Christ Then here is matter of Reproof to reprove those that profess the name of Christ that lay out their zeal no more this way That lay not out their strength to gain Souls Yea that do not long for nor endeavor after the conversion of Souls Surely this speaks sadly to those that wholy neglect this duty But how exceedingly are many of the people of God themselves to be blamed for their Negligence in this doth not thy heart know that there is a brother of thine doth live in such a sin and yet thou never tel him of it What a great evil is this and unsutable to the pattern of the Lord Jesus Christ How did he go up and down doing good and so taken up with Souls that he could scarce spare time to eat his bread insomuch that his carnal friends began to take hold of him and thought that he had been beside himself O how far art thou from this that thy friends may live in their sins and dye in their sins before thou wilt labor to save their Souls The devil he laboreth to destroy Souls and how few be there that do labor to save Souls He may carry away the poor soul and none labours to take the soul from him We should be watchful and vigilant for souls for our own souls and others souls because this enemy is always taking opportunities to destroy souls Sure it argues that you have very little Lovâ—… to Jesus Christ that you do no more for souls That you have little zeal for Jesus Christ and that you have little Love for your Brethren that you take no more care for their souls It may be you are careful for the bodies of those that are under your charge but how little do you for their souls How many live without the worshi of God in their Families Without Catechizing their Children or instructing them And think they have done well if they provide for their bodies Oh but man God will find out thy neglects it was their souls that was thy charge also If you look onely after their bodies this you will do for your swine And will you do no more for your Childrens souls than for your swine many are ready to say as Cain am I my Brothers keeper If this be not the language of thy tongue is not this the language of thy Life What dost thou do for thy brother to save his soul from death Second Use is of exhortation To stir you up to perform this duty to labor to be skilful in this duty to win souls to Christ. Brethren if you would be wise indeed and if you will gain indeed labour to gain souls Oh look upon the woful condition of perishing souls How few of thy friends and acquaintance hast thou good grouâ—…ds to think they have a share in Jesus Christ What wilt thou have no compassion of thy Brothers soul Thou wouldst have compassion on the body of thy Neighbor If thou sawest the house on fire about them and they asleep wouldest thou not be stirred up and with zeal forget thy self and labor to call upon them and awake them O how many of our carnal friends do remain in a carnal state and we sit stilland let them alone I beseech you stir up your souls to relieve the souls of others This is the best Charity and best pleasing to Christ. It may be many of you have not wherewith to shew your Charity to the bodies of your brethren but this way thou mayst shew it in shewing kindnesse to their souls Exhort them and strengthen them in their duty comfort them support them If thou canst not give them an alms give them an exhortation But you will say what should we do or what means must we make use of to do good to to souls I answer you must do it First By Scripture demonstration When thou goest to deal with souls be sure to make use of Gods weapons Bring the word of God with thee Go forth in the name of God Pour out thy supplication to God to prosper the work And then shew thy brother the Scripture to convince him out of the Scripture as Apollos did Thou canst never throw down the devils strong holds but by the use of Gods own weapons No Cannon but this will batter down the strong holds of sin and Satan Therefore bring the Scripture with thee to him Secondly By earnest supplication This was Pauls course who did so earnestly thirst for the salvation of his brethren He strove mightily with God in prayer for them Rom. 10. 1. My hearts desire and prayer is that Israel may be saved Carry thy friends to God and go to God by prayer and weep over their carnal and unsanctified state Bring thy dead Husband and child c. to God and put up thy Request to God for them as Abraham did Ishmael O That they might live before thee How did the prophet prevail l y his prayers for the restoring the dead child As the prophet did pray in life into the dead child so thou shouldest strive with God in prayer for dead souls If thou didst but wrestle with God for thy dead wife or child or neighbor What dost thou know what God might do for them What knowest thou O man but thou mayest save thy Wife c. Thus we are taught by our Lord in that great petition Thy Kingdom come Thus if thou strive by the word of God and prayer then thou mayest be like to prevail mightily for the good of souls thou dost converse with 3. By kind Obligation This is another way by which thou shouldest labor to gain souls Observe that great rule of the Apostle be pittiful be courteous t is the Rule that he gives Labor by kindness and courtesie to gain upon all thou dost converse with that thou mayst get within him that thou mayst be in a capacity to do good to his soul. Shâ—…wing all meekness to all men And when thou art thuâ—… kind to all men this will be a means to do good to them by what thou dost If they be such as stand in need of thy Charity open thy hand to relieve their necessity and that will be a way to open their hearts to thee to receive in thy counsel Fourthly By faithful reprehensions Lev. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbor and not suffer sin to rest upon him Observe that 't is quite contrary to Christian Lovo to suffer sin to lye upon him for 't is câ—…lled hating of him Oh Brethren shew your Love to the souls that you are among by this by the faithful rebuking of their sins that they fall into Manifest it not as a token of your displeasure but as an ordinance of God Deal with him in all gentleness and meekness Not gentle with their sins you must be plain and saithful with their souls You must shew them the danger of such a way but you must do
others Secondly He is more skilful than others First He is more useful than others The fruit of the Righteous is a tree of life The Righteous is not a barren tree but he is a fruitful bough as Joseph was And he doth not bring forth his fruit unto himself His fruit is a tree of life As the tree of life would give life to them that should eat thereof so the fruit of the Righteous is such that those thâ—…t will hearken to his Counsel shall partake with him of eternal life When others are as thorns and brambles fruitless unuseful of no value in Gods world the Righteous is a fruitful tree and as a tree of life in the midst of the world Secondly He is more skilful and â—…wise than others And would you know wherin his wisedome lyes It is in winning of Souls Doct. That it is a chief part of a Believers duty and the chief point of a Believers wisdom to gain Souls unto God First 'T is the duty of a Believer to gain Souls Though he must begin at home with his own soul yet he must not Terminate there but he must look abroad after others Souls He must not be as a tree that bringeth forth fruit to himself alone but he must be a tree of life that whosoever plucketh of his fruit to make use thereof shall live And then Secondly 't is his wisedom As in the text so Daniel 12. 3. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever They be the wisemen that turn others to Righteousnesse Here I shall shew you First That 't is 〈◊〉 chief part of his duty Secondly That 〈◊〉 a chief point of his wisedome to gain Souls Firstly That 't is a chief part of his duty and this appears First Because this is one chief point of 〈◊〉 love to Jesus Christ. Wherein did Paul discover his love to Jesus Christ in any thing as 〈◊〉 this in his zeal and industry to save Souls Rom. 9. 1 2 3. And thus doth Moses evidence his love Exo. 32. 31 32. If you would shew your Love to Jesus Christ this is the best way in all the world to evidence it Math. 25. You may see how carefully Christ takes notice of any kindness done to the bodies of his elect but O how much more will he take notice of the love to the Souls of his Elect Secondly Because this is the chief point of our love to our Brethren You know that Christ tels us that all the Law and the â—…phets hang upon this thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. And thy Neighbor as thy self If the Law doth bind thee to preserve the Chastity and estate of thy Neighbor how much more doth God require of thee that thou preserve the Soul of thy Neighbour This is the principal point of love Jam. 5. 20. He that converteth a sinner from the error of his wayes shall save a Soul from death and shall hide a multitude of sins If God requires that thou help thy Neighbours Ox and his Ass how much more must thou help thy Neighbors Soul from hell Thirdly Because this is the principal means of bringing glory to Christ. Every soul that is brought in to Christ is a Jewel put into the Crown of Christ. And wouldest thou not be ambitious of such a service as this Every soul thou bringest into Christ is an eternal Monument set up by thee to the name of Jesus Christ. Wouldest thou have much service done for Jesus Christ O then labor to bring in Souls to him that may do his work here in the world Wouldest thou have much praise to the name of Christ O then labor to bring in Souls to Jesus Christ. Every Soul brought in to Jesus Christ is a Trumpet of his praise The glory of a King is in the multitude of his subjects And so 't is of Christ. This is the great way wherein we are capable to further the glory of Christ in the world to bring in many Souls to Jesus Christ. Fourthly Because this is a principal subject of our prayers This is one grand petition Thy Kingdome come In which petition we pray that the Kingdom of grace may be advanced our selves and others brought into it and kept in it Now 't is a great part of a Christians business to live sutable to his prayers Secondly That 't is the chief point of a Christians wisdome to gain Souls unto Christ. This appears First Because Souls are the goodly pearls that are of great price with Christ. O there is no Merchandise like to that of Souls No gain like to the gain of Souls One Soul is of more worth than all the world You may see of how great price Souls are with Jesus Christ by the great price that he laid down for Souls Did Christ spend his blood for Souls and wilt thou not spend thy breath for Souls This is a principal part of wisdome to deal like wise Merchants in goodly pearls A wise man will not spend his time for trifles that is Childish but his wisdome doth appear in the weight of those things that he layes out his time and pains upon Oh if you would appear to be wise lay out your time and strength for Souls If thou couldest gain but one Soul what a happy gain would that be Secondly Because Souls will be the most glorious Crown in the day of Christ. No Crown like to this the Crown of Souls The time is coming when a Crown of Soulâ—… will be found to be of another manner of value than a Crown of gold What was the Crown that Paul wishes for It was for the Souls that he had converted 1 Thes. 1. 19. What is our hope or joy or Crown of rejoycing are not even ye in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming Why were these Pauls Crown because he had converted them by his Ministry upon the same account he cals the Phillipians Phil. 4. 1. My joy and Crown of rejoycing Thirdly Because we shall most effectually promote the good of our own Souls by endeavoring to gain others Souls By teaching of others thou shalt teach thy self By exhorting others thou shalt excite and stir up thy self And nothing will redound to thy advantage so much as thy laboring to gain Souls though Israel be not gathered yet shall I bé glorified Fourthly Because this will be an evidence of our own sound conversion if we lay out our strength and time to convert others In John 1. 41. We shall see those young converts when they were but touched they labor to bring in others presently So that if thou wouldest evidence thine own sincerity to thy Soul thou shouldest lay out thy endeavor for the good of others Souls First Use Is it so that 't is a chief part of a Christians duty anda chief point of a Christians Wisedom to gain Souls to
burning so 't is here 't is Christs coming hath sayed us from burning in this 〈◊〉 surnace How terrible this furnace is you may see Rev. 14. 10. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of hâ—… indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the lamb and the smoak of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever And they have no rest day nor night O methinks the very sight of this surnace at a distance should startle our Souls and make us list up our hands and eyes and souls and praise the Lord. O methinks we that are the redeemed of the Lord we should stand together about the pit and look down and list up our hearts and praise the Lord. Fourthly From the King of terrors He hath saved you as from the Devil so from Death You know death is the mortal enemy of man 't is his great and last enemy and now this enemy hath Christ destroyed and delivered us from And that both from the sting and victory of it First From the sting of death He hath not delivered us from the stroke of death but he hath from the sting of death When the sting is out the serpent may hisse but he cannot sting Death will put you into the possession of that which Christ hath provided for you so that death now is become desirable now there is beauty in it There is no friend can do that for you that death can do It will at once deliver you from sin and Satan and give you a possession in heaven The Apostle looking upon death through Christ longs for death having a desire to depart c. Phil. 1. 23. This great robber through Christ is become our greatest gain That which would have marr'd us for ever will now make us for ever O that this King of terrors should become desirable what a mercy is this O my beloved did you know what the terrors of death be to an enlightned sinner you would account it a great priviledge to be sree from the sting of death When all his comforts are taking their everlasting farewell of him you would account it a great salvation then When he shall feel death putting in his cold hands and pulling out his heart when he sâ—…ail see his house of his body falling down about his ears and he cannot stay there any longer and he sees the hell-hounds stand about him and waiting upon him to carry him to Hell O what horror doth this work upon his heart this hath Christ delivered us from Death hath lest its sting in Christ it can hurt us no longer Secondly From the victory of death It is true we must lye in the grave for some time yet Christ will fetch us thence in John 6. He promiseth no lesse than four times I will raise them up at the last day And this is the fruit of his purchase 1 Thes. 4. 14. Christs resurrection is a certain pledge of ours so 1 Cor. 15. Therefore let us not fear death but embrace it with comfort for death cannot touch our souls it cannot deliver us over into the second death He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death Therefore let us not fear death but let our slesh rest in hope When we dye we may commit our bodies to the dust with comfort it cannot hurt our souls and it shall keep our bodies but a little while neither God will receive our souls immediately our bodies after a little while How doth Job comfort himself in this I know that my redeemer liveth and though after my skin worms destroy this body yet in my slesh shall I see God c. Thus may we triumph over death that in this flesh we shall see God And though death for the present do make such work upon us and cast us into the grave yet the earth will be but the mould wherein we shall receive a glorious body so that death shall conduce to our great advantage This is no little victory to be able to triumph with the Apostle O death where is thy victory This is no small priviledge Bless your redeemer for this priviledge VVhat a priviledge well this be when all the Sons and daughters of God shall be brought sorth and made to stand up before him then it shall appear that the grave was not able to hold them Then will they triumph and sing songs of salvation when they shall set their feet upon their last enemy death Secondly It will appear what blessed news this is if you consider how he hath saved you He hath saved you two ways by might and by merit â—…irst By merit Brethren your salvation cost your redeemer dear no less a price than his own invaluable blood O believer look upon thy self art not thou a worthless thing to be redeemed with the price of Christs blood O how should we admire the goodness of Christ here we are not worthy that Christ 〈◊〉 sâ—…end one of his thoughts upon us much less that he should spend his blood for us Seconly By might my brethren it was absolutely requisite for our salvation that our redeemer as he should be of infinite merit so of infinite might If he had not been of infinite merit he could never have been purchaser of heaven for us The soul of one man is more worth than a whole world and then what worth or value must that be of that is able to buy a world of souls and yet this purchaser must be able to buy heaven too and this hath Christ done for us Could heaven and earth have done this no no it would have broken them all if they had done it But now Christ hath done all for us and therefore he must be of insinite merit And not infinite in merit onely but might too for he was to bear all the wrath of God and to bring us off with victory If the wrath of Gods finger be so intolerable that it makes poor creatures to cry out under it what is the wrath of his loins and if the wrath of God against one man is so great what is his wrath against so many men VVhen the price was laid down the devil would not yield up his hold till Christ must come and cast him down and pluck us from him And therefore it was necessary that our redeemer should be of infinite power He hath destroyed him that had the power of death that is the devil Ah brethren we may behold the Lord Jesus Christ upon the cross bowing himself as Sampson did and pulling down the house about his enemies and carrying away the posts and all and setting us free This is our Sampson that hath carryed all away and destroyed our enemies for us The price was sufficient to satisfie the justice of God for us but when the price was paid and paid to God then
bridegroom Secondly as redeemed Captives do their deliverer Thirdly as dutiful subjects do their King First As a Bride doth her Bridegroom This I shall open to you in three particulars First Put off the rayment of your captivity Secondly put on the wedding Garment Thirdly trim up all your Lamps First Put off the rayment of your Captivity If the poor Captive woman were to shave her head and pair ber nails and put off the rayment of her captivity c. Deut. 21. 13. before she was to be married to any one of the Tribes of Israel how much more should you put off the old man and your sinful deeds that are to be married to Christ If so be the Children of Israel were to wash and sanctifie themselves and wash their cloaths when the Lord was to come down upon Mount Sinai Exod. 19. how much more should you when the Lord 〈◊〉 comes down to you you know that Children may not come at their fathers Table with unwashed hands neither must you to eat of the dainties spread in the Gospel Secondly You must put on the wedding garment You will say what is this it is a conjugal love to Jesus Christ. And this is compared to a garment for we are bid to put on charity or love And it s set forth as the best part of the Christian rayment and above all things put on Charity for what more fits a marriage than a conjugal affection you should bring forth your most strong and ardent affections and love to him you should meet him with songs and what songs such as the Psalmist doth Ps. 45. title A song of Loves let your eyes be fixed upon Christ in the Gospel till your eyes affect your heart and while your heart is musing the fire will be kindling where will you bestow your love but where the bridgroom is so lovely Thirdly You should trim up all your Lamps you should snuâ—…f all your lights and trim up all your lamps to go forth to meet him And receive him and feed upon him when he is offered he is held out to you on purpose in the Gospel for you to take and receive him Gal. 3. 1. Foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been ardently set forth crucified among you But you will say was Christ 〈◊〉 in Galatia he was in the preaching of the word he was crucified among them Secondly You must meet him as redeemed captives do their deliverer would you know how this is it is with palms of victory in your hands with garments of salvation with songs of deliverance These are the three things wherein this stands you have all together in Rev. 7 9 10. They were in white robes the garments of Salvation and palms of victory and they had the songs of salvation too ver 10. Oh Brethren if you have any sence of your spiritual bondage and captivity to be the servants of sin under the fear of death under the King of terrors then be glad in your redeemer meet him with songs of praise O how should the high praises of God be heard in your mouths you should meet him as the virgins did David at his return from his victory 1 Sam. 18. 6. with singing and dancing with joy c. Thus should you meet your deliverer you should compass him with songs of praise O my Brethren you that are the redeemed of the Lord look down into the horrible pit and then look up and sing songs to the Lord. O it is a glorious salvation that Christ hath wrought for us How welcome was he to good old Simeon how sweetly doth he hug Christ in his arms and much more you must think in his heart now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation This we have seen we have seen Christ coming to us in the Gospel We have seen him like Sampson pulling down the house about our enemies and carrying away the posts and setting them up as Trophies of his victory It was he that was condemned that you might be freed O let your lips praise him and the souls which he hath redeemed let me call upon with the Psalmist Psalm 98. A psalm on purpose to Jews and Gentiles to sing to the Lord for their deliverance versâ—… 3. He hath remembred his mercy and truth toward the house of Israel all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God And what use doth the Psalmist make of this vers 4. make a joyful noise unto the Lord all the earth c. He goes on calling upon all the Creatures to praise God for this If the Sea must roar and the floods clap their â—…nds how much more should you do it that are the redeemed of the Lord. Thirdly Meet him as dutiful subjects do their King This is the news sent to Zion behold thy King cometh Then meet him as a King receive him with acclamation and praise as they did when Solomon was proclaimed King 1 Kings 1. 39 40. They blew the Trumpet and all the pâ—…oplt said God save the King And the people piped with pipes and returned with great joy so that the earth rent with the sound of them O if they met King Solomon with such joy how should you meet Christ It is another manner of King that comes to you than Solomon was you should say to Christ as they did to Gideon Judg 8. 22. Rule thou over us for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian Thus should you say to Christ rule thou over us for he hath delivered you not from the hand of Midian but from Satan But how should we meet our King prepare the way bow the knee First Prepare the way Math. 3. 3. Christ had his fore-runner going before him that was John saying prepare you the way of the Lord make his paths straight How must the way of the Lord be prepared every Mountain must be brought low c. every Mountain of pride and opposition that are in our hearts must be laid low O if there be such preparing for the King where he is to lodge and go how much more should you for the King of glory where he is to lodge Secondly Bow the knee we read of Joseph and you know he was a type of Christ. that when Pharaoh had exalted him from the prison to such dignity he prepares some to go before him and cry bow the knee So God hath set up Christ and exalted him and given him a name above every name now let me call upon you and my self with you that you bow the knee to him I speak not of the bodily knee it is more than your cap and knee that he requireth He will have you to bow before him O then see that you bow before him see that you do him homage Now your King is set up in another manner than he was upon the Crosse behold your King That is
to thee Doubt not of my help dost thou think that I would give my self for thee and will not give my hand for thee do not doubt that I will cast thee off dost thou think that I have suâ—…ered all this for thee and that I will cast thee off at last no no. Secondly Believe the infiniteness of my power This is the language of Christ from his crosse believe the exceeding greatnesse of my power He speaks thus O man what if thou shouldst have no friend but I cannot I uphold thee These shoulders that did bear up under all that Hell could invent against me shal not they uphold thee fear not to commit thy self with considence to me See I am able to keep what thou committest to my trust Thirdly Believe the full expiation of all thy sins I am here a satisfaction for thy sin Fear not I am thy atonement thy peace thy propitiation of thy sins what though thou art empty behold the fulness of my satisfaction what am I here for I am cut off but not for my self 't is for thee This is my meaning in my death this is the end why I am upon the crosse to make expiation for sin and bring in everlasting righteousness All you like sheep are gonâ—… astray and God hath laid on me the iniquities os you all Believe it God will not require the debt of the principal and surety too Doth 〈◊〉 trouble thee at any time sprinkâ—… it but with this blood and it will be at peace Art thou afraid to come into the preâ—… of God do but carry me with thee and thou shalt be safe Fourthly Believe the truth of all Gods threatnings here thou seest all the threatnings of God executed upon me See here and believe what God will do to those that go on in their trespasses If he laid so much on me what will he do to them believe also his threatnings of correcting you 〈◊〉 you sin for he will punish your sins with rods and your iniquities with chastisements Fifthly Believe the certainty os all my promises this is another word that Christs crosse and death speaks to you what 〈◊〉 the meaning of this death of mine and of this blood and satisfaction of mine but that the covenant might be ratified and all the promises sealed and nothing diminished but all my Testament and covenant might he ratified for ever Behold this blood that flows from my wounds is sprinkled upon the people for the purifying of them All is as sure as my death and blood can make them Here thou seest all ratisied in my blood Man thinkest thou that I would dye with a lye in my mouth dost thou think that I would suffer all this for thee is I meant not to do thee good Sixthly Believe thy unquestionable right and title to the Kingdom of glory Why here thou dost see the price and ransome the money paid down and what meaneth all this thinkest thou but to buy in thy name into the inheritance Now Christians where is your faith O methinks your sails should be up Methinks you should be triumphing though you are here in the world As Paul Who is he that condemns it is Christ that died Why what objections can be made what can unbelief say that cannot be answered here in the death of Christ shall I muster up all its force tell you what the death of Christ doth speak to it give me leave to touch upon some of them First methinks I hear unbelief objecting from the terribleness of Gods threatnings O sayes the soul my heart melteth within me while I hear the wrath of God threatned against sin methinks I come lately from Mount Sinai wher I heard the Law given withthe Trumpet a shout and a curse pronounced upon all that kept not the words of this Law O how can my soul bear up against all these curses But now how sweetly doth the crosse of Christ and death of Christ answer thy fears Hear thy Saviors language O soul be not afraid do not thou fear and flag all these threatnings were intended against me all wer fulsilled upon me Justice hath nothing to say to thee all the curses are met together upon me That is the meaning of it that thou mayst be free though I take in the wrath of the Lord into my own body Oh! behold me behold me see how full I am of the wrath of God in body and soul my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death Methinks I should hear thee say now Lord I see my liberty in thy bonds My salvation in thy torment and pain I have seen thy sorrow and out-cry and understood the meaning and intent of all that it was to remove the curse from me Now arise O my soul and inherit the blessing Therefore was Christ made a curse that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles What was the blessing of Abraham I will bless thee and make thee a blessing I will bless them that bless thee and curse them that curse thee And again I establish my Covenant between me and thee Rejoyce O my soul rejoyce and let my soul rejoyce in God my Saviour O my soul God hath blessed thee and shall bless thee Feâ—…r not now the mouth of the Law is for ever stopt thou shalt never hear one curse more of the flaming mouth of the Law O soul what canst thou wish for that is not laid up in the everlasting covenant he hath said he will be a God to thee Canst thou be able to know the immensity of his covenant all is made over to thee Second Object But sin begins to rise up The soul begins to cry out of his sins O the multitude multitude of my sins they are gone over my head and I am sore afraid I have nothing to pay my debt But hear now what Christ speaks to thee This is the language of his death and wounds fear not sin Have I been so long with thee and dost thou not know me Philip so saith he to thy soul what been here so long with me and conversed with me so long and dost thou not know me yet are thy sins infinite and are not my merciâ—…s infinite are thy sins great and am not I God above all equal with the father O look unto me and rest in the fulness of my satisfaction I am thy surety All thy debts be upon me all thy wants are upon me what if thou hast nothing to pay I have enough for me and thee I am the Scape-goat that have carried away thy sin into a land of forgetfulness I have slain the enmity of sin upon the crosse and have reconciled you to my Father Here is redemption full redemption plentiful redemption behold my blood speaketh peace to you Wilt thou not believe the voyce of my death and blood to thee thus Christ's death can speak sufficiently to all that thy sins can say ' against thee Now doth not thy faith stand upright yet
such a change as from being lost to be found A sinner in his Natural state is a lost man in a lost condition but when he is recovered by conversion he is found again The Son of man is come to seek and save that which was lost And so in this Luke 15. What was this lost sheep and lost groat and lost Son What was the meaning of all this but the recovering of lost Souls So that its a great change a coming from death to life from being lost to be found If our gospel be hid 't is hid to those that are lost that is for the present they are lost but when they are converted then of lost they are found Use. Is it so blessed and glorious a change that God doth work in the condition of a believer when he bringeth him to himself no less than from being dead to be alive from being lost to be found Then you that are believers rejoyce in and be thankfull for that blessed and happy condition that God hath translated you into Ah brethren how may you look one upon another and consider what God hath done for you 1. How that you were dead and are alive again You were diseased yea dead creatures diseased full of all that may render you miserable all diseases are met together in a poor sinner Now that God hath recovered thy diseased soul yea thy dead soul and brought thee to life again Oh what matter of joy is this How should you wonder at so great a change as this We read that at the Miracles that our Saviour did upon the diseased there was great astonishment among the people they were amazed at this but here are more miraculous cures than those the cure of dead souls is more than the cure of dead bodies O Brethren if all the diseased that Christ had cured should have confer'd together what strange stories would they have told One would have said I was born deaf and he said Ephatha and my ears were opened Another I was born blind and he anointed mine eyes I washed and received my sight Another I was thirty eight years under a disease and by a word of his mouth I was healed Another I was eighteen years in a sad condition and by a touch of his garment I was cured And so of the rest Ah brethren you were not onely diseased but dead and Christ hath recovered you O! what matter of thankfulness is here You that are believers should not look one upon another without wondering What should move you to wonder if not this It will be a strange change when we shall see all the sons of Adam come forth at last out of their graves when we shall see those that were buried in the great deep brought forth by the power of Christ and made all appear together this will be a strange change But the change of dead bodies is not so great as the change of dead souls O how should you praise God that hath raised you from so great a death as this How is it that we are taken up no more with wonderment for this that he hath done for our souls God doth rejoyce over it it is heavens joy when a lost sinner is found And doth God and Angels take notice of it and rejoyce and do you not take notice of it O what ingratitude is this This should excite sinners to â—…eed their return to God for this will rejoyce heaven and earth Shall I leave my wine saith the Vine whereby I make glad the heart of God and man I may say truly the recovery of a sinner makes glad the heart of God and man not onely will Christians and Ministers rejoyce over thee when thou turnest to God but God himself will rejoyce over thee when thou returnest he will call for the fatted Calf c. O the Mirror of unthankfulness that is upon our hearts that we should be no more moved with any work that God hath done upon our souls You that are converted and wrought upon by Sanctification one would think that you should be able to enter upon no other talk than this to tell what God hath done for your Souls My brethren if while we are here together we should see our dead friends that have been dead ten or twenty or thirty years agoe to eat and drink and walk and talk and converse with us how should we be astonished at it And how would they wonder one at another One that dyed at such a time and another that dyed at such a time and here they live again and talk again But now here is a greater wonder than this here are dead souls and they are brought together and live again and talk again O! me thinks you should wonder to see one another restored from so great a death Obj. But you will say how shall I know that I am recovered from death to life Ans. I shall give together the Characters and the priviledges of you that are recovered from death to life that so your evidence and comfort may be promoted together And there are these four that belong to you First He hath raised you from a state of corruption and rottenness to a state of health and holiness You know a state of death is a state of corruption the grave is a place of rottenness and putrifaction You that lye in your old lusts still certainly you have no portion or part in this matter But you that are changed are brought from this state a state of sin is a state of corruption The Scripture every where speaks of sin by the Metaphor that carries in it the highest pitch of filthiness Psal. 14. 3. They are altogether become silthy or stinking And so in Job 15. 16. How much more abominable and silthy is man which drinketh in iniquity like water Man in his natural state is a most silthy creature no comparison is 〈◊〉 to set forth the odiousness of his condition before he is sanctified by grace and the reason is because he drinketh in iniquity like water As the fish doth swim in and take in water naturally so sin is his very element wherein he doth naturally live as it were Thus the Apostle Rom. 3. 13. Their throat is an open Sepulchre And so our Saviour compares the Pharisees to to whited Sepulchres But now you that are believers God hath raised you from a state of Rottenness to a state of health and holiness Grace is the health of the soul Holiness is the soundness of the soul. An upright heart is a sound heart O beloved what a priviledge is this to be translated from a state of corruption to a state of holiness O what cause have you of thankfulness that can find the stamp of God again upon your souls you are highly favoured indeed whom God hath priviledged with this There is all that is desirable in grace and holiness Riches Wealth beauty all How often do we read of the beauty of Holiness And so of its
long Reckonings but let Conscience bring you in the accounts every day before you sleep Keep a Day book in your own hearts speedily make up any controversies that may fall out between God and your Souls 't wil be sad to find old things to reckon for when you come to dye you cannot imagine the torment that one sin unrepented of or unhumbled for may cost you study to keep all clear and even daily within This made dying Oecolampadias clap his hand upon his Breast saying hic sat est Lucis 't is all light within daily self-examination will make you to live holily and dye comfortably but if you let things run long you will be all at a loss 11. Set your houses in order that you may not have your estates in the world to settle when God requires your Souls Make your wills in your health and vigour and therein be sure so to settle your estates as that God and good uses be not shut out nor forgotten Wretched men that have so many hundreds to settle upon their Children can scarce find in their hearts to settle one in the hundred upon Gods special Service 12. Look often into your Coffins and behold your bones and dust as shortly others shall when turned out of your Graves Be not strà ngers to the thoughts of death expect it wait all the dayes of your appointed time when your change shall come familiarize the thoughts of Death to your selves that you may be alwayes safe you must never be secure you must pray and set a watch and be alwayes upon your guard walk every day some serious turns with Death let it never come unlook'd for God forbid Death should come upon you and you say I did not think of it You must daily think of it and look for it How holy and happy a man was he that could say I have not known what to morrow meant this twenty years Consider your latter end learn to number your dayes God doth number them why should not you if the man of the house had known what hour of the night the Thief would have come he would have watched and not have suffered his House to be broken up but it is too late to think of it when the House is risled Be not of them that put far off the evil day he that remembers not his end remembers nothing as he should It is the remembrance of Death puts life into our Prayers into our Graces and all our motions He that puts off the thoughts of Death gives his enemy unspeakable advantages Death comes upon the sleeping and secure sinner as Jael upon Sisera and strikes the fatal nail through his temples and fastens him to the earth or as David upon the Amalckites when he and his mighty men came upon them chafed in their minds as a Bear robbed of her Whelps when they found them spread abroad upon the earth eating drinking dancing and smote them from the twilight to the evening of the day 13. Above all speed to the City of refuge First Get into it close soundly with Jesus Christ. O dreadful work that Death makes with those that are not found in him it tears the body and soul asunder it drags the soul to Hell and locks up the dust in Prison till the terrible Judgment it puts an eternal end to all comforts and enters the sinner upon unchangeable misery and delivers over the Prisoners to the tormentors but if you give up your selves entirely before-hand and accept Christ by believing on his own terms this will secure you in him then the danger of this is over Look to this whatsoever you neglect once in Christ and you have the victory you may send a chalenge to Death and with Paul triumph before the Battel and make the Bonfires and ring out the Bells as sure of the conquest and go with shouts of joy and palms of victory and garments of salvation to encounter with or rather to make spoil upon your already conquered enemy 2. Keep you in it when you have received Christ Jesus the Lord you must walk in him wander from him and you betray your safety O look to it that death find you not venturing out of your refuge by loose walking God bespeaks you here as Solomon did Shimei 1 Kings 2. 36 37. And the King sent for Shimei and said unto him build thee an house in Jerusalem and dwell there and go not forth thence any whither for on the day thou goest out thou shalt know for certain thou shalt surely dye 14. Lay in a stock of promises now in time against the assaults of Death that come when it will thou mayst have a Cordial ready and be provided with an Antidote Delight thy soul in meditating on the 6th of John and 1 Cor. Chap. 15. and the fifth Chapter of the second Epistle of the Corinthians 15. My last but not my least advice is that you suffer not the state of your immortal souls to lye any longer at uncertainties Put to it with all your might for assurance try an hundred times and make diligent search into the state of your hearts What blessed helps have you in Mr. Baxter's Works Mr. Richard Alleines and others to put all out of doubt there you have sure marks ply your hearts with them be diligent observers of the workings of your souls lye at God's door night and day and put your selves on Gods tryal if all this will not do it apply your selves to some faithful and experienced Minister and above all close with Christ anew solemnly ingage your selves in Covenant with him according to the Directions in Mr. Richard Alleine's Book Vindication of Godliness to this purpose how can you live one day or dye without some evidence that it shall be well with you for ever Ah the woful case that the poor trembling Soul must needs be in when it thrusts out into the Ocean of Eternity not knowing whither it is going whether it shall be landed in the Region on of eternal darkness or the Land of light when it must go forth it knows not whether into the Arms of Angels or the teeth and talons of cursed Fiends and Harpies my soul hath often relented at the thoughts of that pathetick moan of dying Adrian who thus bespeaks his anxious soul when ready to be delivered up I cannot but spoil it by Englishing it ah my poor little trembling wandring Soul whether art thou going into I know not what rough and horrid places and it is a heart piercing complaint of poor Beringarius who was one of the first lights in the time of the thickest AntiChristian darkness who having often dallyed with Conscience recanting over and over to avoid Death though he did afterwards still return to the Preaching Proâ—…ssion and Practice of the truth has bemoaned himself on his death bed Now I am going to appear before my Judge not knowing whether I shall be saved as I hope or damned as I fear Brethren if you would
not be surprized by Death with these uncertainties put all out of question now without delay in your health and strength PSAL. 4. 4. Commune with your own heart upon your Bed Doct THat it is the great duty of every man to be often conferring with and taking an account of his own heart 2 Cor. 13. 5 Examine your selves prove your selves know you not your own selves It is the duty of a man not to take the Report of his heart but he must search his heart he must be often putting questions to his heart The heart cannot be easily found out The Reasons of the point are these two First Reas. 1. Is taken from the dissiculty of coming to know our own hearts Therefore 't is a necessary duty because it is so hard to know our own hearts Now this appears First Because men are so generally mistaken in their own hearts and that both bad men and good men Bad men how osten do they boast of their good hearts And though our Saviour tells us that out of the heart proceed evil thoughts c. yet all this while they think their hearts are good they see nothing of these things in their hearts When Hazael heard of his heart he wâ—… dred that he should have such a heart 〈◊〉 would not believe that there was such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nature in his heart He thought it wâ—… 〈◊〉 Dogs and Tygers to do this and yet aâ—… wards he did all this And so for Good mâ—… how did Peter fail in this that he would 〈◊〉 for him And Christ could scarce put him out of this conceit And it is like that he did intend what he spake yea he did try sarther than the rest did sor he only did draw his sword And who would have thought that there was that swearing and cursing in his heart as there was And so of David's Adultery 2 Sam. 12. Secondly It appears in that it hath cosâ—… men so dear to know their hâ—…ts 1 It hath cost them sharp tryals Deut. 8. 2. God led thee these forty years in the Wilderness to know what was in thine heart That is to make you to know One would have thought that they had never been guilty of such horrid unbelief to distrust God when they did feed upon and weared miracles 2 It hath cost them many sad falls to know them 2 Chron. 32. 31. Hezekiah nor no body else would have thought that there could have been that in his heart after God had wrought a miracle for him And yet God left him that he might try what was in his heart Brethren take heed that you be not too sure of your own hearts be often fearful of your own hearts 3 It hath cost them many tears and Prayers to know them Though some of Godâ—… people have been Students of their own hearts twenty or forty years yet after all this they do find sometimes their hearts be too hard for them Thirdly The difficulty of this appears Because the Saints have called in the special help of God without which they could not come to know it So did David Psal. 139. 23. Search me O God c. Our own hearts are too hard for us unless we take God ' s special assistance with us Our hearts will deal with us without this as a bad neighbour will do when we come to search for our Goods they will not let you in except you come with the Kings Officer Now the difficulty of this lyes 1 In that the heart of man is so deep Eccl. 7. 24. That which is exceeding deep who can find it out Now so is the heart of man for so Psal. 64. 6. And the heart is deep The heart of man is deep as earth yea as Hell â—…m 3. that is the hell that is in the heart â—…2 The heart is very dark Eph. 4. 18. Having the understanding darkned c. There â—…ou have two parts of the misery of man in his natural estate 1. He is a stranger to God 2. To Himself He cannot see a jot into his own heart till the Lord do spring into the soul with a new light as he did into the Prison they cannot see what there is in the heart And we need not any further evidence for this than that common good opinion that men have of their hearts Though their hearts are full of odious poyson and the like yet they cannot see it till God open their eyes by conversion and then they can see it But yet it is but candle-light that the best of us have here of our hearts 3. Because the heart is very deceitfull above all things There have been great deceits in the world yet put all together none in the world is so cunning as the heart there is no comparison You would think if a man were told before-hand there is a known Cheater come to deal with him therefore he should take heed of dealing witâ—… him such a man would think sure that hâ—… should not be too hard for him but yet thâ—… Saints have known this that the heart is so de ceitful and they have been twenty or fortâ—… years learning it yet their hearts are too harâ—… for them Reas. 2. Secondly Because the knowledg of the heart is so exceeding necessary If a maâ—… turn over all the Books in the world and bâ—… not learned in his own heart it is nothing Use. The use is to stir us up to know oâ—… own â—…rts I beseech you what ever you nâ—… lect neglect not this duty Now there be sundry ways of Communing with our own hearts Sometimes by way of Consolation Return to thy Rest O my Soul c. Psal. 116. 7. Sometimes by way of expostulation Why art thou cast down O my soul c. Ps. 42. Sometimes by way of Exhortation to quicken and excite our hearts Psal. 62. 5. My soul wait thou onely upon God Here he stirs up his heart in believing in God So awake up my Glory that is my heart or soul. The soul of man that is his honour Gen. 49. 6. And see how David doth exhort his soul up my heart my Glory He found his heart it may be somewhat dead and dull and therefore he stirs it up sometimes by way of Instruction Psal. 16. 2. 7. But sometimes by way of Examination and Inquiry that is the principal on which all the rest do depend and therefore I intend to insist on that and I beseech you to stir up your selves to this duty My Brethren you should be often questioning with your own hearts It is sad to think how Papists yea Pagans do out-pass us in this and what a shame is it that we should be such strangers to this duty After we have been told of it and have confessed that it is a duty Now you must know there is a double Communication Ordinary and Extraordinary Ordinary and that is either Transient or more solemn The first we should be in continually every hour in the day The want of
Idolatry of the land but God doth hear of it again by us before we sleep by Prayer This should be for a lamentation to us that the wounds that are given to God are no more upon our hearts We may say of the glory of God as they of David 2 Sam. 18. 3. 'T is worth ten thousand of us Our estates and names and all that is dear to us yea our very souls are not so much worth as the honour of God And how is it then that we can see God dishonoured and we cannot mourn sor it Gods glory is his Crown that is upon his head and shall we see his Crown trodden down in the dirt and not be affected with it we are far from the disposition of Gods Saints and servants heretofore When Moses saw the Idolatry of the people he was so zealous that he overturned the Tables that God wrote with his own finger And Ezra when the people had taken strange wives he sate down and 〈◊〉 his cloaths Ezr. 9. Bretheren how may we blush to hear and read this and to think how far our hearts are from this frame It may be you do think it enough that you did cry out upon it when you hearâ—… the Blasphemy so that you are free from 〈◊〉 your selves but this is your sin if you do noâ—… mourn over it 1 Cor. 5. 2. 7. No doubt the godly Corinthians did detest this sin but the Apostle tells them that is not enough whilâ—… they did not mourn over it When wicâ—…ness doth raign as if it were the time of 〈◊〉 Devils incarnation as if Hell it self were â—…ken loose upon us to Act its part 〈◊〉 ground and we not mourning ovâ—…r it Thirdly Do not I live in 〈◊〉 that I know or fear to be a Sin If I do thus there is no peace with God or Conâ—… to be hâ—… sor you Psal. 66. 18. If I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in my heart God will not hear my Prayers It is a sign that God doth not regard thee if thou art one that dost live in the practice or allowance of any sin and he will not own thee for this Rom. 6. 16. If thou dost yield up thy self to any sin willingly that is a manifest sign that thou art none of Gods Thirdly For your hearts Ask several questions First Have I been much in holy ejaculation Thus we ought to Pray continually not onely at our set and solemn times but upon all occasions to step aside and speak a word or two with God in our Journeys and Occupations this is walking with God indeed when we do not onely take a turn or two with him in the morning and so in the evening but all the day long It is said of Mr. Dod that he never got up his Horse but he prayed before he came off Thus did Nehemiah while the King was talking with him he was praying to God Nehem. 2. 4. So I prayed to the God of Heaven this was a Heavenly ejaculation this would keep your hearts a praying all the day long When the hearts of men do naturally bend to God as the sparks fly upward this is a good thing indeed when we cannot go by the door but we must step in and have a turn with God you will take it as a great kindness for a man not onely to come on set times to visit you but when he comes in every time he comes by the door to see you And when thy heart is thus wont to turn into God this will be an 〈◊〉 to thee that thy heart is used to converse with God Secondly Hath not God been out of mind Heaven out of sight put that question to thy heart My Brethren this is our great sin and should be our great shame that the thoughts of God are such strangers to our souls that we are so little in heaven in the day as we are O what a loser is God by this in his glory what losers are we by this in our graces and comforts O were our hearts on all occasions thus thinking of God how holy a frame should we quickly grow into Why should not our hearts be as much with God as the hearts of the Worldlings be with the Creature Doth not God deserve it as much as the Creature His heart is always talking with the World If he come to hear his heart is talking with the world If he come to pray his heart is alway with the World Why should not our hearts be talking with God while our hands are employed about this world It was a Heavenly breathing of a gracious spirit a confounding passage that I met with Lord as formerly I lived without thee in the world so now let me 〈◊〉 without the world in thee If we did but love God as well as a worldly man doth love his wealth and riches we should be so taken up with the love of God as quite to forget the world For the world makes them forget God that he is not alwayes in their thoughts Yea says he we should be taken up always with God My Brethren what shall we say for this How shall we excuse this that we should be so unmindfull of God while the Worldling is so mindful of the world O what a shame is this For shame be ashamed at your selves before we go away hence I profess Christians I have wondred 〈◊〉 God will throw away his kingdome upon some that do care so little for it as we do O shame thy self out of this evil frame Brethren why do not we carry it towards the world as the world doth towards us The world doth carry it towards us as 〈◊〉 and we know not what it will do to us VVhy should not we carry it more strangely towards it O never leave till the thoughts of Heaven be thy natural thoughts O check thy heart ronndly in the Evening for this sin if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 find thy heart faulty here and never leave till thou haâ—… brought it into a right frame Thirdly Have I been often looking into my 〈◊〉 made conscience even of vian thoughts you know your Rule Keep thy heart with all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of it are the Issues of life Now hast thou been keeping thy heart with all diligence Brethren you may be sure your work will go but badly on unless you look to your hearts and keep your hearts Examine then in the Evening how hath my heart been employed to day hath it not been a thorow-fare of vain thoughts of evil imaginations I fear that many of us do make little conâ—… of this It may be thou dost make conscience of vain thoughts in duty but I fear that few 〈◊〉 do make conscience of vain thoughts at other times Ah Brethren you 〈◊〉 not known what it is to live the life of Christianity if you do not look to this This must be mended Brethren what a blessed thing would this be if we had but once attained this frame If our hearts did but naturally run
we are careless in this duty what can we expect but tribulation and anguish and wrath Thirdly Resolution A setled fixed purpose of heart to do what God commands When God tells us this is my command thus and thus you must do our hearts should answer the will of God we will obey thus and thus we will do Thus did David The Lord said seek my face and my heart answered thy face Lordwill I seek Beloved we hear our duties and read our duties many a time and we are apt to acknowledge that this should be done and to pray too that it might be done but for want of adding of resolution many a time our convictions and prayers come to nothing Concerning this duty let us not dispute but determine let us not stand reasoning shall I shall I but resolve upon it Fourthly Love to the duty Christians should not only receive the truths of God but receive them in love The commands of God like meat that pleaseth the pallat must go down sweetly duties must not be so much our task as our choyce that which we would rather do than neglect were we left to our liberty Beloved let us not only take up this course as necessary onely but let us love it as an excellent course Let us not go to this work as a sick man goes to take down a loathsome potion but as a sound healthy man goes to his ordinary meal Fisthly Life That which a man sets his heart upon he will be lively in and do it to purpose Rom. 12. 11. Not slothful in business but fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Standing water is not wholsome and wine that hath lost its spirit is not pleasant God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit He is a most pure act and he will be served with activity God would not accept a blind torn lame sacrifice under the law and will he accept of a dead sacrifice under the Gospel He would not have the Asse offered to him because it was a dull sluggish creature Nor the Snail because a slow lingring creature We must not come to duties with dead hearts with dull drowsie sleepy souls When we are going to our work of communing with our hearts we should stir up our hearts call in our thoughts compose our affections rub our memories and consciences till we have fetched life into them Every faculty of the soul should act its part in this work And here let me tell you that 't is no fit time to set about this work when we are between sleeping and waking when the spirits are so far spent and the senses tired that we can scare see the question or to hear the answer that conscience gives It will be good for every one to observe the temper of his body for this work that so drowsiness may not detain him from it or make him slight and overâ—…ly in it Sixthly Labor we must take pains in duty Eccl. 9. 10. What soever thy hand findeth to do do it with all thy might There must be labor before the duty to break thorough difficulties and to bring the heart to it There must be labor in the duty to keep the heart close to it The heart will be unwilling to come to it and therefore must be compelled It is apt to wander and therefore must be restrained and held in We must not onely do well but be patient in wel-doing The flesh must be crossed carnal ease and contentment must be denyed when they stand in the way of our duty or would steal away the heart from God God required that the Male should be offered up to him in sacrifice because that was stronger than the other to signifie to us that we must take pains and lay out our strength in duty Beloved wheresoever you are when you should seâ—… about this work say to your souls as Christ to the disciples Arise let us go hence If the heart be backward lay the cord of Gods command upon it and by this cord hale it to the duty Tell it that the work must be done and shall be done When thou art come to the work bind thy heart to the good behavior When thou art in it often call upon thy heart to mind the work that it is about When it would give thee the slip hold it fast When it would run from any question before it hath given any determination to it pull it back adjure it before the living God in whose presence thou art and whose honor is concerned in it to speak out the truth concerning this matter whether thou art guilty or not guilty Seventhly Care That duty is well done that is carefully done Eighthly Constancy That which a mans heart is set upon he will be hardly taken off from it We must be constant in duties as well as fervent in them Rev. 2. 3. Beloved the work that I am now pressing you to is not to be done once a week or a month or every other day but every day Every evening conscience being mounted upon its tribunal you are to give accompt of all the things that have passed that day And remember this that you never take any excuse for the omitting of this duty at any time but what you dare plead before God in the great day of accompt It is to be performed every day as sure as the night follows the day Neither is this the work of a week or a month or a year or of an evil time onely while the rod of God is upon your backs no it is the work of your life it is a duty that you must live and dye in We should not take up this course as the traveller takes up his cloak which he wears in a storm but throws off when the Sun shines This is a duty as well in prosperity as in adversity It is Summer-fruit as well as winter-fruit And I pray God that neither summers heat may be able to blast nor winters cold be able to kill those good beginnings os reformation that are now to be found among us I am afraid that when God hath broken off one yoak from our necks we shall cast away another When God shall break off the cords of the wicked from us we shall cast away the cord of duty from us I pray God that when we come into Canaan we may not forget nor cast osf what we promised in the wilderness Remember it is for your life I shall press this upon you in the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. 58. Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord c. Objection It is a hard work a painful duty a heavy yoak Now there are several things that I shall speak to answer this very briefly First This complaint doth argue a very careless loose heart Ah Christian didst thou keep a strict hand over thy self in the day thou wouldst not find thy evening work so
it with such tenderness to them as may make this bitter pill to go down How do many souls miscarry to all eternity for want of professors faithful dealing with them Oh is it not enough that we have the guilt of our own sins upon us but must we needs have the guilt of our Neighbours sin upon us too Ah Brethren this is enough to convince us that we have little Love to our Brethrens souls in that we have so little care to reprove their sins Fifthly By your convincing conversations Live before all thou dost converse with in the convincing power of a holy Life This is the way to convince them 1 Pet. 3. 1 2. Likewise you wives be in subjection to your own husband that if any obey not the word they also may without the word be won by the conversations of the wives while thy behold your chast conversation coupled with fear Observe here First That even those that be weakest and seemingly out of a capacity to win souls may by their Godly conversations win souls Women who more weak than they Do not you think that this belongs onely to Ministers to win souls this belongs to all Secondly Observe that a careful and tender walking in the duties of our Relations towards men with a conjunction with the duties of piety towards God is a most powerful means to convert souls When wives shall be strict in their profession and yet not be in subjection to their husbands this will offend the men and not work upon them Your profession and practice must one answer the other and then you are like to gain others I beseech you take this course to gain souls to Christ let there be a suteableness in all the parts of your conversation be the same at home that you are abroad and bring forth your Religion into your Shops and Trades and Fields That whosoever converse with you may see the power of Godliness in you Sixthly By your frequent exhortations Hebrews 3. 13. But exhort one another dayly while 't is called to day lest any be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin Observe it 't is not the duty of Ministers onely to abound in exhortations but 't is the work of you all Every one must look to his Neighbours Soul and that daily There must be instancy and frequency in this work and the reason is lest he be hardned Dost thou see such a Neighbour fall into sin go to him It may be thou wilt do it hereafter why it may be the man may be hardned It may be the man may dye or thou mayest not have the opportunity or you may be removed from one another and the work may be for ever cut off if thou Neglect it Seventhly By your careful observation of all those advantages that God hath put into your hands for the dealing with your Brothers Soul Consider and study with thy self what advantages thou hast upon him First Take the advantage of affliction It may be he is taken down by affliction Now go and warn him of his sin It may be now he will hearken to thee Job 36. 8. 9. 10. Secondly Make use of thy Relation It may be thou art some near Relation in the flesh to him take that advantage to be dealing with him for his eternal good Thirdly Make use of his dependance upon thee It may be he is such a one as is concerned in thy good-will to him it may be he works for thee or depends upon thy Charity for his livelyhood take this advantage upon him it may be he will hearken to thee Fourthly Make use of thy interest in him It may be he hath some affection for thee make use of it for God And this may be a means to win him to Christ. Rev. 3. 1. I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead THese words are part of Christs Epistle from heaven to the Church of Sardis wherein he shrewdly checks her hypocrisie and formality and throughout gives counsels and directions for her recovery out of that sad estate from the words we have given you this observation Doct. That the Lord Jesus Christ doth take special notice of and makes strict observation upon the works and ways of his professed people He takes notice of their works for the matter of them for the quantity for the quality of them as hath been shewed We gave you the Reasons for confirmation and made entrance into the Application and have applyed it as to the two first branches to wit the matter and the quantity of our works To come now to the Application of the third thing namely the quality of them Use. Is it so that the Lord Jesus Christ doth take such notice of our works for the quality of them then this may be usefull by way of Reprehension and Exhortation First For Reprehension this reproves us that we rest so much in the work done and do so little enquire into the quality of our works as to the sincerity and soundness of them O my Brethren how often do we pray and never examine how we have prayed and hear and never enquire how we have carried it while we have been hearing O how many a mans bosome am I now in Brethren this is a great evil among men Yea I fear among Gods own people that there is not that care to look into their duties how they are performed Brethren if the Lord Jesus Christ did as you look no farther than the outside of your duties and the work done then you may rest in that O but Jesus Christ he looks into the inside of them and he labours to see what there is of soundness and sincerity in them And seeing the Lord Jesus Christ looks so narrowly into them should not you This is the cause of many sins and mischiefs among Prosessors First This is the cause of much undoing Self-deceit when persons rest in the work done and do not carefully examine what principles they did act by and ends they did act for this doth cause many souls to be undone to their destruction This was the reason why Sardis was so miserably out and Laodicea that she was so much mistaken they kept on the trade of Religious duties and because the thing was done and the duty performed with conâ—…tancy they thought they were in a good state You know the speech of that Church I am rich c. you are to understand it of spiritual Riches she thought her self upon the growing hand O but when Jesus Christ comes and sees how little sincerity there was in them he disrellisheth them and shews them that their works were not perfect before him And thus it is with many Professors in these days that because they keep on in Family-prayer and good duties they think all is well and for want of looking into the Spring of their duties and their ends in them they are undone by them O what a miserable deceit is this when a poor creature
over their diligence and zeal and give up all for lost and gone O this will be sad indeed If these providences drive you from God this will be a sad sign of reprobation take heed that these drive you nearer to God Be sure that the more frowning the providences of God are to you the more do you cleave to him the more tenderly do you walk before him 'T is a fearful sign of an unsound heart never savoured and seasoned with true grace when afflicting providences do drive men farther and farther off from God God doth intend by his Rod to whip his children home to him to make them walk more tenderly to caution them against sin that he corrects them for But now if any of you should make this use of his providences that after all you should go farther from God oh how sad would this be This is to be like King Ahaz 2 Chron. 28. 22. O let these Chastisements from God drive you every one the nearer to God And cause you every one to enquire into his way and the iniquity that is in his hand that he may reform Fifth Counsel Let your own eyes be your Overseers when God deprives you of your publick Overseers The Ministers of Christ they are termed Seers and Overseers Now God is like to deprive you of these oh take the more carefull Oversight every one of your selves be the more strict in your inspection into your own wayes in the examining of and inquiring into your own hearts Beloved it is a duty that I have some time since pressed upon you and I hope you do yet make conscience of it daily to examine your hearts and ways by those questions which we gave you sor this end as a great help to this duty I beseech you whatever you intermit constantly to keep up and maintain that duty And now especially when God deprives you of your publick Overseers you should take care of your selves I have never any hopes that you will come to any proficiency in the wayes of God unless you come up to the strict observation of these Rules that so you may become sensible of your errours that one dayes humiliation may be the matter of the next days Reformation Sixth Counsel Whatever become of your other Trade be sure that you keep up the Trade of Religion Beloved though God see it good to impoâ—…erish you and undo you in this world yet 't is all well if you keep on in Religion That is a happy man that hath a thriving and flourishing soul though he is declining in his estate but if you go back in grace though you should get all the world you are miserable losers Therefore be sure of this how ever God do frown upon you in the world that you do not go behind in grace Oh you may sadly fall and go behind hand before you think of it if you do not take heed to it though there be no total falling away from grace for a Believer yet there may be sad degrees of falling and God may let you fall so that you may besadly wounded you may break all your bones and be a common scandal to Religion all your days Therefore look to this that however God deal with you in other things account it happy with you if your souls be thriving whatever prosperity God gives you yet if these do not thrive let none of these things content you Many persons while they are blessing themselves in their outward increase are declining in grace Oh poor Soul I should pity thy gain that addest to thy gain in the world the loss of thy soul to all eternity Seventh Counsel Take heed whom and what you hear I fear lest after the departuré of Ministers wolves should enter not sparing the sâ—…ock And I am afraid least any should be found among you of itching ears hearkning after novelties and heap up Teachers to your selves Labour to know what Doctrine they bring you before you hear them Take heed lest men of corrupt principles and dangerous doctrines should make a harvest of you and draw Disciples after them and overthrow the faith of some And I cannot be faithful to you without warning you of this miserable danger you are to take heed to the Call of God Beware whom and what you hear hearken to those that are the sent Ministers of Christ. It is like enough that Seducers may take the advantage of the present time that under pretence of further courage and boldness than Ministers have may seem to alienate the people from their Ministers as flying from their flocks as hirelings Eighth Counsel Maintain with constancy and frequency the Communion of Saints Now is the time my Brethren for those that fear the Lord to speak often one to another Now you are deprived of your publick Overseers take the more carefull oversight one over another rebuke one another admonishone another provoke one another to love and to good works now if ever there will be special need of this If you forsake the Assembling of your selves together we shall see Religion dying as the coal that is put in the middle of the Room by it self Ninth Counsel Walk together in the order and unity of the Gospel Take heed of any dividing principles mark them that cause Divisions and avoid them Those that are not for peace be not you for them what ever pretence they may have to purity attend them not unless they are men that are for peace If once the ranks be broken the Army is quickly routed and if once the unity of Christians be broken then Satan hath got his advantage and is like to have his will O take heed that you keep together in the unity and peace of the Gospel that your Ministers and that Jesus Christ may rejoyce to behold your order and your stedfastness in Christ. Tenth Counsel Keep up the Life and powâ—…r of Religion Be so much the more vigorous in your Families by how much the more you are deprived of your publick helps Christians be advised by me and let Satan be disappointed in this design He thinks to break the Churches of Christ Oh but now let every Family be a Church and let every Master be a Priest and Prophet to teach their Family Praise and pray for them and do so much the more in your Families by how much the more God hath deprived you of your Preachers Brethren so it is that the preaching of the Gospel is like to be scarce and the means of Conversion is like to be at a stand and what shall be done for the Conversion of souls Oh be dealing with them and never leave them till you see they mind their souls and Religion Put them upon secret prayer and the Catechism and Repeating the Principles of Religion oh that I may prevail with you to set up this duty of Catechising in your Families in this evil time And if so be you would but try the use of that help that I
man have many Sons yet not many heirs 't is his first-born is his heir though a King hath many Sons yet but one King 't is the first-born that is King after him In this refpect Gods children are the first-born for they are all heirs you are all Kings you that are begotten again you are begotten to an inheritance to a heavenly that fadeth noâ—… away Thirdly The first-born had a special blessing Gen. 27. 19. I am Esau thy first-born And you know when Esau knew that Jacob had got the blessing of the first-born he accounted himself undone and he lifted up his voice and wept Brethren you have the blessing Let others glory in their wealth and riches who ever have these benefits 't is you have the blessing Beloved you are the Jacobs when others are the Esaus you carry the blessing of the first-born Nay and God ratisies the blessing on you as that upon Jacob. I have blessed him and he shall be blessed Balaam was sensible of this He hath blessed and I cannot reverse it You that are Gods first-born God hath made you unchangeably happy you are unalterably blessed God hath blessed you and it cannot be reversed Fourthly The first-born did carry the honor and were accounted the excellency and strength of the fâ—…ily Gen. 49. 3. Reuben thou art first-born my might and the beginning of my strength the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power And God says of his first born as Jacob of his Thou art the excellency of dignity So God sayes of you I will make of you an eternal excellency You know if a Knight have mâ—…ny Sons there is but one Knight And so of a Lord 't is the first-born is Lord after him he carries the honor of the family So you my Brethren you carry the honor you are the onely honorable persons in Gods account Since thou hast been precious in my sight thou hast been honorable And those that honor me I will honor Brethren put this together and see if there be not reason to lift up the praise of God on high and to say Now I will lâ—…t up thine horn on high Surely God hath listed up your horn on high Thirdly You are the first sruits of the Creation Jam. 1. 18. Of his own will beg at he us with his word of truth that we should be a kind of first fruits of his Creatures Now there were several things observable in the first-fruits As. First The firâ—…t fruits they were the choice of the fruits And therefore God that did ever require them to bring the best would require them to bring the firâ—…t-fruites of the Creatures Beleivers are the first fruits of Gods works And God sets more value upon this workmanship then upon any thing else beside Other things they shew some footsteps of God but the new creâ—…ture thâ—…t hath the very Image of God and so is the firâ—…t fruit of all The first fruits are of a more higher price and esteem than any other So are you you are those that he cals his excellent ones Those whom he binds up amongst â—…s Jewels The Saints are the desire of his eyes and the joy of his heart Christians I speak this to you and you must apply it You are the desire of Christ Psal. 4. 5. 11. He asks no other portion but you Psal. 2. 8. And you are his delight as well as his desire Prov. 8. The wisdom of the Father from all eternity had his delight in the habitable part of the earth Isaiah 53. He shall see his seed and he shall see of the Travail of his soul and be satisfied You are his seed you are the Travail of his soul. Christ is content and satisfied to have this portion And as the woman forgets her sorrow when she sees her seed that a man child is born so Christ forgets all his pain and trouble when he sees his seed the travail of his soul. Secondly The first fruits were but few in number in comparison of the full number and harvest So 't is here the Saints are but few Thou art the fewest in number of all people saith Moses to Israel so may I say to you you are as two or three Olives upon the uppermost boughs or four or five upon the outmost branches Gods first fruits are but few Ah Christian stand still and admire free grace that thou shouldst be one of this few Christ doth manifest himself to you and not to the world He prayes for you and not for the world you are a peculiar people to him O what a little flock of kids hath Christ in comparison of the herds and droves and swarms that Satan drives before him to destruction and art thou one of that number that stand with the lamb upon mount Sion O how shouldst thou cause the praises of the Lord to be heard they are but few of the number of mankind that are admitted into this grace wherein you stand Therefore as you have special favor from God engage in the praise of God Thirdly The first fruits were holy to the Lord. These God did reserve for himself as it were for his own eating As you know the first fruits are preserved for to be presented to Kings at their table for their eating So are you Thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God Psal. 4 〈◊〉 Know ye that the man that is Godly God hath set apart for himself God sayes as it were set this man by for me God says of his sirst fruits these shall be set aside for me These shall be mine Mal. 3. 17. As God would put a special honor upon the Sabbath day above all other dayes because upon this day he rested from his Labor so you are the honor of all the Creation because you are a people that God hath set apart for himself Ah Brethren here is your dignity and priviledge above all people that you are seperate to the Lord that you have special relation to him This makes you to be above all other people because the Sun of Gods favor shines peculiarly upon you Fourthly The first fruits were to be gathered into the Sanctuary Deut. 26. God had in his Temple the Chambers into which was to be gathered the first fruits as peculiarly dedicated unto God So we read in Neh. 12. 44. Thus you are Gods first fruits And God will gather his first fruits into his Chambers into his glory shortly He shall gather his wheat into his garner Math. 3. 12. Math. 13. 30. The husbandman there who is no other than God himself he speaks to his servants that they should let alone the tares for a season and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers gather you together first the Tares and bind them in bundles and burn them but gather the wheat into my Barn This harvest is the end of the world and the angels are the reapers and heaven is the barn and you are the fruits and God will send
Christian methinks I should hear thee say Lord 't is enough thou hast laid down thy life for a ransome I see my cure in thy wounds I doubt not butthy blood is sufficient to cleanse me from all my sins And who now shall appear-against me Ah Justice once a terrible word now I can see thy face with comfort Once Justice was so terrible as never was the face of a judge more terrible to the prisoner at the bar than that to me but now 't is pleasing to me Once I had rather have fallen into the lions mouth than to come to it O how did my soul grow pale and my heart ready to dye like Nabals within me when I saw the ballance held up in one hand and the sword in the other but now I see that the death of Christ and his blood shall be put into the ballance with me I am not afraid Here now see a great wonder the pure holyness of God taking pleasure in a sinner and the strictest justice shaking hands with the offâ—…nder now the justice of God is become my friend Third Object O but unbelief seems yet to object from the multitude and strength and policy of the enemy Methinks I see the trembling soul in the posture of the prophets man who beheld the mountain beset with Charriots and Horses and crying out O Master what shall we do If it were but flesh and blood it were not altogether so much but 't is principalities and powers who can break thorow the host of these Philistines But Christian look to this crosse look to a dying Christ look what his death speaks to thee wherefore art thou ready to fall with these fears and ready to sink under them methinks I see him taking thee by the hand as he did Peter O thou of little faith why didst thou doubt look here by my cross and see all thine enemies lye slain by my death and what wilt thou be afraid that thy slain-enemies will rise again and pursue thee methinks soul I should hear thee triumphing and crying out what can you do O my enemies I have seen captivity led Captive and for whom did he overcome but for me as for me now I will throw out the gantlet and bid defiance to my enemies Who is he that condemns It is Christ that dyed who shall seperate us from the love or death of Christ shall tribulation or distresse c. Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors c. For I am perswaded that neither death nor life c. shall be able to seperate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I see now all overcome in the death of Christ. Devils I fear you not I behold all your legions in chains and made captives by Christ. Death I fear thee not for I know that thou art slain by him that had the power of death and devils I know that thy commission is altered and thou comest not with authority to arrest me but with an invitation to invite me to feast with the Lord. And thanks be to God who hath given us the victory To the most beloved people the flock of Christ in Taunton Salvation Loving and most dearly beloved I have lately received your affectionate letter and though I never question your affections to me and need no verbal testimony yet I cannot but take it thankfully and read it delightfully when I see it attested under your own hands And I cannot but tell you you are the people of my cares the desire of my eyes the people of my delights of my prayers My labors with you for many years though some time attended with difficulty and danger yet were not tedious but my time passed like Jacobs when he served for Rachel and my sufferings for you are not irksome through grace because I trust they are for your edisication and are a seal of my love to you and more especially of the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ which I have long preached among you The Lord God teach me with humility and thankfulness to bear such honor that I should be set for the defence and consirmation of the Gospel And now my dearly beloved though you should not be insensible of Gods great visitation upon you yet I would not have you inordinately disquieted that I am removed from you to a prison for a season but rather imitate the Heroick vertue of that most gracious mother in the Martyrologie who when the Son of her bowels came not to a prison but to a stake to be sacrificed in the flames for Christ fell down on her knees and blessed the Lord that ever she should be so happy as to have a Son to suffer for Jesus Christ. Ah my dear flock how glad should 〈◊〉 be if God would send me forthwith among you again to feed you as in the dayes of old and to go in and out before you that you might find pasture yet be not dismayed fear not little flock though you are little and despised and hated of all men for Christs name sake Christs relation to you and tenderness of you is such that you cannot miscarry He liveth and his care liveth The Godly wife of that worthy Cornish Divine Mr. Vincent being left in great want with many little Children would often answer them when tâ—…y came crying about her for bread and she had none to give with this gracious expression be quiet children our God 〈◊〉 And surely that my brethren may be a quieting comforting consideration both for you and me though the bread do 〈◊〉 fail But at length this gracious woâ—… being left quite destitute and her children calling upon her when she had neither bread nor money breaks out into a bitter weeping which one of the littleones observing he comes and puls his mother by the Apron saying Mother why do you weep thus Is God dead now such a rebuke did the Lord send her by the mouth of a poor babe Brethren be not dismayed Christ liveth and therefore let your hopes live let your courage live let your faith live also Christ liveth ever therefore let your hearts live for ever Psal. 22. 26. He liveth to make intercession sor you and from his living you may be assured of life John 14. 19. of your Jastification Rom. 8. 34. Of your Salvation Rom. 5. 10. Beloved do but seriously think of Christ's relation to you and you cannot want comfort Why he is not ashamed to call you Brethren Even when he was entred upon his state of exaltation risen from the dead far above the state of mortals he own'd poor weak believers for his brethren John 20. 17. Go to my Brethren Math. 28. 10. Go tell my Brethren Yea when he cometh with all his holy Angels with him and sits upon the throne of his glory he will own the very least and lowest among poor believers before all the world for his Brethren Math. 25. 31. with ver 40. keep this my
will lye heavy at many doors without repentance Repent O Masters of your unnecessary hardnesse and rigor to the bodies but especially of your cruelty to the souls of your servants Have you been as careful to train them up in the knowledge of their Câ—…eator as in the knowledge of your trades have you taught them how to pray as well as how to work and instructed them in the mystery of their salvation as much as in the mystery of their callings have you looked for as good an account of the principles of Religion or or of the Sermon of them as of the task you have set them and the work in which you have employed them O that you had repent O you â—…usbands of your harshness bitterness not dwelling with your wives as men of knowledge Repent you Parents of your fond indulgence to Children sparing their sins neglecting their souls Repent you wives of your wilfulnesse and frowardnesse and disrespectfulnesse to them towards whom the Almighty cals sor your reverence and obedience Repent O Children of your fearful ingratitude in slighting and disobeying your Parents a sin under which the earth do groan Repent you Servants of your slothsulness wastfulnesse unfaithfulneesse and eye-service and disobedience that all families almost are filled with the complaint of O that there might be some way to recover the credit of Religion from the wounds that it hath received by the neglect of relative duties well let every man resolve to mend one O see what hath been amisse in your hearts and in your houses and set upon repenting and reforming VVithout this our prayers will return upon our own heads without an Answer Never think the storm will cease till the Jonas be thrown over Beloved this is that that God doth wait for Throw over the head of Sheba and the 〈◊〉 will be soon broken up I am apt to transgresse I shall conclude my Counsels with my prayers that a spirit of Repentance and Reformation may be poured out upon you and so rest yours in all manner of obligations to serve you and to suffer for you Joseph Alleine To the dearly beloved the flock of Christ in Taunton Salvation Most loving and dearly beloved THE care of you is continually upon me I desire no other felicity than to serve the glory of Christ in you and to enjoy him with you And blessed be his hame he is no stranger neither to us nor you Let all his prisoners praise him let all his people praise him Now is the sweetnesse beauty excellency of Christ to be seen Now may we learn the suavity of his communion the worth of his promises the all-sufficiency of his fulnesse Now taste and see Sit you down under the safest sweetest shadow of his protection and eat of his fruit The tree is good for food and pleasant to the eyes except fully blind And a tree to be desired to make one wise Take of the fruit thereof and eat not as Jonathan who tasted but a little of the honey upon the top of his rod but eat abundantly This is no forbidden fruit Here is no surfeting You must live upon him every day and in every duty May every one of you be able to say as Paul to me to live is Christ then you live like Christians when Christ is the staff of your life When Christ is both its Spring and its end When you take root in him and grow up into him May every one of you be a tree of Righteousness whose roots may spread into him whose aspiring top may be still shooting upward reaching out toward him live as those that have no life but in him And study to be able to say as Paul that it is not you that live but Christ living in you You live in vain while you live not for him without Christ you are dead while you live You are of him and through him and for him From whom shall he have glory if not from you the inanimâ—…te unreasonable Creatures cannot praise him unlesse in a dumb and silent manner as they are the occasion and incentives of our praising him The devils and ungodly will not praise him The silver Trumpet of his praise is found onely in the hands of a few poor believers Ah! sound you forth his praise in the world let your lips sing let your light shine Let your lives be at last as a canâ—…le wasted and burnt out in holding forth the light Now beloved study that you may go out with comfort that you may have your hearts as full as they can hold with joy to think when you are ready to breath forth your last well my daies are run out for Christ and my strength is exhausted in the service of Christ. My time is gone and my labor done but my Oyl is wasted in the work of God I have spent my Fathers allowance in my Fathers business This will make you to arise and say I will go to my Father with boldness and confidence and not as the Prodigal when he had spent the portion of goods which his Father had allotted him with diffidence and fears of his being rejected You know my business is but to bespeak you for Christ. I have four requests to present you for him Thus are my requests but his Commands First Let the ballance be turned by Christ. Let Christ and his interest turn the scale against all the world Let him be the Pearl and the world the dung Let Jesus be King and Mammon as a despised broken Idol or as the stamped Calf Let Christ be the prize the rest but losse Let gain give way to godliness Let credit crack rather than Conscience stretch be no body with the world rather than dishonor Christ to keep up your reputation with men Let all the flowers of pleasures wither the paint fall off this harlots face when set by Christ. Let the silver shrines and great Diana be as Nehushtan 2. Kings 18. 4. And the crown fall from the head of honour and the great Idol to come down into the dust before Jesus Christ and lye like Dagon before the Ark with head and hands broken off upon the threshold Keep the world at your feet as a servant or rather under foot as an enemy But if it hath the heart you are undone Where Christ hath not the swaying-interest all is rotten at the bottom Secondly Let the Byass of your wils be set towards Christ. The needle of the will was at first touched with a magnetick verttue which turn'd it towards God as the needle is turned towards the pole but now by the fall it hath quite lost its vertue and will stand any where but where it should But God by fanctifying grace doth new-touch this needle though it may by an accidental violence be too too easily shakenyet it will never rest at a wrong point but be unquiet and in continual restlessness and agitation till it stand direct towards Christ. If any thing but
Christ would content you you are none of his Can you acquiesse no where but in him do your wils cleave to him is he your setled resolved choice against all competitors if so doubtlesse it is well between you and him Thus it must be Christ must have your assent consent The judgement must prize him and the will must chuse him as the chief good Thirdly Let the bent of your affections be to Jesus Christ. Look upon the height of his stature and the goodlinesse of his countenance and you will say surely he is worthy Surely this is the Lords annointed Frequently and throughly view his excellencies till your eye affect your heart Let me set him among the other objects like Saul among the people and I must say to you as Samuel see you him whom the Lord hath câ—…osen There is none like him O let all your affections be moved at the sight of him and shout with the joyful people let the King live let Christ have all Let Sorrow sit with the melting penitent weeping at her Saviours feet Let your strongest â—…urning love be kindled when you do but think of Christ and fire your hearts and so bring them forth as a flaming sacrifice to welcome him Let fear make her obeysance and with humble reverence and lowliest veneration bow the knee of the soul to Zions King Let Joy be triumphant when you meditate on Christ. And call upon the daughters of Musick to praise and celebrate his excellency Let desire be upon the wing and spread the hands and open the mouth wide and pant for him Let the most lively and pregnant hope sit by the way and look for him and wait for his coming And get up in every Ordinance like Zacheus on the Sycamore-tree that he might see Jesus as he passeth by and big with earnest expectation of enjoying him In a word you must see to it that Christ be chief in your affections That he be your chief desire Your chief joy And this will evidence you to be his and without this all is unsound Fourthly Let the Butt of all your Actions be no other but Christ. Whatsoever you do do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Here take your aim Here let all your designs meet Hither let all your motions tend That Christ may be magnified in you Phil. 1. 20. This is a mark undeniable But he that hath more eye to the pleasing of men his own advantage or any worldly good than to the pleasing and honouring of Christ is no better than a Hypocrite I must do as much as I can in a little time 't is time now to close I have given you together in these four heads the highest duties and surest characters of every true believer I must add nothing farther but onely to send my prayers after my papers and to let you know the Lords prison is not without his presence and most refreshing influence And that your prisoner is yours in all Bonds Joseph Alleine To the most endearing and beloved people the servants of Christ in Taunton Salvation Most loving and best beloved YOur late most affectionate lines are now in my hands your hearts cannot but be a most grateful and welcome present to me I return you mine not willingly but thankfully rejoycing to be yours while the Lord will your preacher and while the Lord will your prisoner still yours I acknowledge I am not my own If I have any interest in heaven it is yours to be improved for you If I have any talents of goods they are consessedly yours your claim your stock By the grace of God I am what I am I have nothing but what I have received from above and I have received for your use I love to think how much I am yours Make your claim with freedome nothing can please me mâ—…re My â—…rength is yours my labor my liberty my losses yours Ultimately Christs but nextly yours I accept with all thankfullness your manifold respects May whatever honour you put on me reâ—…lect upon Christ whose I am and whom I serve He is all and therefore I must needs be nothing Let no man set me above my place I am too to selâ—…ish to my shame and grief I acknowledge it may your prayers be the cure of it yet surely I should chuse to be lower so Christ might sit the higher in all your hearts I am onely the friend of the Bridegroom My soul rejoyceth to hear how fast you stand how close you cleave to him my Joy is now fullfilled What greater joy to the friend of the Bridegroom than to hear the Bridegrooms voyce how sweetly he converses with his Bride and she with him and to see the sweet passages of love between them when he hath been a means to bring them together This is my joy it refreshes me I am full of consolation to hear how tender he is of you to see him spreading the skirts of his love the wing of his power and care over you Happy thou Who is like unto thee O people A people saved of the Lord the shield of thy strength the sword of thine excellency My dearly beloved let the name of Jesus be more sweet and precious than ever to you Verily I am but his spokesman Forget me neglect me any thing if you will but love him and adore him and admire him the more I rejoyce as to hear the sweet voice of the Bridegroom to you so to hear of your love and 〈◊〉 to him Surely the Lord hath a singular blessing for you Aâ—… poor and despised dâ—…spised the Butt of humane malice the eye-sorâ—… of thy potent enemies The Archers have shot sorely at thee the Hunters have made thee the deere of the Chase singled from the rest of the 〈◊〉 and design'd for the Game for the prey of the â—…ungry pursuers quick upoâ—… the scent following upon the scent with full cry and yet the beloved of the Lord 〈◊〉 in sasety by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 covâ—…reth thee all the day long thou dwellest between his shoulders O people of desires hear the â—…rauld of God glorious office Lord how unworthy am I of this strange grace who am not worthy to stoop down and unloose the latchet of thy shooes yet here me as an 〈◊〉 of God unto you O people it is commanded that you kiss the Son That you sall down and worship not the humane Idol but him whom Jehovah hath set up and sworn that every kâ—…e shall bow and every tongue confess to him or be cast into the burning siery surnace os his tormenting wrath seventimes hotter yea seventy times seven than 〈◊〉 was Unto you it is commanded that you receive his mark in your foreheads by open and bold profession in your hands your right hands by suitable works in a holy diligent active conversation above all in your hearts there he must be set as a seal as well as write upon the palms of â—…our 〈◊〉 by most vehement servent affection Let
Riches too I counsel thee to buy of me gold that thou mayest be Rich Rev. 3. 18. 'T is the true Riches And so it is Health and Soundness too Prov. 3. 8. It shall be health to thy Navel and marrow to thy bones Secondly From a state of darkness to a Land of Light You know the grave is a place of darkness and death a state of darkness Thus is it in the Spiritual death Dead souls are all in darkness under the power of darkness Act. 26. 18. The grave for our dead bodies is a place of darkness but the grave for dead souls is a place of utter darkness of everlasting darkness The grave is Formidable and deep You know when a body is dead it must be buried that it may not annoy us God hath provided a grave to bury dead souls in out of his sight and where do you think that this grave is Why Hell is the grave for dead souls The rich man was dead and was buried but where was he buried His soul was in Hell so some translate this place And being buried in Hell he lift up his eyes Luke 16. 22 23. Hell is a place of darkness and thick darkness O that is horrible indeed that is reserved for poor impenitent sinners the blackness of darkness for ever Jude 13. He doth not onely say darkness but blackness of darkness for ever Ah brethren this is that which Christ hath recovered you from from death to life If you go down into the grave and see how the dead do lye in darkness and silence how formidable is that But oh how will it be to see the grave of hell where dead souls are buried This was your place before you were sanctified Ah brethren what manner of praise what 〈◊〉 of deliverance should you compass the throne of Gods grace withal who have such a change wrought upon you Thirdly From a 〈◊〉 of Impotence to a state of power A natural state is an impotent state Rom. 5. 6. When we were yet without strength in due time Christ dyed for the ungodly As a dead man is not able to move a finger to put off the worms that crawl upon his body and face So a dead soul cannot get the victory over his flesh and lusts He is under an impossibility of doing any thing acceptable before God But now God hath given you strength that you should leap and walk 〈◊〉 praise God God did put strength into thy feet when he recovered thee from death to life that thoâ—… shouldâ—… be able to go thorow dissiculties for his names sake Brethren those that are altogether without strength were certainly never brought to a true and spiritual life If thou art brought from death to life thou hast some strength it may be it is but a little strength But every Saint hath a little strength so that he doth not live in the wilsul practice of any sin If thou hast not thus much thou art dead in thy sins Fourthly From a state of Insensibleness to a state of Sense A Dead man is without sense He hath Eyes but he seeth not and Ears but he heareth not And thus it is with a dead soul. But now you that are believers you are raised from this miserable state I may say to you Blessed are your Eyes for you see and your Ears for you hear O what a change hath he wrought upon you 1. He hath opened your eyes when others are in blindness Brethren what a change is this How many do you see that live where the Gospel is Preached and yet remain ignorant O! what thankfulness should this provoke you to You are restor'd to your spiritual sense Before you thought it the smallest matter in the world to sin against God Now you look upon it after another manner O how should you bless God in those words of our Saviour I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes O! How many be there of the wise men great men of the world that have their eyes closed God hath hid these things from them that they cannot see them But your eyes see give God the glory 2. He hath bored your Ears when others are in deafness When others are like the deaf Adder he hath given you the hearing Ear the obedient Ear O! consider this and be thankful Thou hast of thy self a heart as obstinate as any other heart iâ—… the world Now if God hath given thee ears to hear O bless his Name How often may we call upon a Dead man and he never hear so we may call upon dead souls and they hear not with their souls at least though they hear with their ears 3. God hath loosed your Tongues when others are dumb and silent O what mercy is this Beloved you could not breath before God your Prayers and Requests with lise and fervour as you do unless God did unlose your tongues and open your mouths Man's lips are locked up and his tongue tyed up that he cannot utter himself beâ—…ore God or at least not with that fervency that others can O bless the Lord that he hath loosed your tongues 4. He hath given you Appetites when others rellish not the things of God Dost thou find any hungrings and thirstings after Christ and his Righteousness Is this that which thou dost pant after to be made more conformable to the Lord Dost thou pant after Christ as others pant after the world O bless God that hath put such a difference between thee and others When others relish not the things of God they arâ—… sapless things yea many times they seem burdenfome things to them God hath given thee such an appetite that thou findest a relish in them that nothing goes down so sweetly as the service of God 5. He hath given you your feeling when some others are past feeling We read of some that were past feeling Eph. 4. 19. You know a dead man hath no sense or feeling if you lay a Mountain upon him he feels it not So it is with a dead soul he feels not the burthen of his siâ—…s he complains not for his sins Now canst thou say that thy sins be the greatest trouble to thee in all the world O bless the Lord for this It is a great priviledge you that are Believers do groan under this burthen and 't is your duty so to do yet under this there is some life or else you would not feel your corruptions as you do And now to close all let me renew the Exhortation Rejoyce and be Thankful that though you were lost you are found again O remember what a condition you were in when you were lost Do you not remember what bitterness did seize upon you How many times did you give up your souls and did believe that you should never be found or restored And did God find you when you were lost O consider who it
was that found you Christ came from Heaven to Earth to take thee up poor lost sheep upon his shoulders to carry thee to Heaven O be not forgetful â—…ut Rejoyce and be Thankful A Letter sent by him to an Intimate Friend NOw will I make known to my dearest Friend some of the thoughts of my heart this morning besore I begin to write to thee There was once a poor soul imprisoned in 〈◊〉 and clogged with the Iron fetters of corruption that retired within it self and would needs take a view of the best and worst sight iâ—…aginable at once Well he sets open the Floodgates and in he dives into the fathomless depths of an evil heart but there he could sind no bottom Then up he springs and begins to take the Dimentions and view the Massie weight of the Crown incorruptible His heart grew hot within him and while he was musing the fire burned and on a sudden he pathetically smites on his breast and out he breaks into this Language Ah wretch what a sight is here methinks my heart is like the Chambers of Imagery I can turn me no way but the loathsom sight and silthy stench of my Corruptions comes up into my Eyes and Nostrils my pollutions are so â—…oul that I cannot tell how to look upon them and yet so common so universal that I cannot look besides them which way soever I look into my self I can cast my eye on nothing but the loathsome sight of some filthy Ulcer which makes me filthy in my own eyes and how much more to the pure eyes of my spotless maker when I turn my eye inward and go about from Cell to Cell I pass from one to the other and am fain to write Lord have mercy upon me on every dore Every faculty is as a cage of unclean Birds and O the noysome lusts that lodge and live within them I look'd into my memory and O what a Magazine of wickedness was there weak I find it and slippery when any good is committed to it Alas methinks I am like a narrow mouthed bottle that takes in but drops when the bounty of Heaven pours down by showrs Though the dew of Heaven distill as the rain yet how little do I take in how much is spilt besides but yet this is not all there is a leak in my Vessel that lets all that is good run out only the dregs are left behind 'T is little good that I take in amongst a world of evil and presently my Rudder le ts go the good corn and the chaff is kept behind Capacious it is to receive faithful to retain what should be forgotten well thought I I will shut up this but I heard the voice as to the Prophet of old speaking to me turn thine Eyes and thou shalt see yet greater Abominations then these Look into thine understanding But good Loâ—…d what a sight have I here why it is all overspread with Aegyptian darkness yea much more intolerable it being not my plague only but my sin Alas how do I grope about in blindness and ignorance and wander in the path of error and though the light shine in darkness yet the darkness comprehendeth it not How mean and shallow is my capacity so dull that I cannot conceive nor apprehend the mysteries of Godliness but am ready to ask with unskilful Nicodemus what do these things mean what Riddles are many Gospel truths to my soul I am apt rather to dispute them than to believe them as if I had rather judge of things by the light of reasons candle than God's Sun O fool that I am and slow of heart to believe how is my understanding tyed to my senses that I am apt to believe little but what I see what poor low conceptions have I of God how little a portion do I know of him he goeth by me and I see him not he passeth on and I perceive him not how little is it that my understanding will reach too and how grossely do I apprehend and conceive that little Although Christ hath anointed my eyes yet my imperfect sight of the things of the Gospel is like his we read of who saw men walking as trees But you O Blessed Souls who are now in Glory you see face to face what I see in a glass darkly your Sun is risen you see by the clearest Meridian light what I am fain to grope for in the dark those miâ—…s of darkness and ignorance are dispelled from your understandings and you have the blessedness to see what I have scarce faith to believe Thrice happy Souls your day ends not your Sun sets not you have perfect day no clouds overcast you you have perfect knowledge no scruples molest you you are perfect light and perfect life The mysteries hid from us are made known to you your light is increased your capacities are inlarged your vail removed and you are filled with all the fulness of God mysterious Providences are all unravelled to you you see the glorious contexture of every piece and all the art and contrivances of that curious Tapestry of which I can see but here an arm and there a leg and know not how to put passages together nor what to make of them O when shall that which is in part be done away when shall the day dawn and the day star arise in my heart my soul waits for the Lord more than they that wait for the morning yea more than they that wait for the morning Alas how doth my spirit sink oftentimes when I consider the imperfections of my understanding how I am at every turn baffled and posed in my own thoughts and perplex'd in a labyrinth of difficulties out of which I cannot extricate my self Oh when will the time come that I shall see as I am seen and that I shall have all my objections answered my doubts resolved my difficulties removed Ah this cloud of flesh what glory dost thou keep from shining in upon me how can I see through all this dirt well but in thy light Lord I shall see light In the mean while I should be contented if I could walk up to that dim light I have but alas I have so stubborn so head-strong a will that it will not use the light I have my understanding is backward in assenting to the truths propounded but how much more backward is my will in consenting and practising so that I am even like them in the Prophet Brutish in my knowledge Who would believe did they see my coldness and deadnesâ—… in â—…oly Duties how remiss I am when begging pardon of sin for mortifying and quickning grace that I were begging for my life who would think by my negligence in the wayes of God and that wretched indifferency that is in my heart that I did believe the Kingdom of Heaven was to be taken by violence and that the gate was so strait and the way so narrow that leads to life Oh Hypocrisie I preach up diligence