also perswade thee to take hold of Life and go to Heaven take notice of these following Things 1. Consider that whatever thou canst do as to thy acceptance with God is not worth the dirt of thy shoes but is all as menstruous Rags Isa. 64. 6. 2. Consider that all the Conditions of the New Covenant as to Salvation are and have bin compleatly fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ and that for sinners 3. Consider That the Lord calls to thee for to receive whatsoever Christ hath done and that on free-cost Rev. 22. 17. 4. Consider That thou canst not honour God more than to close in with his proffers of Grace Mercy and Pardon of sin Rom. 4. Again That which will adde to all the rest Thou shalt have the very Mercy of GOD the Bloud of Christ the Preachers of the Word together with every Sermon all the Promises Invitations Exhortations and all the Counsels and Threatnings of the Blessed Word of God Thou shalt have all thy Thoughts Words and Actions together with all thy Food thy Rayment thy sleep thy Goods and also all hours days weeks Months and Years together with whatsoever else God hath given thee I say thy abuse of all these shall come up in Judgment against thy Soul For God will reckon with thee for every thing whether it be good or bad Eccles. 12. 14. 5. Nay farther it is so unreasonable a thing for a sinner to refuse the Gospel that the very Devils themselves will come in against thee as well as Sodom that Damned Crue May not they I say come in against thee and say O thou simple man O vile Wretch that had not so much care of thy Soul thy precious Soul as the Beast hath of his Young or the Dog of the very Bone that lyeth before him Was thy Soul worth so much and didst thou so little regard it Were the Thunder-Claps of the Law so terrible and didst thou so slight them Besides was the Gospel so freely so frequently so fully tendered to thee and yet hast thou rejected all these Things Hast thou valued sin at a higher rate than thy soul than God Christ Angels Saints and Communion with them in Eternal Blessedness and Glory Wast thou not told of Hell-fire those intollerable flames Didst thou never hear of the intollerable Roarings of the Damned Ones that are therein Didst thou never hear or read that â—oleful saying in the 16. of Luke how the sinful man cries out among the flames One drop of water to cool my tongue Thus I say may the very Devils being ready to go with thee into the Burning Furnace of Fire and Brimstone though not for sins of so high a nature as thine trembling say Oh that Christ had died for Devils as he died for Man And Oh that the Gospel had bin preached to us as it hath bin to thee How would we have laboured to have closed in with it But woe be to us for we might never have it proffered no nor in the least though we would have been glad of it But you you have had it proffered preached and proclaimed unto you Prov. 8. 4. Besides you have been intreated and beseeched to accept of it but you would not O simple Fools that might have escaped Wrath Vengeance Hell-fire and that to all Eternity and had no heart at all to do it 6. May not the Messengers of Jesus Christ also come in with a shrill and terrible Note against thy Soul when thou standest at the Bar of God's Justice saying Nay Thou ungodly one how often hast thou been forewarned of this day Did we not found an Alarum in thine Ears by the Trumpet of God's Word day after day How often didst thou hear us tell thee of these Things Did we not tell thee sin would damn thy Soul Did we not tell thee that without Conversion there was no Salvation Did we not tell thee that they who loved their sinnes should be damned at this dark and gloomy day as thou art like to be Yet did we not tell thee that God out of his love to sinners sent Christ to die for them that they might by coming to him be saved Did we not tell thee of these Things Did we not run ride labour and strive abundantly if it might have been for the good of thy Soul though now a damned Soul Did we not venture our Goods our Names our Lives Yea did we not even kill our selves with our earnest intreatings of thee to consider of thine Estate and by Christ to escape this dreadful day O sad doom when thou shalt be forced full sore against thy will to fall under the Truth of this Judgment saying O how have I hated Instruction and how hath my heart despised Reproof for indeed I have not obeyed the voice of my Teachers nor inclined mine Ear to them that instructed me Prov 5. 11 12 13. 7. May not thy Father thy Mother thy Brother thy Sister thy Friend c. appear with gladness against thee at the terrible day Saying Oh thou silly Wretch How rightly hath God met with thee O how righteously doth his Sentence pass upon thee Remember thou would'st not be ruled nor perswaded in thy Life-time As thou didst not care for us and our Admonitions then so neither do we care for thy Ruine Terror and Damnation now No but we will stand on God's side in sentencing of thee to that portion which the Devils must be partakers of The Righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the Vengeance he shal wash his foot in the bloud of the wicked Psal. 58. 10. O sad it is enough to make Mountains tremble and the Rocks to rend in pieces to hear this doleful sound Consider these Things and if thou would'st be loth to be in this condition then have a care of living in sin now How loth wilt thou be to be thrust away from the Gates of Heaven and how loth wilt thou be to be deprived of the Mercy of God How willingly wilt thou set foot forward towards the Lake of Fire Never did Malefactor so unwillingly turn off the Ladder when the Halter was about his Neck as thou wilt turn from God to the Devil from Heaven to Hell when the Sentence is passed upon thy Soul Oh how wilt thou sigh and groan How willingly would'st thou hide thy self and run away from Justice But alas as it is with them that are on the Ladder ready to be executed so it will be with thee They would fain run away but there are many Halberd-men to stay them And so the Angels of God will beset thee round I say round on every side so that thou may'st indeed look but run thou canst not Thou mayst wish thy self under some great Rock or Mountain Rev. 6. 15 16. but how to get under thou know'st not Oh how unwilling wilt thou be to let thy Father go to Heaven without thee thy Mother or Friends c. go to Heaven without thee How willingly would'st thou hang
thou O thou wanton proud swearing lying ungodly Wretch whether this be to be slighted and made a mock at And again tell me now if it be not better to leave sin and to close in with Christ Jesus notwithstanding that Reproach thou shalt meet with for so doing than to live a little while in this World in pleasures and feeding thy Luâ—â—s in neglecting the welfare of thy Soul and refusing to be justified by Jesus and in a moment to drop down to Hell and to cry O consider I say consider betâ—â—es and put not off the Tenders of the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ lest you lift up your Eyes in Hell and cry for anguish of Spirit And he cryed and said Father Abraham have mercy upon me and send Lazarus c. These words do not oâ—â—â—â—â—old forth the lamentable Condition of the Damned and their lamentable howling and crying one under their anguish of spirit but also they do signifie to us as I said before their too late Repentance and also that they would very willingly if they might be set at liberty from that everlasting â—â—â—ery that by their sins they have plunged themselves into I say these words do hold forth a desire that the Damned have to be delivered from those Torments that they now are in O Father Abraham saith he have mercy upon me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my Tongue for I am torâ—â—â—ted in this flame These words Father Abraham may have some difficulty in them It is possible that some may think them to be meant of Abraham and those or him that ctieth out here to be the Jews Or it may be some may understand it to be GOD or Jesus Christ his Son which I rather suppose it may be that is here cried out unto because you find the same Cry to him as it were uttered by the ungodly in other places of the Scripture as in Luke 13. vers 25 26. Then shall they say Lord Lord we have eat and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets Nay more In thy Name have we cast out Devils and in thy Name done many wonderful Works This was just at their rejection And again in Matth. 25. 11. They cry again to him even to Jesus Lord Lord open to us And he there again gives them a Repulse as also in this Parable But however or whosoever Abraham is yet these Truths may be observed from the words 1. That the Damned when in an irrecoverable estate will seek for or desire deliverance from the Wrath that they are and shall be in for Eternity Surely in the Floud of great Waters they shall not come nigh unto him 2. That they will pray if I may so call it earnestly for deliverance from their miserable estate These two Things are clear from the words For mark He not onely said Father Abraham have mercy upon me But he cried and said Father Abraham have mercy on me From whence take a third observation and that is There is a time coming wherein though men shall both cry and pray yet they are like to have no mercy at the Hands of God for so was this man served as I shall further shew by and by when I come to it Some People are so deluded by the Devil as to think that God is so merciful as to own or regard any thing for prayer They think any thing will go for currant and good satisfaction while they are here in this World through ignorance of the true nature of the Mercy of GOD and the knowledge in what way God is satisfied for Sinners Now I say through ignorance they think that if they do but mutter over some form of prayers though they know not what they say not what they request yet God is satisfied yea very well satisfied with their doings when alas there is nothing less O Friends I beseech you to look about you and seek in good earnest for the Spirit of Christ so to help you now â—o strive and pray and to inable you to lay hold of Christ that your Souls may be saved lest the time come that though you cry and pâ—ay and wish also that you â—ad â—â—â—d hold on the Lord Jesus yet you must and shall be damned Then 〈…〉 thâ—â— though God be willing to save Sinners at some time yet this time doâ—h not always lâ—st No he that can find in his 〈◊〉 to turn hiâ— back upon Jesus Christ now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon him hereafter when he may cry and pray for mercy and yet go without it God will have a time to meet with them that now do not seek after him They shall have a time yea time enough hereafter to repent their Folly and to befool themselves for turning their backs upon the Lord Jesus Christ. I will laugh at their Calamities saith he and mock when their fear cometh Prov. 1. 26 27. Again this should admonish us to take time while it is proffered leâ—t we repent us of our unbelief and Rebellion when we are deprived of it Ah Friends Time is precious an hours time to hear a Sermon is precious I have sometimes thought thus with my self Set the case the Lord should send two or three of his Servants the Ministers of the Gospel to Hell among the Damned with this Commission Go ye to Hell and preach my Grace to those that are there Let your Sermon be an hour long and hold forth the Merits of my Sons Birth Righteousness Death Resurrection Ascension and Intercession with all my Love in him and proffer it to them telling them that now once more and but once do I proffer the means of Reconciliation to them They who are now roaring being past hope would then leap at the least proffer of Mercy Oh they that could spend whole Days Weeks nay Years in rejecting the Son of God would now be glad of one Tender of that Mercy Father saith he have mercy on me Again from these words you may observe that Mercy will be welcome when Souls are under Judgment Now his Soul is in the fire now he is under the Wrath of God now he is in Hell there to be tormented now he is with the Devils and damned Spirits now he feels the Vengeance of God Now oh now have mercy on me Here you may see that Mercy is prized by them that are in Hell they would be glad if they could have it Father have Mercy on me For my poor Souls sake send me a little Mercy And send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my Tongue These words do not onely hold forth that the ungodly have a desire of Mercy but what those Mercies are that these poor Creatures would be glad of As first To have the company of a Lazarus granted to them Father Abraham have mercy upon me and send Lazarus Now Lazarus was he that was beloved of God and also
the Lord will sit still as I may say and let thy Tongue run as it lists and yet never bring you to an account for the same No stay The Lord will not alwayes keep silence but will reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thine eyes O sinner Yea and thy Tongue together with the rest of thy members shall be tormented for sinning And I say I am very confident that though this be made light of now yet the time is coming when many poor souls will rue the day that ever they did speak with a tongue O will one say that I should so disregard my tongue O that I when I said so and so had before bitten off my tongue that I had been born without a tongue my tongue my tongue a little water to cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame even that flame that my tongue together with the rest of my members by sinning have brought me to Poor Souls now will let their tongues say any thing for a little profit for two pence or three pence gain But O what a grief will this be at that day when they together with their tongue must smart for that which they by their tongues have done while they were in this world Then you that love your souls look to your tongues lest you bind your selves down so fast to hell with the sins of your tongues that you will never be able to get loose again to all eternity For by thy words thou shalt be condemned if thou have not a care of thy tongu For I say unto you that for every idle word that men shall speak he shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment Matth. 1â— 36. Verse 25. But Abraham said Son remember that thou in thy life-time hadst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evill things now he is comforted and thou art tormented THese words are the answer to the request of the damned The Verse before as I told you is a discovery of the desires they have after they depart this world Here is the answer Son Remember c. The answer signifies thus much That instead of having any relief or ease they are hereby the more tormented and that by fresh recollections or by bringing afresh their former ill-spent life while in the world into their remembrance Son Remember thou hadst good things in thy life-time As much as if he had said Thou art now sensible what it is to lose thy Soul thou art now sensible what it is to put off repentance thou art now sensible that thou hast befooled thy self in that thou didst spend that time in seeking after outward momentary earthly things which thou shouldest have spent in seeking to make Jesus Christ sure to thy soul and now through thy anguish of spirit in the pains of hell thou wouldst enjoy that which in former time thou didst make light of but alas thou art here beguiled and altogether disappointed thy crying will now avail thee nothing at all This is not the acceptable time 2 Cor. 6. 2. This is not a time to answer the desires of damned Reprobates If thou hadst cryed out in good earnest while grace was offered much might have been but then thou wert careless and didst turn the forbearance and goodness of God into wantonness wert thou not told that these who would not hear the Lord when he did call should not be heard if they turned away from him when they did call Prov. 1. 24. to 28. But contrariwise he would lough at their calamity and mock when their fear did come Now therefore instead of expecting the least drop of mercy and favour call into thy mind how thou didst spend those days which God did permit thee to live I say remember that in thy life-time thou didst behave thy self rebelliously against the Lord in that thou wert careless of his Word and Ordinances yea and of the welfare of thine own soul also therefore now I say instead of expecting or hoping for any relief thou must be forced to call to remembrance thy filthy waies and feed upon them to thine everlasting astonishment and confusion From these words therefore which say Remember that thou in thy life time hadst thy good things There are these things to be taken notice of 1. They that by putting off repentance and living in their sins lose their souls shall instead of having the least measure of comfort when they come into hell have their ill-spent life alwayes very fresh in their remembrance While they live here they can sin and forget it but when they depart they shall have it before them they shall have a remembrance or their memory notably enlightened and a clearer and a continual sight of all their wicked practices that they wrought and did while they were in the World Son remember saith he then you will be made to remember 1. How you were born in sin and brought up in the same 2. Remember how thou hadst many a time the Gospel preached to thee for taking away of the same by him whom the Gospel doth hold forth 3. Remember that out of love to thy sins and lusts thou didst turn thy back on the tenders of the same Gospel of good tidings and peace 4. Remember that the reason why thou didst lose thy Soul was because thou didst not close in with free grace and the tenders of a loving and freehearted Jesus Christ. 5. Remember how near thou wast to turning at such and such a time only thou wast willing to give way to thy lusts when they wrought to drunkards when they called to pleasures when they proffered themselves to the cares and incumbrances of the world which like so many thorns did choak that or those convictions that were set on thy heart 6. Remember how willing thou wast to satisfy thy self with an Hypocrites hope and with a notion of the things of God without the real power and life of the same 7. Remember how thou when thou wert admonished to turn didst put off turning and repeâ—â—ng till another time 8. Remember how thou didst dissemble at such â— time â—â—e at such a time cheat thy neighbour at such a time mock slout scoff taunt hate persecute the people of God at such a time in such a place among such company 9. Remember that while others were met together in the fear of the Lord to seek him thou wast met with a company of vain companions to sin against him while the Saints were a praying thou were a cursing while they were speaking good of the name of God thou wert speaking evil of the Saints of God O then thou shalt have a scalding hot remembrance of all thy sinful thoughts words and actions from the very first to the last of them that ever thou didst commit in all thy life time Then thou wilt find that Scripture to be a truth Deut. 28. 65 66 67. The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart and failing of eyes and
in thy Life-time For if in this life onely we have our portion we are of all people the most miserable â— Cor. 15. 19. Again consider that when other men the Saints are to receive their good things then thou hast had thine When others are to enter into joy then thou art to leave and depart from thy joy When others are to go to God thou must go to the Devil Oh miserable thou hadst better thou hadst never been born than to be an Heir of such a portion Therefore I say have a care it be not thy condition Remember that thou hadst thy good things and Lazarus evil things These words do not onely hold forth the misery of the Wicked in this Life but also great consolation to the Saints where he saith And Lazarus evil things That is Lazarus had his Evil Things in his Life-time or when he was in the World From whence observe 1. That the Life of the Saints so long as they are in this World is attended with many Evils or Afflictions which may be discovered to be of divers Natures as saith the Scripture Many are the troubles of the Righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of all 2. Take notice that the Afflictions or Evils that accompany the Saints may continue with them their Life-time so long as they live in this Vale of Tears Yea and they may be divers that is of several sorts some outward some inward and that as long as they shall continue here below as hath been the Experience of all Saints in all Ages and this might be proved at large but I onely hint in these Things although I might enlarge much upon them 3. The Evils that do accompany the Saints will continue with them no longer than their Life-time and here indeed lies the comfort of Believers the Lazarus's the Saints they must have all their bitter Cup wrung out to them in their Life-time Here must be all their Trouble here must be all their Grief Behold saith Christ the World shall rejoyce but you shall lament but your mourning shall mark it shall be turned into joy Joh. 16. 2. You shall lament you shall be sorrowful you shall weep in your Life-time but your sorrow shall be turned into joy and your joy no man let him be what he will no man shall take away from you Now if you think when I say the Saints have all their Evil Things in their Life-time that I mean they have nothing else but Trouble in this their Life-time this is your mistake For let me test you That though the Saints have all their Evil Things in their Life-time yet even in their Life-time they have also joy unspeakable and full of glory while they look not at the things that are seen but at the things which are not seen The joy that the Saints have sometimes in their hearts by a believing consideration of the good Things to come when this Life is ended doth fill them fuller of joy than all the Crosses Troubles Temptations and Evils that accompany them in this Life can fill them with grief 2 Cor. 4. But some Saint may say My troubles are such as are ready to overcome me Answ. Yet be of good comfort they shall last no longer than thy Life-time But my Trouble is I am perplexed with an heart full of corruption and sin so that I am much hindred in walking with God Answ. 'T is like so but thou shalt have these Troubles no longer than thy Life-time But I have a cross Husband and that 's a great grief to me Well but thou shalt be troubled with him no longer than thy Life-time and therefore be not dismaid be not discomforted thou shalt have no Trouble longer than this Life-time Art thou troubled with cross Children cross Relations cross Neighbours They shall trouble thee no longer than this Life-time Art thou troubled with a cunning Devil with unbelief yea let it be what it will thou shalt take thy farewel of them all if thou be a Believer after thy Life-time is ended O excellent Then God shall wipe away all Tears from your Eyes There shall be no more Death nor Sorrow nor crying nor any more pain for the former Things are passed away But now on the contrary if thou be not a right and sound Believer Then though thou should'st live a Thousand Years in this World and meet with sore Afflictions every day Yet these Afflictions be they never so great and grievous they are nothing to that Torment that will come upon thee both in Soul and in Body after this Life is ended I say be what thou wilt if thou be found in unbelief or under the first Covenant thou art sure to smart for it at the time when thou dost depart this World But the Thing to be lamented is For all this is so sad a condition to be fallen into yet poor Souls are for the most part sensless of it yea so sensless at sometimes as though there was no such misery to come hereafter Because the Lord doth no immediately strike with his Sword but doth bear long with his Creature waiting that he might be gracious Therefore I say the Hearts of some of the Sons of Men are wholly set upon it to do mischief Eccles. 8. 11. And that forbearance and goodness of God that one would think should lead them to Repentance the Devil hardening of them by their continuing in sin and by blinding their Eyes as to the end of God's forbearance toward them they are led away with a very hardned and sensless heart even until they drop into Eternal Destruction But poor hearts they must have a time in which they must be made sensible of their former Behaviours when the just Judgments of the Lord shall flame about their Ears insomuch that they shall be made to cry out again with anguish I am sorely tormented in this flame But now he is comforted and thou art tormented As if he should say Now hath God recompenced both Lazarus and you according to what you sought after while you were in this World As for your part you did neglect the precious Mercy and goodness of God you did turn your Back on the Son of God that came into the World to save sinners You made a Mock of preaching the Gospel You was admonished over and over to close in with the loving kindness of the Lord in his Son Jesus Christ. The Lord let you live 20 30 40 50 60 Years all which time you instead of spending it to make your Calling and Election sure Job 21. 29 30. did spend it in making of Eternal Damnation sure to thy Soul And also Lazarus he in his Life-time did make it his business to accept of my Grace and Salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. When thou wast in the Alehouse he frequented the Word preached when thou wert jearing at goodness he was sighing for the sins of the times Eccles. 9. 4. While thou wert swearing he was praying In
so freely profered to thee a little ground a few Oxen a Farm a Wife a two penny matter a Play nay the fear of a mock a scoff or a jeer is of greater weight to draw thee back than the Salvation of thy Soul to draw thee forward 7. And thou hast heard that Whosoever will be a friend of the World is the enemy of God Jam. 4. 4. But thou regardest not these things but contrariwise rather then thou wilt be out of the friendship and favour of this world thou wilt sin against thine own Conscience and get thy self inâ—o favour by fawning and flattering of the world Yea rather then thou wilt go without it thou wilt dissemble lye backbite thy Neighbour and an hundred other tricks thou wilt have 8. You have heard that the day of Judgement is near in which you and I all of us must appear before the Tribunal of Jesus Christ and there be made to give an account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead even of all that ever we did yea of all our sins in thought word and deed and shall certainly be damned for them too if we close not in with our Lord Jesus Christ and what he hath done and suffered for eternal life and that not notionally or traditionally but really and savingly in the power and by the operation of the spirit through faith Eccles. 11. 9. 12. 14. Heb. 9. 27. Acts 10. 42 Acts 17. 30 31. 2 Cor. 5. 10. Rev. 20. 12. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the Books There is the Book of the Creatures the Book of Conscience the Book of the Lords Remembrance the Book of the Law the Book of the Gospel Rom. 1. 20. compared with Rom. 2. 12. 15. Rev. 6. ver 19. Joh. 12. 48. Then shall he separate them one from another as a Shepherd divideth his Sheep on his right hand and the Goats on his left Mat. 25. 30 31 32. And shall say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed vers 34. But to the other go or depart ye cursed ver 41. Yet notwithstanding the Scriptures do so plainly plentifully speak of these things alas who is there that is weaned from the world and from their siâ—s and pleasures to fly from the wrath to come Mat. 3. 7. notwithstanding the Scripture saith also That Heaven and Earth shall pass away rather than one jot or one tittle of the word shall shall fail till all be fulfilled they are so certain Luke 21. 37. But leaving the threatnings let us come to the promises and speak somewhat of them and you may see how light men make of them and how little they set by them notwithstanding the mouth of the Lord hath spoken them As first Turn ye fools ye scorners ye simple ones at my reproof and behâ—ld I will pour out my spirit unto you Prov. 1. 24. And yet persons had rather be in their foolishness and scorning still and had rather imbrace some filthy lust then the holy undesiled and blessed Spirit of Christ thorow the promise though by it as many as receive it are sealed unto the day of redemption Eph. 4. 30. And although he that lives and dies without it is none of Christs Rom. 8. 9. 2. God hath said If thou do but come to him in Christ though your sins be as red as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow and he will by no meanes cast thee away compare Isa. 1. 18. with Joh. 6. â—7 yet poor souls will not come to Christ that they might have life Joh. 5. 41. but rather after their hardness and impenitent heart treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2. 4 5 6. 3. Christ Jesus hath said in the word of truth That if any man will serve and follow him Where he is there shall also his servant be Joh. 12. 26. but yet poor souls choose rather to follow sin Satan and the world though their companions be the devils and damned souls for ever Mat. 25. 41. 4. He hath also said Seek first the Kingdom of God and all other things shall be added But let who so will seek after the Kingdom of Heaven first for them For they will take the first time while time serves to get the things of this life And if it be so that they must needs seek after Heaven or else be damned they will stay till they have more leisure or till they can better attend to it or till they have other things handsome about them or till they are older when they have little else to do or when they come to be sick and to die Then Lord have mercy upon them though it be ten thousand to one but they perish for ever For commonly the Lord hath this way to deal with such sinners who put him off when he is striâ—â—â—â— with them either to laugh at their calamity and mâ—â—k when their fear cometh Prov. 1. 26. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 send them to the gods they have served which are the devils Judg. 10. 13. 14. Go to the gods you have served and let them deliver you saith he compare this with Joh. 8. 44. 5. He hath said There is no man that forsaketh Father or Mother Wife or Children or Lands for his sake and the Gospels but shall have an hundred fâ—lâ— in this world with persecution and in the world to come life everlasting Mark 10. 29 30. But men for the most part are so far off from believing the certainty of this that they will scarce lose the earning of a penny to hear the word of God the Gospel of salvation Nay they will neither go themselves nor suffer others to go if they can help it without threatning to do them a mischief if it lie in their way Nay further many are so far from parting from any worldly gun for Christs sake and the Gospels that they are still striving by hook and by crook as we say by swearing lying cousening stealing covetousness extortion oppression forgery bribery flâ—ttery or any other way to get more though they get together with these death wrath damnation hell the devil and all the plagues that God can pour upon them And if any do not run with them to the same excess of riot but rather for all their threats will be so bold and careless as they call it as to follow the wayes of God if they can do no more yet they will whet their tongues like a Sword to wound them and do them the greatest mischief they can both in speaking against them to neighbours to Wives to Husbands to Landlords and raising false Reports of them But let such take heed lost they be in such a state and woful condition as he was in who said
own Terms and close with him effectually God hath promised yea made many Promises that thy Soul shall be conducted safe to glory and shall for certain escape all the evils that I have told thee of I and many more then I can imagine Do but search the Scriptures and see how full of consolation they are to a poor Soul that is minded to close in with Jesus Christ. He that cometh to me saith Christ I will in no wise cast out Though he be an old sinner I will in no wise cast him out Mark in no wise though he be a great sinner I will in no wise cast him out if he come to me Though he have slighted me never so many times and not regarded the welfare of his own Soul yet let him now come to me and notwithstanding this I will in no wise cast him out nor throw away his Soul John 6. 37. Again saith the Apostle Now Mark now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation Now here is mercy good store now Gods heart is open to sinners now he will make you welcome now he will receive any body if they do but come to Christ. He that comes to me saith Christ I will in no wise cast out And why Because now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6. 2 3. As if the Apostle had said If you will have mercy have it now receive it now close in with it now God hath a certain day to hold out his grace to sinners Now is the time now is the day 'T is true there is a day of damnation but this is a day of Salvation There is a day coming wherein sinners must cry to the Mountains to fall on them to the Hills to cover them from the wrath of God but now now is the day in which he doth hold out his grace There is a day a coming in which you will not be admitted to have the priviledge of one drop of water to cool your tongue if now I say if now you slight his grace and goodness which he holds out to you Ah friends consider there is now hopes of mercy but then there will not now Christ holds forth mercy unto you but then he will not Mat. 7. 23. Now there are his Servants that do beseech you to accept of his grace but if thou lose the opportunity that is put into thine hand thou thy self mayst beseech hereafter and no mercy be given thee And he cryed and said Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue And there was none given Therefore let it never be said of thee as it will be said of some Why is there a price put into the hand of a fool seeing he hath no heart to it Seeing he hath no heart to make a good use of it Prov. 17. 16. consider therefore with thy self and say It is better going to Heaven then Hell it is better to be saved than damned it is better to be with Saints than with damned souls and to go to God is better than to go to the Devill Therefore seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Isa. 55. 6. Lest in thy trouble he leave thee to thy self and say unto thee plainly Where I am thither ye cannot come Joh. 8. 21. O if they that are in Hell might but now again have one such invitation as this how would they leap for joy I have thought sometimes should God send but one of his Ministers to the damned in Hell and give him Commission to preach the free love of God in Christ extended to them and held out to them if now while it is profered to them they will accept of his kindness O how welcome would they make this news and close in with it on any tearms Certainly they would say we will accept of grace on any tearms in the World and thank you too though it cost life and limbs to boot we will spare no cost nor charge if mercy may be had But poor souls while they live here they will not part from sin with hell-bred devilish sin No they will rather lose their souls then lose their filthy sins But friend thou wilt change thy note before it be long and cry O simple wretch that I am that I should damn my soul by sin 'T is true I have had the Gospel preached to me and have been invited in I have been preached to and have been warned of this but how have I hated instruction and mine heart despised reproof I have not obâ—yed the voice of my teachers nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me Prov. 5. 10 11. O therefore I say poor soul Iâ— there hope then lay thine hand upon thy mouth and kiss the dust and close in with the Lord Jesus Christ and make much of his glorious mercy and invite also thy companions to close in with the same Lord Jesus Christ â—est one of you do go to Hell before-hand and expect with grief of heart your companions to come after And in the mean time with anguish of heart do siâ—h and say O send him to my companions and let him testifie to them lest they also come into this place of torment Now then from what hath been said there might many things be spoken by way of Use and Application But I shall be very brief and but touch some things and so wind up And first I shall begin with the sad condition of those that die out of Christ and speak something to that Secondly to the latter end of the Parable which more evidently concerns the Scripture and speak somewhat to that 1. Therefore you see that the former part of the Parable contains a sad declaration of the state of one living and dying out of Christ how that they lose Heaven for Hell God for the Devil light for darkness joy for sorrow 2. How that they have not so much as the least comfort from God who in the time they live here below neglect coming to him for mercy not so much as one drop of cold water 3. That such souls will repent of their folly when repentance will do them no good or when they shall be past recovery 4. That all the comfort such souls are like to have they have iâ— in this world 5. That all their groanings and sighs will not move God to mitigate in the least his heavy hand of vengeance that is upon them for the transgressions they have committed against him 6. That their sad state is irrecoverable or they must never mark never come out of that condition 7. There desires will not be heard for their ungodly neighbours From these things then I pray you consider the state of those that â—ie out of Christ Jesus yea I say consider their miserable state and think thus with thy self Well if I neglect coming to Christ I
have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them The things that I shall observe from hence are these 1. That the Scriptures spoken by the Holy Men of God are a sufficient rule to instruct to Salvation them that do assuredly believe and close in with what they hold forth They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them That is if they would escape that doleful place and be saved indeed from the intollerable pains of Hell fire as they desire they have that which is sufficient to counsel them They have Moses and the Prophets let them be instructed by them Let them hear them 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. For all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in Righteousness why that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished to every good work Do but mark the words All Scripture is profitable All take it where you will and in what place you will All is profitable for what That the man of God or he that is bound for Heaven and would instruct others in their progress thither It is profitable to instruct him in case he be ignorant to reprove him in case he transgress to correct him if he hath need of it to confirm him if he be wavering It is profitable for doctrine and all this in a very righteous way that the poor soul may not only be helped but throughly furnished nor only to some but to all good works And when Paul would counsel Timothy to stick close to the things that are sound and sure presently he puts him upon the Scriptures saving Thou hast from a Child known the Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto Salvation through Faith which is in Christ Jesus The Scripture holds forth Gods mind and will of his love and mercy towards man and also the creatures carriage towards him from first to last so if thou wouldest know the love of God in Christ to sinners Then search the Scriptures for they are they that testify of him Wouldst thou know what thou art and what is in thy heart then search the Scriptures and see what 's written in them Rom. 3. from 9. 10 18. Rom. 1. 19. 30 31 32. Jer. 17. 9. Gen. 6. 5. chap. 8. 21. Eph 4. 18. with many others The Scriptures I say they are able to give a man perfect instruction into any of the things of God necessary to Faith and Godliness if he have but an honest heart seriously to weigh and ponder the several things contained in them As to instance in things more particular for the further clearing up of this And first if we come to the Creation of the World Wouldest thou know somewhat concerning that then read Gen. 1 and 2. chapters and compare them with Psal. 33. at the 6. Also Isaiah 66. 2. Prov. 8. towards the end Wouldest thou know whether he made them of something or nothing read Heb. 11. 3. Wouldest thou know whether he put forth any labour in making them as we do in making things read Psal. 33. 9. If thou wouldest know whether man was made by God corrupt or upright read Eccles. 7. 26. Gen. 1. 10 18 25 31. Wouldest thou know where God did place man after he had made him read Gen. 2. 15. Wouldest thou know whether that man did live there all his time or not then read Gen. 3. 23 24. If thou wouldest know whether man be still in that state by nature that God did place him in then read Eccl. 7. 26. and compare it with Rom. 5. 16. and Eph. 2. 1 2 3. God made man upright but he hath sought out many inventions If thou wouldest know whether the man were first beguiled or the woman that God made an help meet for him read Gen. 3. 6. and compare it with 1 Tim. 2. 14. Wouldest thou know whether God looked upon Adams eating of the forbidden Tree to be sin or no read Rom. 5. 12 13 14 15. and compare it with Gen. 3. 17. Wouldest thou know whether it were the Devil who beguiled them or whether it was a natural Serpent such as do haunt the desolate places read Gen. 3. 12. with Rev. 20. 1 2 3. Wouldest thou know whether that sin be imputed to us read Rom. 5. 12 13 14 15. and compare it with Eph. 2. 2. Wouldest thou know whether man was cursed for his sin read Gal. 3. 10. Rom. 5. 15. Wouldest thou know whether the curse did fall on man or on the whole creation with him compare Gen. 3. 17. with Rom. 8. 20 21 22. Wouldest thou know whether man be defiled in every part of him by the sin he hath committed then read Isa. 1. 6. Wouldest thou know mans inclination so soon as he is born read Psal. 58. 3. The wicked are estranged from the Womb they go astray so soon as they be born Wouldest thou know whether man once fallen from God by transgression can recover himself by all he can do then read Rom. 3. 20 23. Wouldest thou know whether it be the desire of the heart of man by nature to follow God in his own way or noâ—-compare Gen. 6. 5. and Gen. 8. 21 with Hos. 11. 7. Wouldest thou know how Gods heart stood affected towards man before the World began compare Eph. 1. 4. with 2 Tim. 1. 9. Wouldest thou know whether sin were sufficient to draw Gods love from his Creatures compare Jerâ—m 3. 7. and Micah 7. 18. with Rom. 5. 6 7 8. Wouldest thou know whether Gods love did still abide towards his Creatures for any thing they could do to make him amends then read Deut. 11. 5 6 7 8. Wouldest thou know how God could still love his Creature and do his Justice no wrong read Rom. 3. 24 25 26. Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation for sin through Faith in his bloud to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God To declare I say at this timâ— his righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus That is God having his Justice satisfied in the bloud and righteousness and death of his own Son Jesus Christ for the sins of poor sinners he can now save them that come to him though never so great sinners and do his Justice no wrong because it hath had a full and compleat satisfaction given it by that bloud 1 Joh. 1. 7 8. Wouldest thou know who he was and what he was that did out of his love die for sinners then compare Joh. 3. 16 17. Rom. 5. 8. with Isa. 9. 6. Wouldest thou know whether this Saviour had a body of flesh and bones before the World was or took it from the Virgin Mary then read Gal. 4. 4. Wouldest thou know whether he did in that body bear all our sins and where then read 1 Pet. 2.