art not only without God but God is against thee Ezek. 5. 8 9. Nah. 2. 13. Oh if God will but stand a neuter though he did not own nor help the poor sinner his case were not so deeply miserable Though God should give up the poor creature to the will of all his enemies to do their worst with him though he should deliver him over to the tormentors Mat. 18. 34. that devils should tear and torture him to their utmost power and skill yet this were not half so fearful But God himself will set against the sinner and believe it 't is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10. 31. There 's no friend like him no enemy like him As much as Heaven is above the Earth Omnipotency above Impotency Infinity above Nullity so much more horrible is it to fall into the hands of the living God than into the paws of Bears or Lions yea furies or devils God himself will be thy tormentor thy destruction shall come from the presence of the Lord. 2 Thes. 1. 9. Tophet is deep and large and the wrath of the Lord like a river of brimstone doth kindle it Esay 30. 33. If God be against thee who shall be for thee If one man sin against another the Iudge shall Iudge him but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him 1 Sam. 2. 25. Thou even thou art to be feared and who shall stand in thy sight when â—â—ce thou art angry Psal. 76. 7. Who is that God that shall deliver you out of his hands Dan. 3. 15. Can Mammon Riches profit not in the day of wrath Prov 11. 14. Can Kings or Warriours No they shall cry to the Mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Rev. 6. 15 16 17. Sinner methinks this should go like a dagger to thine heart to know that God is thine enemy Oh whither wilt thou go where wilt thou shelter thee There is no hope for thee unless thou lay down thy weapons and sue out thy pardon and get Christ to stand thy friend and make thy peace If it were not for this thou mightest go into some howling wilderness and there pine in sorrow and run mad for anguish of heart and horrible despair But in Christ there is a possibility of mercy for thee yea a proffer of mercy to thee that thou maist have God to be more for thee than he is now against thee But if thou wilt not forsake thy sins nor turn throughly and to purpose unto God by a sound Conversion the wrath of God abideth on thee and he proclaims himself to be against thee as in the Prophet Ezek. 5. 8. Therefore thus saith the Lord God Behold I even I am against thee I. His face is against thee Psal. 34. 16. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them Wo unto them whom God shall set his face against When he did but look upon the host of the Egyptians how terrible was the consequence Ezek. 14. 8. I will set my face against that man and will make him a sign and a proverb and will cut him off from the midst of my people and you shall know that I am the Lord. 2. His heart is against thee He hateth all the workers of iniquity Man doth not thine heart tremble to think of thy being an object of Gods hatred Ier. 15. 1. Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my mind could not be towards this people cast them out of my sight Zech. 7. 8. My soul loathed them and their souls also abhorred me 3. His hand is against thee 1 Sam. 12. 14 15. All his attributes are against thee First His Iustice is like a flaming sword unsheathed against thee If I whet my glittering sword and my hand take hold on judgment I will render vengeance to mine adversaries and will reward them that hate me I will make mine arrows drunk with blood c. Deut. 32. 40 41. So exact is Justice that 't will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34. 7. God will not discharge thee he will not hold thee guiltless Exod. 20. 7. but will require the whole debt in person of thee unless thou canst make a Scripture claim to Christ and his satisfaction When the enlightned sinner looks on justice and sees the ballance in which he must be weighed and the sword by which he must be executed he feels an earth quake in his breast But Satan keeps this out of sight and perswades the soul while he can that the Lord is all made up of mercy and so â—ulls it asleep in sin Divine Justice is very strict it must have satisfaction to the utmost farthing it denounceth indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish to every soul that doth evil Rom. 2. 8 9. It curseth every one that continueth not in every thing that is written in the law to do it Gal. 3. 19. The justice of God to the unpardoned sinner that hath a sense of his misery is more terrible than the sight of the Bailiff or creditor to the bankâ—rupt debtor or than the sight of the Judge and Bench to the robber or of the Irons and gibbet to the guilty murderer When justice sits upon life and death Oh what dreadful work doth it make with the wretched sinner Bind him hand and foot cast him into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 22. 13. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire Mat. 25. 41. This is the terrible sentence that justice pronounceth Why sinner by this severe justice must thou be tryed and as God liveth this killing sentence shalt thou hear unless thou repent and be converted Secondly The holiness of God is full of antipathy against thee Psal. 5. 4 5. He is not only angry with thee so he may be with his own children but he hath a fixed rooted habitual displeasure against thee he loaths thee Zech. 11. 8. and what is done by thee though for substance commanded by him Esay 1. 14. Mal. 1. 10. As if a man should give his servant never so good meat to dress yet if he should mingle filth or poyson with it he would not touch it Gods nature is infinitely contrary to sin and so he cannot but hate a sinner out of Christ. O what a misery is this to be out of the favour yea under the hatred of God! Eccles. 5. 4. Hos. 9. 15. that God can as easily lay aside his nature and cease to be God as not to be contrary to thee and detest thee except thou be changed and renewed by grace O sinner how darest thou to think of the bright and radiant Sun of purity upon the beauties the glory of holiness that is in God! The Stars
Cup of reproach and scorn and slander and poverty and labours might pass from us if it were not for the will of God and your salvation Why should we love to be the lowest and trodden down by malignant Pride and counted as the filth of the World and the Off-scouring of all things and represented to Rulers whâ—m wâ— honour as scismaticks disobedient turbulent unruly by every Church-usurper whom we refuse to make a God of Why give you not over this preaching of the Gospel at the will of Satan that is for the everlasting suffering of your souls under the pretence of making us suffer Is not all this that you may be converted and saved If we be herein besides our selves it is for you Could the words of the ignorant or proud have perswaded us that either your wants and dangers are so inconsiderable or your other supplies and helps sufficient that our labours had been unnecessary to you God knoweth we should have readily obeyed the silencing sorts of Pastors and have betaken us to some other land where our service had been more necessary Let shame be the hypocrites reward who taketh not the saving of souls and the pleasing of God for a sufficient reward without Ecclesiastical Dignities preferments or worldly wealth I have told you our motives I have told you our business andâ— the terms of our undertaking It is God and you sinners that next must tell us what our entertainment and success shall be Shall it be still neglect and unthankful contempt and turning away your ear and heart and saying we have somewhat else to mind Will you still be cheated by this deceiving World And spend all your days in pampering your guts and providing for your flesh that must lie rotting very shortly in a Grave Were you made for no better work than this May not we bring you to some sober thoughts of your condition nor one hour seriously to think whither you are going What! not to one awakened look into the World where you must be for ever Nor one heart-raising thought of the everlasting Glory Not one heart-piercing thought of all your Saviours love nor one â—ear for all your sinful lives O God forbid Let not our labour be so despised Let not your God your Saviour and your souls be set so light by O let there be no profane person among you like Esau who for one morsel sold his birth-right Poor sinners We talk not to you as on a stage in customary words and because that talking thus is our trade We are in as good earnest with you as if we saw you all murdering your selves and we are perswading you to save your lives Can any man be in jest with you who believeth God who by Faith foreseeth whither you are going and what you lose and where the game of sin will end It is little better to jest with you now in Pulpit or in private than to stand jesting over your departing souls when at death you are breathing out your lâ—st Alas with shame and griefâ— we do confess that we never speak to you of these things as their truth and weight deserve nor with the skill and wisdom the affection and fervency which beseemeth men engaged in the saving of poor souls But yet you may perceive that we are in good sadness with you For God is so What else do we study for labour for suffer for live for Why else do we so much trouble our selves and trouble you with all this ado and anger them that would have had us silent For my own part I will make my free Confession to you to my shame that I never grow cold and dull and pittiless to the Souls of others till I first grow too cold and careless of my own unless when weakness or speculative studies cool me which I must confess they often do We never cease pittying you till we are growing too like you and so have need of pity our selves When through the mercy of my Lord the prospect of thâ—â—â—â—rld of souls which I am going to hath any poâ—â—â—ful operation on my self O then I could spend and be spent for others No words are too earnest no labour too great no cost too dear the frowns and wrath of malignant opposers of the preaching of Christs Gospel are nothing to me But when the World of Spirits do disappear or my Soul is clouded and receiveth not the viâ—al illuminating influences of Heaven I grow cold first to my self and then to others Come then poor sinners and help us who are willing at any rate to be your helpers As we first crave Gods help so we next crave yours Help us for we cannot save you against your wills nor save you without your consent and help God himself will not save you without you and how should we know that the Devil is against us and will do his worst to hinder us and so will all his Ministers by what names or titles soever dignified or distinguished But all this is nothing if you will but take our parts your selves I mean if you will take Christs part and your own and will not be against your selves Men and Devils cannot either help or hinder us in saving you as you may do your selves If God and you be for us who shall be against us And if you will help us give over striving against God and Conscience give over fighting against Christ and his Spirit take part no more with the World and the flesh which in your Baptism you renounced set your hearts to the message which we bring you Allow it your manlike sober thoughts search the Scriptures and see whether the things which we speak be so or no. We offer you nothing but what we have resolvedly câ—â—â—en our selves and that after the most serious dâ—â—â—ation that we can make We have many a timâ— looked round about us to know what is the happiness of man And had we found better for our selves we had offered better to you If the World would have served our turns it should have served yours also and we would not have troubled you with the talk of another world but it will not I am sure it will not serve your turns to make you happy nor shall you long make that sorry self-deceiving shift with it as now you do But if you will not think of these things if you will not use the reason of men alas what can we do to save your souls O pity them Lord that they may pity themselves Have mercy on them that they may have some more mercy on themselves Help them that they may help themselves and us If you still râ—fuse will not your loss be more than ours If we lose our Labour which to our selves we shall not if we lose our hopes of your Salvation what is this to your everlasting loss of Salvation it self And what is our suffering for your sakes in comparison of your endless sufferings But O this is it that breaketh
for Ink I would petition them on my knees verily were I able I would O how thankfully I would if they would be prevailed with to repent and turn How long have I travelled in birth with you how frequently have I made suit to you how often would I have gathered you how instant have I been with you this is that I have prayed for and studied for for many years that I might bring you to God O that I might but do it Will you yet be intreated O what a happy man might you make me if you would but hearken to me and suffer me to carry you over to Jesus Christ. But Lord how insufficient am I for this work I have been many a year woing for thee but the Damsel would not go with me Lord what a task hast thou set me to do Alas wherewith shall I pierce the scales of Leviathan or make the heart to feel that is hard as a stone hard as a piece of the nether milstone Shall I go and lay my mouth to the grave and look when the dead will obey me and come forth shall I make an Oration to the Rocks or declaim to the Mountains and think to move them with arguments shall I give the blind to see From the beginning of the world was it not heard that a man opened the eyes of the blind But thou O Lord canst pierce the scales and prick the heart of the Sinner I can but shoot at rovers and draw the â—ow at a venture and do thou direct the arrow between the joynts of the harness and kill the sin and save the Soul of the sinner that casts hiâ— eyes into these labours But I must apply my self to you to whom I am sent yet I am at a great loss Would to God I knew how to go to work with you would I stick at the pains God knoweth you your selves are my witnesses how I have followed you in private as well as in publick and have brought the Gospel to your doors testifying to you the necessity of the new birth and perswading you to look in time after a sound and through change Beloved I have not acted a part among you to serve my own advantage our Gospel is not yea and nay Have not you heard the same truths from the Pulpit by publick labours and by private letters by personal instructions Brethren I am of the same mind as ever that holiness is the best choice that there is no entring into Heaven but by the straight passages of the second birth that without holiness you shall never see God Heb. 12. 14. Ah my beloved refresh my bowels in the Lord. If there be any consolation in Christ any comfort of love any fellowship of the spirit any bowels and mercies fulfil you my joy Now give your selves unto the Lord 2 Cor. 8. 5. Now set your faces to seek him Now set up the Lord Jesus in your hearts and set him up in your houses Now come in and kiss the Son Psal. 2. 12. and embrace the tenders of his mercy Touch his Scepter and live why will you die I beg not for my self but fain I would have you happy This is the prize I run for and the white I aim atâ— My souls desire and prayer for you is that you may be saved Rom. 10. 1. The famous Lycurgus having instituted most strict and wholeâ—â—m Lâ—ws for his people told them he was necessitated to go a journey from them and got them to bind themselves in an oath that his laws should be observed till his return This done he went into a voluntary banishment and never returned more that they might by vertue of their oath be engaged to the perpetual observing of his laws Methinks I should be glad of the hard conditions which he endured though I love you tenderly so I might but hereby engage you througly to the Lord Jesus Christ Dearly beloved would you rejoyce the heart of your Minister Why then embrace the counsels of the Lord by me forgo your sins set to prayer up with the worship of God in your families keep at a distance from the corruptions of the times What greater joy to a Minister than to hear of souls born unto Christ by him and that his Children walk in the truth 2 Iohn 4. Brethren I beseech you suffer a friendly plainness and freedom with you in your deepest concernments I am not playing the orator to make a learned speech to you nor dressing my dish with eloquence wherewith to please you These lines are upon a weighty errand indeed viz. to convince and convert and save you I am not baiting my hook with Rhetorick nor fishing for your applause bâ—t for your souls My work is not to please you but to save you nor is my business with your fancies but your hearts If I have not your hearts I have nothing If I were to please your ears I could sing another song If I were to preach my self I would steer another course I could then tell you a smoother tale I would make you pillows and speak you peace for how can Ahab love this Micaiah that always prophesies â—vil concerning him 1 Kings 22. 8. But how much better are the wounâ—s of a Friend than the fair speeches of the Haâ—lot who flattereth with her lips till the Dart strike through the liver and hunteth for the precious life Prov. 7. 21 22 23. and Prov. 6. 26. If I were to quiet a crying Infant I might sing him to a pleasant mood or rock him asleep but when the child is fallen into the Fire the parent takes another course he will not now go to still him with a song or trifle I know if we speed not with you you are lost if we cannot get your consent to arise and come away you perish for ever No Conversion and no Salvation I must get your good will or leave you miserable But here the difficulty of my work again recurs upon me Lord choose my stones out of the rock 1 Sam. 17. 40 45. I come in the name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the Armies of Israel I come forth like the stripling against Goliah to wrestle not with flesh and blood but with Principalities and Powers and the Rulers of the darkness of this World Eph. 6. 12. This day let the Lord smite the Philistine and spoil the strong man of his Armour and give me to fetch off the captives out of his hand Lord choose my words choose my weapons for me and when I put my hand into the bag and take thence a stone and sling it do thou carry it to the mark and make it sink not into the forehead 1 Sam. 17. 40. but the heart of the unconverted sinner and smite him to the ground with Saul in his so happy fall Acts 9. 4. Thou hast sent me as Abraham did Eliezer to take a wife unto my master thy son Gen. 24. 4. But my discouraged soul is ready to fear
language of thy soul His Ioys are changed He rejoyceth in the wayes of Gods testimonies as much as in all riches Psa. 119. 14. He delights in the Law of the Lord wherein once he had little favour He hath no such Joy as in the thoughts of Christ the fruition of his company the prospirity of his people His Cares are quite altered He was once set for the World and any scraps of by-time nothing too often was enough for his soul. Now he gives over caring for the Asses and sets his heart on the Kingdom Now all the cry is What shall I do to be saved Acts. 16. 30. His great solicitude is how to secure his soul. Oh! how he would bless you if you could but put him out of doubt of this His Fears are not so much of suffering but of sinning Heb. 11. 25 27. Once he was afraid of nothing so much as the loss of his estate or esteem the displeasure of friends the srowns of the great nothing sounded so terrible to him as pain or poverty or disgrace Now these are little to him in comparison of Gods dishonour or displeasure How warily doth he walk left he should tread on a snare He feareth alway he looks before and behind he hath his eye upon his heart and is often casting over his shoulder left he should be â—vertaken with sin Psal. 39. 1. Prov. 28. 14. Eccles. 2. 14. It kills his heart to think of losing Gods favour this he dreads as his only undoing Psal. 51. 11 12. Psal. 119. 8. No thought in the world doth pinch him and pain him so much as to think of parting with Christ. His Love runs a new course My Love was crucified said holy Ignatius that is my Christ. This is my beloved saith the Spouse Cant. 5. 16. How doth Augustine often pour his loves upon Christ. He can find no words sweet enough Let me see thee O Light of mine eyes Come O thou joy of my spirit Let me behold thee O the gladness of my heart Let me love thee O life of my soul. Appear unto me O my great delight my sweet comfort O my God my life and the whole glory of my soul. Let me find thee O desire of my heart Let me hold thee O love of my soul. Let me imbrace thee O heavenly Bridegroom Let me possess thee O eternal blessedness c. His Sorrows have now a new vent 2 Cor. 7. 9. 10. The view of his sins the sight of a Christ crucified that would scarce stir him before now how much do they affect his heart His Hatred boils his Anger burns against sin Psal. 119. 104. He hath no patience with himself he calls himself fool and beast and thinks any name too good for himself when his indignation is stirred up against sin Psal. 73. 22. Prov. 30. 2. He could once swill in it with too much pleasure now he loaths the thought of returning to it as much as of licking up the filthiest vomit Commune then with thine own heart and attend the common and general current of thine affections whether it be towards God in Christ above all other concernments Indeed sudden and strong commotions of the affections and sensitive part are oft-times found in hypocrites especially where the natural constitution leads thereunto and contrariwise the sanctified themselves are many times without sensible stirrings of the affections where the temper is more slow dry and dull The great inquiry is whether the judgment and will be standingly determined for God above all other good real or apparent and if the affections do sincerely follow their choice and conduct though it be not so strongly and sensibly as is to be desired there is no doubt but the change is saving 2. Thorowout the Members These that were before the instruments of sin are now become the holy utensils of Christs living Temple Rom. 6. 16. 1 Cor. 3. 16. He that before made as it were a band or a barrel of his body now possesseth his vessel in sanctification and honour in temperance chastity and sobriety as dedicated to the Lord 1 Thes. 44. Gal. 5. 22 23. 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. The Eye that was once a wandring eye a wanton eye a haughty a covetous eye is now employed as Mary in weeping over her sins Luk. 7. 38. in beholding God in his works Psal. 8. 3. in reading his word Acts 8. 30. in looking up and down for objects of mercy and opportunities for his service The Ear that was once open to Satans call and that like a vitiated palat did relish nothing so much as filthy or at least frothy talk and the fools laughter is now bored to the door of Christs house and open to his discipline It saith speak Lord for thy servant heareth It cries with him veniat verbum Domini and waits for his word as the rain and relishes them more than the appointed food Iob 23. 12. than the honey and the honey comb Psal. 19. 10. The Head that was the shop of worldly designs is now filled with other matters and set on the study of Gods will Psal. 1. 2. Psal. 119. 97. and the man beats his head not so much about his gain but about his duty The thoughts and cares that now â—ill his head are principally how he may please God and flie sin His Heart that was a sty of filthy Insts is now become an altar of Incense where the fire of divine love is ever kept in and whence the daily sacrifice of prayer and praises and sweet incense of holy desires ejaculations and anhelations are continually ascending Psal. 108. 1. Psal. 119. 20. Psal. 139. 17 18. The Mouth is become a well of life his Tongue as choice silver and his Lips feed many Now the salt of grace hath seasoned his speech and eat out the corruption Col. 4. 6. and cleanseth the man from his filthy communication flattery boasting rayling lying swearing backbiting that once came like the flashes proceeding from the hell that was in the heart Iames 3. 6. 7. The Throat that was once an open sepulchre Rom. 3. 13. now sends forth the sweet breath of prayer and holy discourse and the man speaks in another Tongue in the Language of Canaan and is never so well as when talking of God and Christ and the matters of another World His Mouth bringeth forth wisdom his Tongue is become the silver Trumpet of his makers praise his glory and the best member that he hath Now here you shall have the hypocrite halting He speaks it may be like an Angel but he hath a covetous eye or the gain of unrighteousness in his hand Or the hand is white but his heart is full of rottenness Mat. 13. 27. full of unmortified cares a very oven of lust a shop of pride the seat of malice It may be with Nebuchadnezzar's Image he hath a Golden head a great deal of knowledge but he hath feet of clay his affections are worldly he minds earthly things and
of the Lord. God hath been at work with thee he hath laid hold on thine heart by the power of converting grace or else thou couldst never have done this The Mediate term of Conversion is either Principal or less Principal The Principal is Christ the only mediator between God and Man 1 Tim. 2. 5. His work is to bring us to God 1 Pet. 3. 18. he is the way to the Father Ioh. 14. 6. the only plank on which we may escape the only door by which we may enter Ioh. 10. 9. Conversion brings over the soul to Christ to accept of him Col. 2. 6. as the only means to life as the only way the only name given under Heaven Acts 4. 12. He looks not for salvation in any other but him nor in any other with him but throws himself on Christ alone as one that should cast himself with spread arms upon the Sea Here saith the convinced sinner here I will venture and if I perish I perish If I die I will die here But Lord suffer me not to perish under the pitiful eyes of thy mercy Intreat me not to leave thee or to turn away from following after thee Ruth 1. 16. Here I will throw my self If thou kick me if thou kill me Job 13. 15. I will not go from thy door Thus the poor soul doth venture on Christ and resolvedly adhere to him Before Conversion the man made light of Christ minded the Farm Friends Merchandise more than Christ Mat. 22. 5. now Christ is to him as his necessary food his daily bread the life of his heart the staff of his life Phil. 3. 9. His great desigâ— is that Christ may be magnified in him Philâ— 1. 20. His heart once said as they to the Spouse What is thy beloved more than another Cant. 5. 9. He found more sweetness in his merry company wicked gâ—mes earthly delights than in Christ. He took Religion for a fancy and the talk of great enjoyments for an idle dream But now to him to live is Christ. He sets light by all that he accounted precious for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Phil. 3. 8. All of Christ is accepted by the sincere Convert He loves not only the wages but work of Christ Rom. 7. 22. not only the benefits but the burden of Christ. He is willing not only to tread out tâ—e corn but to draw under the yoak he takes up the commands of Christ yea and the Cross of Christ Mat. 11. Mat. 16. 24. The unsound closes by the halves with Christ he is all for the salvation of Christ but he is not for sanctification he is for the priviledges but appretiates not the person of Christ. He divides the offices and benefits of Christ. This is an error in the foundation Who so loveth life let him beware here 'T is an undoing mistake of which you have been often warned and yet none more common Jesus is a sweet name but men love not the Lord Jesus in sincerity Eph. 6. 24. They will not have him as God offers To be a Prince and a Saviour Acts 5. 3â— They divide what God hath joyned the King and the Priest Yea they will not accept the salvation of Christ as he intends it they divide here Every mans voâ—e is for salvation from suffering but they desire not to be saved from sinning They would have their lives saved but withall they would have their lâ—â—ts saved Yea many divide here again they would be content to have some of their sins destroyed but they cannot leave the lap of Dalilah or divorce the beloved Herodias They cannot be cruel to the right eye or right hand the Lord must pardon them in this thing 2 Kings 5. 18. Oh be infinitely tender here your souls lie upon it The sound Convert takes a whole Christ and takes him for all intents and purposes without exceptions without limitations without reserves He is willing to have Christ upon his terms upon any terms He is willing of the dominion of Christ as well as deliverance by Christ he saith with Paul Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. Any thing Lord. He sends the blank to Christ to set down his own Conditions Acts 2. 37. Acts 16. 30. The less Principal is the Laws Ordinances and ways of Christ. The heart that was once set against these and could not endure the strictness of these bonds the severity of these ways now falls in love with them and chuses them as its rule and guide for ever Psal. 119. 111 112. Four things I observe God doth work in every sound Convert with reference to the Laws and ways of Christ by which you may come to know your estates if you will be faithful to your own souls and therefore keep your eyes upon your hearts as you go along 1. The Iudgment is brought to approve of them and subscribe to them as most righteous and most reasonable Psal. 119. 128 137 138. The mind is brought to like the ways of God and the corrupt prejudices that were once against them as unreasonable and intolerable are now removed The understanding assents to them all as holy just and good Rom. 7. 12. How is David taken up with the excellencies of Gods Laws How Doth he expatiate in their praises both from their inherent qualities and admirable effects Psal. 19. 8 9 10 c. There is a twofold judgment of the understanding Iudicum absolutum comparatum The absolute judgment is when a man thinks such a course best in the general but not for him or not under the present circumstances he is in pro hic nunc Now a Godly mans judgment is for the wayes of God and that not only the absolute but comparative judgment he thinks them not only best in general but best for him He looks upon the rules of Religion not only as tolerable but desirable yea more desirable than gold fine gold yea much fine gold Psal. 19. 10. His judgment is setledly determined that 't is best to be holy that 't is best to be strict that it is in it self the most eligible course and that 't is for him the wisest and most rational and desirable choice Hear the godly mans Judgment I know O Lord that thy judgments are right I love thy Commandments above Gold Yea above fine gold I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way Psal. 119. 127 128. Mark he did approve of all that God required and disallowed of all that he forbad Righteous are thou O Lord and upright are thy judgments Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful Thy word is true from the beginning and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever Psal. 119. 86. 160. 102 163. See how readily and fully he â—ubcribes he declares his assent and consent to it and all and every thing therein contained 2. The desire of the heart is to know
heart unto all that I shall testifie unto thee this day for it is not a vain thing it is your life Deut. 32. 4. 6. This is the end of all that hath been spoken hitherto to bring you to set upon turning and making use of Gods means for your Conversion I would not trouble you nor torment you before the time with the forethoughts of your eternal misery but in order to your making your escape Were you shut up under your present misery without remedy it were but mercy as one speaks to let you alone that you might take in that little poor comfort that you are capable of here in this world But you may yet be happy if you do not wilfully refuse the means of your recovery Behold I hold open the door unto you arise and take your flight I set the way of life before you walk in it and you shall live and not die Deut. 30. 19. Ier. 9. 16. It pities me to think you should be your own murderers and throw your selves headlong when God and men cry out to you as Peter in another case to his master Spare thy self A noble Virgin that attended the Court of Spain was wickedly ravished by the King and hereupon exciting the Duke her Father to revenge he called in the Moors to his help who when they had executed his design miserably wasted and spoiled the Country which this Virgin laying so exceedingly to heart shut her self up in a Tower belonging to her Fathers house and desired her Father and Mother might be called forth and bewailing to them her own wretchedness that she should have occasioned so much misery and desolation to her Country for the satisfying of her revenge she told them she was resolved to be avenged upon her self Her Father and Mother besought her to pity her self and them but nothing would prevail but she took her leave of them and threw her self off the battlements and so perished before their faces Just thus is the wilful destruction of ungodly men The God that made them beseecheth them and cryeth out to them as Paul to the distracted Jaylor when about to murder himself Do thy self no harm The Ministers of Christ forewarn them and follow them and fain would hold them back But alas No expostulations nor obtestations will prevail but men will hurl themselves into perdition while pity it self looketh on What shall I say Would it not grieve a person of any humanity if in the time of a reigning plague he should have a receipt as one well that would infallibly cure all the Countrey and recover the most hopeless patients and yet his friends and neighbours should die by the hundreds about him because they would not use it Men and Brethren though you carry the certain symptoms of death in your faces yet I have a receipt that will cure you all that will cure infallibly Follow but these few directions and if you do not then win Heaven I will be content to lose it Hear then Oh sinner and as ever thou wouldst be converted and saved embrace this following counsel Dir. I. Set it down with thy self as an undoubted truth that it is impossible for thee ever to get to Heaven in this thine unconverted state Can any other but Christ save thee And he tells thee he will never do it except thou be regenerated and converted Mat. 18. 3. Iohn 3. 3. Doth he not keep the keys of Heaven And canst thou get in without his leave as thou must if ever thou comest thither in thy natural condition without a sound and through renovation Dir. II. Labour to get a thorow sight and lively sense and feeling of thy sins Till men are weary and heavy laden and pricked at the heart and stark sick of sin they will not come to Christ in his way for ease and cure nor to purpose enquire What shall we do Mat. 11. 28. Acts 2. 37. Mat. 9. 12. They must set themselves down for dead men before they will come unto Christ that they may have life Iohn 5. 40. Labour therefore to set all thy sins in order before thee Never be afraid to look upon them but let thy spirit make diligent search Psal. 77. 6. Enquire into thine heart and into thy life Enter into a thorow examination of thy self and of all thy wayes Psal. 119. 59. that thou maist make a full discovery and call in the help of Gods spirit in the sense of thine own inability hereunto for it is his proper work to convince of sin Iohn 16. 8. Spread all before the face of thy conscience till thine heart and eyes be set abroach Leave not striving with God and thine own soul till it cry out under the sense of thy sins as the enlightned Jaylor What must I do to be saved Acts 16. 30. To this porpose Meditate of the numerousness of thy sins David's heart failed when he thought of this and considered that he had more sins than hairs Ps. 40. 12. This made him to cry out upon the multitudes of Gods tender-tender-mercies Psal. 51. 1. The loathsom carcase doth not more hatefully swarm with crawling worms than an unsanctified soul with filthy lusts They fill the head the heart the eyes and mouth of him Look backward where was ever the place what was ever the time in which thou didst not sin Look inward what part or power canst thou find in soul or body but it is poisoned with sin What duty dost thou ever perform into which this poyson is not shed Oh how great is the sum of thy debts who hast been all thy life long running upon the hooks and never didst nor canst pay off one penny Look over the sin of thy nature and all its cursed brood the sins of thy life Call to mind thy Omissions Commissions the sins of thy thoughts of thy words of thine actions the sins of thy youth the sins of thy years c. Be not like a desperate Bankrupt that is afraid to look over his books Read the records of conscience carefully These books must be opened sooner or later Rev. 20. 12. Meditate upon the aggravations of thy sin as they are the grand enemies against the God of thy life against the life of thy soul in a word they are the publick enemies of all mankind How do David Ezra Daniel and the good Levites aggravate their sins from the consideration of their injuriousness to God their opposition to his good and righteous Laws the mercies the warnings that they were committed against Nehem. 9. Dan. 9. Ezra 9. O the work that sin hath made in the world This is the enemy that hath brought in death that hath robbed and enslaved man that hath blacked the devil that hath digged hell Rom. 5. 12. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Iohn 8. 34. This is the enemy that hath turned the creation upside down and sown dissension between man and the creatures between man and man yea between man and himself seting the sensitive part against the
with thee A short Soliloqui for an unregenerate sinner Ah wretched man that I am what a condition have I brought my self into by sin Oh! I see my heart hath but deceived me all this while in flattering me that my condition was good I see I see I am but a lost and undone man for ever undone unless the Lord help me out of this condition My sins My sins Lord what an unclean polluted wretch and I more loathsome and odious to thee than the most hateful Venome or noisome carcass can be to me Oh! what a Hell of sin is in this heart of mine which I have flattered my self to be a good heart Lord how universally am I corrupted in all my parts powers performances All the imaginations of the thoughts of my heart are only evil continually I am under an inability to averseness from and enmity against any thing that is good and am prone to all that is evil My heart is a very sink of all sin and oh the innumerable hosts and swarms of sinful thoughts words and actions that have flown from thence Oh the load of guilt that is on my soul my head is 〈◊〉 and my heart full my mind and my memâ—ers they are all full of sin Oh my sins How do they stare upon me How do they witness against me Wo is me my Creditors are upon me every commandment taketh hold upon me for more than ten thousand Talents yea ten thousand times ten thousand How endless then is the sum of all my debts If this whole world were filled up from earth to Heaven with paper and all this paper written over within and without by Arithmeticians yet when all were cast up together it would come unconceivably short of what I owe to the least of Gods Commandments Wo unto me for my debts are infinite and my sins are increased They are wrongs to an infinite Majesty and if he that committeth Treason against a silken mortal is worthy to be tacked drawn and quartered what have I deserved that have so often lifted up my hand against Heaven and have struck at the Crown and dignity of the Almighty Oh my sins my sins Behold a troop cometh Multitudes multitudes there is no number of their Armies Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me they have set themselves in array against me Oh! it were better to have all the Regiments of Hell come against me than to have my sins to fall upon me to the spoiling of my Soul Lord how am I surrounded How many are they that rise up against me They have beset me behind and before they swarm within me and without me they have possessed all my powers and have â—ortified mine unhappy soul as a Garrison which this brood of Hell doth man and maintain against the God that made me And they are as mighty as they be many The sands are many but then they are not great the mountains great but then they are not many But wo is me my sins are as many as the sands sand as mighty as the Mountains Their weight is greater than their number It were better that the Rocks and the Mountains should fall upon them than the crushing and unsupportable load of my own sins Lord I am heavy loaden let mercy help or I am gone Unload me of this heavy guilt this sinking load or I am crushed without hope and must be pressed down to Hell If my grief were thorowly weighed and my sins laid in the ballances together they would be heavier than the sand of the Sea therefore my words are swallowed up they would weigh down all the rocks and the hills and turn the ballance against all the Isles of the Earth O Lord thou knowest my manifold transgressions and my mighty sins Ah my soul Alas my Glory Whither art thou humdled Once the Glory of the Creation and the Image of God now a lump of filthiness a Coffin of rottenness replenished with stench and loathsomness Oh what worâ— hath sin made with thee Thou shalt be termâ— Forsaken and all the rooms of thy faculties â—â—solate and the name that thou shalt be called 〈◊〉 is Icabod or where is the Glory How 〈◊〉 thou come down mightily My beauty is turned into deformity and my Glory into shame Lord what a loathsom Leper am I The ulcerous bodies of Iob or Lazarus were not more offensive to the eyes and nostrils of men than I must needs be to the most holy â—od whose eyes cannot behold Iniquity And what misery hath my sins brought upon me Lord what a case am I in Sold under sin cast out of Gods favour accursed from the Lord cursed in my body cursed in my soul cursed in my name in my estate my relations and all that I have My sins are unpardoned and my soul within a step of death Alas what shall I do Whither shall I go Which way shall I look God is frowning on me from above Hell gaping for me beneath Conscience imiting me within temptations and dangers surrounding me without Oh whither shall I fly What place can hide me from Omnisciency What power can secure me from Omnipotency What meanest thou O my soul to go on thus Art thou in league with Hell Hast thou made a Covenant with death Art thou in love with thy misery Is it good for thee to be here Alas what shall I do Shâ—ll I go on in my sinful ways Why then certain damnation will be mine end and shall I be so besotted and bemadded as to go and sell my soul to the flames for a little Ale and a littlâ— ease for a little pleasure or gain or content to my flesh shall I linger any longer in this wretched estate No If I tarry here I shall die What then is there no help no hope None except I turn Why but is there any remedy for such woful misery any mercy after such provoking iniquity Yes as sure as Gods Oath is true I shall have pardon and mercy yet if I presently unfeignedly and unreservedly turn by Christ to him Why then â—â—hank thee upon the bended knees of my soul O most merciful Iehovah that thy patience hath waited for me hitherto for hadst thou took me away in this estate I had perished for ever And now I adore thy Grace and accept the offers of thy mercy I renounce all my sins and resolve by thy grace to set my self against them and to follow thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life Who am I Lord that I should make any claim unto thee or have any part or portion in thee who am not worthy to lick up the dust of thy feet Yet since thou holdest forth the golden Scepter I am bold to come and touch To despair would be to disparage thy mercy and to stand off when thou biddest me come would be at once to undo my self and rebel against thee under pretence of humility Therefore I bow my soul unto
rejoyce over thee even with singing and rest in his love Luke 15. 9. Esay 62. 5. Never did old Iacob with such joy weep over the neck of his Ioseph as thy heavenly Father would rejoyce over thee upon thy comming in to him Look over the story of the Prodigal Methinks I see how the aged Fathers laies aside his state and forgets his years behold how he runneth Luke 15. 20. Oh the hast that mercy makes The sinner makes not half that speed Methinks I see how his bowels turn how his compassions yearn How quick sighted is love Mercy spies him a great way off forgets his rigorous courses unnatural rebellion horrid unthankfulness debauched practices not a word of those but receives him with open arms clasps about his neck forgets the nastiness of his rags kisses the lips that deserve to be loathed the lips that had been joyned to harlots that had been commoners with the swine calls for the fatted Calf the best Robe the ring the shoos the best cheer in Heavens store the best attire in Heavens Wardrobe c. yea the joy cannot be held in one breast Luke 15. 6 9 23. others must be called to participate the friends must meet and make merry Angels must wait but the Prodigal must be set at the Table under his Fathers wing He is the joy of the feast he is the sweet subject of the Fathers delight The friends sympathize but none knows the felicity the father takes in his new born son whom he hath received from the dead Methinks I hear the musik and the dancing at a distance Oh the melody of the Heavenly Choristers I cannot learn the song Rev. 14. 3. but methinks I over-hear the burden at which all the harmonious quire with one consent strikes sweetly in for thus goes the round at Heavens table For this my son was dead and is alive again was lost and is found Luke 15. 23 24 32. I need not farther explain the parable God is the Father Christ the cheer his righteousness the robe his graces the ornaments Ministers Saints Angels the friends and servants and thou that readest if thou wilt but unfeignedly repent and turn the welcom Prodigal the happy instance of all this grace and the blessed subject of this joy and love Oh Rock Oh Adamant What not moved yet not yet resolved to turn forthwith and to close with mercy I will try thee yet once again If one were sent to thee from the dead wouldst thou be perswaded Why hear the voice from the dead from the damned crying to thee that thou shouldst repent I pray thee that thou wouldst send him to my fathers house for I have five brethren that he may testifie unto them lest they also come into this place of torment If one went unto them from the dead they will repent Luke 16. 27 28. c. Hear O man thy Predecessors in impenitence Preach to thee from the infernal gibbets from the flames from the rack that thou shouldst repent O look down into the bottomless pit Seest thou how the smoak of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever Rev. 14. 11. How black are the â—iends How furious are their torments 'T is their only musick to hear how their miserable patients roar to hear their bones crack 'T is their meat and drink to see how their flesh frieth and their fat droppeth to drench them with burning metal and to rip open their bodies and to pour in the fierce burning brass into their bowels and the recesses and ventricles of their hearts What thinkest thou of those chains of darkness of those instruments of cruelty Canst thou be content to burn Seest thou how the worm gnaweth how the oven gloweth how the fire rageth what saist thou to that river of brimstone that dark and horrible vault that gulf of perdition wilt thou take up thine habitation here O lay thine â—ar to the door of Hell Hearest thou the curses and the blasphemies the weepings and the wailings how they lament their folly and curse their day Mat. 22. 13. Rev. 16. 9. How do they roar and yell and gnash their teeth how deep are their groans how feeling are their moans how unconceivable their miseries If the shrieks of Corah Dathan and Abiram were so terrible when the earth clave asunder and opened her mouth and swallowed them up and all that appertained to them that all Israel â—led at the cry of them Numb 16. 33 34. Oh how fearful would the cry be if God should take off the covering from the month of hell and let the cry of the damned ascend in all its terror among the children of men And of all their moans and miseries this is the piercing killing â—mphasis and burden for ever for ever Why as God liveth that made thy soul thou art but a few hours distant from all this except thou repent and be converted Oh! I am even lost and swallowed up in the abâ—â—dance of those arguments that I might suggest If there be any point of wisdom in all the world it is to repent and come in if there be any thing righteous any thing reasonable this is it If there be any thing in the world that may be called madness and folly any thing that may be counted sottish absurd brutish unreasonable it is this to go on in thine unconverted estate Let me beg thee as thou wouldst not wilfully destroy thy self to sit down and weigh besides what hath been said these following Motives and let conscience speak if it be not reason that thou shouldst repent and turn 1. The God that made thee doth most graciously invite thee First his most sweet and merciful nature doth invite thee Oh the kindness of God his working bowels his tender mercies they are infinitely above our thoughts higher than Heaven what can we do deeper than hell what can we know Iob 11. 7 8 9. He is full of compassion and gracious long suffering and plenteous in mercy Psal. 86. 15. This is a great argument to perswade sinners to come in Turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger of great kindness and repenteth him of the evil If God would not repent of the evil it were some discouragement to us why we should not repent If there were no hope of mercy it were no such wonder if the rebel did stand out but never had subjects such a gracious Prince such Piety patience clemency pity to deal with as you have Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity c. Mic. 7. 18. Oh sinners see what a God you have to deal with if you will but turn He will turn again and have compassion upon you he will subdue your iniquities and cast all your sins into the depths of the Sea v. 19. Return unto me saith the Lord of Hosts and I will return unto you Malâ— 3. 7. Zech. 1. 3. Sinners do not fail in that they have too high thoughts of Gods mercies but