpositive but eclipseth the brightness and glory that mens actions did before seem to carry with them it is such a separative that it divorceth the pre-reputation of all thy actions and bringeth in and entailes a lasting disreputation and dishonor upon thee and thy actions how inconsistent is sin with goodness read of all the failings of the Saints and you shall never read that a godly man was a covetous man at one and the same time for of all sins this hath a black brand of hell set upon it he that loves the world is an enemy to God that man hath not the love of God dwelling in him the truth is that grace and covetousness are inconsistent they are light and darkness you know though it be never so dark yet if light appear the darkness is expelled so the absence of light causeth darkness so when grace comes into the soul covetousness vanisheth Wherefore whosoever delighteth in covetousness and maketh money his chiefest aime let this man profess what he will he is an Idolater a denyer of the power and life of godliness and remains in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity So others will say such a man is a good Christian but he will defraud and over-reach his neighbors but he will tell a lie for his own advantage they might as well have said he is an honest man but he is a very knave but he is a cheater and a lyar so such a man beareth the outward cognizance of a Christian his profession is very specious and Saint like but his heart is hypocricall and diabolical he hath no faculty or power of profession but fair symptomes and shewes he bids fair for heaven he outstrips many a godly man in the eye of the world but at length his vanishing prop will fall him and he inevitably drop into hell Denying or having denied that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 qui abnegârint earnestly and stifly to reject to refuse forsake or turn the back upon to cast off or gainsay its the same word with that to Titus 2.12 Tit. 2.12 teaching us that denying ungodliness so 2 Pet. 2.1 2 Pet. 2.1 Even denying the Lord that bought them so in that fourth of Jude even denying the onely Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ thus you have the explication and signification of the word denying thus they are said to deny the power of godliness who do make but a bare profession of it The next word is power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vis potestas sufficientia and it signifieth strength authority ability or sufficiency of godliness and this shews the excellency of it which is not looked upon nor apprehended by the men of the world which makes it to be so vilified and contemned Thus much for the etymology of the words But denying the power thereof Acquaint us with this truth That when godliness comes into the soul it comes with power and life in its operation it s very powerful it s like a violent rushing wind that carrieth all before it or a devouring flame that consums all combustible matters it s like the piercing Sun in the Element that with its radiant beams at noon day doth dimm and dead the hottest fire and dissipate the foggy mists of the earth so doth godliness in the soul allay and extinguish the heat of lust and banisheth and dispels the noysome mists of corruption where it comes it overcomes like an irresistible torrent that depels and drives back every opposing thing yet it hath its degrees and divers effects of operation in some more in some less according to the measure of grace received yet very powerful in all thus it came to the Jailor in that Acts 16.29 Act. 16.29 Then he called for a light and sprang in among them and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas saying What must I do to be saved It did so powerfully seize on him that it made him to tremble and quake it rowsed him out of his security it enlivened and raised up his dead and benummed affections it quickned his faculties and enlightned his understanding it made him now to enquire that ere while was without sense it made him look after salvation that before never thought of it neither knew what it meant he that a little before did imprison the Saints and put them in the stocks verse 24. Vers 24. O now who more ready to act for the Saints liberty then he now he leads them out now he fals down before them ready to be their servant that was before their tyrant O wonderful change O invincible power of grace His eyes were now opened his understanding enlightned his Judgment informed his affections turned another way he is not now the man he was a little before an Infidel now a Believer even now a captive now leading captivity captive late bound up in the fetters of darkness and now translated into the marvailous light heretofore a persecutor of Paul and Silas and all the Saints and now a refresher and comforter of them quantum mutatus ab illo O happy conviction O blessed change Again do but consider that of Paul in the act of his conversion how he was beaten from his horse to the ground the text saith he fell to the earth and he trembled and was astonished and said Lord Acts 9.3 4 5 6. what wilt thou have me to do yea and he was struck with blindness and continued so for three dayes and nights yea and they that were with him were speechless now could any thing be more powerful then this the Lord was working a great work upon Paul and he works
Saints do so often fall and slip is because they trust to their own strength and rest not on this power which they receive from Jesus Christ for he that hath this power in his soul and doth make use of it by Faith it may contend against Sin Corruption Death and Hell it self yea and overcome all as the Apostle saith I am able to do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me In him we are more then conquerors and certainly did we but know what comforts we lose and what foiles we receive in not making use of this power it would put us upon our Watch and Guard and make us careful to keep Centinel by this power in our souls Had David and others made use of this power and stood upon their Watch he had not committed Adultery Peter had not denied his Master Jacob got the Blessing by a lye Abraham denied his wife for fear of Pharoah and so divers others which I could wish might be as Landmarks unto us whilst we sail through the sea of this world Reas 3 Why godliness comes with power into the souls of the Saints is that it might put another frame of spirit into them then they had before as the Lord spake of Caleb Because he had another spirit with him therefore he shall see the Land yea I will bring him into it and his seed shall possess it Yea he followed me fully saith the Text now this Spirit was nothing else but the Spirit of Faith so he fulfilled after me as the Hebrew Word signifieth that is He was constant in obedience to Me or to my Commands Certainly where Grace raigns in the soul sin doth not onely decay but die the man is become another man as Paul when he was converted he was another man then he was before he was of a new mould a new temper before he persecuted the Saints but now he embraceth them and preacheth to them before he knew not who Christ was Who art thou Lord but now he doth not onely know Christ Ego non sum ego but preacheth Christ and suffereth for him yea now he is willing to die for him yea the Saints know this by experience that there is a certain vis a power infused into the soul from God which was not before in them otherwise they could never have had any dominion oversin never have been made new creatures but should have still remained under the power of darkness and in their natural estate they should never have known any difference betwixt themselves and the wickedest man on the earth but should have committed the same abominations with them they should never have been translated from death to life neither should their spot have been differenced or known from the spot of the wicked had not God made them experimentally to know and feel a mighty overawing and sin-conquering power sent and let in unto their souls from the Almighty Spirit of God which doth divide between the marrow and the bone between the Flesh and the Spirit Reas 4 That it may make us to carry on Gods great design in the advancing of the Lord Jesus for in such souls where this power comes Christ is greatly exalted in his Kingdom in his person and in his offices for he that believeth glorifieth the Father who hath sent his Son into the world and the Son who is the glory of the father these souls put to their seals that God is true such a soul gives a testimony unto the world that whatsoever God hath said of his Son in the word is the very truth of God yea it can freely adventure all and lay all upon Christ for life and salvation yea had it ten thousand souls it would cast them all into Christs arms it s resolved there to live and there to die its faith is surely fixt that the gates of hell cannot prevail against it come what will come he is confident that neither life nor death principalities nor powers shall be able to separate him from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord thus is the soul sustained and upheld by the power of grace and acts couragiously to and for Christ and the exaltation of his glory Reas 5 That such a soul where this power comes may strongly hold its communion with Christ that as Christ gives out of himself and fulness unto the soul by a direct act so the soul may be somewhat enabled to retribute unto Christ of what he hath received by a reflect act as the beams of the Sun are made reflective by the earth unto us which is the cause of the heat we feel so the beams of the Sun of righteousness descending and coming into the soul make it warm vigorous and communicative to and for God and as it hath received mercies so it will be alwayes returning praises whereunto it would be altogether dead for by nature we are dead to every good work had it not first been enlivened and quickened with a power from above for we cannot stir nor move for God until he stirs and moves in us we are altogether senseless till made sensible by him t is in him we live we move and have our being we could not love God had not he loved us first nor could we give out our selves unto Christ did not Christ first breathe into our souls the spirit and power of grace and therefore we may well say that none can hold communion with Christ but those and those onely to whom Christ sends the power of godliness Reas 6 That godliness may predominate and bear rule and sway in the soul that it may be the Queen Regent and sole governess thereof that as sin hath formerly raigned to Gods dishonor so now grace may raigne to Christs glory That as sin hath raigned unto death Rom. 5.21 even so might grace raign through righteousness unto eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord so that as sin hath mastered and over-powred all the faculties of the soul and members of the body in bringing of them in subjection to Satan so now godliness sitting upon the throne exerciseth them for Christ and brings them into subjection unto him now grace and godliness stand Centinel in the soul and command all so that when any cavalering lust or corruption appears it may take them off or if they should prevaile through frequent assailings that then the soul may flee to Christ for more forces to incounter and cast them out for Christ he hath promised to assist his people against all their enemies who by the power of his death will bury all his and his Saints enemies in his grave so as they shall never prevaile against them here nor hereafter Reas 7 That it may continue a soul in that new nature whereunto it hath been begotten again unto Christ for were it not that there were a certain power in godliness to keep the soul from falling into its old natural condition and a spiritual physick to
of Godliness as fire is the cause of heat and yet as the cause is such is the effect for powerful causes make powerful effects that 's an undeniable truth in Philosophy and that 's the very reason why godliness is so powerful in the souls of men Now wouldst thou know the working of Grace or of the Graces of the Spirit of God in the soul First then I will set down some of these fundamental Graces which cause godliness and secondly how they are wrought in and upon the spirits of men First then Take these four Graces Faith Repentance Self-denial and Love not that I intend to speak of the Doctrine of Faith or the rest of the graces here mentioned but onely to speak a word or two to each and so proceed To shew how they are wrought and their footsteps in the souls of Believers And first to begin with Faith not to trouble you with that which is Historical Temporary or Legal but to speak of that True Evangelical Saving and Justifying Faith Faith then is a certain grace wrought in the soul by the Spirit of God Fides est actus intellectus and by the Word preached and its an act of the Understanding also now I put the Word and the Spirit together as they ordinarily are appointed to work together to make a man a Believer for I dare boldly say that the Word of it self never yet to this day wrought faith in any man without the Spirit of God working with it but I am confident that the Spirit may and doth where the Word preached is not to be had work this faith in the souls of the Elect 1 Cor. 3.6 Paul may plant Apollo may water but it is God that giveth the increase a man may live all dayes of his life under a powerful Ministry and stand by Christ and hear the joyful sound of the Gospel and yet never the neerer they shall count it but as thunder as those did in John 12.29 Joh. 12.29 unless the Spirit of God boreth the ears and sanctifieth their hearts to understand and believe the things of God and though Faith be the gift of God yet as God puts forth an hand in giving of Faith so he gives a hand to his Elect to receive Faith otherwise they could never have it thus God illuminates the Understanding whereby it comes to know that there is such a thing as Christ is Christ the object of Faith and then he convinceth the Judgment that this Christ is very excellent and that of necessity he must be had or else the soul is undone then comes the Will saying If Christ be so good and that of necessity I must have him O then I will receive him thus at length is faith begotten in the soul yet we must take heed of attributing any thing to man in this for all this is Gods own work and none of mans Now the other three graces may be stiled Faiths subsequents or concomitants Faiths companions or the fruits of Faith yet I shall speak a word to each of them and first to Repentance I say of the working of this grace in the souls of Gods Elect as I have said of Faith and in this work of Repentance we must note these four steps or degrees True Repentance There is a sight of the nature of sin A convinced judgment of the guilt of sin There is a cordial and hearty sorrow for sin There is a dislike of or an abhorring and forsaking of sin For the first of these namely The sight of sin in its own nature and proper colours now sins vail begins to be pluckt off before sin was pleasurable and delightful now it is odious and loathsom now the soul discovers sin to be a Scorpion a Serpent whose sting would have caused eternal death that which seemed to be the pleasantest and delightfullest companion is now the ugliest basest and contemptiblest thing that ever the soul beheld since it had a being that which formerly was embraced and hugged as a Dalilah is now thrown out of the windows as a Jezabel Gods enemie now the soul looks on sin as Gods greatest enemy yea as that whereby the soul hath cast dirt in the very face of God and hath grieved and done despight unto his holy Spirit and crucified the Lord of life and glory Again The souls greatest enemie the soul looks upon it as its own greatest enemy it did unparadise it it hath ever since blindfolded it and fettered it up amongst a legion of devils and hath made a separation between God and it it hath made it at emnity with God and hath brought it into a state of condemnation and was able to sink it into the very bottom of hell The soul is convinced of the guilt of sin and that by the same it s bound over to the Judgment Seat of Christ Rom. 3.19 there to answer the breach of all the Laws of God James 2.10 Moral and Evangelical yea and that this guilt lies so heavy on the soul that its able to press it down into destruction 2 Thess 1.8 and to banish it from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power for ever sin now is become a burden to purpose yea such a burden as David complaineth of in Psalm 38 4. Psal 38.4 saith he there Mine iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me that which once was so light that the soul could not feel it O now it is so heavy that its like to break the very heart of it now conscience is wakened and sin stands as a brasen wall in its order before the soul I will set his sin in order before him Psal 50.21 there is a Scripture to that purpose in the Psalmist There is a cordial and hearty sorrow for sin O saith the soul that I that such a wretch as I should sin against so great so good and so gratious a God now the soul begins to be cautious of sinning now its ready to say with Joseph Gen. 39.9 How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God Now the soul is sensible of its indignity to God now it can grieve and rent its very heart for its unkinde dealing with God who hath dealt so kindely with it and by this means the soul is brought into contrition and godly sorrow never to be repented of Upon this the soul is brought into a dislike of sin yea to an abhorring hating and detesting of sin yea it hates the very thoughts of it not onely in others but much more in it self it s now more ugly then a Toade more bitter then Gall and Wormwood now the soul knows the fruits of sin how it leads unto destruction now it can say of it as Salomon said of the Harlot Pro 5.4 5. Her end is bitter as Wormwood sharp as a two edged sword her feet go down to death and
world to die for you yea and to rise again that you should not perish and Christ he came freely out of the bosom of his Father that he might manifest his love unto you in laying down his pretious life and shedding his pretious blood for your sakes then the Spirit of God is sent unto you that he might lead you into all truth and give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in Christ Act. 16.18 O therefore poor creatures know that you have nothing but what you have received of his fulness have ye received and grace for grace O then see that your glory and happiness lies not in doing but in receiving in the Law men did bear their own charges as we may say but now in the Gospel Christ bears the Saints charges to Heaven at his own proper cost our condition of our selves is worse then the meanest beggars condition in the world for he can put forth his hand to receive an almes but when God offers a man grace let him offer it never so freely never so long if he give him not withall a power and an hand to receive it he will go without it for ever and this hand that God doth extend and give out unto the soul to receive and take hold of his gracious offers is lively faith whereby Christ the promises and the Gospel are made over and enjoyed by that soul so empty in himself is man that he is not able to think a good thought or to speak a good word muchless to perform any good action O then what cause hath poor man to admire free grace and to look into and consider his one nothingness and to make his addresses unto the fulness and all sufficiency that is Christ Jesus then should a man behold Christ in the riches of his grace love bounty and tender mercy then would the soul be ravished with the glory of his presence and be taken with that sweetness which is so incomparably excellent and delightful there may he lye down and consolate his soul on a bed of Roses and refresh his fainting spirit with spices and rich perfumes O then by one glimpse of Christs glory would a soul be made to see it self as it is in it self altogether ugly defiled and loathsome then shall it see it self in its blood and foul deformity to the loathing of its spirit even as a man that comes into a dark room with a candle in his hand sees things amiss and out of order which were not discovered when they lay in the dark so is it with the soul when Christ shines into it then onely are the thick mists of darkness dispelled and the noysome corners of the soul purified and made clean he is the bright morning Star he is the Sun of righteousness he is given for a light to the Gentiles that though they were in the very shadow of death yet when he came among them they presently saw a great light wheresoever Christ comes he brings a light with him yea glory wisdom and all excellencies attend him for it s he that is made to his Saints Wisdom 1 Cor. 1.30 righteousness sanctification and redemption he that is the tree of life in the midst of the paradise of God Rev. 22.2 whose very leaves are for the healing of the Nations and therefore it s our duties to apply our selves onely to Christ resting on him and not on any created power or excellency whatsoever for man the chief of all the creation of God Angels excepted in his most setled estate is altogether vanity give him all the advantages you can as he is man truly he is miserable to purpose and therefore its cleer that there is nothing in man nor any other creature under heaven that can help man to the least dram of the power of godliness Rom. 6.23 its true That the wages of sin that is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Fifthly This may inform us that mens Ignorance of the power and excellency of godliness is the very reason why it s so ill relished and slighted amongst men and why it is looked upon with such an evil aspect and held in so small an esteem in the world did but men know the worth of it then the professors and practisers of it would be more accounted of had the woman of Samaria known who it was that asked her water she would never have made a denyall or had she but known Christ the gift of God John 4.9 10. she would have asked of him and he could have given to her water of life every creature is for its element stones cannot have their habitation in the aire no more then Stars dwel upon the earth fishes cannot live in flames nor moles in clouds it s beyond the sphere of the men of this world to be conversant in the affairs of the world to come they can look no further then after the things of this world their knowledgment is bounded here they are aliens and strangers to any thing beyond their own center they are of the earth and so earthly-minded their knowledge study and endeavors tend earthward ther 's their complacency and delight the natural man discerneth not the things that are of the spirit of God and what is the reason its because they are spiritually discerned his light his knowledg his discerning is all carnal tell him of the workings of the Spirit of God of conversion from an estate of nature to an estate of grace of meeting with God in a duty of having communion with Christ of the Saints union with him their head of resting on God where reason and means faile c. these are strange things to him they are meer riddles to him but now speak to a Merchant or Shop-keeper of buying selling or trading either here or beyond the Seas or to a country Farmer of Corn Cattle Plowing Sowing or any thing in matter of Husbandry herein now they are expert here they know what you mean now you deal with them in their own element herein they are onely wise cunning and skilful Merchants masters of their science none shall over-reach them they will not oversee or let slip the advancement of a bargain for want of experience here and onely here they are their own crafts-masters so that the truth is these men come into this world and so go out they make not their returns to Heaven so good and beneficial as their returns from Sea to Land indeed the whole scope and tendency of their life is circumscribed within the earth and the confines thereof they never knew of any other end for which they came into the world nor never will look after or expect any further knowledg or Interest but in and unto this present being and so remain securely wise untill they drop into hell and see their own misery and their neglect and want of true knowledg O that men would fear
that proceedeth out of the mouth of God it throwes it self into the armes of Christ on whom it is fixed there it is unremoveable there it lives and there it dies Where godliness dwels there dwels the Spirit of love for God is love and he makes his Saints like to himself as the father is the Father of love so are his children the children of love certainly this grace makes a man love God in the first place and secondly it makes him love his people who are Gods off-spring a man may safely conclude where there is no love there is none of God dwelling in that soul if we do but consider how little love there is among many of those who are called professors in these dayes it would make a man amazed O the inhumane carriages of men to men yea to those that they themselves do confess are truly godly O the bitterness the censoriousness of men against their brethren especially if they do but differ from them but in things circumstantial Away cry they with such a man let him be admonished and then if he will not be of our mindes let him be hanged or banished Witness the late London Remonstrance but if he scape either of these either for want of Law or Power then say they Let us Petition that he may have no place of publike trust yea let us do what we can to weary him out of the Parish where he dwels if he be a Minister he shall not come into the Pulpit to Preach though known not only to be godly but sound in the faith and of long standing yea though it be for the fulfilling of the desire of the dead it shall not be granted but pleaded against even by them which formerly thought all that he said to be Gospel yea and yet these bitter spirits must be looked upon as professors of the Gospel of Christ as if the word of God and his Spirit were of contrary meanings O know that such a spirit as this is none of the spirit of Christ certainly these men have not obeyed that exhortation of the Apostle to the Ephesians Eph. 4.31 32. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice And be kinde one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you and walk in love even as Christ hath loved us and given himself for us O it s very sad to consider what a spirit of bitterness is gone out over this Kingdom yea in this City of London especially if a man ask them the reason they are to seek for an answer but truly it s because they hear with other mens ears and see with other mens * That is with the eyes of the Clergy at least many of them for I at a morning Lecture heard one of them who is famous for rayling say that those rebels meaning the Army had now got all the strong holds of the Kingdom into their hands with an intent to cut our throats now they send forth their Ministers to Preach to us a Sermon of brotherly love And then he said that it was a mark of a deceiver to preach of brotherly love the Spirit of meekness and peace c. but that honest piece called the Pulpit-incendiary hath Characterized them and him I shall not stain my pen with his nomination eyes but at last let them know they must answer for themselves another day and I am confident when these men come to die they shall have as little peace and comfort from this spirit of bitterness as the malefactor hath from the hangman when he comes to the Gallows wherefore remember this that wheresoever godliness dwels there dwels a spirit of love meekness gentleness long-suffering and forbearance there dwels tender-heartedness and bowels of compassion each to the other and therefore never believe mens professions but look on their practices and carriages each to others for the Spirit of Christ is a spirit of love and of a sound minde I have heard of one that hath said he hath trembled to think of giving way to a godly Minister in this City that he should come into his Pulpit and yet I am confident he that spake the words was not worthy to carry the others book after him neither for godliness nor learning Was not this man of that minde that Jeroboam was who would not let Israel go up to worship at Jerusalem under this pretence because it was too far but the truth was it was for fear it would weaken his Kingdom and so his greatness might have been eclipsed so did not this man tremble not for fear of error but for fear he should steal away the hearts of the people its good for men to know their own hearts certainly this is far from the spirit of Love which is the Spirit of Christ Where godliness dwels that soul never findes so much sweetness in any thing as he doth in the wayes of God as David saith Thy Word is sweeter then the honey Psal 119. and the honey comb thy Word is better then thousands of gold and silver As the Hart panteth after the rivers of water so panteth my soul after thee O God and I rejoyced in thy Word as one that findeth great spoil It s a lanthorn to my feet and a light unto my paths c. O with what an eager pursuit will the soul follow after the Ordinances of Christ it will force thorow all contrary ingagements and oppositions to meet with Christ it hath alwayes an eye fixt upon the loveliness and beauty of Christ it breathes after the reflections of his glory its restless thoughts travel with pain untill they be eased and lodged in the bosome of Christ untill when they shall never injoy their chief delight and comfort all its study is for communion with Christ and for the enjoyment of his glory whereever it is whatever its about it s alwayes harping upon eternity the further enjoyment of grace here and glory hereafter Come to a soul who hath tasted of the sweetness of Christ and knows what it is to enjoy communion with God who hath tasted of the flagons of his love ask such a soul What wouldest thou have O saith the soul this I would have that I might never sin against God more that I might be as instrumētal for the glory of God as ever any man was upon the earth then I am sure I should enjoy more of God then now I do When David had tasted how good the Lord was he was ravished with his sweetness and he would have others taste also O come and taste and see how gratious the Lord is O here is the godly mans delight My delight is in thy Law and I will meditate thereon day and night In this he findes all excellencies Psas 1. here he findes profits and pleasures preferments riches honors and whatever his soul can desire what joy
shall be for exhortation and first to you Christians who upon examination have found that godliness dwels in you and that God hath poured his grace into your souls to you I say walk up to your mercies hath God made choice of you for vessels of mercy and given his Son to you himself to you yea an earnest-peny of life and glory into your souls hath God made you to see that you are passed from death to life and made you know that when you enter into the Ocean of Eternity it shall be to be with him forever O stand and admire free grace let not his benefits slip out of your mindes let them provoke you to love and fear him that hath loved you above many thousands that are and shall go into the place of condemnation who were as good as you that were of the same lump with you and had not God took more pity on your souls then he did on theirs you had been in the same condition with them well mayest thou say What was my soul that thou wert so mindful of it that thou wouldest love it so yea when it lay in its blood even then thou didst say unto it Live O what a mercy is this Let it not be said of you as it was of King Hezekiah that he returned not thanks according to the mercies he received O let none have cause to say of you that you walk out of the redeemeds path as you have received mercy above others so let your graces shine in your conversation and walking towards God and towards men above others as you have received much so act much that others seeing your godly conversation may give glory honor and praise to the God of your mercies hath God selected you to be his people and put his graces into your souls hath God taken you for his inheritance O then do you take God to be your portion yea be content with him alone for he is God all-sufficient O then walk before him and be you perfect and upright O Christians what have you to do with this world your imployment is above your treasure is in heaven your glory your excellency your All is in your God and in your Christ O know that you do mightily dishonor your God your selves your calling to be tumbling and turmoiling your selves about things here below O arise and depart for this is not your rest How dishonorable a thing would it be to see a Prince raking in the dunghil and keeping dunghil rakers company taking them for his associates certainly men would say that this man did mightily forget himself and did not minde his Crown his dignity and glory O then you who are of a noble stock who are of the root of Jesse who are all the children of the most High of the King of Kings Rev. 1.7 yea you who are Kings yourselves hath not Christ washed you in his own blood made you Kings and Priests to God yea are not you the heirs of Salvation are not Angels appointed to attend your persons hath not Christ taken you for his companions and redeemed you from the earth O how dishonorable a thing is this to you that your affections and your conversations are so earthly are so low and base seeing you are born to so much dignity stand upon your terms elevate your spirits be proud of your birth-right minde heavenly things live where you should and use the things of this world as if you used them not and hath God poured out himself to you in the face of his Son have the very bowels of heaven been rowled together and turned towards you O then pour out your souls to God live upon that fountain of love and sweetness cast you selves into that bosom of loves which is altogether lovely who is the chiefest often thousands who only can fill your spirits and satisfie your souls at all times even Jesus Christ the Lord of life and glory Rejoyce you the Saints of the most High I say to you Rejoyce and be exceeding glad in your condition let what will come upon you as persecution reproaches revilings and all maner of evil falsly for Christs sake O let not this trouble you let men of the world see that you can live above these Do they hate you saith Christ they hated me also O let no earthly affliction bitter your comforts let no cloud over-cast your heaven let not your Sun admit of any eclipse let not all this world can do sad your spirits let your joy be spiritual and permanent O let him that rejoyceth rejoyce in the Lord let no troubles overwhelm your spirit for the momentany afflictions that can fall upon the Saints here in this world are not worthy thy to be compared to the great and exceeding weight of glory which is laid up for you in heaven O remember it s not onely given to the Saints to believe but also to suffer so that sufferings are as really the gifts of God as faith and therefore you ought to rejoyce in sufferings as in beleevings for it s given you of your Father in which you ought to rejoyce seeing he hath also given you faith patience to carry you thorow your sufferings O remember God might have called you unto sufferings and not have given you faith nor patience to endure but seeing he hath fitted you with supporting power for such a condition rejoyce and clap your hands for joy for herein is your Father glorified that you are obedient children to his will and that you maintain his cause and truth against his enemies Hath God bestowed grace upon you and put godliness with power into your souls and do you perceive so much excellency in it that you would not be in your former unregenerate condition for ten thousand worlds O then do you labor and bestir your selves to make others in love with godliness let your praises and exaltations of free grace excite others to fall in love with that beauty of beauties holiness and sanctity of life you know when David had tasted of that sweetness and excellency that was in God and in his wayes observe his tender invitation O saith he come taste and see how gratious the Lord is O see what the Lord hath done for my soul true godliness is communicative a godly man is no Ingrosser no Patentee no close fisted Miser he is always free his Treasure is open his Riches are distributive he will not let his gold to rust but will be always calling and alluring others to come and taste and participate of what he hath received he will not Monopolize his graces he will always be teaching instructing and imparting his Knowledg unto others he is not born for himself but to do his Country good that is his poor brethren and fellow-members now therefore examine your selves do you in your Families among your associates yea and to the whole world declare by all means that possibly you can by your words and actions
what excellency there is in godliness that so your carriages to others may make them to enquire after it to be in love with it to desire to know it and to be acquainted with it O be sure to carry your self so as that you give no offence to Jew or Gentile nor to the Church of God but let your carriage be such as that all men may be in love or at lest convinced that the way you walk in is just holy and good Pity poor souls that are ignorant of this power of godliness O remember it was once your condition and had been so still had not infinite free grace and tender mercy made a difference O therefore let your bowels yern towards them that are your brethren according to the flesh and let your prayers be to God that they may be endued from above with this power that the Spirit of grace would overshadow them and breathe the breath of life into their souls that they may be saved that they which belong to his eternal election may be speedily called home to partake of that sweetness of that Olive Tree Rom. 11.16 whose root is Jesus Christ stretch forth your helping hand to save poor sinners let your prayers be incessant for them O intreat and beseech them to be reconciled to God O let them know from you that there is sufficiency in the blood of Jesus Christ to save their pretious souls perswade them to come in to Christ and tell them what sweetness you have found in the wayes of God let them know that when you were in their condition that you thought your selves in a good condition but now God having opened your eyes you can tell them the error of your thoughts for you were going to the pit of destruction and knew it not O put them upon the consideration of Eternity let them know that their pretious souls must shortly launch into the ocean of Eternity and if there be not provision made for them if they have not Christ Jesus for their Pilot to steere their course for them they must certainly sinke and perish and be cut off for ever from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his Power and do all that possibly you can in all your addresses to them to perswade them that what you say to them is out of that love and intire affection that you bear to their poor souls Jude ver 23. And others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh as you ought to use all means to perswade and draw men by the Spirit of Love to forsake their evil wayes and to enquire after Jesus Christ so if that will not prevail you may yea you ought to thunder against them and to rouse them out of their security in denouncing the Judgments of God by the terrors of the Law that you may do as much as in you lieth to terrifie and affright them out of their miserable condition so that if it be possible you may be instrumental to deliver them from eternal fire and from the wrath of an infinite God hereby shall you gain glory to God and testifie to the world your lothing and detestation of sinful wayes and discover unto such leprous souls that those spots wherewith sin hath defiled them are not the spots of Gods people for this the Lord saith of sinners Deut. 32.5 who walk in the imagination of their own hearts Their spot is not the spot of my people This may also exhort you who are the Saints who have received the power of godliness into your souls to pay your tributes of thankfulness unto the Lord. O do you bless praise and magnifie the great and glorious Name of God for ever O let your mouthes be filled with praise and thanksgiving to your God for ever and ever O you have cause to say Blessing and honor and glory and praise be given to him that sits upon the Throne and to the Lamb for ever who hath looked upon you in your low estate and redeemed you from condemnation This is the Lords own work and it ought to be mavellous in your eyes this should cause you to spend the length of your dayes to the honor and service of your God in holiness of life and all manner of godly conversation this the consideration of your deliverance from your spiritual enemies sin death and hell should be a strong engagement upon your spirits to serve the Lord in righteousness and holiness all the dayes of your lives Luk. 1.74.75 for you owe your selves to Christ remember you are bought with a price be not any longer the servants of sin and Satan live not to please men for if you be men-pleasers you cannot be the servants of Christ O dedicate your souls spirits and bodies to Jesus Christ yea and offer them up to God a living sacrifice for this is that Worship that is required at Saints hands by the word of God Rom. 12.1 O know there can be no greater manifestation of your thankfulness to God then your universal obedience to all Gods commands let this be done in the whole course of your lives hereby shall you evidence unto the world that you are those in whom dwels the power of godliness and by this you may draw others to be in love with the wayes of holyness and stop the mouths of all gain-sayers and opposers of it Now there are several motives to incite you Saints to this great duty of thankfulness 1. Praedestino 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.29 praecognovit First From the consideration of your predestination why should God preordain that you should be to the praise of the glory of his grace from all Eternity yea to appoint you to be his adopted children in Christ Jesus Yea you are those whom God acknowledged before nd therefore he was pleased to predestinate you to life glory O now that God was pleased to appoint you for his people pass by so many thousands of the same lump and extend his mercy to you will not this raise up your hearts to thankfulnes shall not this be the theam and subject of your everlasting praises 2. Electio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From the consideration of your Election why should God choose you out of that common mass of mankinde to make you heirs of life and glory yea coheirs with his Son Jesus Christ even as a Potter of a rude mass of clay maketh one vessel to honor and another to dishonor it s the Apostles allusion Rom. 9. Why wert not thou whom he hath made a vessel to life and glory made a vessel of wrath and confusion Why wert not thou passed by from all Eternity and numbered amongst the children of perdition it was only free grace that made the difference it was the good pleasure of the Lord to elect you to Salvation and pass by others leaving them under the curse of sin O remember
Sixthly Let this be also of terror to all wicked and ungodly men who are so far from having this power of godliness wrought in their heart that they resist the offers of it and quench the motions of the Spirit of Grace who are bound up under the power of sin in whose mortal bodies sin reigneth such as these are ruled by the Prince of this world Satan is their Lord they are his Slaves and Vassals they do his work they follow his imployment By this they may know they are of their Father the Devil for his children they are to whom they obey they fight for his Kingdom and are the subjects thereof O tell me you sinners what will become of your souls another day your end of dayes hastens on and the day of account is at hand when you must stand at the Bar of Jesus Christ to answer for things done in the flesh what answer will you make what plea can you have 1 Pet. 4.18 If the righteous shall scarcely be saved who then dares plead your cause And this will not onely be the condition of notorious wicked and ungodly sinners but of all such as have not the power of godliness wrought in their hearts let them carry themselves never so upright and holy in the eyes of men O the civil honest man though never so well qualified and gifted with natural endowments with Moral vertues with loving and affable carriages this man is in that condition which will prove woful to his own soul for ever for where no power of godliness is there is no Christ and where there is no Christ there must needs be a devil do but consider you must shortly come to lie on your death-beds thou dost not know how soon O then it may be thou art tormented in thy body in thy spirit and in thy conscience thy conscience then comes to be awakened which in thy prosperity was asleep and stupified now it opens her mouth wide which before was dumb now it flashes the very flames of hell into thy face now thy sins come into thy minde which thou hast committed twenty thirty nay fourty years ago now they stand in array before thee now they strike horror and amazement into thy wounded soul there is no cessation of Assaults no parle to be admitted there is none come to thy relief thy friends forsake thee thy God forsakes thee that is thy unrighteous Mammon thy riches thy gold thy silver thy lands nay thy wife thy children and all things in the world cannot administer one drop of comfort unto thee but on the contrary they are as fuel to thy torments thy sight of the want of help in them aggravates thy woes at length thou sendest for Physitians to prolong thy days well they come to thee and tell thee there is no hope thou art a dead man all the means in the world are inavaileable what sad tidings is this what duplication of thy pain is here well maist thou truly say My sins are become a burthen too heavy for me to bear and cry out Was ever sorrow like unto my sorrows what must I die O that I had never been born O that I had been abortive from the Womb that I had never drawn the first breath of life now thy soul sits on thy trembling lips ready to take her flight for Eternity then comes the devil to claim his Interest Give me thy soul I am sent for thee thou art mine thus he sets upon thee like an armed man he will weary thee like a mastive Dog and will not leave thee whilest thou hast breath do but consider what a woful time this will be whilest thou art here and do but weigh these several aggravations First When thou comest to Judgment as thou shalt stand at Christs left hand when on his right hand thou shalt see many that were inferior to thee for breeding and education for estate and for parts yea them whom thou didst despise as fools and silly men men of no account or esteem in the world O I say when thou shalt see these on Christs right hand whom he doth own and embrace for his people and thou left to misery and destruction will not this be an aggravation to thy misery When thou shalt see them which lived in the same parish with thee under the same Ministery and thou hadst the same means of grace preached to thee as they had and yet they are saved and thou art damned will not this cut thee to the very heart yea it may be thou mayest see some of thy servants there whom thou hast checked and rebuked nay whom thou hast despised and hated for their forwardness in Religion and following the means of grace calling them Fools Sectaries and Separatists O how wilt thou be amazed astonished and confounded how will this terrifie thy soul when thou shalt see them united and joyned to Christ their Saviour and accompanied with holy and blessed Spirits and thou separated and cast out into utter darkness amongst the devil and his cursed angels When thou shalt see those who have told thee from the Lord that thou shouldest not come to life and glory but that thou wert a castaway and couldst not be saved for that thou rebelledst against God Christ Gospel and the light of thine own conscience yea thou that wouldst trust to thy morality and good dealings with men thou that lookest for some excellency in thy self but didst see none in Christ nor his ways O now these men are come to witness against thee to thy wo and it may be thou wilt think and say with thy self of such a man as Ahab said of Elijah Hast thou found me O mine enemy O this will heighten thy misery this will heap coals of fire upon thy head When thou shalt be convinced that hadst thou made as good use of the mercies that were offered thee had God given thee an heart so to have done as those that stand before thee did thou mightest have been as happy as any of them thou mightest have enjoyed the like sweetness of God excellency of Jesus Christ with them but when it shal be said unto thee thou enjoyedst thy good things in this world thou rejectedst the proffers of grace thou wouldst none of the counsels of God but didst cast his Laws behind thy back therefore art thou punished and they blessed now do thy repentings come too late now are thy thoughts fruitless O into what a gulf of horrors will this plunge thy soul When Christ now shall call thee by thy name and say Soul in what place of the earth didst thou dwel peradventure thou mayst say Lord I lived in London now why may not Christ say in a place where my word was as powerfully preached as in any place of the world where the Sun-shine of the Gospel shined as bright as any where under heaven where my mercy was extended as largely my goodness flowed as abundantly as in no place more what at