any hope of an Escape If the Judge once say Take him Jaylor and if Christ say Take him Devils you that Ruled and Deceived him now Torment him all the world cannot rescue one such soul It will be in vain to look about for help Alas there is none but Christ can help you and he will not because you refused his help Nay we may say He cannot not for want of Power but because he is True and Just and therefore will make good that word which you believed not It is in vain then to cry to hils to fall on you and the mountains to cover you from the presence of him that sitteth on the Throne It will be in vain now to Repent and wish you had not sleighted your salvation nor sold it for a little pleasure to your flesh It will be then in vain to cry Lord Lord open to us O spare us O pitty us O do not cast us into these hideous flames Do not turn us among Devils do not Torment thy Redeemed ones in this fire All this will be then too â—ate Poor sinner whoever thou art that readest or hearest these lines I beseech thee in Compassion to thy soul Consider How fearful the case of that man will be that is newly doomed to the Everlasting fire and is haled to the Execution without Remedy And what mad men are those that now do no more to prevent such a misery when they might do it on such easâ—â— terms and now have so fair an Opportunity in their hands The time was when Repentance might have done thee good but Then all thy Repentings be in vain Now while the day of thy Visitation lasteth hadst thou but a heart to pray and cry for mercy in faith and fervency through Christ thou mightest be heard But then Praying and Crying will do no good shouldst thou roar out in the extremity of thy horror and amazement and beseeth the Lord Iesus but to forgive give thee one sin or to send thee on earth once more and to tâ—y thee once again in the flesh whether thou â—ouldst not love him and lead a holy life it would be all in vain Shouldst thou beeseâ—ch him by all the mercifulness of his nature by all his sufferings and bloody death by all the mercifull promises of his Gospel it would be all in vain Nay shouldst thou beg but one dayeâ— reprieval or to stay one hour before thou were cast into those flames it would not be heard it would do thee no good How earnestly did a deceased Gentleman Luke 16. 24. beg of Abraham for one drop of water from the tip of Lazarus's finger to cool his tongue because he was tormented in the flame And what the better was he He was sent to Remember that he had his Good things in this life and that Remembrance would torment him more And do not wonder or think much at this that Christ will not then be intreated by the ungodly You shall then have a Remember too from Christ or Conscience He may soon stop thy mouth and leave thee speechless and say Remember man that I did one day send thee a Message of peace and thou wouldst not hear it I once did stoop to Beseech thee to return and thou wouldst not hear I besought thee by the tender mercies of God I besought thee by all the Love that I had shewed these by my holy Life by my cursed Death by the Riches of my Grace by the offers of my Glory and I could not getâ— thee to forsake the world to deny thy flesh to leave one beloved sin for all this I besought thee over and over again I sent many a Minister to thee in my name I waighted on thee many a day and year and all would not do thou wouldst not Consider Return and Live And now it is too late my sentence is past and cannot be recalled Away from me thou worker of iniquity Mat. 7. 22 23. Ah Sirs what a case then is the poor desperate sinner left in How can I write this or how can you that read or hear it without trembling once think of the Condition that such forlorn wretches will be in When they look above them and see the God that hath forsaken them because they forlook him first when they look about them and see the Saints on one hand whom they despised now sentenced unto Glory and the wicked on the other hand whom they accompanied and imitated now Judged with them to everlasting misery when they look below them and see the flames that they must abide in even for evermore and when the Devils begin to hale them to the Execution Oh poor souls Now what would they give for a Christ for a promise for a time of Repentance for a Sermon of mercy which once they slept under or made no account of How is the ease altered now with them Who would think that these are the same men that made light of all this on earth that so stoutly scorned the reProofs of the word that would be woâ—ldly and fleshly and drunk and proud let Preachers iay what they would and perhaps hated those that did give them warning Now they are of another minde but all too late Oh were there any place for Resistance how would they draw back and lay hold of any thing before they would be dragged away Ãnto those flames But there is no resisting Satans Temptations might have been resisted but his Executions cannot Gods Judgements might have been Prevented by Faith and Prayer Repentance and a holy life but they cannot be resisted when they are not prevented Glad would the miserable sinner be if he might but turn to nothing and cease to be or that he might be any thing rather than a reasonable creature but these wishes are all in vain There is one Time and one Way of a sinners Deliverance If he fail in that one be perisheth for ever all the world cannot help him after that 2 Cor. 6. 2. I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of salvation have I succored thee Behold now is the Accepted time behold now is the day of salvation Now he saith Rev. 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him 〈◊〉 he with me But for the time to come hereafter hear what he saith Prov. 1 24 25 26. Because I have called and ye Refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded But ye have set at noâ—ght all my counsels and would noâ—e of my Reproof I also will laugh at your Calamity I will mock When your fear cometh when your fear cometh as Desolation and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind when distresse and anguish cometh upon you then shall they call upon â—e but I will not Answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me for that they hated knowledg and did not
here Many Observations might be hence raised As 1. Serving the Lord is the great work and business that the World hath to do 2. This service should be accompanyed with rejoycing 3. So should it also with fear and trembling 4. There is no such opposition between spiritual Joy and Fear but that they may and must consist together 5. Scripture useth familiar expressions concerning mans communion with Christ such as this Kiss the Son 6. There is anger in God or that which we cannot conceive better of then under the Notion of Anger 7. There is a way to kindle this Anger it is man that kindleth it 8. The way to kindle it chiefly is not kissing the Son 9. The kindling of it will be the perishing of the sinner 10. The Enemies of Christ shall perish suddenly and unexpectedly 11. A little of Gods anger will utterly undo them 12. They are blessed men that scape it and miserable that must feeel it 13. It is therefore notorious folly to neglect Christ and stand out 14. Kings Judges and Rulers of the earth are the first men that Christ summons in and the chief in the Calam tie if they stand out But I will draw the scope of the Text into this one Doctrine in the handling whereof I shall spend the time allotted me Doct. No power or priviledge can save that man from the fearful sudden consuming wrath of God that doth not unfeignedly love depend upon and subject himself unto the Lord Jesus Christ If they be the greatest Kings aud Judges yet if they do not kiss the Mouth the Hand the Feet of Christ his wrath will be kindled and they will perish in the way of their rebellion and neglect In handling this point I shall observe this Order 1. I will shew you what this love dependence and subjection are 2. What wrath it is that will thus kindle and consume them 3. Why this kissing the Son is the only way to escape it 4. Why no Power or Priviledge else can procure their escape 5. The Application For the first I shall only give you a naked description wishing that I had time for a fuller explication 1. Subjection to Christ is The acknowledging of his absolute soveraignty both as he is God Creator and as Redeemer over all the world and particularly our selves and a hearty consent to this his overaignty especially that he be our Lord and his Laws our Rule and a delivering up our selves to him to be governed accordingly 2. This dependence on Christ is when acknowledging the sufficiency of his satisfaction and his power and willingness to save all that receive him manifested in his free universal offer in the Gospel we do heartily accept him for our only Saviour and accordingly renouncing all other do wait upon him believingly for the benefits of his sufferings and office and the performance of his faithful Covenant to us in restoring us to all the blessings which we lost and advancing us to a for greater everlasting Glory 3. This affection to Christ is when in the knowledge and sense of his love to us both common and especial and of his own excellency and the blessedness of enjoying him and the Father and life by him our hearts do chuse him and the Father bâ— him as our only happiness and accordingly love him above all things in the world As this three fold Description containeth the sum of the Gospel so hath it nothing but what is of necessity to sound Christianity If any one of these three be not found in thy heart either I have little skill in Divinity or thou hast no true Christianity nor canst be saved in that condition Object But doth not the Scripture make believing the condition of the Covenant but here is a great deal more then believing Answ Sometime Faith is taken in a narrower sense and then it is not made the sole condition of the New Covenant but repentance and forgiving others are joyned with it as conditions of our forgiveness and obedience and perseverance as conditions of our continued justification and salvation But when Faith is made the sole condition of the Covenant then it comprehendeth essentially not only supposeth as precedent or concomitant if not all three yet at least the two first of the fore described qualifications viz. Dependence and Subjection which if it were well understood would much free the common sort of Christians from their soul destroying mistakes and the Body of Divinity from a multitude of common errors and our Religion from much of that reproach of Solisidianism which is cast upon it by the Papists 2. I must be as brief in opening the second thing viz. What wrath is it that will thus kindle and consume them What wrath is in God we need not here trouble our selves to enquire But only what is intimated in the threats or curses of the Covenants As there are two Covenants so each hath his proper penalty for its violation 1. Then tiâ—l men do come in and submit to Christ they lie under the wrath of God for all their sins as they are against the Covenant of Works or they are lyable to the curse of that Covenant Christs death hath taken away the curse of the Covenaut not absolutely from any man but conditionally which becomes absolute when the condition is performed The Elect themselves are not by nature under the Covenant of Grace but remain under the curse of the first Covenant till they come in to Christ 2. Whosoever rejecteth or neglecteth this Grace and so finally breaketh the New Covenant must also bear the curse or penalty thereof besides all the former which will be a far greater curse even as the blessings of this Covenant are far greater then those of the first It was a heavy punishment to be cast out of Paradise and from the presence and favour of God and to be cursed by him and subjected to eternal death and all Creatures below cursed for our sakes to bear all those curses and plagues threatned in Deut. 27. and 28. and to have the wrath of God smoak against us c. as Deut. 29 20. But of how much sorer punishment shall he be thought worthy that doth tread under foot the blood of this Covenant and do despite to the spirit of Grace Heb. 10. 28 29. It is true that for all other sins the wrath of God cometh upon the Children of Disobedience or Unperswadableness that is on them that will not be perswded to obey the Lord Christ Epha 5. 6. But it is on no other with us for this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather then light John 1. 19. 3. Why is this kissing the Son that is loving depending on and submitting to him the only way to escape these curses Answ 1. The most proper and primary reason which can be given is The will of the great Law-giver who having absolute soveraignty over us might dispose of us as he
the righteous Judgement of God who will render to every man according to his Deeds 4. Moreover All the means which God used for the Recovery of sinners in the day of their visitation will rise up against Impenitent souls in Judgement to their condemnation You can hear Sermons carelessly and sleepily now but O that you would consider how the review of them will then awake you You now make light of the warnings of God and man and of all the wholesome advice that is given you but God will not then make light of your contempt Oh what cutting Questions will they be to the hearts of the ungodly when all the means that were used for their good are brought to their remembrance on one side and the temptations that drew them to sin on the other side and the Lord shall plead his cause with their consciences and say Was I so hard a Master or was my work so unreasonable or was my wages so contemptible that no perswasions could draw you into my service was Satah so good a Master or was his work so honest and profitable or was his wages ' so desirable that you would be so easily perswaded to do as he would have you Was there more perswading Reason in his allurements and deceits then in all my holy words and all the powerfull Sermons that you heard or all the faithfull admonitions you received or all the good examples of the righteous or in all the works of God which you beheld Was not a reason fecht from the love of God from the evill of sin the blood of Christ the Judgement to come the glory promised the torments threatned as forcible with you and as good in your eyes to draw you to holiness as a Reason from a little fleshly delight or worldly gain to draw you to be unholy In the name of God sinners I intreat you to bethink your selves in time how you will sufficiently answer such Questions as these You should have seen God in every creature that you beheld and have read your duty in all his works what can you look upon above you or below you or round about you which might not have shewed you so much of the wisdom and goodness and greatness of your maker as should have convinced you that it was your duty to be devoted to his wil And yet you have his written word that speaks plainer then all these And will you despise them all will you not see so great a Light will you not hear so loud and constant calls shall God and his Ministers speak in vain And can you think that you shall not hear of this again and pay for it one day you have the Bible other good books by you why do you out read them You have Ministers at hand why do you not go to them and earnestly ask them Sir What must I do to be saved intreat them to teach you the way to life you have some neighbors that fear God why do you not go to them and take their good advice and imitate them in the fear of God and in a holy diligence for your souls Now is the time for you to bestir your Selves Life and Death are before you You have gales of grace to further your voyage There are more for you then against you God will help you his Spirit will help you his Ministers will help you every good Christian will help you the Angels themselves will help you if you will resolvedly set your selves to the work And yet will you not stir Patience is waiting on you Mercies are enticing you Scourges are driving you Judgement stayeth for you The Lights of God stand burning by you to direct you And yet will you not stir but lie in darkness And do you think you shall not hear of this Do you think this will not one day cost you dear IX THE ninth part of our work is to shew you What are those frivolous excuses by which the unrighteous may then indeavour their defence Having already shewed you what the Defence must be that must be suffiicient to our Justification If any first demand Whether the Evidence of their sin will not so overwhelm the sinner that he will be speechless and past excuse I answ Before God hath done with him he will be so But it seems at first his dark understanding and partial corrupted conserence will set him upon a vain Defence For Mat. 7. 22 23. Christ telleth us that Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name have done many wonderful works And then will I profess to them I never knew you Depart from meâ— ye workers of iniquity And in Mat 25. 11. The foolish Virgins cry Lord Lord open to us And vers 44. Then shall they also answer him saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred or thirst or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not Minister unto thee And vers 24 25. They fear not to cast some of the cause of their neglect on God himself Then he which had received the one Talent came and said Lord I knew that thou art an hard man reaping where thou hast not sown and gathering where thou hast not strawed and I was afraid and went and hid thy talent in the earth lo there thou hast that is thine It is cleer then that Excuses they will be ready to make and their full conviction will be in order after these Excuses at least as in their minds if not in words But what the particular Excuses will be we may partly know by these Scriptures which recite them and partly by hearing what the ungodly do now say for themselves And because it is for their present benefit that I now make mention of them that they may see the vanity of all such Excuses I will mention them as I now meet with them in the mouthes of Sinners in our ordinary discourse and these Excuses are of several sorts some by which they would justify their estate some Excuses of particular actions and that either in whole or in part some by which they would put by the penalty though they confess the sin some by which they lay the blame on other men and in some they would cast it upon God himself I must touch but some of them very briefly The first Excuse I am not guilty of these things which I am accused of I did love God above All and my Neighbor as my self I did use the World but for Necessity but God had my heart Answer The all-seeing Judge doth know the contrary and he will make thy Conscience know it Look back man upon thy heart and life How seldom and how neglectfully didst thou think of God how coldly didst thou worship him or make any mention of him how carelesly didst thou serve him and think much of all that thou didst therein Thou rather thoughtest
weight with you and no knowledge would serve your turn but by seeing and feeling you shall see and feel everlastingly to your sorrow The seventeeth Excuse It was so strict a Law that God would have Ruled me by and the way to Heaven was so strait and difficult that I could not endure it I was not able to deny my flesh and live such a life Answ 1. You were not Able because you were not Willing â—hat was there but your own wicked hearts that should make such a life seem grievous to you Every thing is hard and grievous to him who loaths it and whose heart is against it The chief thing that God called you â—o was to love him and make him your Delight And are Love and Delight such grievous things It was not grievous to you to love your meat or drink or money It was no hard matter to you to love a friend that loved you no nor to love your sin which was your enemy And what should make it seem hard to love God but a wicked heart Is not he better and more Lovely then all these And had you but Loved him all the rest of his service would have seemed easie to you To think of him to speak of him to pray to him to praise him yea to deny all and suffer for him would have been sweet and pleasant to you so far as you had Loved him It was not God therefore but your own naughty hearts that made his work seem grievous to you and the way to heaven seem hard He told you truly that his yoak was easie and his burden light and his Commandments were not grievous Mat. 11. 29. 1. Joh. 5 3. They that tryed them found them the very Joy and Delight of their souls and why could not you do so 2. But what if the way to heaven had been harder then it was was not heaven worth your labour were you afraid of being a loser by it Could not God requite your labour or sufferings Doth any Repent when they come to Heaven that it cost them so dear to come thither And is not hell worse then the hardest way to heaven seeing you have chosen hell to save you a labour and suffering in in this life you must have your choice And seeing you thought not everlasting life to be worth so much as God required that is the Accepting thankfully and minding and seeking and preferring it before this life you have none to blame for the loss of it but your selves The eighteenth Excuse It was God that made me of a sensual nature He gave me an Appetite to Meat and Drink and Ease and lust He gave me that flesh which ruled me how then can be condemn me for living according to the nature which he gave me Answ He gave that Appetite to be exercised moderately under the rule of reason for the preservation and propagation of mankind But did he not also give you Reason to govern that Appetite and the Revelation of his will to guide that Reason He gave you your flesh to be a servant and not a master Your beast hath fleshly Appetite without reason and therefore God hath put him under you who have Reason that you should Rule him Will you let your beast do what he list and madly run upon whom he list and say you do but let him live according to his nature which God hath given him Why God that gave him such a nature did intend him to be Ruled by a higher nature even by the Reason which he gave to you And so he did also by your flesh and sensual Appetite The ninteenth Excuse But I lived among so many baits which enticed this flesh that I could not resist them My meat was a snare to me my drink a snare my cloaths my house my land a snare every beauty that I saw was a snare and the better all these were the stronger was my snare If God would not have had my heart ensnared and drawn from him he should not have put so many baits in my way Yea and they were so Neer to me and Daily with me that though I was resolved to forbear them before yet when they were brought to my hand I could not forbear Answ Is this the thanks that God hath for his mercies He sent you all these as favours from his own hand He wrote his own name upon them that in them you might see his power and wisdom and goodness and so be led up to the Consideration of him that you might fall in love with himself who was the fountain the life the end of all And do you overlook God in the creature and live as without him in the world and dote upon that which should have drawn you to himself and then lay the blame on God If he send a Suitor to speak to you in his name and write you a love Letter with his own hand will you fall in Love with the Messengers or the Letter and neglect the Sender and then blame him that wrote his letter on so fair a paper or in so neat a hand or that sent it by such a comely Messenger Certainly these Excuses are too gross to take with the wise and righteous God or to seem sufficient to a well informed Conscience 2. And whereas you speak of the power of these objects was there not much more in God in Christ in the promised glory to have drawn your heart another way why then did not these take as much with you as the other You could not choose forsooth but be enticed with such baits as were fitted to your sensual Appetite and such things as a dog or a swine may enjoy as well as a man But you could chosse when Christ and glory were offered you yea you did choose to refuse the offer and tread them under feet by your neglect When Satan set your Cups and your â—arlots and your profits before you on one side did not God set his favour and everlasting hapiness on the other side And was it wise or equal dealing to preferr your lusts before that glory 3. Moreover it was not in the power of any of those baits to force your will or to necessitate you to choose them They could be but Baits to entice you and it was still in your own choice whethâ—r you would yield to the encicement and choose them or not Shall every man be false to God that hath any bait to entice him from him will you excuse your child or friend if he would be false to you upon as great enticements as these If a cup-of drink or a whore or a little gain could draw him more then all you love and interest I do not think you would hold him excused And whereas you speak of the Neerness and Continuance of these allurements I would fain know was not God as Neer you and Continually neer you to draw you to himself Faith might have â—een him though flesh and blood cannot Did
God is mine thou stolest it from me This wealth is mine this life and all is mine Only thy self he will not own They shall require thy soul that have conquered and ruled it Though it was his by right of Creation and Redemption yet seeing it was not his by a free Dedication he will not own it as to everlasting salvation but say Depart from me I know you not ye workers of iniquity Mat. 7. 23. O with what hearts then will self-seeking Gentlemen part with their honours and estates and the earthly minded with their beloved possessions when he that resigned all to God and devoted himself and all to his service shall find his consumed estate to be increased his neglected honour abundantly repaired and in this life he shall receive an hundred fold and in the world to come eternal life Mat. 10. 30. Joh. 4 56. 1 Tim. 6. 12. 19. 13. Lastly consider When judgement comes enquiry will be made whether you have lived as your own or as his that bought you then he will require his own with improvement Luke 19. 23. The great business of that day will be not so much to search after particular sins or duties which were contrary to the scope of heart and life but to know whether you lived to God or to your flesh whether your time and care and wealth were expended for Christ in his members and interest or for your carnal selves Mat. 25. In as much as you did it not to these you did it not to him You that Christ hath given Authority to shall then be accomptable whether you improved it to his advantage You that he hath given honor to must then give account whether you improved it to his honor In the fear of God Sirs cast up your accounts in time and bethink you what answer will then stand good It will be a doleful hearing to a guilty soul when Christ shall say I gave thee thirty or fourty years time thy flesh had so much in eating and drinking and sleeping and labouring in idleness and vain talking and recreations and other vanities but where was my part how much was laid out for the promoting of my glory I lent you so much of the wealth of the world so much was spent on your backs and so much on your bellies so much on costly toyes or superfluities so much in revengeful suits and contentions and so much was left for your posterity but where was my part how much was laid out to further the Gospel and to relieve the souls or the bodies of your brethren I gave thee a family and committed them to thy care to govern them for me and fit them for my service but how didst thou perform it O Brethren bethink you in time what answer to make to such Interrogatories your judge hath told you that your doom must then pass according as you have improved your talents for him and that he that hideth his Talent though he give God his own shall be cast into utter darkness where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 25 30. How easily will Christ then evince his right in you and convince you that it was your duty to have lived unto him Do you think sirs that you shall then have the face to say I thought Lord that I had been made and redeemed for my self I thought I had nothing to do on earth but live in as much plenty as I could and pleasure to my flesh and serve thee on the by that thou mightest continue my prosperity and save me when I could keep the world no longer I knew not that I was thine and should have lived to thy glory If any of you plead thus what store of Arguments hath Christ to silence you He will then convince you that his Title to you was not questionable He will prove that thou wast his by thy very Being and fetch unanswerable Arguments from every part and faculty He will prove it from his Incarnation his life of humiliation his bloody sweat his crown of Thorns his Cross his Grave He that had wounds to shew after his Resurrection for the convincing of a doubting Disciple will have such Scars to shew then as shall suffice to convince a self excusing Rebel All these shall witness that he was thy rightful Lord He will prove it also from the discoveries of his Word from the warnings of his Ministers from the mercies which thou receivedst from him that thou wast not ignorant of his Right and of thy duty or at least not ignorant for want of meanes He will prove it from thy Baptismal Covenant and renewed engagements The Congregation can witness that you did promise to be his and seale to it by the reception of both his Sacraments And as he will easily prove his right so will he as easily prove that you denyed it to him He will prove it from your Works from the course of your life from the streame of your thoughts from your love your desires and the rest of the affections of your disclosed hearts O Brethren what a day will that be when Christ shall come in person with thousands of his Angels to sit in judgment on the rebellious world and claim his due which is now denyed him when Plaintiff and Defendant Witnesses and Jurors Councellors and Justices Judges and all the Princes on Earth shall stand equal before the impartial Judge expecting to be sentenced to their unchangeable state then if a man should ask you what think you now Sir of living to God Is it better to be devoted to him or to the flesh which now do you take for the better master what would you do now if it were all to do again what would you then say to such a Question how would you answer it would you make as light of it as now you do O sirs you may hear these things now from your poor fellow-creature as proud-hearted Gallants or as self-conceited Deriders or as besotted worldlings or senseless blocks or secret Infidels that as those Deut. 29. 19. do bless themselves in their hearts and say We shall have peace though we walk in the imagination of our hearts But then you will heare them as trembling prisoners Read the 20 verse at leisure Such a sight will work when words will not especially words not believed nor considered of When you shall see the God that you disowned the Redeemer whom you â—eglected the Glory which you forfeited by preferring the plesures of the flesh before it the Saints triumphing whom you refused to imitate and a dolefull eternity of misery to be remedilesly endured then Saints will seem wiser men in your eyes and how gladly wouldâ— you then be such but O too late what a thing is it that men who say they believe such a judgment and everlasting life and death as all Christians profess to do can yet read and hear and talk of such things as insensibly as if they were dreames or fables I know it is
the nature of sin to deceive and of a sinfull heart to be too willing of such deceiving and it 's the business of Satan by deceiving to destroy and with the most specious baits to angle for souls and therefore I must expect that those of you that are taken and are neerest to the pit should be least fearful of the danger and most confident to escape though you are conscious that you live not to God but to your selves But for my part I have read and considered what God saith in his Word and I have found such evidence of its certain truth that I heartily wish that I might rather live on a dunghill and be the sâ—â—â—n of the world and spend my few daies in beggery and calamity then that I should stand before the Lord my Judge in the case of that man whatever he be that is not in heart and life devoted unto God but liveth to his flesh for I know that if we live after the flesh we shall dye Rom. 8. 13. I had rather lie here in Lazarus poverty and want the compassion and releife of man then to be cloathed with the best and fare deliciously and hereafter be denyed a drop of water to cool the flames of the wrath of God I confess this is likely to seem but harsh and ungreatful preaching to many of you some pleasant fingles or witty sayings or shreds of Reading and pretty cadency of neat expressions were liker to be accepted and procure applause with them who had rather have their ears and phantasies tickled then rubbed so roughly and be roused from their ease pleasing dreams But shall I prâ—ach for my self while I pretend to be preaching you from your selves to God Shall I seek my seâ—f while I am preaching of the everlaâ—â—ing misery of Self-seekers God fobid Sirs I know the terrours of the Lord 2 Cor. 5 11. I believe and therefore speak Were I a Christian no deeper then the throat I would fish for my self and study more to please you then to save you I love not to make a needless stir in mens Consciences nor to trouble their peace by a Doctrine which I do not believe my self But I believe that our Judge is even at the door and that we shall shortly see him coming in his Glory and the Host of Heaven attending him with acclamations In the mean time your particular doom draws on the fashion of all these things passeth away as those seats will anon be empty when you are departed so it is but a moment till all your habitations shall change their possessors and the places of your abode and too great delight shall know you no more I must needs speak to you as to transient itinerant mortals who must ere long be carried on mens shoulders to the dust and there be left by those that must shortly follow you then farewel Honours and fleshly Delights farewell all the accommodations contents of this world O that you had sooner bid them farewelâ— Had you lived to Christ as you did to them he would not so have turn'd you off nor have left your dislodged souls to utter desolation In a word As â—uâ—e as the word of God is true if you own him not now as your Lord and Soveragin he will not own you then as his chosen to salvation and if now you live not To him you shall not then live With him Be not deceived God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap for he that soâ—eâ—h to his flâ—sh shall of the flesh reap corruption but he that sâ—weth to the spirit shall of the 〈◊〉 everlasting life Gal. 6. 7. 8. Consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in pâ—eces and there be none to deliver you Psal 50. 22. Beloved Hearers Believe as you pretend to Believe and then live as you do Believe If you believe that you are not your own but his that made you and bought you with a Price and that he will thus try you for your lives and everlasting comforts on this Question Whether you have lived to him or to your selves then live as men that do indeed believe it Let your Religion be visible as well as audible and let those that see your lives and observe the scope of your endeavours see that you Believe it But if you believe not these things but are Infidels in your hearts and think you shall feel neither pain nor pleasure when this life is ended but that man dyeth as the beast then I cannot wonder if you live as you believe He that thinks he shall dye like a Dogg is like enough to live like a Dogg even in his filthiness and in snarling for the bones of worldly vanities which the Children do contemn Having spoken this much by way of Exhortation I shall add a few words for your more particular direction that you may see to what my Exhortation doth tend and it may not be lost 1. Be sure that you look to the uprightness of your heart in this great business of devoting your selves to God especially see 1. That you discern and soundly believe that excellency in God which is not in the Creature and that perfect felicity in his love and in the promised glory which will easily pay for all your losses 2. And that upon a deliberate comparing him with the pleasures of this world you do resolvedly renounce them and dedicate your selves to him 3. And specially that you search carefully lest any Reserve should lurk in your hearts and you should not deliver up your selves to him absolutely for life and death for better and worse but should still retain some hopes of an earthly felicity and not take the unseen felicity for your portion It is the lot of the wicked to have their portion in this life Psal 17. 14. And let me here warn you of one delusion by which many thousands have perished and cheated themselves out of their everlasting hopes they think that it is only some grosser disgracefull sins as swearing drunkenness whoredom injustice c. that will prove mens perdition and because they are not guilty of these they are secure when as it is the predominancy of the interest of the flesh against the interest of God in their hearts and lives that is the certain evidence of a state of Damnation which way soever it be that this is expressed Many a civil Gentleman hath his heart more addicted to his worldly interest and less to God then some Whoremongers and Drunkards If you live with good reputation for Civility yea for extraordinary ingenuity yea for religious zeal and no disgracefull vice is perceived in your lives yet if your hearts be on those things which you possess and you love your present enjoyments better then God and the glory that he hath promised your case is as dangerous as the Publicans and Harlots you may spend your days in better reputation but you will end them in as certain
desolation as they The Question is only Whether God have your hearts and lives and not Whether you denyed them to him with a plausible Civility nay it is meerly for their carnal elves to preserve their reputation that some men do forbear those grosser Crimes when yet God hath as little of them as of the more visibly prophane Love not the world nor the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2. 15. 2. If you are wholly Gods live wholly to him at least do not stint him and grudge him your service It is grown the common Conceit of the World that a lâ—fe of Absolute Dedication to God is more adoe then needs What needs all this adoe say they cannot you be saved with less adoe then this I will now demand of these men but an Answer to these few sober Questâ—ons 1. Do you fear giving more to God then his due Is not all his own And how can you give him more then all 2. He is not so backward in giving to you that owes you nothing but gives you plenty variety and continuance of all the good you enjoy and do you think you well requite him 3. Christ said not of his life and precious blood It is too much And will you say of your poor unprofitable Service It is too much 4. Who will you give that to which you spare from God that time and study and love and labour to any that hath more right to it or better deserves it or will better reward you then he will do 5. Are you afraid of being losers by him have you cause for such Fears is be unfaithfull or unable to performe his Promises will you repent when you come to heaven that you did too much to get it will not that blessedness pay you to the full 6. What if you had not wages but your work is it not better to live to God then to man is not purity better then impurity If feasting he grievous it is because you are sick if the be your pleasure it is because you are swine and not because the condition is desireable 7. Will it comfort you more in the reckoning and review to have laid out your selves for God or for the World Will you then wish that you had done less for heaven or for earth Sirs these Questions are easily answered if you are but willing to consider them 8. Doth it be seem those to be afraid of serving God too much that are such bankrupts as we are and are sure that we shall not give him the twentieth part of his due if we do the best we can and when the best that are scorned by the world for their forwardness do abhor themselves for their backwardness yea could we do all we are but unprofitable servants and should do but our duty Luke 17. 10. Alas how little cause have we to fear lest we should give God too much of our hearts or of our lives 3. If you are not your own remember that nothing else is your own what can be more your own then your selves 1 Your Parts and Abilities of minde or body are not your own use them therefore for him that owneth them 2. Your Authority and Dignities are not your own see therefore that you make the best of them for him that lent them you 3. Your Children themselves are not your own design them for the utmost of his service that trusts you with them educate them in that way as they may be most serviceable to God It is the great wickedness of too many of our Gentry that they prepare their Posterity only to live plenteously and in credit in the world but not to be serviceable to God or the Commonwealth Design them all that are capable to Magistracy or Ministry or some usefull way of life And whatever be their employment endeavour to possess them with the fear of the Lord that they may devote themselves to him Think not the Preaching of the Gospel a work too low for the Sons of the Noblest person in the Land It would be an excellent furtherance to the work of the Gospel if Noble men and Gentlemen would addict their Sons to the Ministry that are fit for it and can be spared from the Magistracy They might have more respect from their People and easier Rule them and might better win them with bounty then poor men can do They need not to contend with them for Tythes or maintenance 4. If you are not your own your whole Families are not your own use them therefore as Families that are dedicated to God 5. If you are not your own then your wealth is not your own honour God therefore with your substance and with the first fruits of your increase Prov. 3. 9. Do you ask how Is there no poor people that want the faithful preaching of the Gospel for want of means or other furtherance Is there no godly Scholers that want means to maintain them at the Universities to fit them for this Work Is there no poor Neighbors about you that are ignorant that if you buy them Bibles and Catechismes and hire them to learn them might come to knowledge and to life Are there no poor Children that you might set Apprentices to godly Masters where soul and body might both have helps The poor you have always with you It is not for want of objects for your charity if you hide your Talents or consume them on your selves the time is coming when it would do you more good to have laid them out to your masters use then in pampering the flesh Some grudge that God should have the Tenths that is that they should be consesecrated to the maintenance of his service but little do these consider that All is His and must All be accounted for Some question whether now there be such a sin as Sacriledge in being but little do they consider that every sin is a king of sacriledge When you dedicated your self to God you dedicated all you had and it was Gods before do not take if from him again remember the halving of Ananias and give God all Objection But must we not provide for our Families Answer Yes because God requires it and in so doing you render it to him That is given to him which is expended in obedience to him so be it you still prefer his most eminent interest Lastly If you are not your own then must not your Works be principally for your selves but for him that oweth you As the scope of your lives must be to the honor of your Lord so be sure that you hourly renew these intentions when you set your foot out of your doors ask whether your business you go upon be for God when you go to your Rest examine your selves what you have done that day for God especially let no opportunity over-slip you wherein you may do him extraordinary service You must so
please and make us such Laws and Conditions as seem best to his wisdom upon which our justification and salvation should depend He hath resolved that this shall be the only condition and way and that as no man shall be justified by a meer Christ or his death abstracted from Faith that is of Age and use of Reason so this Faith shall be the condition upon which they shall be justified or as a Christ neglected shall save no man so the accepting or receiving of him shall justifie and save them as the conditon of the Covenant performed under which Notion it is that Faith justifieth 2. Yet other improper or subordinate Reasons which receive their life from the former and without it would be no Reasons may be given as 1. From the equity and 2. From the sutbleness and conveniency 1. It is but equal that he who hath bought us and that so dearly and from a state so deplorable and desperate as we were in should be acknowledged and accepted for our Saviour and our Lord and that we who are not our own but are bought with a price should glorifie him with our bodies and souls which are his 1 Cor. 6. 20. 7. 23. Epecially when for that end he both dyed aud rose again that he might rule or be Lord over both quick and dead Rom. 14. 9. If one of you should buy a man from the Galleyes or Gallowes with the price of your whole estate or the life of your only Son would you not expect that he should be at your dispose that he should love you depend on you and be subject to you 2. And as salvation by free Grace through Christ is a way most sutable to Gods honor and to our own necessities and low condition so in subordination thereto the way of believing is most rationally conducible to the same ends As we could not have had a fitter way to the Father then by Christ so neither could there be a fitter way to Christ or means to partake of him then by Faith For though I cannot call it the instrumental Cause of our justification either Active or Passive yet is this Faith or Acceptation of Christ for our Saviour and King which is here called Kising the Son the fairest condition that we could reasonably expect and the most apparently tending to the honor of our Redeemer applying and appropriating to our selves the person righteousness and benefits procured and offered but noâ— the least of the houor of the Work All we do is but to accept what Christ hath procured and that must be by the special assistance of his Spirit too 4. The fourth thing I promised is to shew you Why no other Priviledge or Power in the world can save him that doth not kiss the Son It may here suffice that I have shewed you Gods determination to the contrary But further consider if any shonld hope to scape by their Dignities Titles Friends Strength or any other endowments or virtuous qualifications 1. What is their task 2. What is their power to perform it 1. They must resist the unresistible will of God They must do that which Heaven or Earth Men or Devils were never able yet to do They have resisted his Laws and his love but they could never resist his purpose or his power The power that undertaketh to save the Enemy or Neglecter of Christ must first overcome the power of the Almighty and conquer him that doth command the World And who hath the strength that is sufficient for this Sinner before thou venture thy soul upon such a mad conceit or think to be saved whether God will or not try first thy skill and strength in some inferiour attempt Bid the Sun or Moon stand still in the Firmament invert the several seasons of the year Bid the snow and frost to come in Summer and the flowers and fruits to spring in Winter command the streams to turn their course or the Tide its times or the winds their motion If these will obey thee and thy word can prevail with them against the Law of their Creator then maist thou proceed with a greater confidence and courage and have some hopes to save the neglecters of Christ Or try first whether thou canst save thy present life against the course of nature and will of God call back thine age and years that are past command thy pains and sickness to be gone chide back this bold approaching death Will they not obey thee Canst thou do none of these How then canst thou expect the saving of thy soul against the determinate will and Way of God Where dwelleth that man or what was his name that did neglect Christ and yet escape damnation Who hath hardned himself against him and hath prospered Job 9. 4. And dost thou think then to be the first Thou maist perhaps knock boldly at the Gate of Heaven and plead thy Greatness thy virtues thy Almsdeeds and formal devotion but thou shalt receive a sadder answer then thou dost expect Jesus we know and obediential Faith in him we know but who are ye 2 He that will save the soul that loveth not dependeth not on and subjecteth not himself to Christ must first make false the word of God and make the true and faithful God a lyer this is another part of his task God hath given it under his hand for truth That he that believeth not is condemned already Joh. 3. 18. That he shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Joh. 3. 36. That they who are invited to Christ and make light of it or make excuses shall never taste of his Supper Luke 14. 24. Mat. 22. 5. 8. That it shall be easier for Sodom in the day of Judgement then for that City which refuseth the offers of the Gospel Mat. 12. 15. That whosoever would not have Christ to raign over them shall be brought forth at last and destroyed before him as his Enemies Luk. 19. 27. That they shall all be damned that believe not the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes 2. 12 c. And hath the Almighty said that thus it shall be Who then is he that dare say it shall not be Is this the concluded Decree of Heaven what power or policy is able to reverse it hath God said it wil he not do it Thus you see his task that will undertake to save one neglecter of Christ 2. Let us now consider what Power that is that must perform it If it be done it must be either 1. By Wisdom or 2. By Strength whereas the chiefest of men even the Kings and Judges of the Earth are both ignorant and Impotent 1. Ignorant Though Judges are learned in the repute of the World Alas poor crawling breathing dust Do you know the secrets of your Masters counsel and are you able to over reach them and frustrate his designs Doth this Book know what is written in it Can the Seat you sit on over-top your
to his dispose and service If custom bid thee curse and swear and Christ forbid thee which dost thou obey If thy Appetite bid thee take thy cups and fare deliciously every day If thy company bid thee play the good-fellow or scorn the Godly If thy covetousness bid thee love the world and Christ forbid thee which dost thou obey If Christ bid thee be Holy and walk precisely and be violent for Heaven and strive to enter in and the world and the flesh be enemies to all this and cry it down as tedious folly which dost thou obey Dost thou daily and spiritually worship him in private and in thy Family and teach thy Children and Servants to fear the Lord I intreat you Sirs deal truly in answering these Questions never man was saved by the bare title of a Christian If you are not subject to Christ you are not Christians no more then a Picture or a Carcase is a man and your salvation will be such as your Christianity is subjection is an essential part of thy Faith and obedience is its fruit In short then dost thou make him thy fear and tremble at his word Darest thou run upon fire or water sword or canon rather then wilfully run upon his displeasure wouldst thou rather displease thy dearest friend the greatest Prince or thine own flesh then wittingly provoke him When Christ speaks against thy sweetest sin thy nature or custom or credit or life against thy rooted opinions or thy corrupt traditions Art thou willing to submit to all that he revealeth Dost thou say Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth Lord what wouldst thou have me to do I am ready to do thy will O God Beloved Hearers This is the frame of every Servant of Christ and this is the acknowledging and accepting him for your Lord. I beseech you cozen not your souls with shews and formalities if ever you be saved without this subjection it must be without Christs merits or mercy It must be in a way that Scripture revealeth not â—nay it must be in despite of God his truth must be falsified his power must be mastered before the disobedient can be saved from his wrath 2 Examine also your Dependence on Christ whether you kiss his Hands as well as his Feet Do you understand that you are all by nature Condemned men and lyable to the everlasting wrath of God that Christ hath interposed and paid this Debt and bought us as his own by the satisfaction of that justice that all things are now delivered into his hands John 1â— â— and he is made Head over all things to his Church Ephes 1. 21 22. Dost thou take him for thy onely Saviour and believe the History of his Life and Passion the truth of his divine and humane nature his Resurrection his Office and his approaching Judgement Dost thou see that all thy supposed Righteousness is but vanity and sin and that thy self art unable to make the least satisfaction to the Law by thy Works or Sufferings and if his blood do not wash thee and his righteousness justifie thee thou must certainly be damned yet and perish for ever Dost thou therefore cast thy self into his arms and venture thy everlasting state upon him and trust him with thy soul and fetch all thy help and healing from him When sin is remembred and thy Conscience troubled and the fore-thoughts of judgement do amaze thy soul dost thou then fetch thy comfort from the view of his blood and the thoughts of the Freeness and Fulness of his Satisfaction his Love and Gospel-offers and promises Dost thou so build upon his promise of a Happiness hereafter that thou canst let goe all thy happiness here and drink of his Cup and be baptized with his Baptism and lose thy life upon his promise that thou shalt save it Canst thou part with goods and friends and all that thou hast in hope of a promised Glory which thou never sawest If thou canst drink with him of the Brook in the way thou shalt also with him lift up the head Psal 110 v. last Dost thou perceive a Mediator as well as a God in all thy mercies both special and common and tast his blood in all that thou receivest and wait upon his hand for thy future supplies Why this is kissing the hand of Christ and depending upon him O how contrary is the Case of the World whose confidence is like the Samaritans worship they trust God and their Wits and Labours Christ and their supposed Merits I would I might not say Christ and deceit and wicked contrivances Oh blasphemous joyning of heaven and hell to make up one foundation of their trust 3. Examine a little also your love to Christ Do you thus kiss the Son do your souls cleave to him and embrace him with the strongest of your affections Sirs though there is nothing that the blind world is more confident in then this that they love Christ with all their hearts yet is there nothing wherein they are more false and faulty I beseech you therefore deal truly in answering here Are your hearts set upon the Lord Jesus do you love him above all things in this World do you stick at your answer do you not know sure then at best you love him but little or else you could not choose but know it Love is a stirring and sensible Affection you know what it is to love a Friend Feel by this Pulse whether you live or dye Doth it beat more strongly toward Christ then to any thing else Never question man the necessity of this he hath concluded If thou love any thing more then him thou art unworthy of him nor canst be his Disciple Are thy thoughts of Christ thy freest and thy sweetest thoughts are thy speeches of him thy sweetest speeches when thou awakest art thou still with him and is he next thy heart when thou walkest abroad dost thou take him in thy thoughts canst thou say and lye not that thou wert ever deeply in love with him that thou dost love him but as heartily as thou lovest thy friend and art as loth to displease him and as glad of his presence and art as much troubled at his strangeness or absence Hath thy Minister or godly Acquaintance ever heard thee bemoaning thy soul for want of Christ or inquiring what thou shouldst do to attain him or thy Family heard thee commending his excellency and labouring to kindle their affections towards him why love will not be hid when it hath its desire it will be rejoycing and when it wants it will be Complaining Or at least Can thy Conscience witness thy longings thy groans thy prayers for a Christ Wilt thou stand to the Testimony of these Witnesses Do you love his weak his poor despised Members Do you visit them cloath them feed them to your power not only in a Common Natural Compassion to them as they are your Neighbors but do you love or relieve a Prophet in the name of a
Prophet or a Disciple in the name of a Disciple Mat 10. 40 41 43. shall all these decide the Question Beloved Hearers I profess to you all in the Name of our Lord that it is not your bold and confident affirming that you love Christ which will serve your turn when Christ shall judge he will search deep and judge according to the truth in the inward parts How many thousands will then perish as his utter Enemies that verily thought themselves his friends How easily now might they finde their mistake if they would but be at the pains to examine themselves Oh try try Sirs before God try you judge your selves before Christ judge you It would grieve a mans heart that knows what it is to love Christ to believe to be subject to him to see how rare these are in the world and yet how confident and careless most men are It may be that you may think much that I so question your love yet Christ that knew all things questioned Peters love to him and that three times till it grieved Pâ—tâ—r I am a stranger to the most of you and therefore know not your conditions or inclinations yet judge me not censorious if I fear the worst and if I measure you by the rest of the world and then I may confidently and sadly conclude that Christ hath few loving Subjects among you If we could hear your Oaths and vain speeches turned to heavenly soul-edifying discourse and your covetousness to conscionableneâ—s and see that the word of Christ were your Law and that you laid out your endeavours for heaven in good earnest then we should say These People are the loving Subjects of Christ But when men are enemies to Christs Doctrine and ways and worship and had rather live after the flesh and the world and the traditions of their Fathers and are notorious for profaness superstition and enmity to Reformation who can chuse but condole your case and if your obstinacy will not endure us to help you yet you shall give us leave whether you will or no to lament you Vse 2. But its time that I turn my speech to Exhortation And oh that you would encourage me with your resolution to obey My business here to day is as his Herauld and Embassadour to proclaim the Lord Jesus your King and Saviour and to know whether you will heartily acknowledg and take him so to be or not and to perswade you to take so fair an offer while you may have it and to kiss the Son lest his wrath be kindled This is my business here in which if I had not some hope to speed the Lord knows I would not have been here to day You will say This is a common Errand do you think we never heard of hrist before I confess it is common blessed be God for it and long may it so continue and encrease and let it be as constant and durable to us as the Sun in the Firmament and the Lord grant that Englandâ— sins or Enemies may never bereave them of the blessing of the Gospel and then it will be a 〈◊〉 Land then yet ever was on the face of the Earth but is it as common to receive Christ in love obedience I would it were I know the name of Christ is common the Swearer doth swear by it the Beggar begs by it the Charmer puts it into his charms and the Jester into his jests and every Papist and ignorant Protestant doth mutter it oft-times over his Prayers But who trembleth at it or triumpheth in it who maketh it his Fear and his Joy and give up their souls and lives to be governed by Christ I do here solemnly proclaim to you that the Lord Jesus will not be put off with your complements he cares not for your meer name of Christianity nor your Cap nor your knee If thy heart be not set upon him thou art none of his His word must be your Law and you must depend on him alone for soul and body or never look for mercy at his hands He is the Author of eternal salvation to them only that obey him Heb. 5. 9. What say you then Sirs in answer to my message and what course do you resolve upon shall Christ be your love and your Lord or not Will you kiss the Son or will you sleight him stil methinks you should easily be resolved and say Away with pleasure and credit and worldly gain away with these bewitching delights and companions Christ hath bought my heart and he shall have it he is my Lord and I will be ruled by him Hearers I hope God hath kept your alive till now to show you mercy and brought some sinners hither to day to prevail with their hearts And my hope is somewhat strengthened by Gods disposal of my own Spirit I was strongly tempted to have preached this Sermon in the enticing words of humane wisdom tending to a proud ostentation of parts But Christ hath assisted me to conquer the temptation and commanded me to preach him in plainness and evidence of the Spirit I come not to perswade you to opinions or factions to be for this side or for that but to be with all your hearts for Christ as ever you look that Christ should be for you to love him as he that hath bought you from eternal wrath and dyed to save you from the everlasting burnings to lay hold on him with most earnest affectionate apprehension as a man that is ready to drown would do upon a bough or upon the hand of his friend that would pull him to the shore to wait for the Law of thy direction from him and do nothing till thou hast asked counsel at his word and know his mind whether thou shouldst do it or no till thou feel thy Conscience bound by his Law that thou canst not stirr till he give thee leave that the commands of parents and Princes may stoop to his much more the commands of custome and company of credit or pleasure of the world or flesh These are the things that I exhort you to and I must tell you that Christ doth flatly expect them at your hands I will here back these Exhortations with some perswading Considerations Think of what I say and weigh it as we go If I speak not truth and reason then reject it with disdain and spare not but if it be and thy Conscience tell thee so take heed then how thou dost neglect or reject it lest thou be found a fighter against the Spirit and lest the curse of God do seize upon that heart that would not yield to truth and reason And I will draw these Considerations only from my Text. 1. Thou art else a Rebel against thy Soveraign Lord. This I gather from the command in my Text and indeed the scope of the whole Psalm God hath given thee into the hands of his on and made him Lord and King of all commanded all men to accept him and submit
at his presence and power in your hearts but will you not then be troubled at his presence and tormenting power Asâ— long as you do not see him let him do what he will with you it grieves you little or nothing at all but what will you say wheâ— you must see him and abide with him for ever Oh Sirs his namâ— is easily heard but his company will be terrible to the stoutest heart alive He sheweth you a smiling face when he tempteth you but he hath a grimmer face to shew you when temptations have conquered you and torments must succeed As those that write of Witches say he appeareth at first to them in some comely tempting shape till he have them fast tyed to him and then he beats them and affrights them and seldom appears to them but in some ugly hew Believe it poor sinners you do not hear or see the worst of him when you are merry about your sinful Pleasuers and Rejoycing in your Hopes of the Commodities or Preferments of the world he hath another kind of Voice which you must hear another face to shew you that will make you know a a little better whom you had to do with You would be afraid now to meet him in the dark what will you be to live with him in everlasting darkness Then you will know who it was that you entertained and obeyed and plaid with in your sins 3. And as the Text tells us that it is a fire prepared for the Devil and his Angles So it telleth us that it is An everlasting fire It had a beginning but it shall have no end If these wretches would have chosen the service of God they would have met with no difficulty or trouble but what would have had a speedy end Poverty and Injuries would have had an end scorns and abuses would have had an end fasting humiliation sorrow for sin watching and fighting against our spiritual enemies would all have had an end But to avoid these they chose that ease that pleasure which hath brought them to that torment which never will have end I have said so much of these thing already in my Book called the Saints Rest that I will now say but this much It is one of the wonders of the world how men that do believe or think they do believe this word of Christ to be true that the wicked shall go into Everlastin fire can yet venture on sin so boldly and live in it so fearlesly or sleep quietly till they are out of this unspeakable Danger Only the Commonness of it and the known wickedness of mans heart doth make this less wonderful And were there nothing else to convince us that sinners are Mad and Dead as to spiritual things this were enough That ever the greatest pleasures or profits of the World or the most enticing baits that the Devil can offer them should once prevail with them to forget these endless things and draw them to reject an Everlasting Glory and cast themselves desperately into Everlasting fire Yea and all this under daily warnings and instructions and when it s told them before hand by the God of Truth himself For the Lords sake Sirs and for your souls sakes if you care not what Ministers say or what such as I say yet will you soberly read now and then this 25. Chapter of Matthew and Regard what is told you by him that must be your Iudge and now and then bethink your selves soberly whether these are matters for wise men to make light of and what it is to be Everlastingly in Heaven or in Hell fire 2. We have seen what is the Penalty contained in the sentence against the ungodly The next thing that the Text directs us to is the Cause or Reason of the Sentence vers 42. For I was hungry and ye gave me no meat c. Then Reason is not given expresly either of their sin against the Law of works that is Because they were sinners and not perfectly Innocent Nor yet from their unbelief which is the great sin against the Law of Grace But it is given from their not expressing their Faith and Love to Christ is works of mercy and self-denyal And why is this so 1. We must not suppose that these words of Christ do express the whole Judicial process in every point but the cheif parts It is supposed that all men are convicted of being sinners against the perfect Law of the Creator and that they are guilty of Death for that sin and that there is no way but by Christ to obtain deliverance But because all this must be acknowledged by the righteous themselves as well as by the wicked therefore Christ doth not mention this but that only wchich is the turning point or cuase in the Judgement For it is not all sinners that shall be finally Condemned but all Impenitent Unbeleiving sinners who have Rebelled finally against their Redeemer 2. And the reason why Faith it self is not expressed is 1. Because it is clearly implyed and so is love to Christ as Redeemer in that they should have Relieved Christ himself in his members that is as it s expressed Matth. 10. 42. they should have received a Prophet in the name of Prophet and a Disciple in the name of a Disciple All should be done for Christs sake which could not be unless they Believed in him and Loved him 2. Also because that the bare Act of Believing is not all that Christ requireth to a mans final Juitification and Salvation But holy self denying Obedience must be added And therefore this is given as the Reason of their Condemnation that they did not so obey We must observe also that Christ here putteth the special for the general that is one way of self-denying Obedience and expression of Love instead of such Obedience in general For al men have not ability to relieve those in misery being perhaps some of them poor themselves But all have that Love and self-denyal which will some way express it self And all have hearts and a Disposition to do thus if they had ability without such a Difposition none can be saved It is the fond conceit of some that if they have any love to the godly or wish them well it is enough to prove them happy But Christ here purposely lets us know that whoever doth not Love him at so high a rate as that he can part with his substance or any thing in the world to those uses which he shall require them even to relieve his servants in want and sufferings for the masters sake that man is none of Christs Disciple nor will be owned by him at the last XI THE next point that we come to is to shew you the Properties of this Sentence at Judgement When man had broken the Law of his Creator at the first he was lyable to the Sentence of Death and God presently sate in Judgement on him and sentenced him to some part of the Punishment