off the branches and it grew again they cut down the body and it grew again Isedore the Monk was very much out who vaunted that hee had felt in himself no motion to sin forty years together they cut it up by the root and still it lived and grew untill they pulled down the stone-wall till death shall pull down our stone-walls Sin will live this fire will burn Wee may say of sin as some say of Cats that they have many lives kill them and they will live again kill them again and they will live again so kill sin once and it will live again kill it again and it will live again c. Sin oftentimes is like that Monster Hydra cut off one head and many will rise up in its room Fifthly Fire is of a penetrating nature Isa 1.5 6. Rom. 7.13.17 Sin is malum Catholicum A Catholick evil Quodcunque in peccato peccatum est whatsoever is in sin is sin it peirceth and windeth it self into every corner and chinck and so doth sin winde it self into our thoughts words and works it will winde it self into our understandings to darken them and into our judgements to pervert them and into our wills to poison them and into our affections to disorder them and into our consciences to corrupt them and into our carriages to debase them Sin will winde it self into every duty and every mercy it will winde it self into every one of our enjoyments and concernments Hannibal having overcome the Romans put on their armour on his shoulders and so by that policy they being taken for Romans won a City but what are Hannibals wiles to sins wiles or Satans wiles if you have a minde to bee acquainted with their wiles look over my Treatise called Precious Remedies against Satans Devices Sixthly and lastly Fire is a devouring a consuming Element Psal 21.9 it turns all fuel into ashes It is a Woolf that eats up all 2 Pet. 2.5 6. Pro. 6.32 Eccles 9.18 Prov. 13.13 ch 20.29.1 Pro. 11.3 ch 15.25 ch 21.7 so Sin is a fire that devours and consumes all it turned Sodom and Gomorah into ashes it hath destroyed the Caldaean Persian and Graecian Kingdomes and will at last destroy the Roman Kingdome also this Woolf ate up Sampsons strength Absoloms beauty Achitophels policy and Herods glory c. It hath drowned one world already and will at last burn another even this Oh the hopes the hearts the happinesse the joyes the comforts the souls that this fire Sin hath consumed and destroyed c. Peter Camois Bishop of Betty in France in his draught of Eternity Num. 75. tells us that some devout personages caused those words of the Prophet Isaiah to bee written in letters of gold upon their chimny peeces Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire Isa 33.14 who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Ah young men young men I desire that you may alwaies look upon sin under the notion of fire yea as such fire as laies the foundation for everlasting fire for everlasting burnings and this may work when other things will not I have read of a grave and chaste Matron who being moved to commit folly with a lew'd Russian after some discourse shee call'd for a pan of burning coals requesting him for her sake to hold his finger in them but one hour hee answered it is an unkind request to whom she replyed that seeing hee would not do so much as to put one finger upon the coals for one hour she could not yeild to do that for which shee should bee tormented both body and soul in hell fire for ever The application is easy c. Fourthly If you would break with Sin betimes if you would arm against Sin in the spring and morning of your dayes then you should look upon Sin under the notion of a Thief and indeed Sin is the greatest Theif the greatest Robber in the World it robbed the Angels of all their glory 2 Pet. 2 4 Gen. 3 it robbed Adam of his Paradise and felicity and it hath robbed all the Sons of Adam of five precious Jewels the least of which was more worth than heaven and earth 1 It hath robbed them of the holy and glorious Image of God which would have been fairly engraven upon them had Adam stood c. 2 It hath robbed them of their son-ship and of sons have made them slaves 3 It hath robbed them of their friendship Well did one of the fathers call Pride and Vain-glory the sweet spoiler of spiritual excellencies and a pleasant theif and made them enemies 4 It hath robbed them of their communion and fellowship with Father Son and Spirit and made them Strangers and Aliens 5 It hath robbed them of their glory and made them vile and miserable It hath robbed many a nation of the Gospel and many a parish of many a happy guide and many a Christian of the favour of God the joyes of the spirit and the Peace of Conscience Oh the health the wealth the honor the friends the relations that Sin hath robbed thousands of Nay It hath robbed many of their gifts their arts their parts their memory their judgement yea their very reason as you may see in Pharoah Nebuchadnezzar Belshazzar Achitophel Haman Herod and those Babylonish Princes that accused Daniel And so in Menipus of Phenicia who having lost his goods strangled himself And so Dinarcus Phidon at a certain losse cut his own throat to save the charge of a cord And so Augustus Caesar in whose time Christ was born was so troubled and astonished at the relation of an overthrow from Varrus Suetonius that for certain months together he let the hair of his beard and head grow still and wore it long yea and other whiles would run his head against the doors crying out Quintilius Varrus deliver up my Legions again by all which it is most apparent that Sin is the greatest thief in all the World Oh then who would not break league and covenant with it and be still in pressing of God to do justice upon it c. Fifthly Nah. 1.1 Hab. 1.1 Mal. 11 If you would break with Sin and arm and fence your selves against Sin betimes then you must look upon sinne under the notion of a burden betimes and indeed sin of all burdens is the heaviest burden in all the world Innumerable evils have compassed me about Psal 40.12 mine iniquities have taken hold upon mee so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me and again Mine iniquities are gone over my head saith the same person as an heavy burden Psal 38.4 they are too heavy for mee to bear Sin is a weight that easily besets poor souls Heb. 12.1 it is a burden that so troubles them and puzzles them that so curbs them and girds them Rom. 7.13 ult that so presses and oppresses
upon examples now will finde that a stinging terrifying question when put home by God or conscience who hath required these things at your hands Isa 1 12. But Fourthly I answer company and allurements to sin will bee found no sufficient excuse for sin If Eve lay her fault on the Serpent Gen. 3. and Adam lay his on Eve God will take it off and lay the curse on both Sauls provocation by the people and by Samuels long stay to offer Sacrifice would not bear him out 1 Sam. 15.14 15 26 27. but for his disobedience hee must lose both his Crown and life The young man in the Proverbs Pro. 7.14 15 21. though tempted and solicited by the Harlot yet hath a dart struck thorough his heart though Jonah did plead Gods gracious inclinations to shew mercy and his fear of being disproved yea and though hee might have pleaded his fear of cruel and savage usage from the Ninevites whose hearts were desperately set upon wickednesse And his despair of ever doing good upon a people so blinded and hardened and that they were Gentiles and hee a Jew and why should hee then be sent with so strange so terrible a message to such a people nothing being more hateful and distasteful to a Jewish Palate but all these pleas and excuses will not bear off the blow Jonah must into the Sea for all this Oculos quos peccatum claudit paena apperit Gre. The eyes that sin shuts affliction opens and Jonab found it so yea hee must to the bottom of hell as himself phrases it it is in vain for the bird to complaine that it saw the corn but not the pitfall or for a fish to plead it saw the bait but not the hook So it will bee in vain for sinners at last when they are taken in an infernal pit-fall to plead company and allurements by which they have been intised to undo their souls for ever Dionysius the Sicilian King to excuse himself from the present delivery of the golden garment hee took from his God Apollo answered that such a robe as that was could not bee at any season of the year useful to his god for it would not keep him warm in the winter and it was too heavy for the summer and so put off his Idol god but the God of spirits the God of all flesh will not bee put off with any excuses or pretences when hee shall try and judge the children of men But Fifthly and lastly Mat. 18.7 I answer that it is a very great judgement to bee given up to follow evil examples a man given up to evil examples is a man sadly left of God wofully blinded by Satan and desperately hardened in sin it speaks a man ripe for wrath for ruine for hell Jer. 6.21 * This particle Behold is sometimes a note of derision Gen. 3.22 2 A Note of Attention often Isa 28.6 Mal. 1.1 Luk. 1.20 3 A Note of Admiration often 4 A Note of Asseveration 5 A Note of Castigation in all these senses we may take it here Behold I will lay stumbling blocks before this people and the Fathers and the Sons together shall fall upon them the neighbour and his friend shall perish Oh! it is a dreadful thing when God shall make the sinful examples of others to bee stumbling blocks to a people at which they shall stumble and fall and perish for ever good had it been for such persons that they had never been born as Christ once spake concerning Judas The Rhodians and Lydians enacted several Laws that those sons which followed not their Fathers in their vertues Varro but followed vicious examples should bee dis-inherited and their lands given to the most vertuous of that race not admitting any impious heir whatsoever to inherit and do you think that God will not disinherit all those of Heaven and happinesse who follow vicious examples doubtlesse hee will 1 Cor. 10.5 12. The fifth and last Objection I shall mention is this God is a God of mercy in him are bowels of mercy yea a Sea an Ocean of mercy hee loves mercy hee delights in mercy and hee is ready to shew mercy to poor sinners when they are even at the last cast when there is but a short stride between them and the grave between them and eternity as wee see in his extending mercy to the Theef and in his giving a pardon into his hand and the assurance of Paradise into his bosome when hee was ready to be turned off the Ladder of life and therefore I may spend the Prim-rose of my daies in following sin and the delights profits vanities and contents of this world and at last cast I may have mercy as well as the Theef God is a God made up of mercy and surely hee will not deny some crums of mercy to a poor sinner in misery c. Now to this Objection I shall give these following answers First God is as just as hee is merciful witnesse his casting the Angels out of Heaven and Adam out of Paradise God is as well all hand to punish as hee is all grace to pardon witnesse all the threatnings the curses the woes that the Bible is filled with from one end to the other witnesse the hell the horrour the terrour and amazement that hee raises in the consciences of sinners witnesse the devastations that hee hath made of the most stately flourishing Towns Cities Countries and Kingdomes that have been in all the world witnesse the variety of diseases calamities miseries dangers deaths and hells that alwaies attends the inhabitants of the world but above all witness Christs treading the Wine-press of his fathers wrath witness his hiding his face from him and the pouring out of all his displeasure and vengeance upon him Zaleucus the Locrensian Lawgiver Valerius lib. 6. cap. 5 thrust out one of his own sons eyes for his transgressing of a wholesome Law which hee had enacted but God the father thrust out both Christs eys for our transgressing of his royal Law Oh! the justice severity of God But Secondly I Answer that there is not a greater evidence of blindness prophanenesse hard-heartedness spiritual madness and hellish desperateness in all the World than to make that an Argument an incouragement to sin viz. the mercy of God which should be the greatest Argument under heaven to keep a man from Sin as all know that have but read the scripture neither are there any Sinners in the World that God delights to rain Hell out of Heaven upon Read Isa 22 12 13 14 15 and Ezek. 24.11 12 13 14 as upon such who by their abuse of mercy turns the God of mercy into a God of clâ—â—ts and goes on out-daring justice it self Deut. 29.19 20. And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have Peace God is a God of mercy though I walk in the imagination of
ever we should have our old hearts turned our millions of Sin pardoned our vile natures changed and poor souls saved c. I Answer that there is hope even for such as you are all the Angels in heaven and all the men on earth cannot tell but that you even you may obtain mercy and favour that your souls dye not with the Lord nothing is impossible and for the grace of the Gospel nothing is too hard now this I shall make evident by an induction of partilars thus First Mat. 20 1â—â—â—17 The Roman penny was seven pence half penny All were not called nor sent to work in the Vineyard at the first-hour some were called at the third-hour others at the sixth others at the ninth and some at the eleventh God hath his several times of calling souls to himself the eleventh hour was about five in the afternoon an hour before Sun-set when it was even time to leave work and yet at this hour some were called imployed and rewarded with the rest Some of the fathers by the several hours mentioned in this Parable do understand the several ages of man viz. Childhood youth middle-age and Old-age wherein poor souls are called and converted to Christ the scope of the Parable is to signify the free-grace of God in the calling of some in the spring and morning of their days and in the calling of others in their Old-age in the evening of their days But Secondly Abraham in the Old Testament Gen. 12.4 Joh. 3.1 2 3 4. ch 7.50 and Nicodemus in the New were called and converted in their old age when there were but a few steps between them and the grave between them and eternity therefore let not the gray-headed sinner despair though his spring be past his summer over past and he arrived at the fall of the leaf But Thirdly Divine promises shall be made good to returning souls to repenting souls to beleeving souls Isa 1.18 Jer. 3.12 Isa 43.22 23 24 25 Isa 57.17 18 Jer. 5â— 5 John 3.16 Mar. 16.16 be they young or old 2 Chron. 30.9 The Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you if you return unto him Joel 2.13 And rent your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for hee will abundantly pardon or hee will multiply to pardon More of this you may see by reading the Scriptures in the margent all sorts of sin shall bee pardoned to all sorts of beleeving and repenting sinners The new Jerusalem hath twelve Gates to shew that there is every way access for all sorts and ranks of Sinners to come to Christ He was born in an Inn to shew that hee receives all comers young and Old poor and rich c. But Fourthly The Lord hath declared by Oath a greater delight in the conversion and salvation of poor sinners whether they are young or old than in the destruction and damnation of such Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes for why will ye dye O ye house of Israell two things make a thing more credible 1 The quality or dignity of the person speaking 2 The manner of the speech Now here you have the great God not onely speaking promising but solemnly swearing that hee had rather poor sinners should live than dye bee happy than miserable therefore despair not Oh aged sinner but return unto the Lord and thou shalt bee happy for ever But Fifthly Vna guttula plus valet quam caelum terra Luther One little drop is more worth than heaven and earth there is vertue enough in the precious blood of Jesus Christ to wash and cleanse away all sin not only to cleanse away the young mans sins but also to cleanse away the old mans sins not only to cleanse a sinner of twenty years old but to cleanse a sinner of fifty sixty yea a hundred years old 1 Joh. 1.7 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin not simply from sin but from all sin there is such a power and efficacie in the blood of Christ as is sufficient to cleanse all sorts of sinners from all sorts of sins there is vertue in the blood of the Lamb to wash out all the spots that are in the oldest sinners heart and therefore let not old sinners despair let not them say there is no hope there is no help as long as this fountain the blood of Jesus Christ is open for all sorts of sinners to wash in But Sixthly The call and invitations of Christ in the Gospel are general and indefinite excluding no sort of sinners Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man mark the indefinitenesse of personal admittance hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and hee with mee let the sinner bee old or young a green head or a gray head if hee will but open the door Christ will come in and have communion and fellowship with him So in that Mat. 11.28 Isa 55.1 John 7.37 Rev. 22.17 turn to these Scriptures and dwell upon them they all clearly evidence the call and gracious invitations of Christ to bee to all sinners to every sinner hee excepts not a man no though never so old nothing shall hinder the sinner any sinner the worst and most aged sinner from obtaining mercy if hee bee willing to open to Christ and to receive him as his Lord and King John 6.37 But Seventhly Christs pathetical lamentation over all sorts and ranks of sinners declares his willingnesse to shew mercy to them O Jerusalem Jerusalem saith Christ Luk. 19.41 42. weaping over it that thou hadst known in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace Psal 81.13 c. O that my people had hearkened unto mee Christ weeps over Jerusalem so did Titus and so did Marcellus over Syracuse and so did Scipio over Carthage but they shed tears for them whose blood they were to shed but Christ weeps over the necks of those young and old sinners who were to shed his blood As a tender hearted Father weeps over his rebellious Children when neither smiles nor frowns neither counsels nor intreaties will win them or turn them from their evil waies So doth Jesus Christ over these rebellious Jews upon whom nothing would work But Eighthly and lastly though aged sinners have given Christ many thousand denyals yet he hath not taken them but after all Psal 65.1 2. Rom. 10.21 and in the face of all denyals hee still re-inforces his suit and continues to beseech them by his Spirit 1 Joh. 5.2 3. by his word by his wounds by his blood by his messengers and by his rebukes to turn home to him to embrace him to beleeve in him and to match with him that they may bee saved eternally by him all which bespeaks gray-headed sinners not to despair nor to dispute but to repent return and beleeve that it may go well with them for ever Consider seriously what hath been spoken and the Lord make you wise for eternity There are three other Books lately published by Mr. Brooks 1 Precious remedies against Satans devices or salve for Beleevers and unbeleevers sores being a companion for those that are in Christ or out of Christ that slight or neglect ordinances under a pretence of living above them that are growing in spirituals or decaying that are tempted or deserted afflicted or opposed that have assurance or want it 2 Cor. 2.11 2 Heaven on Earth or a serious discourse touching a well grounded assurance of mens everlasting happiness and blessednesse discovering the nature of assurance the possibility of attaining it the Causes Springs and Degrees of it with the resolution of several weighty questions Rom. 8.32 33 34. 3 The unsearchable Riches of Christ or meat for strong men and milk for babes held forth in two and twenty Sermons from Ephesians 3.8 preached on his lecture nights at Fishstreet-hill All three Printed for and sold by John Hancock at the first shop in Popeshead-Alley next to Cornhill 1657. FINIS
sacrifice should dye and suffer for our sins in the flower of his age Consider Christ loved poor Sinners and gave himself for them when hee was in the prime of his age being supposed to bee about thirty and three and will you put him off with the worst of your time Ah! Young men young men Christ gave himself up to death hee made himself an offering for your sins for your sakes when he was in the prime and flower of his age and why then should you put off Christ to old age Did he dye for Sin in the prime of his age and will not you dye to sinne in the prime of your age Did he offer himself for you in the spring and morning of his years and will not you offer up your selves to him in the spring and morning of your years Rom. 12.1 2 O give not Christ cause to say I dyed for you betimes but you have not lived to mee betimes I was early in my suffering for you but you have not been early in your returning to mee I made haste to compleat your redemption but you have made no haste to make sure your vocation and election I stayed not 2 Pet. 1.10 I lingered not but soon suffered what I was to suffer and quickly did what was to be done for your eternal welfare but you have stayed and lingered like Lot in Sodom and have not done what you might have done in order to your everlasting good Gen. 19.16 in the Prime-rose of my days I sweat for you I wept for you I bled for you I hung on the cross for you I bore the wrath of my father for you but you have not in the Primrose of your days sweat under the sense of divine displeasure nor wept over your sins nor mourned over mee whom you have so often grieved and pierced Zach. 12.10 I could not be quiet nor satisfied till I had put you into a capacity into a possibility of Salvation and yet you are well enough quieted and satisfied though you do not know whether ever you shall bee saved Ah Sirs how sad would it be with you if Jesus Christ should secretly thus expostulate with your consciences in this your day Oh! how terrible would it bee with you if Christ should thus visibly plead against you in his great day Ah! Young men young men and women who but souls much left of God blinded by Satan 2 Cor. 4.3 4 and hardned in sin can hear Jesus Christ speaking thus to them I suffered for Sinners betimes I laid down a ransome for souls betimes I pacified my fathers wrath betimes I satisfied my fathers justice betimes I merited grace and mercy for Sinners betimes I brought in an everlasting righteousness upon the world betimes c. I say who can hear Jesus Christ speaking thus and his heart not fall in love and league with Christ and his soul not unite to Christ and resign to Christ and cleave to Christ and for ever be one with Christ except it be such that are for ever left by Christ Well remember this Quanto pro nobis vilior tanto nobis charior the more vild Christ made himself for us the more dear he ought to be unto us Ah! Young men remember this when Christ was young hee was tempted and tryed when he was in the morning of his dayes his wounds were deep his burden weighty Nolo vivere sine vulnere cum te video vulneratum Bonaventur Oh my Gâ—â— as long as I see thy wounds I will never live without wound his cup bitter his sweat painful his agony and torment above conception beyond expression when he was young that blessed head of his was crowned with thornes and those eyes of his that were purer than the Sunne were put out by the darkness of death and those ears of his which now hears nothing but Hallelujahs of Saints and Angels were filled with the blasphemies of the multitude and that blessed beautiful face of his which was fairer than the sons of men was spit on by beastly filthy wretches Aut Deus naturae pa titur aut mundi machina dissolvitur said Dionysius Alexandrinus Either the God of nature suffered or the frame of the world will be dissolved and that gracious mouth and tongue that spake as never man spake was slandered and accused of blasphemy and those hands of his which healed the sick which gave out pardons which swayed a Scepter in heaven and another on earth were nailed to the Cross and those feet that were beautiful upon the mountains that brought the glad tidings of peace and salvation into the World and that were like unto fine brass were also nailed to the cross All these great and sad things did Jesus Christ suffer for you in the prime and flower of his days and Oh! what an unspeakable provocation should this be to all young ones to give up themselves betimes to Christ to serve love honour and obey him betimes even in the spring and morning of their youth Let the thoughts of a crucified Christ saith one be never out of your mind let them be meat and drink unto you let them be your sweetness and consolation your honey and your desire your reading and your meditation your life death and resurrection The third motive or consideration to provoke you to begin to be good betimes is this viz. The Philosopher once said solus sapiens dives onely the wise man is the rich man that it is the best and choicest way in the world to be rich in gracious experiences betimes which are the best riches in all the world as hee that sets up for himself betimes is in the most hopeful way to bee rich betimes so he that is good in good earnest betimes hee is in the ready way the high-way of being rich in grace and rich in goodness they usually prove men of great observation and great experience God loves to shew these his beauty Psal 63.1 2. Exod. 3.3.19.22 c. Psal 65.11 12 and his glory in his sanctuary He delights to cause his glory and his goodness to pass before such these shall finde all his paths drop marrow and fatness for these the Lord of hosts will make a feast of fat things Ifa 25.6 a feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well refined these shall have all manner of pleasant fruits laid up at their gates for their well beloved Can. 7.13 none have so many choice pledges of Christs love nor so many sweet kisses of Christs mouth nor so many imbraces in Christs arms as those souls that are good betimes O the grace the goodness the sweetness the fatnesse that Christ is still a droping into their hearts Christ will make their hearts his largest treasury hee 'l lay up most of his heavenly treasure in their souls Earthly Riches are full of Poverty Divitiae corporales paupertatis
22.11 ch 19. v. 19 God commands them not to wear a Garment of diverse sorts as of woollen and linnen together Neither shall a garment mingled of Linnen and woollen come upon thee This Law was figurative and shews us that in the case of our justification acceptation and salvation wee are not to joyn our works our services with the righteousness of Christ Phil. 3.9 10 Rev. 19.8 Gal. 3.28 c. 2.16 God abhors a linsy-woolsy righteousnesse And as by the Letter of this Law in the Hebrews account one threed of wool in a Linnen garment or one Linnen threed in a Woollen garment made it unlawful So the least manner of mixture in the business of justification makes all null and void And if by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace Rom. 11.6 Eph. 2.5 Rom 5.15 16 8 But if it bee of works then it is no more grace otherwise work is no more work hee that shall mix his Righteousness with Christs hee that shall mix his puddle with Christs purple bloud his rags with Christs royal Robes his copper with Christs Gold his water with Christs wine c. is in the ready way to perish for ever On earth Kings love no consorts power is impatient of participation Christ will bee Alexander or Nemo no body hee will bee all in all in the businesse of Justification 1 Cor. 1.30 Rom. 5.19 20 or hee will bee nothing at all wee must say of Christ as it was once said of Caesar socium habet neminem hee may have a companion c. but hee must not have a competitor Let us say of Christ as the Heathen once said of his Petty gods contemne minutulos istos Deos modo Jovem propitium habeam so long as hee had his Jupiter to friend hee regarded them not So so long as wee have our Jesus to friend Eph. 3.9 10 Psal 71.15 16 19 compared and his righteousness and bloud to friend we should contemn all other things and abhor the bringing of any thing into competition with him a real Christian cares not for any thing that hath not aliquid Christi Something of Christ in it Hee that holds not wholly with Christ doth very shamefully neglect Christ Aut totum mecum tene aut totum omitte saith Gregory Nazienzen There is no other name no other nature no other blood no other merits no other person to bee justified and saved by but Jesus Christ Isa 55.2 Rom. 10.3 you may run from Creature to Creature and from duty to duty and from Ordinance to Ordinance and when you have wearied and tyred out your selves in seeking ease and rest satisfaction and remission justification and salvation in one way and another you will bee forc'd after all to come to Christ and to cry out Ah! none but Christ none but Christ Ah! none to Christ none to Christ no works to Christ no duties no services to Christ no prayers no tears to Christ no righteousnesse no holiness to Christ Well friends remember this that all the tears in the world cannot wipe off meritoriously one sin nor all the grace and holiness that is in Angels and men buy out the pardon of the least transgression All remission is only by the blood of Christ Sixthly and lastly If you would bee good betimes then you must know betimes that the heart of Jesus Christ is as much set upon sinners now hee is in Heaven as ever it was when hee was upon earth Christ is not lesse loving lesse mindful less desirous of sinners eternal welfare now hee is in Heaven in a far Country than hee was when hee lived on earth 2 Cor. 5.20 witnesse his continuing the Ministery of Reconciliation among poor sinners in all ages witnesse the constant Treatise that by his Embassadors and Spirit hee still hath with poor sinners about the things of their peace the things of eternity Rev. 3.20 Isa 16.4 Isa 27.5 witnesse his continual knocking 's his continual callings upon poor sinners by his word Rod Spirit to open to repent to lay hold on mercy and to be at peace with him witness his continual wooing of poor sinners in the face of all neglects Cant 1.2 3. Luk 14. and put offs in the face of all delaies and denials Pro. 6.9 Mat. 22.4.23 37. in the face of all harsh entertainment and churlish answers in the face of all gain-sayings and carnal reasonings in the face of all the scorn and contempt that wretched sinners put upon him and witnesse that plain word Jesus Christ the same yesterday Heb. 13.8 and to day and for ever Christ is the same aforetime in time and after time hee is unchangeable in his essence in his promises and in his affections I am Alpha and Omega Re. 1.8 11. ch 21.6 ch 22.13 the beginning and the ending saith the Lord which is and which was and which is to come The phrase is taken from the Greek letters whereof Alpha is the first and Omega the last It was a custome among the Turks to cry out every morning from an high Tower God alwaies was and alwaies will bee and so salute their Mahomet the first and last letter of the Greek Alphabet is a description of mee saith Christ who am before all and after all who am above all and in all who am unchangeable in my self and in my thoughts and good-will to poor sinners therefore do not poor souls entertain any hard thoughts concerning Jesus Christ as if hee was lesse mindful lesse pittiful and lesse merciful to poor souls now hee is in Heaven than hee was when his abode was in this world And thus I have gone over those six things that you must know concerning Christ betimes if ever you would bee good betimes When Pope Leo lay upon his death bed Cardinal Bembus citing a text of Scripture to comfort him hee replied Apage has nug as de Christo away with these bawbles concerning Christ but I hope better things of you and do desire that you will say of all things below this knowledge of Christ that I have opened to you as that devout Pilgrim who travelling to Jerusalem and by the way visiting many brave Cities with their rare monuments and meeting with many friendly entertainments would often say I must not stay here this is not Jerusalem Ah! so do you young men and women in the midst of all your worldly delights and contents cry out Oh wee must not stay here this is not Jerusalem this is not that knowledge of Christ that I must have if ever I am happy here and blessed hereafter Fourthly and lastly If you would bee good betimes then you must acquaint your selves with those that are good betimes if you would bee gracious in the spring and morning of your youth then you must begin betimes to bee much in with them who are much in with Christ who lye near his heart and knows much of his mind
my heart to adde drunkenness to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the Anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoak against that man and all the Curses that are written in this book shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven In these words you may observe that God is absolute in threatning to shew that he will bee resolute in punishing Psal 11.5 A lover of Iniquity is a liver in Iniquity upon choice 6. The wicked and him that loveth iniquity doth his soul hate Upon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their cup. Ah! That all poor sinners would make these two Scriptures their companions their constant bed-fellows till they are got above that sad temptation of turning the mercy of God into an incouragement to sin Whilst Milo Crotoniates was tearing a sunder the stock of an Oake his strength failing him the clift suddenly closing was held so fast by the hands that he became a prey to the beasts of the field All the abusers of mercy will certainly and suddenly become a prey to the justice of God that will rent and tear them in peices as the Psalmist speaks Psal 50.22 Wo wo to that soul that fights against God with his own mercies that will bee bad because hee is good that will be sinful because he is merciful that will turn all the kindnesses of God that should bee as so many silver cords to tye him to love and obedience into arrows and so shoot them back into the heart of God Abused mercy will at last turn into a Lyon a fierce Lyon and then wo to the abusers and despisers of it But Thirdly In Answer to that part of the Objection concerning the Thief on the Cross I offer these things briefly to your thoughts First Exemplum latronis servati est admirandum non imitandum That as one was saved to teach Sinners not to despair so another was damned to teach them not to presume A pardon is sometimes given to one upon the Gallows but who so trusts to that the rope may be his hire it is not good saith one to put it upon the Psalm of miserere and the neck verse for sometimes hee proves no Clerk and so hangs for it Secondly It is an example without a promise here is an example of late repentance but where is there a promise of late repentance Oh! Let not his late and sudden conversion be to thee a temptation till thou hast found a promise for late and sudden conversion it is not examples but promises that are foundations for faith to rest on he that walks by an example of mercy without a precept to guide him and a promise to support him walks but by a dark Lanthorn that will deceive him well young man remember this examples of mercy increase wrath when the heart is not bettered by them But Thirdly This was a rare miracle of mercy with the glory wherof Christ did honour the ignominy of his Cross and therfore wee may as well look for another crucifying of Christ as look for a sinners conversion when he hath scarce time enough to reckon up all those particular duties which make up the integrity of its constitution But Fourthly I Answer This Theif knew not Christ before he had not refused neglected nor slighted Christ before the Sermon on the Cross was the first Sermon that ever he heard Christ preach and Christs prayer on the Cross was the first prayer that ever he heard Christ make he knew not Christ till hee met him on the Cross which proved to him a happy meeting his case was as if a Turk or Heathen should now be converted to the faith and therefore thou hast little reason O young man to plead this example to keep Christ and thy soul asunder who art every day under the call the intreaties and wooings of Christ But Fifthly and Lastly I Answer The circumstances of time and place are rightly to be considered Now when Christ was triumphing on the Cross over sin satan and the world when he had made the devils a publik spectacle of scorn and derision when hee was taking his leave of the world and entering into his glory Now hee puts a pardon into the Theifs hand and crouds other favours and kindnesses upon him As in the Roman Triumphs the Victor being ascended up to the Capitol in a Chariot of state used to cast certain peeces of coyn among the people for them to pick up which hee used not to do at other times So our Lord Jesus Christ in the day of his Triumph and solemn inauguration into his heavenly kingdome scatters some heavenly jewels that this Theif might pick up which he doth not nor will not do every day Or as in these days it is usual with Princes to save some notorious malefactors at their coronation when they enter upon their kingdomes in Triumph which they do not use to do afterwards So did Jesus Christ carry it toward this Thief but this is not his ordinary way of saving and bringing souls to glory and therefore do not O young man let not the Thiefs late conversion prove a temptation or an occasion of thy delaying thy repentance and trifling away the primerose of thy dayes in vanity and folly And thus much may suffice to have spoken by way of Answer to the Young mans Objections The old mans Doubts Resolved I shall now speak a few words to Old men and so close up Now Is it so commendable so desirable and so necessary for young men to be good betimes to seek and serve the Lord in the spring and morning of their Youth as hath been sufficiently demonstrated in this Treatise Oh then that I could so wooe aged persons as to win them who yet have put off this great work to seek and serve the Lord before their glass be out their Sun set and their souls lost for ever Oh that that counsil of the Prophet might take hold upon your hearts Jer. 13.16 Give glory to the Lord your God before hee cause darknesse and before your feet stumble thorow age upon the dark mountains and while yee look for light he turn it into the shadow of death and make it gross darkness I but aged Sinners may reply is there any hope any help for us is there any probability is there any possibility that ever such as we are should return and finde mercy and favour with the Lord wee who have lived so long without him we that have sinned so much against him we that to this day are strangers to him yea in arms against him Is there any hope that we white-headed sinners who have withstood so many thousand offers of grace and so many thousand motions of the spirit and so many thousand checks of conscience and so many thousand tenders of Christ and heaven that ever we should obtain mercy that