desperation and this observe we are cast down in the disappointing of our hopes in the same measure as we were too much lifted up in expectation of good from them Whence these perremptory presumers if ever they repent it is commonly as Francis Spira 〈…〉 One star is much bigger than the Earth yet seems many degrees lesse It is the nature of fear to make dangers greater helps lesse then they are Christ hath promised peace and rest unto their souls that labour and are heavy laden and to those that walk according to rule Matth. 11.29 Gal. 6.16 even peace celestial in the state of grace and peace eternal in the state of glory Such therefore as never were distressed in conscience or live loosly never had true peace Peace is the Daughter of Righteousness Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God But he who makes a bridge of his own shadow will be sure to fall into the water Those Blocks that never in their life were moved with Gods threatnings never in any straight of conscience never groaned under the burden of Gods anger they have not so much as entered into the porch of this house or lift a foot over the threshold of this School of repentance Oh! that we could but so much fear the eternal paines as we do the temporary and be but so carefull to save our souls from torment as our bodies In the mean time the case of these men is so much the worse by how much there fear is the lesse It faring with the soul as with the body Those diseases which do take away all sense of pain are of all others most desperate As the dead Palsey the falling-sicknesse the sleepy lethargy c. And the Patient is most dangerously sick when he hath no feeling thereof In like manner whilst they suppose themselves to be free from judgment they are already smitten with the heaviest of Gods judgments a heart that cannot repent Rom. 2.5 In a lethargy it is needfull the Patient should be cast into a burning Fever because the senses are benammed and this will waken them and dry up the besotting humours So in our dead security before our conversion God is fain to let the Law Sin Conscience and Satan loose upon us and to kindle the very fire of Hell in our souls that so we might be roused out of our security but thousands of these blocks both live and depart with as great hopes as men go to a lottery even dreaming of Heaven untill they awake in Hell For they too often die without any remorse of conscience like blocks or as an Ox dyes in a ditch Yea thousands that live like Laban dye like Nabal which is but the same word inverted whilst others the dear Children of God dye in distresse of conscience For it is not every good mans hap to dye like Antoninus Pius whose death was after the fashion and semblance of a kindly and pleasant sleep However Austin's rule will be sure to hold He cannot dye ill that hath lived well and for the most part He that lives conscionably dyes comfortably and departeth rich And so you see how it fares with the wickedest and worst of men Wherefore if you are truly sensible of your wretchednesse it is a good sign that you are in some forwardnesse to be recovered and really to become so good as formerly you but dream'd or imagined your self to be And indeed the very first step to grace is to feel the want of grace and the next way to receive mercy is to see your self miserable Therefore our 〈◊〉 and most diligent search should be 〈…〉 Sect. XXXVII Loose Libertine But is there any hope for one so wicked as I who have turned the grace of God into wantonesse applying Christs passion as a warrant for my licenciousnesse not as a remedy and taking his death as a licence to sin his cross as a Letters pattent to do mischief As if a man should head his drum of rebellion with his pardon For I have most spitefully and maliciously taken up arms against my Maker and fought against my Redeemer all my daies Convert Do but unfeignedly repent you of your sins and forsake your former evil waies and lay hold upon Christ by a true and lively faith my soul for yours God is very ready to forgive them be they never so many and innumerable for multitude never so hainous for quality and magnitude Yea I can shew you your pardon from the great King of Heaven for all that is past the which you may read at large Isa. 55.7 Ezek. 18.21 to 29. and 33.11 Ioel 2.12 13 14. Yea read 1 Cor. 6.10 11. together with the story of Manasses Mary Magdelen the Thief and the Prodigal Son and you shall see presidents thereof Yea the very murtherers of the Son of God upon their serious and unfeigned repentance and stedfast believing in him received pardon and salvation And indeed despair is a sin which never knew Iesus True every sin deserves damnation but no sin shall condemn but the lying and continuing in it True Repentance is ever blest with forgiveness And know this that Gods mercy is greater than thy sin whatever it be you cannot be so infinite in sinning as he is infinite in pardoning if you repent yea sins upon repentance are so remitted as if they had never been committed I will put away thy transgressions as a cloud and thy sins as a mist Isa. 44.22 And what by corruption hath been done by repentance is undone As the former examples witnesse Come and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow Isa. 1.18 Yea whiter than snow For the Prophet David laying open his blood-guiâ—â—inesse and his original impurity useth these words Purge me with hysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than snow Psal. 51.7 And in reason did Christ come to call sinners to repentance and shall be not shew mercy to the penitent Or who would not cast his burthen upon him that desires to give ease As I live saith the Lord I would not the death of a sinner Ezek. 18.32 and 33.11 Only apply not this salve before the ulcer be searched to the bottom Lay not hold upon mercy untill you be throughly humbled The only way to become good is first to believe that you are evil and by accusing our selves we prevent Satan By judging our selves we prevent God Are we as sick of sorrow as we are of sin then may we hopefully go to the Physician of our souls who came into the world only to cure the sick and to give light to them only who sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death God does not pour the oyl of grace but into a broken and contrite heart Wouldst thou get out of the miserabâ—◠〈◊〉 of nature into the blessed estate of grace and of Satans bondsla 〈◊〉 me the child of God and a very
and Esau for a mess of Pottage Whereas now wee are safe for to pluck us out of his hands that is Almighty requires an adversary stronger than himself Neither wants hee care hee that numbers our very hairs what account doth hee make of our souls Nor love for if hee hath bought us with his blood and given us himself will hee deny us any thing that is good for us Wherefore silence your reason and exalt your faith how pressing or peircing so ever your sufferings bee which pulls off the vizard from his face and sees a loving heart under contrary appearances Trust the mercy of God which is of infinite perfection and the merits of Christ which are of perfect satisfaction and then hope will bear up thy heavie heart as bladders do an unskilfull swimmer Otherwise if thou shalt walke by sence and not by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 fear will no less multiply evills then saith would diminish them and thou shalt resemble Bucephalus who was not afraid of his burthen the shadow onely frighted him Section 4. Objection Although Christ in the Gospel hath made many â—arge and preoibus promises yet there are none so generall which are not limited wiâ—h the condition of faith and the fruit thereof unfained Repentance and each of them are so tied and entayled that none can lay claim to them but true beleevers which repent and turn from all their sins to serve him in holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Isa. 59.20 But I want these qualifications without which how can I expect supportation in my sufferings or an happy deliverance out of them however it fares with beleevers whom Christ hath undertaken for yea I have such a wicked heart and my sins are so many and great that these comforts nothing concerne mee for they that plow iniquity and sow wickedness shall reap the same Joh. 4.8 Answer So our sailings bee not wilfull though they be many and great yet they cannot hinder our interest in the promises of God Admit thou art a great sinner what then art thou a greater sinner than Matthew or Zacheus who were sinâ—ull Publicans and got their livings by pilling and polling oppression and extortion than Mary Magdalen a common strumpet possest of many Devills than Paul a bloody persecutor of Christ and his Church than the Theef upon the Cross who had spent his whole life to the last hour in abominable wickedness than Manasses that out-rageous sinner and most wicked wretch that ever was an Idolater a malitious Persecutor of the truth a defiler of Gods holy Temple a sacrficer of his own children unto Idols that is Devills a notable witch and wicked sorcerer a bloody murtherer of exceeding many of the dear Saints and true Prophets of the Lord and one who did not run headlong alone into all hellish impiety but led the people also out of the way to do more wickedly than did the Heathen whom the Lord cast out and destroyed I am sure thou wilt not say thou art more wicked than hee was and yet this Manasses this wretch more like a Devill incarnate than a Saint of God repented him of his sins from the bottome of his heart was received I cannot speak it without ravishing wonder of Gods bottomless and never sufficiently admired mercy was received I say to grace and obtained the pardon of all his horrible sins and most abominable wickedness And are not these and many the like examples written for our learning and recorded by the holy ghost to the end that wee may gather unto our selvs assurance of the same pardon for the same sins upon the same repentance and beleeving Are thy sins great his mercies are infinite hadst thou committed all the sins that ever were committed yet in comparison of Gods mercy they are less than a mote in the Sun to all the world oâ— a drop of water to the whole Ocean for the Sea though great yet may bee measured but God's mercy cannot bee circumscribed and hee both can and will as easily forgive us the debt of ten thousand millions of pounds as one penny and assoon pardon the sins of a wicked Manasses as of a righteous Abraham if wee come unto him by unfaigned repentance and earnestly desire and implore his grace and mercy Rom. 5.20 The Tenure of our salvation is not by a covenant of works but by a covenant of grace founded not on our worthiness but on the free mercy and good pleasure of God and therefore the Prophet well annexeth blessedness to the remission of sins Blessed is hee whose transgression is forgiven Psal. 32.1 Yea the more miserable wretched and sinfull wee are the more 〈◊〉 objects wee are whereupon hee may exercise and shew the infinite riches of his bounty mercy virtue and all-sufficiency And this our spirituall Physitian can aswell and easily cure desperate diseases even the remediless Consumption the dead Apoplex and the filthy Leprosie of the soul as the smallest malady or least faintness Yea hee can aswell raise the dead as cure the sick and aswell of Stones as of Iews make Abrahams children Did hee not without the Sun at the Creation cause light to shine forth and without rain at the same time make the earth fruitfull why then should you give your self over where your Physitian doth not Besides what sin is there whereof wee can despair of the remission when wee hear our Saviour pray for the forgiveness of his murtherers and blasphemers And indeed despair is a sin which never knew Iesus It was a sweet saying of one at his death When mine iniquity is greater than thy mercy O God then will I fear and despair but that can never bee considering our sins bee the sins of meâ— his mercy the mercy of an infinite God Yea his mercies are so great that among the thirteen properties of God mentioned Exod. 34. almost all of them appertain to his mercy whereas one onely concerns his might and onely two his justice Again shall it ever enter into our hearts to think that God gives us rules to keep and yet break them himsef Now his rule is this Though thy brother sin against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying it repenteth mee thou shalt forgive him The son angers his father he doth not straight dis-inherit him but Gods love to his people exceeds a fathers love to his son Matth. 7.11 and a mothers too Isa. 49.15 I hear many menaces and threats for sin but I read as many promises of mercy and all they indefinite excluding none whose impenitency and infidelity excludeth not themselvs every sin deservs damnation but no sin shall condemn but the lying and continuing in it Wherefore if our clamorous conscience like some sharp fang'd officer arrests us at Gods suit let us put in bail two subsidue virtues Faith and Repentance and so stand the triall the Law is on our side the Law of grace is with
confirmed and the other reclaimed ☞ These and all other good things which for our blindnesse we cannot ask vouchsafe to give us thine unworthy servants not for our sakes but for thy mercies sake and for thy Son our Saviour Iesus Christ sake in whom thou art well-pleased and in whom thou wast fully satisfied upon the Crosse for our sins who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth ever one God world without end Let thy mighty hand and out-stretched arm O Lord be still our defence thy mercie and loving kindnesse in Iesus Christ thy dear Son our salvation thy true and holy Word our instruction thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort consolation illumination and sanctification now and for ever Amen A Praier to be used at any time O Almighty Eternall most Glorious and onely wise God giver to them which want comforter of them which suffer and forgiver of them that repent whom truly to know is everlasting life Wee they poor creatures acknowledge and confess unto thee who knowest the secrets and desires of all hearts that we have used all our wisedom to commit the foolishness of sin our whole conversation hath been to serv Satan and fulfill the lusts of the flesh Wee even suck in iniquity like water and draw on sin as it were with cart-ropes Neither is there any part power function or faculty either of our souls or bodies which is not become a ready instrument to dishonour thee for as our heart is a root of all corruption a seed-plot of all sin so our eyes are eyes of vanitie our ears ears of folly our mouthes mouthes of deceit our hands hands of iniquity and every part doth dishonour thee which yet would be glorified of thee The understanding which was given us to learn virtue is apt now to apprehend nothing but sin the will which was given us to affect righteousness is apt now to love nothing but wickedness the memory which was given us to remember good things is apt now to keep nothing but evill things for sin like a spreading leprosie is so grown over us that from the crown of our heads to the soal of our â—eet there is nothing whole therein but wounds and swellings and sores full of corruption Yea our souls and bodies are even a very sink of sin for like the common shoar we have not refused to welcome any the most loathsome pollutions that either the world our own corruption or the Devill at any time hath offered unto us Or admit we are exempt from som evills wee may thank thee and not our selves for it for wee are ready without thy restraining grace to run out into all manner of enormities whatsoever we are swift to all evill but to 〈◊〉 good immoveable when we do evill we do it chearfully and quickly and easily but if we do any good wee do it faintly and rawly and slackly When did we talk without vanity when did we give without hypocrisie when did wee bargain without deceit when did we reprove without anger or envy when did we hear without wearysomness when did wee pray without tediousness such is our corruption as if we were made to sin in deed in word or in thought O the pride passion lust envy ignorance awkwardnesse hypocrisie infidelity vain thoughts unprofitableness and the like which cleaves to our very best actions and how full of infirmity are our primest performances for we have not done any one action legally justifyable all our dayes neither can ought we do abide the examinatirn of thy strict justice untill it he covered with thy Sons righteousness and the corruption thereof washed away in his most pretious blood Yea if thou shouldest behold these our praiers as they bee in themselves without having respect unto us in Christ Iesus they would appear no better in thy sight then a menstruous cloth Howbeit when wee call to mind thy manifold mercies shewed to Manasses Paul Mary Magdalen the Thief and the Prodigall Son with many others who were no less vile then wee and who notwithstanding found thee more ready to hear then they were to ask and to give above what they durst presume to beg wee stay our selves and receive some incouragement from the application of the meâ—ts of Christ Iesus which thou hast promised shall bee a sufficient satisfaction for all our sins and the rather for that thou caâ—est all that are weary and heavie laden with the burthen of their sins unto thee with promise that thou wilt ease them and hast promised that though our sins be as red as scarlet thou wilt make them white as snow and that thou will not the death of a sinner but that he turn from his wickedness and live and that if a sinnerâ— doth repent him of his sins from the bottom of his heart thou â—ilâ— blot out all his wickedness out of thy remembrance Anâ—â—â—st wee should yet be discouraged thou who didst no less accept th◠〈◊〉 Dâ—â—iâ— then the act of Solomon hast further promised that if were be 〈…〉 mind thou wilâ— accept of us according to that which we have and not according to that which wee â—ave not But forasmuch O Lord as thou knowest that is not in man to turn his own heart unless thou dost first give him grace to convert for thou O Lord must work in us both the will and the deed and being that it is as easie with thee to make uâ— righteous and holy as to bid us bee such O our God give us ability and willingness to do what thou commandest and then command what tâ—o wilt and thou shalt find us ready to do thy blessed will Wherefore give to us and increase in us all Christian graces that wee may know and believe and repent and amend and persevere in well doing Create in us O Lord a new â—eaâ—t and renew a right spirit within us take away from us our greedy desire of committing sin and enable us by the poweâ—full assistance of thy grace more willingly to obey thee in every of thy commandements their ever wee have the contrary Yâ—a let thy Spirit bear such rule in every one of our hearts that neither Satan that forrain enemy and roaring Lyon which seeketh to devour us may invade us nor our own concupiscence that home-bred traytor may by conspiring with the world work the ruine and overthrow of our poor souls but that all our wills which have been altogether rebellious our hearts which have been the receptacles of unclean spirits our affections which are altogether carnall may be wholâ—y framed according to thy holy heavenly will and that we may the better know how to avoyd the evill and do the good let thy Word as a light discover unto us all the sleights and snares of our spirituall adversaries yea make it unto us as the Star which led unto Christ and thy benefits like the Pillar which brought to the Land of Promise and thy Cross like the Messenger that compelled guests unto the
Banquet Give us O Lord to consider that although sin in the beginning seem never so sweet unto us yet in the end it will prove the bane and ruine both of body and soul and so assist us with thy grace that wee may willingly part with our right eyes of pleasure and our right hands of profit rather then sin against thee and wrong our own consciences considering that it would bee an hard bargain â—or us to win the whole world and lose our own souls Blesse preserve and keep us from all the temptations of Satan the world and our wicked hearts from pride that Lucifer-like sin which is the fore-runner of destruction considering that thou resistest the proud and givest grace tò the humble from covetousnesse which is the root of all evil being taught out of thy word that the love of money hath caused many to fall into diverse temptations and snares which drown them in perdition and destruction from cruelty that infernal evil of which thou hast said that there shall be judgment mercilesse to him that sheweth not mercie from hypocrisie that sin with two faces whose reward is double damnation and the rather because wickednesse doth most rankle the heart when it is kept in and dissembled and for that in all the Scriptures we read not of an hypocrites repentance from whoredom which is a sin against a man's own body and the most inexcusable considering the remedy which thou hast appointed against it for the punishment whereof the Law ordained death and the Gospel excludeth from the Kingdom of Heaven from prophanation of thy day considering thou hast said that whosoever sanctifieth it not shall bee cut off from thy people and did'st command that he should be stoned to death who only gathered a â—ew sticks on that day from swearing which is the language of hell considering that because of oaths the Land doth mourn and thou hast threatned that thy curse shall never depart from the house of the swearer from drunkenness that monster with many heads and worse than beast like sin which in thy Word hath many fearfull woes denounced against it and the rather for that it is a sin like the pit of Hell out of which there is small hope of redemption Finally O Lord give us strength to resist temptation patience to endure affliction and constancie to persevere unto the end in thy truth that so having passed our pilgrimâ—ge here according to thy will we may be at rest with thee hereafter both in the night of death when our bodies shal sleep in the grave and in the day of our resurrection when they shall awake to judgment and both bodies and souls enjoy everlasting blisse These and all other good things which for our blindnesse we cannot ask vouchsafe to give us thine unworthy servants not for our sakes but for thy mercies sake and for thy Son our Saviour Iesus Christ sake in whom thou art well-pleased and in whom thou wast fully satisfied upon the Crosse for our sins who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth ever one God world without end Let thy mighty hand and out-stretched arm O Lord be still our defence thy mercie and loving kindnesse in Iesus Christ thy dear Son our salvation thy true and holy Word our instruction thy grace and holy Spirit our comfort consolation illumination and sanctification now and for ever Amen A Thanksgiving to be brought in to any or every one of them next before the Conclusion where the hand is placed ANd as we pray unto thee so we desire also to praise thee rendring unto thy Majestie upon the bended knees of our hearts all possible laud and thanksgiving for all thy mercies and favours spiritual and corporal temporal and eternal For that thou hast freely elected us to salvation from all eternity when thou hast passed by many millions of others both Men and Angels whereas we deserved to perish no lesse then they and thou mightest justly have chosen them and left us for that thou hast created us Men and not Beasts in England not in Aethiopia or any other savage Nation in this clear and bright time of the Gospel not 〈◊〉 the darknesse of Paganisme or Popery For thine unexpressible love in redeeming us out of Hell and from those unsufferable and endlesse torments by the pretious blood of thy dear Son who spared not himself that thou mightest spare us For calling us home to thee by the Ministry of thy Word and the work of thy good Spirit For the long continuance of thy Gospel with us the best of blessings For sparing us so long and giving us so large a time of repentance For justifying and in some measure sanctifying us and giving us ground for assured hope of being glorified in thy heavenly Kingdom For preserving us from so infinite many perils and dangers which might easily have befalne us every day to the taking away of either our estates our limbs or our lives For so plentifully and graciously blessing us all our life long with many and manifold good things both for necessity and delight For peace of conscience and content of minde For our health wealth limbs senses food raiment liberty prosperity For thy great mercie in correcting us and turning thy corrections to our good For preserving us in the night past from all dangers of body and soul and for infinite more mercies of which we could not well want any one and which are all greatned by being bestowed upon us who were so unworthy and have been so ungrateful for the same O that we could answer thee in our thankfulnesse and obedient walking one for a thousand Neither are we unmindful of those national blessings which thou hast vouchsafed unto our Land in general as namely that deliverance from the Spanish Invasion in 88 and from that divelish design of the Gunpowder-Treason for preserving us from the noisome and devouring Plague and Pestâ—lence Lord grant that our great unthankfulnesse for these thy mercies may not cause thee to deliver us into the hands of our enemies and although we have justly thereby deserved the same yet we beseech thee give us not up unto their wills neither suffer Popery ever to bear rule over us nor thy blessed Word and Sacraments to be taken away from us but continue them unto us and to our posterity after us if it be thy good pleasure untill the coming of thy Christ. Babes that are inexpert in the Word of righteousnesse use milk but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age Heb. 5.13 14. THE STATE OF A CHRISTIAN lively set forth by an Allegorie of a Ship under Sayl. MY Bodie is the Hull the Keel my Back my Neck the Stem the Sides are my Ribs the Beams my Bones my Flesh thâ— Planks Gristles and Ligaments are the Pintels and Knee-timbers Arteries Veins and Sinews the several Seams of the Ship my Blood is the Ballast my Heart the principal Hold my Stomach the Cook-room my Liver
A CHRISTIAN Library OR A Pleasant and Plentiful Paradise Of Practical Divinity in 37. TREATISES Of sundry and select Subjects purposely Composed to pluck Sinners out of Satans snares and allure them into the glorious Liberty of the Gospel By R. YOUNGE of Roxwel in Essex Florilegus LONDON Printed by M. I. and are to be sold onely by Iames Crumpe in Well-yard 1660. To the worthy Author and to the Ingenuous Reader SIR THe accurate Florist who makes it his delight to study flowers is not more taken with their dress their marks their varieties rich above Solomon in his royalty nor more pleased with every line in that his sweet Library then your Reader will be in his perusal of this Christian Library which here you put into his hand not great in bulk for so neither are precious stones or jewels which are rich in substance and of high esteem for their oriency Few men are Masters of so excellent an Alembick for extraction of quintessences spirits whereby you have given a Supersedâ—â—s or Writ of ease to your Reader from searching surveying the whole Garden where these flowers grow by transplanting them into one knâ—t where they are presented as a sweet nosegay I wish you such diligent Bees as may sit upon your flowers depopulate your garden he that sucks Poyson from any Rose here doth but shew himself to be a Spider by so doing READER These ten Treatises being like ten small Corn-fields now laid together as it were within one hedg have thereby put off that name wherewith while they went single malevolent spirits might be ready to asperse by calling them Pamphlets a name rather due to Books of trivial matter than small stature in them every of them the mower may fill his hand and he that gathereth sheaves his bosom with practical Divinity which hath the preheminence above Polemical and controversal as the planting and pruning of the trees of the Garden hath above the keeping of the Mound or mending of the Hedge I know a hungry appetite is better content with Barley loaves and â—oor fishes then a disdainful Palate with Quails Manna but I need make no such apologie for this Book where the meat is savoury and the cookery artificial by a rare mixture of sweet and profitable let thy walk therefore be in this Paradise from the trees whereof thou maist gather fruit for meat maintaining thy spiritual life in the whole duty of a â—hristian or for Medicine in the cure of thy Diseases Drunkenness Swearing Unthankfulness Deceitfulness of Heart or for the arming of thy self with disswasives against Scoffing and Derision or from some of them twigs to whip the Mammonist out of his Idolatry the love of money or Apples of Gold from the tree of life and under some of them thou shalt hear two Advocates pleading the cause of their two clyents the Pasteur and the Poor the one for shutting of the mouth that sends forth unsavoury eructations the other for opening the close hand that 's almost dried up And all the trees breathing forth sweet perfumes as the smell of a Field which the Lord haâ—h blessed In short If thou do but taste the fruit of one of these trees thy appetite will be prâ—voked thereby towards another and the pleasantness of the way wil make the forget the length of thy journey Thy servant in the service of Christ Richard Vines London Lawrence fury Iune 16. 1655. To the READER READER SO many and excellent are the Helps that God affordeth to this unworthy Nation for to enlighten dark souls for recovering of revolted sinners unto God that if any after all thâ—s be Blinded and Rebellious they wil be the most unexcusable and most miserable people in the World By how many voices and with what holy skilful Oratory with what earnest and incessant Importunity doth the God of Mercy call upon sinners to Repent Who is then in the obscurest Corner of England that may not hear the Word of Life or that may not read the Scriptures the excellent Writings of the Servants of Christ if they have ears to hear and eyes to see are but willing and diligent for their own good what a precious mercy is it that every Book-sellers shop every Market almost and aâ—l the quarters of the Land do so abound with wholsom and excellent Books declaring the way to everlasting Happiness What abundance of such Helps are ready at hand for the Recovery and salvation of any sinner that is but wiâ—ling to read and consider them It was not so with us in the dark times of Popery nor is it so in other Nations What pitty is it after all this that there should be so many ignorant eaâ—thly miâ—ds so many Drunkards sensnal Wretches so many ungâ—dly prayerless Familyes among us as there are Are men resolved to destroy themselves Do they love damnation Do they Hate their own souls as well as holiness the Holy God Why else do they madly shut their ears despise their Teachers go on in a worldly wicked life unthankfully refuse the Helps that are offered them Among others the Author of these ten Treatises an ancient and faithful Servant of Christ though not of the Tribe which waiteth at the Altaâ— hath enriched this Nation with many of his Labours whicâ— though he own buâ— as Collections yet may you read many Book before you find from whence they are collected I havâ— formerly with much delight read his excellent Books calleâ— The Cure of Prejudice The Victory of Patience and some others full of useful pertinent matter delivered in a style more quicâ— and smart more accurate and adorned then is ordinarily tâ— be found And finding that these do savour of the same Ingeâ—nuity and Diligence and contain such necessary and seasonaâ—ble advice I recommend them to thy careful perusal consideration What a cure is here for the Swearer Another â—oâ— the Drunkard Another for the Covetous What a Key to unâ—lock the Rich Mans Chests and enrich himself by Giving to the Poor if men will but use them What Considerationâ— are here to shame the Reproachers of Godliness to encouragâ— the weak against their reproaches The unsanctified Formalisâ— is here stript bare The Ministry is Patronized and usurpers and Intruders sharply reprehended by an Impartial pen less liable to Accusations of Self-seeking then our own in the eyes of the Contentious would have seemed Reader if thou thankfully make use of the Helps that are offered thee by this servant of Christ who willingly layeth out his time and labour and estate for thy spiritual benefit As thou wilt encourage such faithful endeavourers of thy good so wilt thou have thy self the everlasting consolation and maist see that blessed face of God and enjoy that felicity which thy sin would deprive thee of This is the desire of him that would gladly be A further of thy Salvation Rich. Baxter London Decemb. 21. 1654. The several Treatises
us and this Law is his that is our Advocate and he is our Advocate that is our Iudge and hee is our Iudge that is our Saviour even the head of our selvs Iesus Christ. For the first of these do but repent and God will pardon thee bee thy sins never so many and innumerable for multitude never so hainous for quality and magnitude Isa. 55.7 Ezek. 18. 33.17 Yea sins upon Repentance are so remitted as if they had never been committed I have put away thy transgressions as a cloud and thy sins as a mist Isa. 44.22 and what by corruption hath been done by repentance is undone as the former examples and many other witness Come and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow Isa. 1.18 yea whiter for the Prophet David laying open his blood-guiltiness and his originall impurity useth these words Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow Psal. 51.7 And in reason did hee come to call sinners to repentance and shall he not shew mercy to the penitent Or who would not cast his burthen upon him that doth desire to give ease As I live saith the Lord I would not the death of a sinner Ezek. 18.32 and 33.11 Section 5. Ojection Yea but I cannot Repent Answer In time of temtation a man is not a competent Iudge in his own case In humane Laws there is a nullity held of words and actions extorted and wrung from men by fear because in such cases a man is held not to bee a free-man nor to have power or command in some sort of himself A troubled soul is like troubled waters wee can discern nothing clearly in it wherefore if thou canst lay aside prejudice and tell mee in cold blood how it fares with thee at other times though indeed thy words at present are enough to convince thee For first thou findest sin a burthen too heavy for thee to bear which thou didst not formerly what 's the reason are thy sins more and greaâ—er No but the contrary for though they appear more yet they are less for sin the more it is seen and felt the more it is hated and thereupon is the less Motes are in a room before the Sun shines but they appear onely then Again secondly the very complaint of sin springing from a displeasure against it shews that there is somthing iâ—â— thee opposite to sin viz. that thou art penitent in affection though not yet in action even as a child is rationall in power though not in act Yea more thou accusest and condemnest thy selfe for thy sins and by accusing our selvs wee prevent Satan by judging our selvs wee prevent God Neither was the Centurion ever so worthy as when hee thought himself most unworthy for all our worthiness is in a capable misery nor does God ever thinke well of him that thinkes so of himelf But to let this passe Are not your failings your grief are they not besides your will are they not contrary to the current of your desires and the main bent of your resolutions and indeavours Dost thou determine to continue in the practice of any one sin Yea dost thou not make conscience of all Gods Commandements one aswell as another the first table aswell as the second and the second aswell as the first Matt. 5.19 Dost thou not grieve â—or sins of all sorts secret aswell as known originall aswell as actuall of omission aswell as commission lesser viz thoughts aswell as greater yea aswell for the evill which cleavs to thy best works as for the evill works Rom. 7.21 and as heartily and unsaignedly desire that thou maist never commit it as that God should never impute it 2 Tim. 2.19 Dost thou not fear to displease him not so much because hee is just to punish as for his mercy and goodness sake and more fear the breach of the Law than the curse Dost thou not love rather to bee than seem or bee thought good and seek more the power of godliness than the shew of it Iob 1.1 If so well may Satan and thine own conscience accuse thee of impenitency and unbelief but Christ thy Iudge never Yea then notwithstanding your failings you may say with David I have kept thy Word Psal. 18.21.22.23 for though this bee not such a measure of keeping as the Law requireth yet it is such a keeping as God in Christ accepteth for suppose thy knowledge is still small thy faith weak thy charity cold thy heart dull and hard thy good works few and imperfect and all thy zealous resolutions easily hindred and quite overthrown with every small temtation yet God that worketh in us both the wil and the work wil accept the wil for the work and that which is wanting in us Christ will supply with his own righteousness Hee respecteth not what wee can do so much as what wee would do and that which wee would performe and cannot hee esteemeth it as though it were performed whereas take away the will and all acts in God's sight are equall As the wicked sin more than they sin in their desire so the righteous do more good than they do in their will to do it If there bee a paratum cor though there bee not a perforatum cor a profer of blood though no expence of blood for the honour of Christ it is taken for Martyrdom as Origen testified of one Non ille Martyrio sed Martyrium illi defuit I know thy poverty but thou art rich saith the Spirit to the Church of Smyrna poor in thy condition rich in thy affection to goodness Facultas secundum voluntatem non voluntas secundum facultatem estimanda est God esteems our charitable beneficence not onely secundum quod habemus but secundùm quod tribuere velimus Wee are charged to forsake all houses lands friends liberties lives for Christ yet many dy with houses lands and riches in their possession whom Christ receives and Crowns in Heaven because they did part with all secundùm animae preparationem What wee would have done shall bee reckoned to us as done wee do it quoad conatum though non quoad effectum In like manner God taketh a heart desirous to repent and believe for a penitent and beleeving heart volens dolens The vehement desire of godly sorrow or a sorrow because we cannot sorrow goes for godly sorrow with God so that to sigh and grieve for what wee cannot do is to come short and yet to do it too for God likes the will so wel that in his Son what we would do is in acceptance done 2 Cor. 8.12 which textone brings in thus O! what an unspeakable comfort was this cordiall verse to my afflicted soul And well it might â—â—for if wee hate our corruptions and strive against them they shall not bee counted ours It is not I saith Paul but sin that dwelleth in mee Rom. 7.20
required the second time 1 Ioh. 1.9 Now that Christ hath sufficiently satisfied for all the sins of the faithful and paid our debt even to the utmost farthing it is evident by many places of Scripture as Isa. 53.4.5 2 Cor. â— 21 Heb. 9.26 1 Pet. 2.24 Rom. 3.25.26 1 Ioh. 1.7.9 and sundry others Are we bound to perform perfect obedience to the Law bee performed it for us were wee for disobedience subject to the sentence of condemnation the curse of the Law and death of body and soul hee was condemned for us and bore the curse of the law hee died in our stead an ignominious death did wee deserve the anger of God hee indured his fathers wrathfull displeasure that so he might reconcile us to his father and set us at liberty Hee that deserved no sorrow felt much that wee who deserved much might â—eel none and by his wounds wee are healed Isa. 53.5 Adam eat the Apple Christ paid the price In a word whatsoever wee owed Christ discharged whatsoever we deserved he suffered if not in the self same punishments for hee being God could not suffer the eternall torments of Hell yet in proportion the dignity of his person being God and Man giving value unto his temporary punishments and making them of more value and worth than if all the world should have suffered the eternall torments of Hell for it is more for one that is eternall to die than for others to die eternally Therefore was the Son of God made the Son of man that the Sons of men might bee made the Sons of God and therefore was hee both God and man lest being in every respect God he had been too great to suffer for man or being in every respect man hee had been too weak to satisfie God Seeing therefore our Saviour Christ hath fully discharged our debt and mâ—de full satisfaction to his Fathers justice God cannot in equity exact of us a second paiment no more than the Creditor may justly require that his debt should bee twice paid once by the Surety and again by the Principall Again secondly it is the Lords Covenant made with his Church and committed to writing Ier. 31.34 Heb. 10.16 17. Psal. 32.10 Isa. 55.7 Ezek. 18.21 22 23. and 33.11 Mâ—l 3.17 Confirmed and ratified by his seals the Sacraments together with his Oath that there might be no place left for doubting for God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of promise the stableness of his counsell bound himself by an oath that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lie we might have strong consolation as the Apostle speaks Heb. 6.17.18 And lest the afflicted conscience should object that hee entred into covenant and made these promises to the Prophets Apostles and holy men of God but not to such hainous and rebellious sinners who have most justly deserved that God should pour out upon them the Vialls of his wrath and those fearfull punishments threatned in the Law All the promises made in the Gospel are generall indefinite and universall excluding none that turn from their sins by unfained repentance and beleeve in Christ Iesus testing on him alone for their salvation as appears Isa 55.1 Ezek. 33.11 Mark 16.16 Ioh. 3.14 15 16.36 and 6.37.40 Act. 10.43 1 Ioh. 2.1 Neither is there any limitation or exception of this or that sin for bee they never so grievous and manifold yet if wee perform the condition of faith and repentance they cannot debar us from receiving the benefit of God's mercy and Christ's merits as appears Isa. 1.18 Titus 2.14 1 Ioh. 1.7.9 And therefore unless thou conceivest of God that hee is unjust in his dealing untrue in his Word a covenant-breaker yea a perjured person which were most horrible blasphemy once to imagine thou must undoubtedly assure thy self that hee will pardon and forgive thee all thy sins bee they in number never so many and innumerable or in nature and quality never so hainous and damnable if then turnest unto him by unfained repentance and laiest hold upon Christ by a true and lively faith For consider doth the Lord say hee will extend his mercie unto all that come unto him doth hee invite every one doth hee say I would have all men saved and none to perish and dost thou say nay but hee will not extend his mercy unto mee hee will have mee to perish because I am a grievous sinner What is this but in effect and at a distance to contradict the Lord and give the lye to truth it self Indeed God says not Beleeve thou Iohn or Thomas and thou shalt bee saved but hee says Whosoever beleeveth and is baptized shall bee saved which is as good And yet thou exceptest thy self hee excludes none and dost thou exclude one and that one thy self Hee would have all men saved and thou comest in with thy exceptive All but mee Why thee a precious singularity but beware of it For whereas others that beleeve not the threatnings flatter away their souls in a presumptuous confidence thou by not beleeving the promises wilt cast away thine in a sullen prodigious desperateness if thou take not heed For infidelity on both sides is the cause of all of presumption in them of despair in thee of impiety in every one But bee better advised beleeve the Lord who never brake his Word with any soul. Thou wilt give credit to an man's bare word and hast thou no affiance in the mercifull promises of God past to thee by Word Oath Seals Scriptures Sacraments the death of his own Son and I presume the Spirits testimony if not now yet at other times take heed what thou dost for certainly nothing offends God more then the not taking of his Word Section 7. Objection I know well that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness unto every one that beleeveth Rom. 10.4 But I want faith Answer This is the objection I expected for the true Christian is as fearfull to entertain a good opinion of himself as the false is unwilling to bee driven from it But is it so or doth Satan onely tell thee so I know it is not so I know that thou beleevest with some mixture of unbelief and that this is but a slander of Satans for as Satan slandereth us to God Iob 1.9 and God to us Gen. 3.4.5 so hee slandereth us to our selvs Iob 16.9 But least thou shouldest think I slander Satan know that you beleeve even whiles you complain of unbelief for as there could bee no shadow if there were no light so there cannot bee this fear where there is no faith They that know not Christ think it no such great matter to loose him But if God once say this is my Son Satan will say if thou hee the Son of God Matth. 3.17 and 4.3 That Divine testimony did not allay his malice but exasperate it Neither can the happy building of Lord I beleeve stand without that columne to under-prop it
to Paul Act. 9.15 16. 23. ver 11. and our Saviour Christs words to his Apostles Ast. 1.8 yea to suffer for Christ saith Father Latimer is the greatest privilege that God gives in this world and the story of Iob is a book-case to prove it for did not God by him as sometimes a Schoolmaster with his Pupill who when he hath polished and perfected a good Scholar brings him sorth provokes adversaries to set upon him with hard questions and takes a pride to see the fruit of his own labours And in the warrs to have the hottect and most dangerous services imposed upon them by their General is accounted the greatest honour neither will he confer the same upon any but the stoutest and most valiant This Rod of the Lord like Ahasuerus his Scepter is never stretcht forth toward any of his but in great love and favour It is like the kisse which Cyrus in Xenophon gave to Chrysanthas which was accounted a greater and more special savour than the Cup of gold which he gave to Artabazus Which being so let us in this particular imitaâ—e the Muscovitish women who will not think their husbands love them unlesse they chastise them and the Indians who are ambitious to be burnt with them and the Thracians who are proud to wear their scarrs Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the treasures of Aegypt Heb. 11.25 26. And the Apostles esteemed it a grace to be disgraced for him and shall we grumble or think much at it No in the greatest extremity of straights let us acknowledge it a favour and give him thanks and so much the rather for that it is more acceptable to God to give him thanks once in adversity then six hundred times in prosperity as a grave Divine well observs and indeed it is the summe of all Religion to be thankfull to God in the midst of miseries True it is hard for Iob when the terrours of God fight against him and the arrows of the Almighty stick so â—ast in him that the venome thereof hath drunk up his spirit Iob 6.2 3 4. to think it a special favour and dignity but so it was being rightly considered It was hard for Iosephs brethren to hear him speak roughly unto them take them for spies accuse them of theft and commit them to prison Gen. 42.30 and think it is all out of love much more hard for Simeon to bee cull'd out from the rest and committed to ward while his brethren are set at libertie Vers. 24. and yet it was so yea he loved him best whom he seemed to favour least yet such is the infirmitie of our nature that as weak eies are dazled with the light which should comfort them so there is nothing more common with God's Children than to be afflicted with the causes of their joy and astonied with that which is intended for their confirmation Even Manoah conceivs death in that vision of God wherein alone his life and happinesse did consist Iudg. 13.22 And the Shepherds Luk. 2. who were sore afraid when the Angel of the Lord came to bring them good tidings of great joy to all people viz. their Saviours Birth which was Christ the Lord Vers. 9.10 But what hath been the answer of GOD alwaies to his children in such their extasies but his Fear not Gideon Judg. 6.23 Fear not Ioseph Mat. 1.20 Fear not Zachary Luk. 1.12 13. Fear not Abraham for I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 Fear not Paul for I am with thee and no man shall lay hands on thee to do thee hurt c. Acts. 18.9 10. the words are often repeated as Pharaohs dreams were doubled for the surenesse Yea to the end that we should be fearlesse in all our sufferings so long as we suffer not as evil doers 1 Pet. 4.15 Fear not as one well notes is the first word in the Annunciation of Christs Conception and the first word in the first Annunciation of his Birth and the first word in the first Annuuntiation of his Resurrection and almost the last words in his last exhortation a little before his death are Let not your hearts be troubled and be of good comfort strengthening his followers and sweetning his Crosse by diverse forcible reasons Luke 21. Mark 13. And the words of dying men have ever been most emphatical most effectual Nay more than all this if yet thou wilt not be comforted look but Ioh. 16.20 and thou shalt have thy Saviour assure thee by a double bond His Word I say Verily verily I say unto you His Oath I say Verily verily I say unto you that though for the present you do fear and sorrow and weep yet all shall be turned into joy 〈◊〉 that joy shal no man be able to take from you v. 22. And so much of the Patience of the Womans seed Innocency of the Womans seed Felicity of the Womans seed If you will see the Malice of the Serpents seed Subtilty of the Serpents seed Misery of the Serpents seed Read the three foregoing parts viz. The canse and cure of Ignorance Error c. The cure of Misprision Characters of the kinds of preaching The last whereof sold only by Iames Crump in Little Bartholomeâ— Well-yard A two-fold PRAYER for the Morning and for the Evening as also another to be said at any time Jer. 10.25 Pour out thy fury upon them that know thee not and upon the families that call not on thy name Psal. 145.18 Rom. 10.12 The Lord is nigh and rich unto all that call upon him in truth Isa. 65.24 Before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will hear Jer. 33.3 Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not 1 Joh. 5.14 If wee ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Joh. 16.23 Mat. 21.22 Whatsoever yee shall ask the Father in my Name believing he will give it you Psal. 55.17 Evening and Morning and at Noon will I pray A PRAYER for the Morning O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray O Most glorious LORD GOD and in JESUS CHRIST our most merciful and loving Father in whom wee live and move and have our being in the multitude of thy mercies we desire to approach unto thee from whom all good things do proceed who knowest our necessities befoâ—e we ask and our ignorance in asking It is true O Lord if we should consider onely our own unworthiness and how we have heretofore abused thy goodnesse and long-suffering towards us wee might rather despair with Iudas and like Adam run from thee then dare to approach thy glorious presence For we confesse O Lord to the shame and confusion of our own faces that as we brought a world of sinne into the World with us and deserved to dye so soon as wee began to live so ever since that thou hast spared us we have done nothing but add sinne unto sinne as
Schools of learning and good literature especially the Universities Remember in much mercy all that are afflicted whether in body or in mind of in both whether in conscience groaning under sin or for a good conscience because they will not sin and as thou makest them examples to us so teach us to take example by them and learn wisdome by thy hand upon them These and all things else which thou knowest we stand in need of we humbly crave at thy mercifull hands and that for the alone worthinesse and satisfaction of thy son and the honour of our onely Redeemer and Advocate Jesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and thy blessed Spirit be given as is most due all praise glory and dominion the residue of this day and for evermore Amen A PRAYER for the Morning O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray O Most glorious LORD GOD and in JESUS CHRIST our most merciful and loving Father in whom wee live and move and have our being in the multitude of thy mercies we desire to approach unto thee from whom all good things do proceed who knowest our necessities befoâ—e we ask and our ignorance in asking It is true O Lord if we should consider onely our own unworthiness and how we have heretofore abused thy goodnesse and long-suffering towards us wee might rather despair with Iudas and like Adam run from thee then dare to approach thy glorious presence For we confesse O Lord to the shame and confusion of our own faces that as our first Parents left us a large stock of sinne so we have improved the same beyond measure O that we could have so improved that stock of grace which wee have received from thee But whereas thou gavest us as large a portion we suddenly lost it We were created indeed by thee after thine own image in righteousness holiness in knowledg of the Truth But alas now our understandings are so darkned and dulled our judgmeÌ„ts so blinded our wils so perverted our affections so corrupted our reason so exiled our thoughts so surprised our desires so entrapped and all the faculties and sunctions of our souls so disordered that we are not sufficient of our selves to think much lesse to speak least of all to do ought that is good And yet usually like Bladders we are not more empty of grace than we are blown up with pride whereby with Laodicea we not once see our own spiritual misery and nakednesse but think we are rich and good enough as wanting nothing when as scarce any spark of grace yet appears in us Yea so far have we been from loving and serving thee that we have hated those that do it and that for their so doing And so far have we been from performing that vow which we made to Christ in our Baptism when we took his presse-mony to be his Souldiers and serve him in the field of this world against his and our enemies that we have renounced our vow made to him and fled from his standard yea fought for Satan and the World seeking to win all we could from Christ by tempting to sin and by persecuting such as were better then our selves so that all our recompence of thy love unto us hath been to do that which thou hatest and to hate those whom thou lovest Yea we cannot deny but we have persecuted thee with Paul denied thee with Peter betraied thee with Iudas and crucified thee with those cruel Jews Now Lord it being thus with us how can we expect that thou shouldest hear our praiers grant our requests yea how can wee look for other at thine hands then great and grievous yea then double damnation as most justly we have deserved Yet most most merciful Father being that thou hast given thy Son and thy Son himself for the ransome of so many as shall truly repent and unfainedly believ in him who hath for our sakes fulfilled all righteousness yea suffered on the Crosse and there made full satisfaction for the sins of all thine Elect. And likewise knowing that mercie pleaseath thee and that the sole perfection of a Christian is the imputation of Christs righteousnesse and the not-imputation of his own unrighteousnesse We are emboldened to sue unto thee our God for grace that we may be able to repent and believe Wherefore for thy promise sake for thy Sons sake and for thy great Names sake we beseech thee send down thy holy Spirit into our souls regenerate our hearts change and purifie our natures subdue our reason rectifie our judgments strengthen our wills renew our affections put a stop to our madding and straying fancies beat down in us whatsoever stands in opposition to the Scepter of Jesus Christ and enable us in some measure both to withstand that which is evil and perform that which is good and pleasing in thy sight And because every day which does not abate of our reckoning will increase it and that by procrastinating we shall but heap unto our selves wrath against the day of wrath Good Lord suffer us not we beseech thee to defer our repentance lest the custome of evill makes it altogether unalterable in us or lest we dye before we begin to live or lest thou refusest to hear us another day calling upon thee for mercy because we refuse to hear thee now calling to us for repentance Wherefore if we be not yet converted let this be the happy hour of our conversion that as our bodies are risen by thy power and providence from sleep so our soules may daily bee raised from the sleep of sin and the darknesse of this world that so we may enjoy that everlasting light which thou hast prepared for thine and purchased with the bloud of thy dear Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Give unto us we beseech thee a true lively and justifying faith whereby we may lay hold upon those gracious promises which thou hast made unto us in him and wherewith we may vanquish all our spirituall adversaries Seal up unto us the assurance of our salvation by the teâ—stimony of thy blessed Spirit Give to us thy servants that wisdome which descendeth from above that we may be wise unto our eternall salvation so shall our hearts instead of a Commentary help us to understand the Scriptures and our lives be an Exposition of the inward man Give us grace to account all things in this world even as drosse and dung that we may win Christ Jesus and Heaven and happinesse by means of him Give us single hearts and spirits without guile that wee may love goodnesse for it self and more seek the power of godlinesse then the shew of it and love the godly for thy sake and because they are godly Grant that in the whole course of our lives we may doe unto all others as we would that they should doe unto us considering that whether we do good or evill unto any one of thy members thou takest it as done unto thy self Discover unto us all our
think themselves so but weary and heavy-laden sinnâ—rs to repentance Matth. 10.6 15.24 18.11 9.12 13. 1 Tim. 1 1â— Luke 1.53 Sect. III. Again this is an infallible truth that without repentance there is no being saved and what hope of their serious and unfained repentance For sin must be seen before it can be sorrowed for A man must know himself sick before he will seek to the Physician Yea where is no discovery of the disease the recovery of the health is in vain hoped for Which makes Cyprian say that it is as meer lost labour to preach unto a man the things of God before he is humbled with the sight of his wants as to offer light to a blinde man to speak to a deaf man or to labour to make a brute beast wise Besides if wee look to be saved by any thing that we can do Christ can profit us nothing For the Son of man is come â—o seek and to save only that which was lost the lost sheep of the house of Israel Matth. 18.11 Luke 19.10 1 Tim. 115. even such as utterly despair in regard of all other helps Nor is he any way fit for absolution who findes not himself worthy of condemnation We shall find no sweetness in Christs blood till we feel the smart of our own sins Yea no men under Heaven are in so hopeless a condition as they who think to be saved by their performances or any other thing or means then by the righteousness of Christ alone It faring with them as it doth with unskillful swimmers who when they begin to sink if they catch hold of weeds in the bottom the faster they hold the surer they are to be drowned Sect. IV. Fourthly and lastly there needs no more to condemn these men then their ignorance of such saving truths especially in such glorious times of light and grace as these are wherein they may hear the Word preached every day in the week if they did not slâ—ght and disregard it which aggravates their sin exceedingly For though it be enough that God hath set down his will in his Word most plainly and we may read or hear it read were it at any rate and that the Epitomy of the whole Law is writ in every mans heart whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you even so do ye unto them Matth. 7.12 As it serves not a Malefactâ—rs turn to plead ignorantiam juris he knew not the Law of his Prinâ—â— which he hath broken for if the King have once proclaimed any thing 〈◊〉 the subject after sufficient time of notifying his will be ignorant of 〈◊〉 at his own peril be it Yet to be affectedly ignorant and to shut 〈◊〉 eyes against the light of the Gospel is by far more damnable this is a sin with a witnesse As what says our Saviour Iohn 3.19 This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather then light because their deeds were evil And so on the contrary This is life eternal to know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17.3 Besides without knowledge the mind cannot be good as wise Solomon affirms Prov. 19. 2 A man may know the will of God and yet not do it but he cannot do it except he know it Neither can he be born of God that knoweth him not 1 Ioh. 4.7 not â—an he love God 〈…〉 out thy fury upon the Heathen that know thee not Psal. 79.6 And that other more terrible 2 Thes. 1.7 8. The Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know not God Whence the Prophet Isaiah is peremptory It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy upon them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Isa. 27.11 Observe these Scriptures you ignorant souls that think your ignorance will excuse you and let not Satan nor your deceitfull hearts so delude you as to think that God is in jest where he saith My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge and because thou hast rejected knowledge I will also reject thee Hosea 4.6 Or if you do you shall one day find him in earnest For as you know not Christ here so when you shall look for entrance into his Kingdome hereafter he shall say unto you Depart from me I know you not Matth. 25.12 41. which will be but a sad saying And far better were it that you were ignorant of all other things which makes St Paul say I desire to know nothing among you save Iesus Christ and him Crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 Sect. V. Now this being the case of millions in this City and so all the Land over what can we other then conclude That few even amongst us shall be saved as our Saviour affirms Matth 7.13 14. 20.16 And that the whole world lieth in wickedness as St Iohn speaks 1 Ioh. 5.19 And that the number of those whom Satan shall deceive is as the sand of the Sea Rev. 20.8 13.15 16 17. Isa. 10.22 Rom. 9.27 VVhich being so I hold my self bound to acquaint them what every one must of neccessity know or they cannot be saved the which I will do in a few lines that all who will may have the benefit thereof VVherefore let all such if they have ears hear what I shall say unto them out of God's Word in laying open those three Fundamental principles before mentioned Sect. VI. Touching the bounty and goodness of GOD in Man's Creation these things would be known 1. That God in the beginning made man in Paradise after all his other works that he might come as to a sumptuous palace ready furnished 2. That he was made a compendium and abridgment of all the other creatures as being a little world of himself for whereas Planets have being not life Plants have life not sense beasts have sense not reason Angels have being life reason not sence Man hath all and contains in him more generality then the Angels viz. being life sense reason 3. That as he was made Lord of and had dominion over all so he did excell all other visible creatures 1. In that he had a reasonable soul 2. In that he hath a speaking tongue 3. In that he was made upright with his face lifted up to heaven-ward 4. In that all things were made subject to him 〈…〉 More especially we are to know that as God made all things else for mans use and service so he created man male and female more immediately for his own honor and service and did accordingly adorn him with gifts and abilities above all other visible creatures For God made us had not we unmade our selves after his own Image endowing us as with reasonable and immortal souls so with perfection of all true wisdome holiness and righteousness writing his Law in our hearts and giving us ability to obey and fulfil the same in every point
for us but most of all that thou shouldest unmake thy selfe that thou shouldest dye to save us VVhich salvation stands in two things First in freeing and delivering us from Hell Secondly In the possession of Heaven and eternal life Christ by his death merits the first for us and by his obedience fulfilling the law merits the second The parts of our justification are likewise two the remission of our sins and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse whereby we have freedom from all evill here and the perfection of all good and happinesse in heaven Insomuch that all those Millions of mercies that we have received from before and since we were born either for soul or body even to the least bit of bread we eat or shall enjoy to eternity Christ of his free grace hath purchased for us with the price of his own precious blood For which see Psal. 68.19 and 145.15 16. and 75.6 7. Hear this all you that care to be saved God will pardon all your sins he will give you an eternall crown of glory in heaven if you unfainedly repent and wholly rely upon Christ for your salvation by a lively faith and that because he is just for although the Lord cannot in justice let sin go unpunished for the wages of sin is eternal death Rom. 6.23 death in the person if not in the surety Yet Christ hath sufficiently satisfied for all the sins of the faithful and paid their dept even to the utmost farthing as is evident by Isai. 53.4 5. 2 Cor. 5.21 Heb. 9.26 1 Pet. 2.24 Rom. 3.25 26. 1 Ioh. 1.7 9. and sundry other places As are we bound to perform perfect obedience to the Law Christ performed it for us VVetâ— we for disobedience subject to the sentence of condemnation the curse of the Law and death of body and soul He was condemned for us and bore the curse of the Law he died in our stead an ignominious 〈◊〉 Did we deserve the anger of God he endured his Fathers wrathful displeasure that so he might reconcile us to his Father and set us at liberty He that deserved no sorrow felt much that we who deserved much might feel none And by his wounds we are healed Isai. 53.5 Adam eat the apple Christ paid the price In a word whatsoever we owed Christ discharged whatsoever we deserved he suffered if not in the self-same punishments for he being God could not suffer the eternal torments of Hell yet in proportion the dignity of his Person he being God and Man giving value unto his temporary punishments and making them of more value and worth then if all the world should have suffered the eternal torments of Hell For it is more for one that is eternal to die then for others to die eternally Therefore was the Son of God made the Son of man that the Sons of men might be made the Sons of God and therefore was he both God and man lest being in every respect God he had been too great to suffer for man or being in every respect man he had been too weak to satisfie God And so much for explication of the Third Principle mentioned in the beginning Sect. XX. But now comes the hardest part of my work to be performed For admit the Natural man be convinced of the truth of these three fundamental Principles never so clearly yet he will draw such a conclusion from the premisses that he will be never the better for what hath been told him yea he will decoct all even the mercy and goodness of God into poyson For what will such a one suggest to himself the Devil helping forward Let it be granted will he say that I were every way wretched and miserable a great sinner both originally and actually and likewise liable to all the plagues of this life and of that to come yet I thank God I am well enough so long as Christ hath paid my ransom and freed me from all by a new Covenant the tenure whereof is Believe and Live whereas at first it was do this and live to which I answer In Covenants and Indentures between party and party there are alwayes articles and conditions to be performed on the one side as well as promises to be fullfilled on the other as saith Pareus Now as God hath covenanted and bound himself by his word and Seal to remit thee thy sins adopt thee his child by regeneration and give thee the Kingdome of Heaven and eveâ—lasting life by and for his sons sake so Christ hath for and on thy behalf undertaken yea thou thy self didst for thy part bind thy self by covenant promise and vow in thy baptism that thou wouldest forsake the Devil and all his works constantly believe Gods holy Word and obediently keep his Commandments the better thereby to expresse thy thankfulness towards him for so great a benefit 1 Pet. 3.21 Psal. 116.12 13 14. And we know that in Covenants and Indentures if the Conditions be not kept the Obligation is not in force VVhereby millions Magus like after the water of baptism which is a Seal of the Covenant of Grace go to the fire of Hell Yea except we repent and believe the Gospel threats and precepts aswel as promises that holy Sacrament together with the 〈…〉 to us our salvation will be an obligation under our own hand and seal against us and so prove a seal of our greater condemnation Therefore the main question is VVhether thou art a believer For although Christ in the Gospel hath made many large and precious promises there are none so general which are not limited with the condition of faith and the fruit thereof unfained repentance and each of them are so tied and entailed that none can lay claim to them but true believers which repent and turn from all their sins to serve him in holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 Isa. 59.20 As for instance Our Saviour hath made publick Proclamation Mark 16.16 That whosoever shall believe and be baptised shall be saved but mark what withal is added he that will not believe shall be damned Again God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3.15 16. And that none may deceive themselves he addeth He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather then light John 3.19 20. And again As many as received him to them he gave power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name Joh. 1.12 Again Heb. 5.9 He is said to be the Author of eternal salvation unto all that obey him not unto them which continue in their rebellious wickedness and never submit themselves to be ruled by the scepter of
shee will be an Harlot Was there ever such a motion made to a reasonable man Tell me wherewith thou mayest be bound to do thee hurt Who would not have spurned such a sutor out of doors And when upon the tryal he saw such apparent treachery he yet wilfully betrays his life by her to his enemies All sins all passions have power to blinde and infatuate but lust most of all Never man that had dranke flagons of wine had lesse reason left him then this Nazarite Many an one loses his life but he casts it away not in hatred to himself but in love to a Strumpet He knew she aimed at nothing but his slavery and death yet had not power to deny her He had wit enough to deceive her thrice not enough to keep himself from being deceived by her Thrice had he seen the Philistims in her chamber ready to surprise him upon her bands and yet will needs be a slave to his Traitor Yea in effect bids her bindâ— him and call in her Executioners to cut his throat O beware of a Harlot as you would of the Devill and the rather for that under the habit of a woman it may be the Devill in shape of a woman as some have so been cheated But Sixthly what can we think of an improvident Gamester is not he a Fool who will hazard his whole estate upon the chance of a treacherous dye that flatters him with his own hand to throw away his wealth to another And a Thief he is too for if he wins he robs another if he looses he no lesse robs himself § 57. Seventhly let me refer it to any rational man whether the Voluptuous Prodigal is not a staâ—k Fool who suffers himself to be stolne away for an Apple For for a little tickling of the palate a kind of running Banquet he will hazard the losse of eternal comfort and expose himself to a devouring fire an everlasting burning Isa. 33.14 And what greater folly Is it not a dear purchase an ill penni-worth yea a desperate madnesse to buy the merriment of a day yea possibly the pleasure of an hour may deterimine it with ages of pangs with eternity of unsufferable torments that are capable of neither ease nor end Nor is this all for they run upon Gods judgements as Balaam did upon the swords point in the Angels hand and yet are so farre from being afraid that they applaud their own wisdome for giving such liberty to their lusts thinking no men in the world enjoy the like freedome When indeed their bondage is much worse then the cruel and tyrannical bondage and slavery of Egypt For first that bondage was of the body onely but the service of sinne is of the whole man body and soul. Secondly in the bondage of Egypt they served men but in this bondage service is done to sinne Satan most vile Lords which command most base and filthy works Thirdly in the bondage of Egypt the most harm was temporall losse of liberty smart and pain of body in this service of sinne the losse is eternal even destruction in Hell for ever without the inifinite goodnesse of God Fourthly in this bondage under Pharaoh they had a sense of their thraldome and desired liberty in this of sin men do not so much as suspect themselves to be bound but think themselves free and despise liberty Lastly in all outward bondage they which are bound may possibly help themselves as by running away or by intreaty or by ransome In this bondage we lie still as it were bound hand and foot till God by his mercy deliver us not having so much as the least thought of relieving our selves By all which it appears that such who take the most liberty to sin are the most perfect slaves in the world because most voluntary slaves and that Christs service is the onely true freedome his yoke an easie yoke his burthen but as the burthen of wings to a bird which makes her flye the higher Wherefore as we serve the lawes that we may be free so let us serve Christ and we shall be the freest people alive A godly man being demanded what he thought was the strangest and foolishest thing in the world answered an impenitent sinner or an Vnbeliever For said he that a man should provoke God so gracious and mighty that he should believe Satan the father of lies and cruelty forget his own death so imminent and in-evitable obey the command of his Flesh a Drudge so ignoble admire the world so fickle and dangerous prefer it before Heaven so blessed glorious wilfully cast himself into hell a place so woful and dolorous and all for vanity such a wretched emptinesse that he should feare the blasts of mens breath and not the fire of Gods wrath weep for the losse of friends not for his soul And lastly that Christ should stand at the door of his heart craving for entrance that he may remedy all and make him everlastingly happy and God call him every day either by his Word in the mouthes of his Messengers or by strange judgements or extraordinary mercies upon himselfe or others and all in vain Such an one sayes he is the most foolish and degenerate creature alive Thus I might go on to Traytors Murtherers Back-byters Seducers Drunkards Blasphemers Persecutors of the godly proud persons Hypocrites Thieves Atheists and what other sinners you can name and prove them all fools alike But I have already upon one occasion or other done it in some other Tract Nor do I love to tautologize except it be for a great advantage to my Reader and for others good though in such a case I can I thank God dishonour my selfe that I may honour my Maker The which if men did well ponder they wouâ—d be more sparing of their censures How-ever I could wish that our Reverend Divines would afford themselves more liberty in this case then they do There be some expressions that we borrow from our Predecessors that deserve to be mentioned or used by a Minister that remains perhaps twenty or thirty years in a Parish more then once though it be to the same Congregation for that which takes not or is not minded at one time may at another and how many have been converted by that onely argument that God seeth all things even in the darke when the doors are shut and the curtains drawn Nor do I think that a dull and flat tool or instrument would be used when a more quick and sharp one may be had at as easie a rate and perhaps neerer at hand But we are mostly even the best of us â—oth to deny our selves though it be for our Masters many of our Brethrens great gain and advantage But of this by the way onely a word or two more that may reach to all that are in their natural condition and I shall conclude § 58. In the last place Are not all wilfull sinners arrant fools who Adam-like will
should we admire the love and bounty of God and bless his Name who for the performance of so small a work hath proposed so great a Reward And for the obtaining of such an happy state hath imposed such an easie task Yea more is Heaven so unspeakably sweet and delectable and Hell so unutterably dolefull Then let nothing be thought too much that we can either do or suffer for Christ who hath freed us from the one and purchased for us the other Though indeed nothing that we are able to do or suffer here can be compared with those woes we have deserved in Hell or those joyes we are reserved to in Heaven And indeed that we are now out of hell there to fry in flames of fire and brimstone never to be freed that we have the free offer of grace here and everlasting glory hereafter in heaven we are onely beholding to him We are all by nature as hell-fire being onely reprieved for a timâ— But from this extremity and eternity of torment Iesus hath freed and delivered us O think then yea be ever thinking of it how rich the mercy of our Redeemer was in freeing us and that by laying down his own life to redeem us Yea How can we be thankfull enough for so great a blessing It was a mercy bestowed and a way found out that may astonish all the sons of men on earth and Angels in Heaven Which being so 〈…〉 can any one in common reason meditate so unbottomed a love and not study and strive for an answerable and thankfull demeanour If a Friend had given us but a thousand part of what God and Christ hath we should heartily love him all our lâ—ves and think no thankâ— sufficient What price then should we set upon Iesus Christ who is the life of our lives and the soul of our souls Do we then for Christs sake what we would do for a Friends sake Yea let us abhor our selves for our former unthankfulness and our wonderfull provoking of him Hearken we unto Christs voyce in all that he saith unto us without being swayed one way or another as the most are Let us whom Christ hath redeemed express our thankâ—ulness by obeying all that he saith unto us whatever it shall cost us since nothing can be too much to endure for those pleasures which shall endure for ever As Who would not obtain Heaven at any rate at any cost or trouble whatsoever In Heaven is a Crown laid up for all such as suffer for righteousâ—ess even a Crown without cares without rivals without envy without end And is not this reward enough for all that men or Devils can do against us Who would not serve a short apprentiship in Gods service here â—o be made for ever free in glory Yea Who would not be a Philpot for a moneth or a Lazarus for a day or a Steven for an hour that he might be in Abrahams bosome for ever Nothing can be too much to endure fâ—r those pleasures that endure for ever Yea what pain can we think too much to suffer What little enough to do to obtain eternity for this incorruptible Crown of Glory in Heaven 1 Pet. 5.4 where we shall have all tears wiped from our eyes Where we shall cease to sorrow cease to suffer cease to sin Where God shall turn all the water of our afflictions into the pure wine of endless and unâ—xpressible comfort You shall sometimes see an hired servant venture his life for his new Master that will scarce pay him his wages at the years end and can we suffer too much for our Lord and Master who giveth every one that serveth him â—ot Fields and Vineyards as Saul pretended 1 Sam 22 7. c. nor Towns and Cities as Cicero is pleased to boast of Caesar but even an hundred-â—old more than we part withall here in this life and eternal Mansâ—ons in Heaven hereafter John 14.2 St. Paul saith Our light affliction which is but for a moment causeth us a far most excellent and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 18. Where note the incomparable and infinitive difference between the woâ—k and the wages light affliction receiving a weight of glory and momentary affliction eternal glory Suitable to the reward of the wicked whose empty delights live and die in a moment but their unsufferable punishment is interminable and endless Their pleasure is short their pain everlasting our pain is short our joy eternal Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of life â—am 1.12 〈…〉 what folly is it then or rather madness for the small pleasure of some base lust some paltry profit or fleeting vanity which passeth away in the very act as the taste of a pleasant drink dieth so soon as it is down to bring upon our selves in another world torments without end and beyond all compass of conceit Fourthly Is it so that God hath set before us life and death Heaven and Hell as a reward of good and evil leaving us as it were to our choyce whether we will be compleatly and everlastingly happy or miserable with what resolution and zeal should we strive to make our calling and election sure nor making our greatest business our least and last care I know well thou hadst rather when thou diest go to reign with Christ in his Kingdom for evermore than be confined to a perpetual Prison or Furnace of fire and brimstone there to be tormented with the Dâ—vil and his Angels If so provoke not the Lord who is great and terrible of most glorious Majesty and of infinite purity and who hath equally promised salvation unto those which keep his Commandments and threatned eternal death and destruction to those who break them For as he is to all repentant sinners a most mercifull God Exod. 34.6 so to all wilfull and impenitant sinners he is a consuming fire and a jealous God Heb. 12.29 Deut. 4 24. There was a King who having no issue to succeed him espied one day a well-favoured and towardly youth he took him to the Court and committed him to Tutors to instruct him provâ—ding by his Will that if he proved fit for Government he should be crowned King if not he should be kept in chains and made a Gally-slave the youth was mâ—sled and neglected both his Tutors good Counsâ—l and his Book so as his Master corâ—ected him and said O that thou knewest what honour is prepared for thee and what thou art lâ—ke to loose by this thy idle and loose carriage Well thou wilt afterwards when 't is to late sorely rue this And when he grew to years the King died whose Councâ—l and Executours perceiving him to be utterly unfit for State Government called him before them and declared the Kings will and pleasure which was accordingly performed for they caused him to be fettered and committed to the Galleys there to toil and tug at the Oaâ—s perpetually where he was whipt and lasht
that perisheth by Mahomets jugling add to the pilâ— of his unspeakable horrors So if we sow good works succession shall reap them and we shall be happy in making others so Good Report from Bad men no mean disparagement TOGETHER With a Cordial for Christians when they receive evil for well doing BEING An Arrow drawn forth of that Sententious Quiver Intituled A Christian Library or a pleasant and plentifull Paradise of practical Divinity SECT I. Convert REverend Sir when by a providence you heard me swear and curse you gave me a printed Paper to convince me of that fowle audacious provoking and yet unprofitable sin and withall intreated me to read three larger Tracts viz. A short and sure way to grace and salvation The hearts Index with A serious and pathetical description of Heaven and Hell This to me whom you had never before seen seemed no less absurd then strange and having a darke heart in stead of great love and thanks I returned you a most churlish and uncivil answer and accordingly when I met with my drunken consorts I read it with no less scorn then ignorance but before I had done it made me tremble nor could I rest until I had perused the other three Books which have so represented the very thoughts secrets and deceitfulness of my heart unto my conscience that I could not but say of them as the woman of Samaria once spake of our Saviour They have told me all things that ever I did John 4.29 Which made me conclude with that Vnbeliever 1 Cor. 14.24.25 That the hand of God was in the contriving of them Nor could they ever have so done if they were not of God as the young man in the Gospel reasoned with the Pharisees touching Iesus when he had opened his eyes that had been blind from his birth John 9.32.33 Which is such a mercy that no tongue is able to express for till then I went on in the broad way and worlds road to destruction without any mistrust What change they have wrought in me with Gods blessing upon the means and how greatly I have longed to see you again I forbear to mention Onely this when I had read them in reference to Levit. 19.17 and in compassion to their pretious soules who are neither able nor willing to help themselves I have and not without some comfortable success taken up your trade in giving the Papers and mentioning the Books to all that I hear blaspheme my Maker or belch out their spleen against goodness As well considering that one soule is of more worth then the Indies And indeed whose heart would it not make to bleed to see what multitudes there are that go blindfold to destruction and no man offer to stop or check them before they arrive there from whence there is no redemption Matth. 7.13.14 1 Iohn 5.19 Revel 20.8 and 13 16. Rom. 9.27 2 Tim. 2.26 2 Cor. 4.4 Ephes. 2.1 to 4. Iohn 8.44 And certainly it more then behoves me as being my self snatcht out of the fire Jude 23. to do what I can to draw others of my brethren after me in imitation of Andrew John 1.41 and Philip v. 45. and the women of Samaria John 4.28 to 41. and Peter Luke 22.32 Acts 2.41 4.4 c. 3. and of Moses Exod. 32.32 and Paul Rom. 9.3 Neither are we of the communion of Saints if we desire not the salvation of others Yea how could I be thankful to my Redeemer that hath done and suffered so much for me or in the least love God and my Neighbour if I should not thus resolve as by my sins and bad example I have drawn others from God so now I will all I can draw others with my self to God yea what a shame were it If I should not be as faithful a servant to my Saviour As I have formerly been to Sathan Saul converted will build up as fast as ever he pulled down and preach as zealously as ever he persecuted Onely there is a great rub in the way which makes me fear I shall not be able to hold out for I am so scoft and scorned where ever I come both by Parents Friends and Enemies for giving these Papers that they make me even weary of my life as the daughters of Heth did Rebecca Gen. 27 46. And yet I dare not leave off since our Saviour saith expressly that he will be ashamed of such at the latter day who are now ashamed for his sake to bear a few scoffs and reproaches from the World Marke 8.38 Nevertheless I am in a wonderful strait for if I seek to please God and discharge my conscience I displease the world and that will hate and vex me if I seek to please the world I displease God and he will hate and condemn me Now though the case be plain enough for better it is to have all the world mine enemies then my Maker my Redeemer and my Conscience Acts 5.29 Yet it almost beats me off from being religious back to the world And certainly he must be more spirit then flesh that can contentedly make himself contemptible to follow Christ be pointed at for singularity indure so many base and vile nicknames have his Religion judged hypocrisie his godly simplicity silliness his zeal madness and the like malicious and mischievous constructions made of whatsoever he speaks or does For my part I could better abide a stake God assisting me then the mocks scoffs and scornes which every where I meet withall Its death to me to be mockt as it fared with Zedekiah Jer. 38.19 Now could you cure me of my cowardliness as you have of my cursing and swearing I should have cause indeed to bless the time that ever I saw you and why not Since God hath given you the Tongue of the learned to administer a word in season to them that are weary Esay 50.4 Sect. 2. Minister If you would shake off this slavish yoke of bondage and fear in which Satan for the present holds you and be rid of this bashful devil Search the Scriptures and they will both inform your judgement and confirm comfort and strengthen you against the worlds hatred and calumny though there needs no more then Ephes. 6.11 12 James 3.6.2 Tim. 3.12 Matth. 5.10 11 12 and 10.22 and 24.9 Luke 2.34 35. and 4.29 John 15.20 Gen. 3.15 1 John 3.13 1 Pet. 4 1â— 13 14. Luke 14.27 and 6.26 Philip. 1.28 29. Revel 2.13 Do but seriously ponder these few places and consider by whom they were spoken and then certainly you will confess that if there be any nectar in this life t is in sorrows we endure for righteousness And methinks when I hear goodness calumniated I bear it the easier because the servants of vice and none else do it But the better to help and further you in this great work take these ensuing Notions Aphorisms and conclusions which perhaps alone may both imbolden you and stop many of their mouths that scoff you First
observation Sacrilege is the greatest theft yet of it men make the least conscienceâ— But lastly You make your selves not only guilty of persecution theft sacrilege of murdering bodies and souls of provoking God to send a famine of his Word and the like but you become by it guilty of high treason against God in thus using his Ambassadors and against Christ and all his members For besides that all the disgraces and wrongs that are done to Christs Ministers redound to him and he that â—raduceth or any way wrongs a Minister for the discharge of his place his envy strikes at the Image of God in him as a world of places prove So the very root or spring of this their spight and enmity against the Ministry is an inbred enmity and hatred against God himself As when Satan slew Iobs sons and servants his malice was against Iob Or as when Saul darted a spear Ionathan his spight was against David And accordingly God takes what is done to his messengers as done to himself as in that case of David sending his Ambassadors to the King of Ammon 2 Sam. 10.6 7. They have not cast thee away says God to Samuel but they have cast me away that I should not reign over them 1 Sam. 8.7 You are gathered together against the Lord and what is Aaron that ye murmure against him Numb 16.11 and the like Exod. 16.7 8. Luke 10 1â— Ioh. 15.23 24. Ioh. 7.7 He that despiseth you despiseth me 1 Sam. 17.45 Isa. 37.23 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Acts 9.4 Rev. 16.9.11 Psal. 89.23 9 ¶ Which being so how does it behove you to look to your selves and bewail this sin this horrible and desperate sin Was there ever any that was stout against the Lord and prospered as Iob speaks Iob 9.4 When the Pitcher contends with the Rock straw with the fire it is easie to judge who will come by the worst And certainly if most men were not both blinde and mad they would more respect the Ministry For if I understand any thing of the Word of God or know what rectified reason is there is not a sin in the Nation that so hinders the blessings or pulls down the judgments of God upon us as does this very sin And yet it is not more provoking then it is a common sin How it will be answered to their Lord and master at the great day I tremble to think Can you answer it then with flashes of wit or carnal reasons as you do now I beseech you look to it Nor is our love or hatred to God any way better known then by our respect to and usage of his Ambassadors Lip-love is but lying love If you love me keep my commandments says our Saviour Ioh. 14.15 Wherefore let my counsel be acceptable Break off your sins by repentance kick no more against the pricks Refrain your selves from these men and let them alone lest ye be found even fighters against God Acts 5.38 39. Nor will it ever repent you if you come in Heaven that you were stopt in this your way to destruction Yea let the consideration of what you have already done make you sink down with shame and tremble for astonishment to think that notwithstanding you have been so many years in arms against your Maker and Redeemer and most spightfully and maliciously persecuted his Ambassadors that came to rescue you from the subtlery and slavery of Satan that bloody devouring Dragon and vowed enemy of all mankinde yet God hath no taken the advantage of casting you into Hell but of his never enough admired mercy hath spared you to this hour whereas he might most justly have prevented all in sending you body and soul into everlasting torments when you were but a span long For know this that we need no more to condemn us then what we brought into the world with us Yea we were condemned so soon as conceived And that you and I are not at this present frying in Hell-flames never to be freed no reason can be alâ—â—adged but O the depth Wherefore take heed in time and as you tender the good of your own souls defer not a minute but study and bestir your selves how you may make your peace with God Yea do it while the yerning bowels the bleeding wounds and compassionate arms of Iesus Christ lie open to receive you whiles ye have health and life and means and time to repent and make your peace with God As you tender I say the everlasting happiness and welfare of your almost lost and drowned souls As you expect or hope for grace or mercy for joy and comfort for heaven and salvation for endless bliss and glory at the last As you shall escape the direfull wrath of God the bitter doom and sentence of Christ the never dying sting and worm of conscience the tormenting and soul-scorching flames of Hell and everlasting separation from Gods blissfull presence abjure and utterly renounce this accursed sin Oh get an interest in Christ For till we become members of his mystical body by regeneration and a lively faith we even the bâ—st of us are as Traitors condemned to suffer eternal torments in Hell-fire â—eing onely reprieved for a time O bless God all the dayes you live yea to eternity that the gate of mercy yet stands open 10 ¶ But withal take hold of the opportunity before the Draw-briâ—ge be taken up lest you never have the like again Do not dally with God and your own souls for if this warning be slighted never look for the like For warning such a warning not taking is a certain presage of destruction Pro. 29.1 1.24 25 26. The sons of Eli would not hearken unâ—â— nor obey the voice of their Father why because saith the Text the Lord was determined to destroy them 1 Sam. 2.25 I know saith the Prophet to Amaziah the Lord hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not obeyed my counsel 2 Chron. 25.16 20. Whereas contrarily the Ninevites by hearkning to Ionah and those very murtherers of the Lord of life by listening to Peter were converted and saved Acts 2.36 37. O take heed of preferring your own carnal reason before the written were of God And that what is spoken of Babel may not be verified in you We would have cured him but he would not be cured lest you be given to destruction as she was What sayes our Saviour This is the condemnation noâ— like this that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather thâ—â— light because their deeds were evil Iohn 3.19 20. Indeed if you will rather beleeve Satan or his sollicitor the Flesh or be led by the perswasions of your own flattering heart which is deceitfull above all things and most desperately evil Ier. 17.9 No marvel you should be deaf to all hath been said 〈◊〉 thinking your selves already good enough and then farwel all hope of being better For the opinion of mens being wise and
anguish of death he started up in his bed and sware by the former oath that bell toled for him whereupon immediately the bloud most fearfully issued as it were in streams from all parts of his body not one place left free and so dyed Popiel King of Poland had over this wish in his mouth If it be not true I would the Rats might eat me and so it came to passe for he was so assailed by them at a banquet that neither his guards nor fire nor water could defend him from them as Munster mentions The Iews said Let his bloud be upon us and upon our children and what followed sixteen hundred years are now past since they wished themselves thus wretched and have they not ever since been the hate and scorne of the world Did they not many of them live to see their City buried in ashes and drowned in bloud to see themselves no Nation Was there ever any people under heaven that was made so fa 〈…〉 〈…〉 Nor is it seldome that God payes them in their own coin men prophane Gods name and he makes their names to stinke When the pestilence rageth in our streets blasphemy and execration must confesse that they have their dâ—e wages Blasphemers live swearing and dye raving it is but their wages 2. § He punisheth some in the Suburbs of hell that they might never come into the City it self The evill he now suffers uncorrected he refers to be condemned Sin knows the doom it must smart here or hereafter Outward plagues are but favour in comparison of spirituall judgments and spirituall judgments but light to eternall torments God does not punish all flagitious sinners here that he may allow some space to repent and that none may doubt his promise of a Generall Iudgement nor does he forbear all here lest the world should deny his providence and question his justice MEMB. 6. 1. § But what do I urge reason to men of a reprobate judgment to admonish them is to no more purpose then if one should speak to life-lesse stones or sense-lesse plants or wit-lesse beasts for they will never fear any thing till they be in Hell fire wherefore God leaves them to be confuted with fire and brimstone since nothing else wil doe it If there be any here that beleeve a Resurrection as I hope better things of some of you all such I would beseech by the mercies of God before mentioned that they would not be so desparately wicked as to mock their admonisher scoff at the means to be saved and make themselves merry with their owne damnations but that they would entertain this messuage as if it were an Epistle sent from God himself to invite and call them to repentance Yea consider seriously what I have said and do not Oh do not mock at Gods Word nor sport away your souls into those pains which are easelesse endlesse and remedilesse Shal we give an account at the day of judgement for every idle word we speak Mat. 12.36 and never give a reckoning for our wicked swearing and cursing we shall be judged by our words v. 37. Are you willing to be saved if you are Break off your sins by repentance Dan. 4.27 Cease to do evill learn to doe well Isai. 1.16.17 Seriously grieve and bewail for the millions of times that you have blasphemed God and pierced your Saviour and never more commit the like impiety Yea doe not only leave your swearing but fear an Oath and make conscience of it resolve not to take the glorious name of God in vain nor place any otheâ— creature in his roome though the Devill should say unto you as once hâ— did to Christ All this will I give thee For it is not enough that we abstained from evill unlesse we hate it also and doe the contrary good Sanctifie the Lord God in your heart 1 Pet. 3.15 Make a covenant with your mouth as Joâ— did with his eyes and set a watch before the door of your lips that you thuâ— offend not with your tongue Psal. 141.3 2. § Which if you doe rightly the like care to avoid all other sins wilâ— necessarily follow because he that fears to commit one sin out of conscience and because God forbids it will upon the same ground fear all the 〈…〉 commit it as that God should never impure it 2 Tim. 2.19 Neither can a regenerate mind consist with a determination to continue in any one sin as when Christ cast out one Devill we read that he cast out all even the whole Legion Mark 5.2 c. And he that makes not some consience of all sin makes no true conscience of any sin And the same is to be understood also of duties commanded for the same law which injoins us to hate and for sake all sin commands us also to strive after universal obedience to every precept And it is a true rule he that hath not in him all Christian graces in their measure hath none and he that hath any one truly hath all He that is not sanctified in every part is truly sanctified in no part 1 Pet. 1.15 2 Pet. 3.11 Mat. 5.48 2 Tim. 3.17 2 Cor. 7.1 And the least sin allowed of be it but a vaine thought or one duty omitted is enough to cast thee into hell for the wages of sin any sin be it never so little is death Rom. 6.23 Jam. 1.15 Yea admit thou hadst never acted any the least evill in all thy life it were not enough to save thee from hell much lesse to bring thee to heaven for we need no more to condemn us then what we brought into the World with us Gen. 2.17 Psal. 51.5 Rom. 5.12 Whence the new born child in the law was commanded to offer a sin offering Lev. 12.6 3. § Wherefore as you tender the good of your own soul set upon the work presently before the Drawbridge be taken up provide with Ioseph for the dearth to come With Noah in the days of thine hâ—alth build the Ark of a good conscience against the floods of sicknesse Imitate the Ant who provides her meat in Summer for the Winter following Yea do it whilst the yearning bowels the bleeding wounds and compassionate arms of Jesus Christ lie open to receive you Whiles you have health and life and means and time to repent and make your peace with God in Christ as you tender I say the everlasting happinesse wel-fare of your almost lost and drowned soul as you expect or hope for grace or mercy for joy and comfort for heaven and salvation for endlesse blisse and glory at the last As you would escape the direful wrath of God the bitter sentence and doom of Christ the never dying sting and worm of conscience the tormenting and soul scorching flames of hel and everlasting separation from Gods blissfull presence abjure utterly renounce all wilfull and affected evill and in the first place this abominable sin of swearing and cursing 4. § The which Grace if you
this question What would you give in those scorching flames to be delivered out of them into Abrahams bosom or the Kingdom of Heaven Yea what would you not give if you then had it Let Nabal be but ransomed out of Hell he wil no longer be a Churl Let Dives return from that fiery Lake to his former riches the sensible World shall admire his Charity Let Iudas be ransomed out of Hell he wil no more betray his Master for money Let Esau find the same favour he will never again sell his Birth-right Nabal then would no longer oppress Achitophel then wil be no longer a false-Counsellor nor Ahab a bloody Tyrant Finally if all damned souls could but be admitted to come out of Hell and get a promise of Heaven upon condition of extraordinary obedience for a thousand years how precisely would they live And how would they bestir themselves that they might please God having once tasted of those torments which now many are in doubt of because no man ever saw Hell that returned back to make the relation yea if the offer were but made to these Churls on their death-beds when Conscience begins to accuse God appears to be angry and Satan is ready to seize upon their souls they would then give all they have had they ten thousand worlds for a short reprieve to the end they might have the like possibility As certainly when Pharoah saw the Sea ready to swallow him he was heartily sorry that ever he had wronged poor innocents and oppressed God's own portion How much more when he felt the flames of Hell-fire about his ears And the like of Ahab touching Naboth and all such covetous and cruel men What gained Laban and Nabal or Dives or that rich man in the Gospel by heaping up Riches and ingrossing all to themselves when shortly after by their covetousness and cruelty they both lost their Estates and themselves The foolish Virgins to save or spare a a shilling brought no Oyle but when their Lamps were out and the Bridegroom was come what would they have given Yea what would they not have given for a little Oyle and for entrance with the wise into the Wedding Such will one day be the case of all covetous men Indeed at present none are wise but they for they account poor honesty but a kind of simplicity but then they wil acknowledge themselves to have been of all fools the greatest nor deserve they any pity Who pities that man's death that having the Medicine by him which can help him dyes and will not take it If ever you see a drowning man refuse help conclude him a wilful Murtherer O my Brethren look not for Dives nor Iudas to come out of Hell to warn you since all this that I have said and much more is written for your learning and warning lest it fare with you as it did with the Greeks of Constantinople who had store of Wealth but because they would spare none to the reparation of the Walls and maintenance of the Souldiers they lost all to the Turks which afterwards no money could recover Or as it fared with Hedelburough which was lost through the Citizens Covetousness for being full of Gold and Silver they would not pay the Souldiers that should have defended them Though neither their folly nor loss was comparable to this of yours For what is the Loss of Life or Countrey to the loss of a man's Soul and the Kingdom of Heaven The covetous Iews spoken of by Josephus loved their money dearly when being besieged they did in gorge their Gold for all the night and seek it in their close Stooles the next morning But nothing so wel as these Cormorants I am speaking of who by covetousness and overmuch sparing resolve to lose Life Substance Soul Heaven Salvation and all O wretched wicked and foolish generation CHAP. LIV. FOurthly If there needs no other ground of our last and heaviest doom than Ye have not given Ye have not visited If the main point which Christ wil scan at the day of Judgement is the point of mercy If he wil accuse the Wicked at the last day not onely for taking the meat out of the poors mouths or plucking their apparel off their backs but for not feeding them and putting cloaths upon their backs as is evident by Matth. 25. and as I have made plain then are all Negative Christians in an ill taking It is strange to see how many several ways men have to deceive themselves One thinks it enough that he is of the outward visible Church born of Christian Parents hath been baptized c. Another so confidently hopes for Salvation by Faith that he little regards honesty or true dealing amongst men Another sort flatter themselves with promises of mercy as Christ suffered for all God would have all to be saved At what time soever a sinner repents he shall be forgiven and the like and with these they batten their own presumptuous confidence be their lives never so licentious Yea where is the man that wil not boast of his love to Christ though they even hate all that any way resemble him but of all others such as live harmless Lives and do no hurt think it sufficient and that it greatly matters not for doing good so they do no evil And in these conceits they go on to the end of their lives without once questioning how they shal enter in at the straight Gate Their deceitful hearts serve them as Iael did Sizera who flatteringly said to him Come in my Lord giving him Milk and covering him with a Mantle but withal nailing his head to the gronnd As see how the Rich Glutton flattered himself with hopes until he was in Hel-flames For notwithstanding he had denied poor Lazarus the very crumbs that fell from his Table yet he could challenge Abraham for his Father saying Father Abraham have mercy on me c. Luk. 16 But refused he was because he had not the works nor indeed the Faith of Ahraham though he might seem to profess and pretend it And the like of those Iews Iohn 8. For they could boast to Christ that Abraham was their Father but he gave them a cutting Answer If ye were Abraham's Children ye would do the works of Abraham ver 39. Vainly do they speak of their love to Christ who yet are wanting to his members Neither can there be a truer argument of a godless person then unmercifulness If we know a man unmâ—rciful we may boldly say He is ungodly Iohn 3.17 The lack of Charity is the conviction of Hypocrisie 1 Cor. 13.1 2 c. The righteous is merciful and giveth Psal. 37.21 22. But the Wicked are so far from this that they borrow and pay not again The Father of Mercies hath no Children but the merciful Matth. 5.7 He that is not a feeling-Member of others miseries is not of that Mystical Body whereof Christ is the Head It is not who is called a Christian or