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 then to close in with his profers of grace mercy and pardon of sin Rom. 4. And because there is a gap open for poor sinners to come from under the curse and condemnation of the Law into the grace of Christ for there is one made by the blood of Christ he having broken down the middle wall of partion I shall speak a few words further and they are these To invite sinners seeing there is mercy and deliverance to be had to come in and accept of it and that from these considerations 1. Consider thy state by nature if thou come not in which is this Thou art under the breach of the law and so under the curse which doth call for inexpressible destruction I mean destruction of soul destruction of body destruction by fire by hell fire by the fire the devils must be burned in even eternal fire destruction from God for sins against the law without intermission without ease without end without hopes of any recovery or of ever coming out of this sad and miserable condition 2. Consider thou wilt bring all this upon thy self for having some of the devils brats some hellish lusts that like so many witches imps will suck and draw thy soul from God Christ Angels Saints Heaven and all happiness 3. Consider thou wilt buy sin at a dear rate inasmuch as it will cost the body soul ease peace joy comfort heaven God Christ c. 4. Consider that that Christ who will â—ow save the soul and body if thou wilt come in will hereafter reject thee and cast thee out from the joyes of the world to come and damn thee though thou hadst a thousand souls without any pitty or yerning of bowels toward thee if thou shalt refuse him now 5. That which is worse then all the rest thou shalt have the very mercy of God the blood 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 Nay besides thou shalt have all thy thoughts words and actions together with all thy food thy raiment thy sleep thy goods and also all hours dayes weeks moneths and years together with whatsoever else God hath given theâ—e I say thy abuse of all these shall come up in judgement against thy soul For God will reckon with thee for every thing whether it be good or bad Eccles 12.14 Again 7. Thy damnation will be worse then the damnation of the very devils forasmuch as thou wilt have not onely the law from God as a Creator which they also had to answer for the breach of But thou wilt have thy rejection of the tenders of the glorious Gospel of the glorious Lord Jesus to answer for as I said before which sin the devil was never in a capacity to commit inasmuch as he never had the Gospel tendered to him But thou vile wretch hast had it over and over once and again time after time and that with intreaties beseechings wishings and wooings by one messengers after another and yet hast rejectâ—d O wonderful calamity that is coming upon thee For first thou shalt fall into endless torment Secondly thou shalt groan and weep to see for what thou hast brought thy self into such a sad and miserable condition Thirdly thou shalt weep to think that weeping and repenting will do thee no good Fourthly thou shalt see thy neighbours in heaven thy Father Mother or other of thy relations but they shall not groan for thee but rather rejoyce that the judgements of God have found out thee so vile a wretch and are a punishing thee The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked Psal 58.10 O woful woful One would think this enough if thou be not stark mad and fully bent to give the devil thy soul to make thee fly to Christ for succour and help that thou mayest be delivered in the day of trouble I say therefore consider seriously of these things 1. May not the very devils themselves 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 or woman 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 an higher rate then thy soul then 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 doleful 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 tremblingly say Oh that Christ had died for devils as he died for man And Oh that the Gospel had been preached to us as it hath been to thee O how glad would we have been of it How would we have laboured to have closed in with it But woe be to us for we might never have it profered no not in the least though we would have been glad of it But you you have had it profered preached and proclaimed unto you 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 2 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 Gods Justice saying Nay thou ungodly one but how often hast thou been forewarned of this day Did we not sound an alarum in thine ears by the trumpet of Gods 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 sins 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 were sent to do is then to be done their souls Christ eternity was scarce thought on before but now when mercilesse death begins to gripe them then do they begin to bethink themselves of those things which they should have got in readiness before and that is the reason why we so often hear many that lie upon their death beds to cry out for a little longer time and no wonder for they have the salvation of their souls to seek Oh sad case to have their work to do when the night is come and a Christ to seek when death hath found them take therefore the counsel of the holy Ghost Heb. 3.7 To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts Mark it is the Spirits counsel true the devil and thine own heart will tell thee another tale and be ready to whisper in thine ears thou mayest have time enough hereafter what need of so much haste another day may serve as well let thy soul be filled with pleasure a little longer and thy bags filled a little more thou mayest have time for this and that too Oh but this is the suggestion of an enemy that would cause thee to deferre so long that thy heart may grow too hard and thine ear too heavy to hear at all but certainly this being thy greatest business challengeth the first and greatest care Mat. 6.33 And let this be done then if thou shalt either have so much time to spare or a heart to do it take thy time for the other Sixthly this day of thy mercy and Christs importunity will not last long it is but a day and that a day of visitation indeed it is rich grace that there should be a day but dally not because it is but a day Jerusalem had her day but because therein she did not know the things of her peace a pitch night did overtake Luke 19.42.43 It is a day of patience and if thou despisest the riches of Gods goodness patience and long-suffering towards thee and art not thereby lead to repentance Rom. 2.5 A short time will make it a day of vengeance though now Christ calls because he is willing to save sinners yet he will not alwayes call see then that thou refuse not him that speaks from heaven in this Gospel-day Heb. 12.25 But seek him while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Isa 55.6 lest thou criest after him hereafter and he refuse thee It is not crying Lord Lord when the day of grace is past that will procure the least crumb of mercy Matth. 7.21 No if thou comest not when called but stayest while supper is ended thou shalt not taste thereof Luke 14.24 though a bit would save thy life thy soul if thou drinkest not of the fountain while it is opened thou shalt not when it is shut though thou beggest with tears of blood for one drop to cool thy scoarching flaming heart thou that mightest have had thy vessel full and wellcome shalt not now have so much as will hang on the tip of a finger Oh remember the axe is laid to the root of the tree Matth. 3.10 And although three years time may be granted through the Vine-dressers importunity that will soon be expired and then the axe that is now laid shall cut up the tree by its roots if it bring not forth good fruit Seest thou not that many of late have been snatched away on each side of thee by that hand that hath been stretched out and is so still and though thou mayst escape a while yet hast thou no assurance that the destroying Angel will long pass by thy door Oh then neglect thy soul no longer but consider time is short and uncertain eternity long thy work great thy soul immortal this world vanishing Christ precious hell hot and heaven desirable And if thou beest a Christian to whom this may come that hast not onely had a price in thy hand but wisdom given thee from above to make use of it and art one who whilst others are seeking to make this world and hell together sure to themselves spendest thy time and makest it thy onely business to make sure of the one thing necessary and heaven to thy soul I shall lay two or three things before thy thoughts First walk with a fixed eye upon the world to come Look not at the things which are seen that are temporal but at the things which are not seen that are eternal 2 Cor. 4.18 A Christians eye should be upon his journeys end as our Lord Jesus who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross Heb. 12.2 When the stones fled about Stephens ears His eyes were lifted up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God Acts 7.55 56. What though thou at present mayest lie at the rich mans gates yet a few dayes will translate thee into Abrahams bosome Though Israel had a sharp voyage through the wilderness yet Caleb and Joshua men of excellent spirits had their eye upon the good Land they were going to though graceless souls are too dull fighted to see a far off 2 Pet. 1.9 yet thou that hast received the unction from above dost in some measure know what is the hope of thy calling and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Secondly be satisfied with thy present condition though it be afflictive for it shall not last alwayes thy sorrows shall be short and thy joyes long roul thy self upon the Lord for there is a heaven will pay for all Christ first endured the cross before he wore the crown David before he was a King was a shepherd The poor man spoken of in this ensuing Treatise before he was carried into heaven had experiences of sorrow and sufferings on earth Let the flesh be silent in passing judgement on the dispensations of God towards thee and the men of this world in this present life David by prying too far herein with his own wisdom had almost caught a fall Psal 73. Though Gods judgements may be too deep for our reason to dive into yet are they alwayes righteous and his paths mercy and truth to those that keep his Covenants Psal 25.10 When Jeremiah would debate with the Lord concerning his judgements in the wickeds prosperity he would lay this down as an indubitable truth that his judgements were righteous Jer. 12.1 And his end was not to charge God but to learn understanding of him in the way of his judgements and although the wayes of his providence may be dark to his people that they cannot discern his footsteps yet are they alwayes consistent with his everlasting covenant and the results of the favour he bears to them If the wicked flourish like the grass it is that they should be destroyed for ever Psal 92.7 And if the godly have many a wave beating upon them yet will the Lord command his loving kindness
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 then to live a little while in this world in pleasures and feeding thy lusts 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 betimes and put not off the 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 cried and said Father Abraham have mercy upon me and send Lazarus c. These words do not onely hold forth the lamentable condition of the damned and their lamentable howling and crying out 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 misery 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 tormented 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 crieth 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 finde the same cry to him as it were uttered by the ungodly in other places of the Scripture as in Luke 13. verse 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 wonderfull works This was just at their rejection And again in Mat. 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 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 comming 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 nor what they request yet God is satisfied yea very well satisfied with their doings when alas there is nothing lesse O friends I beseech you to look about you and seek in good earnest for the Spirit of Christ so to help you now to strive and pray and to enable you to lay hold of Christ that your souls may be saved lest the time come that though you cry and pray and wish also that you had laid hold on the Lord Jesus yet you must and shall be damned Then again you may see that though God be willing to save sinners at some time yet this time doth not alwayes last No he that can finde in his heart to turn his back upon Jesus Christ now shall have the back turned 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 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 Again this should admonish us to take time while it is profered lest 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 profer 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 dayes 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 judgement 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 devills and damned spirits now he feels the vengeance of God now Oh now have mercy on me Here you may see again 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 thâ— 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 he that was hated of him Therefore 2. Observe that those Saints that the world in their life-time could not indure now they are departed they would be glad to have society with them O now send Lazarus though the time was when I cared not for
it setteth on fire the whole frame of nature and is set on fire of hell The tongue how much mischief will it stir up in a very little time How many blows and wounds doth it cause How many times doth it as James saith curse man How oft is the tongue made the conveyer of that hellish poyson that is in the heart both to the dishonour of God the hurt of its neighbours and the utter ruine of its own soul And do you think that the Lord will sit still as I may say and let thy tongue run as it lists Verse 25. and yet never bring you to an account for the same No stay the Lord will not alwayes keep silence Psal 50.21 but will reprove thee and set thy sinnes 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 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 Jam. 1.26 For by thy words thou shalt be condemned if thou have not a care of thy tongue 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 a discovery of the answer to the request of the damned such as did or shall depart this life unconverted 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 in stead 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 Verse 24. 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 wouldest 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 turne 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 laugh 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 dayes 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 in stead of expecting or hoping for any relief thou must be forced to call to remembrance thy filthy wayes and feed upon them to thine everlasting astonishment and consusion 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 alwaies very fresh in their remembrance While they live here they can sin and forget it but when they depart they shall have their ill spent life before them they shall have a remembrance or their memory notably enlighrened and a clearer Verse 25. and a continual fight 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. 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. That out of love to thy sins and lusts thou didst turne thy back on the tenders of the same Gospel of good tidings and peace 4. Then thou shalt see clearly 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 free-hearted Jesus Christ 5. Thou shalt remember how near thou wast to turning at such and such a time onely 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 thornes did choak that or those convictions that were set on thy heart 6. How willing thou wast to satisfie 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. Thou shalt remember how thou when thou wert admonished to turn didst put off turning and repenting till another time 8. How thou didst dissemble at such a time lie at such a time cheat thy neighbour at such a time mock flout scoff taunt hate persecute the people of God at such a time in such a place among such company 9. Thou shalt 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
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 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 while thou wert swearing he was praying in a word while thou wert making sure of eternal ruine he by faith in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ was making sure of eternal salvation Therefore Now he is comforted and thou art tormented Here then yoâ—â—ay see that as the righteous shall 〈◊〉 be alwaies void of comfort and blessedness so neither shall the ungodly go alwayes without their punishment No as sure as God is in heaven it will be thus they must have their several portions And therefore you that are the Saints of the Lord follow on be not dismayed forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. last ver your portion is eternal glory And you that are so loath now to close in with Jesus Christ Verse 26. and to leave your sins to follow him your day is coming in which you shall know that your sweet morsells of sin that you do so easily take down now and it scarce troubles you will have a time so to work within you to your eternal ruine that you will be in a worse condition than if you had ten thousand devils tormenting of you nay you had better have been plucked limb from limb a thousand times if it could be than to be partakers of this torment that will assuredly without mercy lie upon you if you lose the mercy of God in Jesus Christ in this your life time Ver. 26. And beâ—â—â—es all this between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that they which would go from hence to you cannot neither can they come to us that would come from thence THese words are still part of that answer that the souls in hell shall have for all their sobbings sighings grievous cries tears and desires that they have be released out of those intollerable pains they fell and are perplexed with And O methinks the words at the first view if rightly considered are enough to make any heard-hearted sinner in the world to fall down dead The verse I last spake to was and is a very terrible one and aggravates the torments of poor sinners wonderfully Where he saith Remember that thou in thy ife time hadst thy good things and Lazarus his evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented I say these words are very terrible to those poor souls that die out of Christ But these latter words do much more hold out their sorrow They were spoken as to the present condition then upon the sinner these do not onely back the former but do yet further aggravate their misery holding forth that which will be more intollerable the former verse is enough to smite any sinner into a swound but this to make him fall down dead Where he saith And besides all this there is still something to aggravate thy misery yet far more abundantly I shall briefly speak to the words as they have relation to the terrour spoken of in the verses before As if he had said Thou thinkest thy present state unsupportable it makes thee sob and sigh it makes thee to rue the time that ever thou wert borne Now thou findest the want of mercy now thou wouldst leap at the least dram of it now thou feelest what it is to slight the tenders of the grace of God now it makes the to sobbe sigh and roar exceedingly for the anguish that thou art in But besides all this I have other things to tell thee of that will break thine heart indeed As if he should say O t is true thou art now deprived of a being in the world thou art deprived of hearing the Gospel the devil hath been too hard for thee and hath made thee miss of heaven thou art now in hell among an innumerable company of devils and all thy sins beset thee round thou art all over wrapped in flames and canst not have one drop of water to give theâ— any ease thou cryest in vain for nothing will be granted thou seest the Saints in heaven which is no small trouble to thy damned soul thou seest that neither God nor Christ takes any care to ease thee or to speak any comfort unto thee But besides all this there thou art and there thou art like to lie never think of any ease never look for any comfort repentance now will do thee no good the time is past and can never be called again look what thou hast now thou must have for ever 'T is true I speak enough before to break thine heart asu der But besides all this there lie and swim in flame for ever these words Besides all this are terrible words indeed I will give you the scope of them in a similitude Set case you should take a man and tie him to a stake and with red hot Pincers pinch off his flesh by little pieces for two or three years together and at last when the poor man cryes out for ease and help the tormentors answer Nay but besides all this you must be handled worse We will serve you thus these 20. years together and after that we will fill your mangled body full of scalding lead and run you through with a red hot spit would not this be lamentable yet this is but a flea-biting to the sorrows of these that go to hell for if a man were served so there would ere it were long be an end of him But he that goes to hell shall suffer ten thousand times worse torments then these and yet shall never be quite dead under them There they shall be ever whining pining weeping mourning ever tormented without ease and yet never dissolved into nothing if the biggest devil in hell might pull thee all to pieces and rend thee small as dust and dissolve thee into nothing thou wouldst count this a mercy But here thou mayest lie and fry scorch and broil and burn for ever For ever that is a long while yet it must be so long Depart from me saith Christ into everlasting fire or into the fire that burns for ever prepared for the devil and his Angels Mat. 25.41 Oh thou that wert loath to foul thy foot if it were but durty
2.12 15. Rev. 16. ver 19. Joh. 12.48 Then shall he separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats and shall set the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left Matth. 25.30 31 32. And shall say to them on his right hand Come ye blessed ver 34. But to the other go or depart ye cursed ver 41. Yet notwithstanding the Scriptures do so plainly and plentifully speak of these things alas who is there that is so weaned from the world and from their sins and pleasures as 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 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 behold I will pour out my spirit upon you Prov. 1.24 And yet persons had rather be in their foolishness and scorning still and had rather embrace some filthy lust then the holy undefiled 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 means cast thee away compare Isa 1.18 with Job 6.37 And 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 devills and damned souls for ever Mat. 25.41 4. He hath also said Luke 12.31 Seek first the kingdom of God and all other things shall be added But let whoso will seek after the kingdom of heaven in the first place for them For they will take time while time serves to get the things of this life for them and their seed while it is to be had And if it be so that they must needs seek after heaven or else be damned in hell they will stay till they have more leisure till they can better attend to it till they have other things handsome about them 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 striving with them tenders his Son his Gospel to them either to laugh at their calamity and mock when their fear cometh Prov. 1 26.27 28. or else 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 fold 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 the 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 gain 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 flattery or any other way to get more though they get together with these worldly gains death wrath damnation hell the devil and all the plagues that God can powr upon them Now 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 lest they be in such a state and woful condition as he was in who said in vexation and anguish of soul One drop of cold water to cool my tongue Thus might I adde many things out the holy Writ both threatnings and promises besides those heavenly counsels loving reproofs free invitations to all sorts of sinners both old and young rich and poor bond and free wise and unwise All which have been now are and it is to be feared as long as this world lasts will be trampled under the feet of those swine I call them not men who will continue in the same But take a review of some of them 1. Counsel What heavenly counsel is that where Christ saith Buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou mayest be rich and white rayment that thou mayest be clothed that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear Rev. 3.17 18. Also that Ho every one that thirsteth come to the waters Yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price Isa 55.1 Hear and your souls shall live ver 3. Lay hold of my strength that you may make peace with me and you shall make peace with me Isa 27.5 2. Instruction What instruction is here Hear instruction and be wise and refuse it not Why what is it Blessed is the man that heareth me saith Christ watching daily at my gates waiting at the posts of my doors For who so findeth me findeth life and shall obtain favour of the Lord. Prov. 8.32 33 34 35. Take heed that no man deceive you by any means Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that which endureth unto everlasting life Joh. 6.27 Strive to enter in at the strait gate Luke 13.24 Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Act. 16.31 Believe not every spirit but try the spirits Quench not the spirit Lay hold on eternal life
law and have all offended the same justice and must for certain if they die in that condition drink as deep if not deeper of the same destruction Mark I pray you what the Scriptures say He that believeth not is condemned already John 3.18 He is condemned as well as they having broken the same law with them if so then what hinders but they will partake of the same destruction with them onely the one hath not the law yet so executed upon them because they are here the other have had the law executed upon them they are gone to drink that which they have been brewing and thou art brewing that in this life which thou must certainly drink if thou be not found in Jesus Christ Mark the same law I say is in force against you both onely he is executed and thou art not Just as if there were a company of prisoners at the bar and all condemned to die what because they are not all executed in one day therefore shall they not be executed at all Yes the same law that executed its severity upon the parties now deceased will for certain be executed on them that are alive in its appointed time Even so it is here we are all condemned by nature if we close not in with the grace of God by Jesus Christ we must and shall be destroyed with the same destruction and therefore send him saith he lest Mark lest they come into this place of torment Again Send him to my fathers house let him testifie to them lest they come into this place of torment As if he had said It may be he may prevail with them It may be he may win upon them and so they may be kept from hence from coming into this grievous place of torment From whence observe again That there is a possibility of obtaining mercy if now I say now in this day of grace we turn from our sins to Jesus Christ yea it is more then possible And therefore for thy incouragement do thou know for certain that if thou shalt in this thy day accept of mercy upon Gods 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 commeth 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 Joh. 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 'T is true 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 mayest 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 then damned it is better to be with Saints then with damned souls and to go to God is better then to go to the devil 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 termes Certainly they would say we will accept of grace on any termes 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 ere it be long and cry O simple wretch that I am that I should damne 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 obeyed the voice of my teachers nor inclined mine eare to them that instructed me Prov. 5.10 11. O therefore I say poor soul is 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 lest 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 spirit do sigh and say O send him to my companions and let him testifie to them lest they also come into this place of torment Again I might observe from these words that though men in their life time are so proud and stout that they will not hear nor regard the poor people of God and their exhortations I say in their life time yet the time is coming that they would be glad that the very meanest of all the servants of God should not onely administer comfort to them but also when once they are departed this life that even those whom once they slighted should go and testifie the certainty of eternal damnation to those their companions Vers 29. and that at home at their houses in all plainness amd simplicity of soul But I pass by enlarging upon it as having touched on it already Ver. 29. Abraham said unto him they have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them IN the verses foregoing you see there is a discovery of the lamentable state of the poor soul that dies out of Christ and the special favour of God And also how little the glorious God of heaven doth regard and take notice of their most miserable condition that he will not so much as afford them one drop of cold water that is the least ease or comfort Now in this verse the Lord doth magnifie the word which was spoken to the people by the Prophets and Apostles where he saith They have Moses and the Prophets let them here them As if he should say thou askest me that I should send Lazarus back again into the world to preach to them that live there that they might escape that doleful place that thou art in what needs that have they not Moses and the Prophets have they not had my Ministers and servants sent unto them and coming as from me I sent Enoch and Noah Moses and Samuel I sent David Isaiah Jeremiah Ezekiel Daniel Hosea and the rest of the Prophets together with Peter Paul John Matthew James Jude with the rest Let them hear them As if he should say again what they have spoken by divine inspiration I will own whether it be for the damnation of those that reject or the saving of them that receive their doctrine And therefore what need have they that one should be sent unto them in another way Seeing they have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them let them receive their word close in with the doctrine declared by them let them hear them I shall not at this time speak any thing to that word Abraham having touched upon it already but shall tell you what is to be understood by these words They 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 for their going aside from that They have Moses and the Prophets let them be instructed by them be admonished 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 Mark All take it where you will and in what place you will 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 confirme him if he be wavering It is profitable for doctrine all this in a very righteous way that the poor soul may not onely be helped but throughly furnished not onely to some but to all good works And when Paul would counsel Timothy to stick close to the things that are sound sure presently he puts him upon the Scriptures saying Thou hast from a child known the Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 through faith which is in Christ Jesus The Scriptures 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 wouldst know the love of God in Christ to sinners Joh. 5.39 Then search the Scriptures for they are they that testifie of him Would 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. to 18. Rom 1.19.30 31 32. Jer. 17.9 Gen. 6.5 ch 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. chap. and compare them with Psal 33. at the 6. Also Isaiah 66.2 Prov. 8. toward 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. Wouldst thou know where God did place man after he had made him read Gen. 2.15 Wouldst 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 Eccles 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 com 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