14 15 and compare it with Gen. 3.17 Wouldest thou know whether it were the devil who beguiled them or whether it was a natural Serpent such as do haunt the desolate places read Gen. 3.12 with Rev. 20.1 2 3. Wouldest thou know whether that sin be imputed to us read Rom. 5.12.13 14 15. and compare it with Eph. 2.2 Wouldest thou know whether man were cursed for his sin read Gal. 3.10 Rom. 5.15 Wouldest thou know whether the curse did fall on man or on the whole creation with him compare Gen 3.17 with Rom. 8.20 21 22. Wouldest thou know whether man be defiled in every part of him by the sin he hath committed then read Isa 1.6 Wouldest thou know mans inclination so soon as he is borne read Ps 58.3 The wicked are estranged from the womb they go astray as soon as they be borne Wouldest thou know whether man once fallen from God by transgression can recover himself by all he can do then read Rom 3.20 23. Wouldest thou know whether it be the desire of the heart of man by nature to follow God in his own way or no compare Gen. 6.5 and Gen. 8.21 with Hos 11.7 Wouldest thou know how Gods heart stood affected towards man before the world began compare Eph. 1.4 with 1 Tim. 1.9 Woudest thou know whether sin were sufficient to draw Gods love from his creatures compare Jer. 3.7 and Micah 7.18 with Rom. 5.6 7 8. Wouldest thou know whether Gods love did still abide towards his creatures for any thing they could do to make him amends then read Deut. 11.5 6 7 8. Wouldest thou know how God could still love his creature and do his justice no wrong read Rom. 3.24 25 26. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation for sin through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God To declare I say at this time his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus That is God having his justice satisfied in the blood and righteousness and death of his own Sonne Jesus Christ for the sins of poor sinners he can now save them that come to him though never so great sinners and do his justice no wrong because it hath had a full and compleat satisfaction given it by that blood 1 Joh. 1.7 8. Wouldest thou know who he was and what he was that did out of his love die for sinners then compare Joh. 3.16 17. Rom. 5 8. with Isa 9.6 Wouldest thou know whether this Saviour had a body of flesh and bones before the world was or took it from the Virgin Mary then read Gal. 4.4 Wouldest thou know whether he did in that body bear all our sins and where then read 1 Pet. 2.21 Who bare our sins in his own body on the tree Wouldest thou know whether he did rise again after he was crucified with the very same body then read Luk. 24. at ver 38 39 40 41. Wouldest thou know whether he did eat or drink with his disciples after he arose out of the grave then read Luke 24.42 and Acts. 10.41 If thou wouldest be perswaded of the truth of this that that very body is now above the clouds and stars read Acts 1.9.10 11. and Luk. 24. toward the end If thou wouldest know that the Quakers hold an errour that say the body of Christ is within them consider the same Scripture Wouldest thou know what that Christ that died for sinners is doing in that place whither he is gone then read Heb. 7.24 Wouldest thou know who shall have life by him read 1 Tim. 1.14 15. and Rom. 5.6 7 8. which say Christ died for sinners for the ungodly Wouldest thou know whether they that live and die in their sins shall go to heaven or not then read 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Rev. 21.8 27. which saith They shall have their part in the like that burns with fire and brimstone Wouldest thou know whether mans obedience will obtain that Christ should die for them or save them then read Mark 2.17 Rom. 5.7 Wouldest thou know whether right Justification and Sanctification doth come through the virtue of Christs blood compare Rom. 5.9 with Heb. 13.12 Wouldest thou know whether natural man can abstain from the outward act of sin against the law meerly by a principle of nâ—ture then compare well Rom. 2.14 â—ith Phil. 3.6 Wouldest thou know whether a man by nature may know something of the invisible things of God compare seriously Rom. 1.20 21. with Rom 2.14 â—5 Wouldest thou know how far a man may go on in a profession of the Gospel and yet fall away then read Heb. 6.4 5 6. They may taste the good word of God and the powers of the world to come They may taste the heavenly gift and be partakers of the holy Ghost and yet so fall as never to be recovered or renewed again unto repentance see also Luk. 13. Wouldest thou know how hard it is to go to heaven read Mat. 7.13 14. Luk. 13.24 Wouldest thou know whether a man by nature be a friend to God or an enemy then read Rom. 5.11 Col. 1.21 Wouldest thou know what or who they are that shall go to heaven then read Joh. 3.3 5 7. and 2 Cor. 5.17 Also wouldest thou know what a sad thing it is for any to turn their backs upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ then read Heb. 10.28 29. and Mark 16.16 Wouldest thou know what is the wages of sin then read Rom. 6.23 Wouldest thou know whither those do go that die unconverted to the faith of Christ then read Ps 9.17 and Isa 14.9 Reader here might I spend many sheets of paper yea I might upon this subject write a very great book but I shall now forbear desiring thee to be very conversant in the Scriptures for they are they that will testifie of Jesus Christ Joh. 5.39 The Bereans were counted noble upon this account These were more noble then those of Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily c. But here let me give thee one caution that is have a care that thou do not satisfie thy self with a bare search of them without a real application of him whom they testifie of to thy soul lest instead of faring the better for thy doing this work thou dost fare a great deal the worse and thy condemnation be very much heightened in that though thou didst read so often the sad state of those that die in sin and the glorious estate of them that close in with Christ thou thy self shouldst be such a fool as to lose Jesus Christ notwithstanding thy hearing and reading so plentifully of him They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them As if he should say What need have they that one should be sent to them from
in the day time Psal 42.7 8. And after a little while being tossed too and fro in these boisterous waves they shall arrive at the heavenly haven this world being not their resting place but there remains one for them Heb. 4.9 Thirdly let the faith and hopes of a glorious deliverance get thy heart up above thy present sufferings that thou mayest glory in tribulation who hast ground of rejoycing in hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 3. For whatsoever thy present grievances are whether outward afflictions or inward temptations this may be thy consolation that a few dayes will rid thee of them when thou shalt sigh no more complain no more but these shall be turned into praises thou hast if I may so call it all thy hell here let thy life be expired and thy misery is ended thy happiness begins where wicked mens end and when thine is once begun it shall have no more end Reader I have an Advertisement to thee concerning the following Discourse and the Authour of it Thou hast in the Discourse many things of choice consideration presented to thee in much plainness evidence and authority the explications are full the applications are natural be not offended at his plain and down-right language it is for the discharge of the Authours conscience and thy profit besides the subject necessarily leads him to it It is a mercy to be dealt thorowly and plainly with in the matters of thy soul we have too many that sowe pillows under mens elbows and too few who dealing plainly divide to every man his portion Read it not to pick quarrels with it but to profit by it and let not prejudice either against the Authour or manner of delivery cause thee to stumble and fall at the truth prejudice will both blinde the eyes that it shall not see the truth and close it in with it and make them too quick sighted either to make faults where there is none or to greaten them where they are and so cause the Reader to turn the edge against the Authour or his Work that should be turned upon his own heart It is marvellous to see how the truth is quarrelled at that comes from one that would be easily received if it did drop from another and I doubt not if this Book had some other hand at it there is scarce any expression that may be now carpt at by some but would have been swallowed without straining We are now fallen into such an age the good Lord help us that truth upon its own account can challenge but little acceptance except the Authour be liked or his lines painted with his own wit But certainly truth is of so excellent a nature of such singular advantage and of so royal a descent that it deserves entertainment for it self and that not in our houses or heads onely but in our hearts too whatsoever the hand is that brings it or the form that it appears in men account gold worth receiving whatsoever the messenger is that brings it or the vessel that holds it If thou meetest Reader with any passage that seems doubtful unto thee let love that thinks no evil put the best construction upon it and do not hastily condemn what thou canst not presently yield to or if any expression thou meetest with may haply offend thee do not throw aside the whole and resolve to read of it no more for though some one may offend thee yet others I hope may affect thee or if there be that which some may call Tautology be not displeased at it for that word that may not fasten upon thy heart in one page may in another and although it may be grievous to thy eye if thou beest nice and curious yet bear with it if it may be profitable to thy soul Concerning the Authour whatsoever the censures and reports of many are I have this to say That I verily believe God hath counted him faithful and put him into the Ministery and though his outward condition and former employment was mâ—an and his hamane learning small yet is he one that hath acquaintance with God and taught by his Spirit and hath been used in his hand to do souls good for to my knowledge there are divers who have felt the power of the word delivered by him and I doubt not but that many more may if the Lord continue him in his work he is not like unto your drones that will suck the sweet but do no work For he hath laid forth himself to the utmost of his strength taking all advantages to make known to others what he himself hath received of God and I fear this is one reason why the Archers have shot so soarly at him for by his and others industry in their Masters work their slothfulness hath been reproved and the eyes of many have been opened to see a difference between those that are sent of God and those that run before they are sent And that he is none of those light fanatick spirits that our age abounds withal this following discourse together with his former that have been brought to publique view will testifie for among other things that may bear record to him herein you shall find him magnifying and exalting the holy Scriptures and largely shewing the worth excelleny and usefulness of them And surely if thou shalt notwithstanding this stumble at his meanness and want of humane learning thou wilt declare thine unacquaintance with Gods declared method who to perfect his own praise and to still the enemy and avenger Makes choice of Babes and Suâ—klings and in their mouthes ordaineth strength Psal 8.2 Though men that have a great designe do and must make use of those that in reason are most likely to effect it yet must the Lord do so too then instruâ—ents not himself would carry away the praise but that no flesh should glory in his presence he hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wife and base things of the world and things that are despised hath God chosen 1 Cor. 1.27 28 29. Cast thine eye back to the beginning of the Gospel dispensation which surely if at any time should have come forth in the wisdom and glory of the world and thou shalt see what method the Lord did take at the first to exalt his Son Jesus he goes not amongst the Jewish Rabbi's nor to the schools of learning to fetch out his Gospel Preachers but to the trades and those most contemptible too yet let not any from hence conceive that I undervalue the gifts and graces of such who have been or now are endued with them nor yet speak against Learnnig being kept in its place but my meaning is that those that are learned should not despise those that are not or those that are not should not despise those that are who are faithful in the Lords work and therefore being about to leave thee I shall leave with thee two Scriptures to be considered of The one
us unless we had it in such a place by such a man no nor then neither effectually But now Oh! that I was to live in the world again and might have that priviledge to have some acquaintance with blessed Lazarus some familiarity with that holy man what attendance would I give unto his wholesome words how would I affect his doctrine and close in with it how would I square my life thereby now therefore it is better to hear the Gospel under an hedge then to sit roaring in a Tavern it is better to welcome Gods begging Lazarus's then the wicked companions of this world t is better to receive a Saint in the name of a Saint a Disciple in the name of a Disciple then to do as I have done Oh! it is better to receive a child of God that can by experience deliver the things of God his free love his tender grace his rich forbearance and also the misery of man if without it then to be daubed up with untempered morter Oh! I may curse the day that ever I gave way to the flatteries and fawning of a company of carnal Clergy-men but this my repentance is too late I should have looked about me sooner if I would have been saved from this woful place O therefore send him not onely to the town I lived in and unto some of my acquaintance but to my fathers house Or else thus also may they cry In my life time I did not care to hear that word that cut me most and shewed me mine estate aright I was vexed to hear my sins mentioned and laid to my charge I loved him best that deceived me most that said peace peace when there was no such thing But now I say Oh that I had been soundly told of it Oh that it had pierced both mine ears and heart and had stuck so fast that nothing could have cured me saving the blood of Christ It is better to be dealt plainly with then that we should be deceived they had better see their lost condition in the world then stay while they be damned as I have done therefore send Lazarus send him to my fathers house Let him go and say I saw your son your brother in hell weeping and wailing and gnashing his teeth Let him bear them down in it and tell them plainly it is so Verse 28. and that they shall see to their everlasting misery if they have not a special care send him to my fathers house Ver. 28. For I have five brethren that he may testifie unto them lest they also come into this place of torment THese words are if I may so say a reason given by those in hell why they are so restless and do cry so loud it is that their companions might be delivered from those intollerable torments which they must and shall undergo if they fall short of everlasting life by Jesus Christ Send him to my fathers house for I have five brethren c. Though while they lived among them in the world they were not so sensible of their ruine yet now they are passed out of the world and do partake of that which before they were warned of they can I say then cry out now I find that to be true indeed which was once and again told and declared to me that it would certainly come to pass For I have five brethren Here you may see that there may be and are whole housholds in a damnable state condition as our Lord Jesus doth by this signifie Send him to my fathers house for they are all in one state I left all my brethren in a pittiful case People while they live here cannot indure to hear that they should be all in a miserable condition but when they are under the wrath of God they see it they know it and are very sure of it for they themselves when they were in the world lived as they do but they fell short of heaven and therefore if they go on so shall they Oh therefore send him quickly to my fathers house for all the house is in an undone condition and must be damned if they continue so The thing observable is this namely that those that are in hell do not desire that their companions should come thither nay rather saith he send him to my fathers house and let him testifie to them that are therein lest they also come c. Quest But some may say what should be the reason that the damned should desire not to have there companions come into the same condition that they are fallen into but rather that they might be kept from it and escape that dreadful state Answ I do believe there is scarce so much love in any of the damned in hell as really to desire the salvation of any it would seem strange to me that such a quality should be found in any there as out of singleness of heart to desire the salvation of their neighbours out of love to them But in that there is any desire in them that are damned that their friends and relations should not come into that place of torment It appears to me to be rather for their own ease then for their neighbours good for let me tell you this I do believe that it will aggravate or heighten the grief and horrour of them to see their ungodly neighbours in the like destruction with them For where the ungodly do live and die and descend into the pit together the one is rather a vexation to the other then any thing else And it must needs be so because there are no ungodly people that do live ungodly together but they do learn ill examples one of another as thus If there live one in the town that is very expert and cunning for the world why now the rest of his neighbours that are of the same mind with him they will labour to imitate him and follow his steps this is commonly seen Again if there be one given to drunkenness others of the town through his means run the more into that sin with him do accustom themselves the more unto it because of his inticing them and also bysetting such an ill example before them And so if there be any addicted to pride must needs be in all the newest fashions how do their example provoke other to love and follow the same vanity spending that upon their lusts which should relieve their own and others wants Also if there be any given to jesting scoffing lying whoring backbiting junketting wantonness or any other sin they that are most expert in these things do oft-times intangle others that peradventure would not have been so vile as now they are had they not had such an example Now these will by their doings exceedingly aggravate the condemnation of one another as thus He that did set his neighbour an ill example and thereby caused him to walk in sin He will be found one cause of his and his friends
doest believe the Scriptures thou seest that they are the truth as really as if God should speak to thee from heaven through the clouds and therefore never flatter thy self foolishly thinking that if it were so and so then thou couldest believe I tell thee saith Christ If they believe not Moses and the Prophets neither will they believe though one should rise from the dead But 5. Doest thou believe the Scripture to be the word of God Then through faith in Christ thou endeavourest to have thy life squareed according to the Scriptures both in word and practice Nay this I say thou mayest have though thou do not believe them all My meaning is that if thou believe none but the ten Commandments thy life may be according to them a legal holy life and if thou do believe the Gospel too then thy life will be the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ that is either thou wilt live in the blessed and holy enjoyment of what is testified in the Scripture concerning the glorious things of the Lord Jesus Christ or else thou wilt be exceedingly panting after them For the Scriptures carry such a blessed beauty in them to that soul that hath faith in the things contained in them that they do take the heart and captivate the soul of him that believeth them into the love and liking of them 6. He that believes the Scriptures to be the word of God if he do but suppose that any one place of the Scripture doth exclude him and shut him out of and from a share in the promises contained in them O it will trouble him grieve him perplex him yea he will not be satisfied until he be resolved and thâ— contrary sealed to his soul for he knowâ— that the Scriptures are the word oâ— God all truth and therefore he knowâ— that if any one sentence doth excludeâ— or bar out him for want of this or the other qualification he knows also that not the word alone shuts him out but he that speaks it even God himself and therefore he cannot will not dare not be contented untill he find his soul and Scripture together with the things contained therein to embrace each other and a sweet correspondency and agreement be between them For you must know that to him that believes the Scriptures aright the promises or threatnings are of more power to comfort or cast down then all the promises or threatnings of all the men in the world And this was the cause why the Martyrs of Jesus did so slight both the promises of their adversaries when they would have overcome them with profering the great things of this world unto them and also their threatnings when they told them they would rack them hang them burn them none of these things could prevail upon them or against them because they did most really believe the Scriptures the things contained in them as is cleerly found and to be seen in Heb. 11. and also in Mr. Fox his records of their brethren 7. He that believeth the Scriptures to be the word of God believeth that men must be borne again and have that faith which is of the operation of God or else they cannot be saved And he that believeth this believeth also that if he be not borne again and also be partakers of that faith which is of the operation of God according as he hath read and believed he must and shall be damned And he that believeth this aright will not be contented until according as it is written he do partake of and enjoy the new birth and until he do find through grace that faith that is wrought by the operation of God in his soul For this is the cause why men do satisfie themselves with so slender a conceited hope that their state is good when it is nothing so namely because they do not credit the Scripture for did they they would look into their own hearts and examine seriously whether that faith that hope that grace which they think they have be of that nature and wrought by that spirit and power that the Scripture speaketh of I speak this of an effectual believing without which all other is nothing unto salvation Now then because I would not be too tedious I shall at this time lay down no more discoveries of such an one as doth savingly believe the Scriptures and the things contained in them but shall speak a few words of examination containing the things already mentioned As 1. Thou sayest thou dost indeed and in truth effectually believe the Scriptures I ask therefore wast thou ever killed stark dead by the law of works contained in the Scriptures To be killed and to be struck dead you will say what is that Why to be killed by the law or letter is by the power thereof to be made to see thy sins against it and to be left in an helpless condition by that law for I say the proper work of the law is to slay the soul and to leave it dead in a helpless state For it doth neither give the soul any comfort it self when it comes nor doth it shew the soul where comfort is to be had and therefore it is called the ministration of condemnation as in 2 Cor. 3.9 Yea in plain termes the ministration of death 2 Cor. 3.7 For though men may have a notion of the blessed word of God as as the children had yet before they be converted it may truly be said of to them Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mark 12.24 2. You say you do believe the Scriptures to be the word of God I say again examine wast thou ever quickened from a dead state by the power of the Spirit of Christ through the other part of the Scripture That is to say by the power of God in his Sonne Jesus Christ through the covenant of promise I tell thee from the Lord if thou hast thou hast felt such a quickning power in the words of Christ Joh. 6. that thou hast been lifted out of that dead condition that thou before wast in and that when thou wast under the guilt of sin the curse of the law and the power of the devil and the justice of the great God that thou hast been inabled by the power of God in Christ revealed to thee by the Spirit through and by the Scripture to look sin death hell the devil and the law and all things that are at enmity with thee for thy sins with boldness and comfort in the face through the blood death righteousness resurrection and intercession of Christ made mention of in the Scriptures And thirdly on this account O how excellent are the Scriptures to thy soul O how much virtue dost thou see in such a promise in such an invitation O sayest thou there are some promises in the book of God that I have had nourishment from and through Christ in them O they are so large they say Christ will in no
wise cast me out My crimson sins shall be white as snow I tell thee friend there are some promises that the Lord hath helped me to lay hold of Jesus Christ through and by that I would not have out of the Bible for as much Gold and Silver as can lie between York and London piled up to the stars And why so O because through them Christ is pleased by his Spirit to convey comfort to my soul O I say when the law curses when the Devil tempts when hell-fire flames in my conscience my sins with the guilt of them tearing of me then is Christ revealed so sweetly to my poor soul through the promises that all is forced to fly and leave off to accuse my soul So also when the world frowns when the enemies rage and threaten to knock me in the head then also the precious yea the exceeding great and precious promises do weigh down all and comfort the soul against all This is the effect of believing the Scriptures savingly for they that do so have by and through the Scriptures good comfort and also ground of hope Rom. 15.4 believing those things to be its own which the Scriptures hold forth 4. Examine dost thou stand in aw of sinning against God because he hath in the Scriptures commanded thee to abstain from it Dost thou give diligence to make thy calling and election sure because God commandeth it in Scripture Dost thou examine thy self whether thou be in the faith or no having a command in Scripture so to do Or dost thou notwithstanding what thou readest in the Scripture follow the world delight in sin neglect coming to Jesus Christ speak evil of the Saints slight and make a mock at the ordinances of God delight in wicked company and the like Then know that it is because thou dost not indeed and in truth believe the Scriptures effectually For as I said before if a man do believe them and that savingly O then he stands in aw he looks to his steps he turns his feet from evil and endeavours to follow that which is good which God hath commanded in the Scriptures of truth yet not from a legal or natural principle that is to seek for life by doing that good thing but knowing that salvation is already obtained for him by the blood of that man Christ Jesus on the Cross because he believes the Scriptures therefore mark I pray therefore I say he labours to walk with his God in all well pleasing and godliness because the sweet power of the loves of Christ which he feels in his soul by the Spirit according to the Scriptures constrain him so to do 2 Cor. 5.14 5. Examine again dost thou labour after those qualifications that the Scriptures do describe a child of God by that is faith yea the right faith the most holy faith the faith of the operation of God And also dost thou examine whether there is a real growth of grace in thy soul as love zeal self-denial and a seeking by all means to attain if possible to the resurrection of the dead that is not to satisfie thy self until thou be dissolved rid of this body of death and be transformed into that glory that the Saints shall be in after the resurrection day and in the mean time dost labour and take all opportunities to walk as near as may be to the pitch though thou know thou canst not attain it perfectly yet I say thou doest aim at it seek after it press towards it and to hold on in thy race thou shunnest that which may any way hinder thee and also close in with what may any way further the same knowing that that must be or desiring that it should be thine eternal frame and therefore out of love and liking to it thou dost desire and long after it as being the thing that doth much please thy soul Or how is it with thy soul Art thou such an one as regards not these things but rather busie thy thoughts about the things here below following those things that have no sent of divine glory upon them if so look to thy self for it is high time for thee so to do for thou art an unbeliever and so under the wrath of God and wilt for certain fall into the same place of torment that thy fellows have fallen into before thee to the grief of thy own soul and everlasting destruction both of soul and body Consider and regard these things and lay them to thy heart before it be too late to recover thy self by repenting of the one and desiring to close in with the other O I say regard regard for hell is hot Gods hand is up the Law is resolved to discharge against thy soul the judgement-day is at hand the graves are ready to fly open the trumpet is near the sounding the sentence will ere long be past and then you and I cannot call time again Now then from what hath been spoken there might many things be spoken by way of Use and Application But I shall be very brief and but touch some things and so wind up And first I shall begin with the sad condition of those that die out of Christ and speak something to that Secondly to the latter end of the parable which more evidently concerns the Scripture and speak somewhat to that 1. Therefore you see that the former part of the parable contains a sad declaration of the state of one living and dying out of Christ how that they lose heaven for hell God for the devil light for darkness joy for sorrow 2. How that they have not so much as the least comfort from God who in the time they live here below neglect coming to him for mercy not so much as one drop of cold water 3. That such souls will repent of their folly when repentance will do them no good or when they shall be past recovery 4. That all the comfort such souls are like to have they have it in this world 5. That all their groanings and sighs will not move God to mitigate in the least his heavy hand of vengeance that is upon them for the transgressions they have committed against him 6. That their sad state is irrecoverable or they must never mark never come out of that condition 7. There desires will not be heard for their ungodly neighbours From these things then I pray you consider the state of those that die out of Christ Jesus yea I say consider their miserable state and think thus with thy self Well if I neglect coming to Christ I must go to the devil and he will not neglect to fetch me away into those intollerable torments Think thus with thy self What shall I lose a long heaven for short pleasure shall I buy the pleasures of this world at so dear a rate as to lose my soul for the obtaining of that Shall I content my self with a heaven that will last no longer then my life time What advantage
for he laid the sins of thousands and ten thousands and thousands of thousands of sinners to his charge Esay 53. And caused him to drink the terrible cup that was due to them all and not onely so but did delight in so doing For it pleased the Lord to bruise him God dealt indeed with his Son as Abraham would have dealt with Isaac I and more terribly by ten thousand parts for he did not onely tear his body like a lion but made his soul an offering for sin And this was not done fainedly but really for justice called for it he standing in the room of sinners witness that horrible and unspeakable agony that fell on him suddenly in the Garden as if all the vials of Gods unspeakable scalding vengeance had been cast upon him all at once and all the devils in hell had been broken loose from thence at once to destroy him and that for ever insomuch that the very pangs of death seized upon him the same hour For saith he My soul is exceeding sorrowful and amazed even unto death Mark 14.33 34. Witness also that strange kinde of sweat that trickled down his most blessed face where it is said And he sweat as it were great mark I beseech you great drops or clodders of blood trickling down to the ground O Lord Jesus what a load didst thou carry what a burthen didst thou bear of the sins of the world and the wrath of God! O thou didst not onely bleed at nose and mouth with the pressure that lay upon thee but thou wast so pressed so loaden that the pure blood gushed through the flesh and skin and so ran trickling down to the ground And his sweat was as it were great drops of blood trickling or falling down to the ground Luke 22.44 Canst thou read this O thou wicked sinner and yet go in sin Canst thou think of this and defer repentance one hour longer O heart of flint yea harder O miserable wretch what place in hell will be hot enough for thee to have thy soul put into if thou shalt persist or go on still to adde iniquity to iniquity Besides his soul went down to hell Psal 16.10 Acts 2.31 and his body to the bars of the grave And had hell death or the grave been strong enough to hold him then he had suffered the vengeance of eternal fire to all eternity But O blessed Jesus how didst thou discover thy love to man in thy thus suffering And O God the Father how didst thou also declare thy purity and exactness of thy justice in that though it was thine onely holy innocent harmless and undefiled Son Jesus that did take on him our nature and represent our persons answering for our sins instead of our selves thou didst so wonderfully pour out thy wrath upon him to the making of him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And O Lord Jesus what a glorious conquest hast thou made over the enemies of our souls even wrath sin death hell and devils in that thou didst wring thy self from under the power of them all and not onely so but hast led them captive which would have led us captive and also hast received for us that glorious and unspeakable inheritance That eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive And also hast given thine some discovery thereof through thy Spirit And now sinner together with this consider Fourthly That though Jesus Christ hath done all these things for sinners yet the devils make it their whole work and continual study how they may keep thee and others from enjoying of these blessed priviledges that have been thus obtained for sinners by this sweet Jesus He labours I say first to keep thee ignorant of thy state by nature Secondly to harden thy heart against the wayes of God Thirdly to inflame thy heart with love to sin and the wayes of darkness And fourthly to get thee to continue herein For that is the way he knows to get thee to be a partaker with him of the flaming hell fire even the same that he himself is fallen into together with the rest of the wicked world by reason of sin Look to it therefore But now in the next place a word of incouragement to you that are the Saints of the Lord. 1. Consider what an happy state thou art in that hast gotten the faith of the Lord Jesus into thy soul But be sure thou have it I say how safe how sure how happy art thou For when others go to hell thou must go to heaven when others go to the devil thou must go to God when as others go to prison thou must be set at liberty at ease and at freedom when others must roar for sorrow of heart then thou shalt also sing for the joy of heart Secondly consider thou must have all thy well spent life to follow thee instead of all thy sins and the glorious blessings of the Gospel instead of the dreadful curses and condemnations of the Law The blessing of the Father instead of a fiery sentence from the Judge Thirdly let dissolution come when it will it can do thee no harm for it will be but onely a passage out of a prison into a palace out of a sea of troubles into an haven of rest out of a croud of enemies to an innumerable company of true loving and faithful friends out of shame reproach and contempt into exceeding great and eternal glory For death shall not hurt thee with his sting nor bite thee with his soul-murthering teeth but shall be a welcome guest to thee even to thy soul in that it is sent to free thee from thy troubles which thou art in whiles here in this world dwelling in the tabernacle of clay Fourthly consider how ever it goes with friends and relations yet it will go well with thee Ecclesiastes 8.12 However it goes with the wicked yet I know Mark yet I know saith he that it shall go well with them that fear the Lord that fear before him And therefore let this in the first place cause thee chearfully to exercise thy patience under all the calamities crosses troubles and afflictions that may come upon thee and by patient continuance in well doing to commit both thy self and thine affairs and actions into the hands of God through Jesus Christ as to a faithful Creatour who is true in his word and loveth to give unto thee whatsoever he hath promised to thee And therefore to incourage thee while thou art here with comfort to hold on for all thy crosses in this thy journey be much in considering the place that thou must go into so soon as dissolution comes It must be into heaven to God the Judge of all to an innumerable company of Angels to the spirits of just men made perfect to the general Assembly and Church of the first born whose names are written in heaven and to Jesus too the