learned the most famous most prosperous While carnal he said Oh! if I were but in great esteem and rolled in wealth and swim'd in pleasure if my debts were paid and I and mine provided for then I were a happy man but now the tune is changed O saith the Convert if I had but my corruptions subdued if I had such measures of grace such fellowship with God though I were poor and despised I should not care I should account my self a blessed man Reader is this the language of thy soul His Ioys are changed He rejoyceth in the way of Gods testimonies as much as in all riches Psal 119. 14. He delights in the law of the Lord wherein once he had little savour He hath no such joy as in the thoughts of Christ the fruition of his company the prosperity of his people His Cares are quite altered He was once set for the world and any scraps of by-time nothing too often was enough for his soul. Now he gives over caring for the asses and sets his heart on the Kingdom Now all the cry is What shall I do to be saved Act. 16. 30. His great sollicitude is how to secure his soul. Oh! how he would bless you if you could but put him out of doubt of this His Fears are not so much of suffering but of sinning Heb. 11. 25 27. Once he was afraid of nothing so much as the loss of his estate or efteem the dipleasure of friends the frowns of the great Nothing sounded so terrible to him as pain or poverty or disgrace Now these are little to him in comparison of Gods dishonour or displeasure How warily doth he walk left he should tread on a snare He feareth alway he looks before and behind he hath his eye upon his heart and is often casting over his shoulder leâ—t he should be overtaken with sin Psal. 39. 1. Prov. 28. 14. Eccles. 2. 14. It kills his heart to think of losing Gods favour this he dreads as his only undoing Psal. 51. 11 12. Psal. 119. 8. No thought in the world doth pinch him and pain him so much as to think of parting with Christ. His Love runs a new course My Love was crucified said holy Ignatius that is my Christ. This is my beloved saith the spouse Cant. 5. 16. How doth Augustine often pour his loves upon Christ. He can find no words sweet enough Let me see thee O Light of mine eyes Come O thou joy of my spirit let me behold thee O the gladness of my heart Let me love thee O life of my soul. Appear unto me O my great delight my sweet comfort O my God my life and the whole glory of my soul. Let me find thee O desire of my heart let me hold thee O love of my soul. Let me embrace thee O Heavenly Bridegroom Let me possess thee O esternal blessedness c. His sorrows have now a new vent 2 Cor. 7. 9 10. The view of his sins the sight of a Christ crucified that would scarce stir him before now how much do they affect his heart His Hatred boils his Anger burns against sin Psal. 119. 104. He hath no patience with himself he calls himself fool and beast and thinks any name too good for himself when his indignation is stirred against sin Psal. 73. 22. Prov. 30. 2. He could once swill in it with too much pleasure now he loaths the thought of returning to it as much as of licking up the filthiest vomit Commune then with thine own heart and attend the common and general current of thine affections whether it be towards God in Christ above all other concernments Indeed sudden and strong commotions of the affections and sensitive part are oft times found in hypocrites especially where the natural constitution leads thereunto and contrariwise the sanctified themselves are many times without sensible stirrings of the affections where the temper is more slow dry and dull The great enquiry is whether the judgment and will be standingly determined for god above all other good real or apparent and if the affections do sincerely follow their choice and conduct though it be not so strongly and sensibly as is to be desired there is no doubt but the change is saving 2. Thorowout the Members These that were before the instruments of sin are now become the holy utensils of Christs living Temple Rom. 6. 19. 1 Cor. 3. 16. He that before made as it were a baud or a barrel of his body now possesseth his vessel in sanctification and honour in temperance chastity and sobriety as dedicated to the Lord. Thes. 4. 4. Gal. 5. 22 23. 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. The eye that was once a wandring eye a wanton eye a haughty or a covetous eye is now employed as Mary in weeping over her sins Luke 7. 38. In beholding God in his works Psal. 8. 3. in reading his word Act 8. 30. in looking up and down for objects of mercy and opportunities for his service The ear that was once open to satans call and that like a vitiated palate did relish nothing so much as filthy or at least forthy talk and the fools laughter is now bored to the door of Christ house and open to his discipline It saith speak Lord for thy servant heareth It cries with him veniat verbum Domini and waits for his words as the rain and relishes them more than the appointed food Iob. 23. 12. than the very honey and honey-comb Psal. 19. 10. The head that was the shop of worldly designs is now filled with other matters and set on the study of Gods will Psal. 1. 2. Psal. 119. 97. and the man beats his head not so much abouts his gain but about his duty The thoughts and cares that now fill his head are principally how he may please God and flie sin His heart that was sty of filthy lusts is now become an Altar of incense where the fire of divine love is ever kept in and whence the daily sacrifice of prayer and praises and sweet incense of holy desires ejaculations and anhelations are continually ascending Psal. 108. 1. Psal. 119. 20. Psal. 139. 17 18. The mouth is become a well of life his tongue as choice silver and his lips feed many Now the salt of grace hath seasoned his speech and eat out the corruption Col. 4. 6. and cleansed the man from his filthy communications flattery boasting railing lying swearing backbiting that once came like the flashes proceeding from the hell that was in the heart Iames 3. 6 7. The throat that was once an open sepulchre Rom. 3. 13. now sends forth the sweet breath of prayer and holy discourse and the man speaks in another tongue in the language of Canaan and is never so well as when talking of God and Christ and the matters of another world His mouth bringeth forth wisdom his tongue is become the silver Trumpet of his makers praise his glory and the best member that he hath Now here you
sin and singles this out above the rest to run it down Psal. 18. 23. Oh labour to make this sin odious to thy soul and double thy guards and thy resolutions against it because this hath and doth most dishonour God and endanger thee Dir. III. Strive to affect thy heart with a deep sense of thy present misery Read over the foregoing Chapter again and again and get it out of the book into thine heart Remember when thou liest down that for ought thou knowest thou maist awake in flames and when thou risest up that by the next night thou maist make thy bed in hell Is it a jesting matter to live in such a fearful case to stand tottering upon the brink of the bottomless pit and to live at the mercy of every disease that if it will but fall upon thee will send thee forthwith into the burnings Suppose thou sawest a condemned wretch hanging over Nebuchâ—dnezar's burning fiery furnace by nothing but a twine thread which were ready to break every moment would not thine heart tremble for such a one Why thou art the man This is thy very case O man woman that readest this if thou be yet unconverted What if the thred of thy life should break Why thou knowest not but it may be the next night yea the next moment where wouldst thou be then whither wouldst thou drop verily upon the crack but of this thred thou fallest into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone where thou must lie scalding and sweltring in a fiery ocean while God hath a being if thou die in thy present case And doth not thy soul tremble as thou readest Do not thy tears bedew the paper and thy heart throb in thy bosom Dost thou not yet begin to smite on thy breast and bethink thy self what need thou hast of a change Oh what is thy heart made of Hast thou not only lost all regard to God but art without any love and pity to thy self Oh study thy misery till thy heart do cry out for Christ as earnestly as ever a drowning man did for a boat or the wounded for a Chirurgeon Men must come to see the danger and feel the smart of their deadly sores and sickness or else Christ will be to them a physician of no value Mat. 9. 12. Then the man-slayer hastens to the City of refuge when pursued by the avenger of blood Men must be even forced and fired out of themselves or else they will not come to Christ. 'T was distress and extremity that made the prodigal think of returning Luke 15. 16 17. While Laodicea thinks her self rich increased in goods in need of nothing there is little hope She must be deeply convinced of her wretchedness blindness poverty nakedness before she will come to Christ for his gold raiment eye-salve Rev. 3. 17 18. Therefore hold the eyes of conscience open amplify thy misery as much as possible Do not fly the sight of it for fear it should fill thee with terrour The sense of thy misery is but as it were the suppuration of the wound which is necessary to the cure Better fear the torments that abide thee now than feel them hereafter Dir. IV. Settle it upon thine heart that thou art under an everlasting inability ever to recover thy self Never think thy praying reading hearing confessing amending will do the cure These must be attended but thou art undone if thou restest in them Rom. 10. 3. Thou art a lost man if thou hopest to escape drowning upon any other plank but Jesus Christ. Act. 4. 12. Thou must unlearn thy â—elf and renounce thine own wisdom thine own righteousness thine own strength and throw thy self wholly upon Christ as a man that swimmeth casteth himself upon the water or else thou canst not escape While men trust in themselves and establish their own righteousness and have confidence in the flesh they will not come savingly to Christ. Luke 18. 19. Phil. 3. 3. Thou must know thy gain to be but loss and dung thy strength but weakness thy righteousness rags and rottenness before there will be an effectual closure between Christ and thee Phil. 3. 7 8 9. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Esay 64. 6. Can the liveless carcase shake off his grave-cloths and loose the bonds of death Then maist thou recover thy self who art dead in trespasses and sins and under an impossibility of serving thy maker acceptably in this condition Rom. 8. 8. Heb. 11. 6. Therefore when thou goest to pray or meditate or to do any of the duties to which thou art here directed go out of thy self call in the help of the spirit as despairing to do any thing pleasing to God in thine own strength Yet neglect not thy duty but lie at the pool and wait in the way of the spirit While the Eunuch was reading then the Holy-Ghost sent Philip to him Act. 8. 28 29. When the disciples were praying Act. 4. 31. when Cornelius and his friends were hearing Act. 10. 44. then the Holy-Ghost fell upon them and filled them all Strive to give up thy self to Christ. Strive to pray strive to meditate strive an hundred and an hundred times try to do it as well as thou canst and while thou art endeavouring in the way of thy duty the spirit of the Lord will come upon thee and help thee to do what of thy self thou art utterly unable unto Prov. 1. 23. Dir. V. Forthwith renounce all thy sins If thou yield thy self to the ordinary practice of any sin thou art undone Rom. 6. 16. In vain dost thou hope for life by Christ except thou depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. Forsake thy sins or else thou canst not find mercy Prov. 28. 13. Thou canst not be married to Christ except divorced from sin Give up the traitour or you can have no peace with Heaven Cast the head of Sheba over the wall Keep not Dalilah in thy lap Thou must part with thy sins or with thy soul. Spare but one sin and God will not spare thee Never make excuses thy sins must die or thou must die for them Psal. 68. 21. If thou allow of one sin though but a little a secret one though thou maist plead necessity and have a hundred shifts and excuses for it the life of thy soul must go for the life of that sin Ezek. 18. 21. and will it not be dearly bought O sinner hear and consider If thou wilt part with thy sins God will give thee his Christ is not this a fair exchange I testify unto thee this day that if thou perish it is not because there was never a Saviour provided nor life tendered but because thou preferredst with the Jews the murderer before a Saviour sin before Christ and lovedst darkness rather than light Iohn 3. 19. Search thy heart therefore with candles as the Jews did their houses for leaven before the passeover labour to find out thy sins Enter into thy closet and consider What evil have I lived in what
may help themselves and us If you still refuse will not your loss be more than ours If we lose our labour which to our selves we shall not if we lose our hopes of your salvation what is this to your everlasting loss of salvation it self And what is our suffering for your sakes in comparison of your endless sufferings But O this is it that breaketh our hearts that we leave you under more guilt than we found you and when we have laid out life and labour to save you the impenitent souls must have their painâ— increased for the refusing of these Calls And that it will be part of your Hell to think for ever how madly you refused our Counsel and what pains and cost and patience were used to have saved you and all in vain It will be so it must needs be so Christ saith that it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Iudgment than for the rejecters of his Gospel-calls The nature of the thing and the nature of Iustice certainly tell you that it must be so O turn not our complaints to God against you Turn us not from beseeching you to be reconciled to God to tell him you will not be reconciled Force us not to say that we earnestly invited you to the heavenly feast and you would not come Force us not to bear this witness against you Lord we could have born all our labour and sufferings for them much easilyer if they would but have yielded to thy grace But it was they themselves that broke our hearts that lost our labour that made us preach and intreat in vain It was easier to preach without maintenance than without success It was they that were worse to us than all the persecutors in the world How oft would we have gathered them but they would not but are ungathered still How many holy faithful Ministers have I known these eleven years last past who have lived in pining poverty and want and hardly by charity got bread and cloathing and yet if they could but have truly said Lord the Sermons which I preach privately and in danger have won home many souls to thee it would have made all this burden easie But I tell thee senseless impenitent sinner thou that deniedst God thy heart and thou that deniedst them thy Conversion which was the end of all their labours hast dealt much more cruelly with them than they that denied them the Levites bread Poor sinners I know that I am speaking all this to those that are dead in sin but it is a death consisting with a natural life which hath a capacity of spiritual life Or else I would no more speak to you than to a stone And I know that you are blind in sin but it is a blindness consisting with a reasonable faculty which is capable of spiritual Illumination Or else I would no more perswade you than I would do a beast And I know that you are in the fetters of your own lusts your wills your love your hearts are turned away from God and strongly bewitched with the dreams and dalliances of the flesh and world But your wills are not forced to this Captivity Surely those wills may be changed by Gods grace when you clearly see sufficient reason for to change them Else I would as soon preach were I capable to Devils and damned souls Your case is not yet desperate O make it not desperate There is just the same hope of your Salvation as there is of your true conversion and perseverance and no more Without it there is no hope and with it you are safe and have no cause to doubt and fear Heaven may yet be yours if you will Nothing but your own wills refusing Christ and a holy life can keep you out And shall that do it Shall Hell be your own choice And will you not I say will you not be saved O think better what you do Gods terms are reasonable His word and ways are good and equal Christs yoke is easie and his burden light and his Commandments are not grievous to any but so far as blindness and a bad and backward heart doth make them so You have no true reason to be unwilling God and Conscience shall one day tell you and all the World that you had no reason for it You may as wisely pretend reason to cut your throats to torment your selves as plead reason against a true conversion unto God Were I perswading you not to kill your selves I should make no question but you would be perswaded And yet must I be hopeless when I perswade you from everlasting misery and not to prefer the world and flesh before your Saviour and your God and before a sure everlasting Joy God forbid Reader I take it for a great mercy of God that before my head lieth down in the dust and I go to give up my account unto my judge I have this opportunity once more earnestly to bespeak thee for thy own salvation I beg it of thee as one that must shortly be called away and speak to thee no more till we come unto our endless state that thou wouldst but sometimes retire into thy self and use the reason of a man and look before thee whither thou art going and look behind thee how thou hast lived and what thou hast been doing in the world till now and look within thee what a case thy soul is in and whether it be ready to enter upon Eternity and look above thee what a Heaven of Glory thou dost neglect and what a God thou hast to be thine everlasting Friend or Enemy as thou choosest and as thou livest and that thou art always in his sight Yea and look below thee and think where they are that died unconverted And when thou hast soberly thought of all these things then do as God and true Reason shall direct thee And is this an unreasonable request I appeal to God and to all wise men and to thy own conscence when it shall be awake If I speak against thee or if all this be not for thy good or if it be not true and sure then regard not what I say If I speak not that message which God hath commanded his Ministers to speak then let it be refused as contemptuosly as thou wilt But if I do but in Christs name and stead beseech thee to be reconciled to God 2. Cor. 5. 19 20. refuse it at thy peril And if Gods beseeching thee shall not prevail against thy sloth thy lust thy appetite against the desires of thy flesh against the dust shadows of this world remember it when with fruitless cries and horrour thou art beseeching him too late I know poor sinner that Flesh is bruitish and lust and appetite have no reason But I know that thou hast reason thy self which was given thee to over-rule them and that he that will not be a Man cannot be a Saint nor a Happy man I know that thou livest
preach to the people that a Christian drunkard or a Christian fornicator or oppressor or a Christian worldling needeth no Conversion Qu. 10. Ask them wether they say not themselves that Hypocrisie is a great aggravation of all other sin and whether God hath not made the Hypocrites and Vnbelievers to be the standards in Hell Luke 25. 51. And whether seeking to abuse God by a mock-religion do make such false Christians better than the poor Heathens and Infidels or much worse And whether he be not an Hypocrite that professeth to be a Christian and a servant of God when he is none nor will be And whether he that knoweth his masters will and doth it not shall not have the sorest stripes or punishment Luke 12. 47. Qu. 11. Ask them whether in their Baptism which is their Christening as to Covenant they did not renounce the flesh the world and the Devil and vow and deliver up themselves to God their Father their Saviour and their Sanctifier And whether all or most men perform this vow And whether a perjured Covenant-breaker against God is fitter for salvation than one that never was baptized Qu. 12. Ask them whether the holy nature of God be not so contrary to sin as that it is blasphemy to say that he will take into Heaven and into the bosome of his eternal delights any unholy unrenewed soul 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. Qu. 13. Ask them why it was that Christ came into the world whether it was not to save his people from their sins Mat. 1. 21. and to destroy the works of the Devil 1 Iohn 3. 8. and to purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 14. and to bring home straying souls to God Luke 15. and to be the way to the Father Ioh. 14. 6. And whether Christ save that soul that is not converted by him and saved from his sins Or whether it be the dead Image only of a Crucified Iesus that is all their Saviour while they will have no more of him Qu. 14. Ask them why they believe and were baptized into the Holy Ghost and whether a man can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven that is not born of the Spirit as well as of Water Iohn 3. 3 5 6. and that is not converted and begins not the world as it were anew in a teachable tractable newness of life like a little child Matth. 18. 3. And whether it be not a certain truth that If any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8. 9. Qu. 15. Ask them why Christ gave the world so many warnings of the damnableness of the Pharisees hypocrisie if Hypocritical Christians may be saved And what were these Pharisees They were the Masters of the Jewish Church The Rabbies that must have high places high titles and ceremonies formal garments and must be reverenced of all That gave God lip-service without the heart and made void his commands and worshipped him in vain teaching for doctrines the commandments of men and strictly tythed Mint and Cummin while love mercy and Justice were past by Who worshipped God with abundance of ceremonies and built the Tombs and garnished the Sepulchres of the Saints while they killed and persecuted those that did imitate them and hated the living Saints and honoured the dead They were the bitterest enemies and murderers of Christ on pretense that he was a blasphemer and a seditious enemy to Caesar and the common peace and one that spake against the Temple They were the greatest enemies of the Apostles and silencers of those that preached Christs Gospel and persecuted them that called on his name And had these no need of Conversion because they could say God is our Father when the Devil was their Father Iohn 8. 44. and that they were Abraham's seed And are not hypocritical Christians drunken Christians fornicating Christians carnal worldly infidel Christians the contradiction is your own persecuting Christians false-named hypocritical Christians as bad yea worse as they abuse a more excellent profession Mat. 15. 7 8. and 23. and 22. 18. and 6. 2 c. Luke 12. 1. Qu. 16. Doth not the Holy State of Heaven require Holiness in all that shall possess it Can an unholy soul there see and love and praise and delight in God for ever and in the Holy Society and employment of the Saints Rev. 21. 27. Is he not liker a Mahometan than a Christian that looketh for a sensual and unholy Heaven Qu. 17. What is the difference between the Church and the world Is not the Church a holy Society of Regenerate souls Yea the Church visible is those only that in Baptism vow Holiness and profess it Look these hypocrites in the face and see whether they do not blush when they repeat in their Creed I believe in the Holy Ghost I believe the Holy Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints who shall have the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting Ask them whether they mean Holy Adulterers holy worldlings holy perjured persons Ask them whether they mean a Communion of Saints in a Tavern in a play-house in a gaming house in a whore-house or a jesting canting stage-play Communion If the Church be holy be holy if you will be of the Church If it be a Communion of Saints make it not a Communion of swine and make not Saints and their Communion seem odious either for their infirmities or their crossness to your carnal interests or conceits Qu. 18. Ask them whether there be a Heaven and a Hell or not If not why are they pretended Christians If there be will God send one man to Heaven and another to Hell to so vast so amazing a difference of states if there be no great difference between them here If Holiness no more differenced Christians from others than saying a sermon or saying over a prayer doth difference one from an Infidel where were the Iustice of God in saving some and damning others what were Christianity better than the religion of Antonine Plato Socrates Seneca Cicero Plutarch if not much worse Go into London streets and when you have talkâ— with living prudent men then go to the Painters shop and see a comely picture and to the Looking-glass and see the appearances of each passenger in a glass and to the Periwig shops and see a wooden head with a Periwig upon the bulk and you have seen somewhat like the difference of a Holy Soul and of a dead and dressed formal hypocrite Psal. 23. 27. Qu. 19. Ask them whether Kings and all men make not a great difference between man and man the loyal and the perâ—idious the obedient and the disobedient And whether they difference not themselves between a friend and a foe one that loveth them and one that robbeth beateth or would kill them And shall not the most Holy God more difference between the righteous and the wicked Mal. 3. 17 18. Qu. 20. But if they are dead in every
with whom God is scarce in all your thoughts that are so ignorant that you cannot or so careless that you will not pray O repent and be converted break off your sins by righteousness away to Christ for pardoning and renewing grace give up your selves to him to walk with him in holiness or else you shall never see God Oh that you would take the warnings of God ◠In his name I once more admonish you Turn you at my reproof Prov. 1. 23. Forsake the foolish and live Prov. 9. 6. Be sober righteous godly Tit. 2. 12. Wash your hands you sinners purify your hearts ye double minded Iames 4. 8. Cease to do evil learn to do well Esay 1. 16 17. But if you will on you must die Ezek. 33. 11. CHAP. II. Shewing positively what Conversion is I May not leave you with your eyes half opened as he that saw men as trees walking Mar. 8. 24. The word is profitable for doctrine as well as reproof 2 Tim. 3. 16. And therefore having thus far conducted you by the shelves and rocks of so many dangerous mistakes I would guide you at length into the harbour of truth Conversion then in short lies in the thorow change both of the heart and life I shall briefly describe it in its nature and causes 1. The Author of it is the spirit of God and therefore it is called the sanctification of the spirit 2 Thes. 2. 13. and the renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. Yet not excluding the other persons in the Trinity For the Apostle teacheth us to bless the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for that he hath begotten us again 1 Pet. 1. 3. and Christ is said to give repentance to Israel Acts 5. 31. and is called the everlasting Father Esay 9. 6. and we his seed and the children which God hath given him Heb. 2. 13. Esay 53. 10. Oh blessed birth Seven Cities contended for the birth of Homer but the whole Trinity fathers the new creature Yet is this work principally ascribed to the Holy Ghost and so we are said to be born of the Spirit Iohn 3. 8. So then it is a work above mans power We are born not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Ioh. 1. 13. Never think thou canst convert thy self If ever thou wouldst be savingly converted thou must despair of doing it in thine own strength Ier. 31. 18. It is a resurrection from the dead Rev. 20. 5. Eph. 2. 1. a new creation Gal. 6. 15. Eph. 2. 10. a work of absolute omnipotency Eph. 1. 19. Are not these out of the reach of humane power If thou hast no more than thou hadst by thy first birth a good nature a meek and chast temper c. thou art a very stranger to true Conversion This is a supernatural work 2. The moving cause is Internal or External The Internal mover is only free grace Not by works of righteousness which we have done but of his own mercy he saved us by the renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. Of his own will begat he us Iames 1. We are chosen and called unto Sanctification not for it Eph. 1. 4. God finds nothing in man to turn his heart but to turn his stomach enough to provoke his loathing nothing to provoke his love Look back upon thy self O Christian. Take up thy verminous rags Look upon thy self in thy blood Ez. 16. 6. O reflect upon thy swinish nature thy filthy swill thy once beloved mire 2 Pet. 2. Canst thou think without loathing of thy trow and draugh Open thy Sepulchre Mat. 23. 27. Art not thou almost struck dead with the hellish damp Behold thy putrid soul thy loathsome members O stench unsufferable if thou dost but sense thine own putrefaction Psal. 14. 3. Behold thy ghastly visage thy crawling lusts thy slime and corruption Do not thine own cloths abhor thee Ioh 9. 31. How then should holiness and purity love thee Be astonied O Heavens at this be moved O earth Ier. 2. 12. Who but must needs cry Grace Grace Zech. 4. 7. Hear and blush you children of the most High O how unthankful generation That free grace is no more in your mouths in your thoughts no more adored admired commended by such as you One would think you should be nothing but praising and admiring God where ever you are How can you make a shift to forget such grace or to pass it over with a slight and seldom mention What but free grace should move God to love you unless enmity could do it or deformity could do it unless vomit or rottenness could do it How affectionately doth Peter lift up his hands Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who of his Abundant mercy hath begotten us again 1 Pet. 1. 3. How feelingly doth Paul magnifie the free mercy of God in it God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith be loved us bath quickened us together with Christ by Grace are ye saved Eph. 2. 4 5. The External mover is the merit and intercession of the blessed Iesus He hath obtained gifts for the rebellious Psal. 68. 18. and through him it is that God worketh in us what is well pleasing in his sight Heb. 13. 21. Through him are all spiritual blessings bestowed upon us in Heavenly things Eph. 1. 3. He intercedeth for the Elect that believe not Iohn 17. 20. Every Convert is the fruit of his travel Esay 53. 11. Oh never was infant born into the world with that difficulty that Christ endured for us How emphatically he groaneth in his travel All the pains that he suffered on his Cross they were our birth-pains Act. 2. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pulls and throws that Christ endured for us He is made Sanctification to us 1 Cor. 1. 30. He sanctified himself that is set apart himself as a Sacrifice that we might be sanctified Ioh. 17. 19. We are sanctified through the offering of his body once for all Heb. 10. 10. 'T is nothing then without his own bowels but the merit and intercession of Christ that prevails with God to bestow upon us converting grace If thou art a new creature thou knowest to whom thou owest it to Christ's pangs and prayers Hence the natural affection of a believer to Christ. The foal doth not more naturally run after the dam nor the suckling to the dugs than a believer to Jesus Christ. And whither else shouldst thou go If any in the World can shew that for thy heart that Christ can let them carry it Doth Satan put in doth the world court thee doth sin sue for thy heart Why were these crucified for thee 1 Cor. 1. 13. O Christian love and serve thy Lord while thou hast a being Do not even the Publicans love those that love them And shew kindness to those that are kind to them Matth. 5. 46 47. 3. The Instrument is either Personal or Real The Personal
this he saith Return unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Psal. 116. 7. and it is even ready to breath out Simeons song Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Luke 2. 29. and saith with Iacob I when his old heart revived at the wellcome tydings It is enoughâ— Gen. 45. 28. When he sees he hath a God in Covenant to go to this is all his salvation and all his desire 2. Sam. 23. 5. Man is this thy case Hast thou experienced this Why then blessed art thou of the Lord. God hath been at work with thee he hath laid hold on thin heart by the power of converting grace or else thou couldst never have done this The Mediate term of Conversion is either Principal or less Principal The Principal is Christ the only mediatour between God and man 1 Tim. 2. 5. His work is to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. he is the way to the Father Iohn 14. 6. the only plank on which we may escape the only door by which we may enter Iohn 10. 9. Conversion brings over the soul to Christ to accept of him Col. 2. 6. as the only means of life as the only way the only name given under Heaven Act. 4. 12. He looks not for salvation in any other but him nor in any other with him but throws himself on Christ alone as one that should cast himself with spread arms upon the Sea Here saith the convinced sinner here I will venture and if I perish I perish if I die I will die here But Lord suffer me not to perish under the pitiful eyes of thy mercy Intreat me not to leave thee nor to turn away from following after thee Ruth 1. 16. Here I will throw my self If thou kick me if thou kill me Iob 13. 15. I will not go from thy door Thus the poor soul doth venture upon Christ and resolvedly adhere to him Before Conversion the man made light of Christ minded the â—arm friends merchandise more than Christ Matth. 22. 5. now Christ is to him as his necessary food his daily bread the life of his heart the staff of his life Phil. 3. 9. His great design is that Christ may be magnified in him Phil. 1. 20. His heart once said as they to the spouse What is thy beloved more than another Cant. 5. 9. He found more sweetness in his merry company wicked games earthly delights than in Christ. He took religion for a fancy and the talk of great enjoyments for an idle dream But now to him to live is Christ. He sets light by all that he accounted precious for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. Phil. 3. 8. All of Christ is accepted by the sincere Convert He loves not only the wages but work of Christ Rom. 7. 22. not only the benefits but the burden of Christ. He is willing not only to tread out the corn but to draw under the yoke he takes up the commands of Christ yea and the Cross of Christ. Mat. 11. Mat. 16. 24. The unsound closes by the halves with Christ he is all for the salvation of Christ but he is not for sanctification he is for the priviledges but appretiates not the person of Christ. He divides the offices and benefits of Christ. This is an error in the foundation Whoso loveth life let him beware here 'T is an undoing mistake of which you have been often warned and yet none more common Jesus is a sweet name but men love not the Lord Jesus in sincerity Eph. 6. 24. They will not have him as God offers To be a Prince and a Saviour Act. 5. 31. They divide what God hath joined the King and the Priest Yea they will not accept the salvation of Christ as he intends it they divide here Every mans vote is for salvation from suffering but they desire not to be saved from sinning They would have their lives saved but withall they would have their lusts saved Yea many divide here again they would be content to have some of their sins destroyed but they cannot leave the lap of Dalilah or divorce the beloved Herodias They cannot be cruel to the right eye or right hand the Lord must pardon them in this thing 2 Kings 5. 18. Oh be infinitely tender here your souls lie upon it The sound Convert takes a whole Christ and takes him for all intents and purposes without exceptions without limitations without reserves He is willing to have Christ upon his terms upon any terms He is willing of the dominion of Christ as well as deliverance by Christ he saith with Paul Lord what wilt thou have me to do Act. 9. 6. Any thing Lord He sends the blank for Christ to set down his own conditions Act. 2. 37. Act. 16. 30. The less Principal is the Laws Ordinances and ways of Christ. The heart that was once set against these and could not endure the strictness of these bonds the severity of these wayes now falls in love with them and chooses them as its rule and guide for ever Psal. 119. 111 112. Four things I observe God doth work in every sound Convert with reference to the Laws and ways of Christ by which you may come to know your estates if you will be faithful to your own souls and therefore keep your eyes upon your hearts as you go along 1. The Iudgment is brought to approve of them and subscribe to them as most righteous and most reasâ—nable Psal. 119. 128 137 138. The mind is brought to like the ways of God and the corrupt prejudices that were once against them as unreasonable and intolerable are now removed The understanding assents to them all as holy just and good Rom. 7. 12. How is David taken up with the excellencies of Gods Laws How doth he expatiate in their praises both from their inherent qualities and admirable effects Psal 19. 8 9 10 c. There is a twofold judgment of the understanding Iudicium absolutum comparatum The absolute judgment is when a man thinks such a course best in the general but not for him or not under the present circumstances he is in pro hîc nune Now a godly mans judgment is for the waies of God and that not only the absolute but comparative judgement he thinks them not only best in general but best for him He looks upon the rules of religion not only as tolerable but desirable yea more desirable than gold fine gold yea much fine gold Psal 19. 10. His judgment is settledly determined that it is best to be holy that 't is best to be strict that it is in it self the most eligible course and that 't is for him the wisest and most rational and desirable choice Hear the godly mans Judgment I know O Lord that thy judgments are right I love thy Commandment above gold yea above fine gold I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate
every false way Psal. 119 127 128. Mark he did approve of all that God required and disallowed all that he forbad Righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy judgments Thy testimonies that thou â—ast commanded are righteous and very faithful Thy word is true from the beginning and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever Psal. 119. 86 160 162 163. See how readily and fully he subscribes he declares his assent and consent to it and all and every thing therein contained 2. The desire of the heart is to know the whole mind of Christ. Psal. 119. 125 144 169. Psal. 25. 4 5. He would not have one sin undiscovered nor be ignorant of one duty required 'T is the natural and earnest breathing of a sanctified heart Lord if there be any way of wickedness in me do thou discover it What I know not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do it no more The unsound is willingly ignorant 2 Pet. 3. 5. loves not to come to the light Iohn 3. 20. He is willing to keep such or such a sin and therefore is loth to know it to be a sin and will not let in the light at that window Now the gracious heart is willing to know the whole latitude and compass of his makers Low Psal. 119. 18 19 27 33 64 66 68 73 108 124. He receives with all acceptation the word that convinceth him of any duty that he knew not or minded not before or discovereth any sin that lay hid before Psal. 19. 11. 3. The free and resolved choice of the will is determined for the ways of Christ before all the pleasures of sin and prosperity of the world Psal. 119. 127 103 162. His consent is not extorted by some extremity of anguish nor is it only a sudden and hasty resolve but he is deliberately purposed and comes off freely in the choice Psal. 17. 3. Psal. 119. 30. True the flesh will rebel yet the prevailing past of his will is for Christs laws and government so that he takes them not up as his toil or burden but his bliss 1 Iohn 5. 3. Psal. 119 60 72. When the unsanctified goes in Christs ways as in Gives and fetters he doth them naturally Psal. 40. 8. Ier. 31. 33. and counts Christs law his liberty Psal. 119. 32 45. Iames 1. 25. He is willing in the beauties of holiness Psal. 110. 3. and hath this inseparable mark That he had rather if he might have his choice live a strict and holy life than the most prosperous and flourishing life in the world 1 Sam. 10. 26. There went with Saul a band of men whose hearts God had touched When God touches the hearts of his chosen they presently follow Christ Mat. 4. 22. and though drawn do freely run after him Cant. 1. 4. and willingly offer themselves to the service of the Lord 2 Chron. 17. 16. seeking him with their whole desire 2 Chro. 15. 15. Fear hath its use but this is not the main spring of motion with a sanctified heart Christ keeps not his subjects in by force but is King of a willing people They are through his grace freely resolved for his service and do it out of choice not as slaves but as the son or spouse from a spring of love and a loyal mind In a word the laws of Christ are the Converts love Psal. 119. 159 163 167. desire v. 5 20 40. delight v. 77 92 103 111 143. and continual study v. 99 97. Psal. 1. 2. 4. The bent of his course is directed to keep Gods Statutes Psal. 119. 4 8 167 168. 'T is the daily care of his life to walk with God He seeks great things he hath noble designs though he fall too short He aims at nothing less than perfection he desires it he reaches after it he would not rest in any pitch of grace till he were quite rid of sin and had perfected holiness Phil. 3. 11 12 13 14. Here the hypocrites rottenness may be discovered He desires holiness as one well only as a bridge to Heaven and enquires earnestly what is the least that will serve his turn and if he can get but so much as may just bring him to Heaven this is all he cares for But the sound Convert desires holiness for holiness sake Psal. 119. 97. Mat. 5. 6. and not only for Heaven sake He would not be satisfied with so much as might save him from hell but desires the highest pitch Yet desires are not enough What is thy way and thy course Is the drift and scope of thy life altered Is holiness thy trade and religion thy business Rom. 8. 1. Mat. 25. 16. Phil. 3. 20. If not thou art short of sound Conversion Application And is this that we have described the Conversion that is of absolute necessity of salvation then be informed 1. That strait is the gate and narrow the way that leadeth unto life 2. That there be but few that find it 3. That there is need of a Divine power savingly to convert a sinner to Jesus Christ. Again theâ— bâ—â—xhorted O man that readest to turn in upon thine own self What saith conscience Doth it not begin to bite Doth it not twitch thee as thou goest Is this thy judgment and this thy choice and this thy way that we have described If so then it 's well But doth not thy heart condemn thee and tell thee there is such a sin thou livest in against thy conscience Doth it not tell thee there is such and such a secret way of wickedness that thou makest no bones of Such or such a duty that thou makest no conscience of Doth not conscience carry thee to thy closet and tell thee how seldom prayer and reading is performed there Doth it not carry thee to thy family and shew thee the charge of God and the souls of thy children and servants that be neglected there Doth not conscience lead thee to thy shop thy trade and tell thee of some mystery of iniquity there Doth it not carry thee to the Ale-shop or to the Sack-shop and round thee in thine ear for the loose company thou keepest here the precious time thou mispendest here for the talents of God which thou throwest down this sink for thy gaming and thy swilling c. Doth it not carry thee into the secret chamber and read thee a curtain lecture O conscience do thy duty In the name of the living God I command thee discharge thine office Lay hold upon this sinner Fall upon him arrest him apprehend him undeceive him What wilt thou flatter and sooth him while he lives in his sins Awake O conscience What meanâ—st thou O sleeper What hast thou never a reproof in thy mouth What shall this soul die in his careless neglect of God and eternity and thou altogether hold thy peace What shall he go no still in his trespasses and yet have peace O rouze up thy self and do thy work Now let the
preacher in the bosom speak Cry aloud and spare not lift up thy voice like a Trumpet let not the blood of this soul be required at thy hands CHAP. III. Of the Necessity of Conversion IT may be you are ready to say what meaneth this stir And are apt to wonder why I follow you with such earnestness still ringing one lesson in your ears That you should repent and be converted Act. 3. 19. But I must say unto you as Ruth to Naomi Intreat me not to leave you nor to turn aside from following after you Ruth 1. 16. Were it a matter of indifferency I would never keep so much ado Might you be saved as you be I would gladly let you alone But would you not have me sollicitous for you when I see you ready to perish As the Lord liveth before whom I am I have not the least hopes to see ever a one of your faces in Heaven except you be converted I utterly despair of your sâ—lvation except you will be prevailed with to turn throughly and give up your selves to God in holiness and newness of life Hath God said Except you be born again you cannot see the Kingdom of God Iohn 3. 3. and yet do you wonder why your Ministers do so painfully travel in birth with you Think it not strange that I am earnest with you to follow after holiness and long to see the image of God upon you Never did any nor shall any enter into Heaven by any other way but this The Conversion described is not an high pitch of some taller Christians but every soul that is saved passes this universal change It was a passage of the noble Roman when he was hasting with corn to the City in the famine and the mariners were loth to set â—ail in the foul weather Necessarium est navigare non est necessarium vivere Our voyage is of more necessity than our lives What is it that thou dost account necessary Is thy bread necessary Is thy breath necessary Then thy Conversion is much more necessary Indeed this is the Vnum Necessarium the one thing necessary Thine estate is not necessary thou maist sell all for the pearl of great price and yet be a gainer by the purchase Mat. 13. 45. Thy life is not necessary thou maist part with it for Christ to infinite advantage Thine esteem is not necessary thou maist be reproached for the name of Christ and yet happy yea much more happy in reproach than in repute 1 Pet. 4. 14. Mat. 5. 10 11. But thy Conversion is necessary thy damnation lies upon it and is it not needful in so important a case to look about Upon this one point depends thy making or marring to all eternity But I shall more particularly shew the necessity of Conversion in five things for without this I. Thy being is in vain Is it not pity thou shouldst be good for nothing an unprofitable burden of the earth a wart or wen in the body of the universe Thus thou art while unconverted for thou canst not answer the end of thy being Is it not for the divine pleasure thou art and wert created Rev. 4. 11. Did not he make thee for himself Prov. 16. 4. Art thou a man and hast thou reason Why then bethink thy self why and whence thy being is Behold Gods workmanship in thy body and ask thy self To what end did God rear this fabrick Consider the noble faculties of thy Heaven-born soul to what end did God bestow these excellencies To no other than that than shouldst please thy self and gratifie thy senses Did God send men like the swallows into the world â—only to gather a few sticks and dirt and build their nests and breed up their young and then away The very heathens could see further than this Art thou so fearfully and wonderfully made Psal. 139. 14. and dost thou not yet think with thy self surely it was for some noble and raised end O man set thy reason a little in the chair Is it not pity such a goodly fabrick should be raised in vain Verâ—ly thou art in vain except thou art for God Better thou hadâ—â— no being than not be for him Wouldst thou serve thy end Thou must repent and be converted Without this thou art to No purpose yea to Bad purpose First to No purpose Man unconverted is like a choice instrument that hath every string broke or out of tune The spirit of the living God must repair and tune it by the grace of regeneration and sweetly move it by the power of actuating grace or else thy prayers will be but howlings and all thy services will make no musick in the ears of the most holy Ephes. 2. 10. Phil. 2. 13. Hos. 7. 14. Esay 1. 15. All thy powers and faculties are so corrupt in thy natural state that except thou be purged from dead works thou canst not serve the living God Heb 9. 14. Tit. 1. 15. An unsanctified man cannot work the work of God 1. He hath no skill in it He is altogether as unskilful in the work as in the word of righteousness Heb 5. 13. There are great mysteries as well in the practice as principles of godliness now the unregenerate knoweth not the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 13. 11. 1 Tim. 3. 16. You may as well expect him that never learn'd the Alphabet to read or look for goodly musick on the lute from one that never set his hand to an instrument as that a natural man should do the Lord any pleasing service He must be first taught of God Iohn 6. 45. taught to pray Luke 11. 1. taught to profit Esay 48. 17. taught to go Hâ—s 11. 3. or else he will be utterly at a loss 2. He hath no strength for it How weak is his heart Ezek. 16. 30. He is presently tired the Sabbath what a weariness is it Mal. 1. 13. He is without strength Rom. 5. 6. yea stark dead in sin Eph. 2. 5. 3. He hath no mind to it he desires not the knowledge of Gods ways Iob 21. 14. He doth not know them and he doth not care to know them Psal. 82. 5. He knows not neither will he understand 4. He hath neither due instruments not materials for it A man may as well hew the marble without tools or limn without colours or instruments or build without materials as perform any acceptable service without the graces of the spirit which are both the materials and instruments in the work Alms-giving is not a service of God but of vain-glory unless dealt forth by the hand of divine love What is the prayer of the lips without grace in the heart but the carcase without the life What are all our confessions unless they be the exercises of godly sorrow and unfeigned repentance What our petitions unless animated all along with holy desires and faith in the divine attributes and promises What our praises and thanks-giving unless from the love of God and a holy
self-deceit How many professours be there with whom the world hath more of their hearts and affections than Christ who mind earthly things and thereby are evidently after the flesh and like to end in destruction Rom. 8. 5. Phil. 3. 19. Yet ask these men and they will tell you confidently they prize Christ above all God forbid else and see not their own earthly mindedness for want of a narrow observation of the workings of their own hearts Did they but carefully search they would quickly find that their greatest content is in the world Luke 12. 19. and their greatest care and main endeavour to get and secure the world which are the certain discoveries of an unconverted sinner May the professing part of the world take earnest heed that they perish not by the hand of this sin unobserved Men may be and often are kept off from Christ as effectually by the inordinate love of lawful comforts as by the most unlawful courses Mat. 22. 5. Luke 14. 18 19 20 24. 9. Reigning malice and envy against those that disrespect them or are injurious to them 1 Iohn 2. 9 11. O how do many that seem to be religious remember injuries and carry grudges and will return men as good as they bring rendring evil for evil loving to take revenge wishing evil to them that wrong them directly against the rule of the Gospel the pattern of Christ and the nature of God Rom. 12. 14 17. 1 Pet. 2. 21 23. Neh. 6. 17. Doubtless where this evil is kept boiling in the heart and is not hated resisted mortified but doth habitually prevail that person is in the very gall of bitterness and in a state of death Mat. 18. 34 35. 1 Iohn 3. 14 15. Reader doth nothing of this touch thee art thou in none of the forementioned ranks Oh search and search again take thy heart solemnly to task Woe unto thee if after all thy profession thou shouldest be found under the power of ignorance lost in formality drowned in earthly mindedness envenomed with malice exalted in an opinion of thine own righteousness leavened with hypocrisy and carnal ends in Gods service imbittered against strictness this would be a sad discovery that all thy Religion were in vain But I must proceed 10. Vnmortified Pride When men love the praise of men more than the praise of God and set their hearts upon mens esteem applause and approbation it is most certain they are yet in their sins and strangers to true conversion Iohn 12. 43. Gal. 1. 10. When men see not nor complain of nor groan under the pride of their own hearts it 's a sign they are stark dead in sin Oh how secretly doth this sin live and reign in many hearts and they know it not but are very strangers to themselves Iohn 9. 40. 11. The prevailing love of Pleasure 2 Tim. 3. 4. This is a black mark When men give the flesh the liberty that it craves and pamper and please it and do not deny and restrain it when their great delight is in gratifying their bellies and pleasing their senses whatever appearance they may have of Religion all is unsound Rom. 16. 18. Tit. 3. 3. A flesh-pleasing life cannot be pleasing to God They that are Christs have crucified the flesh and are careful to cross it and keep it under as their enemy Gal. 5. 24. 1 Cor. 9. 25 26 27. 12. Carnal security or a presumptuous and ungrounded confidence that their condition is already good Rev. 3. 17. Many cry peace and safety when sudden destruction is coming upon them 1 Thess. 5. 3. This was that which kept the foolish Virgins sleeping when they should have been working upon their beds when they should have been at the markets Mat. 25. 5 10. Prov. 10. 5. They perceived not their want of Oyl till the bridegroom was come and while they went to buy the door was shut And oh that these foolish virgins had no successours Where is the place yea where is the house almost where these do not dwell Men are willing to cherish in themselves upon never so slight grounds a hope that their condition is good and so look not out after a change and by this means perish in their sins Are you at peace Shew me upon what grounds your peace is maintained Is it a Scripture peace Can you shew the distinguishing marks of a sound believer Can you evidence that you have something more than any Hypocrite in the world ever had If not fear this peace more than any trouble and know that a carnal peace doth commonly prove the most mortal enemy of the poor soul and while it smiles and kisses and speaks it fair doth â—atally smite it as it were under the fifth rib By this time methinks I hear my reader crying out with the Disciples who then shall be saved Set out from among our congregations all those ten ranks of the prophane on the one hand and then besides take out all these twelve sorts of close and self deceiving Hypocrites on the other hand and tell me then whether it be not a remnant that shall be saved How few will be the sheep that shall be left when all these shall be separated and set among the Goats For my part of all my numerous hearers I have no hopes to see any of them in Heaven that are to be found among these two and twenty sorts that are here mentioned except by sound conversion they be brought into another condition Application And now conscience do thine office Speak out and speak home to him that heareth or readeth these lines If thou find any of these marks upon him thou must pronounce him utterly unclean Levit. 13. 44. Take not up a lie into thy mouth speak not peace to him to whom God speaks no peace Let not lust bribe thee or self-love or carnal prejudice blind thee I sub-poena thee from the Court of Heaven to come and give in evidence I require thee in the name of God to go with me to the search of the suspected house As thou wilt answer it at thy peril give in a true report of the state and case of him that readeth this book Conscience wilt thou altogether hold thy peace at such a time as this I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us the truth Mat. 26. 63. Is the man converted or is he not Doth he allow himself in any way of sin or doth he not Doth he truly love and please and prize and delight in God above all other things or not Come put it to an issue How long shall this soul lie at uncertainties Oh Conscience bring in thy verdict Is this man a new man or is he not How dost thou find it Hath there passed a through and mighty change upon him or not When was the time where was the place or what was the means by which this through change of the new birth was wrought in this soul Speak Conscience Or if thou canst
Laws the mercies the warnings that they were committed against Nehem. 9. Dan. 9. Ezra 9. Oh the work that sin hath made in the world This is the enemy that hath brought in death that hath robbed and enslaved man that hath blacked the devil that hath digged hell Rom. 5. 12. 2 〈◊〉 2. 4. Iohn 8. 34. this is the enemy that hath turned the creation upside down and sown dissension between man and the creatures between man and man yea between man and himself setting the sensitive part against the rational will against judgment lust against conscience yea worst of all between God and man making the lapsed sinner both hateful to God and a hater of him Zech. 11. 8. O man how canst thou make so light of sin This is the traitour that sucked the blood of the Son of God that sold him that mocked him that scourged him that spat in his face that digged his hands that pierced his side that pressed his soul that mangled his body that never lest till it had bound him condemned him nailed him crucified him and put him to open shame Esay 53. 4 5 6. This is that deadly poison so powerful of operation as that one drop of it shed upon the root of mankind hath corrupted spoiled and poisoned and undone his whole race at once Rom. 5. 18 19. This is the common butcher the bloody executioner that hath killed the Prophets that hath burnt the Martyrs that hath murdered all the Apostles all the Patriarchs all the Kings and Potentates that hath destroyed Cities swallowed Empires butchered and devoured whole Nations Whatever was the weapon that 't was done by sin was it that did the execution Rom. 6. 23. Dost thou yet think it but a small thing If Adam and all his children could be digged out of their graves and their bodies piled up to Heaven and an inquest were made what matchless murderer were guilty of all this blood it would be all found in the skirts of sin Study the nature of sin till thy heart be brought to fear and loath it And meditate on the aggravations of thy particular sins how thou hast sinned against all Gods warnings against thine own prayers against mercies against corrections against clearest light against freest love against thine own resolutions against promises vows covenants of better obedience c. charge thy heart home with these things till it blush for shame and be brought out of all good opinion of it self Ezra 9. 6. Meditate upon the desert of sin It cryeth up to Heaven it calls for vengeance Gen. 18. 20. It s due wages is death damnation It pulls the curse of God upon the soul and body Gal. 3. 10. Deut. 28. The least sinful word or thought laies thee under the infinite wrath of God Almighty Rom. 2. 8 9. Mat. 12. 36. Oh what a load of wrath what a weight of curses what a treasure of vengeance have all the millions of thy sins then deserved Rom. 2. 5. Ioh. 3. 36. Oh judge thy self that the Lord may not judge thee 1 Cor. 11. 31. Meditate upon the deformity and defilement of sin 'T is as black as hell the very image and likeness of the Devil drawn upon thy soul. 1 Iohn 3. 8 10. It would more affright thee to see thy self in the hateful deformity of thy nature than to see the devil There is no mire so unclean no vomit so loathsome no carcase or carrion so offensive no plague or leprosie so noisom as sin in which thou art all enrolled 〈◊〉 covered with its odious filth whereby 〈◊〉 art rendred more displeasing to the pure and holy nature of the glorious God than the most filthy object composed of whatever is hateful to all thy senses can be to thee Iob 15. 15 16. Couldst thou take up a toad into thy bosom Couldst thou cherish it and take delight in it Why thou art as contrary to the pure and perfect holiness of the divine nature and as loathsome as that is to thee Mat. 23. 33. till thou art purified by the blood of Jesus and the power of renewing grace Above all other sins fix the eye of Consideration on these two 1. The sin of thy nature 'T is to little purpose to lop off the branches while the root of original corruption remains untouched In vain do men lave out the streams when the fountain is still running that fills up all again Let the axe of thy repentance with David's go to the root of sin Psal. 51. 5. Study thy natural pollution how universal it is how deep how close how permanent it is till thou dost cry out with Paul's feeling upon thy body of death Rom. 7. 24. Look into all thy parts and powers and see what unclean vessels what styes what dunghills what sinks they are become Heu miser quid sum vas fâ—erquilinii concha putredinis plenus foetore horrore August Solil c. 2. The heart is never soundly broken till throughly convinced of the heynousness of original sin Here fix thy thoughts This is that that makes thee backward to all good prone to all evil Rom. 7. 15. that sheds blindness pride prejudices unbelief into thy mind enmity unconstancy obstinacy into thy will inordinate heats and colds into thy affections insensibleness benummedness unfaithfulness into thy conscience slipperiness into thy memory and in a word hath put every wheel of thy soul out of order and made it of an habitation of holiness to become a very hell of iniquity Iames 3. 6. This is that that hath defiled corrupted perverted all thy members and turned them into weapons of unrighteousness and servants of sin Rom. 6. 19. that hath filled the head with carnal and corrupt designs Mic. 2. 1. the hands with sinful practices Esay 1. 15. the eyes with wandring and wantonness 2 Pet. 2. 14. the tongue with deadly poison Iames 3. 8. that hath opened the ears to tales flattery and filthy communication and shut them against the instruction of life Zech. 7. 11 12. and hath rendred thy heart a very mint and forge of sin and the cursed womb of all deadly conceptions Mat. 15. 19. so that it poureth forth its wickedness without ceasing 2 Pet. 2. 14 even as naturally freely unweariedly as a fountain doth pour forth its water Ier. 6. 7. or the raging Sea doth cast forth mire and dirt Esay 57. 20. And wilt thou yet be in love with thy self and tell us any longer of thy good heart O never leave meditating on this desperate contagion of original corruption till with Ephraim thou bemoan thy self Ier. 31. 18. and with deepest shame and sorrow smite on thy breast as the publican Luk. 18. 13. and with Iob abhor thy self and repent in dust and ashes Iob 42. 6. 2. The particular evil that thou art most addicted to Find out all its aggravations Set home upon thy heart all Gods threatnings against it Repentance drives before it the whole herd but especially sticks the arrow in the beloved
and all the sons of God shout for joy and celebrate this new creation as they did the first Thy repentance would as it were make holy-day in heaven and the glorious spirits would rejoyce in that there is a new brother added to their society Re. 22. 9. another heir born to their Lord and the lost son received safe and sound The true penitents tears are indeed the wine that cheereth both God and man If it be little that men and Angels would rejoyce at thy Conversion know that God himself would rejoyce over thee even with singing and rest in his love Luke 15. 9. Esay 62. 5. Never did old Iacob with such joy weep over the neck of his Ioseph as thy heavenly Father would rejoyce over thee upon thy coming in to him Look over the story of the Prodigal Methinks I see how the aged Father laies aside his state and forgets his years behold how he runneth Luke 15. 20. Oh the hast that mercy makes The sinner makes not half that speed Methinks I see how his bowels turn how his compassions yern How quick-sighted is love Mercy spies him a great way off forgets his riotous courses unnatural rebellion horrid unthankfulness debauched practices not a word of these but receives him with open arms clasps about his neck forgets the nastiness of his rags kisses the lips that deserve to be loathed the lips that had been joined to harlots that had been commoners with the swine calls for the fatted calf the best robe the ring the shooes the best cheer in Heavens store the best attire in Heavens wardrobe c. yea the joy cannot be held in one breast Luke 15. 6 9 23. others must be called to participate the friends must meet and make merry Angels must wait but the Prodigal must be set at the table under his Fathers wing He is the joy of the feast he is the sweet subject of the Fathers delight The friends sympathize but none knows the felicity the father takes in his new born son whom he hath received from the dead Methinks I hear the musick and the dancing at a distance Oh the melody of the Heavenly Choristers I cannot learn the song Rev. 14. 3. but methinks I over-hear the burden at which all the harmonious quire with one consent strikes sweetly in for thus goes the round at Heavens table For this my son was dead and is alive again was lost and is found Luke 15. 23 24 32. I need not farther explain the parable God is the Father Christ the cheer his righteousness the robe his graces the ornaments Ministers Saints Angels the friends and servants and thou that readest if thou wilt but unfeignedly repent and turn the welcome Prodigal the happy instance of all this grace and the blessed subject of this joy love Oh Rock Oh Adamant What not moved yet not yet resolved to return forthwith and to close with mercy I will try thee yet once again If one were sent to thee from the dead wouldst thou be perswaded Why hear the voice from the dead from the damned crying to thee that thou shouldst repent I pray thee that thou wouldst send him to my fathers house for I have five brethren that he may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment If one went unto them from the dead they will repent Luke 16. 27 28 c. Hear O man thy Predecessors in impenitence preach to thee from the infernal gibbets from the flames from the rack that thou shouldst repent O look down into the bottomless pit Seest thou how the smoak of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever Rev. 14. 11. How black are those fiends How furious are their tormenters 'T is their only musick to hear how their miserable patients roar to hear their bones crack 'T is their meat and drink to see how their flesh friâ—â—h and their fat droppeth to drench them with burning metal and to rip open their bodies and pour in the fierce and fiery brass into their bowels and the recesses and ventricles of their hearts What thinkest thou of those chains of darkness of those instruments of cruelty Canst thou be content to burn Seest thou how the worm gnaweth how the oven gloweth how the fire â—ageth What sayst thou to that river of brimstone that dark and horrible vault that gulf of perdition Wilt thou take up thine habitation here Oh lay thine ear to the door of hell Hearâ—st thou the curses and the blasphemies the weepings and the wailings how they lament their folly and curse their day Mat. 22. 13. Rev. 16. 9. How do they roar and yâ—ll and gnash their teeth How deep are their groans how feeling are their moans how unconceivable their miseries If the shrieks of Korab Dathan and Abiram were so terrible when the earth clave asunder and opened her mouth and swallowed them up and all that appertain'd to them that all Israel flâ—sd at the cry of them Numb 16. 33. 34. oh how fearful would the cry be if God should take off the covering from the mouth of hell and let the cry of the damned ascend in all its terror among the children of men And of all their moans and miseries this is the piercing killing â—mphasis and burden for ever for ever Why as God liveth that made this soul thou art but a â—â—w hours distant from all this except thou râ—pâ—nt and be converteed Oh! I am even lost and swallowed up in the abundance of those arguments that I might suggest If there be any point of wisdom in all the world it is to repent and come in if there be any thing righteous any thing reasonable this is it If there be any thing in the world that may be called madness and folly any thing that may be counted sottish absurd bruitish unreasonable it is this to go on in thine unconverted estate Let me beg thee as thou wouldst not wilfully destroy thy self to sit down and weigh besides what hath been said these following Motives and let conscience speak if it be not reason that thou shouldst repent turn 1. The God that made thee doth most graciously invite thee First his most sweet and merciful nature doth invite thee Oh the kindnesses of God his working bowels his tender mercies They are infinitely above our thoughts higher than Heaven what can we do deeper than hell what can we know Iob 11. 7 8 9. He is full of compassions and gracious long-suffering and plenteous in mercy Psal. 86. 15. This is a great argument to perswade sinners to come in Turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful sâ—â—w to anger of great kindness and repenâ—eth him of the evil If God would not repent of the evil it were some discouragement to us why we should not repent If there were no hope of mercy it were no such wonder if the rebel did stand out but never had subjects such a gracious Prince such piety patience clemency pity