had so grosly neglected to provide when he might have had it and knew he ought to have had it when he ask'd him Friend how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment he was speechless He had nothing to say for himself not a word to offer for arresting the severest Judgment He that after several Admonitions goes on to sin is to be rejected of God and man being condemned of himself Tit. 3.11 And they who have means to know God and will not know him and when they do know him will not glorifie him nor bring forth the Fruits by which others might be provok'd to glorifie him are without excuse Rom. 1.20 Eightly But if they add impudence to their obstinacy and will presume to call upon him and their extremity extort and wring from them a prayer at last and they howl to him on their Beds as God speaks reproachfully of such mens prayers Hos 7.14 and their fears fright them into a pang of heartless devotion and the sense of approaching ruine scare them to cry to that God who hath so long call'd earnestly on them to turn but all in vain it shall now be as much iâ— vain on their parts for he is resolv'd he will not hear them Prov. 1.28 They shall seek me early but they shall not find me because they hated knowledge and despised reproof When you spread forth your hands I will hide wine eyes and when you make many prayers I will not hear Isa 1.15 Read on and see the reason Eze. 8.18 I will deal in my fury mine eye shall not spare neither will I have pity and tho they cry in mine ears with a loud voice I will not bear And Zach. 7.11 12 13. They refused to hearken and pull'd away the shoulder and stopt their ears that they should not hear yea they made their hearts as an Adamant Stone lest they should hear the Law and the words which the Lord of Hosts sent by his spirit in the former prophets therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of Hosts therefore it is come to pass that as he cryed and they would not hear so they cryed and I would not hear saith the Lord of Hosts Consider this ye that forget God And in the days of your youth and health and strength go on securely in the ways of your own hearts and despise admonition and refuse to return and think in your selves if you have but time to cry Lord have mercy upon me at last all shall be well and you shall be as safe as they that soonest turn to God and sought him timely with their best endeavours and sincerest hearts Ninthly God will take away the very means from them who trust in the formal customary fruitless use of them We find this Sentence four times recorded From him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath twice in the parable of the Sower as the doom of the barren ground Matth. 13.12 Luke 8.18 twice in the parable of the pounds and talents as the punishment of the slothful unprofitable servant Matt. 25.19 and Luke 19.26 The kingdom of heaven shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof Mat. 21.43 which plainly sheweth the reason to be their not bringing forth such fruits And the Church of Ephesus is threatned Rev. 2.5 Repent and do thy first works or I will come upon thee quickly and remove thy Candlestick out of its place except thou repent You may sin away a good Religion by your unfruitfulness but the best Religion will not keep away vengeance from those who are unfruitful but draw it on the faster Tenthly or he will take his blessing from the means his spirit shall not accompany them and then they will be but a dead Letter without life and quickning For the word preach'd will not profit them in whom 't is not mixt with faith and faith is the gift of the Holy Spirit and he will not work it in those who resist him quench him grieve him provoke him nor strive longer with them who set themselves to strive against him and harden their hearts as it were on purpose to withstand and hinder his making any impressions on them those who have long received God's Grace in vain and turned it into wantonness may sit under the sound of it but shall find no efficacious influence by it and tho to others as Christ speaks Cant. 1.16 Our bed is green fruitful and Children are begotten unto God yet to them the Ordinances have a miscarrying womb and dry breasts Eleventhly God will turn the means thou injoyest to thy hurt and to thy ruine to become a curse a snare and stumbling block and occasion of falling to the aggravating of thy condemnation Rom. 11.9 David saith Let their table be made a snare and a trap and a stumbling block and a recompence unto them As meat which is not digested to yield good nourishment breeds crudities and turns to be occasion of Diseases So doth Spiritual Food when not improv'd to growth and strength As the Manna corrupted bred worms so spiritual Manna breeds the most stinging worm of Conscience when abused The sincere milk of the word curdled in the sour stomach of an hard heart breeds the most dangerous and deadly Obstructions and becomes the savour of death Vnworthy Receivers eat and drink their own damnation and turn the Seal of God's precious promises into a Seal of his dreadful Threatnings yea which is most fearful to consider Christ Jesus himself becomes a stumbling to some men even to those who seek righteousness not by faith but as it were mark the phrase as it were by the works of the Law not downright seeking Justifications by the works of the Law but turn the Gospel into a Law to be justified by Evangelical Works as if they were to be justified by a Law requiring Work not by the Gospel offering Righteousness of God's meer Grace in Christ to be received by saith And 1 Cor. 1.23 Christ crucified is to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness And 1 Pet. 2.8 A stone of stumbling and rock of offence to them who are disobedient to the word And it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have refused to walk in it Not to have had Christ offered to them than to have rejected him not to enjoy the means than to have them blasted and cursed to them through their own default and provocation Twelfthly God will avenge your sinful hardning your selves in your willful neglecting and deferring to repent and bring forth the fruits of true Christianity by a penal and judiciary hardning not by infusing any malice and wickedness into your hearts The holy God neither can nor will do that for he is not the Author of that of which he is the uâ—tour and punisher But by leaving you to your own corruptions without restraint and to those temptations
his Candle Not with an Enemy but wilt Heap coals of fire on his head to melt him or oblige him with preventing kindness not with a Beast but if it Low for Food wilt serve it or if it fall into a ditch be it an Ox or Ass wilt straightways pull it out tho on the Sabbath day Luke xiv 5. Nay you will not make the Devil dance attendance at the rate you trifle with Almighty God if he but whistle to you you know his meaning and obey it a nod a beckon of his finger is enough you are dry Tinder to the first spark of Temptation he cast on you and you are quickly in a flame But to Gods Holy motions tho they be hot as coals of Juniper you are like green wood no blowing will suffice to dry or make you kindle Nay would I could say that too many were not too quick and nimble for the Devil himself save him the charge and trouble of a temptation run to his work before he bids them like high mettled Horses start before the sign can be given and run full speed without either Switch or Spur. And yet mean-while quite foundred and down right lame in the ways of God that neither Spur nor Whip can mend their pace God hath not left himself without witness that he might leave thee without excuse his grads are in thy sides his hand hath fixed them in thy very soul for as he hath planted punitive affections in thee to be his rods to whip thee for thy past offences such as shame and grief So hath he quickning affections to excite thee to thy duty such as hope and fear and yet thou wilt kick against these pricks be it never so hazardous never so hard to do so How often hast thou felt these stings strike to thy very heart and yet like a restive Horse thou wilt rather winch or kick or run backward or fall down than go forward as thou oughtest When sickness hath assaulted thee and grim Death hath stared thee in the face with its gastly visage how have thy knees smote against each other like Belshazers Thy Countenance wax'd pale and trembling seized thy joynts and anguish and horror surprized thy Conscience Like Cain apprehending that Every thing that met thee would kill thee and what killed would damn thee Yet after all this thou returnest to thy old security yea like heated water thou becomest more cold or softned Iron more hard than e're before Ninteenthly If there be any spark of Ingenuity left in thee let 's try to blow up that Christ went not thus lingringly about the work He undertook for thy sake But he left the Mansions of Glory and came down from Heaven more willingly than thou canst be persuaded to go thither Lo I come to do thy will O my God In the volume of thy look it is written of me He came leaping over the hills skipping over the mountains Conquering all difficulties in the way With desire he desired to eat that Passover he knew was to be his last and himself immediately to succeed it I have a Baptism to be Baptized with and how am I straitned till it be accomplished And when his hour was come he delays not one hour longer but went to Jerusalem where he was to dye When they sought to take him he called the Traytor friend which kist him into their hands yea offered himself to them of his own accord whom seek ye I am he and when that word had struck them down he let them rise and bind and carry him away tho he had more than twelve legions of Angels ready for his Rescue 'T were endless to reckon up those many Arguments you meet with in History to shew how readily he went about that dreadful work and how active he was in his Bloody Passion Read Believe Consider these things well and for shame make more hast to be ready to attain that blessedness with him for the procuring which he was so ready to be made a curse for thee Twentiethly This thy delay wounds God in his tenderest part his Eye his Heart his Bowels A wound is troublesome where ere 't is fixt but neither so painful nor so mortal in an Arm or Leg as in some vital part To wound God in the Foot of his Providence the Arm of his Power or Hand of his Justice is a provocation but not like wounding him in the Eye of his Pitty Heart of his Grace and Mercy and the Bowels of his tender Compassions All the most amiable and endearing Attributes of God shine most resplendently in this work of God to give his Son for sinners and for sinners to refuse this Gift despise this Love make light of it as not worth receiving or preparing to receive it what can be more provoking But set aside at present the consideration of all the rest and think what the abuse of his patience alone amounts to Rev. ii 21. I gave her space to repent and she repented not was the most killing Article in Christs charge against Jesabel Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leads thee to repentance Rom. ii 4. This is the sin by which men Treasure up wrath against the day of wrath For as Gods long suffering should be Salvation to us the abuse of it becomes the surest and the sorest Damnation Laesa patientia fit furor abused patience turns into fury And God swears in his wrath at last They shall never enter into his rest who had grieved him by refusing the tenders of it forty years together Twenty firstly This delay turns thy light into darkness thy very Prayers into sin for either thou canst not Pray as thou oughtest for the coming of Christ to Judgment come Lord Jesus come quickly or thou Prayest against thy own life and so against thy own heart and dost but mock God and wouldst not have hiâ— take thee at thy word as St. Augustinâ— bewaylingly confest when he Prayed foâ— Continence before his Conversion Anâ— domine sed non modo Lord hear me buâ— not yet because he was afraid to lose hâ— pleasing Lusts So when thou sayest Thâ— Kingdom come either thou considerest noâ— what thou sayest or only sayest it in câ—stom and formality for neither would thou have the Kingdom of his Grace come which thou willfully opposest nor thâ— Kingdom of his Glory for which thou râ—fusest obstinately to be ready and not hiâ— would afright thee more than pregnaâ—â— symptoms of its near approach and speâ—dy coming and wouldst as in a by worâ— men say Witches do say thy Prayers bacâ—ward let not thy Kingdom come bâ— stay I pray thee till I be ready for it Twenty secondly Tho thou delay and loyterest yet other things do no Time tarrys not that 's in perpetual Flâ— and sliding on thou mayest take off tâ— Weights of thy Clock and stop its Motioâ— but thou canst not stop the Course of tâ—
in the Beams of the Gospel can only make this Spiritual Day 'T is not the Twy-light of Nature nor the Glow-Worm-light of Arts and Humane Learning nor the Moon-light of the Law but the Sun-light of the Gospel that produceth it Christ is the true Light Joh. 1.9 And in the next Verse after the Text he saith I am the Light of the World See also St. John 8.12 And in Old Simeon's Song St. Luke 2.32 A Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of thy People Israel And therefore before Christ's Coming the World was over-whelmed with Darkness But as the Prophet Isaiah had long before fore-told upon His Appearing The People which sat in Darkness and the Shaddow of Death saw great Light spring up Matth. 4.16 Therefore Zachary sung at the the Birth of his Son St. John Baptist Thou Child shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest For thou shalt go before the Face of the Lord to prepare His Wayes to give Knowledge of Salvation unto His People by the Remission of their Sins through the tender Mercies of our God which Words are an Excellent Description of the Gospel whereby the Day-spring from on High hath visited us to give Light to them that sit in Darkness and in the Shadow of Death to guide our Feet into the Way of Peace St. Luk. 1.76 77 78 79. Now the Presence of the Day layes a great Engagement upon us to be working Solomon enforceth that Exhortation Eccles 12.1 2. Remember now thy Creatour in the Dayes of thy Youth by this Argument While the Sun or the Light be not darkened While the Vigour of thy Senses and thy Reason last and thy Life is spared to thee And you may see the same Reason improved by St. Paul with Respect to the Day of Grace Rom. 13.12 13. The Night is far spent the Day is at hand Let us therefore put off the Works of Darkness let us put on the Armour of Light Let us walk Honestly as in the Day And Eph. 5.8 Ye were sometimes Darkness but now are ye Light in the Lord Walk as Children of Light and have no Fellowship with the Vnfruitful Works of Darkness And again 1 Thes 5.5 6 7 8. Ye are all Children of the Light and of the Day We are not of the Night nor of the Darkness Therefore let us not sleep as do others but let us watch and be sober For they that sleep sleep in the Night and they that are drunken are drunken in the Night But let us who are of the Day be sober putting on the Brest-plate of Faith and Love and for an Helmet the Hope of Salvation If a Man have Haste of Business he 'll Wake and Rise before the Sun as David Psal 119.147 148. I prevented the Dawning of the Morning and cryed Mine Eyes prevent the Night-Watches At Mid-night will I Rise or eke out the Day by Candle-Light The good House-Wife's Candle goes not out by Night Prov. 31.15 18. But admit it be excuseable to sleep by Night and God may wink at the Closing of our Eyes while Darkness covers us the Time of that Ignorance God winked at Act. 17 30. yet 't is Intollerable to do so when the Sun shines in its full Strength Now he calleth all Men every where to Repent Where-ever the Light of the Gospel shines to shew how much they need it 't is as we use to say a burning Shame to burn Day-light And we cannot upbraid a Sluggard more smartly than by drawing open his Curtains and letting in the Sun upon him and demanding What think'st thou Did God Almighty make that glorious Light to sleep by Secondly A day for Quantity and that both in Extension Limitation First A day Extensively A whole day not a Minute not an Hour The Lord affords you sufficient time to do the Work he hath set you and expects from you A Day is a fair Proportion for a Dayes Work and this Allowance of Convenient Time will leave Sinners very inexcuseable and greatly aggravates the not Fulfilling what 's required of them Rom. 10.21 All day long have I stretched out my Hands to a disobedient and gain-saying People St. Matth. 20.6 Why stand ye here all the day Idle It heightned God's Wrath against Jezabel that He gave her space to Repent of her Fornication and she Repented not Rev. 2.21 The Lord is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance 2. Pet. 3.9 And we should Account this Long-suffering Salvation a great Opportunity to promote our Salvation And this Goodness Forbearance and Long-suffering of God should not be despised nor securely trifled away but should lead us to Repentance Rom. 2.4 speedily and quickly And the rather because though God waits to be gracious He will not wait alwayes and though He strive long and knock often He will cease both to strive and knock when He finds it is in vain And though He allow you a whole day yet by way of Limitation Secondly 'T is but a day and that word carryes its Limits with it A day is Pars Temporis mensurata a measured stated Portion of Time Are there not Twelve Hours in a day Joh. 11.9 He saith not a Month a Year an Age lest we should be encouraged and emboldned to Security But a Day And He often puts us in mind of this Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another dayly while it is called to Day Vers 15. Whilst it is said to Day if ye will hear His Voice harden not your Hearts And more expresly Chap. 4.7 Again He limiteth a certain Day saying in David To day after so long a Time as it is said to Day if ye will hear His Voice harden not your Hearts Call'd the Day of this or that Man Oh that thou hadst known at least in this thy Day the Things which belong unto thy Peace Luk. 19.42 And the Day of Visitation Vers 44. and 1 Pet. 2.12 And this Day may be shortned There are Winter-dayes and Dies dimidiati Dayes cut off in the midst when the Sun goes down at Noon-day as is threatned Amos 8.9 And we find most frequent Instances of it in them who Live not out half their Dayes as is threatned against some and fulfilled upon many who are cut short in the Noon in the Morning in the Dawn of their Dayes There are short Graves good store in every Church-Yard And the Arabian Proverb saith The Old Camel carries the Young Camel's Skin to the Market Nay 't is abbreviated and shrunk up into a Moment a punctum Temporis Now Now is the Accepted Time now is the Day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 This is the Second Reason A Day to Work in and but a Day therefore be speedy and diligent lest you be prevented lest you be surprized and benighted For Thirdly The Night cometh wherein no Man can Work That is Death at the farthest which will cut us off from all Opportunities and Possibilities of farther working and
discouraged therefore but take Heart Remember He that said In the World you shall have Trouble said in the same Breath Be ye of good Cheer I have Over-come the World John 16.33 Marvail not Brethren that the World hates you 'T is a good Sign that you belong to God If you were of the World the World would love its own But because Christ hath chosen you out of the World therefore the World hateth you Joh. 15.19 'T is the same World which hated Christ before it hated You and kill'd him too and The Servant is not greater than his Lord. And He fore-told If they have persecuted Me they will persecute you If you be Reproached for the Name of CHRIST or stigmatiz'd with Nick-names for your Care in serious following His Work care not for it it shall in due time turn both to your Honour and Advantage Garments which were thought Uncomely and judg'd Ridiculous on vulgar Backs have become Modish been esteem'd Decent yea Adorning and have led the Fashion when Persons of Honour have thought good to wear them The Cress which was so Infamous and the greatest Scandal in and to the World became the most Honourable Ensign when the Great Constantine had plac't it in his Banners to lead his Victorious Legions A Deforming Scar adds Beauty to a Souldier and is a Mark of Honour and Trophee of his Valour though received from an Enemy's Hand Most ignominious Names which were impos'd as Brands to make Men hateful have chang'd their Nature and so the Design hath been spoyl'd by applying them to Vertuous and Excellent Persons 'T is confessedly a vile and hateful Thing to be an Heretick indeed yet What wise Man will blush to hear himself so called by a Pagan Jew or Papist nay will not rather glory in 't As St. Paul did Act. 24.14 This I confess unto thee that after the way which they call Heresy so worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets I have enlarged on this beyond my first Intentions to remove a base Stumbling-block and a most dirty nay most devilish Scandal out of your Way which whosoever first kindled hath run like Fire in the Stubble God in Mercy quench it that is That if a Man be zealous in Religion live as if he did believe indeed there is an Heaven and Hell and that the Way to either is such as the Word of God describes that thinks it is Duty and his Wisdome to work out his own Salvation with fear and trembling That ownes he hath a work appointed him of God which requires the whole Man to perform it and therefore applyes himself to it accordingly In a word That dares not venture his Eternal Estate upon a few easy Ritual Observances without the Life Power of Godlyness thinks Judgment Mercy and Faith to be of equal or rather more Concernment than Tything of Annise Mynt and Cummin though he neither despise nor neglect the latter in their Place Such a Man must have sinister Reflections made upon him be he Minister or be he private Christian there is a secret Inquisition to inquire into him and they return him suspected of some kind of Heretical Pravity He is not Right He is at least half a Phanatick He is not through Pac'd not a True Son of the Church and what not that Sloath and Formality can invent to hide its own Shame by loading Holy Diligence in the Work of God with opprobrious and sinister Suspitions This is a dreadful Stumbling-Block the Good Lord remove it for His Mercy sake I cannot see what the Devil can do more dangerous than this To perswade Men 't is their Interest to be Wicked to force them to be cold and negligent in Religion in their own Defence and to fright them from keeping Pace with God in His Wayes or being imployed in His Work with all their Might for fear of being thought and called what would render them more Obnoxious than the deepest Prophaness or foulest Debauchery And their Zeal would be as dangerous to them as Paul's Learning was to him in Festus's Judgment quite beside themselves Too much Zeal hath made them Mad. Good Lord What do such Men think of the Holy Bible of our Blessed Saviour's Example and Holy Doctrine of the Primitive Christians and Holy Martyrs Were all these stark mad That all must be esteemed so who endeavour to follow them though Alas at too great a Distance And What do such Men think of the Tremendous Day of Judgment Or Do they indeed believe there shall be such a Day I fear if these Obscure Papers chance to fall into the Hands of some of these Hot Men they may be ready to act the Part of Demetrius and my self be in danger to suffer that of St. Paul Recorded Act. 19. For Guilt is a very Teachy and a very Vindictive thing But I appeal to the Searcher of Hearts I designe not the Reproach of Our Church but its Vindication In which Blessed be God for it are Thousands that Preach and Ten Thousands that Learn and Obey the Truth as it is Jesus and Have not so Learned Christ as to render their Profession or the Church in which they were taught it Unsavory 〈◊〉 but Sweet as Oyntment poured forth And if this notwithstanding any be found who to Compensate for their Want of the Power of Godilness and Good Morality in Sobriety and Righteousness by a furious Zeal and mighty Noise for the little disputable Things which all confess to be but the List of our Cloath and Hem of our Garment to keep the One from Rending and the Other from Raveling shall appeal to the Church as it s only true and genuine Sons I sincerely expect the Justice from my Mother that she will declare such Sons to be Esteemed by Her no better than Augustus call'd his Niece and Daughter his Sores and Vlcers But my Business in this Place is not to Reclaim the Guilty but to Defend and Encourage the Innocent in the sincere Endeavours and serious Practice of that faithful industry which Christ expects from them in His Work while the Day to work in lasts and which the Church in His Name by the Voyce of Her Ministers and by Mine amongst the rest tho the Meanest amongst many calls and excites them to Take Courage therefore Christians ply your Work He thâ—â— gave you this Rule and set before you His own Example looks on and is greatly pleas'd to see you follow it And if any be so hardy as to Discourage or Reproach you it matters not as long as He will own and Crown you And if Christ Justify you what need ye care who shall Condemn you The Second Vse is to Condemn those who neglect these Engagements or act contrary to them What meanest thou O Sleeper Arise Is it not more than time thou hadst began thy Work when 't is high time thy Work were finish't when many Younger than thy self
full Age like as a Shock of Corn cometh in in his Season Early Piety putts any Man out of danger of Dying ill but it puts no Man in danger of Dying soon Thirdly A Third Objection is drawn from Prophane Proverbs of the Devil 's mâ—king to fright Young Ones or at least to excuse them Such as A Young Saint and an Old Devil Soon Ripe soon Rotten mis-applyed to this Matter and such like Answ 'T is true I confess very often and 't is Just with God it should be so That a Young Hypocrite proves an Old Apostate And they who studyed more to appear than to be Good shall cease to appear what they cared not to be And those who took up the Form of Godlyness without the Power shall lose the Credit of their Form for neglecting the Substance of the Power And They who would not receive the Love of the Truth that they might be Saved shall be subject to strong Delusions to believe Lyes that they may be Damn'd 2 Thes 2. because they took Pleasure in Vnrighteousness even while they made Pretensions unto Righteousness But the Way of the Just is as the Shining Light which shineth more and more unto the Perfect Day Prov. 4.14 The Righteous shall hold on his way and he that is of Clean Hands shall be stronger and stronger Job 17.9 Those that be Planted in the House of the Lord shall Flourish in the Courts of our God they shall still bring forth Fruit in Old Age they shall be Fat and Flourishing Psal 92.14 And he that Blossoms in the Spring of his Youth shall bear Ripe Fruit in the Autumn of his Years And the Young Saint shall be an Old-Angel Fourthly They think they may Live long they have time enough before them they that Begat and brought them Forth are yet Alive and the World is full of Men and Women older than their Parents and they find themselves of as strong a Constitution as the best of them and therefore hope they may Live as long as the Oldest of them and have time to begin this Work and finish it too though they think not on 't yet many a Year Answ What May be hath alwayes a May not be of equal Possibility Thou mayest Live Twenty Years and thou mayest Dye in less than half so many Dayes For What is your Life It is even a Vapour that appeareth for a little Time and then vanisheth away St. Jam. 4.14 A Puff of Light Air soon blown away The Healthiest Constitutions are alwayes as lyable to External Accidents as the most Crazy and usually more subject to Infectious and Contagious Diseases And I appeal to your own Observation whether compare one Family with another the Number of Deceased Children do not far exceed that of surviving both Parents and Brethren Therefore trust not to that which hath deceived so many nor lean upon that broken Reed The Hope of Long Life which hath more than wounded the Hand hath shivered under Thousands that put much Stress upon it and let them drop into the Infernal Pit from whence is no Redemption Fifthly The Example of most Young People and why may not they venture as well as others Answ 'T is too true too many Young People defer their Repentance and delay their Work But 't is as true 't is like to cost them Dear and prove their Ruin and if thou wilt be Damn'd for Company thou art more Cruel to thy self than Kind to them The Most are the Worst and we are warned against following a Multitude in evil The many are in the broad the bad way and the way to life is found by few We must live by Rule not by Example and if thou wilt needs follow Precedents chuse the wisest not the most And those are they that take Time by the Fore-lock will not part with the Substance to catch at the Shadow nor neglect the Present in hopes of the Future which is uncertain whether it shall ever be Nay most probable it shall not and most certain it may never be Sixthly and Lastly The strongest Objection is raised from abused Scriptures That Poyson is most dangerous and diffuseth it self most speedily and incurably which is administred in the strongest Liquors When the Devil had Impudence to tempt the Lord of Glory he had Cunning to assault Him with this Weapon It is written He shall give his Angels Charge over thee c. And so when he sets his Snares for poor Men if he can Wire-draw a Text to make a Ginn of it if he can abuse the Word and make what should be a Light to our Feet and a Lanthorne to our Paths to guide us to Heaven an Ignis Fatuus or a Will-i'th'Wisp to amuse us and wilder us and make us lose our selves in Bogs and among Precipices he hath done his Business and concludes he is sure of us Now amongst many these are not the seldomest prest to serve his Design At what time so-ever a Sinner repenteth him of his Sin I will put all his Wickedness out of My Remembrance saith the Lord Ezek. 18.11 And as he will Curtail and leave some-what out so he will put a Signal Emphasis upon what he expects should wound and kill At what time so-ever though never so late And that in the 20th of St. Matthew They that went not into the Vineyard till the Eleventh Hour at Five a Clock but one Hour before they all left Work yet these far'd as well Had every Man a penny as much Wages as They that went in the Morning and bore the Burden and Heat of the Day But abeve all the Thief on the Cross that 's his Goliah's Sword that 's his Inchanted Spear his trusty Truncheon What need you make such haste Remember you not the Thief on the Cross He was Nail'd to the Fatal Tree a Thief a Miscreant as wicked a Villain as ever liv'd and yet you know he Repented and went that very Day to Paradise which it may be he never thought on before nor ever desired or prepared himself to go to These I confess are deadly Weapons and he makes many Mortal Thrusts with them and wounds and kills Eternally unwary and unarmed Sinners therefore take your Shield to Repel them lest they pierce you through and through Answ These I confess would bear a larger and more Elaborate Confutation But I hope a briefer One may serve and a little Armour well put on may render you impregnable First therefore As to that of Ezekiel without insisting upon the Exactness of the Words as they are set down in our New Liturgy and Correct what was more subject to mistake in the Old One. I deny not but that Whensoever a Sinner Repents him truly of all his Sins from the Bottom of his Heart God will shew him Mercy But I deny that he who sins Presumptuously in Confidence of Future Repentance is sure nay or likely to obtain it Vain Man Is it as easy to Repent as to Sin Canst thou Lift
Jesus Christ to make a barren Heart fruitful especially if it be first well dug about by the Spade of the Law and the Roots of it laid bare and open to receive the due application of it And he that will or doth interceed to have a barren an impenitent people spared must add to his Prayers for them his best his utmost endeavours with them to dig about them first by convincing them of sin rebuking and reproving them cuttingly till like St. Peters Hearers Acts ii They be tricked to the Heart By denouncing the Laws Curse and Gods Judgments By shewing them their lost and undone condition by stripping them of all their excuses and false confidences by teaching them the necessity of a speedy and sincere repentance and by urging and pressing them to fly from the wrath to come and removing all their presumptions of peace and safety while they continue ignorant and destitute of Gods Righteousness which lye like cold Earth and clungy sullen Loam about their Hearts and hinder them from drawing any nourishment which may make them thrive or bear the Fruit which God expects And when this is done then lay fresh Mould and mellow tender Earth about them then offer and apply unto them the promises of Pardon Peace and Life through the tender Mercies of our God in the blood of our dear Redeemer Jesus Christ Exhorting inviting persuading beseeching alluring and by the Holy violence of Love even constraining and compelling them to turn come in and be reconciled to God And if any thing will make a barren tree bear Fruit If any thing will make a stubborn and an hardned sinner yield and relent repent and amend and bring forth Fruit to God this will do it And if it bear fruit well and if not then after that thou shalt cut it down This last Verse of the Text contains the Dresser of the Vineyards submiss concession and willing yielding to the putting the Sentence of excision and cutting the Fruitless Tree down as most equitable and just if it still continue Fruitless after more patience and more pains and cost allowed it and bestowed upon it in vain If it bear Fruit. 'T is an imperfect Speech in which somewhat is exprest and somewhat supprest which is ta be supplyed and understood a form of speaking which men use when they speak with emotion vehemency and a great Pathos Aposiopesis or Anantopodoton a figure proper to and of frequent use in the Attick dialect 'T is seldom hard to supply it and make the Sence perfect in this place 't is very easie and obvious Thou shalt suffer it to stand and not cut it down Our Translatours have done it briefly yet sufficiently well As we use to say when we exhort persuade threaten promise with an implyed condition if you will do so or so well and good if not then take what follows So here if the impenitent sinner will repent and turn to God and bring forth fruits meet for repentance then God will put all his past iniquities out of his remembrance and will spare and not destroy him And there is if I may so speak a great efficacy in the suppressing of the answer the Lord of the Vineyard gives consent by his silence and saith much by saying nothing but leaves it to be taken for granted he yields and is content it should be so Annuit such a gratious holding of his Peace is as significative as if he had said as elsewhere Say to the Righteous it shall be well with him And this manner of intimating has mind hath its great usefulness it gives the highest degree of assurance never doubt it question it not in the least no man Plants Trees in his Orchard meerly to make Fuel of but to bear Fruit and had a great deal rather they should stand to answer that end than cut them down to be burnt and when they answer his first desire and design will never do it As I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye Ezek. xxxiii 11. The Tree which hath been long barren the Christian which hath been long unfruitful yet if upon digging and dunging if upon new endeavours and fresh application made to him he bear Fruit I need not tell it you you may be sure on 't and take it for granted he shall be spared and not cut down He shall surely live he shall not dye Ezeck xviii 21. But if not Then after that thou shalt cut it down If it do not bear Fruit after all this patience with it in sparing it another year and all the cost and pains of digging and dunging it then cut it down and spare not I have no more to say for it I 'le never speak word more in its behalf They who after long barrenness add a secure and obstinate unfruitfulness against a fresh indulged patience and renewed calls warnings and means to make them fruitful to bring them to repentance and amendment shall be surely suddenly severely cut down without excuse apology or pity According to that of Solomon Proverbs xxix 1. He that being often reproved hardneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy He flees to the pit let no man stay him We may sum up the meaning of these two Verses in this short recapitulation by way of Paraphrase as if he had spoken plainly to this Sence O Lord I humbly acknowledg thou hast exercised great long-suffering and shewed much mercy already to this sinful people to this and that impenitent man and woman yet I beseech thee for thy meer mercy sake spare them a little longer try them yet once more and give me leave opportunity and an heart to convince them of their duty to make them sensible of their danger to persuade them to do the one and avoid the other and I promise and engage my self by thy Grace to do all that Art and Industry can do all that Christian Charity and my Ministerial Compassions and Office can do proportionable to those Talents and Abilities thou hast vouchsafed to intrust me with to bring them to Repentance And if by thy blessing those endeavours succeed and prosper I know O Lord Thou wilt of thy goodness pardon what is past and spare them and Repeal thy Sentence and repent thee of the evil denounced against them But if after thy granting what I have Prayed and my performing what I have Promised they will take no warning but continue secure and obstinate as hitherto Then Lord do with them as thou pleasest execute upon them what seems good in thine own Eyes Thy Justice will be clear I shall be free from their blood they will be without excuse and all the fault and guilt will light upon their own heads Cut them down and spare not I will not I cannot speak one word more in their
2. God can do no more 3. Your kindest Intercessours will ask no more for you 4. God charges them they should not 5. He hath told them he will not grant it tho they do 6. They will turn their Prayers against you if you turn not 7. Your own mouths will be stopt 8. Or be opened in vain for God will not regard your too late requests 9. God will take the means away you yet injoy 10. Or he will take away his Spirit and Blessing from them 11. Or which is still worse blast and curse them to you 12. And avenge your long sinful hardness with final and judicial hardning And Lastly Will expose you to eternal ignominy and himself deride your folly But I must not only dig about you but Manure you not only apply the Corrosives of the Law but the Cordials of the Gospel Not only Thunder could I do it like a Boanerges but like a Barnabas both Shine and Rain upon you those Consolations which may refresh and chear you Not only rip up your Breasts and cut you to the Hearts with the Sword of Gods dreadful threatnings but pour in the Balm of Gilead into those Wounds that Sword hath made to close and heal them Not only use the Spade and Mattock but such Tools call them by what names you please by which fresh amendment warm and tender Mould and mellow Earth of a cherishing prolifick Nature may be applyed to your Roots to the very Roots of your Hearts and Consciences I mean the tender Mercies of our God his great and preticus Promises the warm and cherishing blood of Jesus Christ Supposing therefore and 't is my Heart's desire and Prayer to God that it prove not a false supposition that what hath been said already hath removed what might hinder and hath laid bare your Roots and made them open to receive the influence of what 's yet to follow I now in the name of that God whose name is recorded Exod. xxxiv 6. As proclaimed by himself to be the Lord the Lord God Merciful and gratious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity trangression and sin tho he will by no means acquit the guilty the wilfully impenitent the stubbornly unfruitful Who keepeth mercy for thousands of them that turn to him love him and keep his Commandments Whose word it is that When the wicked man turneth away from the wickedness that he hath committed and doth that which is lawful and right he shall save his soul alive Because he considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed he shall surely live he shall not dye Eze. xviii 27 28. In the name of that God whose mercy endureth for ever as David tells us twenty six times in one Psalm cxxxvi Who not only sheweth Mercy but delighteth in mercy See the three last verses of the Prophet Micah who not only saith but sweareth and that by himself because he can swear by no greater and sweareth by that which is greatest in himself and dearest to himself if any thing be greater or dearer than other that is by his Life and by his Holiness As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked But that the wicked turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye O house of Israel Eze. xxxiii 11. My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lye unto David Psal lxxxix 35. to his people that accept his Covenant therefore the Covenant of Grace is called the Sure mercâ—es of David I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure meâ—cies of David Isa lv iii. that is with those that encline their Ears and come to him that hear that their souls may live This God I say desireth not the death of the greatest sinner amongst you nor the cutting down of the barrennest tree in all his Vineyard But calls you with the most pressing importunity and invites you with the most indubitable assurance to turn to him and that if you do so you shall not dye To you who have been so long Fruitless in so rich a Soyl Planted on so very fruitful hills upon Mount Sion his Holy Hill his Church his Gospel Church Who have disappointed Gods expectation so often so many years as he hath come to look for Fruit and have sent him away disappointed grieved provoked because he found none To you and such as you I say Behold Behold and wonder wonder to amazement to astonishment at his superabounding goodness and unwearied patience that First He hath spared you to another year notwithstanding not only your own forfeitures and provocations by your past unfruitfulness and the condemning Sentence which they extorted from him against you But also the subtle Conspiracies the bold design the cruel and restless machinations of the Enemies of his Gospel and your lives Who in their proud hopes and wicked purposes had swallowed up all and rooted up the whole Vineyard and laid it desolate with all that grows therein and you amongst the rest long since Secondly He yet continues to bestow more cost and pains upon you he is yet waiting to be gratious to you he keeps up his Fence about his Vineyard his double Fence The Wall and Hedg a Christian Magistracy a Gospel Ministry he yet causes you to injoy the labours of the Dressers of his Vineyard He yet imploys laborers to Dress to Prune to Husband to Cultivate those Plants he might in justice have stubbed up long since O admirable patience O adorable Compassions from which alone it is that we are not consumed Let me apply to the Lords patience what in another respect the Apostle speaks concerning mans let patience have its perfect work Let it lead us to Repentance and while we continue Planted by the River side by that stream which makes glad the City of God Let us bring forth our Fruit in due season Thirdly He declares himself willing to forget and forgive our past unfruitfulness if it bear fruit well yet yet after so long bearing none if yet at last it thrive under this last tryal and answer this new husbandry bestowed upon it it shall stand He shall surely live he shall not dy God will blot out all your iniquities out of his remembrance Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well come now let us reason together saith the Lord tho your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow tho they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll Isa i. 16 17 18. Fourthly To assure our Faith how all this may be done and that it shall be done assuredly he hath provided a security for his own glory That we may attain all this and yet he