in the day time Psal 42.7 8. And after a little while being tossed too and fro in these boisterous waves they shall arrive at the heavenly haven this world being not their resting place but there remains one for them Heb. 4.9 Thirdly let the faith and hopes of a glorious deliverance get thy heart up above thy present sufferings that thou mayest glory in tribulation who hast ground of rejoycing in hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 3. For whatsoever thy present grievances are whether outward afflictions or inward temptations this may be thy consolation that a few dayes will rid thee of them when thou shalt sigh no more complain no more but these shall be turned into praises thou hast if I may so call it all thy hell here let thy life be expired and thy misery is ended thy happiness begins where wicked mens end and when thine is once begun it shall have no more end Reader I have an Advertisement to thee concerning the following Discourse and the Authour of it Thou hast in the Discourse many things of choice consideration presented to thee in much plainness evidence and authority the explications are full the applications are natural be not offended at his plain and down-right language it is for the discharge of the Authours conscience and thy profit besides the subject necessarily leads him to it It is a mercy to be dealt thorowly and plainly with in the matters of thy soul we have too many that sowe pillows under mens elbows and too few who dealing plainly divide to every man his portion Read it not to pick quarrels with it but to profit by it and let not prejudice either against the Authour or manner of delivery cause thee to stumble and fall at the truth prejudice will both blinde the eyes that it shall not see the truth and close it in with it and make them too quick sighted either to make faults where there is none or to greaten them where they are and so cause the Reader to turn the edge against the Authour or his Work that should be turned upon his own heart It is marvellous to see how the truth is quarrelled at that comes from one that would be easily received if it did drop from another and I doubt not if this Book had some other hand at it there is scarce any expression that may be now carpt at by some but would have been swallowed without straining We are now fallen into such an age the good Lord help us that truth upon its own account can challenge but little acceptance except the Authour be liked or his lines painted with his own wit But certainly truth is of so excellent a nature of such singular advantage and of so royal a descent that it deserves entertainment for it self and that not in our houses or heads onely but in our hearts too whatsoever the hand is that brings it or the form that it appears in men account gold worth receiving whatsoever the messenger is that brings it or the vessel that holds it If thou meetest Reader with any passage that seems doubtful unto thee let love that thinks no evil put the best construction upon it and do not hastily condemn what thou canst not presently yield to or if any expression thou meetest with may haply offend thee do not throw aside the whole and resolve to read of it no more for though some one may offend thee yet others I hope may affect thee or if there be that which some may call Tautology be not displeased at it for that word that may not fasten upon thy heart in one page may in another and although it may be grievous to thy eye if thou beest nice and curious yet bear with it if it may be profitable to thy soul Concerning the Authour whatsoever the censures and reports of many are I have this to say That I verily believe God hath counted him faithful and put him into the Ministery and though his outward condition and former employment was mâ—an and his hamane learning small yet is he one that hath acquaintance with God and taught by his Spirit and hath been used in his hand to do souls good for to my knowledge there are divers who have felt the power of the word delivered by him and I doubt not but that many more may if the Lord continue him in his work he is not like unto your drones that will suck the sweet but do no work For he hath laid forth himself to the utmost of his strength taking all advantages to make known to others what he himself hath received of God and I fear this is one reason why the Archers have shot so soarly at him for by his and others industry in their Masters work their slothfulness hath been reproved and the eyes of many have been opened to see a difference between those that are sent of God and those that run before they are sent And that he is none of those light fanatick spirits that our age abounds withal this following discourse together with his former that have been brought to publique view will testifie for among other things that may bear record to him herein you shall find him magnifying and exalting the holy Scriptures and largely shewing the worth excelleny and usefulness of them And surely if thou shalt notwithstanding this stumble at his meanness and want of humane learning thou wilt declare thine unacquaintance with Gods declared method who to perfect his own praise and to still the enemy and avenger Makes choice of Babes and Suâ—klings and in their mouthes ordaineth strength Psal 8.2 Though men that have a great designe do and must make use of those that in reason are most likely to effect it yet must the Lord do so too then instruâ—ents not himself would carry away the praise but that no flesh should glory in his presence he hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wife and base things of the world and things that are despised hath God chosen 1 Cor. 1.27 28 29. Cast thine eye back to the beginning of the Gospel dispensation which surely if at any time should have come forth in the wisdom and glory of the world and thou shalt see what method the Lord did take at the first to exalt his Son Jesus he goes not amongst the Jewish Rabbi's nor to the schools of learning to fetch out his Gospel Preachers but to the trades and those most contemptible too yet let not any from hence conceive that I undervalue the gifts and graces of such who have been or now are endued with them nor yet speak against Learnnig being kept in its place but my meaning is that those that are learned should not despise those that are not or those that are not should not despise those that are who are faithful in the Lords work and therefore being about to leave thee I shall leave with thee two Scriptures to be considered of The one
the law really they do not also believe really and effectually the law that doth condemn them For as men have but a notion of the one that is their condemnation because of sins against the law Verse 3 so they have but a notion of the condemning killing and destroying power of the law for as the one is so in these things alwayes is the other there is no man that doth really believe the law or Gospel further then they do feel the power and authority of them in their hearts Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Now this letter or law is not to be taken in the largest sense but is strictly to be tyed to the ten Commandments whose proper work is onely by shewing the soul its sins against this law to kill and there leaves him stark dead not giving him the least life or support or comfort but leaves the soul in an helpless and hopeless condition as from it self or any other meer creature 'T is true the law hath laid all men for dead as they come into the world but all men do not see themselves dead untill they see that law that struck them dead sticking in their souls and having struck them that fatall blow As a man that is fast asleep in an house and that on fire about his ears and he not knowing of it because he is asleep even so because poor souls are asleep in sin though the wrath of God Verse 31. the curse of his law and the flames of hell have beset them round about yet they do not believe it because they are asleep in sin Now he that is awakened and sees this sees that through this he is a dead man Even so they that do see their state by nature being such a sad condition do also see themselves by that law to be dead men naturally But now when didst thou feel the power of this first part of the Scripture the law so mighty as to strike thee dead if not thou dost not so much as verily believe that part of Scripture that doth contain the law in it to be the truth of God Yet if thou shouldest have felt something I say something of the killing power of the law of God in thine heart this is not an argument to prove that thou believest all the things contained in Scripture for there is Gospel as well as Law and therefore I shall speak to that also That is whether thou hast felt the power of the Gospel as well as something of the power of the Law 2. Then if thou hast found the power of the Gospel and so believed it thou hast found it thus with thy soul 1. Thou hast been shewed by the word or truth of the Gospel in the light of the Spirit of Christ that by nature thou wert without the true faith of the Son of God in thy soul For when He the Spirit is come he shall shew men that they believe not in me saith Christ Joh. 16.9 For mark though thou hast as I said before felt somewhat of the power of the Law Letter or ten Commandments yet if thou hast not been brought to this to see by the spirit in the Gospel that thou art without faith by nature thou hast not yet tasted much less believed any part of the Gospel For the Gospel and the Law are two distinct covenants as I have before shewed And they that are under the law maybe convinced by it and so believe the law or first covenant and yet in the mean time to be a stranger to the covenant of promise that is the Gospel so have no hope in them Eph. 2.12 There is not any promise that can be savingly believed untill the soul be by the Gospel converted to Jesus Christ For though men do think never so much that they believe the things of the Gospel or the word of the Gospel of our salvation yet unless they have the work of grace in their souls they do not cannot rightly believe the things contained in the Scriptures Again as the law killeth those that believe it even so the promises contained in the Gospel do through faith administer comfort to those that believe it aright My words saith Christ my words they are spirit and they Mark and they are life Joh. 6.63 As if he had said The words contained in in the law as a covenant of works they wound they kill they strike dead those that are under them But as for me the words that I speake unto you they are spirit and they are life That is whosoever doth receive them believingly shall find them full of operation to comfort quicken and revive their soul For as I did not come into the world to destroy mens lives so the words that I speak as I am sent to preach the Gospel they have no such tendency unto those that believe them The promises that are in the Gospel Oh how do they comfort them such a promise and such a promise O how sweet is it O how comfortable to those that believe them Alas there are many poor souls that think they believe the Scriptures that they believe the word of God and yet poor souls that they are they never enjoyed any thing of the life and power of the promises to comfort them after they were killed by the law For mark If thy comfort be indeed by the promises they come in upon thy heart to quicken to revive thee to raise thee from the sentence of death that is passed on thee by the law And through the faith that is wrought in thy soul by the operation of Gods holy Spirit though once killed by the Law or Letter thou art made alive in the Lord Jesus Christ presented to thy soul in the promises 3. Dost thou indeed and in truth believe the Scriptures to be the word of God then the things contained in them especially the things of the Gospel are very excellent to thy soul as the birth of Christ the death resurrection intercession and second coming of Christ O how precious and excellent are they to thy soul insomuch that thou regardest nothing in comparison of them O! it is Christs birth death blood resurrection c. according to the Scriptures that thou doest rejoyce in exceedingly and abundantly desire after 1 Cor. 15.1 2 3 4 5 6. compare with Phil. 3.6 7 8. 4. Doest thou believe the Scriptures to be the word of God Then thou standest in aw of and dost much reverence them Why they are the word of God the true sayings of God they are the counsel of God they are his promises and his threatnings 'T is like poor souls are apt to think If I could hear God speak to me from heaven with an audible voice then sure say they I should be serious and sure I should believe it But truly if God should speak to thee from heaven except thou wert converted thou wouldest not regard nor really believe him But if thou
doest believe the Scriptures thou seest that they are the truth as really as if God should speak to thee from heaven through the clouds and therefore never flatter thy self foolishly thinking that if it were so and so then thou couldest believe I tell thee saith Christ If they believe not Moses and the Prophets neither will they believe though one should rise from the dead But 5. Doest thou believe the Scripture to be the word of God Then through faith in Christ thou endeavourest to have thy life squareed according to the Scriptures both in word and practice Nay this I say thou mayest have though thou do not believe them all My meaning is that if thou believe none but the ten Commandments thy life may be according to them a legal holy life and if thou do believe the Gospel too then thy life will be the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ that is either thou wilt live in the blessed and holy enjoyment of what is testified in the Scripture concerning the glorious things of the Lord Jesus Christ or else thou wilt be exceedingly panting after them For the Scriptures carry such a blessed beauty in them to that soul that hath faith in the things contained in them that they do take the heart and captivate the soul of him that believeth them into the love and liking of them 6. He that believes the Scriptures to be the word of God if he do but suppose that any one place of the Scripture doth exclude him and shut him out of and from a share in the promises contained in them O it will trouble him grieve him perplex him yea he will not be satisfied until he be resolved and thâ— contrary sealed to his soul for he knowâ— that the Scriptures are the word oâ— God all truth and therefore he knowâ— that if any one sentence doth excludeâ— or bar out him for want of this or the other qualification he knows also that not the word alone shuts him out but he that speaks it even God himself and therefore he cannot will not dare not be contented untill he find his soul and Scripture together with the things contained therein to embrace each other and a sweet correspondency and agreement be between them For you must know that to him that believes the Scriptures aright the promises or threatnings are of more power to comfort or cast down then all the promises or threatnings of all the men in the world And this was the cause why the Martyrs of Jesus did so slight both the promises of their adversaries when they would have overcome them with profering the great things of this world unto them and also their threatnings when they told them they would rack them hang them burn them none of these things could prevail upon them or against them because they did most really believe the Scriptures the things contained in them as is cleerly found and to be seen in Heb. 11. and also in Mr. Fox his records of their brethren 7. He that believeth the Scriptures to be the word of God believeth that men must be borne again and have that faith which is of the operation of God or else they cannot be saved And he that believeth this believeth also that if he be not borne again and also be partakers of that faith which is of the operation of God according as he hath read and believed he must and shall be damned And he that believeth this aright will not be contented until according as it is written he do partake of and enjoy the new birth and until he do find through grace that faith that is wrought by the operation of God in his soul For this is the cause why men do satisfie themselves with so slender a conceited hope that their state is good when it is nothing so namely because they do not credit the Scripture for did they they would look into their own hearts and examine seriously whether that faith that hope that grace which they think they have be of that nature and wrought by that spirit and power that the Scripture speaketh of I speak this of an effectual believing without which all other is nothing unto salvation Now then because I would not be too tedious I shall at this time lay down no more discoveries of such an one as doth savingly believe the Scriptures and the things contained in them but shall speak a few words of examination containing the things already mentioned As 1. Thou sayest thou dost indeed and in truth effectually believe the Scriptures I ask therefore wast thou ever killed stark dead by the law of works contained in the Scriptures To be killed and to be struck dead you will say what is that Why to be killed by the law or letter is by the power thereof to be made to see thy sins against it and to be left in an helpless condition by that law for I say the proper work of the law is to slay the soul and to leave it dead in a helpless state For it doth neither give the soul any comfort it self when it comes nor doth it shew the soul where comfort is to be had and therefore it is called the ministration of condemnation as in 2 Cor. 3.9 Yea in plain termes the ministration of death 2 Cor. 3.7 For though men may have a notion of the blessed word of God as as the children had yet before they be converted it may truly be said of to them Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God Mark 12.24 2. You say you do believe the Scriptures to be the word of God I say again examine wast thou ever quickened from a dead state by the power of the Spirit of Christ through the other part of the Scripture That is to say by the power of God in his Sonne Jesus Christ through the covenant of promise I tell thee from the Lord if thou hast thou hast felt such a quickning power in the words of Christ Joh. 6. that thou hast been lifted out of that dead condition that thou before wast in and that when thou wast under the guilt of sin the curse of the law and the power of the devil and the justice of the great God that thou hast been inabled by the power of God in Christ revealed to thee by the Spirit through and by the Scripture to look sin death hell the devil and the law and all things that are at enmity with thee for thy sins with boldness and comfort in the face through the blood death righteousness resurrection and intercession of Christ made mention of in the Scriptures And thirdly on this account O how excellent are the Scriptures to thy soul O how much virtue dost thou see in such a promise in such an invitation O sayest thou there are some promises in the book of God that I have had nourishment from and through Christ in them O they are so large they say Christ will in no
A FEW Sighs from Hell OR The Groans of a damned Soul OR An Exposition of those Words in the sixteenth of Luke Concerning the Rich Man and the Beggar Wherein is discovered the Lamentable State of the damned their cries their desires in their distresses with the determination of God upon them A good warning Word to Sinners both Old and Young to take into Consideration betimes and to seek by Faith in Jesus Christ to avoid lest they come into the same place of torment ALSO A brief Discourse touching the profitableness of the Scriptures for our Instruction in the way of Righteousness according to the tendancy of the said Parable By that Poor and Contemptible Servant of Jesus Christ JOHN BUNYAN The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God Psal 9.17 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire Revel 20.15 London Printed by Ralph Wood for M. Wright at the Kings Head in the Old Bailey 1658. To the Reader IT is sad to see how the most of men neglect their precious souls turning their backs upon the glorious Gospel and little minding a crucified Jesus when in the mean while their bodies are well provided for their estates much regarded and the things of this present life are highly prized as if the darling was of less value then a clod of earth an immortal soul then a perishing body a precious Savior then unsatisfying creatures Yea though they have been often wooed with gracious intreaties glorious promises and fresh bleeding wounds to make choice of the better part that shall never be taken from them yet alas such influence hath this world and the pleasures of it and such is the blindness of their understandings that they continue still to hunt after those things which cannot profit nor be a help to them in the worst hour yea that will prove no better then poyson to their souls and refuse that would be if embraced their happiness here and their glory hereafter such a strange stupidity hath seized upon the hearts of men that they will venture the loss of their immortall souls for a few dying comforts and will expose themselves to endless misery for a moments mirth and short-liv'd pleasures But certainly a barn well fraught a bag well fill'd a back well cloathed and a body well fed will prove but poor comforts when men come to dye when death shall not onely separate their souls from their bodies but both from their comforts What will it then avail them that they have gained much Or what will they give in exchange for their souls Be wise then O Reader to whose sight this may come before it be too late and thou repent when repentance shall be hid from thine eyes else it will be as a dagger to thine heart one day to remember what a Christ what a soul what a heaven thou hast lost for a few pleasures a little mirth a short enjoyment of this present world yea and that after many warnings against many reproofs and notwithstanding the many tenders of a full Christ instead of those empty vanities which thy soul closed with hunted after and would by no means be perswaded to part withall No but thou wouldest take thy time and swim in this worlds delights though thy soul thereby was drowned in perdition and destruction 1 Tim. 6.9 True few there are that will be perswaded that this course they take though their daily conversations do bear witness to it for how much time is spent and how much care is the hearts of men fill'd withall after attaining keeping and increasing these things And how seldom do they trouble their heads to have their mindes taken up with thoughts of the better Cumbring themselves with many things but wholly neglecting the one thing necessary yea whereby do they measure their own or other mens happiness but by the large incomes of this worlds good accounting this the greatest if not the onely blessedness to have their corn wine and oyl increase in abundance and reckoning those that are most serious about and earnest after the world to come men of foolish spirits giddy brains and worthy to be branded in the forehead for simple deluded ones But surely he is the most fool that will be one at last and he that God calls so Luke 12.20 will pass for one in the end yea within a short time they themselves shall change their notes Ask the rich man spoken of in the ensuing Treatise who was the fool he or Lazarus and he will soon resolve the question that he now sees and by wofull experience finds whatsoever his former thoughts were that he not Lazarus was the silly deluded one for he fool like preferred the worse things before the better and refused that which once might have been had but now he hath slipt the time it cannot be gained when this poor man knowing the day of his visitation was making sure of that glory which he now enjoyes and shall enjoy for evermore So that in this Parable if I may so call it thou shalt finde that Scripture confirmed That the triumphing of the wicked is short Job 20.5 Together with that That the temptations or afflictions of the righteous which cause heaviness are but for a season 1 Pet. 1.6 And in this treatise both of those are largely opened and explained Behold here a rich man cloathed in silks fed with delicates and faring deliciously every day but look a little further and so this man cloathed with vengeance roaring under torments and earnestly begging for a drop of water to cool his tongue a sad change On the other hand here thou shalt see a poor but a gracious man with a pinched belly naked back and running soars beging at the rich mans gate for a morsell to feed his belly a sad state yet but short for look again and behold this beggar gloriously carried as in a Chariot of triumph by the Angels into Abrahams bosome shining in glory cloathed with beautiful garments and his soul sat down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of the Father his rags are gone his soars healed and his soul filled with joy unspeakable and full of glory the one carried not his costly fare and his gorgeous apparel with him into hell nor the other his course diet mouldy bread filthy rags and ulcerous body into heaven but the happiness of the one and the misery of the other took their leaves at the grave the worldly mans portion was but for his life and the godly mans afflictions lasted no longer For mark the perfect and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace but the end of the wicked shall be cut off Psal 37.37 38. His present comforts his future hopes and his cursed soul together yea though he lives many dayes and rejoyces in them all yet the dayes of darkness will overtake him and his eye shall see no more good in
thy soul at the judgement day Friend I have no more to say to thee now it may be shortly thou mayest hear from me again in a discourse touching the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace it had been with thee now had opportunity been afforded me but being busie here and there among the saints and sinners though I can do but little good I have not had that conveniencie nor leasure that I could wish I had to present it in right form for truth and edification to thee Now if thou dost love me pray for me that my God would not forsake me nor take his holy Spirit from me and that God would fit me to do and suffer what shall be from the world or devil inflicted upon me I must tell thee the world rages they stamp and shake their heads and fain they would be doing the Lord help me to take all they shall do with patience and when they smite the one cheek to turn the other to them that I may do as Christ hath bidden me for then the Spirit of God and of glory shall rest upon me Farewel I am thine if thou be not ashamed to own me because of my low and contemptible descent in the world John Bunyan A FEW Sighs from Hell OR The Groans of a damned Soul OR An Exposition of those words in the 19 th of Luke ver 19. c. 19 THere was a certain rich man which was cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared sumptuously every day 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of fores 21 And desiring to be fed with the the crumbs which fâ—ll from the rich mans tablâ— moreover the dogs came and licked his sores 22 And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome the rich man also dyed and was buried 23 And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosome 24 And he cried and said Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame 25 But Abraham said Son remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evill things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented 26 And besides all this between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot neither can they pass to us that would come from thence 27 Then he said I pray thee therefore father that thou wouldest send him to my fathers house 28 For I have five Brethren that he may testifie unto them lest they also come into this place of torment 29 Abraham saith unto him They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them 30 And he said Nay father Abraham but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent 31 And he said unto him If they hear not Moses and the Propets neither will â—hey be perswaded though one rose from the dead THis Scripture was not spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ Verse 19. to shew you the state of two single persons onely as some through their ignorance of the drift of Christ in his Parables do dream but to shew you the state of the godly and ungodly to the worlds end as is clear to him that is of an understanding heart For he spake them to the end that after generations should take notice thereof and fear lest they also fell into the same condition Now in my discourse upon these words I shall not be tedious but as briefly as I may I shall pass through the several Verses and lay you down some of the several truths contained therein and the Lord grant that they may be profitable and of great advantage to those that read them or hear them read The 19 and 20 verses also I shall not spend much time upon onely give you three or four short hints and so pass to the next verses for they are the words I do intend most especially to insist upon The 19 20 and 21 verses run thus There was a certain rich man which was cloathed in purple and fine linnen and fared deliciously or sumptuously every day And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of sores c. 1. If these verses had been spoken by Jesus Christ and no more all the world would have gone near to have cast a wrong interpretation on them I say if Jesus had said onely thus much There was a certain rich man that fared sumptuously daily and a certain beggar laid at his gate full of sores The world would have made this conclusion of them the rich man was the happy man For at the first view it doth represent such a thing But take all together that is read the whole Parable and you shall finde that there is no man in a worse condition then he as I shall clearly hold forth afterward 2. Again if a man would judge of men according to outward appearance he shall oft-times take his mark amiss Here is a man to outward appearance appears the onely blessed man better by half then the beggar in as much as he is rich the beggar poor he is well cloathed but peradventure the beggar is naked he hath good food but the beggar would be glad of dogs meat And he desired to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich mans table the rich man fares well every day but the beggar must be glad of a bit when he can gâ—t it Oh! who would not be in the rich mans state A wealthy man sorts of new suits and dainty dishes every day enough to make one who mindes nothing but his belly and his back his lusts to say Oh that I were in that mans condition Oh that I had about me as that man had Then I should live a life indeed then should I have hearts ease good store then I should live pleasantly and might say to my soul Soul be of good chear eat drink and be merry thou hast every thing plenty and art in most blessed condition I say this might be I and is the conclusion with them that judgâ— according to outward appâ—arance But if the whole Parable be well considered you will see that that which is had in high estimation with men is an abomination in the sight of God And again that condition that is the saddest condition according to outward appearance is oft times tâ—e most excellent for the beggar had tâ—n thousand degrees the best of it though to outward appearance his state was the saddest from we shall observe thus much 1 That those who judge according to outward appearance do for the most part judge amiss 2. That they who look upon their outward enjoyments to be tokens of Gods special grace unto them are
thy soul in the Lord Jesus Christ Verse 23. And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosome Something in brief I have observed from the first part of this verse namely from these words And in hell he lift up his eyes And indeed I have observed but something for they are very full of matter and many things possibly might be taken notice of in them There is one thing more that I might touch upon as touched in this saying and that is this Methink the Lord Jesus Christ doth hereby signifie that men are naturally unwilling to see or take notice of their sad state I say by nature but though now they are willingly ignorant yet in hell they shall lift up their eyes That is in hell they shall see and understand their miserable condition and therefore to these words In hell he lift up his eyes he added being in torment As if he had said Though once they shut their eyes though once they were willingly ignorant yet when they depart into hell they shall be so miserably handled and tormented that they shall be forced to lift up their eyes For while men live in this world and are in a naturall state they will have a good conceit of themselves and of their condition they will conclude that they are Christians and their state to be as good as the best they will conclude they have faith the Spirit good hope and an interest in the Lord Jesus Christ but then when they drop into hell and lift up their eyes there and behold first their soul to be in extream torments their dwelling to be the bottomless pit their company thousands of damned souls also the innumerable company of devils and the hot scalding vengeance of God not onely to drop but to fall very violently upon them then they will begin to be awakened who all their life time were in a dead sleep I say when this comes to pass Lo it will then in hell they shall lift up their eyes in the midst of torments they shall lift up their eyes Again you may observe from these words And in hell he lift up his eyes being in torment That the time of the ungodly mens smarting for their sins will be in the torments of hell Now here I am put to a stand when I consider the torments of hell into which the damned do fall O unspeakable torments O endless torments Now that thy soul might be made to flee from these intolerable torments into which the damned do go I shall shew you darkly and briefly what are the torments of hell First by the means of it Secondly by the sad state thou wilt be in if thou comest there First the names It is called a never dying worm Mark 9. It is called an oven fire hot Malachi 4.1 It is called a furnace a fiery furnace Mat. 13. It is called the bottomless pit the unquenchable fire fire and brimstone hell fire the lake of fire devouring fire everlasting fire eternal fire a stream of fire Rev. 21. First one part of thy torments will be this thou shalt have a full sight of all thy ill-spent life from first to last though here thou canst sin to day and forget it by to morrow yet there thou shalt be made to remember how thou didst sin against God at such a time Psalm 50. and in such a place for such a thing and with such an one which will be an hell unto thee 2. Thou shalt have the guilt of them all lie heavy on thy soul not onely the guilt of one or two but the guilt of them all together and there they shall lie in thy soul as if thy belly were full of pitch and set on a light fire Now here men can sometimes think on their sins with delight but there with unspeakable torment for that I understand to be the fire that Christ speaketh of which shall never be quenched Mark while men live here O how doth the guilt of one sin sometimes crush the soul it makes a man in such plight that he is weary of his life so that he can neither rest at home nor abroad neither up nor in bed Nay I do know that they have been so tormented with the guilt of one sinful thought that they have been even at their wits end But now when thou comest into hell and hast not onely one or two or an hundred sins with the guilt of them all on thy soul and body but all the sins that ever thou didst commit since thou camest into the world all together clapt on thy conscience at one time as one should clap a red hot iron to thy breasts and there to continue to all eternity this is miserable 3. Again then thou shalt have brought into thy remembrance the slighting of the Gospel of Christ here now thou shalt consider how willing Christ was to come into the world to save sinners and for what a trifle thou didst reject him This is plainly held forth in Esay 28. where speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ the foundation of salvation ver 16. he saith of them that reject the Gospel that when the overflowing scourge doth pass through the earth which I understand to be at the end of the world then saith he It shall take you morning by morning by day and by night shall it pass over you that is continually without any intermission Now these are the words I aim at where he saith And it shall be a vexation onely to hear the report A vexation that is a torment or a great part of hell onely to understand the report that is to understand the good tidings that came into the world by Christs death for poor sinners and you will finde this to be verily the minde of the Spirit if you compare it with Chap. 53. of Esay verse 1. where he speaks of mens turning their backs upon the tenders of Gods grace in the Gospel he saith Who hath believed our report or the Gospel declared by us Now this will be a mighty torment to the ungodly when they shall understand the goodness of God was so great that he even sent his Son out of his bosome to die for sinners and yet that they should be so foolish as to put him off from one time to another that they should be so foolish as to lose heaven and Christ and eternall life in glory for the society of a company of drunkards that they should lose their souls for a little sport for this world for a strumpet for that which is lighter then vanity and nothing I say this will be a very great torment unto thee 4. Another part of thy torment will be this thou shalt see thy friends thy acquaintance thy neighbours nay it may be thy father thy mother thy wife thy husband thy children thy brother thy sister with others in the kingdom of heaven and thy self thrust out And this is
him yet now let me have some society with him Though the world disregard the society of God children now yet there is a time coming in which they would be glad to have the least company with them Nay do but observe those of the Saints that are now most rejected by them even from them shall they be glad of comfort if it might be Send Lazarus he that I slighted more then my dogs he that I could not endure should come into my house but must lye at my gate send him Now Lazarus shall be welcome to me now do I desire some comfort from him but he shall go without it From whence again observe that there is a time coming O ye surly dogged persecutors of the Saints that they shall slight you as much as ever you slighted them You have given them many an hard word told many a lie of them given them many a blow And now in your greatest need and extremity they shall not pitty you Again send Lazarus From whence observe that any of the Saints shall then be owned by you to be Saints Now ye look upon them to be of the sect with Hymeneus and Philetus but then you shall see them to be the Lazarus's of God even Gods dear children Though now the Saints of the Lord will not be owned by you because they are beggerly poor low contemptible among you here yet the day is coming that you shall own them desire their company and wish for the least courtesie from them Send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame Thus shall the souls that abide in their sins cry out in the bitterness of their spirits with wonderful anguish torment of conscience without intermission that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue That he namely the man who before I scorned should eat with the dogs of my flock that before I slighted and had no regard of that I shut out of door send him that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue Now these words that he may dip the tip of his finger in water c. do hold forth the least friendship or favour as much as if he should have said Father now I would be glad of the least mercie now I would be glad of the lâ—â—st comfort though it be but one drop of cold water on the tip of his finger One would have thought that this had been a small request a small courtesie one drop of water what is that Take a pail full of it if that will do the any good But mark he is not permitted to have so much as one drop not so much as a man may hold upon the tip of his finger This signifies thus much that they that fall short of Christ shall be night and day tormented from years end to years end as I may say even as long as eternity lasteth and shall not have so much as the least ease no not so long as while a man may turn himself round not so much leave as to swallow his spittle not a drop of cold water 2. Again consider that though the rebels while they are in this world can turne their backs upon the greatest mercy namely the Grace of God in Christ yet the time will come that they would be glad of the least mercy even a drop of cold water 3. Again observe that those who in their life time do turn their back upon the streams of Gods grace and love when they depart this life they shall not have the priviledge of the least mercy though they would never so willingly O that these things did take place in your hearts how would it make you to seek after rest for your souls before it be too late before the sun of the Gospel be set upon you Consider I say the misery of the ungodly that they shall be in and avoid their vices by closing in with the tenders of mercy lest you partake of the same portion with them and cry out in the bitterness of your souls one drop of cold water and cool my tongue For I am tormented in this flame These words hold forth the reason why the damned do so much request there might be some pitty shewed to them namely because they are under sore and sad affliction for I am tormented in this flame Indeed the reason why the poor world do not so earnestly desire for mercy is partly because they do not so seriously consider the torment that they must certainly fall into if they die out of Christ For let me tell you did but poor souls indeed consider that wrath that doth by right fall to their shares because of their sins against God they would make more haste to God through Christ for mercy then they do Then we should have them say it is good closing with Christ to day before we fall into such distress But why is it said Let him dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue Because that as the several members in the bodie have their share in sin and committing of that so the several members and every member of the body shall at that time be punished for the same Therefore when Christ is admonishing his desciples that they should not turne aside from him and that they should rather fear and dread the power of their God then any other power he saith Fear him therefore that can cast both body and soul into hell And again fear him that can destroy both soul and hody in hell Here is not one member onely but all the body the whole body of which the hands feet eyes eares and tongue are members And I am perswaded that though this may be judged carnal by some now yet it will appear to be a truth then to the greater misery of those who shall be forced to undergo that which God in his just judgement shall inflict upon them O then they will cry one dram of ease for my cursing swearing lying jearing tongue Some ease for my bragging braving flattering threatning dissembling tongue now men can let their tongues run at randome as we use to say now they will be apt to say our tongues are our own who shall controle them But then they will be in another mind Then O that I might have a little ease for my deceitful tongue Methinks sometimes to consider how some men do let their tongues run at randome they cannot tell well how it makes me marvell Surely they do not think they shall be made to give an account for their offending with their tongue Did they but think they shall be made to give an account to him who is ready to judge the quick and the dead surely they would be more wary of and have more regard unto their tongue The tongue saith James is * Jam. 2. an unruly member full of deadly poison
it setteth on fire the whole frame of nature and is set on fire of hell The tongue how much mischief will it stir up in a very little time How many blows and wounds doth it cause How many times doth it as James saith curse man How oft is the tongue made the conveyer of that hellish poyson that is in the heart both to the dishonour of God the hurt of its neighbours and the utter ruine of its own soul And do you think that the Lord will sit still as I may say and let thy tongue run as it lists Verse 25. and yet never bring you to an account for the same No stay the Lord will not alwayes keep silence Psal 50.21 but will reprove thee and set thy sinnes in order before thine eyes O sinner Yea and thy tongue together with the rest of thy members shall be tormented for sinning And I say I am very confident that though this be made light of now yet the time is coming when many poor souls will rue the day that ever they did speak with a tongue will one say that I should so disregard my tongue O that I when I said so and so had before bitten off my tongue that I had been born without a tongue my tongue my tongue a little water to cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame even that flame that my tongue together with the rest of my members by sinning have brought me to Poor souls now will let their tongues say any thing for a little profit for two pence or three-pence gain But O what a grief will this be at that day when they together with their tongue must smart for that which they by their tongues have done while they were in this world Then you that love your souls look to your tongues lest you bind your selves down so fast to hell with the sins of your tongues that you will never be able to get loose again to all eternity Jam. 1.26 For by thy words thou shalt be condemned if thou have not a care of thy tongue Verse 25. But Abraham said Son remember that thou in thy life time hadst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evill things now he is comforted and thou art tormented THese words are a discovery of the answer to the request of the damned such as did or shall depart this life unconverted The verse before as I told you is a discovery of the desires they have after they depart this world Here is the answer Son Remember c. The answer signifies thus much that in stead of having any relief or ease they are hereby the more tormented and that by fresh recollections or by bringing afresh their former ill spent life while in the world into their remembrance Son Remember thou hadst good things in thy life time as much as if he had said Verse 24. thou art now sensible what it is to lose thy soul thou art now sensible what it is to put off repentance thou art now sensible that thou hast befooled thy self in that thou didst spend that time in seeking after outward momentary earthly things which thou shouldest have spent in seeking to make Jesus Christ sure to thy soul and now through thy anguish of spirit in the pains of hell thou wouldest enjoy that which in former time thou didst make light of but alas thou art here beguiled and altogether disappointed thy crying will now avail thee nothing at all This is not the acceptable time 2 Cor. 6.2 This is not a time to answer the desires of damned reprobates If thou hadst cryed out in good earnest while grace was offered much might have been but then thou wert careless and didst turne the forbearance and goodness of God into wantonness wert thou not told that these who would not hear the Lord when he did call should not be heard if they turned away from him when they did call Prov. 1.24 to 28. But contrariwise he would laugh at their calamity and mock when their fear did come Now therefore instead of expecting the least drop of mercy and favour call into thy mind how thou didst spend those dayes which God did permit thee to live I say remember that in thy life time thou didst behave thy self rebelliously against the Lord in that thou wert careless of his word and ordinances yea and of the welfare of thine own soul also therefore now I say in stead of expecting or hoping for any relief thou must be forced to call to remembrance thy filthy wayes and feed upon them to thine everlasting astonishment and consusion From these words therefore which say Remember that thou in thy life time hadst thy good things There are these things to be taken notice of 1. They that by putting off repentance and living in their sins lose their souls shall instead of having the least measure of comfort when they come into hell have their ill spent life alwaies very fresh in their remembrance While they live here they can sin and forget it but when they depart they shall have their ill spent life before them they shall have a remembrance or their memory notably enlighrened and a clearer Verse 25. and a continual fight of all their wicked practices that they wrought and did while they were in the world Son remember saith he then you will be made to remember 1. How you were born in sin and brought up in the same 2. How thou hadst many a time the Gospel preached to thee for taking away of the same by him whom the Gospel doth hold forth 3. That out of love to thy sins and lusts thou didst turne thy back on the tenders of the same Gospel of good tidings and peace 4. Then thou shalt see clearly that the reason why thou didst lose thy soul was because thou didst not close in with free grace and the tenders of a loving and free-hearted Jesus Christ 5. Thou shalt remember how near thou wast to turning at such and such a time onely thou wast willing to give way to thy lusts when they wrought to drunkards when they called to pleasures when they proffered themselves to the cares and incumbrances of the world which like so many thornes did choak that or those convictions that were set on thy heart 6. How willing thou wast to satisfie thy self with an hypocrites hope and with a notion of the things of God without the real power and life of the same 7. Thou shalt remember how thou when thou wert admonished to turn didst put off turning and repenting till another time 8. How thou didst dissemble at such a time lie at such a time cheat thy neighbour at such a time mock flout scoff taunt hate persecute the people of God at such a time in such a place among such company 9. Thou shalt remember that while others were met together in the fear of the Lord to seek him thou wast met with a company of vain companions to
did neglect the precious mercy and goodness of God you did turn your back on the Son of God that came into the world to save sinners you made a mock of preaching the Gospel you was admonished over and over to close in with the loving kindness of the Lord in his Son Jesus Christ The Lord let you live 20. 30. 40. 50. 60. years all which time you instead of spending it to make your calling and election sure did spend it in making of eternal damnation sure to thy soul And also Lazarus he in his life time did make it his business to accept of my grace and salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ When thou wast in the Alehouse he frequented the word preached when thou wert jearing at goodness he was sighing for the sins of the times while thou wert swearing he was praying in a word while thou wert making sure of eternal ruine he by faith in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ was making sure of eternal salvation Therefore Now he is comforted and thou art tormented Here then yoâ—â—ay see that as the righteous shall 〈◊〉 be alwaies void of comfort and blessedness so neither shall the ungodly go alwayes without their punishment No as sure as God is in heaven it will be thus they must have their several portions And therefore you that are the Saints of the Lord follow on be not dismayed forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord 1 Cor. 15. last ver your portion is eternal glory And you that are so loath now to close in with Jesus Christ Verse 26. and to leave your sins to follow him your day is coming in which you shall know that your sweet morsells of sin that you do so easily take down now and it scarce troubles you will have a time so to work within you to your eternal ruine that you will be in a worse condition than if you had ten thousand devils tormenting of you nay you had better have been plucked limb from limb a thousand times if it could be than to be partakers of this torment that will assuredly without mercy lie upon you if you lose the mercy of God in Jesus Christ in this your life time Ver. 26. And beâ—â—â—es all this between us and you there is a great gulf fixed so that they which would go from hence to you cannot neither can they come to us that would come from thence THese words are still part of that answer that the souls in hell shall have for all their sobbings sighings grievous cries tears and desires that they have be released out of those intollerable pains they fell and are perplexed with And O methinks the words at the first view if rightly considered are enough to make any heard-hearted sinner in the world to fall down dead The verse I last spake to was and is a very terrible one and aggravates the torments of poor sinners wonderfully Where he saith Remember that thou in thy ife time hadst thy good things and Lazarus his evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented I say these words are very terrible to those poor souls that die out of Christ But these latter words do much more hold out their sorrow They were spoken as to the present condition then upon the sinner these do not onely back the former but do yet further aggravate their misery holding forth that which will be more intollerable the former verse is enough to smite any sinner into a swound but this to make him fall down dead Where he saith And besides all this there is still something to aggravate thy misery yet far more abundantly I shall briefly speak to the words as they have relation to the terrour spoken of in the verses before As if he had said Thou thinkest thy present state unsupportable it makes thee sob and sigh it makes thee to rue the time that ever thou wert borne Now thou findest the want of mercy now thou wouldst leap at the least dram of it now thou feelest what it is to slight the tenders of the grace of God now it makes the to sobbe sigh and roar exceedingly for the anguish that thou art in But besides all this I have other things to tell thee of that will break thine heart indeed As if he should say O t is true thou art now deprived of a being in the world thou art deprived of hearing the Gospel the devil hath been too hard for thee and hath made thee miss of heaven thou art now in hell among an innumerable company of devils and all thy sins beset thee round thou art all over wrapped in flames and canst not have one drop of water to give theâ— any ease thou cryest in vain for nothing will be granted thou seest the Saints in heaven which is no small trouble to thy damned soul thou seest that neither God nor Christ takes any care to ease thee or to speak any comfort unto thee But besides all this there thou art and there thou art like to lie never think of any ease never look for any comfort repentance now will do thee no good the time is past and can never be called again look what thou hast now thou must have for ever 'T is true I speak enough before to break thine heart asu der But besides all this there lie and swim in flame for ever these words Besides all this are terrible words indeed I will give you the scope of them in a similitude Set case you should take a man and tie him to a stake and with red hot Pincers pinch off his flesh by little pieces for two or three years together and at last when the poor man cryes out for ease and help the tormentors answer Nay but besides all this you must be handled worse We will serve you thus these 20. years together and after that we will fill your mangled body full of scalding lead and run you through with a red hot spit would not this be lamentable yet this is but a flea-biting to the sorrows of these that go to hell for if a man were served so there would ere it were long be an end of him But he that goes to hell shall suffer ten thousand times worse torments then these and yet shall never be quite dead under them There they shall be ever whining pining weeping mourning ever tormented without ease and yet never dissolved into nothing if the biggest devil in hell might pull thee all to pieces and rend thee small as dust and dissolve thee into nothing thou wouldst count this a mercy But here thou mayest lie and fry scorch and broil and burn for ever For ever that is a long while yet it must be so long Depart from me saith Christ into everlasting fire or into the fire that burns for ever prepared for the devil and his Angels Mat. 25.41 Oh thou that wert loath to foul thy foot if it were but durty
practices of this world and the lusts thereof Oh! that some body would stop them from coming lest they also come into this place of torment and be damned as I am how will it torment me For the reason as I said before why some mens condemnations are more intollerable then others is sometimes because they have not onely damned themselves by their sins but their ungodly carriages have been stumbling-blocks to others causing them also to stumble and fall at that for which thou thy self art damned Balaam could not be contented to be damned himself but also he must by his wickedness cause others to stumble and fall Rev. 2.14 The Scribes and Pharisees could not be converted to keep out of heaven themselves but they must labour to keep out others too The deceived cannot be content to be deceived himself but he must labour to deceive others also The drunkard cannot be contented to go to hell for his own sins but he must labour to cause others to fall into the same furnace with him O friends look to your selves for here will be damnation upon damnation damned for thy own sins and damned for thy being a partaker with others in their sins and damned for being guilty of the damnation of others O how will the drunkard cry for leading their neighbours into drunkenness How will the covetous person howle for setting his neighbour his friend his brother his children and relations so wicked an example by which he hath not onely wronged his own soul but also the souls of others The liar by lying learned others to lie the swearer learned others to swear the whoremonger learns others to whore Now all these with others of the like sort will be guilty not onely of their own damnation but also of the damnation of others I tell you that some men have been so much the authors of the damnation of others that I am ready to think that the damnation of them will trouble them as much as their own damnation Some men it is to be feared at the day of judgement will be found to be the author of destroying whole nations How many souls do you think Balaam with his deceit will have to answer for How many Mahomet How many the Pharisees that hired the souldiers to say the Disciples stole away Jesus and by that means stumbled their brethren to this day and was one means of hindering them from believing the things of God and Jesus Christ and so the cause of the damnation of their brethren to this very day How many souls hath Bonner to answer for think you and several filthy blind Priests How many souls have they been the means of destroying by their ignorance and corrupt doctrine preaching that that was no better to their souls than Rats-bane to the body for filthy lucres sake * O ye Priests this word is for you They shall see that they many of them it is to be feared will have whole towns to answer for whole cities to answer for Ah Friend I tell thee thou that hast taken in hand to preach to the people it may be thou hast taken in hand thou canst not tell what Will it not grieve thee to see thy whole parish come bellowing after thee to hell crying out this we may thank thee for this is long of thee thou didst not teach us the truth thou didst lead us away with fables thou wast afraid to tell us of our sins lest we should not put meat fast enough in thy mouth ☞ O cursed wretch that ever thou shouldest beguile us thus deceive us thus flatter us thus We would have gone out to hear the word abroad but that thou didst reprove us and also tell us that that which we see now is the way of God was Heresie and a deceivable doctrine and wast not contented blind Guide as thou wert to fall into the dich thy self but hast also lead us thither with thee I say look to thy self lest thou cry out when it is too late O send Lazarus to my people my friends my children my congregation to whom I preached and beguiled through my folly Send him to the town in which I did prâ—ach last lest I be the cause of their damnation Send him to my friends from whence I came lest I be made to answer for their soul and mine own too Ezek. 33.1.2 3 4 5 6. O send him therefore and let him tell them and testifie unto them lest they also come into this place of torment Consider this ye that live in the world while you are in the land of the living lest you fall into this condition Set case thou shouldest by thy carriage destroy but a soul but one poor soul by one of thy carriages or actions by thy sinful works consider it now I say lest thou be forced to cry I pray thee therefore that thou wouldest send him to my fathers house for I have five brethren that he may testifie unto them lest they also come into this place of torment If so then I shall not onely say to the blind guides look you to your selves and shut out others no but this doth reach in all those that do not onely keep souls from heaven by preaching and the like but this doth also speak forth the doom of those that shall any wayes be instrumental to hinder others for closing in with Jesus Christ O what red lines will those be against all these rich ungodly Landlords that so keep under their poor Tenants that they dare not go out to hear the word for fear their Rent should be raised or they turned out of their houses What sayest thou Landlord will it not cut thy soul when thou shalt see that thou couldest not be content to miss of heaven thy self but thou must labour to hinder others also Will it not give thee an eternal wound in thy heart both at death and judgement to be accused of the ruine of thy neighbours soul thy servants soul thy wives soul together with the ruine of thy own Think on this you drunken proud rich and scornful Landlords think on this you mad-brain'd blasphemous Husbands that are against the godly and chaste conversation of your Wives also you that hold your Servants so hard to it that you will not spare them time to hear the word unless it be where and when your lusts will let you O if you love your own souls your Tenants souls your Wives souls your Servants souls your Children souls if you would not cry if you would not howl if you would not bear the burden of the ruine of others for ever then I beseech you to consider this doleful story and labour to avoid the soul-killing torment that this poor wretch groaneth under when he saith I pray thee therefore that thou wouldest send him to my fathers house For I have five brethren that he may testifie Mark that he may testifie unto them lest they also come into this place of torment These
his Spirit in them did bear witness or record to the truth of salvation by his Son Jesus both before and after his comming And thus is that place also to be understood which saith There are three that bear record in earth the Spirit and the Water and the Blood That is the Spirit in the Apostles which preached him to the world as is clear if you read seriously 1 Thess 4.8 The Apostle speaking of Jesus Christ and obedience to God through him saith thus Now he that despiseth despiseth not us No who then Why God But it is you that speak True but it is by and through the Spirit He therefore that despiseth despiseth not man but God who also hath given us of his holy Spirit This is therefore a mighty confirmation of this truth that he that slights the record or testimony that God by his spirit in his Prophets and Apostles hath testified unto us slights the testimony of the spirit who moved them to speak these things and if so then I would fain know how any man can be saved by Jesus Christ that slights the testimony concerning Christ yea the testimony of his own spirit concerning his own self 'T is true men may pretend to have the testimony of the Spirit and from that conceit set a low esteem on the holy Scriptures But that spirit that dwelleth in them and teacheth them so to do it is no better then the spirit of Satan though it calls it self by the name of the spirit of Christ To the law therefore and to the testimony Try them by that If they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them The Apostle Peter when he speaks of the glorious voice that he had from the excellent Majesty saying of Christ This is my beloved Son hear him saith thus to them whom he wrote unto You have also a more sure word of prophecy or of the prophets for so you may read it unto which you do well that you take heed That is though we tell you that we had his excellent testimony from his own mouth evidently yet you have the prophets we tell you this and you need not doubt of the truth of it but if you should yet you may not must not ought not to question them Search therefore unto them until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts That is until by the same spirit that gave forth the Scripture you find the truth confirmed to your souls which you have recorded in the Scriptures That this word of prophecy or of the prophets is the Scriptures read on For saith he knowing this first that no prophecy of the Scriptures is of any private interpretation c. 2 Pet. 1.18 19 20. But you will say What needs all this ado and why is all this time and pains spent in speaking to this that is surely believed already This is a thing received by all that they believe the Scriptures to be the word of God that sure word of prophecy and therefore you need not spend your time in proving these things and the truth of them seeing we grant and confess the truth of it before you begin to speak your judgement of them Answ The truths of God cannot be borne witness unto too often you may as well say You need not preach Jesus Christ so much seeing he hath been and is received for the true Messias already 2. Though many may suppose that they do believe the Scriptures yet if they were but well examined you would find them either by word of mouth or else by conversation to deny reject and slight the holy Scriptures 'T is true there is a notional and historicall assent in the head I say In the head of many or most to the truth contained in Scripture but try them I say and you shall find but a little if any of the faith of the operation of God in the hearts of poor men to believe the Scriptures and things contained in them 'T is true many yea most men believe the Scriptures as they believe a fable a story a tale of which there is no certainty but alas there are but few do intend and in truth believe the Scriptures to be the very word of God But you will say this seems strange to me Answ And it seems as true to me and I doubt not but to make it manifest and plainly to appear that there are but few yea very few that do effectually for that I aim at believe the Scriptures and the truths contained in and spoken of by them But to make this appear and that to purpose if God will I shall lay you down the several operations that the Scriptures have on them who do effectually believe the things contained in them 1. He that doth effectually believe the Scriptures hath in the first place been killed I say killed by the authoirty of the holy Scriptures struck stark dead in a spiritual sense by the holy Scripture being set home by that spirit which gave them forth upon the soul The letter killeth the letter strikes men dead 2 Cor. 3.6 and this Paul witnessed and found before he could say I believe all that the prophets have spoken Where he saith I was alive without the Law once That is in my natural state before the Law was set on my heart with power But when the commandement came sinne revived and I died Rom. 7.9 and that law that was ordained to life I found to be unto death For sin taking occasion by the commandment deceived me and thereby stew me v. 10. Now that which is called the Letter in Cor. is called the Law in Rom. 7. which by its power and operation as it is wielded by the Spirit of God doth in the first place kill and slay all those that are enabled to believe the Scriptures I kill saith God That is with my law I pierce I wound I prick men into the very heart by shewing them their sins against my law Acts 2.36 37. And he that is ignorant of this is also ignorant of and doth not really and effectually believe the Scripture But you will say how doth the law kill and strike dead the poor creature Answ First the letter or law do kill thus It is set home upon the soul and discovers to the soul its transgressions against the law and shews the soul also that it cannot compleatly satisfie the justice of God for the breach of his law therefore it is condemned Joh. 3.19 Mark He that believes not is condemned already To wit by the law that is the law doth condemn him yea it hath condemned him already for his sins against it as it is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them Gal. 3.10 Now all men as they come into the world are in this condition that is condemned by the law Yet not believing that their condemnation by
Lord Jesus Christ and that for sinners 3. Consider that the Lord calls to thee for to receive whatsoever Christ hath done and that on free cost Rev. 22.17 4. Consider that thou canst not honour God more then to close in with his profers of grace mercy and pardon of sin Rom. 4. And because there is a gap open for poor sinners to come from under the curse and condemnation of the Law into the grace of Christ for there is one made by the blood of Christ he having broken down the middle wall of partion I shall speak a few words further and they are these To invite sinners seeing there is mercy and deliverance to be had to come in and accept of it and that from these considerations 1. Consider thy state by nature if thou come not in which is this Thou art under the breach of the law and so under the curse which doth call for inexpressible destruction I mean destruction of soul destruction of body destruction by fire by hell fire by the fire the devils must be burned in even eternal fire destruction from God for sins against the law without intermission without ease without end without hopes of any recovery or of ever coming out of this sad and miserable condition 2. Consider thou wilt bring all this upon thy self for having some of the devils brats some hellish lusts that like so many witches imps will suck and draw thy soul from God Christ Angels Saints Heaven and all happiness 3. Consider thou wilt buy sin at a dear rate inasmuch as it will cost the body soul ease peace joy comfort heaven God Christ c. 4. Consider that that Christ who will â—ow save the soul and body if thou wilt come in will hereafter reject thee and cast thee out from the joyes of the world to come and damn thee though thou hadst a thousand souls without any pitty or yerning of bowels toward thee if thou shalt refuse him now 5. That which is worse then all the rest thou shalt have the very mercy of God the blood of Christ the preachers of the word together with every Sermon all the promises invitations exhortations and all the counsels and threatnings of the blessed word of God Nay besides thou shalt have all thy thoughts words and actions together with all thy food thy raiment thy sleep thy goods and also all hours dayes weeks moneths and years together with whatsoever else God hath given theâ—e I say thy abuse of all these shall come up in judgement against thy soul For God will reckon with thee for every thing whether it be good or bad Eccles 12.14 Again 7. Thy damnation will be worse then the damnation of the very devils forasmuch as thou wilt have not onely the law from God as a Creator which they also had to answer for the breach of But thou wilt have thy rejection of the tenders of the glorious Gospel of the glorious Lord Jesus to answer for as I said before which sin the devil was never in a capacity to commit inasmuch as he never had the Gospel tendered to him But thou vile wretch hast had it over and over once and again time after time and that with intreaties beseechings wishings and wooings by one messengers after another and yet hast rejectâ—d O wonderful calamity that is coming upon thee For first thou shalt fall into endless torment Secondly thou shalt groan and weep to see for what thou hast brought thy self into such a sad and miserable condition Thirdly thou shalt weep to think that weeping and repenting will do thee no good Fourthly thou shalt see thy neighbours in heaven thy Father Mother or other of thy relations but they shall not groan for thee but rather rejoyce that the judgements of God have found out thee so vile a wretch and are a punishing thee The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked Psal 58.10 O woful woful One would think this enough if thou be not stark mad and fully bent to give the devil thy soul to make thee fly to Christ for succour and help that thou mayest be delivered in the day of trouble I say therefore consider seriously of these things 1. May not the very devils themselves come in against thee as well as Sodom that damned crue May not they I say come in against thee and say O thou simple man or woman O vile wretch that had not so much care of thy soul thy precious soul as the beast hath of his young or the dog of the very bone that lyeth before him Was thy soul worth so much and didst thou so little regard it were the thunder-claps of the law so terrible and didst thou so slight them Besides was the Gospel so freely so frequently so fully tendered to thee and yet hast thou rejected all these things Hast thou valued sin at an higher rate then thy soul then God Christ Angels Saints and Communion with them in eternal Blessedness and Glory Wast thou not told of hell fire those intollerable flames Didst thou never hear of the intollerable roarings of the damned ones that are therein Didst thou never hear or read that doleful saying in the 16. of Luke how the sinful man cries out among the flames One drop of water to cool my tongue Thus I say may the very devils being ready to go with thee into the burning furnace of fire and brimstone though not for sins of so high a nature as thine tremblingly say Oh that Christ had died for devils as he died for man And Oh that the Gospel had been preached to us as it hath been to thee O how glad would we have been of it How would we have laboured to have closed in with it But woe be to us for we might never have it profered no not in the least though we would have been glad of it But you you have had it profered preached and proclaimed unto you besides you have been intreated and beseeched to accept of it but you would not O simple fools that might have escaped wrath vengeance hell fire and that to all eternity and had no heart at all to do it 2 May not the messengers of Jesus Christ also come in with a shrill and terrible note against thy soul when thou standest at the bar of Gods Justice saying Nay thou ungodly one but how often hast thou been forewarned of this day Did we not sound an alarum in thine ears by the trumpet of Gods word day after day How often didst thou hear us tell thee of these things Did we not tell thee sin would damn thy soul Did we not tell thee that without conversion there was no salvation Did we not tell thee that they who loved their sins should be damned at this dark and gloomy day as thou art like to be Yet did we not tell thee that God out of his love to sinners sent Christ to die for them
that they were sent to do is then to be done their souls Christ eternity was scarce thought on before but now when mercilesse death begins to gripe them then do they begin to bethink themselves of those things which they should have got in readiness before and that is the reason why we so often hear many that lie upon their death beds to cry out for a little longer time and no wonder for they have the salvation of their souls to seek Oh sad case to have their work to do when the night is come and a Christ to seek when death hath found them take therefore the counsel of the holy Ghost Heb. 3.7 To day if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts Mark it is the Spirits counsel true the devil and thine own heart will tell thee another tale and be ready to whisper in thine ears thou mayest have time enough hereafter what need of so much haste another day may serve as well let thy soul be filled with pleasure a little longer and thy bags filled a little more thou mayest have time for this and that too Oh but this is the suggestion of an enemy that would cause thee to deferre so long that thy heart may grow too hard and thine ear too heavy to hear at all but certainly this being thy greatest business challengeth the first and greatest care Mat. 6.33 And let this be done then if thou shalt either have so much time to spare or a heart to do it take thy time for the other Sixthly this day of thy mercy and Christs importunity will not last long it is but a day and that a day of visitation indeed it is rich grace that there should be a day but dally not because it is but a day Jerusalem had her day but because therein she did not know the things of her peace a pitch night did overtake Luke 19.42.43 It is a day of patience and if thou despisest the riches of Gods goodness patience and long-suffering towards thee and art not thereby lead to repentance Rom. 2.5 A short time will make it a day of vengeance though now Christ calls because he is willing to save sinners yet he will not alwayes call see then that thou refuse not him that speaks from heaven in this Gospel-day Heb. 12.25 But seek him while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Isa 55.6 lest thou criest after him hereafter and he refuse thee It is not crying Lord Lord when the day of grace is past that will procure the least crumb of mercy Matth. 7.21 No if thou comest not when called but stayest while supper is ended thou shalt not taste thereof Luke 14.24 though a bit would save thy life thy soul if thou drinkest not of the fountain while it is opened thou shalt not when it is shut though thou beggest with tears of blood for one drop to cool thy scoarching flaming heart thou that mightest have had thy vessel full and wellcome shalt not now have so much as will hang on the tip of a finger Oh remember the axe is laid to the root of the tree Matth. 3.10 And although three years time may be granted through the Vine-dressers importunity that will soon be expired and then the axe that is now laid shall cut up the tree by its roots if it bring not forth good fruit Seest thou not that many of late have been snatched away on each side of thee by that hand that hath been stretched out and is so still and though thou mayst escape a while yet hast thou no assurance that the destroying Angel will long pass by thy door Oh then neglect thy soul no longer but consider time is short and uncertain eternity long thy work great thy soul immortal this world vanishing Christ precious hell hot and heaven desirable And if thou beest a Christian to whom this may come that hast not onely had a price in thy hand but wisdom given thee from above to make use of it and art one who whilst others are seeking to make this world and hell together sure to themselves spendest thy time and makest it thy onely business to make sure of the one thing necessary and heaven to thy soul I shall lay two or three things before thy thoughts First walk with a fixed eye upon the world to come Look not at the things which are seen that are temporal but at the things which are not seen that are eternal 2 Cor. 4.18 A Christians eye should be upon his journeys end as our Lord Jesus who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross Heb. 12.2 When the stones fled about Stephens ears His eyes were lifted up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God Acts 7.55 56. What though thou at present mayest lie at the rich mans gates yet a few dayes will translate thee into Abrahams bosome Though Israel had a sharp voyage through the wilderness yet Caleb and Joshua men of excellent spirits had their eye upon the good Land they were going to though graceless souls are too dull fighted to see a far off 2 Pet. 1.9 yet thou that hast received the unction from above dost in some measure know what is the hope of thy calling and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Secondly be satisfied with thy present condition though it be afflictive for it shall not last alwayes thy sorrows shall be short and thy joyes long roul thy self upon the Lord for there is a heaven will pay for all Christ first endured the cross before he wore the crown David before he was a King was a shepherd The poor man spoken of in this ensuing Treatise before he was carried into heaven had experiences of sorrow and sufferings on earth Let the flesh be silent in passing judgement on the dispensations of God towards thee and the men of this world in this present life David by prying too far herein with his own wisdom had almost caught a fall Psal 73. Though Gods judgements may be too deep for our reason to dive into yet are they alwayes righteous and his paths mercy and truth to those that keep his Covenants Psal 25.10 When Jeremiah would debate with the Lord concerning his judgements in the wickeds prosperity he would lay this down as an indubitable truth that his judgements were righteous Jer. 12.1 And his end was not to charge God but to learn understanding of him in the way of his judgements and although the wayes of his providence may be dark to his people that they cannot discern his footsteps yet are they alwayes consistent with his everlasting covenant and the results of the favour he bears to them If the wicked flourish like the grass it is that they should be destroyed for ever Psal 92.7 And if the godly have many a wave beating upon them yet will the Lord command his loving kindness
sence though not so naturally gathered from this Scripture 2. That he was laid at his gate full of sores These words hold forth the distempers of believers saying He was full of sores which may signifie the many troubles temptations persecutions and afflictions in body and spirit which they meet withal while they are in the world but also the entertainment they finde at the hands of those ungodly ones who live upon the earth Whereas it is said He was laid at his gate full of sores Mark He was laid at his gate not in his house that was thought too good for him But he was laid at his gate full of sores From whence observe That the ungodly world do not desire to entertain and receive the poor Saints of God into their houses If they must needs be somewhere near unto them yet they shall not come into their houses shut them out of doors if they will needs be near us let them be at the gate And he was laid at the gate full of sores 2. Observe that the world are not at all touched with the afflictions of Gods children for all they are full of sores a despised afflicted tempted persecuted people the world doth not pitty no but rather labour to aggravate their trouble by shutting them out of doors sink or swim what cares the world they are resolved to disown them they will give them no entertainment if the lying in the streets will do them any good if hard usage will do them any good if to be disowned rejected and shut out of doors by the world will do them any good they shall have enough of that but otherwise no refreshment no comfort from the world And he was laid at his gate full of sores Verse 21. Verse 21. And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich mans table the dogs came also and licked his sores BY these words our Lord Jesus doth shew us the frame of a Christians heart and also the heart and carriage of worldly men toward the Saints of the Lord the Christians heart is held forth by this that any thing will content him while he is on this side glory And he desired to be fed with the crumbs the dogs meat any thing I say a Christian will be content with any thing if he have but to keep life and soul together as we use to say He is content he is satisfied he hath learned if he hath learned to be a Christian to be content with any thing as Paul saith Phil. 4.21 I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content He learns in all conditions to study to love God to walk with God to give up himself to God and if the crumbs that fall from a rich mans table will but satisfie nature and give him bodily strength that thereby he may be the more able to walk in the way of God he is contented And he desired to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich mans table But mark he had them not you do not finde that he had so much as a crumb or a scrap allowed unto him No then the dogs will be beguild that must be preserved for the dogs From whence observe that the ungodly world do love their dogs better then the children of God You will say that 's strange It is so indeed yet it is true as will be clearly manifested as for instance How many pounds do some men spend in a year on their dogs when in the mean while the poor Saints of God may starve for hunger They will build houses for their dogs when the Saints must be glad to wander and lodge in dens and caves of the earth and if they be in any of their houses for the hire thereâ—f they will warn them out or eject them or pull down the house over their heads rather then not rid themselves of such Tenants Again some men cannot go half a mile from home but they must have their dogs at their heels but they can very willingly go half a score miles without the society of a Christian Nay if when they are busie with their dogs they should chance to meet a Christian they would willingly shift him if they could They will go on the other side of the hedge or the way rather then they will have any society with him and if at any time a child of God should come into an house where there are but two or three ungodly wretches they do commonly wish either themselves or the Saint out of doors and why so Because they cannot down with the society of a Christian though if there come in at the same time a dog or a drunken swearing wretch which is worse then a dog they will make him welcome he shall sit down with them and partake of their dainties And now tell me you that love your sins and your pleasures had you not rather keep company with a drunkard a swearer a strumpet a thief nay a dog as I said before then with an honest hearteâ— Christian If you say no. What meaâ—â— your sowre carriage to the people of God Why do you look on them as if you would eat them up yet at the very same time if you can but meet your dog or a drunken companion you can fawn upon them take acquaintance with them to the Tavern or Ale-house with them if it be two or three times in a week but if the Saints of God meet together pray together and labour to edifie one another you will stay till doomes-day as they call it before you will look into the house where they are Ah friends when all comes to all you will be found to love drunkards strumpets dogs any thing nay to serve the devil rather then to have loving and friendly society with the Saints of God Moreover The dogs came and licked his sores Here again you may see not onely the afflicted state of the Saints of God in this world but also that even dogs themselves according to their kind are more favourable to the Saints then the sinful world though the ungodly will have no mercy on the Saints yet it is ordered so that these creatures dogs lions c. will Though the rich man would not entertain hiâ— into his house yet his dogs will come and do him the best good they can even to lick his running sores It was thus with Daniel when the world was mad against him and would have him thrown to the lions to be devoured the lions shut their mouthes at him or rather the Lord did shut them up so that there was not that hurt befell to him as was desired by the adversaries Dan. 6. And this I am perswaded of that would the creatures do as some men would have them the Saints of God should not walk so quietly up and down the streets and other places as they do And as I said before so I say again I am perswaded that at
at And again tell me now if it be not better to leave sin and to close in with Christ Jesus notwithstanding that reproach thou shalt meet with for so doing then to live a little while in this world in pleasures and feeding thy lusts in neglecting the welfare of thy soul and refusing to be justified by Jesus and in a moment to drop down to hell and to cry O consider I say consider betimes and put not off the the tenders of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ lest you lift up your eyes in hell and cry for anguish of spirit And he cried and said Father Abraham have mercy upon me and send Lazarus c. These words do not onely hold forth the lamentable condition of the damned and their lamentable howling and crying out under their anguish of spirit but also they do signifie to us as I said before their too late repentance and also that they would very willingly if they might be set at liberty from that everlasting misery that by their sins they have plunged themselves into I say these words do hold forth a desire that the damned have to be delivered from those torments that they now are in O Father Abraham saith he have mercy upon me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame These words Father Abraham may have some difficulty in them It is possible that some may think them to be meant of Abraham and those or him that crieth out here to be the Jews Or it may be some may understand it to be God or Jesus Christ his Son which I rather suppose it may be that is here cried out unto because you finde the same cry to him as it were uttered by the ungodly in other places of the Scripture as in Luke 13. verse 25 26. Then shall they say Lord Lord we have eat and drunk in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets Nay more In thy Name have we cast out devils and in thy Name done many wonderfull works This was just at their rejection And again in Mat. 25.11 They cry again to him even to Jesus Lord Lord open to us And he there again gives them a repulse as also in this Parable But however or whosoever Abraham is yet these truths may be observed from the words 1. That the damned when in an irrecoverable estate will seek for or desire deliverance from the wrath that they are and shall be in for eternity 2. That they will pray if I may so call it earnestly for deliverance from their miserable estate These two things are clear from the words For mark He not onely said Father Abraham have mercy upon me But he cried and said Father Abraham have mercy on me From whence take a third observation and that is There is a time comming wherein though men shall both cry and pray yet they are like to have no mercy at the hands of God for so was this man served as I shall further shew by and by when I come to it Some people are so deluded by the devil as to think that God is so merciful as to own or regard any thing for prayer they think any thing will go for currant and good satisfaction while they are here in this world through ignorance of the true nature of the mercy of God and the knowledge in what way God is satisfied for sinners Now I say through ignorance they think that if they do but mutter over some form of prayers though they know not what they say nor what they request yet God is satisfied yea very well satisfied with their doings when alas there is nothing lesse O friends I beseech you to look about you and seek in good earnest for the Spirit of Christ so to help you now to strive and pray and to enable you to lay hold of Christ that your souls may be saved lest the time come that though you cry and pray and wish also that you had laid hold on the Lord Jesus yet you must and shall be damned Then again you may see that though God be willing to save sinners at some time yet this time doth not alwayes last No he that can finde in his heart to turn his back upon Jesus Christ now shall have the back turned upon him hereafter when he may cry and pray for mercy and yet go without it God will have a time to meet with them that now do seek after him they shall have a time yea time enough hereafter to repent their folly and to befool themselves for turning their backs upon the Lord Jesus Christ Again this should admonish us to take time while it is profered lest we repent us of our unbelief and rebellion when we are deprived of it Ah friends time is precious an hours time to hear a sermon is precious I have sometimes thought thus with my self Set the case the Lord should send two or three of his servants the Ministers of the Gospel to hell among the damned with this Commission Go ye to Hell and preach my grace to those that are there let your Sermon be an hour long and hold forth the merits of my Sons birth righteousness death resurrection ascension and intercession with all my love in him and proffer it to them telling them that now once more and but once do I profer the means of reconciliation to them They who are now roaring being past hope would then leap at the least proffer of mercy Oh they that could spend whole dayes weeks nay years in rejecting the Son of God would now be glad of one tender of that mercy Father saith he have mercy on me Again from these words you may observe that mercy will be welcome when souls are under judgement now his soul is in the fire now he is under the wrath of God now he is in Hell there to be tormented now he is with the devills and damned spirits now he feels the vengeance of God now Oh now have mercy on me Here you may see again that mercy is prized by them that are in Hell they would be glad if they could have it Father have mercy on me For my poor souls sake send me a little mercy And send Lazarus that he may dip thâ— tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue These words do not onely hold forth that the ungodly have a desire of mercy but what those mercies are that these poor creatures would be glad of As first To have the company of a Lazarus granted to them Father Abraham have mercy upon me and send Lazarus Now Lazarus was he that was beloved of God and also he that was hated of him Therefore 2. Observe that those Saints that the world in their life-time could not indure now they are departed they would be glad to have society with them O now send Lazarus though the time was when I cared not for
sin against him while the Saints were a praying thou wert a cursing while they were speaking good of the name of God thou wert speaking evil of the saints of God O then thou shalt have a scalding hot remembrance of all thy sinful thoughts words and actions from the very first to the last of them that ever thou didst commit in all thy life time Then thou wilt find that Scripture to be a truth Deut. 28.65 66 67. The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart and failing of eyes and sorrow of mind And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee and thou shalt fear day and night and shalt have none assurance of thy life In the morning thou shalt say would God it were even and at even thou shalt say would God it were morning for the fear of thine heare wherewith thou shalt fear and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see Nay thou wilt find worse things to thy woe then this Scripture doth manifest For indeed there is no tongue able to express the horrour terrour torment and eternal misery that those poor souls shall undergo without the least mitigation oâ— ease and a very great part of it shall flow or come from that quick full and continual remembrance that they shall have And therefore there is much weight in these words Son remember that thou in thy life time hadst thy good things That is all thou art like to have From these words you see this is to be observed that the ungodly shall remember or have in remembrance the mispending their lives and that I gather from these words Remember that in thy life time thou hadst thy good things You may take these words good things either simply for the things of this world which in themselves are called and may be called good things or else with these words namely the things of this life all the pleasures delights profits and vanities which the ignorant people of the world do count their good things and do very much cheer themselves therewith Soul soul eat drink and be merry for thou hast much goods laid up for many years Luke 12.20 Now I say God according to his glorious power and wisdome will make poor creatures have alwayes in their minds a fresh and clear remembrance of their ill spent life he will say unto them Remember remember that in thy life time it was thus and thus with thee and in thy life time thy carriage was so and so It is like that if sinners might have their choice they would not have their sins and transgressions so much in remembrance as is evident by their carriages here in this world for here they will not endure to entertain a serious thought of their filthy life but will labour by all means to put the thought of it out of their mind but there they shall be made to remember to a purpose and to think continually of their ungodly deeds And therefore it is said that when our Lord Jesus comes to judgement it will be to convince the ungodly world of their wicked and ungodly deeds Mark To convince them Jude 14 15. It is like they will not willingly take notice of them But they shall be convinced of them in spite of their teeth And also between this and them these that die out of Christ shall be made to see acknowledge and confess do what they can when they lift up their eyes in hell and to remember their transgressions God will be a swift witness against them Mat. 3.5 and will say Remember what thou didst in thy life time how thou didst live in thy life time Ha friend if thou dost not in these dayes of light remember the dayes of darkness Eccles 11.8 the dayes of death hell and judgement thou shalt be made in the dayes of darkness death hell and at the judgement too to remember the dayes of the Gospel and how thou didst disregard them too to thy own destruction and everlasting misery Remember that in thy life time thou hadst thy good things The great God in stead of giving the ungodly any ease will even aggravate their torments first by slighting their perplexities Secondly by telling of them what they must be thinking of Remember saith he O ye lost souls that you had your joy in your life time your peace in your life time your comforts delights ease wealth health your heaven your happiness and your portion in your life time O miserable state Thou will then be in a sad condition indeed when thou shalt see that thou hast had thy good things thy best things thy pleasent things for that is clearly signified by these words Remember that thou in thy life time hadst thy good things or all the good things thou art like to have From whence take notice of another truth though it be a dreadful one to them that fall under the sentence of it which is this there are many poor creatures who have all their good sweet and comfortable things in this life or while they are alive in this world remember saith he that in thy life time thou hadst thy good thiâ—gs Psal 17.14 2. Observe That the wickeds good things will shortly have an end they will last no longer with them then this life or their life time That Scripture was not written in vain It is like the crackling of thorns under a pot make a litle blaze for a sudden a little heat for a while but come and consider them by and by and instead of a comfortable heat you will find nothing but a few dead ashes and instead of a flaming fire nothing but a smell of smoak 3. Again observe that there is a time coming that the ungodly would be glad of a better portion when they shall see the vanity of this that is when they shall see what a poor thing it is for a man to have his portion in this world 'T is true while they are here on this side hell they think there is nothing to be compared with riches honours and pleasures in this world which makes them cry out Who will shew us any good that is comparable to the pleasures profits and glory of this world but then they will see there is another thing that is better and of more value then ten thousand worlds And seriously friends will it not grieve you trouble perplex and torment you when you shall see that you lost heaven for a little pleasure and profits in your life time certainly it will grieve you and perplex you exceedingly to see what a blessed heaven you left for a dunghill world Oh! that you did but believe this that you did but consider this and say within your selves What shall I be contented with my portion in this world what shall I lose heaven for this world I say consider it while you have day-light and Gospel-light while the Son of God doth hold out termes of reconciliation to you least you be made to hear
or did but rain thou that wert loath to come out of the chimney corner if the winde did but blow a little cold and wert loath to go half a mile yea half a furlong to hear the word of God if it were but a little dark thou that wert loath to leave a few vain companions to edifie thy soul thou shalt have fire enough thou shalt have night enough and evil company enough thy belly full if thou miss of Jesus Christ and besides all this thou shalt have them for ever and for ever O thou that dost spend whole nights in carding and dicing in rioting and wantonness thou that countest it a brave thing to swear as fast as the bravest to spend with the greatest spend-thrift as we call them in the countrey O thou that lovest to sin in a corner when no body sees thee O thou that for by-ends dost carry on an hypocrites profession because thou wouldest be counted some body among the children of God but art an enemy to the things of Christ in thine heart thou that dost satisfie thy self either with sins or a bare profession of godliness thy soul will fall into extreme torment and anguish so soon as ever thou dost depart this world and there thou shalt be weeping and gnashing thy teeth And besides all this thou art like never to have any ease or remedy never look for any deliverance if thou die out of Christ thou shalt die in thy sins and be tormented as many years as there are stars in the firmament or sands on the sea-shore and besides all this thou must abide it for ever And besides al this between us you there is a great gulf fixed so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot neither can they come to us that would come from thence There is a great gulf fixed You will say what is that Answ It is a nice question therefore first seek thou rather to enter in at the straight gate than curiously to enquire what this gulf is But 2. if thou wouldest needs know it is like that if thou do fall short of heaven thou wilt find it this namely the everlasting decree of God that is that there is a decree gone forth from God that those who fall short of heaven in this world God is resolved they shall never enjoy it in the world to come And thou wilt find this gulf so deep that thou shalt never be able to wade through it as long as eternity lasts As Christ saith Agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art in the way with him lest he hale thee to the judge and the judge deliver thee to the officer and thou be cast into prison I tell thee thou shalt in no wise come out thence there is the gulf the decree thou shalt not depart thence till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing or very last mite Luk. 12.58 59. These words therefore there is a great gulf fixed I do understand to be the everlasting decree of God that is God hath decreed that those who go to heaven shall never go from thence again into a worse place and also those that go to hell and would come out they shall not come out thence again And friend this is such a gulf so fixed by him that cannot lie that thou wilt find it so which way soever thou goest whether it be to heaven or hell Here therefore thou seest how secure God will make those who dye in the faith God will keep them in heaven but those that die in their sins God will throw them to hell and keep them there so that they that would go from heaven to hell cannot neither can they come from hell that would go to heaven Mark he doth not say they would not for oh how fain would these who have lost their souls for a lust for two pence for a jug of Ale for a strumpet for this world come out of that hot scalding fiery furnace of Gods eternal vengeance if they might but here is their misery they that would come from you to us that is from hell to heaven cannot They must not they shall not they cannot God hath decreed it and is resolved the contrary here therefore lies the misery not so much that they are in hell if they might come out again but there they must lie for ever and ever O therefore if thy heart would at any time tempt thee to sin against God cry out O no for then I must go to hell and lie there for ever O if the drunkards swearers lyars and hypocrites did but take this doctrine soundly down it would make them tremble when they think of sinning But poor souls now they will make a mock at sinne and play with it as a child doth play with a rattle but the time is coming that these rattles that now they play with will make such a noise in their ears and consciences one day that they shall find that if all the devils in hell were yelling at their heels the noise would not be comparable to it Numb 32.23 O friend thy sins as so many blood-hounds will first hunt thee out and then take thee and bind thee and hold thee down for ever Prov. 5.22 They will gripe thee and gnaw thee as if thou hadst a nest of poisonous Serpents in thy bowels and this will not be for a time but as I have said for ever for ever for ever Ver. 27. Then he said I pray thee therefore father Verse 27. that thou wouldst send him to my fathers house THe verses before I told you were spoken partly to hold forth a desire that the damned have to be freed of their endless misery Now this verse that I have read unto you still holds forth that the cries of those poor souls very vehement they would very fain have something granted to them but it will not be as will more clearly appear afterward Then he said I pray thee therefore Father c. As if he should say Seeing I have brought my self into such a miserable condition that God will not regard me that my exceeding loud and bitter cryes will not be heard for my self seeing I must not be admitted to have so much as one drop of cold water nor the least help from the poorest Saint And seeing besides all this here my soul must lye to all eternity broyling and frying Seeing I must whether I will or no undergo the hand of eternal vengeance and the rebukes of devouring fire seeing my state is such that I would not wish a dog in my condition send him to my fathers house It is worthy to be taken notice of again who it is he desired should be sent namely Lazarus O friend see here how the stout hearts and stomacks of poor creatures will be humbled as I said before they will be so brought down that those things that they d sdained and made light of in this world they would be glad of in the
destruction insomuch that he will have to answer for his own sins and for a great part of his neighbours too which will still adde to his destruction as that Scripture in Ezek. sheweth where speaking of the watchman that should give the people warning if he did not though the man did die in his sins yet his blood should be required at the watchmans hand Ezek. 33. So here let me tell thee that if thou shouldest be such an one as by thy conversation and practices shalt be a trap and a stumbling-block to cause thy neighbour to fall into eternal ruine though he be damned for his own sin yet God may nay he will charge thee as being guilty of his blood in that thou didst not content thy self to keep from heaven thy self but didst also by thy filthy conversation keep away others also cause them to fall with thee O therefore will not this aggravate thy torment Yea if thou shouldest die and go to hell before thy neighbour or companions besides the guilt of thine own sins thou wouldest be so loaden with the fear of the damnation of others to be laid to thy charge that thou wouldest cry out O send one from the dead to this companion and that companion with whom I had society in my life time for I see my cursed carriage will be one cause of his condemnation if he fall short of glory It is true I left him living in foul and hainous offences But I was one of the first instruments to bring him to them Oh I shall be guilty both of mine own and his damnation too that he might be kept out hence lest my torment be aggravated by his comming hither For as I said before where ungodly people do dwell together they being a snare and stumbling-block one to another by their practices they must needs be a torment one to another and an aggravation of each others damnation O cursed be thy face saith one that ever I set mine eyes on thee It was long of thee I may thank the it was thee that did intice me and ensnare me it was your filthy conversation that was as a stumbling-block to me it was your covetousness it was your pride your haunting the Alehouse your gaming and whoring it was long oâ— you that I fell short of life if you had set me a good example as you did set me an ill one it may be I might have done better then now I do But I learned of you I followed your steps I took counsel of you O that I had never seen thy face O that thou hadst never been born to do my soul this wrong as you have done O saith the other And I may as much blame you for do not you remember how at such a time and at such a time you drew me out and drew me away and asked me if I would go with you when I was going about other business about my calling but you called me away you sent for me you are as much in the fault as I though I were covetous you were proud and if you learned covetousness of me * This language is sometimes heard at the gallows but for ought that I can learn it is more to be heard in hell I learned pride and drunkenness of you though I learned you to cheat you learned me to whore to lye to scoff at goodness Though I base wretch did stumble you in some things yet you did as much stumble me in others I can blame you as you blame me and if I have to answer for some of your most filthy actions you have to answer for some of mine I would you had not come hither the very looks of you doth wound my soul by bringing my sins afresh into my mind the time when the manner how the place where the persons with whom it was with you you grief to my soul since I could not shun thy company there Oh! that I had been without thy company here I say therefore for these that have sinned together to go to hell together it will very much perplex and torment them both Therefore I judge this is one reason why they that are in hell do desire that their friends or companions do not come thither into the same place of torment that they are in And therefore where Christ saith that these damned souls cry out Send to our companions that they may be warned and commanded to look to themselves O send to my five brethren it is because they would not have their own torments heightned by their company and a sense yea a continual sense of their sins which they did cause them to commit when they were in the world with them For I do believe that the very looks of those that have been beguiled by their fellows I say their very looks will be a torment to them for thereby will the remembrance of their own sins be kept if possible the fresher on their consciences which they committed with them and also they will wonderfully have the guilt of the others sins upon them in that they weâ—e partly the cause of his committing â—â—em being instruments in the hands of the devil to draw them into them And therefore lest this come to pass I pray thee send him to my fathers house For if they might not come hither peradventure my torment might have some mitigation that is if they might be saved then their sins will be pardoned and not so heavily charged on my soul But if they do fall into the same place where I am the sins that I have caused them to commit will lie so heavy not only on their souls but also on mine that they will be enough to sink me into eternal misery deeper and deeper O therefore send him to my fathers house to my five brethren and let him testifie to them lest they come into this place of torment These words being thus understood What a condition doth it shew them to be in then that now so much delight in being the very ring-leaders of their companions into sins of all sorts whatsoever Now while men live here if they can be counted the cunningest in cheating the boldest for lying the archest for whoring the subtillest for coveting and getting the world Now if men can but cunningly defraud undermine cross and anger their neighbours yea and hinder their neighbours from the means of Grace the Gospel of Christ they can now glory in 't take a pride in 't and think themselves pretty well at ease and there minds and are somewhat quiet being beguiled with sin But my friend when thou hast lost this life and dost begin to lift up thine eyes in hell and seest what thy sins have brought thee to and not onely so but that thou by thy filthy sins didst cause others devil-like to fall into the same condemnation with thee And that one of the reasons of their damnation was this that thou didst lead them to the commission of those wicked
words have still something more in them then I have yet observed from them there are one or two things more that I shall briefly touch upon and therefore Mark he saith That he may testifie unto them lest c. Mark I pray you and take notice of the word Testifie He doth not say and let him go unto them or speak with or tell them such and such things No but let him testifie or affirme it constantly in case any should oppose it Let him testifie to them It is the same word the Scripture useth to set forth the vehemencie of Christ his telling of his disciples of him that should betray him And he testified saying One of you shall betray me And he testified that is he spake it so as to dash or overcome any that should have said it shall not be so It is a word that signifies thus much That in case any should oppose the things spoken of yet that the party speaking should still continue constant in his saying And he commanded them to preach and to testifie that it is he which was ordained of God to be the juâ—ge of quick and dead To testifie Mark that is to be constant irresistible undanted in case it should be opposed and objected against So here let him testifie to them lest they come into this place of torment From whence observe That it is not an easie matter to perswade them who are in their sins alive in this world that they must and shall be damned if they turne not and be converted to God Let him testifie to them let him speak confidently though they frown upon him or dislike his way of speaking to them And how is this truth verified and cleared by the carriages of almost all men now in the world toward them that do preach the Gospel and shew their own miserable state plainly to them if they close not with it If a man do but indeed labour to convince sinners of their sins and lost condition by nature though they must be damned if they live and die in that condition Oh how angry are they at it Look how he judges say they hark how he condemns us he tells us we must be damned if we live and die in this state we are offended at him we cannot abide to hear him or any such as he we will believe none of them all but go on in the way we are a going I say tell the drunkard he must be damned if he leave not his drunkenness the swearer liar cheater thief covetous railers or any ungodly persons they must and shall lie in hell for it if they die in this condition they will not believe you nor credit you Again tell others that there are many in hell that have lived and died in their conditions and so are they like to be if they convert not to Jesus Christ and be found in him Again there are others that are more civil and sober men who although we know that their civility will not save them if we do but tell them plainly of the emptiness and unprofitableness of that as to the saving of their souls and that God will not accept them nor love them notwithstanding these things and that if they intend to be saved they must be better provided than with such a righteousness as this they will either fling away and come to hear no more or else if they do come they will bring such prejudice with them in their hearts that the word preached shall not profit them it being mixed not with faith but with prejudice in them that hear it Nay they will some of them be so full of anger that they will break out and call even those that speak the truth Heretiques and say they would deceive them And why so Because they tell them that if they live in their sins that will damne them yet if the turne and live a righteous life according to the holy and just and good law of God that will not save them Yea because we tell them plainly that unless they leave their sins and righteousness too and close in with a naked Jesus Christ his blood and merits and what he hath done and is now doing for sinners they cannot be saved And unless they do eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drink his blood they have no life abiding in them they gravel presently and are offended at it as the Jews were with Christ for speaking of the same thing to them Joh. 6.53 60. and fling away themselves the souls and all by quarrelling against the doctrine of the Sonne of God as indeed they do though they will not believe they do and therefore he that is a Preacher of the word had need not onely tell them but testifie to them again and again that their sins if they continue in them will damne them and damne them again And tell them again their living honestly according to the law their paying every one their own their living quietly with their neighbours their giving to the poor their notion of the Gospel and saying they do believe in Christ will do them no good at the general day of Judgement they are offended also Ha friends how many of you are there at this very day that have been told once and again of your lost undone condition because you want the right reall and saving work of God upon our souls I say hath not this been told you yea testified unto you from time to time that your state is miserable that yet you are never the better but do still stand where you did some in an openly ungodly life and some drowned in a self-conceited holiness of Christianity Therefore for Gods sake if you love your souls consider and beg of God for Jesus Christs sake that he would work such a work of grace in your hearts and give you such a faith in his Sonne Jesus Christ that you may not onely have rest here as you think not onely think your state safe while you live here but that you may be safe indeed not onely here but also when you are gone lest you do cry in the anguish and perplexity of your souls O send one to my companions that have been beguiled by Satan as I have been and so by going on come into this place of torment as I have done Again one thing more is to be observed from these words Let him testifie to them lest they come into this place of torment Mark lest they come in as if he had said or else they will come into this place of torment as sure as I am here From whence observe That though some souls for sin do fall into the bottomless pit of hell before their fellows because they depart this world before them yet the other abiding in the same course are as sure to go to the same place as if they were there already How so Because they are all condemned together they have all fallen under the same
law and have all offended the same justice and must for certain if they die in that condition drink as deep if not deeper of the same destruction Mark I pray you what the Scriptures say He that believeth not is condemned already John 3.18 He is condemned as well as they having broken the same law with them if so then what hinders but they will partake of the same destruction with them onely the one hath not the law yet so executed upon them because they are here the other have had the law executed upon them they are gone to drink that which they have been brewing and thou art brewing that in this life which thou must certainly drink if thou be not found in Jesus Christ Mark the same law I say is in force against you both onely he is executed and thou art not Just as if there were a company of prisoners at the bar and all condemned to die what because they are not all executed in one day therefore shall they not be executed at all Yes the same law that executed its severity upon the parties now deceased will for certain be executed on them that are alive in its appointed time Even so it is here we are all condemned by nature if we close not in with the grace of God by Jesus Christ we must and shall be destroyed with the same destruction and therefore send him saith he lest Mark lest they come into this place of torment Again Send him to my fathers house let him testifie to them lest they come into this place of torment As if he had said It may be he may prevail with them It may be he may win upon them and so they may be kept from hence from coming into this grievous place of torment From whence observe again That there is a possibility of obtaining mercy if now I say now in this day of grace we turn from our sins to Jesus Christ yea it is more then possible And therefore for thy incouragement do thou know for certain that if thou shalt in this thy day accept of mercy upon Gods own terms and close with him effectually God hath promised yea made many promises that thy soul shall be conducted safe to glory and shall for certain escape all the evils that I have told thee of I and many more then I can imagine Do but search the Scriptures and see how full of consolation they are to a poor soul that is minded to close in with Jesus Christ He that commeth to me saith Christ I will in no wise cast out Though he be an old sinner I will in no wise cast him out Mark in no wise though he be a great sinner I will in no wise cast him out if he come to me Though he have slighted me never so many times and not regarded the welfare of his own soul yet let him now come to me and notwithstanding this I will in no wise cast him out nor throw away his soul Joh. 6.37 Again saith the Apostle Now Mark now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation Now here is mercy good store now Gods heart is open to sinners now he will make you welcome now he will receive any body if they do but come to Christ He that comes to me saith Christ I will in no wise cast out And why Because now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 3. As if the Apostle had said If you will have mercy have it now receive it now close in with it now God hath a certain day to hold out his grace to sinners Now is the time now is the day 'T is true there is a day of damnation but this is a day of salvation 'T is true there is a day coming wherein sinners must cry to the mountains to fall on them to the hills to cover them from the wrath of God but now now is the day in which he doth hold out his grace There is a day a coming in which you will not be admitted to have the priviledge of one drop of water to cool your tongue if now I say if now you slight his grace and goodness which he holds out to you Ah friends consider there is now hopes of mercy but then there will not now Christ holds forth mercy unto you but then he will not Mat. 7.23 Now there are his Servants that do beseech you to accept of his grace but if thou lose the opportunity that is put into thine hand thou thy self mayest beseech hereafter and no mercy be given thee And he cryed and said Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue And there was none given Therefore let it never be said of thee as it will be said of some Why is there a price put into the hand of a fool seeing he hath no heart to it Seeing he hath no heart to make a good use of it Prov. 17.16 consider therefore with thy self and say It is better going to heaven then hell it is better to be saved then damned it is better to be with Saints then with damned souls and to go to God is better then to go to the devil Therefore seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near Isa 55.6 Lest in thy trouble he leave thee to thy self and say unto thee plainly Where I am thither ye cannot come Joh. 8.21 O if they that are in hell might but now again have one such invitation as this how would they leap for joy I have thought sometimes should God send but one of his ministers to the damned in hell and give him commission to preach the free love of God in Christ extended to them and held out to them if now while it is profered to them they will accept of his kindness O how welcome would they make this news and close in with it on any termes Certainly they would say we will accept of grace on any termes in the world and thank you too though it cost life and limbs to boot we will spare no cost nor charge if mercy may be had But poor souls while they live here they will not part from sin with hell-bred devilish sin No they will rather lose their souls then lose their filthy sins But friend thou wilt change thy note ere it be long and cry O simple wretch that I am that I should damne my soul by sin 'T is true I have had the Gospel preached to me and have been invited in I have been preached to and have been warned of this but how have I hated instruction and mine heart despised reproof I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers nor inclined mine eare to them that instructed me Prov. 5.10 11. O therefore I say poor soul is there hope then lay thine hand upon thy mouth and kiss the dust and close in with
the dead what need have they of such a thing Have they not Moses and the Prophets hath not Moses told them the danger of living in sin Deut. 27. from ver 15. to ver 26. And chap. 28.15 16 17 18 19 20. c. to the end of the chapter also ch 29.18 19 20 21. hath he not there told them what a sad state these persons are in that deceive themselves with the deceit of their hearts saying They shall have peace though they follow their sins in these words And when he heareth the words of this curse he bless himself in his heart saying I shâ—ll have peace though I go on or walk in the imagination of my heart to adde drunkenness to thirst The Lord will not spare that man but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against him and all the curses that are written in this book shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven Agâ—in did not Moses write of the Saviour that was to come afterwards into the world Deut. 18.18 Nay have not all the Prophets from Samuel with all those that follow after prophesied and foretold these things therefore what need â—ave they that I should work such a miracle as to send one from the dead unto them They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them From whence observe again That God doth honour the writings of Moses and the Prophets as much nay more then if one should rise from the dead Should not a people seek unto their God what seek for seek for the living among the dead To the Law and to the testimonies saith â—od if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Isa 8 19 20. And let me tell you plainly I do believe that the devil knows this full well which makes him labour to beget in the hearts of his disciples and followers light thoughts of them and doth perswade them that even a motion from their own beguiled conscience or from his own wicked Spirit is to be observed and obeyed before them when the very Apostle of Jesus Christ though he heard a voice from the excellent glory saying This is my beloved Son c. Yet writing to the Churches and telling them he heard such a voice he commends the writings of the Prophets before it saying We have also a more sure word of the Prophets unto which ye do well to take heed c. 2 Pet. 1 17 18 19. Now if thou doubtest whether that place be meant the Scriptures the words of the Prophets or no read but the next verse where he addeth for a certain confirmation thereof these words Knowing this first that there is no prophecy of the Scriptures Mark it is the prophecy of the Scriptures There is no prophecy of the Scriptures of any private interpretation for prophecy came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost And therefore O what a sad thing is it with those that go about to disown the Scriptures I tell you however you may slight them now yet when they come into hell and in bitterness of soul cry out Oh that one might go to forewarn my companions of their folly lest they come into this place of torment God doth and will answer them with these words they have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them Again it is very observable who they are that are so tossed to and fro with the several winds of doctrine that have been broached in these dayes They are such for the most part as have had a light esteem of the Scriptures for the ground of errour as Christ saith is because they know not them Mark 12.24 And indeed it is just with God to give them over to follow their own dark blinded consciences to be led into errours that they might be damned into hell who did not believe that the things contained in the Scripture were the truth that they might be saved and go to heaven I cannot well tell how to have done speaking for and on the Scriptures side onely this I consider Verse 30. A word is enough to the wise and therefore I shall commit these things into the hands of them that are of God and as for the rest if they convert not to Jesus Christ I shall say to them rather then God will save them from hell with the breach of his holy word if they had a thousand souls a piece God would destroy them all for the Scriptures cannot be broken Joh. 10.35 Ver. 30. And he said nay Father Abraham but if one went unto them from the dead they would repent THe verse before you know as I told you it was part of an answer to such as lose their souls so it is a vindication of the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets where he saith They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them as if he had said they should have closed in with the tenders of mercy held out by Moses Samuel David Isaiah Jeremiah together with the rest of the glorious certain truths that I moved them to utter and hold forth in their generation to the world and also which they have left on record both for the warning comfort and reproof of them who in after ages should come into the world both by holding forth the state of man by nature how miserable it was and by holding out the mercy and grace of God and how large that was and also how free God is and ever was to save them that did come the right way to him namely by Christ together with the lamentable and sad state that those were and are and shall be in that did turne their backs on what they did then speak and afterwards leave on record for the good of succeeding generations if they vvould or v ill be blessed that are yet alive let them ovvn them cloâ—e in vvith that vvhich is held forth by them namely the Mesias or Jesus that came from heaven to earth on purpose to lay dovvn his life for the rebellious as I said before Novv this verse is an ansvver to the former and such an one as hath in it a kind of rejectâ—on of the former ansvver Nay Father Abraham Nay saith he do not say so do not put them off vvith this send one from the dead and then there vvill be some hopes 'T is true thou speakest of the Scriptures of Moses and the Prophets and sayest let them hear them but these things are not so vvell as I could vvish I had rather thou wouldst send one from the dead In these vvords therefore Nay Father Abraham there is a repulse given Nay let it not be so Nay I do not like of that ansvver Hear Moses and the Prophets nay The same expression is used by Christ Luk. 13.2 3. Think you that they upon whom the tower of
of them and all this made mention of in the Scriptures But for all this how thick and by heaps do these wretches walk up and down our streets Do but go into the Alehouses you shall see almost every room besprinkled with them so foming out their own shame that it is enough to make the heart of a Saint to tremble in so much that they would not be bound to have society with them any long while for all the world For as the wayes of the godly are not liked of by the wicked even so the wayes of the wicked are an abomination to the just Prov. 29.27 Psal 120.5 6. As now to particularize some things The Scriptures say Cursed is the man that trusteth in man that maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord. Jer. 17 5. And yet how many poor souls are there in the world that stand in so much aw and dread of man and do so highly esteem their favour that they will rather venture their souls in the hands of the devil with their favour then they will fly to Jesus Christ for the salvation of their soul if they must lose their favour and have their frownes and displeasure for the same Nay though they be convinced in their souls that the way is the way of God yet how do they labour to stisle convictions and turn their ears away from the truth and all because they will not lose the favour of an opposite neighbour Oh! I dare not for my Master my Brother my Landlord I shall lose his favour his house of work and so decay my calling O saith another I would willingly go in this way but for my Father he chides and tells me he will not stand my friend when I come to wants I shall never enjoy a penyworth of his goods he will disinherit me And I dare not saith another for my Husband for he will be a railing and tells me he will turn me out of doors he will beat me and cut off my legs But I tell you if any of these or any other things be so prevalent with thee now as to keep thee from seeking after Christ in his wayes they will also be so prevalent with God against thee as to make him cast off thy soul because thou didst rather trust man then God and delight in the imbracings of man rather than in the favour of the Lord. 2. Again the Scripture saith He that being often reproved heardneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Prov. 29.1 Yet many are so far from turning though they have been convinced of their wretched state an hundred times that when convictions or trouble for sin comes on their consciences they go on still in the same manner resisting and choaking the same though remediless destruction be hard at their heels 3. Again thou hast heard say Vnless a man be borne again he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven Joh. 3.3 5 7. And yet thou goest on in a natural state an unregenerate condition nay thou dost resolve never to turn nor be changed though hell be appointed on purpose to swallow up such Isa 14.9 Psal 9.17 The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God 4. Again the Scriptures saith plainly That he that loveth and maketh a lie shall have his part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 27. And yet thou art so far from dreading it that it is thy delight to jeast and jeer and lye for a penny or two pence or six pence gain And also if thou canst make the rest of thy companions merry by telling things that are false of them that are better then thy self thou dost not care a straw Or if thou hearest a lie from or of another thou wilt tell it and swear to the truth of it O miserable 5. Thou hast heard and read That he that believes not shall be damned Mar. 16.16 And that all men have not faith 2 Thess 3.2 and yet thou dost so much disregard these things that it is like thou didst scarce ever so much as examine seriously whether thou wert in the faith or no but dost content thy self with the hypocrites hope which at the last God will cut off and count it no better then the spiders web Job 8.13 14. or the house that is builded on the sands Luk. 6.49 Nay thou peradventure dost flatter thy self thinkest that thy faith is as good as the best of them all when alas poor soul thou mayest have no saving faith at all which thou hast not if thou be not borne again and made a new creature 2 Cor. 2.17 6. Thou hast heard That he that neglects Gods great salvation shall never escape his great damnation Heb. 2.3 compared with Luke 14.24 and Rev. 14.19 20. And yet when thou art invited intreated and beseeched to come in Luk. 14.17 18. 2 Cor. 5.19 20. Rom. 12.1 thou wilt make any excuse to serve the turn Nay thou wilt be so wicked as to put off Christ time after time notwithstanding he is so freely proferred to thee a little ground a few oxen a farme a wife a two penny matter a play nay the fear of a mock a scoffe or a jeer to be of greater weight to draw thee back than the salvation of thy soul to draw thee forward 7. And thou hast heard that Whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God Jam 4.4 But thou regardest not these things but contrariwise rather then thou wilt be out of the friendship and favour of this world thou wilt sinne against thine own conscience and get thy self into favour by fawning and flattering of the world Yea rather then thou wilt go without it thou wilt dissemble lye backbite thy neighbour and an hundred other tricks thou wilt have O sad 8. You have heard that the day of judgement is near in which you and I all of us muâ—t appear before the tribunal of Jesus Christ and there be made to give an account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead even of all that ever we did yea of all our sins in thought and word and deed and shall certainly be damned for them too if we close not in with our Lord Jesus Christ and what he hath done and suffered for eternal life and that not notionally or contradictionally but really savingly in the power and by operation of the spirit through faith Eccles 11.9 12 14. Heb. 9 27. Acts 10.42 Acts 17.30 31. 2 Cor. 5.10 Rev 20.12 And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things that were written in the books There is the book of the Creatures the book of Conscience the book of the Lords Remembrance the book of the Law the book of the Gospel Rom. 1.20 compare with Rom.
verse one line nay one word of holy Scriptures make in his heart so that he cannot eat sleep work keep company with his former companions and all because he is afraid that the damnation spoken of in Scripture will fall to his share Like Balaam who said I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord so long as he had something of the word of the Lord with authority severity and power on his heart but at another time he could teach Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel Rev. 2.14 3. Because the carnal Priests do tickle the ears of their hearers with vain Philosophy and deceit and thereby harden their hearts against the simplicity of the Gospel and word of God which things the Apostle admonished those that have a mind to close in with Christ to avoid Col. 2.8 saying Bewarâ—â—est any man be he what he will spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceit after the traditions of men and rudiments of the world and not after Christ And you who nuzzle up your people in ignorance with Aristotle Plato and the rest of the heathenish Philosophers and preach little if any thing of Christ rightly I say unto you that you will find that you have sinned against God and beguiled your hearers when God shall in the judgement-day lay the cause of the damnation of many thousands of souls to your charge and say He will require their blood at your hands Ezek. 33.6 4. Another reason why the carnal unbelieving world do so slight the Scriptures and word of God is because the judgement spoken of in the Scripture is not presently executed on the transgressors Because sentence against an evil act is not speedily executed therefore the hearts of the sons of men are wholly set in them to do evil Eccles 8.11 Because God doth not presently strike the poor wretch as soon as he sins but waits and forbears and is patient Therefore the world judging God to be unfaithful go to it agaiâ— and again and every time grow harder and harder till at last God is forced either to stretch out his mighty power to turne them or else send death with the devil and hell to fetch them Thou thoughtest saith God that I was altogether such an one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thy face Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal 50.20 21. 5. Another reason why the blind world do slight the authority of Scripture is because they give ear to the devil who through his subtilty casteth false evasions and corrupt interpretations on them rendring them not so point blank the minde of God and a rule for direction to poor souls perswading them that they must give ear and way to something else besides and beyond that or else he labours to render it vile and contemptible by perswading them that it is a dead letter when indeed they know not what they say nor whereof they affirme For the Scripture is not so dead but that the knowledge of it is able to make any man wise unto salvation through faith and love which is in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3.15 And is profitable for instruction reproof and correction in righteousness that the man of God may be throughly furnished to all good works ver 17. And where it is said the letter killeth he meaneth the law as it is the ministration of damnation or a covenant of works and so indeed it doth kill and must do so because it is just forasmuch as the party that is under the same is not able to yield to it a compleat and continual obedience But otherwise I will call Paul and Peter to witness that the Scriptures are of a very glorious concernment in as much as in them is held forth to us the way of life and also in that they do administer good ground of hope to us Rom. 15.4 For whatsoever things were written a foretime Mark whatsoever were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scripture mâ—ght have hope And again Rom. 16.25 26. Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mistery which was kept hid since the world began but now is made manifest and by the Scriptures of the prophets according to the commandment of the everlasting God made known to all nations for the obedience of faith And therefore whosoever they be that slight the Scriptures they slight that which is no less then the word of God and they who slight that slight him that spake it and they that do so let them look to themselves for God will be revenged on such Much more might be said to this thing but I would not be tedious A word or two more and so I have done with this Consider the dangers of slighting the words of the Prophets or Apostles whether they be correction reproof admonition forewarning or the blessed invitations and promises contained in them 1. Such souls do provoke God to anger and to execute his vengeance on them They refused to hearken they pulled away their shoulder they stopped their ears lest they should hear the law and they made their hearts adament stone that they might not hear the law and the words that were spoken to them by his spirit in the former prophets Therefore came a great wrath upon them Zach. 7.11 12. 2. God will not regard in their calamity Because I called and ye refused I stretched out my hand no man regarded but set at nought all my counsels and would none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamities and mock when your fear cometh When their fear cometh as desolation and their destruction like a whirlewind Then shall they call but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me Proverbs 1.25 26 27. 3. God doth commonly give up such men to delusions to believe lies Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved therefore God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lie That they all might be damned 2 Thess 2.11 12. 4. In a word they that do continue to reject and slight the word of God they are such for the most part as are ordained to be damned Old Eli his sons not hearkenning to the voice of their father reproving them for their sins but disobeying his voice it is said It was because the Lord would slay them 1 Sam. 2.15 Again see in 2 Chron. 25.15 16. Amaziah having sinned against the Lord he sends to him a prophet to reprove him But Amaziah sayes Forbear wherefore shouldst thou be smitten he did not hearken to the word of God Then the Prophet forbare saying I know that God hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast not hearkened to my counsel Read therefore
wise cast me out My crimson sins shall be white as snow I tell thee friend there are some promises that the Lord hath helped me to lay hold of Jesus Christ through and by that I would not have out of the Bible for as much Gold and Silver as can lie between York and London piled up to the stars And why so O because through them Christ is pleased by his Spirit to convey comfort to my soul O I say when the law curses when the Devil tempts when hell-fire flames in my conscience my sins with the guilt of them tearing of me then is Christ revealed so sweetly to my poor soul through the promises that all is forced to fly and leave off to accuse my soul So also when the world frowns when the enemies rage and threaten to knock me in the head then also the precious yea the exceeding great and precious promises do weigh down all and comfort the soul against all This is the effect of believing the Scriptures savingly for they that do so have by and through the Scriptures good comfort and also ground of hope Rom. 15.4 believing those things to be its own which the Scriptures hold forth 4. Examine dost thou stand in aw of sinning against God because he hath in the Scriptures commanded thee to abstain from it Dost thou give diligence to make thy calling and election sure because God commandeth it in Scripture Dost thou examine thy self whether thou be in the faith or no having a command in Scripture so to do Or dost thou notwithstanding what thou readest in the Scripture follow the world delight in sin neglect coming to Jesus Christ speak evil of the Saints slight and make a mock at the ordinances of God delight in wicked company and the like Then know that it is because thou dost not indeed and in truth believe the Scriptures effectually For as I said before if a man do believe them and that savingly O then he stands in aw he looks to his steps he turns his feet from evil and endeavours to follow that which is good which God hath commanded in the Scriptures of truth yet not from a legal or natural principle that is to seek for life by doing that good thing but knowing that salvation is already obtained for him by the blood of that man Christ Jesus on the Cross because he believes the Scriptures therefore mark I pray therefore I say he labours to walk with his God in all well pleasing and godliness because the sweet power of the loves of Christ which he feels in his soul by the Spirit according to the Scriptures constrain him so to do 2 Cor. 5.14 5. Examine again dost thou labour after those qualifications that the Scriptures do describe a child of God by that is faith yea the right faith the most holy faith the faith of the operation of God And also dost thou examine whether there is a real growth of grace in thy soul as love zeal self-denial and a seeking by all means to attain if possible to the resurrection of the dead that is not to satisfie thy self until thou be dissolved rid of this body of death and be transformed into that glory that the Saints shall be in after the resurrection day and in the mean time dost labour and take all opportunities to walk as near as may be to the pitch though thou know thou canst not attain it perfectly yet I say thou doest aim at it seek after it press towards it and to hold on in thy race thou shunnest that which may any way hinder thee and also close in with what may any way further the same knowing that that must be or desiring that it should be thine eternal frame and therefore out of love and liking to it thou dost desire and long after it as being the thing that doth much please thy soul Or how is it with thy soul Art thou such an one as regards not these things but rather busie thy thoughts about the things here below following those things that have no sent of divine glory upon them if so look to thy self for it is high time for thee so to do for thou art an unbeliever and so under the wrath of God and wilt for certain fall into the same place of torment that thy fellows have fallen into before thee to the grief of thy own soul and everlasting destruction both of soul and body Consider and regard these things and lay them to thy heart before it be too late to recover thy self by repenting of the one and desiring to close in with the other O I say regard regard for hell is hot Gods hand is up the Law is resolved to discharge against thy soul the judgement-day is at hand the graves are ready to fly open the trumpet is near the sounding the sentence will ere long be past and then you and I cannot call time again Now then from what hath been spoken there might many things be spoken by way of Use and Application But I shall be very brief and but touch some things and so wind up And first I shall begin with the sad condition of those that die out of Christ and speak something to that Secondly to the latter end of the parable which more evidently concerns the Scripture and speak somewhat to that 1. Therefore you see that the former part of the parable contains a sad declaration of the state of one living and dying out of Christ how that they lose heaven for hell God for the devil light for darkness joy for sorrow 2. How that they have not so much as the least comfort from God who in the time they live here below neglect coming to him for mercy not so much as one drop of cold water 3. That such souls will repent of their folly when repentance will do them no good or when they shall be past recovery 4. That all the comfort such souls are like to have they have it in this world 5. That all their groanings and sighs will not move God to mitigate in the least his heavy hand of vengeance that is upon them for the transgressions they have committed against him 6. That their sad state is irrecoverable or they must never mark never come out of that condition 7. There desires will not be heard for their ungodly neighbours From these things then I pray you consider the state of those that die out of Christ Jesus yea I say consider their miserable state and think thus with thy self Well if I neglect coming to Christ I must go to the devil and he will not neglect to fetch me away into those intollerable torments Think thus with thy self What shall I lose a long heaven for short pleasure shall I buy the pleasures of this world at so dear a rate as to lose my soul for the obtaining of that Shall I content my self with a heaven that will last no longer then my life time What advantage
will these be to me when the Lord shall separate soul and body asunder and send one to the grave the other to hell and at the judgement-day the final sentence of eternal ruine must be past upon me 6. Consider that the profits pleasures and vanities of this world will not last ever but the time is coming yea just at the doors when they will give thee the slip and leave thee in the suds and in the brambles of all that thou hast done And therefore to prevent this thy dismal state think thus with thy self 'T is true I do love my sins my lusts and pleasures but what good will they do me at the day of death and of judgement Will my sins do me good then will they be able to help me when I come to fetch my last breath What good will my profits do me and what good will my vanities do when death sayes he will have no nay What good will all my companions fellow jesters jeerers liars drunkards and all my wantons do me will they help to ease the pains of hell will these help â—o turn the hand of God from inflicting his fierce anger upon me Nay will not they rather cause God to shew me no mercy to give me no comfort but rather to thrust me down in into the hottest place in hell where I may swim in fire and brimstone 3. Consider thus with thy self Would I be glad to have all every one of my sins to come in against me to inflame the justice of God against me would I be glad to be bound up in them as the three Children were bound in their clothes and to be as really thrown into the fiery furnace of the wrath of almighty God as they were into Nebuchadnezzars fiery furnace 4. Consider thus Would I be glad to have all and every one of the ten Commandments to discharge themselves against my soul The first saying damne him for he hath broken me The second saying damne him for he hath broken me c. Consider how terrible this will be yea more terrible then if thou shouldest have ten of the biggest peeces of Ordnance in England to be discharged against thy body thunder thunder one after another Nay this would not be comparable to the reports that the law for the breach thereof will give against thy soul For those can but kill the body but these will kill both body and soul and that not for an hour a day a month or a year but they will condemn thee for ever Mark it is for ever for ever It is into everlasting damnation eternal destruction eternal wrath and displeasure from God eternal gnawings of conscience eternal continuance with devils O consider it may be the thoughts of seeing the devil doth now make thine hair to stand right up on the head O but this to be damned to be among all the devils and that not onely for a time as I said before but for ever to all eternity This is wonderfully miserable even miserable that no tongue of man no nor of Angels is able to express it 5. Consider thus with thy self not onely my sins against the law will be laid to my charge but also the sins I have committed in slighting the gospel the glorious Gospel these also must come with a voice against me As thus Nay he is worthy to be damned for he rejected the Gospel he undervalued the Gospel he slighted the free grace of God tendred in the Gospel How many times wast thou damned wretch invited intreated beseeched to come to Christ to accept of mercy that thou mightest have heaven thy sins pardoned thy soul saved and body and soul glorified and all this for nothing but the acceptance and through faith forsaking those imps of Satan which by their embracements have drawn thee downward toward the gulf of Gods eternal displeasure How often didst thou read the promises yea the free promises of the common salvation How oft didst thou read the sweet counsels and admontions of the Gospel to accept of the grace of God but thou wouldst not thou regardest it not thou didst slight all 2. As I would have thee to consider the sad and woful state of those that die out of Christ and are past all recovery so would I have thee consider the many mercies and priviledges thou enjoyest above some peradventure of thy companions that are departed to their proper place As first consider thou hast still the thread of thy life lengthened which for thy sins might seaven years ago or more have been cut asunder and thou have dropped down among the flames 2. Consider the termes of reconciliation by faith in Christ is still profered unto thee and thou invited yea intreated to accept of it 3. Consider the termes of reconciliation is but bear with me though I say but onely to believe in Jesus Christ with that faith that purifies the heart and enables thy soul to feed on him effectually and be saved from this sad state 4. Consider the time of thy departure is at hand and the time is uncertain and also that for ought thou knowest the day of grace may be be past to thee before thou â—iest not lasting so long as thy uncertain life in this world And if so then know for certain that thou art as sure to be damned as if thou wert in hell alreadâ— if thou convert not in the mean while 5. Consider it may be some of thy friends are giving all dilligence to make their calling and election sure being resolved for heaven and thou thy self endeavourest as fast to make sure of hell as if resolved to have it and together with this consider how it will grieve thee that while thou wert making sure of hell thy friends were making sure of heaven but more of this by and by 6. Consider what a sad reflection this will have on thy soul to see thy friends in heaven and thy self in hell thy Father in heaven and thou in hell thy Mother in heaven and thou in hell thy Brother thy Sister thy Children in heaven and thou in hell As Christ said to the Jews of their relations according the flesh so may I say to thee concerning thy friends There shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see your Fathers and Mothers Brethren and Sisters Husbands and Wives Children and Kinsfolk with your Friends and neighbours in the kingdom of heaven and thou thy self thrust out Luke 13 27 28 29. But again because I would not onely tell thee of the damnable state of those that die out of Christ but also perswade thee to take hold of life and go to heaven take notice of these following things 1. Consider that what ever thou canst do as to thy acceptance with God is not worth the dirt of thy shoes but is all as menstruous rags Isa 64.6 2. Consider that all the conditions of the new covenant as to salvation are and have been compleatly fulfilled by the
for he laid the sins of thousands and ten thousands and thousands of thousands of sinners to his charge Esay 53. And caused him to drink the terrible cup that was due to them all and not onely so but did delight in so doing For it pleased the Lord to bruise him God dealt indeed with his Son as Abraham would have dealt with Isaac I and more terribly by ten thousand parts for he did not onely tear his body like a lion but made his soul an offering for sin And this was not done fainedly but really for justice called for it he standing in the room of sinners witness that horrible and unspeakable agony that fell on him suddenly in the Garden as if all the vials of Gods unspeakable scalding vengeance had been cast upon him all at once and all the devils in hell had been broken loose from thence at once to destroy him and that for ever insomuch that the very pangs of death seized upon him the same hour For saith he My soul is exceeding sorrowful and amazed even unto death Mark 14.33 34. Witness also that strange kinde of sweat that trickled down his most blessed face where it is said And he sweat as it were great mark I beseech you great drops or clodders of blood trickling down to the ground O Lord Jesus what a load didst thou carry what a burthen didst thou bear of the sins of the world and the wrath of God! O thou didst not onely bleed at nose and mouth with the pressure that lay upon thee but thou wast so pressed so loaden that the pure blood gushed through the flesh and skin and so ran trickling down to the ground And his sweat was as it were great drops of blood trickling or falling down to the ground Luke 22.44 Canst thou read this O thou wicked sinner and yet go in sin Canst thou think of this and defer repentance one hour longer O heart of flint yea harder O miserable wretch what place in hell will be hot enough for thee to have thy soul put into if thou shalt persist or go on still to adde iniquity to iniquity Besides his soul went down to hell Psal 16.10 Acts 2.31 and his body to the bars of the grave And had hell death or the grave been strong enough to hold him then he had suffered the vengeance of eternal fire to all eternity But O blessed Jesus how didst thou discover thy love to man in thy thus suffering And O God the Father how didst thou also declare thy purity and exactness of thy justice in that though it was thine onely holy innocent harmless and undefiled Son Jesus that did take on him our nature and represent our persons answering for our sins instead of our selves thou didst so wonderfully pour out thy wrath upon him to the making of him cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And O Lord Jesus what a glorious conquest hast thou made over the enemies of our souls even wrath sin death hell and devils in that thou didst wring thy self from under the power of them all and not onely so but hast led them captive which would have led us captive and also hast received for us that glorious and unspeakable inheritance That eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive And also hast given thine some discovery thereof through thy Spirit And now sinner together with this consider Fourthly That though Jesus Christ hath done all these things for sinners yet the devils make it their whole work and continual study how they may keep thee and others from enjoying of these blessed priviledges that have been thus obtained for sinners by this sweet Jesus He labours I say first to keep thee ignorant of thy state by nature Secondly to harden thy heart against the wayes of God Thirdly to inflame thy heart with love to sin and the wayes of darkness And fourthly to get thee to continue herein For that is the way he knows to get thee to be a partaker with him of the flaming hell fire even the same that he himself is fallen into together with the rest of the wicked world by reason of sin Look to it therefore But now in the next place a word of incouragement to you that are the Saints of the Lord. 1. Consider what an happy state thou art in that hast gotten the faith of the Lord Jesus into thy soul But be sure thou have it I say how safe how sure how happy art thou For when others go to hell thou must go to heaven when others go to the devil thou must go to God when as others go to prison thou must be set at liberty at ease and at freedom when others must roar for sorrow of heart then thou shalt also sing for the joy of heart Secondly consider thou must have all thy well spent life to follow thee instead of all thy sins and the glorious blessings of the Gospel instead of the dreadful curses and condemnations of the Law The blessing of the Father instead of a fiery sentence from the Judge Thirdly let dissolution come when it will it can do thee no harm for it will be but onely a passage out of a prison into a palace out of a sea of troubles into an haven of rest out of a croud of enemies to an innumerable company of true loving and faithful friends out of shame reproach and contempt into exceeding great and eternal glory For death shall not hurt thee with his sting nor bite thee with his soul-murthering teeth but shall be a welcome guest to thee even to thy soul in that it is sent to free thee from thy troubles which thou art in whiles here in this world dwelling in the tabernacle of clay Fourthly consider how ever it goes with friends and relations yet it will go well with thee Ecclesiastes 8.12 However it goes with the wicked yet I know Mark yet I know saith he that it shall go well with them that fear the Lord that fear before him And therefore let this in the first place cause thee chearfully to exercise thy patience under all the calamities crosses troubles and afflictions that may come upon thee and by patient continuance in well doing to commit both thy self and thine affairs and actions into the hands of God through Jesus Christ as to a faithful Creatour who is true in his word and loveth to give unto thee whatsoever he hath promised to thee And therefore to incourage thee while thou art here with comfort to hold on for all thy crosses in this thy journey be much in considering the place that thou must go into so soon as dissolution comes It must be into heaven to God the Judge of all to an innumerable company of Angels to the spirits of just men made perfect to the general Assembly and Church of the first born whose names are written in heaven and to Jesus too the
Redeemer who is the Mediatour of the new covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things for thee then Abels did for Cain Hebrews 12.22 23 24. 3. Consider that when the time of the dead that they shall be raised is come then shall thy body be raised out of the grave and be glorified and be made like to Jesus Christ Phil. 3.21 O excellent condition 4. When Jesus Christ shall sit on the throne of his glory you also shall sit with him even when he shall sit on the throne of his glory O Will not this be glorious that when thousands and thousands of thousands shall be arreigned before the judgement-seat of Christ then for them to sit with him upon the throne together with him to pass the sentence upon the ungodly 1. Cor. 6.2 3. Will it not be glorious to enjoy those things that eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath entred into the heart of man to conceive Will it not be glorious to have this sentence Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world Will it not be glorious to enter then with the Angels and Saints into that glorious kingdom Will it not be glorious for thee to be in glory with them while others are in unutterable torments O then how will it comfort thee to see thou hast not lost that glory to think that the devil hath not got thy soul that thy soul should be saved and that not from a little but from an exceeding danger not with a little but a great salvation O therefore let the Saints be joyful in glory let them triumph over all their enemies Let them begin to sing heaven upon earth triumph before they come to glory salvation even when they are in the midst of their enemies For this honour shall all his Saints have Psal 149.6 7 8 9. But secondly for the latter part of the Parable touching the Scriptures and the certainty of them Seeing they are so certain so sure so irrevocable and firm and seeing the saving faith of the things contained therein is to reform the soul and bring it over into the things of God really conforming to the things contained therein both to the point of Justification and also an impracticall walking and giving up the soul and body to a conformity to all the commands counsels instructions and exhortations contained therein This then will learn us how to judge of those who give up themselves to walk in the imaginations of their own hearts who slight and lay aside the Scriptures counting them but empty and uncertain things and will live every day in open contradiction to what is contained commanded and forbidden therein As first this will shew us that all your Drunkards Whoremasters Liars Thieves Swearers Back-biters Slanderers Scoffers at goodness c. I say we may see by this that they that live in such things have not the faith of the things contained in their hearts seeing they delight to practise those things that are forbidden by and in them And so they continuing living and dying in this state we may conclude without fear that such portions of holy Scripture belong unto them and shall for certain be fulfilled upon them He that believes not shall be damned Mark 16. 16. The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God 1. Corinthians 6.9 10. But the abominable the unbeleiving the whoremongers and all liars shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Revelation 21.8 Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels Mâ—tthew 25.41 Depart that is as if he should say Depart from me for I will not save you Depart for my blood shall not at all wash you Depart for you shall not set one foot into the kingdom of heaven Depart ye cursed that is ye are cursed of God cursed of his Law cursed of me cursed by the Saints and cursed by the Angels cursed all over nothing but cursed and therefore depart from me and whither Into everlasting fire fire that will scald scorch burn and flame to a purpose fire that never shall be quenched Mark 9. fire that will last to all eternity And must we be all alone No you shall have company store of company with you Namely all thâ— raging roaring devils together with an innumerable company of fellow damned sinâ—ers men women and children And if the Scriptures be true as they will one day wonderfully appear to be then this must and shall be thy portion if thou live and die in this state and of all them who continue in sinning against the truths contained in Scriptures As first Dost thou delight to sin against plain commands thou art gone Secondly Dost thou slight and scorn the counsels contained in Scriptures and continue in so doing then thou art gone Thirdly Dost thou continually neglect to come to Christ and usest arguments in thine own heart to satisfie thy soul with so doing then thou art gone Luke 14.17 18. compared with verse 24. and Hebrews 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation How shall we escape that is tâ—ere is no way to escape First because God hath said we shall not Heb. 12.25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth that was Moses much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven 2. Because he hath not onely said they shall not but also hath bound it with an oath saying So I sware in my wrath they shall not enter into my rest Hebrews 3.11 But you will say To whom did he swear that they should not enter into his rest Ans er To them that believed not So we see they could not enter in because of unbelief verse 18 19. Secondly this will teach us what to think and conclude of such who though they do not so openly discover their folly by open and grosse sins against the Law yet will give more heed to their own spir t s and the movings thereof though they be neither commanded nor commended for the same in Scripture nay though the Scripture command and commend the contrary Isaiah 8.20 then they will to the holy and revealed will of God I say such men are in as bad a state as the other to the full being disobedient to Gods will revealed in his word as well as they though in a different manner the one openly transgressing against the plain and well known truths revealed in it the other though more close and hidden yet secretly rejecting and slighting them giving more heed to their own spirits and the motion thereof although not warranted by the Scriptures A few words more and so I shall conclude And first take heed that you content not your self with a bare notion of the Scriptures in your heads by which you may go far even so far as to be able
to dispute for the truth to preach the Gospel and labour to vindicate it in opposition to gain-sayers and yet be found at the left hand of Christ at the Judgement-day forasmuch as thou didst content thy self with a notion or a traditionall knowledge of them 2. Have a care that thou own the whole Scripture and not own one part and neglect another or slight it as thus To own the law and slight the Gospel or to think that thou must be saved by thy good doing and works for that is all one as if thou diddest thrust Christ away from thee or else so to own the Gospel as if by it thou wert exempted from all obedience to the ten Commandments and conformity to the Law in life and conversation For in so doing thou wilt for certain make sure of eternall vengeance Thirdly have a care that thou put not wrong names on the things contained in the Scriptures as to call the Law Christ and Christ the Law For some having done so in my knowledge have so darkened to themselves the glorious truths of the Gospel that in a very little time they have been resolved to thwart and oppose them and so have made room in their own souls for the Devil to inhabit and obtained a place in hell for their own souls to be tormented for ever and ever Against this danger therefore in reading and receiving the testimony of Scripture learn to distinguish between the Law and the Gospel and to keep them clear asunder as to the salvation of thy soul and that thou mayest so do In the first place beg of God that he would shew thee the nature of the Gospel And set it home effectually with life and power upon thy soul by Faith Which is this That God would shew thee that as thou being man hast sinned against God so Christ being God Man hath bought thee again and with his most precious blood set thee free from the bondage thou wast fallen into by thy sins and that not upon condition that thou wilt do thus and thus this and the other good work but rather that thou being first justified freely by meer grace through the blood of Jesus shouldest also receive thy strength from him who hath bought thee to walk before him in all well pleasing being inabled thereto by vertue of his Spirit which hath revealed to thy soul that thou art delivered already from wrath to come by the obedience not of thee but of another man viz. Jesus Christ Secondly Then if the law thou readest of tell thee in thy conscience thou must do this and the other good work of the Law if ever thou wilt be saved Then answer plainly that for thy part thou art resolved now not to work for life but to believe in the vertue of that blood shed upon the Crosse upon Mount Calvary for the remission of sins and yet because Christ hath justified thee freely by his Grace thou wilt serve him in Holinesse and Righteousnesse all the dayes of thy life yet not in a legall Spirit or in a covenant of Works but mine obedience say thou I will endeavour to have it free and chearful out of love to my Lord Jesus Thirdly Have a care thou receive not this doctrine in the notion onely lest thou bring a just damnation upon thy soul by professing thy self to be freed by Christs blood from the guilt of sin while thou remainest still a servant to the filth of sin For I must tell you that unlesse you have the true and saving work of the Faith and Grace of the Gospel in your hearts you will either go on in a legall Holiness according to the tenour of the Law or else through a notion of the Gospel the Devil bewitching and beguiling thy understanding will and affections thou wilt Ranter-like turn the Grace of God into wantonness and bring upon thy soul double if not treble damnation in that thou couldest not be contented to be damned for thy sins against the Law but also to make ruine sure to thy soul thou wouldest dishonour the Gospel and turn the Grace of God held forth and discovered to man by that into licentiousness But that thou mightest be sure to escape these dangerous rocks on the right hand and on the left see that thy faith be such as spoken of in Scripture and that thou be not satisfied without that which is a faith wrought by the mighty operation of God revealing Christ to and in thee as having wholly freed thee from thy sins by his most precious blood Which faith if thou attain unto will so work in thy heart that first thou wilt see the nature of the Law and also the nature of the Gospel and delighting in the glory of it and also thou wilt finde an ingaging of thy heart and soul to Jesus Christ even to the giving up of thy whole man unto him to be ruled and governed by him to his glory and thy comfort by the Faith of the same Lord Jesus The End Errata Courteous Reader before thou readest this Treatise thou art desired to correct these Faults with thy pen which hereaâ—ter followeth PAge 1. for Luke 19. read Luke 16 p. 6. l. 15. r. whence p 44. l 18. for means 1. names p. 54. l. 5. put out and the practice of the Saints p. 64. â— 15. after seek r. not p. 81. l 17. for them r. then l 26. for friends r. friend p. 92. l. 27. r. to be p. 104. l. 6. for sead r. send p. 120 l. 9. for converted r. contented p. 129 l. 12. for the r. their p. 144. l. 16. for 1 Tim. 1.9 r. 2 Tim. 1. 9. p. 145. l 27 for 1 Pet. 2.21 r. 1 Pet. 2.24 p. 166. l. 26. for contradiction r. traditional p. 171. l 23 r. of p. 194. l. 14. for intend r. indeed p. 196. l. 24. leave out that p. 229. l. 6. for powers r. angels Page 199. line 18. thou wilt finde these words as I said before which I desire thee to leave ouâ— The reason why I put th m in was because at the first I thought to put out wi h this a Discourse of the two Covenâ—â—â—s which since I thought to put fâ—r h in a Piece by â—t self and therefore should have put ouâ— these words Bunyan's Sighs from Hell