way It 's true God speaks not peace to a wicked man but the Devil he doth Luke 11. 21. When a strong man armed keepeth his Palace his Goods are in peace The soul of an unregenerate man is the Devil's habitation and it 's the great design of the Devil to guard the soul and to preserve its sinful peace and to prevent whatever might disturb it And herein doth a wicked man join with the Devil being very loath to have his peace broken Hence it is that wicked men do so hate and abhor a soul-searching-Minister a burning and a shining light the reason is because such a Ministry hath a tendency to break this hellish peace It 's therefore the Devils business to furnish those of his Subjects which must needs have some kind of preaching with such a Ministry as shall neither by preaching nor living disturb their peace Those then that do employ themselves to thrust out Labourers and to put in Loyterers to thrust out such who endeavour to search to the quick and bring in such as will daub with untempered morter do the Devil the best service of any men in the world But note that before ever the soul comes to enjoy true peace of Conscience this sinful peace must be destroyed Christ comes not in the Gospel to maintain but to destroy this peace Reas 4 4thly Man is a sociable creature and loves company and in this broad way the Devil can furnish them with all sorts of associates suitable to his disposition As 1. Art thou a plain Countrey-man that loves to talk of thy Ploughing and sowing c. but dost not fancy to discourse of Religion thou thinkest that Discourse is fit onely for Ministers or learned Gentlemen and not for such plain men as thy self The Devil can furnish thee with very suitable company for he hath thousands in his Kingdom that do regard Religion as little as thou dost Or 2dly Art thou a ranting damning fellow that is resolved for a merry life though a short one to satifie thy lust to the full and that never a Phanatique in the world shall alter thy mind or stop thee in this Carear That let what will come of it thou art resolved to have thy Whores Cups Oaths c. The Devil hath company for thee also I am apt to think that at this day the Devil hath more of this sort in his Kingdom then pleaseth him they being grown now to that pass that they cannot be satisfied to have their fill of wickedness but they must abuse such as will not run with them into the same excess Now the Devil hath such in his Kingdom that though they do not hate such things upon Gods account for then they would hate all sin yet their very Coustitutions and Educations leads them to abhor them And these persons being aâ—used and affronted Psal 31. 20 by the debauched party in the Devils Kingdom may haply be convinced and put upon it to look after a Pavillion wherein they may be kept from the strife of Tongues * For something that may down-weigh that reproach and malignity that this hellish party doth cast upon them 3dly Art thou for civil company The Devil hath of these also in his Kingdom persons that are well bred and that do scorn to abuse any doth abhor a prophane dissolute Carriage 4thly Art thou one that though thou lovest not to be over-precise to be tied up to hard meat yet having some notions of immortality canst not be content without some kind of Worshâ—p thou art therefore for a good honest merry Religion that Religion that hath been of late years is too melancholly for thee it makes thee no Musick and thou art for a Minister that is a good fellow that won't preach too often and when he doth not be too earnest but will now and then break a jest in the Pulpit and when he hath done preaching wil not press you so much to private devotion but that you may after Sermon upon Sunday as you call it fetch a walk in the fields and play a game or two at nine-pins or at bowls c. In this broad way there are many of thy spirit in this also And this let me tell thee That it shall not be the Devils fault nor the fault of his servants if thou art not fitted with a Religion that shall suit thee a Religion that shall 1. be easie to understand 2dly To perform 3dly That shall indulge thy lusts sufficiently But 5thly Art thou past all the former and art not onely for some Worship but a pure Worship Will no company please thee but Virgins such as have not defiled themselves with polluted Worship Give but heed to the Devil and heâ—le help thee to dissemble and by dissimulation to get in among Gods people it may be into Church-fellowship when thou art there carrying thy self closely a thousand to one but in a little time the Devil will help thee to the society of some in that Church that have as vain a spirit as thy self and so you may walk together concealing the matter not onely in the love but practise of abominable wickedness under a great profession Now there being such accommodation for company in the Devils Kingdom is a fourth Reason why so many walk in it But Reas 5 Lastly The last Reason is Because that those which are walking in this path know not whither they are going Should you tell such persons that they are going the way to Hell they 'l not believe you they 'l tell you you that they hope to be saved as well as the best and that they never in all their lives did question the mercy of God It 's true every man hath his failings and so have they but God is abundant in mercy and Christ he came to dye for sinners and they wonder why any person should question the mercy of God and the pardon of their sins they bless God they never did question it since they were born Now as God is the Father of a Christians hope 1 Pet. 1. 3 begotten us again to a lively hope and it hath all its nourishment from Heaven so a wicked man's hope it 's begotten by the Devil and nourished by the breast of Hell and so long as the Devil can preserve this hope of happiness notwithstanding a sinful life the soul is secure but when once this wretched hope is destroyed then the Devils Kingdom in the soul begins to shake For the Kingdom of Christ his Rule and Dominion in the soul is built upon the ruines of this accursed Hope Alas were but a wicked man sensible of his Estate he could not rest satisfied one hour but they are infatuated under the power of an Aegyptian darkness only differing from the darkness of Aegypt * Exod. 10 21 in this that they fell it not are not sensible of it And hence it is that the Devil's Kingdom is so full Thus much for the first particular proposed namely That
of them though they did as evil against me and my Wife Children as they could for though we had a hole to put our heads in provided by the Father of Mercies yet it clearly appeared that it had been all one to them whether we had or not But yet I can appeal to God in this that all the hurt I wish them is that God would give them repentance unto life But the great end of this account is that the Gospel may not suffer reproach for my sake After that I was thus ordered to depart and the Church-doors shut against me by the Wardens I did with what convenient speed I could remove my Family and leave the place And now since my departure from you looking back upon my conversation among you I find matter both of Humiliation and also of Peace and Consolation That which doth afford me matter of Humiliation is the consideration of the deadness of mine own heart and the straitness of mine own spirit while with you that I waâ— no more abundant in labours no more in praying in preaching publikely and from house to house that I did no more earnestly and affectionately endeavour your conversion to Christ though I have as much to plead as some others viz. a weak and frail body and other occasions which the wants of my Family did administer to me yet I must acknowledge that these things do afford me matter of humiliation to consider that God should give me so large an opportunity and that my heart should not as it ought be enlarged in the work of my God But then on the other hand there are some things do afford me matter of peace and comfort as 1. In that I was by the power of God kept faithful to my light with reference unto Gospel-Administrations I would not for all the world that I had come over to you in the administration of the Lord's Supper and Baptism in a promiscuous way 2. In that I did design and endeavour as I could the obtaining of your affections and went as far as I did judge the shooes of the Gospel would carry me to accomplish this my design 3. In that I did continue with you so long as I could had I come away sooner I might have broken my peace and had I continued longer I might have undone my Family and done you no good being deprived of opportunity to preach the Gospel amongst you 4. In that I am not without hopes that God did by my Ministry work upon some of your souls I am sure as to conviction there was work done Now that work may be done where there 's none and carryed on where there are any beginnings thereof is the design of this Book which I do heartily present unto you of the Parish and also unto those of adjacent parts that did use to attend upon my Ministry as a token of that dear love and affection I bear to your souls desiring your acceptance in the Lord. Now to him that is able to subdue most rebellious ones and to preserve subdued and enlightened ones from falling and to present them faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to him do I commend you all desiring that to this onely wise God our Saviour you may be enabled to give as is most due all Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and ever Amen Yours to serve you in the Lord R. CARTER LIFE and DEATH OFFERED TO THE CHOICE OF THE Sons and Daughters OF ADAM Matth. 7. 13 14. 13. Enter ye in at the strait Gate for wide is the Gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat 14 Because straight is the Gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it THese words are part of Christ's Sermon upon the Mount which he preach'ts to his Disciples and not onely to them but also to the multitude of people that did croud after him as appears by the two last verses of this Chapter When Jesus had ended these sayings the People were astonished at his Doctrine for â—e taught them as one having Authority and not as the Scribes Of which Sermon this Evangelist doth give us the largest account taking up the 5 6 and 7. chap. of this Gospel The substance of this Sermon is to discover what blessed ones are and what what blessed ones ought to do First What blessed ones are chap. 5. 3 to the 13. viz. Poor The puâ—port of Christ's Sermon on the Mount in spirit true mourners meekned ones such as do hunger and thirst after righteousness merciful pure in heart peace-makers though by the world they are accounted troublers and sowers of sedition and upon that account not fit to live yet by Christ they are known and judged to be the children of peace Now our Lord Jesus whom God sent into the World to bless his people * doth here declare the persons thus qualified to be blessed Acts 3. ult persons Though we are to take notice that these qualifications are not laid down as the causes of blessedness which is alone the eternal love of God in Christ but as the properties of such as are so blessed And then finally our Lord Christ doth declare these blessed ones to be the objects of the wickeds hatred and envy and that notwithstanding they are so yet he doth for the comfort and establishment of all his declare the persons so qualified as before †Those that are not so qualâ—fied whatsoever they may suffer for the profession of Religion yeâ— they are not blessed to be never the less blessed and happy at present and as for their future state it will be so much the more glorious by how much the more of persecution they have undergone in this world above others The other part of this Sermon is to shew what blessed ones ought to do And for this in general he teacheth that they being the Salt of the Earth should labour to season others walking in each part of their conversation so as that wicked ungodly men seeing their good works might glorifie their Father * Matth. 5. 6 which is in Heaven But before he descends into particulars he doth endeavour to establish his Disciples in this perswasion that he came not to destroy the Law to derogate from the Divine Authority thereof to cause any part of it to be judged false and unprofitable oâ— to release his people from obedience to the Moral Law which he chiefly intends in this place as appears by the following verses Christ came to 〈◊〉 the Law but he came to fulfil it that is 1. To answer all those shadows and representations of him exhibited in the Old-Testament and also to accomplish whatsoever was foretold of him by the holy Prophets 2dly To fulfil it that is to give a perfect and compleat obedience to every tittle and Iota of the Law in the stead and room of the poor
then wilt thou cleave Why I 'le cleave it may be thou mayest answer to that party that hath most power to impose their judgments upon me I confess that 's a good shift to keep thee from sufferings but if thou hast no better thou wilt hardly keep thy self out of hell 2. At the great day of Christ thou maist then answer for thy self There is none of those upon whose sleeves thou doest now pin thy faith will then appear to plead for thee it 's well if they can plead their own cause When God shall say Who required those things at thy hand it will not be enough for thee to answer I had such a mans command and such a mans judgment for it for God will say Did I ever require it Thou shouldst have made me and not thy fellow-Creature the Lord of thy conscience 3. It 's a duty incumbent upon every of you to search the Scriptures Joh. 5. 39. Col. 3. 16. And it 's the great work of a Minister of the Gospel to endeavour so to enlighten his people that in the performance of all religious duties they may walk by Scripture light doing all in judgment To be able as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 14. 15 to pray and sing with the spirit and with understanding also 4. Without knowledg understanding in the wil of God thy heart cannot be good neither canst thou be sincere in thy Worship minde that Scripture Phil. 1. 9 10 11. neither canst thou perform any duty that shall be well pleasing in the sight of God See for that Col. 1. 9 10. Finally Art thou got a step above all the former Dost thou not onely plead for a Worship but a pure Worship a Worship according to Scripture a Virgin-Worship Why then examine Art thou not in the way of Hypocrisie Is thy heart right with God Is Christ thy all and in all For know that by so much the more glorious thy profession is and the greater thy light is by so much the greater will thy condemnation be if thy heart shall not be found to be right with God And thus much for the first direction about Self-examination Again secondly In the handling of the second Doctrine we have opened those terms whereby Christ offereth himself unto the sons and daughters of Adam now examine thy self whether thou hast to this day cordially and heartily received Christ upon those terms Received Christ so as to deny and abhorr thy self so as to take up the Cross and so as to follow him in his Commands Examples and Providences 3. And chiefly if thou wouldest go thorow with this work beg of God that he would pour forth of his spirit upâ—â— thee it being the great Office of this Spirit to discover â—nto the Seed of Jacob their own vileness and Christs excellency their own sinfulness and Christs righteousness their own wants and Christs fulness their own guilt and Christs satisfaction The misery of their estate as the children of the first Adam and the happiness of their estate by virtue of union with the Lord Christ the second Adam Joh. 16. 8 9 10 11. 1 Cor. 2 9. to the end Eph. 1. 16 17 18 19 20. Be faithfull in the making use of these directions and by the blessing of the Lord upon thee thou mayest come to know the state of thy soul whether thou art in the broad way to destruction or in the narrow streight path to life and glory The fourth and last Use is of Exhortation and that first A Use of Exhortation to those who upon examination shall be found in the broad way that leadeth to ruine shall be found walking in the path of Ignorance Profaness Disobedience Will-Worship or Hypocrisie them I exhort being in some measure sensible of the terrours of the Almighty with David to consider their waies and turn to the Lord Psal 119. 59. I thought on my waies and turned my feet unto thy testimonies Consider O Soul what it is to be in this broad way if thou knowest not give me leave a little to acquaint thee To be in this broad way as all unregenerate persons are is to be without God in the world without interest in him or communion with him to be a stranger to the covenants of promise to be without any true hope of Salvation If thou knowest not I 'le tell thee It 's to be a filthy loathsome noisome creature more abominable to God then a Toad to be an enemy of God a childe of the Devil in the kingdom and under the power of Darkness If thou knowest not I 'le tell thee It 's to be a childe of wrath and an heir of hell This and a thousand-fold more then I can express is thy condition at present and as for thy future estate if thou dyest unchanged let it suffice that I tell thee thou shalt be damned and punished by an Almighty hand All Gods works are like himself if he loves a poor creature he loves him like a God if he hates a poor sinner it 's the hatred of a God if he saves a soul he saves him like a God and so if he damnes thy soul and torments thee in hell it will be the damnation and torment of a God Hear this Sinners and hasten out of this Sodom before God rains down fire and brimstone upon you Arise depart for this is not your rest it 's polluted and take Christs counsel Strive to enter in at this streight gate to walk in this narrow path whatever it cost thee and that this may stick minde these two arguments 1. There 's no life but in this narrow way all that ever went to heaven went through this strait gate there 's no salvation without Christ and no Christ without believing and no believing without holiness 2. Ere long Striving time will be over Life and Death are now offered to your choice you are now told If that yee live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the spirit mortifie Rom. 8. 13. the deeds of the flesh ye shall live You have as yet a may be for salvation which if you neglect you will most certainly be damned This is the day of Christs patience the golden Scepter is yet held forth Mercy is yet upon the bare knee to poor sinners but when once the Master of Luke 13. 25. the house be risen up and hath shut to the door then striving will be in vain It will then be in vain to say ye were baptized in his Name and that you have eat and drank at his Table Christ will then say Depart ye workers of iniquity I know you not What! you baptized in my Name you eat and drink in my presence What! and blaspheme my Name and contemn my people and profane my Sabbaths and swear and be drunk c. Away saith Christ depart I know not whence you are since you would not in the day of my Patience give me entertainment into your heart neither