the first and highest Form in the School of Christ but for such as are but newly come in or what-ever their standing be are but of low stature by how much the more out of doubt they are by so much the more it is to be doubted that they deceive themselves 3. To answer more particularly There are more mistakes than one that Professors of Religion may be subject to 1. They may be mistaken in Faith and count that to be Saving-Faith which is not so 2. Though they have the true Notion of Saving-Faith yet they may be mistaken in themselves I shall speak more at large to this afterwards yet this word or two I shall put in here 1. They may be mistaken in Faith and count that to be Saving-Faith which is not so That definition of Faith given by some Antinomians That it is a believing that we are justified and shall be saved hath doubtless deceived many For 1. If this be Saving-Faith then one of these absurdities will unavoidably follow either that all Men are not bound to believe with a Saving-Faith or that some Men are bound to believe a lye Is there any Man to whom the Gospel is Preached that is not bound to believe in Christ Is it not their Sin who refuse Christ when he is tendred to them Let these two Scriptures be considered 1 John 3.23 This is the Commandment that we should believe in the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and Job 16.9 He shall reprove the World of Sin because they believe not in me Now if all Men be bound to believe and this be that belief they be bound to to be perswaded they shall be saved how can it be avoided but that some are bound to believe a lye Are all Men in a state of Salvation Are all the Children of God Hath the Devil never a Child in the World Not one if this Doctrine be true that all are bound to believe they shall be saved and yet none are bound to believe a lye 2. If this be Saving-Faith then happy are multitudes of the ungodly World Who more confident that they shall be saved than many ignorant and impenitent Sinners amongst whom the first and most difficult Work of the Ministry lies in this to break down their vain Confidence Much of our hardest work might be saved if we found the Sinners of the Earth under a desperation of Salvation in their present cses 'T is this that is the great block in our way and keeps back our Word from reaching their Hearts that they will not be perswaded otherwise but they shall to Heaven when they die But shall they be saved indeed who believe they shall what every one of them the believing Hypocrite the believing Drunkard the believing Impenitent even the very final Impenitent Can Charity it self be so blind as to think that not one of those Confidents ever died impenitent And can this be counted the Gospel-Faith that will justifie final Impenitents Come ye Hypocrites come ye Earth-worms come ye blind and bruitish among the People lift up your Ears and Heads here is a Gospel if it were but true according to your own hearts Fear not to be as wicked as you will only believe you shall be saved and you shall be saved But is this Gospel I know the consequences of this Doctrine will be abhorred by its Assertors But how can they be evaded Divers other Errors there are concerning Faith which may lead Men into damnable mistakes too long to mention 2. Although they have the true Notion of Faith yet they may be mistaken in themselves They may think they have it when they have it not There are not a few amongst those that profess Religion who understand aright what Faith is what a real Work of Grace means and wherein the Truth of Christianity stands who yet understand not their own hearts There are who do not think that to be something which is nothing who yet may be of those of whom the Apostle speaks Gal. 6.3 who think themselves to be something when they are nothing and so deceive their own selves The Heart of Man is deep and dark who can know it Jer. 17.9 we have need of other Light than our own the searcher of Hearts alone can help us to understand what there is within us The Heart of Man hath many Devices Prov. 19.21 it hath so much folly as to study to make the best of its case being loth to see the worst and it hath so much subtilty as to put the best side outwards and to hide the worst out of sight Many Mens great labour in Religion is to perswade themselves that all is well instead of a plain-hearted and impartial enquiry whether they be upright or no their business is only to study Arguments to prove they are so They will search out all the Arguments they can imagine for it but they dare not look too far into the Objections against it We would fain comfort our hearts and thereupon greedily catch at every shadow that looks well but dare not critically examine that which seems to speak good concerning us whether it speak truth or no. The great question is whether there be Grace in our Hearts or no and we are so willing to believe there is that we dare not look too deep lest we should find there is none The labour and trouble that a conviction of our unsoundness would put us to is so unpleasing to us that we do all we can to save our selves that trouble If we be sound we think the work is done now we may sing Return to thy Rest O my Soul but if I should find my self to be short of sincerity how much labour would it require to get to be sincere Now hereupon the heart being so partial and overly in studying its case what wonder is it that it should be deceived and mistaken what wonder is it that he should think himself something who is nothing who is too willing and hath so many devices to make his nothing look like something And that it is so that there are many that are thus deceived there is too great evidence in the World There are many that can deceive none but themselves and yet themselves they can deceive Every one that sees them sees the very marks of an Hypocrite upon them no body can think well of them but themselves They have taken to themselves the Name and have something of the Complexion of the Children of God yet their spot is not the spot of his Children Their Complexion is rather a Paint than their natural Visage and their spot looks out through their Paint Whilst there is the Profession of a Christian of the Faith of a Christian of the Hope of a Christian what is there to be seen of the Holiness of a Christian if there be a Paint of the Holiness too yet he that observes it may see Sin looking through it The Humility that appears the Meekness the Spirituality
of Christ may be right in your Eyes and yet your Hearts not be upright in his Eyes You may be perswaded in your Hearts concerning the Way of Godliness that this is the Good Way that this is the Right Way and an Excellent Way that the Life of a Christian led according to the Rules of the Gospel is an Excellent Life Rom. 2.18 Thou knowest his Will and approvest the things that are more Excellent And to this good Opinion Men may be wrought 1. From the Self-evidencing Light of that Holy Doctrine which prescribes and requires Godliness 2. From the convincing Lives of the Sincere Professors of Godliness 3. From the Self-condemnation that is to be observed in all other wayes 1. From the Self-evidencing Light of the Doctrine of Godliness The Doctrine of Christianity proves it self to be of God by that Divine Light that shines forth in it there is a stamp of Divinity imprinted upon it Is God an Holy God So is this Doctrine an Holy Doctrine Is God a Merciful and Gracious God So is this Doctrine a Doctrine of Mercy a Doctrine of Grace there is Grace and Mercy runs through the whole Body of it nay they are the very Soul and Life of it Is God a God of Wisdom The Doctrine of Christianity is the Wisdom of God in a Mystery Is God a God of Truth and of Righteousness Such is the Doctrine of the Gospel that not only is according to Truth and reveals the Righteousness of God but requires Truth and imposes Righteousness upon all that will embrace it What is more contrary to this Word of Truth than a Lye or than Hypocrisie and Guile What is more contrary to this Word of Righteousness than Unrighteousness Doth the Word of the Gospel allow any Iniquity Is there any guile found in it or any toleration whereof in its Professors Doth it not command all Righteousness and condemn all Unrighteousness even while it justifies the Sinner it condemns the Sin This Religion is pure Religion and undefiled before God Jam. 1.25 Teaching us that denying all ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live righteously soberly and godly in this present World Tit. 2.13 14. Now he that knows that God is an Holy and Wise God a God of Grace of Truth and of Righteousness and does but understand the Scriptures may without any great difficulty be led into a good opinion of that Godliness which is there held forth and required 2. From the Convincing Lives of the Sincere Professors of Christianity I do not say from the Lives of all Professors some Professors of Christianity there are who are not Christians Some such there are amongst Professors who are disorderly walkers whose Wayes are so evidently contrary to their Profession as if the Devil had led them into their Christianity on purpose to disgrace the Gospel and 't is like enough 't was his doing indeed to make Professors of them This Tempter may tempt Men into Religion as far as may sewe his own ends and Mens Lusts may make them Disciples Such I mean who while they pretend to the Spirit do walk after the Flesh who hold the Truth in Vnrighteousness Rom. 1.18 who are proud self-conceited self-willed heady giddy wandring and unstable Souls like crooked Lines that in some points touch with the Rule but for the most part do swerve from it on this hand and on that Who are scrupulous about some smaller Matters which they fancy to have an appearance of evil and yet allow themselves in apparent Evils straining at a Gnat and swallowing a Camel insisting much on some Circumstances and neglecting the weightier Matters of the Law like those Mat. 23.23 24. 'T is but little that Godliness is beholden for the good Opinion it hath obtained to such as these But to the sincere and single-hearted Professors whose Lives are a Copy or Pattern of wholsom Doctrine holding forth the Word of Life exemplifying the Holy Rules laid down in Scripture and shewing forth the Vertues of Christ before the World Who are in the World as he was in the World who live by Faith and walk in Love being humble meek peaceable merciful temperate true righteous and holy in all manner of Conversation These are the Persons whose Lives do commend Godliness to the World and force their very Hearts many of them to acknowledg Sure this is the Way of God that these Men walk it cannot be but God is in them of a very truth sure these are the Servants of the Living God this is Religion indeed if there be any way of Life this is the way It 's true this way is every-where spoken against by the malicious but the more like to be of God for that So 't was in the Apostles dayes Acts 28.22 As for this Sect we know it is every-where spoken against Mark it Christianity was counted by the malicious but a Sect or a Faction and Christians but Sectaries so they were counted and called about 1600 years ago and therefore 't is no disparagement if they be counted so still But sayes the considering Sinner let them be called what Men please Sectaries Seducers Hypocrites or what else malice can invent yet as it was said of Christ John 10.21 These are not the words of him that hath a Devil so it may be said of his Followers Call them what you will yet these are not the Lives of Schismaticks or Hypocrites these Men are the Servants of the most High God and their way is the way of Life 3. From the Self-condemnation that all other wayes carry in them If this be not the way of Life there 's none if these be not the Servants of God there are none such in the World For where are they else to be found Are the Ignorant and the Earthly and the Irreligious are these the Religious Are the Carnal and the Formal and the out-side Worshippers that will give Christ the Cap and the Knee and yet can Drink and Riot and Swear and Scoff are these the sincere Worshippers of God This must be the Good Way or which else can it with any tolerable probability be imagined to be Surely if this be not it we must even all count to be damn'd for there is no other that so much as looks like the Path of Life The Atheist must say I am not in the way to God this Fool hath said in his Heart There is no God The Pope with his Doctrine must say I am not the Way I am Antichrist 't is Christ only that brings us to God Formality must say I am not the Way for God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth John 4.24 Profaneness must say I am not the Way to God I am the Way of Death and my steps lead down to Hell If there be any Way of Death in the World profaneness is it Drunkards and Swearers and Revellers and Rioters if their Consciences may but have the priviledg of their
in Christ am I in Covenant have I broken my Covenant with Death and disannulled my Agreement with Hell Am I no longer in League with my Sins and this evil World have I broken with them all and am I gotten within the Bond of the Covenant of God If I think I have yet am I not mistaken Many Souls have been mistaken have thought themselves within who have yet dyed without and am not I mistaken also Is the thing sure Is Christ mine indeed How is it that there is no more asking the way to the City of Refuge How may I get into Christ Or how may I know whether I be in Christ or not O how is it that we do not awaken our slumbring Spirits and call upon our careless Hearts Come on O my lingring Soul make haste get thee up to the Rock to Sanctuary to Sanctuary Awake thou Sleeper carest thou not that thou perish Come my Soul enter thou into thy Chamber hide thy self till the Indignation be over-past How is it that there is no more such care taken Are we so solicitous as we should be about this matter How is it with you Friends Are you busie in considering and fore-casting and enquiring how you may escape What is it that your fear of a Deluge hath put you upon to provide your selves against it Is there any more circumspection and heedfulness in your goings any more tenderness of Sin Are you throwing off those weights that will sink you with the multitude Are you busie in breaking down your Sins and building up your selves in hope of the Salvation of God Behold how generally our other Matters do still take up our Time and Thoughts we are building of Houses and planting of Vineyards and Buying and Selling and Marrying and giving in Marriage seldom giving our selves leave to think of a Flood that 's coming to take us all away O fear and let your fear set you on work to save your selves from Misery and Ruine The foolish World laugh at this Fear What jealous-headed melancholick Souls are these What Dreams and Fancies do they fright themselves withal And so did the old World doubtless laugh at Noah to see him such a Fanatick to amuse himself and others with such a strange conceit of a Flood and to go build an Ark to save himself from that Dream of a Deluge What laughing and mocking think you was there then amongst them to hear this Preacher of Righteousness to Preach and prepare for such a strange incredible thing Such mockings are there of the Men of this World at the fears and preparations of the Saints against the Judgments of God I but when the Ark was finished and Noah and his Family gotten in and the Flood came in earnest when they saw the Rain pouring down the Waters swelling the Seas roaring and tumbling in in whole Mountains of Waters upon them where was the laugh of the World then What a cry was their laugh then turned to Let Sinners laugh at last when they shall see all these things come upon them when the overflowing Scourge cometh and they shall then see the derided Saints gotten into the Ark and themselves left out to perish in the Waters Well by this time you may see what this Fear is or who is this Man that feareth The Man of Understanding that so knows God his Goodness and Severity that so knows Sin its Malignity and the Misery that it exposes to that so believes God that hath such a love for God and his own Soul and such an aversation from Sin that so foresees the danger he is in of running into Sin and falling into Misery that he wisely and warily looks to himself keeps himself from Iniquity and hides himself from those Mischiefs and Miseries which the rest of the World foolishly venture upon and are destroyed by in the end This is the Man that feareth this is the happy Man 2. What is that blessedness that is pronounced to him that feareth Happy is the Man that feareth To Happiness two things are required 1. Sufficiency 2. Security 1. Sufficiency He that is in want is in misery what-ever he hath how greatly soever he abounds yet if he hath not all that he needs yea all that he desires In the fulness of his Sufficiency he is in straits The pain of what he desires and hath not imbitters the pleasures of what he hath No Sufficiency no Satisfaction short of Satisfaction so far short of Happiness He must have all things that would find rest in any thing He that possesses what-ever he can desire that 's an happy Man only to this must be added 2. Security What we have to day may be lost to morrow He that hath most and holds it by such an uncertain Tenure is so far from finding rest in what he hath that he may be in greater perplexity than he that hath nothing Therefore can there be no happiness in any thing under the Sun for besides the insufficiency of these worldly things the whole Earth is too little to fill the Soul all this great World is not enough to fill the little World Man but besides this were they sufficient what security can be had for the continuance of them to us They are all but casualties they come and go they have all their Wings and who knows how soon they may take their flight At the best The things that are seen are but Temporal 2 Cor. 4.18 There must be permanence durableness in the matter of our Happiness The durable Riches the enduring Substance an Inheritance that fadeth not away and there must be security against their being lost or taken away Now this is the happiness of him that feareth he hath sufficient and what he hath is in safety 1. He hath a sufficiency This Fear as appears from what hath been spoken is a Religious Fear the Fear of God is sometimes taken for all Religion here only for one particular Branch of it yet such as argues the Truth of Religion and intitles the Soul to the whole income and revenue of Religion He that knows believes and loves God and therefore fears and flies from Sin and Wrath is certainly a Godly Man and shall have his Inheritance with the Just The first Sermon that ever we read that Christ Preached begins with an enumeration of the Beatitudes of this very Man He shall inherit the Earth he shall be comforted he shall be filled he shall obtain Mercy he shall see God his is the Kingdom of Heaven All these Graces that are there mentioned Poverty of Spirit Purity in Heart hunger after Righteousness Meekness c. are the particular Qualifications of this very Man And we may write down after that Copy Blessed is the Man that feareth for his is the Kingdom of God Blessed is the Man that feareth for he shall be comforted he shall obtain Mercy he shall see God This is the Man who shall inherit all things Rev. 21.7 and shall want nothing Psal
all this it may be without such a thought if the Lord will or what if I should not live till to morrow Dost thou go up and down with thy Reckoning in thy Bosom Is thine Account made ready and dost thou carry it upon thine Heart where-ever thou goest Dost thou charge it upon thy self to do nothing but what thou wouldst be found doing To go no whither but where thou wouldst that thy Lord at his coming should find thee Dost thou use to say to thy self I would be loath to be found among the sluggish and slothful Servants among the Hypocrites and deceitful workers among the loose and prophane ones and therefore take heed O my Soul how thou be of that number or Companion with them How can I be sure but if I venture to lie or play the sluggard or the hypocrite but I may be found so doing How can I be sure if I venture to have fellowship with the Ungodly but I may be found among them Thou wilt say it may be 'T is possible I may be found there but 't is not likely I shall I hope I shall not and so for once thou wilt venture it Why this is thy Security thou art one of them who put the evil day from them Well now these are the Opposites of this Fear Rashness Audacity and Security II. The Grounds or Reasons of Mens Fearlesness or why they fear not these are especially these three 1. Ignorance 2. Vnbelief 3. Presumption 1. One Reason why Men Fear not is their Ignorance This I have spoken some-what of before and shall therefore speak the less now Blind Men have most cause of Fear of any Men if they stand upon never so safe ground yet for ought they know danger may be near If danger be never so near and never so great yet being not able to discover it there 's the less hopes of escaping it whether they are in danger or out of danger there 's still place for Fear because they know not where they are Blind Men of any Men have most reason to Fear and yet the Spiritual Blind are most out of Fear Men's Ignorance as it puts them past feeling Ephes 4.18 19. so it puts them past Fear they have so little light as not to see the evil that is before them and they have so little wit as not to suspect the evil they see not There is not any thing before them or round about them but they have need enough to fear it Their very Hopes Confidences and the Refuges that they trust upon if they knew what they were would be formidable enough to them Their Harbours in which they shelter themselves are Rocks at which they split and dash themselves their very Supports are their Snares What is the Hope of the Sinner It may be his Religion is his Hope and what is his Religion He believes there is a God and is no Atheist he trusts in Christ and is no Infidel he is a Protestant and no Papist he prayes and fasts he is sober and honest and harms no Man and is no Publican and this is his Righteousness upon which he ventures his Soul But if he knew but what his Belief and his Trust is how far short of the Faith of God's Elect if he understood what his Prayers and his Fastings are rather Images and Shadows than the Things themselves if he knew what lies and deceits what a rotten Thread they are upon which he hangs his Hopes and his Soul 't would make his Confidence his Terrour But he is ignorant and is not able to say Is there not a lie in my right hand I would not take off Sinners from Praying and Hearing and other Exercises of Religion I would not disgrace that little Morality that Temperance Truth Righteousness that 's found in any of them 't were well if all the Sinners of the Earth were Praying Sinners and Hearing Sinners if there were more morality found amongst the Unbelieving World Prayer is a Duty and our way to God Righteousness is a piece of the Image of God in Man a Jewel will sparkle though it be set in a Swine's Snout It 's pitty that they that have any thing of God should have so much of the Devil that they in whom any little good is should make such ill use of it as to undo themselves by it But what are the Prayers what is the Religion and Righteousness of these Men What Carnal Devotion what a Formal Religion what blind and lame and sick Sacrifices do they satisfie themselves with which have nothing of Truth or Spirit within no nor so much as a face or form of serious Godliness without Yea what is their Repentance but a cold asking forgiveness without either forsaking or so much as seriously confessing their Sins What is their Righteousness their Innocency and Harmlesness they bless themselves in It may be no more but this they are less wicked than some others Here is the Hope and the Trust of these blind Souls But did they understand what Wood Hay and Stubble what broken Reeds what Cobwebs these are their very Trust would be their Dread But because they think it 's right and sound because they think their Sand on which they build is a Rock this Babel this confused and indigested heap of Rubbish is their strong Tower because they have not so much Light as to discover what Refuges of Lies these are therefore 't is that in the midst of danger they are out of fear The best of Sinners if they understood it is enough to make them afraid and if their best be so O what would their worst be If their Religion be dangerous what is their Irreligion If there be so little hope in their Prayers what is there in their mocking at Prayers If they have reason to dread their Repentance how would their Impenitence look If what they account their Righteousness will be their Ruine what will their Wickedness be what will their Oaths and their Blasphemies and their Adulteries be But what-ever they be or what-ever danger they be in by the one or the other by their Services or their Sins by their Peace in Sin or their War with God they know it not and so go on their way in quiet and secure 2. Another Reason why Men Fear not is their Vnbelief The Belief of a God as it will make good Men Hope so it will make evil Men Fear He that believeth that God is can hardly but believe that he is the Rewarder of the Righteous and the Sinner If there be a God there is a Judg He that is the Maker is certainly the Governour of the World and he that is their Governour is their Judg. If there be a God he is Holy and therefore a lover of the Good and hater of the Evil. If there be a God he is Righteous and will neither condemn the Innocent nor hold the Wicked guiltless If there be a God he is Omniscient and All-seeing
the Heavenliness of Mind are all but a varnish The Leprosie that hath fretted and eaten into the Wall will break out through the Plaister wherewith it 's whited over It 's possible it 's true that others may be deceived in them also these Pictures may be so drawn to the Life that every one may take them to be living Souls and yet while they have a Name that they live they may be dead Rev. 3.1 Grace is Truth a real thing not a shadow or paint This Truth is in the inward parts originally Thou lovest Truth in the inward parts Psal 51.6 thou lovest Truth not Shadows or Images but Realities thou lovest Truth in the inward parts inside Truth a true Heart a pure Conscience he is a Christian which is one inwardly Rom 2.29 Grace is Life the Life of God 't is called Ephes 4.18 It is a Vital Power that forms the Heart into the Image of God that spirits and acts the whole Man and that exerts and produces those Vital Operations which are according to God and resists and works out that corruption which is contrary to God Grace is a Law a Law in the Heart Jer. 31.33 that commands and governs both it and the Life contradicts and overcomes that evil Law the Law of Sin that wars in the Members Grace is the fixing of the Heart upon God the returning and coming back of the Soul from that vanity after which it had lusted and gone awhoring and the pitching of it upon him as the Center of all its Hopes Aims Desires and Motions It comes down from Above even from the Father of Lights and it fetches up the heart to him Grace is the healing of Nature our participation of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 a Principle of Holiness in the Heart which is the health of the Soul and whereby it purgeth it self of all that corruption wherewith it was leavened and infected and is reduced to that better Temperament from which by Sin it fell Grace is the establishment of the Heart in Good Heb. 13.9 the firmness of the Soul it s being wrought to a good consistency it does not leave the Soul hovering and wavering and hanging betwixt Good and Evil but unalterably though not perfectly settles it upon Holiness and Righteousness Though there be degrees in firmness some weaker Christians are but unstable Souls in comparison of those that are more deeply rooted and more strongly fixed upon God and Godliness yet the very weakest of real Christians are so unalterably fixed upon God and his holy Wayes that nothing in the World can so far change their Minds as wholly to bring them back but the main bent of their Hearts and Course is still for Holiness and Righteousness Now are there none among the Professors of Religion that know all this and much more yea and feel something within which they judg to be the Babe springing in the Womb the Life of God begotten in them the New Creature brought to the Birth and brought forth in whom all this is but a false Conception and proves an Abortion at last Brethren since there may be such mistakes either the taking that for Faith or Grace which is not so or the taking your selves to have it within you when it is not there many have been thus mistaken damnably mistaken have gone down to the Chambers of Death full of the hopes of Eternal Life since it may be thus beware that none of you be thus mistaken Beware of taking that for the Faith which will save your Souls which doth not save you from your Sins Beware of venturing your Lives upon the strongest perswasion that Christ is your Life especially while you find that Sin is not dead Beware of trusting to an out-side Christianity that dwells in the Head or upon the Tongue whilst the Flesh and the World still have the possession of the Heart Beware of trusting to that Godliness which hath somewhat touched and affected the Heart but is but slight and shallow and is not gotten deep into the Soul Beware of trusting to that for Godliness that is but a weak and feeble thing that hath no life nor power in it but is a dead thing that doth not put forth it self in Vital Operations that is over-top'd and held captive by the Law of your Members that is made use of to comfort you but is not suffered to govern you but is kept as an underling and made to stand aside and give place to the Pleasures and Inclinations of your Flesh that is laid up to help you in your need and till then laid by that it hinder you not in your Carnal Interests or Designs Take heed of counting that your Grace which leaves you under the power of your old depraved Natures Is not thy natural pride and haughtiness subdued Dost thou continue froward envious of a fleshly and earthly heart as thou wast used to be doth the old Stream run still or if it be at times bayed up doth it ordinarily break down the Bay and run its wonted course Fear that Grace that is thus overpowred by Nature Trust not to that for Grace which is a wavering in and out thing that hath no consistency in it but leaves thee a ductile sequacious Soul carried about hither and thither with every Wind and apt to be variously snap'd according to the several temptations or circumstances thou art in Some Mens Godliness keeps pace with the Times is upon the Wing or hangs the Wing according to the encouragement or discountenance of the dayes they live in If Religion hath gotten the Wind on its side then they go on prosperously and hang forth all their Sails and will as soon strike Sail when the Wind is contrary Some are Holy only in Affliction when they are low and in trouble when they are sick and in pain and like to die then O what complaining of Sin what pretendings to Repentance what breathings after Grace then Reading and Praying and Meditations and Discourses about the other World come in request but when they prosper again and are in health all their Religion is laid by and forgotten Others are Godly only when they are pleased and all goes smoothly on with them Every little gust of Affliction blows all their Grace off its legs Some Mens Religion is much according to what their Company is Who more zealous and savoury and lively when they fall in amongst the Zealous and yet at other times as flat and as carnal and as vain as others scarce a Thought or a Word of any thing that good is when it will disgust the Company If this be all the Religion thou hast take heed of venturing thy Soul upon it or of growing confident that this is Grace or Godliness And that which is Grace indeed that Truth in the Inward Parts that Life of God that new Law in the Heart that fixedness upon God that health and that firmness of the Soul in Good Beware you count not your selves to
me in this one thing so fear as to flee Sin you will at once escape all that can hurt you If I bid you flee from a Serpent a Cockatrice may meet you if you flee from the Sword the Famine may meet you if you flee from the Famine the Pestilence may devour you if you flee from the wrath of Man the wrath of God may fall on you onely flee Sin and you are out of danger for ever Direct 3. Fear and follow after This Direction will concern The Vnbelievers The Believers 1. For Vnbelievers who are yet void of the Grace of God my word to them shall be this Follow after true and saving Grace in fear of falling short of it Heb. 12.15 Looking diligently least any man fail of the Grace of God This Direction hath been in part prevented in what hath been said in the two former our seeking to get into Christ and to get out of a state of sin is the same in effect as to seek after Grace What I shall adde to what hath been said shall be onely these two words 1. Let your aim be at Sincerity and be sure you take not up with any thing that 's short of it This I take it may fairly be accounted the sence of that counsel of Solomon Prov. 23.23 Buy the Truth The words may as well be rendred Buy Truth or Sincerity get an upright heart whatever it cost you Truth is sometimes taken objectively for the Doctrine of Truth the true Doctrine of Godliness Sometimes it 's taken subjectively for Sincerity and Integrity that Truth in the inward parts which God loveth Psal 51.6 Both may be here intended but especially the latter It is pernicious and dangerous to fall short of either but especially of the last To be false to our Religion is more dangerous of the two than to be of a false Religion An hypocritical Christian is in a worse case than an honest Infidel there is more hope of some conscientious Papists than of licentious Protestants Buy Truth Whatever you miss of whatever it costs you get Sincerity and Uprightness To buy it here notes 1. To make it our own Make Religion your own not only by getting a right Notion of it a clear understanding wherein the sincerity of Godliness lies nor barely by holding the truth and owning it in a bold profession there are that hold the truth in unrighteousness but by getting it formed and engraven upon your hearts and subjecting all your powers to the Authority and Government of it not only holding the Truth but suffering the Truth to take hold of you and to form you into its own image This is to make Religion our own 2. To buy notes to make it our own by way of Exchange by parting with and doing away whatsoever is inconsistent with it Buy sincerity whatever it cost you it may cost you much ere you can get it It must be bought though not by a price a price you have not to give all that you have is not of that value to be a price for Grace But though you have nothing to buy it with as a Price yet you have something to part with as a Condition without which you cannot obtain all that you have must go for it Luk. 14.33 I have spoken much already to shew you wherein Sincerity stands study well those marks I have laid down for Christians to prove themselves by and then propose it to your selves never to give over till you are gotten up to that spirit and life of Godliness that will abide the trial of those marks Resolve to pursue it to the utmost whatever it may cost thee If thine Estate must go for it let it go better be poor than ungracious if thou must lose thy Friends bid farewell to them all better be an Abject than an Hypocrite if thy Name and reputation must go let it go better be a Reproach than a Reprobate if thy sloth and beloved ease must go and it will cost thee labour and pains as certainly it will buckle to thy work better Labour than eternal Poverty Stick at no terms whatever the Lord imposes submit to it Let me have Grace Lord and let it stand me in whatever thou pleasest Take from me what thou wilt impose on me what thou wilt only help me to bear and perform and I am content so that I may be partaker of that Grace which accompanies Salvation Friends let me again beseech and exhort you thus resolvedly to follow on after sincerity and soundness and beware you do not conclude you have obtained before you have and so fall short at last Once more let me remember you of what I have already told you There are preparations for Grace which are not Grace there are Images of Grace which are not Grace there is something like Faith and like Repentance which are not the same Have you set out after Christ hath the Lord awakened any of your Souls is the sleeping Devil rouz'd and hath he rais'd such storms as he sometimes does at his casting out Doth Conscience stirre hath it worried thee out of thine old sleep and security Hath the great Shepherd sent forth his dogs thy fears after thee to fetch thee in and is thy Soul now in motion towards Christ art thou put upon praying and hearing and considering thy wayes and attempting an amendment Hast thou thus set out after the Lord O take heed thou take not up thy rest here follow on till thou obtain Friends 't is great pity that any of you should come so far and yet not come thorough but perish in the way Take encouragement from what is already done but take not up your stand here count not this all and yet do not count it nothing Man be of good courage the Lord who hath brought thee hitherto hath therein said to thee as to that Scribe Mark 12.34 Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God O thank God for that word the next word may be The Kingdom of God is within thee What within a step of Christ O take courage and put on one stroke further and thou hast shot the gulf a little more Prayer a little more Labour and the work may be done Follow on after the Lord and hope in God behold how he cometh leaping over the Mountains behold the Father of this poor Prodigal running to meet his returning Son The Sun of Righteousness behold is even rising upon thee O shall the Sun go back or stand still Cry to the Lord Arise shine upon this dark and benighted Soul bring in that light of Life which is already dawning upon me O let not Sin and the World now thou art gotten so near pull thee back or hold thee at the door Come on come on poor Soul the salvation of God is near even ready to be revealed upon thee the Lord stands waiting to be gracious to thee Whilest thou canst not say I have already attained follow after and thou shalt attain