this canst thou without tears and groans look back upon all the disorders of thy life whereby thou hast done all that in thee lay to make those wounds of thy tender compassionate Saviour bleed afresh which he first receiv'd upon thy account I believe thou thought'st not of this no if thou hadst one would think thou could'st never have done it Thy design was onely to please thy flesh by all thy sensuall courses thou wast onely full of projects to maintain and raise thy self and thy posterity by all thy worldly designs and businesses wherewith through thy whole life though hast been so swallowed up But thou seest how the case stands that this while thou hast been most viley rejecting and even trampling upon the Lord Jesus who would have have brought thee off from thy vain conversation from all thy ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and hath followed thee with his Word and Spirit to that end and hath prest thee with arguments drawn from his matchlesse love discovered by his Death and hath besought thee to regard him yea to take pity on thy self but thou hast made light of all and hast gone on as securely and quietly in the ways of sin as if thou hadst never heard what sin did upon Christ. And what art thou resolv'd to doe so still shall nothing stop thee in thy career wilt thou not stay to hearken what a way it is thou walkest in nor think what unvaluable mercies thou all this while treadest under feet Hast thou not yet sufficiently abused thy Redeemers love and patience hast thou not made him wait long enough in vain wilt thou still make shew of deafnesse to all those messages he sends thee If so yet be thou sure of this thou shalt not be able to say at thy appearance before him that thou never knewest that sin was such an evil thing and so provoking to him for beside all other warnings that thou hast had I now declare to thee who readest or hearest these words that if thou still continuest in thy loose ungodly life living in swearing cursing drunkennesse whoredome covetousnesse cozening malice or any other known sin and wilfully neglectest thy duty to God going whole days without prayer or reading Gods Word profaning the Lords Day neglecting Sacraments if thou hold on this course thou dost no better than again crucifie and deny the Lord that bought thee and so hast no reason to complain if thou fall under the same condemnation which thou thy self wilt acknowledge Judas and Pilate and the rest of Christs enemies deserve and therefore that thou maist not be found amongst them loaded with the same guilt at Judgement I doe once again in the name of Christ beseech thee with all speed to change thy heart and life and use all means appointed to that end and after all thy wandrings now at length return to him the good Shepherd of souls who laid down his life for his sheep 4. Lastly the Death of Christ may powerfully move thee to repent of and forsake all sin as it holds forth this weighty but sad truth That all those who are despisers of this Death and by living and dying in their sins reap no saving benefit by it shall in their own persons undergo insupportable torments for this their unbelief and wilfull impenitence If thou believest the Gospel thou canst not but acknowledge that all men had been in a most miserable condition if Christ had not died and thou wilt grant that sin is a most perilous mischievous thing and an unspeakable provocation to the most holy God since nothing could appease his wrath but the Death of Christ without whose bloodshed we had obtain'd no remission And what then dost thou think is like to be thy case if through thy own fault thou art never the better for all Christ hath done but must thy self answer for thy sins and bear the punishment they have deserved Let the Death of Christ I say instruct thee what thou art like to expect if this be thy condition If as he himself speaks such things were done to the green tree what shall be done to the dry If he who was without the least stain of originall or actuall sin drank such a bitter cup when he stood in our stead what will be the portion of their cup who being poor frail creatures must make satisfaction for their own sins How will they ever up under all the load of Gods hottest wrath when he shall meet them in judgement and cause his fury to rest upon them And above all thy impenitent obstinate continuance in sin and contempt of Christ will lie heaviest upon thee in the day of vengeance These sins aganst the Gospel against mercy the greatest and freest mercy are most provoking to God most inexcusable in themselves and will therefore prove most pernicious to sinners Methinks then if thou hadst but any regard to thy self to thy own ease and comfort this should make thee out of love with sin to consider how dear its like to cost thee how pleasant soever it may now seem It was not for nothing that Christ felt so much sorrow and pain as thou shalt know to thy everlasting woe if thou pluck the heavy judgements of God on thy own head by sleighting him who would have kept them from off thee Assure thy self poor sinner as bold and confident as now thou art thou wilt never be able to contest with that wrath which exercised even the strength of Christ to bear it thou art never like to go away lightly with that which he felt so heavy For shame at length leave thy foolish plea that God will be more mercifull than to torment his creatures for hast thou not seen how he bruised his own Son who never offended him how he bruised him I say for our iniquities and will he then spare thee who in thy own person hast been a most stubborn hard-hearted rebel and hast cast away with loathing the mercies that were again and again even prest upon thee Thou hast no reason for such fond expectations What wilt thou tell Christ at Judgement that thou didst not believe that ever God would be so severe as to punish thee so dreadfully and everlastingly as his Word threatned and that therefore thou took'st somewhat more liberty in thy life than he allowed thee Darest thou come with such a plea as this But if thou should'st what wilt thou answer to Christ when he shall lay open what he underwent for thy sake and how thou madest light of his love will not this soon silence thee If he ask thee whether thou hadst not evidence and proof enough of the evil and danger that was in sin by his suffering so much for others transgressions wilt thou have any pretence left to justifie thy self I may perhaps urge this consideration but I mention it now as offered to us by the sufferings of Christ which doe most plainly declare that dolefull are the miseries prepared for those who
courses whatever shall be told you to the contrary is little lesse dangerous and damnable than to come to the Sacramnent with such wicked purposes Let this then suffice to remove your first mistake that you may take liberty in some sinful waies you have a minde to before you have taken the Sacrament The second gross mistake which I finde in your objection is that you think though at present you have no great minde to be so serious as to set upon preparation for the Sacrament yet that hereafter you shall when you have had your swinge a while longer and have taken a little more pleasure being as yet perhaps but in the prime of your youth and thereupon you hope that God will bear with you yet a while since you have such good purposes to become his servants for the time to come Should I go about fully to shew you the vanity of this conceit and your folly in delaying to return to God I might fill many sheets wherefore that I may not be tedious I shall do little more than represent to you the very true language and import of this pretence of yours that so you may be ashamed of ever using it more or harbouring it any longer When you talk of staying yet a while before you cast off your old companions and courses and bind your selves to a godly life at the Sacrament what do you in effect but say That when you have contemn'd Gods mercy and griev'd his spirit a little longer and done somewhat more to dishonour his name then you will betake your selves to him and become his people when you have done Satan yet a little more service then you 'l shake him off and take Christ for your Master when you have a while longer trod under foot his precious blood then it shall wash you from all your sins when you have run deeper on the score and added something more both to the number and hainousness of your transgressions then you 'l come for a pardon when you have done somewhat more to make God your enemie then you 'l seek reconciliation when you have let your lusts take deeper rooting then you 'l pluck them up when you have made them a little stronger then you 'l subdue them when the sore is festered then you 'l apply the Plaister when the gangrene is almost got to your vitals then you 'l seek a remedy thus foolishly thus presumptuouslie and baselie do they argue who think it is too soon yet to come home to God and be religious in good earnest I know you would be asham'd to speak thus and will scarce be perswaded there lodges so much wickednesse in your hearts but for certain there does whil'st you retain secret purposes to go on in any way of known sin Ah poor sinner that thou didst but a little know what thou doest whilst thou standst thus unresolv'd whither thou shouldest yet bid farewell to thy lusts and come over heartilie to God by Jesus Christ. Oh disingenuous creature dost thou think thou hast not provokt and dishonour'd thy Maker enough yet Hast thou not yet sufficientlie abused thy Redeemers grace and patience Hast thou not yet thrown away time enough and sinn'd away mercies and offers enough Is sin so sweet and profitable a thing that it should be so hard to determine whether it was best be forsaken or not Is God so hard a Master and his service such a burdensome thing that sinners must be wooed to him with so much earnestness and all prove too little with the most Is it so safe and desirable a state to remain still in the gall of bitterness and under the wrath of God Can you keep off this wrath which you are plucking upon you Have you both repentance and time at your own beck And are you sure of acceptance how long so ever you stay before you seek it will holinesse be good for you hereafter and is it not now Or are you afraid of being happie too soon wherefore weigh things well Sirs and then resolve whether there be any wisdome in delaying that work which may be put off too long but cannot be too quickly done that work to which in all reason and conscience you stand engag'd every hour even to be divorc't from sin and Satan and firmly betrothed to the Lord Jesus How long must he seek and sue for thy consent Why should not he have thy youth as well as any other Doth Satan deserve it better than he Did not he die for thee in the prime of his years and why should'st not thou live to him whilst thou art young When wilt thou have put away that wretched disobedient answer that it 's yet too soon to entertain him Hath he stood knocking for entrance till his locks are wet with the dew of the night and is it still too soon to open to him and let him in Oh beware least thy continued stubbornnesse should even wear out his patience least thy perverse carriage should provoke him for ever to leave thee and least if still thou think'st it not time yet to break off thy sins and set upon a godly life he should think it time to cut thee off and sentence thee to everlasting death In the mean time know that all thy good designs what thou wilt do and be hereafter will not be the least excuse of thy present wickednesse nor make thy case any better with God nay rather they make it worse since it appears thou art convinced in thy Conscience that thou oughtest to live after another fashion than thou do'st and yet wilfully neglectest thy acknowledged duty I hope then I have said enough to shew that thou hast no refuge no excuse that will hold whilst thou absentest thy self from the Sacrament out of a lothnesse as yet to reform thy life and do the duties to which this would bind thee Wherefore to conclude If it be thy purpose to continue in any sinfull course come to the Lords Table if thou darest for farre be it from me to speak one word to encourage thee to forswear thy self But yet on the other hand Go on in thy sins and stay away if thou darest for thou art in danger every moment of dropping into Hell whilst thou remainest in such a state Thou seest then to what a strait sin brings thee so that turn thee which way thou wilt whilst thou willingly carriest it about thee an Angel with a flaming sword stands full in thy way threatning destruction whether thou comest or comest not whilst thou continuest a resolved sinner thy case is sad and deplorable But yet one way remains and but one that I know for thy safety even with all speed to cast away thy sins and change thy heart and life and then come as soon as thou wilt to the Lords Table there to professe this blessed change and to confirm thy self therein And for thy encouragement take notice of two things 1. It is not an absolute sinlesse perfection
a souâ— as well as a body and whether this soul must not remain in being and alive when thy body is rotting in the earth and whether then it doth not as much yea infinitely much more concern thee to seek out for somewhat that may at that time make thy soul happy than for what may now please thy senses Yea since thou must live somewhere for ever think whether it is not more worthy thy care to provide for an everlasting well-being than for the comforts of a frail short life If thou art thus farre convinced then make an impartiall search whether there be any thing here below that 's able to make thee perfectly happy Thy houses and lands thy pleasures and honours will any or all of these give in all that felicity which thou desirest or needest Are they of the same nature with thy soul or will they last as long as it will last must not all thy merry days at length come to an end And wilt thou be ever the better for all thou hast enjoy'd when once it 's over will the remembrance give thee any satisfaction In that night wherein thy soul will be required of thee what advantage wilt thou have from the goods thou hadst laid up for many years yea or from those goods thou hadst liv'd upon the years before When the earth and all its works shall be burnt up where will all thy possessions and treasures be If thou hast nothing to live on but what will be turned into flames what wilt thou then fix upon At that day when there shall be no marrying or giving in marriage no wives or children no relations or friends whose society will afford any such comfort as here it did when the interest of Princes and great ones whose favour was here thy shelter and thy pride shall all be vanisht what will thy confidence in men avail thee Examine these or any other outward prop whereon thou leanest and see whether it be not a broken reed And if so except thou art resolv'd against thy own happinesse methinks thou should'st now onely make choice of that which will never give thee cause to repent what thou didst as all things will but the eternall glory which God hath promised to those that love him But he that can once upon good grounds say This heaven is mine I shall see the face of God with joy and live in his love for ever may now lead a serene and chearfull life in the midst of all occurrences and need not be daunted at Death it self but rather rejoyced as it takes him to the possession of his treasure wafts him to his own home Wherefore if thou love thy life be perswaded to aim at this highest glory let nothing short of it content thee think no condition hard to get it rest not till thou hast made it as sure as thou canst that it 's thine and then having thus fixt thy end thou maist travell on with alacrity and speed and take abundance of comfort in the fore-thoughts of thy future blisse in using all helps afforded in thy journey to it and in the remembrâ—nce of that precious blood which was shed to purchase it and by consequence wil be fitted to celebrate the Sacrament CHAP. IX V. It must be a thankfull Remembrance IT is not possible that the death of Christ can be remembred as it ought without the most hearâ—y and unfeigned thankfulnesse to God for so great and glorious a mercy Hath he the heart of a man that can coâ—template the sufferings of Christ and the infinite unspeakable benefits thereby procured for poor sinners and not find himself raised to return thanks and praise to God for his gracious dealings with mankind This duty is so proper to the Lords Supper that hence it antiently obtained the name of Eucharist a return of thanks Since then every man who partakes thereof ought to be thus truly thankfull to God for his love revealed in Christ this again acquaints us what kind of persons Communicants must be namely such who are capable of rendring acceptable praise to God which doth but give farther evidence of the necessity of those qualifications before laid down None but such as have been made sensible of the evil of sin and of the danger they were thereby liable to will be heartily thankfull for that mercy which preventâ— this misery by purchasing and vouchsafing the forgivenesse of their sins How formall and hypocriticall are his thanks like to be for Christ who never yet saw what need he stood in of him Will he thank you for a plaister who never felt himself wounded Can he have any gratefull sense of the love that plucks poor sinners as brands out of the fire who never perceived himself in any such danger Can he be thankfull for ease and rest who never felt his strong lusts nor the curse of the Law and wrath of God as any load or burden upon him Nor can he be thankfull for the grace that is given by Christ who had farre rather keep his sins than be renewed and sanctified Little thanks will he return for the light who is but disturbed and troubled with it and so far shamed by it that he cannot pursue his wicked designs with that freedome and eagernesse as he could before whilst he was more in the dark where he had still rather remain How can he thank God for grace who rejects and despiseth it For being taken out of the snares of the Devil who wilfully fastens himself into them Will he praise God for liberty and ability to serve him who saith of his service what a wearinesse is it and thinks it would be better for him if he might live as he list and never be put upon so much trouble as godlinesse brings along with it Nor can he be thankfull for the glory to be had by Christ who hath not a sound perswasion of the certainty and excellency of it and who hath not firmly resolved to take it for his portion He that knows nothing better than bodily enjoyments and would think himself undone was he stript of these is like to be very cold in giving thanks for spirituall blessings In a word he that is sensible of no great benefit he shall have by Christ either here or hereafter cannot be expected to have any great measure of thankfulnesse for this mercy which he so little understands And this is the case of all unhumbled unsanctified ones to whom the Gospel is hid their minds being darkned by the God of this world And if these poor senslesse creatures should with a few feigned words pretend to give God thanks for Jesus Christ yet would it be but the sacrifice of fools a meer lip service and therefore no way acceptable to the most holy God Yea indeed they would hereby but very solemnly mock the Divine Majesty whilst they thank him for those mercies which they will not accept at his hands praising him for Jesus Christ and the benefits
and think your selves secure enough if you come not hither in this evil mind If these be your thoughts pray answer me these two things 1. How can you desire of God the forgivenesse of your sins whilst you refuse to forgive others Have you the impudence to doe it Or the ignorance and presumption to think such desires would be granted See where the contrarie is expresly told you in that forementioned place Mat. 6.15 Nay tell me plainlie How dare you so much as say the Lords Prayer wherein you beg of God to forgive your trespasses as you forgive those that trespasse against you What do you pray that he would remember your iniquities and charge them upon you and take vengeance of you For thus it seems you deal with those that offend you Or do you think to make your case somewhat the better by never saying this Prayer or by leaving out this Petition Can you imagine this will hinder God from dealing with you according to the tenour thereof Methinks you should not be so weak No be you sure God will make good his word that if you forgive not you shall not be forgiven whether you give your consent or not If you say you do forgive your enemies then I ask you again why upon account of any differences you should neglect the Sacrament But if you dare not forgive them you see it 's as dangerous to say your Prayers whilst you are in this mind as to come to the Communion 2. But again If through these differences with your neighbours you are unfit for the Sacrament pray bethink you well whether upon the same account you are not as unfit for death And dare you continue in such a desperate condition as this Do you not believe that the charity which is required to make you fit for the Communion of imperfect Saints here on earth is as necessary for your admission into the communion of Saints in glory Are you not fit to go to the Lords Table and are you then fit to appear before his Tribunall Take this for an undoubted truth that if you so farre allow your self in malice or any other sin that you are according to the Gospel rule unworthy of the Sacrament if you die in this condition you will be thought unworthy of everlasting life Methinks then you should never dare to live in such an estate wherein you dare not die You take it to be a dangerous thing to die out of charity with any and is it safe think you to live out of charity or in any other sin for those that are liable to death every moment Wherefore to conclude my advice to you is that you would without any longer delay go to your brother and if you have wrong'd him acknowledge it and make all due reparation and do what in you lies to be reconciled to him but if he prove obstinate or have wrong'd you see that you heartily forgive and clear your breast of all spight or desire of revenge so being carefull in all other respects duly to prepare your selves come to the Lords Table there to receive a confirmation of peace betwixt God and your own souls And thus I have done with the severall objections that are made against this duty CHAP. XVI Directions for a due Preparation and right Receiving IN the last place according to my promise I come to give some Direction to those who are willing to addresse themselves to this work to instruct them for their immediate preparation to their behaviour in and after the same And though I have already at large shewn what the design of this Ordinance is that so we might the better know how to behave our selves thereat and have thence discovered what kind of persons Communicants ought to be yet I shall in a few words premise a repetition of the same that you may the better apprehend and remember it Know then that it pleased our blessed Lord Jesus in the evening of that night wherein he was betrayed to appoint this Sacrament of his Supper partly for the present comfort of his Apostles who began to be cast down upon the knowledge of his sufferings and removall from amongst them but principally for the benefit of them and all other Christians in the times that were to follow even till he should come to Judgement till which time it never ought to be laid down in the Church The great end of it was as I have said to preserve fresh in the minds of all Christians the memorie of their Lord and Master and especially of that unvaluable mercy shewn in his dying for them his Death being very clearly held forth by the breaking of the Bread and pouring out of the Wine But we must not think that it was for an idle uneffectuall Remembrance of him that he commanded this duty but for such a Remembrance as might tend to the great advantage of our souls even that by Remembring our Redemption we might be brought to have low mean thoughts of our selves who were lost and undone but recovered by Free-grace that we might keep up a sence of the exceeding great evil of sin which made us liable to those miseries whence onely his Death can deliver us and so might be stirr'd up to a greater sorrow for hatred of and resolutions against sin the occasion of his Death and that by the Remembrance of his love we might be the stronglier engaged to him and here in a visible and expresse manner might solemnize our Covenant with him and frequently renew our promises of faithfulnesse Moreover here Christ hath made a familiar representation of the blessings he hath obtained for Believers that hereby we might be quickned to earnest desires after them and so being at present fitted for the communications of grace to our souls might receive the same and might here also receive a confirmation of our faith that we shall in due time enjoy those priviledges that are invisible and yet to come And farther he hath ordained that his Death should in this lively manner at set times be represented to us that having it fresh in our thoughts we may be the more powerfully moved at such seasons as these to celebrate and adore that wisdome and goodnesse which hath so wonderfully appeared in the contrivance and accomplishment of our Redemption and that Fellow-Christians meeting together for this work may be the more endeared to one another and quickned to long after a perfect communion in the praises and love of God and their Redeemer in that future glory whereof they have here a shadow and forecast Now as the ends for which this Ordinance was appointed inform us what kind of persons they that frequent it ought to be as to their habituall qualifications so do they also teach us what ought to be the workings of our soul in our approches to it since here we are to exercise and put forth those graces which are before required to be wrought in us but yet for your plainer
yours all that is in Heaven or Earth to do you good is yours also by vertue of that Covenant which shall never fail faithfull is he that hath promised and will do it Wherefore this Sacrament which you are about to receive being a seal of that Covenant you are to take it as an assurance and pledge that all the blessings of it such things as I directed you to pray for shall be bestowed upon you in that time and order which God sees best Here then you see is work for faith if you would receive the comfort which this Ordinance holds forth And more particularly I shall tell you in two words what it is for principally and in what manner you are here to exercise faith 1. Look upon the Sacrament as sealing to you a full and free pardon of all the sins you stand guilty of whether by nature or practice so that none of them shall be laid to your charge so as to condemn you at judgment And for your clearer proceeding herein you are to apprehend the Sacrament as joyn'd to the promise of pardon in the Gospel and so to look upon it as a Seal annext to a Writing that promiseth mercie to Rebels that submit themselves And if a King should send his Officers with many such Writings to a Companie of Men that were risen up in Arms against him and the Officer should tell them Sirs here 's a gracious message sent you from the King here are Papers under his own hand wherein he assures a Pardon to such of you that will now come in and here 's also his own Seal put to them for your greater assurance all which for your security I 'le put into your hand presently if you submit your selves They who upon this come in and take these Papers have a pardon thereby given them which they may boldly produce if afterward they should be accused Even thus are you to conceive God's Embassadour saying to you Aâ—l you that are willing to receive Jesus Christ to rule over you and save you he hath promised in his Gospel to forgive all your sins and beside that of Baptisme hath ordained the Sacrament of his Supper as a Seal of this gracious promise his Instrument of pardon and here I stand by his appointment to give out the same You now who find your selves willing thus to receive Christ are to take this Sacrament as an assurance that this promise shall be made good to you and so look upon it and with this quiet your conscience when it is unjustly clamorous and silence Satan when he haunts you with temptations to despair Then say within thy self Here 's the word of God assuring forgivenesse to all that take Christ for their Lord and Saviour which by his grace I finde my self inclined and enabled to do and he hath bound this word with his oath and to both he hath added his Sacraments as Seals and shall this three-fold cord be broken what should give me satisfaction if this do not wherefore be gone Satan shall I not rather believe thou art a liar who tellest me repent and believe and do all that I can my sins are so great they can never be forgiven than once suspect that the most true God will ever revoke that which he hath said and sworn and sealed to And at the great Judgment Day of Christ will own his Hand and Seal and then solemnly acquit thee whom he now pardons by his Gospel Safely then maist thou triumph with the Apostle Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It 's God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth It 's Christ that died c. And this Christ with his whole purchase is made over to thee oh believing soul. Even by this Sacrament is his blood as effectually made thine to wash off all the guilt that cleaves to thee as if thou hadst been bath'd in his warm blood to that purpose yea much more effectuâ—lly 2. The other Direction I would give you is That you take the Sacrament as an earnest of the everlasting glory which shall shortly without question be vouchsaft to you who remain stedfast in your Covenant with God Here in like manner you are to look upon the Gospel as a Deed of Gift whereby through Christ an Inheritance in the Heavens is setled upon you to which Deed also the Sacrament doth Seal Even as an House is made over by the delivery of a Key and Land by a Turf so there is a kinde of conveyance of Heaven it self made to you by the delivery of the Sacramental Bread and Wine into your hands And when you receive them imagine you heard God saying to you Here poor soul take this in earnest of that eternal life which I have prepared for and will bestow upon thee And if the heavenly Kingdome be thus assured to you on condition of your continuance in the love of God you need not question but all things needfull for your passage thither are herein comprehended If you shall have glory given you then be sure you shall have that grace which may fit you for and bring you to it whereof I shall speak particularly under the next head And if you are thus richly provided for as to your souls do you think your bodies shall be neglected No never fear it whatever shall be found really good for you shall be vouchsaft What shall you have Christ and his spirit grace and glory And do you question whether you shall have food and raiment Will the Father make his Son Heir of all when he comes to age and will he not afford him a maintenance till then only refer all your concernments to God to deal with you as he shall think fit and question not but hee 'l dispose of all to your contentment if you be reasonable The whole World is in the hands of your Father and it is not for want of power or love if you have not the greaâ—est share in it but it is from his wisdome and mercy which will rather give you the best He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for you and hath given him to you how shall be not with him freely give you all things Rom. 8.32 Would you have a larger word Is there any thing you want not contained in this The like you may see 1 Cor. 3.21 22. Things present and things to come all are yours yee being Christs And as godlinesse thus hath the promises of this life and that which is to come so both sorts of promises are here confirmed to you by the Sacrament which is a seal of that full Covenant wherein blessings both of the right hand and of the left are given to Believers You may see then I hope by this time that this is no common Bread and Wine which is appointed for so great purposes If a tuig was given into your hands whereby some great estate was conveyed to you you would value it sure above a
thou dar'st not affirm either of these beware how thou mincest and lessenest thy sins when thou should'st repent of and bewail them for by so doing thou dost in effect thus blaspheme God Oh then let sin be call'd to the barre indict it for a murtherer as well thou mayst accuse it as guilty of the bloody death of the Lord of Life shew all the wounds and stabs that it gave him and see that thou pronounce sentence against it even utter death without any pity or remorse and heartily lament thy own basenesse in having so long given loving entertainment to such a monstrous murtherer and traitour And when ever thou find'st any favourable thoughts of sin arising in thy breast call to mind what it did against Christ and let that make thy heart rise against it and even boil with an holy hatred and desire of revenge And let the frequent remembrance of those streams of blood which thy sins fetcht from him open thy eyes to shed streams of tears or however work thy heart to an unfeigned sorrow for all thy iniquities for which thy Saviour was thus wounded 2. The next thing I would have have thee to enlarge thy meditations upon in the sufferings of Christ in order to the bringing of thee to a kindly repentance is that unspeakable love which is hereby manifested to the lost sons of men when I speak of Repentance I mean not meerly thy shedding of a few tears but an inward change of thy mind as I before shewed that thou should'st turn from Sin to the love of God and I know not what can be more likely to produce this than to shew thee the intolerable evil and mischief of sin that thou maist turn from it and the infinite goodnesse of God that thou maist be drawn to him Both these the Crosse of Christ most admirably holds forth so that well might the Apostle call Christ crucified the wisdome of God and the poweâ— of God 1 Cor. 1.23 24. How it shews the evil of sin to bring us to loath and leave it I have already shown and shall doe more in two following particulars That which I would now set thy thoughts upon is the inconceivable love of God in giving Christ for us and of Christ in being willing to lay down his life that as many as believe in him might not perish but have everlasting life Consider seriously how the great God hath sent after thee a poor worm the God whom thou hadst sinn'd against makes thee offers of peace the God who needs thee not yet appears desirous of thy happinesse when he might have poured out everlasting wrath upon thee he was willing to shew his compassion And see what he hath done in order to thy recovery He hath sent his own Son made of a woman made under the Law and delivered him to death for our offences and accepted of the satisfaction he hath made on the behalf of all that shall by him come to that God from whom they are faln and by his death not onely pardon of sin and deliverance from hell but a glorious Kingdome that shall never fade is purchast for all true Believers So that here 1. Thou seest plainly there is hope of pardon and acceptance upon thy hearty sorrow for and resolutions against sin And whom would not this encourage to come in freely acknowledging and protesting against their former backslidings and rebellions If indeed thou wast past hope it were as good keep thy sins while thou maist and make thy best of them But this is not yet thy case and if it hereafter should be thou maist thank thy own wilfulnesse For Jesus Christ hath brought in a better hope there is by him liberty proclaim'd to the captive freedome to all that are bound ease and rest to all that are burdened a pardon to all that are penitent And what will not this make thee stirre Is a golden Scepter held forth and wilt thou not lay hold of the opportunitie Is God willing to put up all the affronts he hath received from thee if thou wilt now come and submit thy self and will not this bring thee in Is he ready to be reconcil'd and art thou backward what dost thou rather hold off because he doth so invite and importune thee to him Because he is pleased with so much earnestnesse and compassion to call thee off from sin to himself dost thou the more securely run on in wickednesse Oh base ingratitude and meer madnesse Because there is hope of pardon discovered by the Gospel as procured by Christ therefore even therefore doe wretched sinners harden their hearts and embolden themselves to continue at a distance from God as if it was a matter of nothing to get their peace made with him or as if he must of necessity pardon and save them let them live as they list Thus vilely doe they pervert the very design of the Gospel Whereas were they ingenuous and reasonable they would acknowledge it to be a most forcible motive and engagement to cast away sin to hear that there was hopes of having forgivenesse and favour from God If a company of Subjects should rebell against their Prince what course would be more effectuall in all probability to reclaim them than to assure pardon to all that would throw down their arms But if they should be so base as to abuse the mercy of their Prince and think because he was so compassionate they might the safelier persist in their rebellion it is but just they should be destroy'd If thou love thy soul then beware how thou abusest the grace of God Wilt thou put away from thee the evil of thy doings wash thee and make the clean and so with humility and submission flie to God for mercy if so this mercy through Christ shall be assuredly thine But otherwise know there is not a word of comfort for thee in the whole Gospel nothing but what may strike thee with terrour For remember well that the death of Christ gives all the encouragement in the world to Repentance but not the least to Sin Yea it hath done more to destroy sin than all the terrours and threatnings of the Law Well then though thou art a lost sinner departed from God once without hope yet behold the God of heaven and earth takes pity on thee he would not have thee utterly perish though thou hast done so much to destroy thy self He calls thee back to him if thou wilt hearken and obey and humble thy self before him for thy departure from him and for all the dishonours done to his holy Name and wilt now at length devote thy self to his fear thou need'st not doubt of his favour So then here 's hope of mercy that may encourage all that hear it to Repentance 2. And in the next place there is so much love and goodnesse manifested in that way whereby this mercy is procured and tendered that may serve to work upon the hearts of all but flat
Infidels or bruitish sinners that will not be brought so much as once to consider of it or seriously regard it Here is love that passeth the full comprehension of Men or Angels Here are mysteries and unsearchable treasures of goodnesse Wherein could God commend his love more to the faln World than in giving his Son to die for us when we were without help And what greater love can be shewn than that which Christ hath manifested in laying down his life for his friends nay for enemies that they might be made friends for the ungodly that he might reconcile them to God Vile wretches that we are no more to be affected with this amazing discovery of divine bounty It s true indeed there are many things we are yet ignorant of which makes this love the lesse apprehended in its due dimensions Did we know more the infinite Majesty of God and our meannesse compared to him and how provoking a thing Sin is and how contrary to his nature did we know more what strange condescension there was in God's manifesting himself in flesh what bitter things our blessed Saviour endured for our sakes did we know the greatnesse of that misery he hath sav'd Believers from and of the glory he hath prepar'd for them did we clearly know these and all other heightning circumstances our admiration and astonishment would be unexpressible as it will be when they are more fully reveal'd to us But though at present we â—re much in the dark yet so much of them we know that would we duly ponder them we should even amazed cry out oh the depth of the riches of the wisdome and goodnesse of God! And what will not this prevail with thee oh back-sliding sinner to deal ingenuously and dutifully with that God who hath revealed such abundant mercies to win thee to himself when thou hadst undone thy self and the Law which thou hadst broke had past its sentence upon thee when thou mightest justly have expected the execution behold without thy seeking a gracious reprieve And more than so when thou might'st have had a Pursuivant speedily dispatcht to hurry thee to deserved torment behold a Saviour interposing to prevent thy ruine Instead of an unchangeable doom behold an Act of oblivion assuring pardon upon easie conditions Doe but deliberately weigh these things with that seriousnesse which becomes a man and see if there be nothing in them that may perswade thee to a sound repentance for sin and a speedy return to the God of love What dost thou think if thou wast a mean Tenant and hadst wilfully in some discontended fit pluckt down the House thou liv'st in so wast in danger to lie in the open fields and to be severely punisht as thou hadst deserved what now if after all this thy Landlord pitying the misery thou hadst brought thy self to should courteously come to thee and offer to build up thy House again in a more sumptuous manner than ever and set it at a lower Rent onely requiring thee to confesse thy former folly and promise to be so guilty no more but to live thy new-built House and doe thy best to keep it in repair and to accept of his help for what thou could'st not doe thy self and suppose he should even impoverish his own children through this courtesie to thee what dost thou think thou should'st now doe in this case is it any hard matter to determine would'st thou not think he dâ—served to be taken for a mad-man that should stand justifying his former offence and would not thankfully accept these courteous offers I dare say Reader if this was thy case thou art not so foolish or stubborn but thou would'st quickly resolve what to doe and this mercy and bounty of thy Landlord would even win thy heart for ever and thou would'st think thou could'st never be sufficiently thankfull for his kindnesse nor doe enough to make him amends And would indeed the gentlenesse and liberality of a man thy fellow-creature thus affect thee and shall not the loving kindnesse of God which hath appeared in Jesus Christ have much more power upon thee Dost thou not believe that our God hath done as much to engage his creatures to himself as this comes to Hath not he shewn as much pity and tendernesse to the souls of men as that would be to the body If thou doubt it look back upon the state of man and consider Gods gracious dealings with him Did not he by his own folly and disobedience cast himself out of Paradise and by wilful sin deface and even destroy the workmanship of God And yet did not God take pity on us in our blood when we were cast forth to the loathing of our persons Did not he contrive the way for our reconciliation to himself and beseech us to accept of it And doe we not read that in order to our enriching tâ—e Son of God did as it were impoverish himself and that we might be fill'd with the fulnesse of God emptied himself and became of no reputation And what an heart must that prodigall Son have who will not be affected with the kindnesse of his Father who takes care for and seeks after him when he had foolishly forsaken his Family and done what he could to put himself out of his Fathers care And is courteously entreated to return back to that comfortable â—tate and relation whence he had banisht himself and upon condition of his return sees another better estate provided for him instead of that he hath wasted and finds his arms opened to embrace him against whom he had lift up his hand Methinks if thou believ'st that God hath shewn such love to man it cannot but have some force upon thee to bring thee back again to him from whom thou hast run away and so long kept at a distance and must needs prevail with thee to cast away with grief and shame whatever is displeasing to him and doth estrange thee from him And except thou be an unreasonable Infidel thou canst not but believe it for it is plainly revealed in Gods holy Word where also we find the greatnesse of this love inculcated in Gods having regard to us and first looking after us when we took no thought for our selves how to get his favour 1 Joh. 4.10 Herein is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins Rom. 5.6 8. For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly God commendeth his love toward us in that whilst we were yet sinners Christ died for us And as Christ died to bring us to God so the consideration of this love should drâ—w us to him By this mercy chiefly we are engaged to offer up our selves a living sacrifice to God which is our reasonable service Judge thy self is it not most reasonable that we should give up our selves to that â—od who spared not his own Son but delivered him up for