bondage of Corruption the cords of Vanity the snare of Satan and has both a Will and Power given him to Convert to God and to continue and abide with him 'T is manifest upon all these accounts that the Word has a fitness to be a means of Conversion In the third place I am to tell you what kind of Means the Word is 1. The Word is a Means of Gods own appointing Divine Institution is a thing of very great significancy God indeed can work without means and against them but if he is pleased to appoint them they deserve to be used and shall not be used in vain if they are used seriously God appointed seven Trumpets of Rams horns to be blown and at length the blast is more powerful than a battering Ram the Walls of Jericho fall down to the ground and the City is delivered into the hand of Israel Josh 6. 4 20. God has appointed the Ministers of the Gospel to lift up their Voices like a Trumpet to shew the Transgressours their Iniquities to cry to them to turn The Word is with Power the strongest holds of the Prince of Darkness fall down before it he is cast out his works destroyed where before he had the surest Possession The Word is ordained of God as the Means of Conversion 't is dangerous and a great Contempt of God himself to neglect it and truly after a careless manner to attend upon it is the way to grow more hard-hearted and dead in Sin under it 2. The Word is usually most Powerful when Preached Reading of the word must be granted an Ordinance of great use 〈◊〉 When our Lord was asked by a man what he should do that he might inherit Eternal Life He answers What is written in the Law how readest thou Luk. 10. 26. He that would inherit Eternal Life it concerns him diligently to read the Word which instructs him in the way thither Not only those of a lower condition but those of the highest Estate are to read the Word all the dayes of their lives the Word of God is the best Counsellour even of King◠themselves Deut. 17. 18 19. The way to Heaven is one and the same both for the High and Low. The Word is to be read not only Privately but Publickly such publick reading has a warrant in the New Testament as well as the Old 1 Thes 5. 27. I charge you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I adjure you by the Lord that this Epistle be read unto a◠the Holy Brethren And publick reading is mentioned no less than three times in one verse Col. 4. 16. And when this Epistle i◠read amongst you cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea Certainly the Scripture is not so obscure but that it may be read before the Congregation to their Spiritual Benefit Yet the Preaching the opening and applying of the Word of God has a special Honour put upon it as to the working of Conversion and Faith Rom. 10. 14 15. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed and how shall they believe on Him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a Preacher and how shall they Preach except they be sent as it is written How beautiful are the Feet of them that preach the Gospel of Peace that bring glad tidings of good things They that are sent of God scripturally qualified separated and set apart to the work of the Ministry 't is their great business to Preach the Word to be instant in season out of season to reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine 2 Tim. 4. 2. And when in Sincerity with an earnest desire to win Souls they make the Truth manifest and endeavour to commend themselves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4. 2. the Word of God is the more likely to reach the Conscience and to touch and turn the Heart to Him. Glorious things have been done by Preaching The twelve Apostles and if you will add a thirteenth the Apostle Paul how powerful was the Word in their Mouths to the Worlds Conversion They did not as they were slander'd turn the world upside down but were blessed Instruments to turn it to God and to deliver it out of that Idolatry Superstition Ignorance and Wickedness in which it had lain buried for many ages 3. The Word of God is the highest means of Conversion Psal 138. 2. Thou hast magnified thy VVord above all thy Name Here chiefly thou doest make thy self known in the powerful Effects of thy Grace and Spirit and in the accomplishment of the Promises which thou hast made The design of Mercies is that this VVord may be more minded Rom. 12. 1 2. I beseech you therefore Brethren by the Mercies of God that ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable which is your reasonable service And be not conformed to this VVorld but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds that ye may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect VVill of God. Mercies are cords of love to draw us to the Lord and to constrain us to keep his Word and Commandments The end of Affliction is to turn our Eyes and Hearts and Feet into the way of Gods Testimonies The Psalmist tells us Before he was afflicted he went astray but after he kept the VVord with greater care Psal 119. 67. and he adds v. 71. 72. It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes the Law of thy Mouth is better unto me than thousands of Gold and Silver Affliction is sent to humble for Transgression to reduce the wandring Soul and to bring it back to the Word of God and when this Word is truly heeded received and highly prized then the Soul is indeed Converted The Word declares the meaning of Mercies the Word is the Tongue that utters the voice and message of the Rod The Word directs what to pray for and how to pray so as to speed and instructs about every other Ordinance 4. If the Word be ineffectual to Conversion alas what is likely to become efficacious When Wisdom had cryed long and upbraided foolish Sinners with their hating Knowledge when they had been called to turn with a proffer of the Spirit to be poured out but they refused still their case is set forth as desperate because the Word being rejected hated and cast behind their back nothing was likely to do or to make them good dreadful and utter Destruction is threatned and instead of being pitied they are told they shall be derided and laught at in their ruine Prov. 1. 20 30. When the Rich man in Hell intreated that One might be sent from the dead to warn his sive secure impenitent Brethren lest they should also come at last into the Place of Torment The Answere first is They have Moses and the Prophets
shine To turn with the whole Heart is for the whole to turn excellent for the whole to be secured Be never satisfied till you perceive that God has your love which is indeed the leading and commanding Affection If Sin if Mammons Pleasures and Wealth have still your love your professing your selves Converts is all but feigned kindness and you provoke the Lord to jealousiè Give unto God your Love which he calls for in the first and great Commandment or else you give him nothing if your love be given him you will not deny him any thing And if as yet you can't shew your love by delighting in God because of your doubts and the darkness of your state shew your love by desiring after God whose loving kindness is better than Life whose Alsufficiency is enough and enough and infinitely more than enough for you But here 's the difficulty How shall the Heart of Man be brought unto the love of God The Stream of the affections runs naturally and violently downwards and how shall the tide be turned how shall the love be carried quite contrary to the bent of Nature Certainly this must be the doing of the God of all Grace The Apostle prayes for the Thessalonians that the Lord would direct their hearts into the love of God 2 Thes 3. 5. Put up this Petition for your selves 'T is an encouraging Scripture Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy Soul that thou mayest live apply it improve it and if you grudge your love to every thing else and are continually offering it to God and above all things in the World desire to love him and to be beloved of him Love is already wrought the acts of it appear and you shall by degrees love more sensibly and the stronger the love the more sound the Conversion 10. Deceive not your selves with faint wishes and half-willingness to be Converted I grant that the desire of Grace is Grace but if there be not Truth in the desire the Truth of Grace can't be concluded from it A lazy wish to be Converted where there is a prevailing resolution to connive at and continue in Sin what does it signifie but that the Heart is not right with God notwithstanding some feeble good inclinations towards him Our Lord commands his Followers to strive to enter in at the strait gate because many shall seek to enter in and shall not be able Luk. 13. 24. Many hereafter shall seek and expect admission into Heaven who shall be excluded because they would not strive they would not use an holy violence to take that Kingdom Many over hastily conclude they are Converted because there is some little inclination to what is good though a stronger inclination to what is evil without check does bear the sway in them In spiritual as well as natural lukewarmness there is some mixture of heat as well as a prevalency of cold Can water be called hot where heat is least and cold is most Can the Heart be said to be turned to God which is least inclined towards him and most strongly and resolvedly bent towards Sin and Vanity Oh take heed of Sloth and Idleness Sloth is that which has brought many a Conviction to nothing you can hardly name a greater Impediment of Conversion Upon thousands of Professors Tombs this may be written Here lye those who have undone themselves by Slothfulness and miss'd of Grace and Glory because they would take Pains for neither If you would be Conveâ—â—s indeed abandon Idleness let your very Hearts be in every Duty your Souls and the strength of them the fervency of your Spirits in every Ordinance of God Rom. 12. 11. Not slothful in business especially not in the main business servent in Spirit serving the Lord. Satisfie not your selves in a customary and formal using of the means of Grace but look to this that life and warmth and strength and Grace be indeed conveyed to you in them 11. Would you be Converts indeed look much into another World confine not your sight and thoughts to the things of time and sense but take the Perspective of the Word of God that to the eye of your Faith things unseen may become evident Heb. 11. â— Time is so short a thing that you may easily and quickly see to the end of it and yet concerning this short Time it may be said that Now you must be turn'd or Never At the end of Time Death stands thousands feel his stroke every day before your eyes and how soon may you feel his deadly Dart and return to the dust out of which we were all taken where 's the Man that upon good ground can say He is sure to live a Year a Month a VVeek a Day to an end Just behind Death is Judgment and at the Bar of God who will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the Counsels of the Heart what will a shew of Grace and of Conversion signifie At that Bar all the Children of Men must receive their final and unalterable Doom from that Tribunal there can be no Appeal to another there is no higher Judge than he who shall judge the quick and the dead at his Appearing and his Kingdom 2 Tim. 4. 1. The Sentence which he will Pronounce will stand good and firm for ever and 't will be a Sentence either to eternal Glory or everlasting Flames And know that Conversion now will make the Discrimination then only Converts will stand in Judgment only those that sincerely â—urn'd to God in this World will be received into his Joy and Kingdom in the other World. But as for the Unconverted who would not turn from Sin they shall without any Pity or hopes of any according as they were threatned and have justly deserved be turned into Hell and there will be no remedy You are all posting away from hence and shall shortly hear the Word and be seen your selves no more A serious belief and consideration of the eternal Joyes and eternal Woes of another World would have a mighty Influence upon the very worst of you to make you of another of a better Mind VSE VI. Of Consolation unto Converts There is a Consolation that has a Woe joyn'd with it VVoe to you rich Men for ye have received your Consolation The Wicked and the Hypocrite have their Peace and Joy but their Peace is false and their Joy but for a moment but the Converts Comfort is styled both strong and everlasting Consolation Here I shall first give you the Converts Character and then lay down the Grounds of his Comfort and indeed true Comfort belongs to none in the World but true Converts Though I have spoken a great deal already to shew who are Converted yet I shall add these Signs following 1. Converts chuse God for their Portron rather than the World Thou art my Portion O Lord I have said
but are recovered out of his Snare Satans great Work and Design is to tempt the Children of men to sin he is unalterably confirmed and fixed in wickedness himself and with might and main he strives to propagate wickedness in the World He is styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Tempter and the evil One he is ever soliciting and perswading men to what is evil and truly he prevails and works his will and their woe in the Children of Disobedience but Converts resist him by the Word and Prayer and using both in Faith they put on the whole armour of God and stand against the waies of the Devil Eph. 6. 11. 5. In Conversion there is an alteration of corrupt Nature it self and its corrupt and vitious Inclination This the Apostle calls puting off the old Man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts Eph. 4. 22. The old byass that so strongly inclined the Heart towards Sin the World and Hell is taken away habits of sin are left custom in evil ceases and Nature is changed the heart by a work of new Creation is made after the Heart of God and that which before Conversion was the worst part of Man being deceitful above all things and desperately wicked now becomes the best part of all and is still desiring that it self and the whole Man were more compleatly cleansed from Sin and sanctified I have told you what Conversion is with reference to Sin. Secondly Conversion may be considered with reference to this present World Whenever Conversion is true as there is a loathing and leaving of Sin so there is a weaning from this present World. In the Word of God we have the truest Map of this World it is set forth as a far Countrey far from Heaven bordering upon Hell and Satan is the Deity that generally here is served who is therefore called the God of this World 2 Cor. 4. 4. It is full of danger and snares the grand Idol that provokes the Lord to jealousie 't is that which stands in competition with Christ and by most Hearts is preferr'd before him 't is the Devils most taking bait wherewith he beguiles and ruins immortal Souls Christ both Prayed and Dyed that his followers might be delivered from it He Prayed Joh. 17. 15. I Pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the World but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil He Died to this end also Gal. 1. 4. Who gave himself for our Sins that he might deliver us from this present evil World according to the will of God and our Father Converts therefore look not upon this World and they have good reason not to look upon it as so desirable a thing Conversion lies much in keeping our selves unspotted from the VVorld and in denying worldly lusts and defires Jam. 1. 27. Tit. 2. 12. 1. The Convert has no friendship with the VVorld because the friendship of the VVorld is Enmity with God Jam. 4. 4. He values not the Worlds Favour above Gods he fears not the Worlds Displeasure more than the Lords Anger he prizes the Love of God and the light of his Countenance above all the respects and smiles of Mammon And if he has but a comfortable assurance that the Lord is at Peace he does not so much care though all the World fall out with him Indeed in a sense the Convert is a true Friend to the World he Pities and Prayes for the World and the World is spared for the Saints sake that are in it and are to be born into it A Woman that is condemned to dye if she be with Child she is spared till delivered In this World many are to be born that will be born again and hence it is that the Sentence of the VVorlds burning is not yet Executed But in the Apostles sense the Convert ceases to be the Worlds friend he will be religious though the World be never so angry he will look towards Heaven he will look at the things unseen which are eternal though the World never give him a good look more 2. The Convert is not conformed to this VVorld Conformity in this sense is a damnable thing and inconsistent with Conversion how plain is the Apostles Prohibition Rom. 12. 2. And be not conformed to this VVorld but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds that ye may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God. The Conformist to this World minds not the Will of God nor what is good and acceptable to Him He that is truly Converted is otherwise minded he dislikes the manners and escapes the pollutions of the VVorld he runs not out with others to the same excess of riot he dares not follow a multitude to do evil because destruction and misery are in their wayes but according as the Apostle directs He lives the rest of his time in the flesh not to the lusts of men but to the will of God 1 Pet. 4. 2. 3. The Convert is not a Lover and Chuser of the VVorld as if it were the best Porâ—ion He is made seriously to take notice of the Vanity and Vexation of Spirit that is found in the enjoyment of the World and how short a time at longest 'tis to be enjoyed he concludes 't were better never to have been a Man than to be only a Man of the VVorld better never to have lived than to be put off with a Portion here in this life Psal 17 14. Better never to have had a Soul than to disappoint it with the things of the World which are unsuitable to its nature and insusticient for its satisfaction and to lose it for the gaining of such poor things as these Contempt of this VVorld is always an ingredient in sincere Conversion the highest Profession the most heavenly Language argues but the greater Hypocrisie if the Heart be earthly Those Hearts that chiefly mind earthly things should meditate Terrour when they read 1 Joh. 2. 15. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world if any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 4. The Convert is no longer acted by the spirit of this VVorld 2 Cor. 2. 12. Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given to us of God And how infinitely more excellent desirable and durable are the things which are freely given of God in the Gospel than all things which the World can boast of The spirit of the World is the genius nature and disposition of the World such a Mind such a Will such Affections as the Men of the World have The Convert sees not with the Worlds eyes judges not as the World judges but discerns between things that differ and approves the things that are most excellent his enlightned and rectified Judgment weighs the things of the World in the ballance of
Majesty and Holiness of God especially considering he is alwaies by you and tryes your very Hearts and Reins The greatness of that God with whom you have to do should make you afriad to dally and trifle with him If you think he will be mock't you will find to your cost that you deceive your selves Oh stoop with the most profound Submission to this glorious Sovereign of Heaven and Earth 'T is the heighth of Madness for you that are so infinitely below Him and so wholly under his Power to refuse subjection to Him. He is Glorious in Holiness Exod. 15. 11. He can as soon cease to be himself as cease to be an Hater of the workers of Iniquity A fuller Perswasion of Gods Holiness and that his Holiness is his Glory will make you more sensible of the Necessity of turning from Sin and that Holiness will be your Glory and Perfection He that is changed and made a Convert is made a Glorious Creature and as this change is carried on there is still a Progression from Glory to Glory by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. Gods Nature is pure every Word of God is pure He is Righteous in all his wayes and Holy in all his Works Psal 145. 17. Oh cry incessantly that you may partake of a nev of the Divine Nature that a clean heart may be created in you that your Lips may be Pure your Words true and Gracious and that you may be Holy in all manner of Conversation Are not Gods eyes upon your wayes does not he hear all your words does not he weigh your very Spirits your whole man is under his Observation let there be a turning to God with your whole man. Sincerity in Conversion and hypocrisie are both known and only Sincerity has Gods love and liking 7. When you turn to God behold him as he is in Christ else there is no access to him nor acceptance with him After Adams fall the Mediator is presently revealed the Seed of the Woman that was to break the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. The old Serpent by Sin had made a Rupture and breach between God and Man Now Christ the Mediatour is He that makes up the breach again and so destroyes the work and frustrates the design of Satan If God be lookt upon in Christ there is all manner of Encouragement to return to him He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. He is good and ready to forgive and plenteous in Mercy to all that call upon him Psal 86. 5. The Prodigals Father was not more forward who ran to embrace his returning Son than God is to receive returning Sinners If you would return to God indeed you must take Calvaâ—y in your way you must know Jesus Christ and him Crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. The Saints of old that were in Heaven before the Son of God was manifested in the Flesh as well as those that went thither afterward were all brought nigh to God by the Blood of his Cross Col. 1. 20. You cannot know and turn to the only true God so as to be received by him unless you know and receive Jesus Christ whom he has sent But if you behold God in Christ unbelief appears unreasonable despair is a monstrous absurdity You may perceive Love in the Lords looks his Justice fully satisfied his Anger all gone his Repentings kindled his Bowels yearning and you cannot so much desire Mercy as He delights in shewing it The true Convert to God must be a Believer in Jusus who is the way to the Father As God will not draw nigh to Man so Man cannot draw nigh to God any other way 8. With great earnestness implore the Spirits aid Be sure to grieve that you have grieved Him and acknowledge 't is just that for your grieving him he should leave you to your selves but beg his presence and his assistance that he would help you and make you truly constantly willing to be helped Adams Body was formed of the Dust of the Ground but was a lifeless Corps till God breathed into it the Breath of Life Till the Spirit of Life enters into you you are without Life or Motion towards God therefore with all seriousness ask the Spirit You come to God through the Son as the Mediator that procures access and opens the way but 't is by the Spirit as by Him who both inclines and strengthens you to come to Him Eph. 2. 18. The Promise of the Spirit is of ancient date implied in the Promise of the Messiah and very frequently expressed Under the New Testament Dispensation a more plentiful effusion of the Spirit is Promised Parents that are evil if their Children ask bread will not give them a stone to hurt them nor instead of a Fish a Serpent to sting them And if they give good gifts to their Children much more will the Father in Heaven give his Spirit to them that ask him There is hardly a more encouraging Word to Sinners in the whole Bible if they are inclined or would be inclined to have the Spirit given them And if the Holy Spirit be given you you will have Light and Life and Liberty Conviction antecedent to Conversion Conversion it self and Consolation afterwards are all of them the Works of the Spirit And be sure to observe the Accesses of the Spirit Sometimes the Wind blows fair and strong for Heaven now hoise up thy Sail that thou mayest receive the Gale sometimes by his Convictions motions strivings you may perceive the Spirit is very near you by a clearer and more affecting Light he shews you that turning to God is your Duty and Advantage and he very much presses you to it Nunc sunt Mollissima fandi Tempora Now is the time to speak and speed in your Supplications for the Spirit that he may thoroughly Convert you and consecrate you to the Lord and abide in you for ever 9. Would you be Converts in Truth give your whole Hearts to God and never be satisfied till you feel you love him above all Let the Lord have your Hearts to search them that all even the most secret evils there may be detected and being detected may be detested and abhorr'd Sin sometimes may be restrained from breaking out in the Life and yet then may be regarded and reign in the Heart Be willing to know the most inward spiritual wickedness that lies quite out of the sight of others and being acquainted with it consent to have it purged away Give your Hearts to God that he may possess employ and rule them at his Pleasure Tell the Lord that the very Throne is for him and that your Souls and all that is within you are ready to be at his command and that you consent every Lust should be slain because it would not that he He should reign over you In what a safe hand is the Heart when 't is in Gods how pure and excellent is it made with what Beauty does it
without him O now the Soul honours God above all By these and such like acts of the Soul God is chiefly honoured therefore turning must of necessity be with the Soul. 3. The Soul must turn because it is the Soul that yields Obedience to the great commands both of the Law and Gospel There is not so much as one Precept either in the Law or in the Gospel kept aright unless the Soul keeps it The summ of the Law is Love but Love must be with the Heart and Soul nay it must be with all the Heart and with all the Soul or else it is but a meer shadow and appearance it is but like the Picture of Fire that hath no more heat in it than the Picture of Snow Heark what our Lord saies to him that asked Him Which is the great Commandment in the Law Jesus answered Mat. 22. 37 38. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy Mind And as the Law calls for Love so it requires Spiritual Worship God is jealous of his Worship and he will accept of none but that which is worship in Truth John 4. 24. God is a Spirit and he will be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth Now there cannot be worship in Truth unless it be worship in Spirit All worship is but false and if it be false it must needs be vain that doth not proceed from the Spirit of the Worshipper If you should imploy many hours in a day in pattering over a great many Words that either you don't understand or if you do you don't mind all this would be unacceptable nay it would be abominable Then for the Gospel The two great commands of the Gospel are Faith and Repentance neither of these can be obeyed without the Heart It is the Soul and Heart that believes Rom. 10. 10. With the Heart man believeth unto Righteousness and with the Mouth Confession is made unto Salvation And as for Repentance it is impossible that should be true unless the Spirit be contrite unless the very Heart be broken Tears Complaints walking softly rending the Garments wallowing in Ashes this will not prove the truth of Repentance the Heart must be broken or else you have not truly repented Psal 51. 17. The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise And so in Psal 34. 18. The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken Heart and saveth such as be of a conitite Spirit 4. Lastly The Soul must turn to God because Judgment at the great day will be according to Truth Then the Secrets of all Men will be made manifest when the Lord appears he will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the Heart and then shall every man have Praise of God 1 Cor. 4. 5. At the great Day all things all Persons will be called by their proper Names Hypocrisie will be called Hypocrisie and Saints will be called Saints No Hypocrite will be owned for a Saint at that day nothing that is counterfeit will pass for currant the Judgment of God will be according to Truth In the day of Judgment only Conversion with the Heart Conversion with the Soul will pass for true Conversion Sincerity will be owned and it will be Crowned Hypocrisie will be unmasked and which should exceedingly startle all unsound Professors of Religion Hell is in a special manner called The Portion of the Hypocrite as it is said to be prepared for the Devil and his Angels I have shewed you when the Soul may be said to be converted unto God I have proved till then Conversion can never be sincere I have demonstrated the Necessity of Conversion with the Soul. The Application of this Doctrine remains I shall be but brief upon it There are two Uses that I shall make By way of Information in the first place And by way of Exhortation in the second place From this Doctrine we may be informed concerning several particulars 1. If sincere Conversion be with the Soul hence we may inferr the Souls Capacity The Soul is chiefly receptive of the Grace of God. It is the Soul of Man that doth principally partake of the divine Nature The Soul of Man hath a natural resemblance of God because as God is a Spirit so the Soul of Man is a spiritual and an immortal Substance And then the Soul doth spiritually resemble God when it is renewed in the spirit of the Mind and when true Holiness by the Spirit of the Lord is wrought in it Eph. 4. 23 24. 2. Hence I inferr the Souls great worth and value Gods Eye is upon your Souls all the while you are in his presence and though you do never so much if you deny him your Hearts and Souls you do nothing that he will accept at your hands Thousands of Rams ten thousand rivers of Oyl the first-born for the transgression the fruit of the body for the sin of the Soul as the Prophet speaks Micah 6. 7. What doth all this signifie All this is nothing nay let me tell you it is worse than nothing Souls are of great account with the Father of Spirits How much was done how much was paid that Souls might be redeemed And therefore in all your Services your Souls must be ingaged or else the ingaging is to no purpose The Conversion of one single Soul to God is more pleasing to him than the most laborious and heartless services of all the Hypocrites from the beginning of the World to the very end of it these Services are so far from being pleasing that they are expresly affirmed to be an abomination unto God. 3. Hence I inferr the difficulty of Conversion If the Soul must be converted certainly Conversion is a very difficult thing It is comparatively more easie though hard still but comparatively it is more easie to order the conversation to bridle the tongue But to rule the spirit to bring the thoughts into Captivity to alter the bent and natural inclination of the Will and to raise the Affections towards those things that are above to make them prized and pursued that before were things utterly sleighted this is difficult indeed and really the difficulty would be insupâ—rable were it not for the Resurrection of Christ and the Power of that Resurrection shewed forth by the Spirit of Christ Before a Soul can turn to God it must be new made it must experience the power of Christs Spirit and it must rise with Christ or else it can never in good earnest seek those things that are above Col. 3. 1 2. Lastly Hence I inferr that in Examining whether we are Converted or no a special Eye must be upon our Hearts and Souls We must take our Souls to task and strictly try them and see what is most suitable to them what they love best and what it is that they desire most And if
God in Christ be loved and chosen above all then conclude that Conversion is sound and sincere If the Heart be grieved because it is no more suited to God because it hath no more Faith in him and though it can't say with Peter Joh. 21. 17. Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I do love thee yet it can say Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I would love thee Above all things in the world I desire to love thee and to be beloved of thee Such a kind of desire as this doth plainly shew that the work of of Conversion is begun notwithstanding a great many doubts and fears that do remain about it But if under the highest Prosession of Religion if under the most constant attendance upon all Ordinances the Heart doth secretly go after its Covetousness the Soul is fond of its Lusts and of its Vanities and is resolved still to be so certainly there is no such thing as a work of Conversion though there be never so high and mighty a Confidence that there is Ezek. 33. 31. They come unto thee as the People cometh and they sit before thee as my People and they hear thy words but they will not do them for with their Mouth they shew much love but their Heart goeth after their Covetousness The Second Use is by way of Exhortation I exhort you all to lift up your Souls to God with a desire that he would turn them to himself Naturally your Hearts are in very bad hands but if you give them unto God his hands are powerfull and good and safe He can new form your Souls both to and for Himself And therefore I beseech you give your consent and earnestly desire that God would take the Work in hand and Convert every Soul before him to himself to day To prevail with you thus to Consent and Desire I would lay before you these following Arguments 1. If your Souls are Converted they will be enlivened though before dead in Trespasses and in Sins they will be made alive unto God Eph. 2. 1. You will presently be free from the Sentence of Death and Condemnation that ye are under and ye will be made to live in the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit Gal. 5. 25. O what a Life will you lead when once ye become Converts your Lives will become Holy they will be Heavenly they will be Angelical The Spirit of God will be that and a great deal more unto your Souls than what your Souls are to your Bodies The Spirit will set you at liberty The Spirit will act and lead you The Spirit will fill you with his own blessed fruits that are both pure and peaceable 2. If your Souls are Converted they will be healed Where is the Soul among us that is not sick of various Maladies and that Soul is most sick that least feels its sickness Conversion and healing are joyned together Isa 6. 10. Least at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be Converted and I should heal them So Jer. 3. 23. Return ye backsliding Children saith the Lord and I will heal your backsliding behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God. The Soul is most precious and the best part in a Man the diseases of the Soul are the worst and most dangerous and consequently the cure and healing of these diseases is most of all desirable If thou didst labour under a death-threatning Malady how wouldst thou long to be cured Poor Man thy Soul labours under a great many Maladies and all of them Hell-threatning Maladies and if thou art not Cured thou must be damned therefore Cure should be prized and Conversion and Curing go together 3. If your Souls are Converted they will be both beautified and strengthned the Image of God is the Souls Beauty and Glory and upon all true Converts this Image of God is Instampt Sin makes men vile Conversion and Sanctification makes them excellent so excellent that the Scripture plainly affirms that the World is not worthy of the Saints that are in it Heb. 11. 38. And Strength will follow Conversion as well as Beauty Who is the strongest upon Earth The answer is the Convert is the strongest All the Unconverted are without strength Alas they are without Life and therefore must needs be without strength The Convert is strengthned with might by the Spirit of God in the inward Man so that he is enabled to do good he is enabled to bear evils with patience he is enabled to resist the Enemies of his Salvation he is enabled to Fight and to Conquer nay which is more emphatical he is enabled so to conquer as to be more than a Conquerer through him that hath loved him Rom. 8. 37. Lastly If your Souls are Converted they will be both satisfied and secured and what can you desire more It would be a loud lie if Mammon should say that ever he satisfied any All is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit and there is no profit under the Sun Eccles 2. 11. But now the Lord with truth doth say I have satiated the weary Soul and I have replenished every sorrowful Soul Jer. 31. 25. Those Souls that are weary and sorrowful seem furthest off from Satisfaction yet these weary and sorrowful Souls the Lord is able to satisfie Nay in Scripture we read of abundant Satisfaction Psal 35. 8 9. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy House and thou shalt make them drink of the Rivers of thy Pleasures That which increaseth the Satisfaction is that the Souls of Converts are secure the Hand of Christ and the Hand of the Father which is greater than all is sufficient to defend these Converted Souls from the force of Earth and Hell and Sin too If your Souls are lifted up to God Sursum Corda Up with your hearts unto God If your Souls are Converted to Him they will be safe in Life they will be safe in Death and immediately after death they will be past all danger being admitted into that House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5. 1. Thus have I done with the second Doctrine That Conversion is then sincere when the very Soul is Converted Doct. 3. Is this That the Word of God is the great means of Conversion And O that the Word that sounds in your ears to day may be found an effectual Means of the Conversion of all the Uncoverted here before the Lord The Law of the Lord in the Text is said to Convert the Soul because 't is the Means which the Lord himself makes use of and adds an efficacy to that such an effect may be produced The Word is styled the Power of God unto Salvation to every one that believes Rom. 1. 16. And by this Word Faith it self is wrought whereby the Soul comes to Christ and by him does Convert to God Rom. 10. 17. So then Faith
the Sun of Righteousness set and all hopes of Conversion and healing quite gone To have a Famine of the VVord sent it is to have a Church unchurched a Vineyard laid wast and not only turned into a Common but into barren and cursed ground To have a Famine of the VVord sent it is to have the Lord to spue a people out of his mouth and say I will never return to this Vomit again To have a Famine of the VVord sent it is to have the Lord to give a Bill of Divorce and upon this Bill of Divorce writ Loammi you are not my people Loruhamah I will no more have mercy on you Tremble tremble every one that hears me this day at the thoughts of such a Judgment as a Famine of the VVord of God! Pray pray that this Judgment may never be inflicted upon England I read that there was seven years plenty in Egypt before there was the greatest Famine that ever Egypt knew I heartily wish that our present Liberty and plentiful injoyment of the VVord of God be not a fore-runner of the most dreadful Famine of it that ever England knew Pray it may not be so pray that God would still give you Pastors after his own heart Pray that God would cause you to lye down in green pastures that he would load you besides the still waters that he would restore your Souls and lead you in the paths of righteousness for his Names sake Psal 23. 2 3. And when you pray for this fill your mouths with Arguments Tell the Lord of his own honour which his VVord doth direct the Children of Men to yield to him Tell the Lord of his Sons Interest He will neither be believed in nor known unless there be the VVord of God to reveal him Mention the promise that the Father hath made unto the Son the Mediator to give him the Heathen for his Inheritance and the utmost parts of the Earth for his Possession Psal 2. 8. That of the increase of his Kingdom and Government there shall be no end Isa 9. 7. Urge him with that word that he hath said the Earth shall be filled with Knowledge as the waters cover the Sea Isa 11. 9. Be importunate in pleading such Promises as these and it will manifest that you prize the VVord of God and are afraid of its going And this importunity will be mighty pleasing to God and very prevalent with Him. 4. Hence I inferr That whensoever the Word of God is effectual to the Conversion of any there is just cause of great thankfulness When means attain their designed end it is a satisfaction unto those that use them and the higher and better the end is the satisfaction is the more The Conversion of a Sinner to God is one of the best things that can be done in the World to feed the hungry to cloath the naked to relieve the oppressed to cure the dangerously diseased to sheath the Sword of War and to establish Peace in Kingdoms and Nations all these are works very good but let me tell you that the turning of a Sinner unto God doth imply a far greater benefit because it doth include Eternal Blessedness The lost Sheep the lost Silver the lost Son were all missed with trouble and were all found with great Joy. When the Word is Powerful to Convert a Soul Oh what a precious thing is then secured It is secured from Eternal Misery and there is an everlasting Kingdom that it shall at last be brought safe unto 2 Tim. 4. 18. The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and he will preserve me unto his Heavenly Kingdom When a Sinner is Converted how thankful should he himself be for he is catched as a Fire-brand out of the burning he is delivered from intolerable Wrath and interested in unchangeable Love How thankful should Ministers be when they see their spiritual Offspring and Christ formed in them How thankful should Saints be when they behold their Number increased If they beheld the Transgressours and were grieved certainly with gladness should they behold them turnâ—ng from Transgression Nay those Angels that are in Heaven take notice of Conversion as a just ground of great Joy What was said concerning the first Creaâ—ion may be applyed unto the new Creaâ—ion the Morning Stars do sing together and all the Sons of God the whole Host of thâ— Principalities and Powers of Heaven â— shout for Joy when any are converted and made indeed new Creatures 5. Hence I inferr that it is no wonder that Sathan and his Instruments would faiâ— have this VVord of God out of the VVorld since it is the great means of Conversion O what a hateful Book unto Hell is the Holy Bible If evil Angels might have their wish I am perswaded their wish would be this that Souls may burn â—â— Hell and that Bibles might be burnt on Earth Oaths Curses Blasphemies Lying Slanders Railing filthy Discourse prophane Songs and Laughter Mirth and Musick damnable Heresies and Doctrines these have all a very pleasing sound iâ— Sathans ears Ay but the powerful anâ— plain Preaching of the Word of God Sathan cannot bear this is very harsh and it is very grating to him and he dotâ— endeavour to stop the mouths of skilâ—â— Dispensers of the Word of Righteousness for he fears their voice lest his stroâ— holds should be pulled down If in spigâ— of him a door of utterance be opened thâ— evil and envious One endeavours to â—â— men with prejudices against them that theâ— may have but very few â—eâ—rers but their Hâ—aâ—â—â—â— are a very great Multitude O then â—â—w doth he bestir himself to â—inder the entrance of the Word that Eyes and Ears and Hearts may be shut against it Christ compares the Word of God unto Seed and evil Angels unto Fowls that endeavour to catch it away as soon as sown Mat. 13. 4. that so it may be altogether fruitless or bring forth no fruit unto Eternal Life When there are a great many Pick-pockets in a Crowd upon notice Persons are the more careful of their Purses O what a company of evil Angels are here that are arrant Thieves and they will endeavour to rob you of the Word of God it concerns you to heed the Word and to hide it in your Hearts and then it will be safe a good and an honest Heart will certainly secure this Treasure 6. Hence I inferr that the Dispensers and Preachers of the VVord of God which is the great means of Conversion ought highly to be esteemed in Love for their works sake 1 Thes 5. 12 13. VVe beseech you Brethren to know them that labour among you are over in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake and be at peace among your selves When Christ ascended up on high far above all Heavens that he might fill all things the Ministry of the VVord was a gift that he did bestow upon his Church Eph. 4. 11.
or other provide for the Sheep of his Pasture 2. This Church shall have the Spirit along with the Word We may as well suppose a living Body without a Soul as a true Church of Christ without his Spirit The Spirit is promised and given to the Church to abide there for ever Joh. 14. 16 17. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth whom the World cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Now where the Spirit of the Lord is how effectual is the Word what Light what Liberty what Power what Peace is there The Spirit makes the Means of Grace to attain their end He fills Ordinances with an Heavenly vertue he quickens the Dead enlarges the straitned Heart causes fruit to be brought forth plentifully he comforts the true Converts and stablishes them in every good word and work 3. It 's matter of Consolation that in this perfect Word of God there is wisest and safest counsel given Prov. 6. 22. When thou goest it shall lead thee when thou sleepest it shall keep thee when thou awakest it shall talk with thee So Prov. 3. 23. Thou shalt walk in thy way safely and thy foot shall not stumble This Word counsels Converts against evil Men evil Women evil Angels an evil World and against every evil work It never gave bad counsel unto any The Counsels of the Word are best with reference to Eternity and with reference to Time also It bids us pass the time of our sojourning here in fear to live as Strangers and Pilgrims on the Earth that we may be less concerned and disturbed and keep more unspotted from the World. It bids us to walk uprightly that we may walk surely It informs us that all carnal Policy which is joyned with a contempt of God and Religion is onely a cunning contrivance to undo our selves but 't is the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of Wisdom and the Knowledge of the Holy is understanding 4. In this Perfect Word of God a compleat Armour is found to secure Converts against the Enemies of their Salvation Eph. 6. 13. Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand This Armour is to be valued indeed which is Armour of proof which secures us against the worst and most powerful Adversaries which certainly defends and makes us victorious when sighting for Eternal life when those against whom these Enemies prevail will surely dy the everlasting Death The Apostle speaks at large of the pieces of this Armour We are furnished with the Girdle of Truth sound Doctrine must be held fast our Judgments well settled against errour Here is the Breast-plate of Righteousness Sincere Holiness must be in the Heart if the Spirit be not right if the Heart be not clean there can be no safety Here the feet are shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace The Gospel that is the Word of Reconciliation with God and that speaks Peace to the Conscience does prepare and fit us to walk in the way of Holiness and the difficulties of that way are endured with patience Here is the shield of Faith Believing on Jesus resting on the Promises that in in Him are Yea and Amen quenches the Fiery Darts of Satan so that true Converts are not sunk into an Hell of Despair by the remembrance of their past Sins which the Blood of Jesus has made an atonement for neither are they discouraged by fiery Trials by the siercest Persecutions Here is the Helmet of Salvation that is the Hope of Salvation This Hope is lively well grounded will never make ashamed and causes the Convert to lift up his head with courage because Redemption and Glory are aproaching Here is the Sword of the Spiâ—it the Word of God rightly used and applyed And unto these pieces of Armour Preces Lacrymae arma Ecclesiae Prayers and Tears which are the Churches Weapons must be added because we need not onely Armour but skill and strength to use it from above then we shall prevail indeed when we are strong in the Lord and in the power of his might How strong may be the Consolation considering how compleat and strong the Armour is how strong the Helper of a Christian Eph. 6. 10 -18 5. In this Perfect Word of God the Convert finds Promises that may serve to support and encourage him in every condition Is he afflicted 't is in faithfulness and love not in wrath and hatred Prov. 3. 12. Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth even as a Father the Son in whom he delighteth And affliction shall be profitable because it shall be purifying Heb. 12 10. He that is the Father of Spirits chastizeth for our profit that we may be partakers of his Holiness Is the Convert poor and destitute He may cast all his care on God who cares for him 1 Pet. 5. 7. The young Lions lack and suffer hunger but those that seek the Lord have him to be their Shepheard and shall not want any good thing Psal 34. 10. Is the Convert tempted His merciful and faithful High-Priest was tempted before him and knowes how to succour him Heb. 2. ult When the Apostle was sorely buffered by Satan and cries for help what answer has he See be encouraged when you see 2 Cor. 12. 9. And the Lord said unto me My Grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness Is the Convert deserted and troubled because God hides his face He has the Name of God and his everlasting Covenant to trust in and the Face that is now hidden will be shewn again and dry up the Tears of the deserted Isa 54. 7 8. For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee in a little wrath hid I my Face from thee for a Moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy upon thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer 6. 'T is matter of Comfort unto Converts that this Perfect word endures for ever 1 Pet. 1. 24 25. All Flesh is grass and all the glory of Man as the Flower of the field the Grass withereth and the Flower thereof falleth away but the Word of the Lord endureth for ever and this is the Word which by the Gospel is preached unto you The Word is an everlasting truth never did any never shall any find it false 'T is a means to Convert the Soul to make the Heart new and 't is written in the new heart in Characters that are indelible and abiding 't is a Sustentation to the New Creature and cherishes it unto that Life which is Eternal The New nature is Immortal true Grace never dies but at Death is perfected in Glory that fadeth not away The CONCLUSION THus have
I done with all the Doctrines but yet I have not done with you Words of instruction Solomon compares to Nayls Eccles 12. 11. I shall add a few strokes more to drive them home How can I with patience see any of you secure in Sin still fast asleep Under Satans power and upon the bottomless pits brink And every moment in danger of tumbling down into it Though some of you make light of Hell and more light of Sin that does deserve it yet I foresee how you will change your minds when once you feel what 't is to be there and I would fain prevent your going thither What shall I say how shall I do to prevail with you to become willing to a sincere Conversion and so escape eternal Misery and Confusion Once more I cry as loud and earnestly as I am able Tâ—rn ye Turn ye O ye youngest that are here turn to God Your whole time is short enough to provide for Eternity begin early to redeem it Can you be too soon safe and happy safe in being under the Wing of Christ happy in having the Lord to be your God and Father Oh ye Children become Converts Christ is ready to embrace you in his Arms and bless you I should not at all fear the Gospels going if I could behold much of the Work of Regeneration among the young generation O ye oldest Sinâ—rs Turn to God the door of Mercy is not quite shut though you have lived so long in Sin 'till you have one foot in the Grave Admirable Mystery and Miracle of Grace when those are in a spiritual sense New Born who were old both in Years and Wickedness Turn ye O you that have most Righteousness of your own for your Righteousness is filthy raggs and you have Sin enough to ruine you Turn ye O you that have been guilty of the greatest Transgressions for in the Lord is superabâ—ndant Grace enough and enough to save you If you will not Turn you gratifie the evil One the Enemy of your Salvation you Consent to be his Slavis and Prey and chuse rather to dwell with him in Torment than with the Lord in Glory If you will not turn you are Sâ—lâ—-haters not Accessariâ—s only but Principals in the Murthering of your own Souls It was a true saying of Salvian Nemo nobis Crâ—â—â—â—ior nobis none more Cruel none so cruel to sinful Man as he is to himself The very Prince of the Devils has not so great an hand in his Destruction If you will not turn immediately this very day hour moment it may quickly be too late Abused Mercy may go away for ever and God may now at last foreit who has long waited to be gracious The Axe before another Sabbath may be laid to the root of the Tree which bears nothing but the Grapes of Sodom and the Clustâ—s of Gomorrah A Sentence may be pronounced from Heaven Hâ—w down such a strange and degenerate Plant and cast it into fiâ—e unquenchable But if at last you see with with your Eyes and hear with your eaâ—s and understand with your hearts and turn to the Lord the Father will receive you with open arms of love and kindness his tenderest Bowels will be troubled for you and sure Mercies shall be yours Tâ— Lord Jesus will see of the travel of his Soul to his Satisfaction rejoycing that Children of Regeneration are born into his Church whâ— shall be Heirs of Glory The Comforter who was grieved and vexed at your resistance will be much pleased to see you yield and will delight to dwell in you and to fill you both with Grace and Peace Converting Grace whenever wrought on Earth causes a Neâ— Triumph above in Glory The Thrones Dominions the Cherubim the Seraphim that are there will sing a New Song of Praiâ— they will give glory to God in the Highest when more Sinners are begotten again to a lively Hope they will ascribe Blessing and Honour to the Lamb when more Souls are redeemed by his Blood. Have I been speaking unto Stocks and Stones or unto those who have Senses Souls and Reason If you will not turn that you may be saved I must confess 't were well if you had no Souls to lose for ever It was a Custom among the Ancient Romans to keep dead Bodies above ground several dayes and often to cry in their ears with a loud Voice to see if they were dead indeed And these were called Corpora conclamata Bodies that had been cryed unto in vain and then they were carried to their Burial May not your Souls O unconverted Sinners be called Animae conclamatae Souls that have been often cryed unto to turn and live But if you still refuse 't is a sign you are very dead indeed and you may quickly be buried in the fiery Tophet out of which you shall never rise more But alas all Pleadings Intreaties Arguments will be to little purpose unless there come a convincing Light a converting Power from above Cachedram habet in coelo qui corda docet in terrâ He has his Chair in Heaven who teaches hearts on Earth Oh that the glorious Spirit would come and breath upon the dead dry bones and inspire a Life that may never end That he would cause All even the most hardned and dead in sin to become Alive to God and have their fruit unto holiness that the end may be everlasting Life Let God arise and let his enemies be scatter'd Let Sin Satan and Mammon be forced to flee before Him that all Hearts possest by them may now submit to Him When the tongues of Men and Angels cannot prevail one powerful word from God can convert a multitude of Souls though they have been never so disobedient and gainsaying If the Lord will fill his Sanctuary with his Glory it will be to all unconverted Ones that are here the place of their new Birth and the very Gate of Heaven FINIS A WARNING GIVEN TO Secure Sinners TO Prepare for Judgment TO Flee from Wrath to Come AND Turn from All Sin BUT Especially the Sin which does most easily beset them By NATHANAEL VINCENT M. A. Minister of the Gospel Ezek. 33. 7. O Son of Man I have set thee a Watchman unto the house of Israel therefore thou shalt hear the Word at my Mouth and warn them from Me. LICENSED March 17th 1688. LONDON Printed by J. Astwood for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and three Crowns at the lower end of Cheap-side near Mercers-Chappel 1688. THE Epistle to the READER Reader WHen I Preached these following Sermons I had not the least thought of Publishing them They were taken from my Mouth by a dexterous and nimble hand that wrote almost every Word I utter'd I was very much sollicited to Print them and the Notes being written out fair and brought to me I have look'd them over and now they are presented to thee with a sincere Design that they may be beneficial to thee and not without Hope they will be so
plead thus Lord we have been all abused we never met with any thing but abuses and never could lead these men to Repentance The Rods of Affliction will have a Voice against them too Lord we have stricken these Sinners often we have made them Bleed and Groan and smart exceedingly for their Iniquities but could never make them leave off Sinning against Thee and against their own Souls How many Sermons will rise up in judgment against them because they either slept them away or if they were awake they suffer'd them to slip out of their Memories and never applyed them to their Hearts And as for us the Ministers of the Gospel our Testimony against them will be true and terrible Lord we lifted up our Voices like Trumpets we gave them the Watchmans Warning we told them of the Sword that was coming and that if they turned not from Sin it would surely slay them we wooed them to come to Jesus that under his Wing they might be secure but nothing would prevail their Ears were deaf their Hearts they hardened they would not be converted and made clean they would rush on in Sin still they would needs Dye and there was no helping it The Condemnation must needs be dreadful when so many things rise up against them that are condemned VSE IV. Os Consolation to the Saints I must speak to them in another strain Lift up your Heads and let your Hearts be filled with Joy all ye believing repenting humble holy heavenly-minded Ones for the Day of your Redemption draws nigh with an earnest expectation wait for it and Triumph at the Thoughts of your great and everlasting Jubilee You will indeed behold the greatest part of mankind turned into Hell but what Joy will it be to find your selves for ever safe and fully blessed A dark Shadow sets off a beautiful Picture The sight of the Rich man in Hell Flames must needs make Lazarus to find a greater sweetness in Abrahams Bosome Two Grounds of Consolation I shall propound to you and so conclude 1. He is to be your Judge that is your Husband and your Head. The very same whom you now find interceding for you in Prayer whom you see walking in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks and blessing his Ordinances to you The very same whom you have found pitying and healing your Wounds with his own Blood succouring you in your Temptations and telling you that you are the Beloved of his Soul And since he is to Judge you be comforted He will behold you with an aspect that is highly favourable His own Spouse whom he has ransomed with his own Life Christ will not turn into devouring Fire He will not take the Members of his own Body and throw them into everlasting Burnings Having Redeemed them by his Blood having renewed and Sanctified them by his Spirit having raised them up at the great day certainly he will receive them to himself and they shall be ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4. 17 18. wherefore be comforted with these words 2. You that are true Believers whose Faith purifies your Hearts and works by Love know that there is a Crown designed for you The Diadems that Monarchs have upon their Heads the Triple Crown of Him at Rome is but a Trifle to the Crown of life This Crown is purchased 't is promised 't is prepared and shortly you shall put it on and never put it off more How Splendid how Bright how Sparkling will that Crown be 'T is called a Crown of Life for Death shall be no more A Crown of Glory for the Saints shall be more than Conquerours and Triumphant over all Enemies and be advanced to the highest Honour and State whereof they are capable Finally 't is called a Crown of Righteousness 't is a Righteous thing with God to bestow it through Christ Jesus and perfect Righteousness and Purity will be a great part of the happiness of Saints in Glory This Crown the Apostle saw to his great encouragement and he would have all other Believers comforted with the same sight 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good Fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that Day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing MAT. 11. 23. Form. Part. And thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven shalt be brought down to Hell OUR Lord Jesus is called the Lamb of God who takes away the Sins of the World But in this Lamb there is Wrath and that Wrath is very terrible Oh the weight of the Mediatours Vengeance This Wrath is threatned against the impenitent and unbelievers who refuse to be Saved from their Sins resolving to live tho they Dye in them The Light of the Gospel being neglected highly aggravates the Works of Darkness makes them more inexcusable and a greater provocation None shall fare worse at the Day of Judgment than those that have had the longest and the clearest day of Grace but would not know in that their day the things which belonged to their Peace Thou Capernaum which art exalted unto Heaven shalt be brought down to Hell. These words which I have read do speak Christ's sorrow and his displeasure wherein you may take notice 1. Of the Persons with whom he is displeased Thou Capernaum the City is put for the Inhabitants of it 2. Here is the Reason of Christs displeasure they did not understand the great priviledge of being Exalted unto Heaven they did not improve the advantage they had of getting thither 3. Here is a Punishment threatned a sore evil and that is no less than Hell it self 4. Here is the manner specisied of their going to Hell thou shalt be brought down to Hell with a strong Hand with great Wrath and in one of the hottest and lowest Places there thou shalt lye for ever There are two Doctrines which I raise from the Words First Those that hear the Gospel are exalted unto Heaven Happy you if you understand your Priviledge which at this day you enjoy Secondly They who will not turn to God at the Gospel-call shall certainly be turned into Hell Thou Capernaum who art exalted unto Heaven shalt be brought down to Hell and if Christ says it shall be so most certainly it will be so The first of these I shall but just touch upon for it is the second that I principally purpose to Prosecute Doct. 1. The first Doctrine is this They that hear the Gospel are exalted unto Heaven The Gospel is an heavenly Calling Heb. 3. 1. it comes from Heaven and says to those that hear it Come up hither 1. Life and Immortality is brought to light by the Gospel 2 Tim. 1. 10. Here you have a Map of those happy Regions of Light and Love and Joy where there is nothing present that is burthensome where there is nothing wanting that is desirable
2. The Gospel plainly chalks out the way that leads to Life Christ is the way the truth and the life Joh. 14. 6. the true way to life indeed We have liberty to enter into the holiest of all by the blood of Jesus had it not been for his undertaking and performance of what he undertook there had been a flaming Sword at Heavens gate and no fallen Man could ever have entred there And as Christ in whom we are to believe is the way so is also Holiness Christ by his Blood has purchased the heavenly Inheritance and has bought the Saints themselves that are to be the Inheritors and 't is by his sanctifying Spirit by true Holiness that they are made meet for that Inheritance The pure in Heart and such will be likewise pure in Life are the blessed Ones that shall see God Mat. 5. 8. and who besides are desirous or fit to see the Lord 3. Heaven in the Gospel is offer'd 't is seriously freely offer'd unto All 't is offer'd to the meanest Persons 't is offer'd to the greatest Sinners and that without Money without Price 'T is indeed too good too great a thing for Man to purchase by any thing that he can give or do Those have very low thoughts of Heaven and very high thoughts of their own Works that think they can do enough to merit Heaven Eternal Life is the free Gift of God not deserved by Man and 't is given through Christ Rom. 6. 23. Had not Christ procured it fallen Men would all have been as certainly excluded as the fallen Angels Briefly to Apply this 1. Be thankful for the Gospel which makes the richest discovery that ever was made in this World the East the West-Indies cannot shew any thing comparable to a blessed Immortality the Jewels from the one the Gold from the other are contemptible when Heaven is named The Gospel tells you where is the true the tried Gold and of the Pearl which is of greatest price and concerning a Treasure in Heaven which neither moth nor rust doth corrupt nor can thieves break through and steal Mat. 6. 20. 2. Let the Kingdom of Heaven suffer Violence and do you use an holy force to take it here you will meet with great opposition Heaven is that which occasions the envy of Hell because of its real and eternal Excellency and does very well deserve your labour Let the Treasure in Heaven cause your Hearts to be there strive to enter in at the strait gate hate every false way because it leads from Heaven and towards Destruction let the Hopes of a Crown of glory make you willing to bear the Cross look upon Sloth as most absurd when no less than Heaven will be given to them who shew their diligence in full assurance of hope unto the end Press still forward towards the mark you cannot run too fast for such a Prize But I shall stay on this no longer 'T is the second Doctrine that more largely I shall insist on Doct. 2. And that 's this Those that will not turn to God at the Call of the Gospel shall certainly be turned into Hell 2 Thes 1. 8 9. They that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power In the handling of this Doctrine I shall 1. Discourse concerning Hell what it is that you may the better understand it and understanding be afraid of it 2. I shall prove the Certainty of the Doctrine that Sinners who will not turn to God shall most surely be turned into Hell. 3. I shall Vindicate the Righteousness of God in thus dealing with and eternally Punishing them that will not turn to him 4. I shall conclude with the Vses and Application In the first Place I am to Discourse concerning Hell and to shew you what it is In Hell There is a Deprivation of good There is an Infliction of evil pain and torment There is an Eternity of both 1. In Hell there is a Deprivation of good All the temporal losses that have been sustained by all the Children of Men in this World are not comparable to the Poena Damni Punishment of loss which one Sinner in Hell shall undergoe Several things those in Hell are deprived of 1. They are deprived of all that Love and Grace and Mercy that is in God The Psalmist that knew by experience the excellency of God's Loving-kindness affirms 't is better than Life Psal 63. 3. His Mercys are tender and a multitude and sure to the Vessels of Mercy How were those fill'd with admiration and with a sense of their obligation Who in times past were not a People but were made the People of God who had not obtained Mercy but after did obtain Mercy 1 Pet. 2. 10. But alas tho God be Love it self 1 Joh. 4. 8. he hath no Love for them that are in Hell they lye under his Wrath and Hatred and both are unalterably fixt upon them Though the Lord does delight in shewing Mercy yet his Bowels do not at all stir or move towards the Damned though they lye in extreamest Woe and are continually weeping and wailing yet their Tears draw not forth his Compassions He has cast them off for ever and will be favourable no more he has forgotten to be gracious and in implacable but righteous Anger has shut up his tender Mercies 2. They that are in Hell are deprived of the beatifical Vision of God The door of Heaven they found shut against them when they said Lord Lord open to us and 't will never be opened They shall never be suffered to see him face to face but be always excluded from his Presence What Happiness is there in seeing God! how transforming and satisfying is this sight Psal 17. ult As for me I shall behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness But the Damned are not never shall be admitted to such a View they are banished that glorious Presence where there is fulness of joy and where there are pleasures for evermore God has fixt a great gulph between himself and them and through that 't is impossible for them to pass Luk. 16. 26. 3. They in Hell are deprived of all hopes by a Mediator Our Lord tells us That he came not into the World to condemn the World but that the World through him might be saved and has given a large Commission to Preach the Gospel to offer that Grace and Salvation whereof he is the Author to every Creature Mark 16. 15. The Lord Jesus now encourages all to come to him that they may have rest to their Souls and life through his Name and them that come to him he will in nâ— wise cast out Joh. 6. 37. and when they refuse to come he expresses great sorrow he wept over Jerusalem because she knew not the time of her gracious Visitation