heart to the particular commands of Christ. Those Jews in the Prophet seemed as well resolved as any in the world and call God to witness that they meant as they said But they stuck in generals When Gods command crosses their inclination they will not obey Ier. 42. 1 2 3 4 5 6. compared with ch 43. v. 2. Take the Assemblies larger Caâ—echism and see their excellent and most compendious exposition of the commandments and put thy heart to it Art thou resolved in the strength of Christ to set upon the consciencious practice of every duty that thou findest to be there required of thee and to set against every sin that thou findest there forbidden This is the way to be sound in Gods statutes that thou maist never be ashamed Psal. 119. 80. Thirdly Observe the special duties that thy heart is most against and the special sins that 't is most inclin'd unto and see whether it be truly resolved to perform the one and forego the other What sayest thou to thy bosome sin thy gainfull sin What sayest thou to costly and hazardous and flesh displeasing duties If thou halâ—est here and dost not resolve by the grace of God to cross thy flesh and put to it thou art unsound Psal. 18. 23. Psal. 119. 6. Dir. X. Let all this be compleated in a solemn Covenant between God and thy soul. Psal. 119. 106. Neh. 10. 29. For thy better help therein take these few directions First set apart some time more than once to be spent in secret before the Lord. 1. In seeking earnestly his special assistance and gracious acceptance of thee 2. In considering distinctly all the terms or conditions of the Covenant expressed in the form hereafter proposed 3. In searching thine heart whether thou art sincerely willing to forsake all thy sins and to resign up thy self body and soul unto God and his service to serve him in holiness and righteousness all the dayes of thy life Secondly Compose thy Spirit into the most serious frame possible suitable to transaction of so high importance Thirdly Lay hold on the Covenant of God and rely upon his promise of giving grace and strength whereby thou maist be enabled to perform thy promise Trust not to thine own strength to the strength of thine own resolutions but take hold on his strength Fourthly Resolve to he faithful having engaged thine heart opened thy mouth and subscribed with thy hand unto the Lord resolve in his strength never to go back Lastly Being thus prepared on some convenient time set apart for the purpose set upon the work and in the most solemn manner possible as if the Lord were visibly present before thine eyes fall down on thy knees and spreading forth thine hands toward Heaven open thine heart to the Lord in these or the like words O Most dreadful God for the Passion of thy Son I beseech thee accept of thy poor Prodigal now prostrating himself at thy Door I have fallen from thee by mine iniquity and am by Nature a Son of Death and a thousand-fold more the Child of Hell by my wicked practice But of thine infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to Thee with all my Heart Therefore upon the Call of thy Gospel I am now come in and throwing down my weapons submit my self to thy Mercy And because thou requirest as the Condition of my Peace with Thee that I should put away mine Idols and be at defiance with all thine Enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against Thee I here from the bottom of my heart renounce them all firmly Covenanting with thee not to allow my self in any known sin but conscientiously to use all the means that I know thou hast prescribed for the death and utter destruction of all my corruptions And whereas I have formerly inordinately and idolatrously let out my affections upon the World I do here resign up my heart to Thee that madst it humbly protesting before thy Glorious Majesty that is the firm resolution of my heart and that I do unfeinedly desire Grace from Thee that when thou shalt call me hereunto I may practise this my resolution through thy assistance to forsake all that is dear unto me in this world rather than to turn from thee to the ways of sin and that I will watch against all its temptations whether of Prosperity or Adversity lest they should withdraw my heart from thee beseeching thee also to help me against the temptations of Satan to whose wicked Suggestions I resolve by thy grace never to yield my self a Servant And because my own righteousness is but menstruous rags I renounce all confidence therein and acknowledge that I am of my self a hopeless helpless undone creature without righteousness or strength And forasmuch as thou hast of thy bottomless Mercy offered most graciously to me wretched sinner to be again my God through Christ if I would accept of thee I call Heaven and Earth to record this day that I do here solemnly avouch the for the Lord my God and with all possible veneration bowing the neck of thy Soul under the feet of thy most Sacred Majesty I do here take thy the Lord Iehovah Father Son and Holy Ghost for my portion and chief good and do give up my self Body and Soul for thy Servant promising and vowing to serve thee in Holiness and Righteousness all the days of my life And since thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ the only means of coming unto thee I do here upon the bended knees of my Soul accept of him as the only new and living way by which sinners may have access to thee and do here solemnly joyn my self in a Marriage Covenant to him O blessed Jesus I come to thee hungry and hardly bestead poor and wretched and miserable and blind and naked a most loathsom polluted wretch a guilty condemned Malefactor unworthy for ever to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord much more to be solemnly married to the King of Glory but 〈◊〉 such is thine unparallell'd love I do here with all my power accept thee and do take thee for my Head and Husband for better for worse for richer for poorer for all times and conditions to love and honour and obey thee before all others and this to the death I embrace thee in all thine Offices I renounce mine own worthiness and do here avow thee to be the Lord my Righteousness I renounce mine own wisdom and do here take thee for mine only Guide I renounce mine own Will and take thy Will for my Law And since thou hast told me that I must suffer if I will reign I do here Covenant with thee to take my Lot as it falls with thee and by thy Grace assisting to run all hazards with thee verily supposing that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me And because thou hast been pleased to
dungeon from the darkness that he calleth you Esay 42. 6 7. and yet will you not come He calleth you unto liberty Gal. 5. 13. and yet will you not hearken His yoke is easie his Laws are Liberty his service freedom Mat. 11. 30. Iames 1. 25. 1 Cor. 7. 22. and Whatever prejudices you have against his ways if a God may be believed you shall find them all pleasure and peace and shall taste sweetness and joy unutterable and take infinite delight and felicity in them Prov. 3. 17. Psal. 110. 165. 1 Pet. 1. 1. Psal. 119. 103. 111. Beloved I am loath to leave you I cannot tell how to give you over I am now ready to shut up but fain I would drive this bargain between Christ and you before I end What shall I leave you as I found you at last Have you read hitherto and are not yet resolved upon a present abandoning all your sins and closing with Jesus Christ Alas what shall I say what shall I do Will you turn off all my importunity Have I run in vain Have I used so many arguments and spent so much time to perswade you and yet must sit down at last in disappointment But it is a small matter that you turn off me you put a slight upon the God that made you you reject the bowels and beseechings of a Saviour and will be found resisters of the Holy Ghost Acts 7. 51. if you will not now be prevailed with to repent and be converted Well though I have called long and ye have refused I shall yet this once more lift up my voice like a Trumpet and cry from the highest places of the City before I conclude with a miserable Conclamatum est Once more I shall call after regardless sinners that if it be possible I may awaken them O earth earth earth hear the word of the Lord Ier. 22. 29. Unless you be resolved to die lend your ears to the last calls of mercy Behold in the name of God I make open proclamation to you Hearken unto me O ye Children Hear instruction and be wise and refuse it not Prov. 8. 32 33. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price Wherefore do you spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Hearken diligently unto me and eate ye that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatness Incline your ear and come ye unto me hear and your soul shall live and I Will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Esay 55. 1 2 3. Ho every one that is sick of any manner of disease or torment Mat. 4. 23 24. or is possessed with an evil spirit whether of pride or fury or lust or covetousness come ye to the Physician bring away your sick Loe here is he that healeth all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people Ho every one that is in debt and every one that is in distâ—ess and every one that is discontented gather your selves unto Christ and he will become a Captain over you He will be your protection from the arrests of the Law He will save you from the hand of Justice Behold he is an open sanctuary to you he is a known refuge Heb. 6. 18. Psal. 48. 3. Away with your sins and come in unto him lest the avenger of blood seize you lest devouring wrath overtake you Ho every ignorant sinner come and buy eye-salve that thou maist see Rev. 3. 18. Away with thine excuses thou art for ever lost if thou continuest in this estate 2 Cor. 4. 3. But accept of Christ for thy Prophet and he will be a light unto thee Esay 42. 6. Eph 5. 14. Cry unto him for knowledge study his word take pains about the principles of Religion humble thy self before him and he will teach thee his way and make thee wise unto salvation Mat. 13. 36. Luke 8. 9. Iohn 5. 39. Psal. 25. 9. But if thou wilt not follow him in the painful use of his means but sit down because thou hast but one talent he will condemn thee for a wicked and sloathful servant Mat. 25. 24 26. Ho every prophane sinner come in and live Return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon thee Be entreated Oh return come Thou that hast filled thy mouth with oaths and execrations all manner of sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven thee Mark 3. 28. if thou wilt but throughly turn unto Christ and come in Though thou wast as unclean as Magdalen yet put away thy Whoredoms out of thy sight and thine adulteries from between thy breasts and give up thy self unto Christ as a vessel of holiness alone for his use and then though thy sins be as scarlet they shall be as wooll and though they be as crimson they shall be as white snow Luke 7. 37. Hos. 2. 2. 1 Thes. 4. 4. Esay 1. 18. Hear O ye drunkards How long will you be drunken put away your wine 1 Sam. 1. 14. Though you have rolled in the vomit of your sin take the vomit of repentance and heartily disgorge your beloved lusts and the Lord will receive you 2. Cor. 6. 17. Give up your selves unto Christ to live soberly righteously and godly embrace his righteousness accept his government and though you have been swine he will wash you Rev. 36. Hear O ye loose companions whose delight is in vain and wicked societie to sport away your time in carnal mirth and jollity with them come in at wisdoms call and choose her and her ways and forsake the foolish and you shall live Prov. 9. 5 6. Hear O ye scorners hear the word of the Lord. Though you have made a sport of godliness and the professors thereof though you have made a scorn of Christ and of his waies yet even to you doth he call to gather you under the wings of his mercy Prov. 1. 22 33. In a word though you should be sound among the worst of that black roll 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. yet upon your through Conversion you shall be washed you shall be justified you shall be sanctified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of ouâ— God ver 11. Ho every formal professor that art but a luke-warm and dough-baked Christian and restest in the form of godliness give over thy halving and thy halting be a throughout Christian and be zealous and repent and then though thou hast been an offence to Christ's stomach thou shalt be the joy of his heart Rev. 3. 16 19 20. And now bear witness that mercy hath been offered you I call Heaven and Earth to record against you this day that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that you may live Deut. 30. 19. I can but woo you and warn
thou dost not know but the next night thou maist make thy bed in hell Oh! If thou hast a spark of reason consider and turn and hearken to thy very friend who would therefore shew thee thy present misery that thou mightest in time make thine escape and be eternally happy Hear what the Lord saith Fear ye not mâ— saith the Lord Will ye not tremble at my presence Ier. 5. 22. O sinners do you make light of the wrath to come Mat. 3. 7. I am sure there is a time coming when you will not make light of it Why the very Devils do believe and tremble Iames 2. 19. What you more hardned than they Will you run upon the edge of the Rock will you play at the hole of the Asp will you put your hand upon the Cockatrice den Will you dance about the fire till you are burnt or dally with devouring wrath as if you were at a point of indifferency whether you did escape it or endure it O madness of folly Solomon's mad man that casteth fire-brands and arrows and death and saith am I not in jest Prov. 26. 18. is nothing so distracted as the wilful sinner Luke 15. 17. that goeth on in his unconverted estate without sense as if nothing ailed him The man that runs on the cannons mouth that sports with his blood or le ts out his life in a frolick is sensible sober and serious to him that goeth on still in his trespasses Psal 68. 21. For he stretcheth out his hand against God and strengthneth himself against the ALMIGHTY He runneth upon him even upon his neck upon the thick bosses of his Buckler Job 15. 25 26. Is it wisdom to delay with the second death or to venture into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21. 8. as if thou wert but going to wash thee or swim for thy recreation Wilt thou as it were fetch thy vieze and jump into eternal flames as the children through the bonfire What shall I say I can find out no expression no comparison whereby to set forth the dreadful distraction of that soul that shall go on in sin Awake awake Eph. 5. 14. Oh sinner arise and take thy flight There is but one door that thou maist fly by and that is the strait door of conversion and the new birth Unless thou turn unfeignedly from all thy sins and come into Jesus Christ and take him for the Lord thy righteousness and walk in him in Holiness and newness of life as the Lord liveth it is not more certain that thou art now out of Hell than that thou shalt without fail be in it but a few dayes and nights from hence Oh set thine heart to think of thy caseâ— Is not thine everlasting misery or welfare that which doth deserve a little consideration Look again over the miseries of the unconverted If the Lord hath not spoken by me regard me not But if it be the very word of God that all this misery lies upon thee what a case art thou in Is it for one that hath his senses to live in such a condition and not to make all possible expedition for preventing his utter ruine O man who hath bewitched thee Gal. 3. 1. that in the matters of the present life thou shouldest be wise enough to forecast thy business foresee thy danger and prevent the mischief but in matters of everlasting consequence should be slight and careless as if they little concerned thee Why is it nothing to thee to have all the attributes of God engaged against thee Canst thou do well without his favour Canst thou escape his hands or endure his vengeance Dost thou hear the creation groaning under thee and hell groaning for thee and yet think thy case good enough Art thou in the paw of the Lion under the power of corruption in the dark and noysom prison fetter'd with thy lusts working out thine own damnation and is not this worth the considering Wilt thou make light of all the terrours of the law of all its curses and thunderbolts as if they were but the report of the Childrens pot-guns or thou wert to war with their paper pellets dost thou laugh at hell and destruction or canst drink the envenomed cup of the Almighties fury as if it were but a common potion Gird up now thy loyns like a man for I will demand of thee and answer thou me Iob 40. 7. Art thou such a Leviathan as that the scales of thy pride should keep thee from thy makers coming at thee Wilt thou esteem his arrows as straw and the instruments of death as rotten wood Art thou chief of all the children of pride even that thou shouldst count his darts as stubble and laugh at the shaking of his spear Art thou made without fear and contemnest his barbed irons Iob 41. Art thou like the horse that paweth in the valley and rejoyceth in his strength he goeth out to meet the armed men Dost thou mock at fear and art not affrighted neither turnest back from Gods sword When his quiver ratleth against thee the glittering Spear and the shield Iob 39. 21 22 23. Well if the threats and calls of the word will not fear thee nor awaken thee I am sure death and judgment will Oh what wilt thou do when the Lord cometh forth against thee and in his fury falleth upon thee and thou shalt feel what thou readest If when Daniels enemies were cast into the den of Lyons both they and their wives and their children the Lyons had the Mastery of them and brake all their bones in pieces ere ever they came at the bottom of the den Dan. 6. 24. what shall be done with thee when thou fallest into the hands of the living God When he shall gripe thee in his Iron arms and grind and crush thee to a thousand pieces in his wrath Oh do not then contend with God Repent and be converted so none of this shall come upon thee Esay 55. 6 7. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon CHAP VI. Containing DIRECTIONS for Conversion Mark 10. 17. And there came one and kneeled to him and asked him Good Master what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life BEfore thou readest these Directions I advise thee yea I charge thee before God and his holy Angels to resolve to follow them as far as conscience shall be convinced of their agreeableness to Gods word and thy estate and call in his assistance and blessing that they may succeed And as I have sought the Lord and consuited his oracles what advice to give thee so must thou entertain it with that awe reverence and purpose of obedience that the word of the living God doth require Now then attend Set thine
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 comming in to him Look over the story of the Prodigal Methinks I see how the aged Fathers 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 yearn How quick sighted is love Mercy spies him a great way off forgets his rigorous courses unnatural rebellion horrid unthankfulness debauched practices not a word of those 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 joyned to harlots that had been commoners with the swine calls for the fatted Calf the best Robe the ring the shoos 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 musik 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 welcom Prodigal the happy instance of all this grace and the blessed subject of this joy and love Oh Rock Oh Adamant What not moved yet not yet resolved to turn 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 testifie 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 the â—iends How furious are their torments '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 frieth and their fat droppeth to drench them with burning metal and to rip open their bodies and to pour in the fierce burning 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 rageth what saist thou to that river of brimstone that dark and horrible vault that gulf of perdition wilt thou take up thine habitation here O lay thine â—ar to the door of Hell Hearest 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 yell and gnash their teeth how deep are their groans how feeling are their moans how unconceivable their miseries If the shrieks of Corah Dathan and Abiram were so terrible when the earth clave asunder and opened her mouth and swallowed them up and all that appertained to them that all Israel â—led 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 month 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 thy soul thou art but a few hours distant from all this except thou repent and be converted Oh! I am even lost and swallowed up in the abâ—â—dance 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 brutish 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 and turn 1. The God that made thee doth most graciously invite thee First his most sweet and merciful nature doth invite thee Oh the kindness 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 compassion 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 slow to anger of great kindness and repenteth 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 to deal with as you have Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity c. Mic. 7. 18. Oh sinners see what a God you have to deal with if you will but turn He will turn again and have compassion upon you he will subdue your iniquities and cast all your sins into the depths of the Sea v. 19. Return unto me saith the Lord of Hosts and I will return unto you Malâ— 3. 7. Zech. 1. 3. Sinners do not fail in that they have too high thoughts of Gods mercies but
THE WAY TO True HAPPINESS In a Serious TREATISE SHEWING I. What Conversion is not and correcting some Mistakes about it II. What Conversion is and wherein it consisteth III. The Necessity of Conversion IV. The Marks of the Unconverted V. The Miseries of the Unconverted VI. Directions for Conversion VII Motives to Conversion By Ioseph Alleine late Preacher of the Gospel at Taunton in Somersetshire LONDON Printed and are to be sold by Nevil Simmons at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard 1678. TO THE READER He that hath an Ear to hear let him hear Precious Souls THere is that Life and Light and Love in every true Believer but especially in every Faithful Minister of Christ which engageth them to long and labour for your Salvation Life is communicative and active It maketh us sensible that Faith is not a Fantasie nor true Religion a Stage-play nor our hopes of our Eternal Happiness a Dream And as we desire nothing more for our selves than to have more of the Holy Life whicâ—â— we have alas in so small a measure so what is it that we should more desire for others With the eye of an infallible though too weak faith we see the Heaven which you neglect and the blessed Souls in Glory with Christ whose companions you might be for ever we see the multitudes of Souls in Hell who came thither by the same way that you are going in who are shut out of the glorious presence of God and are now among those Devils that deceived them remembring that they had their good things here Luk. 16. 25. And how they spent the Day of their Visitation and how light they once set by God by Christ by Heaven by Mercy whilest Mercy was an earnest solicitour for their Hearts And with our bodily eyes we see at the same time abundance of poor sinners living about us as if there were no God no Christ no Heaven no Hell no Iudgment no nor Death to be expected as if a man were but a master beact to rule the rest and feed upon them and perish with them And if it were your own case to see what Souls do in Heaven and Hell and at once to see how unbelievingly carelesly and senselesly most men live on earth as if there were no such difference in another World would it not seem a pittiful sight to you If you had once seen the five Brethren of Dives on Earth eating drinking laughing and merry cloathed and faring daily with the best and at the same time seen their Brothers Soul in Hell begging in vain for a little â—ase and wishing in vain that one from the dead might go warn his Brethren that they come not to that place of Torment would it not seem to you a pittiful sight would not pity have made you think Is there no way to open these Gentlemens eyes No way to acquaint tâ—em what is become of their Brother and where Lazarus is and whither they themselves are going No one driveth or forceth them to Hell and will they go thither of themselves and is there no way to stop them or keep them back Did you but see your selves what we see by faith believing God and at once beheld the Saints in Heaven the lost despairing Souls in Hell and the sensless sensual sinners on earth that yet will lay none of this to heart sure it would make you wonder at the stupidity of mankind Would you not say O what a deceiver is the Devil that can thus lead on souls to their own damnation Oh what a cheater is this transitory World that can make men so forget the World where they must live for ever O what an enemy is this flesh that thus draweth down mens Souls from God! O what a besotting thing is sin that turneth a reasonable soul into worse than a beast what a bedlam is this wicked world when thousands are so busily labouring to undo themselves and others and gratifyingâ— the Devil against the God and Saviour who would give them everlasting blessed life And as we have such a sight as this by Faith to make us pity you so have we so much taste of the goodness of God the sweetness of his ways and the happiness of believers as must needs make us wish that you had but once tried the same delights which would turn the pleasures of sin into detestation God knoweth that we desire nothing more for our selves than the Perfection and Eternity of this Holiness and Happiness which we believe and taste And should we not desire the same for you And being thus moved with necessary pity we ask of God what he would have us to do for your Salvation And he hath told us in Scripture that the preaching of his Gospel to acquaint you plainlyâ— with the truth and earnestly and frequently intreat you to turn from the Flesh and World to God by Iesus Christ is the means with which his grace is ready to concur for your Salvation when obstinate resistance causeth the Holy Spirit to forsake the Sinner and leave him to himself to follow his own Counsels Lusts and Wills In this hope we undertook the Sacred Ministry and gave up our selves to this great and most important work in the great sense of our unworthiness but yet in the sense of your Souls Necessity We were not such Fools at our first setting out as not to know it muct be a life of labour self-denyal and patience and the Devil would do his worst to hinder us and that all sorts of his instruments would be ready to serve him against our Labours and against your Souls Christ our Captain saved us by Patient Conquest and so must we save â—â—r selves and you And so must you save your â—â—â—ives under Christ if ever you be saved It was no strange thing to Paul that bonds and afflictions did every where abide him nor did he account his life dear that he might finish his course with joy and the Ministry committed to him by the Lord Acts 20. 23 24. It was no strange thing to him to be forbidden to preach to the Gentiles that they might be saved by such as were filling up the measure of their sins and were under Gods uttermost wrath on Earth 1 Thes. 2. 15 16. Devils and Pharisees and most where they came both high and low were against the Apostles preaching of the Gospel and yet they would not sacrilegiously and cruelly break their Covenant with Christ and perfidiously desert the Souls of Men even as their Lord for the Love of Souls did call Peter Satan that would have tempted him to save his life and flesh instead of making it â— sacrifice for our sins Mat. 16. 23. What think you should move us to undertake a calling so contrary to our fleshly ease and interests Do we not know the way of Ease and Honour of Wealth and Pleasures as well as others and have we not flesh as well as others Could we not be content that the
and this cannot be except it be done with a holy heart 2 Chron. 25. 2. IV. Without this thy hopes are in vain Job 8. 12 13. The Lord hath rejected thy confidence Ier. 2. 37. First thy hopes of comfort here are in vain 'T is not only necessary to the safety but comfort of your condition that you be converted Without this you shall â—ot know peace Esay 49. 8. Without the fear of God â—ou cannot have the comforts of the Holy Ghost Acts 9. 31. God speaks peace only to his people and to his Saints Psal. 85. 8. If you have a false peace continuing in your sins 't is not of Gods speaking and then you may guess the Author Sin is a real Sickness Esay 1. 5. yea the worst of sickness t is a leprosie in the head Levit. 13. 44. the plague in the heart 1 Kings 8. 32. 't is brokenness in the bones Psal. 51. 8. it pierceth it woundeth it racketh it tormenteth 1 Tim. 6. 10. A man may as well expect ease when his diseases are in their strength or his bones out of joynt as true comfort while in his sins O wretched man that canst have no â—ase in this case but what comes from the deadliness of thy disease You shall have the poor sick man saying in his lightness he is well when you see death in his face He will needs up and about his business when the very next step is like to be into the grave The unsanctified often feel nothing amiss they think themselves whole and cry not out for the Physician but this shews the danger of their case Sin doth naturally breed distempers and disturbance in the soul. What a continual tempest and commotion is there in a discontented mind What an eating evil is inordinate care What is passion but a very feaver in the mind What is lust but a fire in the bones What is Pride but a deadly tympany or covetousness but an unsatiablâ— and unsufferable thirst or malice and envy but venom in the very heart spiritual sloth is but a scurvy in the mind and carnal security a mortal lethargy and how can that soul have true comfort that is under so many diseases But converting grace cures and so eases the mind and prepares the soul for a setled standing immortal peace Great peace have they that love thy commandments and nothing shall offend them Psal. 119. 165. They are the ways of wisdom that afford pleasure and peace Prov. 3. 17. David had infinitely more pleasure in the word than in all the delights of his Court Psal. 119. 103 127. The Conscience cannot be truly pacified till soundly purified Heb. 10. 22. Cursed is that peace that is maintained in a way of sin Deut. 29. 19 20. Two sorts of peace are more to be dreaded than all the troubles in the world peace with sin and peace in sin Secondly Thy hopes of Salvation hereafter are in vain yea worse than in vain they are most injurious to God most pernicious to thy self there is death desperation blasphemy in the bowels of this hope 1. Tâ— is death in it Thy confidence shall be rooted out of thy tabernacles God will up with it root and branch it shall bring thee to the King of terrors Iob 18. 14. Though thou maist lean upon this house it will not stand Iob 8. 15. but will prove like a ruinous building which when a man trusts to it falls down about his ears 2. There is desperation in it Where is the hope of the hypocrite when God takes away his soul Iob 27. 8. Then there is an end for ever of his hope Indeed the hope of the righteous hath an end but then 't is not a destructive but a perfective end his hope ends in â—ruition others in frustration Prov. 10. 28. The godly must say at death it is finished but the wicked it is perished and in too sad earnest bemoan himself as he in a mistake Where now is my hope He hath destroyed me I am gone and my hope is removed like a tree Iob 19. The righteous hath hope in his death Prov. 14. 32. When nature is dying his hopes are living when his body is languishing his hopes are flourishing his hope is a living hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but others are dying yea a damning soul-undoing hope When a wicked man dyeth his expectation shall perish and the hope of unjust men perisheth Prov. 11. 7. It shall be cut off and prove like the spiders web Iob 8. 14. which he spins out of his own bowels but then comes death with the broom and takes down all and so there is an eternal end of his confidence wherein he trusted For the eyes of the wicked shall sail and their hope shâ—â—â— be as the giving up of the Ghost Iob 11. 2. â—cked men are setled in their carnal hope and will not be beaten out of it They hold it fast they will not let it go Yea but death will knock off their fingers Though we cannot undeceive them death and judgment will When death strikes his dart through thy liver it will let out thy soul and thy hopes together The unsanctified have hope only in this life 1 Cor. 15. 19. and therefore are of all men most miserable When death comes it lets them out into the amazing gulf of endless desperation 3. There is blasphemy in it To hope we shall be saved though continuing unconverted is to hope we shall prove God a lier He hath told you that so merciful and pittiful as he is he will never save you notwithstanding if you go on in ignorance or a course of unrighteousness Esa. 27. 11. 1 Cor. 6. 9. in a word he hath told you that whatever you be or do nothing shall avail you to salvation without you be new creatures Gal. 6. 15. Now to say God is merciful and we hope he will save us nevertheless is to say in effect we hope God will not do as he saith We may not set Gods attributes at variance God is resolved to glorifie mercy but not with the prejudice of truth as the presumptuous sinner will find to his everlasting sorrow Object Why but we hope in Jesus Christ we put our whole trust in God and therefore doubt not but we shall be saved Answ. 1. This is not to hope in Christ but against Christ. To hope to see the Kingdom of God without being born again to hope to find eternal life in the broad way is to hope Christ will prove a false Prophet 'T is David's plea I hope in thy word Psal. 119. 81. but this hope is against the word Shew me a word of Christ for thy hope that he will save thee in thine ignorance or prophane neglects of his service and I will never go to shake thy confidence 2. God doth with abhorrency reject this hope Those condemned in the Prophet went on in their sins yet saith the Text they will lean upon the Lord Mic. 3.
11. God will not endure to be made a prop to men in their sins The Lord rejects those presumptâ—ous sinners that wentâ— on still in their tresposses and yet would stay themselves upon the God of Israel Esay 48. 1 2. as a man would shake off the briars as one well that cleave to his garment 3. If thy hope were any thing worth it would purifie thee from thy sins 1 Ioh. 3. 3. but cursed is that hope which doth cherish men in their sins Obj. Would you have us to despair Ans. You must despair of ever coming to Heaven as you are Act. 2. 37. that is while you remain unconverted You must despair ever to see the face of God without holiness but you must by no means despair of finding mercy upon your thorough repentance and conversion neither may you despair of attaining to repentance and conversion in the use of Gods means V. Without this all that Christ hath done and suffered will be as to you in vain Ioh. 13. 8. Tit. 2. 14. that is it will no way avail to your salvation Many urge this as sufficient ground for their hopes that Christ died for sinners but I must tell you Christ never died to save impenitent and unconverted sinners so continuing 2 Tim. 2. 19. A great divine was wont in his private dealings with souls to ask two questions 1. What hath Christ done for you 2. What hath Christ wrought in you Without the application of the spirit in Regeneration we can have no saving interest in the benefits of Redemption I tell you from the Lord Christ himself cannot save you if you go on in this estate I. It were against his trust The Mediatour is the servant of the Father Esay 42. 1. shews his commission from him acts in his name and pleads his command for his justification Iohn 10. 18 36. Iohn 6. 38 40. And God hath committed all things to him entrusted his own glory and the salvation of his elect with him Mat. 11. 27. Ioh. 17. 2. Accordingly Christ gives his Father an account of both parts of his trust before he leaves the world Ioh. 17. 4 6 12. Now Christ should quite cross his fathers glory his greatest trust if he should save men in their sins for this were to overturn all his counsels and offer violence to all his attributes First To overturn all his counsels of which this is the order that men should be brought through sanctification to salvation 2 Thes. 2. 13. He hath chosen them that they should be holy Eph. 1. 4. They are elected to pardon and life through sanctification 1 Pet. 1. 2. If thou canst repeal the Law of Gods immutable counsel or corrupt him whom the Father hath sealed to go directly against his Commission then and not otherwise maist thou get to Heaven in this condition To hope that Christ will save thee while unconverted is to hope that Christ will falsify his trust He never did nor will save one soul but whom the Father had given him in election and drawn to him in effectual calling Iohn 6. 37 44. Be assured Christ will save none in a way contrary to his Fathers will who came on purpose to do his will Iohn 6. 38. Secondly To offer violence to all his attributes 1. To his Iustice. For the righteousness of Gods Judgment lies in rendring to all according to their work Rom. 2. 5 6. Now should men sow to the flesh and yet of the spirit reap everlasting life Gal. 6. 7 8. where were the glory of Divine Justice since it should be given to the wicked according to the work of the righteous 2. To his holiness If God should not only save sinners but save them in their sins his most pure and strict holiness would be exceedingly defaced The unsanctified is in the eyes of Gods holiness worse than a swine or viper Mat. 23. 33. 2 Pet. 2. 22. Now what cleanly nature could endure to have the filthy swine bed and board with him in his parlour or bed chamber It would offer extremest violence to the infinite purity of the divine nature to have such to dwell with him They cannot stand in his judgement they cannot abide in his presence Psal. 1. 5. Psal. 5. 4 5. If holy David would not endure such in his house no nor in his sight Psal. 101. 3 7. shall we think God will Should he take men as they be from the trough to the table from the Harlots lips from the stye and draught to the glory of Heaven the world would think God were at no such a distance from sin nor had such dislike of it as we are told he hath they would conclude God were altogether such a one as themselves as they wickedly did but from the very forbearance of God Psal. 50. 21. 3. To his veracity For God hath declared from Heaven That if any shall say they shall have peace though he should go on in the imagination of his heart his wrath shall smoak against that man Deut. 29. 19 20. That they only that confess and for sake their sins shall find mercy Prov. 28. 13. That they that shall enter into his hill must be of clean hands and a pure heart Psal. 24. 3 4. Where were Gods truth if notwithstanding all this he should bring men to salvation without Conversion O desperate sinner that darest to hope that Christ will put the lie upon his Father and nullifie his word to save thee 4. To his wisdom For this were to throw away the choicest mercies on them that would not value them nor were any way suted to them First they would not value them The unsanctified sinner puts but little price upon Gods great Salvation Mat. 22. 5. He sets no more by Christ than the whole by the Physician Mat. 9. 12. he prises not his balm values not his cure tramples upon his blood Heb. 10. 29. Now would it stand with wisdom to force pardon and life upon them that would give him no thanks for them Will the all-wise God when he hath forbidden us to do it throw his holy things to dogs and his pearls to swine that would as it were but turn again and rent him Mat. 7. 6. This would make mercy to be despised indeed Wisdom requires that life be given in a way sutable to Gods honour and that God provide for the securing his own glory as well as mans felicity It would be dishonourable to God to set his Jewels in the snouts of swine continuing such and to bestow his choicest riches on them that have more pleasure in their swill than the Heavenly delights that he doth offer God should lose the praise and glory of his grace if he should cast it away on them that were not only unworthy but unwilling Secondly they are no way suited to them The Divine Wisdom is seen in suiting things each to other the means to the end the object to the faculty the quality of the gift to the capacity of
thee while they please thee and arm the justice and wrath of the infinite God against thee They will open hell for thee and pile up fuel to burn thee Behold the gibbet that they have prepared for thee Oh serve them like Haman and do upon them the execution they would else have done upon thee Away with them crucifie them and let Christ only be Lord over thee Dir. VI. Make a solemn choice of God for thy portion and blessedness Deut. 26. 17. With all possible devotion and veneration avouch the Lord for thy God Set the world with all its glory and paint and gallantry with all its pleasures and promotions on the one hand and set God with all his infinite excellencies and perfections on the other and see that thou do deliberately make thy choice Iosh. 24. 15. Take up thy rest in God Ioh. 6. 68. Set thee down under his shadow Cant. 2. 3. Let his promises and perfections turn the scale against all the world Settle it upon thy heart that the Lord is an all-sufficient portion that thou canst not be miserable while thou hast a God to live upon Take him for thy shield and exceeding great reward God alone is more than all the world Content thy self with him Let others carry the preferments and glory of the world place thou thy happiness in his favour and the light of his countenance Psal. 5. 6 7. Poor sinner thou art fallen off from God and hast engaged his power and wrath against thee Yet know that of his abundant grace he doth offer to be thy God again in Christ. 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. What sayest thou man Wilt thou have the Lord for thy God Why take this counsel and thou shalt have him Come to him by his Christ Ioh. 14. 6. Renounce the idols of thine own pleasure gain Reputation â— 1 Thes. 1. 9. Let these be pulled out of the Throne and set Gods interest upermost in thine heart Take him as God to be chief in thine affection estimations intentions for he will not endure to have any set above him Rom. 1. 25. Psal. 73. 25. In a word thou must take him in all his Personal relations and in all his essential perfections First In all his personal relations God the Father must be taken for thy Father Ier. 3. 4. 19. 22. O come to him with the Prodigal Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and am not worthy to be called thy Son but since of thy wonderful mercy thou art pleased to take me that am of my self a dog a swine a devil to be thy child I solemnly take thee for my Father I commend my self to thy care and trust to thy providence and cast my burden on thy shoulders I depend on thy provision and submit to thy corrections and trust under the shadow of thy wings and hide in thy chambers and fly to thy name I renounce all confidence in my self I repose my confidence in thee I depose my concernments with thee I will be with thee and for no other Again God the Son must be taken for thy Saviour for thy redeemer and righteousness Iohn 1. 2. He must be accepted as the only way to the Father and the only means of life Heb. 7. 25. O then put off the rayment of thy captivity on with the wedding garment and go and marry thy self to Jesus Christ. Lord I am thine and all that I have my body my soul my name my estate I send a bill of divorse to my other lovers I give my heart to thee I will be â—hine undividedly thine everlastingly I will set thy name on all I have and use it only as thy goods as thy loan during thy leave resigning all to thee I will have no King but thee reign thou over me Other Lords have had dominion over me but now I will make mention of thy name only and do here take an oath of fealty to thee promising and vowing to serve and love and fear thee above all competitors I disavow mine own righteousness and despair of ever being pardoned and saved for mine own duties or graces and lean only on thine all-sufficient sacrifice and intercession for pardon and life and acceptance before God I take thee for mine only guid and instruction resolving to be led and directed by thee and to wait for thy counsel and that thine shall be the casting voice with me Lastly God the Spirit must be taken for thy sanctifier Rom. 8. 9 14. Gal. 5. 16 18. for thine Advocate thy Counsellor thy Comforter the teacher of thine ignorance the pledge and earnest of thine inheritance Rom. 8. 26. Psal. 73. 24. Iohn 14. 16. Eph. 1. 14. Iohn 14. 26. Eph. 4. 30. Awake thou Northwind and come thou South and blow upon my Garden Cant. 4. 16. Come thou Spirit of the most high here is a house for thee here is a Temple for thee Here do thou rest for ever dwell here and rest here Lo I give up the possâ—ssion to thee full possession I send thee the keys of my heart that all may be for thy use that thou maist put thy goods thy graces into every room I give up the use of all to thee that every faculty and every member may be thine instrument to work righteousness and do the will of my Father which is in Heaven Secondly In all his essential perfections Consider how the Lord hath revealed himself to you in his word will you take him as such a God O sinner here 's the blessedst news that ever came to the sons of men The Lord will be thy God Gen. 7. 17. Rev. 21. 3. if thou wilt but close with him in his excellencies Wilt thou have the merciful the gracious the sin-pardoning God to be thy God O yes saith the sinner I am undone else But he further tells thee I am the holy and sin-hating God If thou wilt be owned as one of my people thou must be holy 1 Pet. 1. 16. holy in heart holy in life Thou must put away all thine iniquities be they never so near never so natural never so necessary to the maintaining thy fleshly interest Unless thou wilt be at defiance with sin I cannot be thy God Cast out the leven put away the evil of thy doings cease to do evil learn to do well or else I can have nothing to do with thee Esay 1. 16 17 18. Bring forth mine enemies or there is no peace to be had with me What doth thine heart answer Lord I desire to have thee as such a God I desire to be holy as thou are holy to be made partaker of thy holiness I love thee not only for thy goodness and mercy but for thy holiness and thy purity I take thy holiness for my happiness Oh! be to me a fountain of holiness set on me the stamp and impress of thy holiness I will thankfully part with all my sins at thy command My willful sins I do forthwith forsake and for
give me thy Holy Laws as the rule of my Life and the way in which I should walk to thy Kingdom I do here willingly put my Neck under thy Yoak and set my shoulder to thy burden and subscribing to all thy Laws as holy just and good I solemnly take them as the rule of my words thoughts and actions promising that though my flesh contradict and rebel yet I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction and will not allow my self in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty Only because through the frailty of my flesh I am subject to many failings I am bold humbly to protest That unallowed miscarriages contrary to the setled bent and resolution of my heart shall not make void this Covenant for so thou hast said Now Almighty God searcher of hearts thou knowest that I make this Covenant with thee this day without any known guile or reservation beseeching thee that if thou espiest any flaw or falshood therein thou wouldst discover it to me and help me to do it aright And now Glory be to thee O God the Father whom I shall be bold from this day forward to look upon as my God and Father that ever thou shouldst find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners Glory be to thee O God the Son who hast loved me and washed me from my sins in thine own Blood and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer Glory be to thee O God the Holy Ghost who by the finger of thine Almighty Power hast turned about my Heart from Sin to God O dreadful Iehovah the Lord God Omnipotent Father Son and Holy Ghost thou art now become my Covenant-friend and I through thine infinite Grace am become thy Covenant-servant Amen So be it And the Covenant which I have made on Earth let it be ratified in Heaven The Authors advice THis Covenant I advise you to make not only in Heart but in Word not only in Word but in Writing and that you would with all possible reverence spread the Writing before the Lord as if you would present it to him as your Act and Deed. And when you have done this set your hand to it Keep it as a Memorial of the Solemn Transactions that have passed between God and you that you may have recourse to it in Doubts and Temptations Dir. XI Take heed of delaying thy Conversion and set upon a speedy and present turning I made haste and delayed not Psal. 119. 59. Remember and tremble at the sad instance of the foolish Virgins that came not till the door of mercy was shut Mat. 25. and of a convinced Felix that put of Paul to another season and we never find that he had such a season more Acts 24. 25. O come in while it 's called to day leâ—t thou shouldst be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin lest thy day of Grace should be over and the things that belong to thy peace should be hid from thine eyes Now mercy is wooing of thee Now Christ is waiting to be gracious to thee and the Spirit of God is striving with thâ—e Now Ministers are calling now Conscience is stirring now the Market is open and Oyl may be had thou hast opportunity for the buying Now Christ is to be had for the taking Oh! strike in with the offers of Grace Oh! now or never If thou make light of this offer God may swear in his wrath thou shalt never tast of his Supper Luk. 14. 24. Dir. XII Attend conscientiously upon the word as the means appointed for thy Conversion James 1. 18 19. 1 Cor. 4. 15. Attend I say not customarily but conscientiously with this desire design hope and expectation that thou maist be converted by it Every Sermon thou hearest come with this thought Oh I hope God will now come in I hope this day may be the time this may be the man by whom God will bring me home When thou art coming to the Ordinances lift up thine heart thus to God Lord let this be the Sabbath let this be the season wherein I may receive renewing Grace Oh let it be said that to day such a one was born unto thee Object Thou wilt say I have been long a hearer of the word and yet it hath not been effectual to my conversion Ans. Yea but thou hast not attended upon it in this manner as a means of thy Conversion nor with this design nor praying for and expecting of this happy effect of it Dir. XIII Strike in with the Spirit when he begins to work upon thy heart When he works convictions O do not stifle them but joyn in with him and beg the Lord to carry on convictions to Conversion Quench not the Spirit do not out-strive him do not resist him Beware of putting out convictions by evil company or worldly business When thou findest any troubles for sin and fears about thine eternal State bâ—g of God that they may never leave thee till they have wrought off thy heart throughly from sin and wrought it over to Jesus Christ. Say to him Strike home Lord leave not the work in the midst If thou seest that I am not yet wounded enough that I am not troubled enough wound me yet deeper Lord. O go to the bottom of my corruptions let out the life blood of my sins Thus yield up thy self to the workings of the Spirit and hoise thy sails to his gusts Dir. XIV Set upon the constant and diligent use of serious and fervent prayer He that neglects prayer is a prophane and unsanctified sinner Iob. 15. 4. He that is not constant in prayer is but an hypocrite Iob 27. 10. unless the omission be contrary to his ordinary course under the force of some instant temptation This is one of the first things Conversion appears in that it sets men on praying Acts 9. 11. Therefore set to this duty Let never a day pass over thee wherein thou hast not morning and evening set apart some time for set and solemn prayer in secret Call thy family also together daily and duly to worship God with thee Wo be unto thee if thine be found amongst the families that call not on Gods name Ier. 10. 25. But cold and lifeless devotions will not reach half way to Heaven Be servent and importunate Importunity will carry it But without violence the Kingdom of Heaven will not be taken Mat. 11. 12. Thou must strive to enter Luke 13. 24. and wrestle with tears and supplications as Iacob if thou meanest to carry the blessing Gen. 32. 24. comp with Hos. 12. 4. Thou art undone for ever without grace and therefore thou must put to it and resolve to take no denyal That man that is fixed in this resolution Well I must have Grace and I will never give over till I have a grace and I wiâ—â— never leave seeking and waiting and striving with God and mine own heart till he do
to take up with present reproach and poverty if it lie in thy way to Heaven and to follow the Lord with humble self-denial in a mortified and flesh-displeasing life if so all is thine and that for ever And art not thou fairly offered Is it not pity but he should be damned that will needs go on and perish when all this may be had for the taking In a word wilt thou now close with these proffers Wilt thou take God at his word Wilt thou let go thy hold-fast of the world and rid thy hands of thy sins and lay hold on eternal life If not let conscience tell thee whether thou â—rt not distracted or bewitched that thou shouldest neglect so happy a choice by which thou mightest be made for ever 3. God will settle unspeakable priviledges at present upon thee 1 Cor. 3. 22. Heb. 12. 22 23 24. Though the full of your blessedness shall be deferred till hereafter yet God will give you no little thingâ— in hand He will redeem you from your thraldom Iohn 8. 36. He will pluck you from the paw of the Lyon Col. 1. 13. the serpent shall bruise your heel but you shall bruise his head Gen. 3. 15. He shall deliver you from the present evil world Gal. 1. 4. Prosperity shall not destroy you adversity shall not separate between him and you Rom. 8. 35 37 38. He will redeem you from the power of the grave Psal. 49. 15. and make the King of terrors a messenger of peace to you He will take out the curse from the Cross Psal. 119. 71. and make affliction the fining-pot the fan the physick to blow off the choff purifie the metal and purge the mind Dan. 12. 10. Esay 27. 9. He will save you from the arrests of the Law and turn the curse into a blessing to you Rom. 6. 14. Gal. 3. 14. He hath the keys of hell and death and shutteth that no man openeth Rev. 3. 7. 1. 18. and he will shut its mouth as once he did the Lions Dan. 6. 22. that you shall not be hurt of the second death Rev. 2. 11. But he will not only save you from misery but install you into unspeakable Prerogatives He will bestow himself upon you he will be a friend unto you and a father to you 2 Cor. 6. 18. he will be a Sun and a shield to you Psal. 84. 11. in a word he will be a God to you Gen. 17. 7. and what can be said more What you may expect that a God should do for you and be to you that he will be that he will do She that marries a Prince expects he should do for her like a Prince that she may live in suitable state and have an answerable dowry He that hath a King for his Father or friend expects that he should do for him like a King Alas the Kings and Monarchs of the earth so much above you are but like the painted butterflies amongst the rest of their kind or the fair coloured Palmer-worm amongst the rest of worms if compared with God As he doth infinitely exceed the glory and power of his glittering dust so he will beyond all proportion exceed in doing for his favourites what ever Princes can do for theirâ— He will give you grace and glory and withhold no good thing from you Psal. 84. 11. He will take you for his sons and daughters and make you heirs of his promises Heb. 6. 17. and establish his everlasting Covenant with you Ier. 32. 40. He will justifie you from all that Law Conscience Satan can charge upon you Rom. 8. 33 34. he will give you free access into his presence and accept your persons and receive your prayers Eph. 3. 12. Eph. 1. 6. 1. Ioh. 5. 14. He will abide in you and make you the men of his secrets and hold a constant and friendly communion with you Iohn 14. 23. Ioh. 15. 15. 1 Ioh. 1. 3. His ear shall be open his door open his store open at all times to you His blessing shall rest upon you and he will make your enemies to serve you and work about all things for good unto you Psal. 115. 13. Rom. 8. 28. 4. The terms of mercy are brought as low as possible to you God hath stooped as low to sinners as with honour he can He will not be thought a fautor of sin nor stain the glory of his holiness and whither could he come lower than he hath unless he should do this He hath abated the impossible terms of the first Covenant Ier. 3. 13. Mark 5. 36. Acts 16. 31. Acts 3. 19. Prov. 28. 13. He doth not impose any thing unreasonable or impossible as a condition of life upon you Two things were necessary to be done according to the tenour of the first Covenant by you 1. That you should fully satisfie the demands of Iustice for past offences 2. That you should perform personally perfectly and perpetually the whole Law for the time to come Both these are to us impossible Rom. 8. 3. But behold Gods gracious abatement in both He doth not stand upon satisfaction he is content to take of the surety and he of his own providing too what he might have exacted from you 2 Cor. 5. 19. he declares himself to have received a ranson Ioâ— 33. 24. 1 Tim. 2. 6. and that he expects nothing but that you should accept his Son and he shall be righteousness and redemption to you Iohn 1. 12. 1 Cor. 1. 30. And for the future obedience here he is content to yield to your weakness and to remit the rigour He doth not stand upon perfection as a condition of life though he still insists upon it as due but is content to accept of sincerity Gen. 17. 1. Prov. 11. 20. Though you cannot pay the full debt he will accept you according to that which you have and will take willing for doing and the purpose for the performance 2 Cor. 8. 12. 2 Chron. 6. 8. Heb. 11. 17. and if you come in his Christ and set your hearts to please him and make it the chief of your cares he will approve and reward you though the vessel be marred in your hands Oh consider your makers condescention Let me say to you as Naaman's servant to him My father if the Prophet had bid thee do some great thing wouldest thou not have done it how much rather when he saith unto thee wash and be clean 2 Kings 5. 13. If God had demanded some terrible some severe and rigorous thing of you to escape eternal damnation would you not have done it suppose it had been to spend all your days in sorrow in some howling Wilderness or pine your selves with famine or to offer the fruit of your bodies for the sin of your souls would you not have thankfully accepted eternal redemption though these had been the conditions Yea further if God should have told you you should have fryed in the fire for millions of ages or been
course you could wish that you were as some others be and could do as they can do How long will you rest in idle wishes and fruitless purposes when will you come to a fixed full and firm resolve Do not you see how Satan gulls you by tempting you to delays How long hath he toll'd you on in the way of perdition how many years have you been purposing to amend what if God should have taken you off this while Well put me not off with a dilatory answer Tell not me of hereafter I must have your present consent If you be not now resolved while the Lord is treating with you and woing of you much less are you like to be hereafter when these impressions are worn out and you are hardened through the deceitfulness of sin Will you give me your hands Will you set open the doors and give the Lord Jesus the full and present possession Will you put in your names into his Covenant Will you subscribe What do you resolve upon If you are still upon your delays my labour is lost and all is like to come to nothing Fain I would that you should now put in your adventures Come cast in your lot make your choice Now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation to day if you will hear his voice Why should not this be the day from whence thou shouldest be able to date thine happiness why shouldest thou venture a day longer in this dangerous and dreadful condition What if God should this night require thy soul O that thou mightest know in this thy day the things that belong unto thy peace before they be hid from thine eyes Luke 16. 42. This is thy day and 't is but a day Iohn 9. 4. Others have had their day and have received their doom and now art thou brought upon the stage of this world here to act thy part for a whole eternity Remember thou art now upon thy good behaviour for everlasting If thou make not a wise choice now thou art undone for ever Look what thy present choice is such must thine eternal condition be Luke 10. 42. Luke 16. 25. Prov. 1. 27 28 29. And is it true indeed is life and death at thy choice yea 't is as true as truth is Deut. 30. 19. why then what hinders but that thou shouldest be happy Nothing doth or can hinder but thine own wilful neglect or refusal It was the passage of the Eunuch to Philip See here is water what doth hinder me to be baptized So I may say to thee see here is Christ here is mercy pardon life what hinders but that thou shouldst be pardoned and saved One of the Martyrs as he was praying at the stake had his pardon set by in a box which indeed he refused deservedly because upon unworthy terms But here the terms are most honourable and easie O sinner wilt thou burn with thy pardon by Why do but forthwith give up thy consent to Christ renounce thy sins deny thy self take up the Yoak and the Cross and thou carriest the day Christ is thine pardon peace life blessedness all are thine and is not this an offer worth the embracing Why shouldst thou hesitate or doubtfully dispute about the case Is it not past controversie whether God be better than sin and glory better than vanity Why shouldst thou forsake thine own mercy and sin against thine own life When wilt thou shâ—ke off thy sloth and lay by thine excuses Boast not thy self of to morrow thou knowest not where this night may lodge thee Prov. 27. 1. Beloved now the holy Spirit is striving with you He will not always strive Hast thou not felt thy heart warmed by the word and been almost perswaded to leave off thy sins and come in to God Hast thou not felt some good motions in thy mind wherein thou hast been warned of thy danger and told what thy careless course would end in It may be thou art like young Samuel who when the Lord called once and again he knew not the voice of the Lord 1 Sam. 3. 6 7. but these motions and items are the offers and essays and the calls and strivings of the spirit O take the advantage of the tide and know the day of thy visitation Now the Lord Jesus stretcheth wide his arms to receive you He beseecheth you by us How movingly how meltingly how pitifully how passionately he calleth The Church is put into a sudden extasie upon the sound of his voice The voice of my beloved Cant. 2. 8. O wilt thou turn a deaf ear to his voice it is not the voice that breaketh the Ceders and maketh the mountains to skip like a Calf that shaketh the Wilderness and divideth the flames of fire it is not Sinai's Thunder but the soft and still voice It is not the voice of Mount Ebal a voice of cursing and terror but the voice of Mount Gerizim the voice of blessing and of glad tidings of good things It is not the voice of the Trumpet nor the noise of War but a message of peace from the King of peace Eph. 6. 15. 2. Cor. 5. 18 20. Methinks it should be with thee as with the spouse My soul failed when he spake Cant. 5. 6. I may say to thee O sinner as Martha to her sister The Master is come and he calleth for thee Iohn 11. 28. Oh now with Mary arise quickly and come unto him How sweet are his invitations He cryeth in the open concourse If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Iohn 7. 37. Prov. 1. 21. He broacheth his own body for thee Oh come and lay thy mouth to his side How free is he he excludeth none Whosoever with let him come and take the water of life freely Rev. 22. 17. Whoso is simple let him turn in hithâ—r Come eat of my bread drink of the wine which â— have mingled For sake the foolish and live Prov. 9. 4 5. 6. Come unto me c. Take my yoak upon you and learn of me and ye shall find rest unto your souls Mat. 11. 28 29. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Joh. 6. 37. How doth he bemoan the obstinate refuser O Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thy Children as a Hen guthereth her Chickens under hot wings and ye would not Mat. 23. 37. Behold me behold me I have stretched out my hands all the day to a rebellious people Esay 65. 1 2. O be perswaded now at last to throw your selves into the arms of love Behold O ye sons of men the Lord Jesâ—s hath thrown open the prisons and now he cometh to you as the Magistrates once to them Acts 16. 39. and bâ—â—eeâ—heth you to come out If it were from a Palace or a Paradise that Christ did call you it were no wonder if you were unwilling and yet how easily was Adam tolled from hence but it is from your prison sirs from your chains from the