of Gods immutable counsel or corrupt him whom the Father hath sealed to go directly against his Commission then and not otherwise maist thou get to Heaven in this condition To hope that Christ will save thee while unconverted is to hope that Christ will falsify his trust He never did nor will save one soul but whom the Father hath given him in election and drawn to him in effectual calling Iohn 6. 34 37. Be assured Christ will save none in a way contrary to his Fathers will Iohn 6. 38. Secondly To offer violence to all his attributes 1. To his Iustice. For the righteousness of Gods judgment lies in rendring to all according to their works Rom. 2. 5 6. Now should men sow to the flesh and yet of the Spirit reap everlasting life Gal. 6. 7 8. where were the glory of divine Justice since it should be given to the wicked according to the work of the righteous 2. To his holiness If God should not only save sinners but save them in their sins his most pure and strict holiness would be exceedingly defaced The unsanctified is in the eyes of Gods holiness worse than a Swine or Viper Mat. 23. 33. 2 Pet. 2. 23. Now what cleanly nature could indure to have the filthy Swine Bed and Board with him in his Parlour or Bed-chamber It would offer the extreamest violence to the infinite purity of the divine nature to have such to dwell with him They cannot stand in his judgment they cannot abide in his presence Psalm 1. 5. Psalm 5. 4 5. If holy David would not endure such in his house no nor in his sight Psalm 101. 3 7. shall we think God will Should he take men as they be from the Trough to the Table from the Harlots lips from the Stye and Draff to the glory of Heaven the world would think God were at no such a distance from sin nor had such dislike of it as we are told he hathâ— they would conclude God were altogether such a one as themselves as they wickedly did but from the very forbearance of God Psal. 50. 21. 3. To his Veracity For God hath declared from Heaven That if any shall say he shall have peace tho' he should go on in the imagination of his heart his wrath shall smoak against that man Deut. 29. 19 20. That they only that confess and forsake their sins shall find mercy Prov. 28. 13. That they that shall enter into his Hill must be of clean hands and a pure heart Psal. 24. 3 4. Where were Gods truth if notwithstanding all this he should bring men to Salvation without Conversion O desperate sinner that darest to hope that Christ will put the lye upon his Father and nullifie his word to save thee 4. To his Wisdom For this were to throw away the choicest mercies on them that would not value them nor were any way suited to them First they would not value them The unsanctified sinner puts but little price upon God's great Salvation Mat. 22. 5. He sets no more by Christ than the whole by the Physician Matthew 9. 12. he prizes not his balm values not his cure tramples upon his blood Heb. 10. 29. Now would it stand with wisdom to force pardon and life upon them that would give him no thanks for them Will the all-wise God when he hath forbidden us to do it throw his holy things to Dogs and his pearls to Swine that would as it were but turn again and rend him Mat. 7. 6. This would make mercy to be despised indeed Wisdom requires that life be given in a way suitable to God's honour and that God provide for the securing his own glory as well as Man's felicity It would be dishonourable to God to set his Jewels on the snouts of Swine continuing such and to bestow his choicest riches on them that have more pleasure in their swill than the heavenly delights that he doth offer God should lose the praise and glory of his grace if he should cast it away on them that were not only unworthy but unwilling Secondly They are no way suited to them The Divine Wisdom is seen in suiting things each to other the means to the end the object to the faculty the quality of the gift to the capacity of the receiver Now if Christ should bring the unregenerate sinner to Heaven he could take no more felicity there than a Beast if you should bring him into a beautiful room to the Society of learned men and a well-furnished Table when as the poor thing had much rather be grazing with his fellow-brutes Alas what should an unsanctified creature do in Heaven He could take no content there because nothing suits him The place doth not suit him he would be but piscis in arido quite out of his element as a Swine in the parlour or a Fish out of water The Company doth not suit him What communion hath darkness with light corruption with perfection Filth and rottenness with glory and immortality The imployment doth not suit him The Anthems of Heaven fit not his mouth suit not his ear Canst thou charm thy Beast with Musick Or wilt thou bring him to thy Organ and expect that he should make thee melody or keep time with the skilful Quire Or had he skill he would have no will and so could find no pleasure no more than the nauseous stomach in the meat on which it hath newly surfeited Spread thy Table with delicates before a languishing Patient and it will be but a very offence Alas if the poor man think a Sermon long and say of a Sabbath What a weariness is it Mal. 1. 13. how miserable would he think it to be held to it to all eternity 5. To his immutability or else to his Omnisciency Omnipotency For this is enacted in the Conclave of Heaven and enrolled in the decrees of the Court above that none but the pure in heart shall ever see God Mat. 5. 8. This is laid up with him and sealed among his Treasures Now if Christ yet bring any to Heaven unconverted either he must get them in without his Fathers knowledge and then where is his Omnisciency Or against his will and then where were his Omnipotency Or he must change his will and then where were his Immutability Sinner wilt thou not yet give up thy vain hope of being saved in this condition Saith Bildad Shall the earth be forsaken for thee Or the rocks moved out of their place Job 18. 4. May not I much more reason so with thee Shall the Laws of Heaven be reversed for thee Shall the everlasting foundations be overturned for thee Shall Christ put out the eye of his Fathers Omnisciency or shorten the arm of his eternal power for thee Shall divine Justice be violated for thee or the brightness of the glory of his holiness be blemished for thee Oh the impossibility absurdity blasphemy that is in such a confidence To think Christ will ever save thee
punctual in their dealings but then they do not exercise themselves unto Godliness and for examining themselves and governing their hearts to this they are strangers You may have them duly at the Church but follow them to their Families and there you shall see little but the World minded or if they have a Road of Family Duties follow them to their Closets and there you shall find their Souls are little looked after It may be they seem otherwise religious but bridle not their Tongues and so all their Religion is in vain Iam. 1. 26. It may be they come up to Closet and Family Prayer but follow them to their Shops and there you shall find them in a Trade of Lying or some covert and cleanly way of deceit Thus the Hypocrite goes not thorowout in the course of his Obedience And thus much for the subject of Conversion 6. The Terms are either from which or to which 1. The Terms from which we turn in this motion of Conversion are Sin Satan the World and our own Righteousness First Sin. When a Man is converted he is for ever out with Sin yea with all sin Psal. 119. 128. but most of all with his own Sins and especially with his Bosom Sin Psal. 18. 23. Sin is now the Butt of his indignation 2 Cor. 7. 11. he thirsts to bathe his hands in the blood of his Sins His Sins set a broach in sorrows It is Sin that pierces him and wounds him he feels it like a Thorn in his side like a prick in his Eyes he groans and struggles under it and not formally but feelingly cries out O wretched Man he is not impatient of any burden so much as of his sin Psal. 40. 12. If God should give him his choice he would choose any affliction so he might be rid of Sin. He feels it like the cutting gravel in his Shoes pricking and paining him as he goes Before Conversion he had light thoughts of Sin he cherished it in his Bosom as Uriah his Lamb he nourished it up and it grew up together with him it did eat as it were of his own Meat and drank of his own Cup and lay in his Bosom and was to him as a Daughter but when God opens his Eyes by Conversion he throws it away with abhorence Isa. 30. 22. as a man would a loathsome Toad Which in the dark he had hugged fast in his Bosom and thought it had been some pretty and harmless bird When a man is savingly changed he is not only deeply convinced of the danger but defilement of sin and O how earnest is he with God to be purified He loaths himself for his sins Ezek. 36. 31. He runs to Christ and casts himself into the Fountain for sin and for uncleanness Zech. 13. 1. If he fall what a sâ—ir is there to get all clean again He flies to the Word and washes and rubs and rinches labouring to cleanse himself from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit He abhors his once beloved sin Psal. 18. 23. as a cleanly nature doth the Trough and Mire wherein he sees the Swine delight The sound Convert is heartily ingaged against sinâ— He wrestles with it he wars against it He is too often foiled but he never yields the Cause nor lays down the Weapons but he will up and to it again while he hath breath in his body He will never give quiet possession he will make no peace he will give no quarter he falls upon it and fires upon it and is still disquieting of it with continual alarms He can forgive his other Enemies he can pitty them and pray for them Acts 7. 60. but here he is implacable here is he set upon revenge he hunteth as it were for the precious life his Eye shall not pitty his Hand shall not spare though it be a right Hand or a right Eye Be it a gainful Sin most delightful to his Nature or support to his Esteem with carnal Friends yet he will rather throw his gain down the Keâ—nel see hiâ— credit fall or the Flower of pleasure wither in his hand than he will allow himself in any known way of sin Luke 19. 8. He will grant no indulgence he will give not toleration but he draws upon sin wherever he meets it and frowns upon it with this unwelcome salute Have I found thee O mine Enemy Reader hath Conscience been at work while thou hast been looking over these Lines Hast thou pondered these things in thine heart Hast thou searched the Book within to see if these things be so If not read it again and make thy Conscience speak whether or no it be thus with thee Hast thou crucified thy Flesh with its affections and lusts and not only confessed but forsaken thy sins all sin in thy fervent desires and the ordinary practice of every deliberate and wilful sin in thy life If not thou art yet unconverted Doth not Conscience fly in thy Face as thou readest and tell thee that thou livest in a way of lying for thy advantage that thou usest deceit in thy Calling that there is some way of secret wantonness that thou livest in why then do not deceive thy self thou art in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity Doth not thy unbridled Tongue thy brutish Intemperance thy wicked Company thy neglect of Prayer of hearing and reading the Word now witness against thee and say We are thy works and we will follow thee Or if I have not hit thee right doth not the Bird within tell them there is such or such a way that thou knowest to be evil that yet for some carnal respect thou dost tolerate thy self in and art willing to spare If this be thy Case thou art to this day unregenerate and must be changed or condemned Secondly Satan Conversion binds the strong man spoils his Armour casts out his Goods turns men from the power of Satan unto God Acts. 26. 18. Before the Devil could no sooner hold up his Finger to the Sinner to call him to his wicked Company sinful Games filthy Delights but presently he followed like an Ox to the Slaughter and a Fool to the correction of the Stocks as the Bird that hasteth to the prey and knoweth not that it is for his life No sooner could Satan bid him lie but presently he had it upon the top of his Tongue Acts 5. 3. no sooner could Satan offer a wanton Object but he was stung with lust The Devil could do more with him than God could If the Devil say Away with these Family Duties be sure they shall be rarely enough performed in his house If the Devil say Away with this strictness this preciseness he will keep far enough from it If he tells him there 's no need of these Closet Duties he shall go from day to day and scarce perform them But now he is converted he serves another Master and takes quite another Course 1 Pet. 4. 4. he goes and comes at Christ's beck Col.
I will be content to lose it Hear then Oh sinner and as ever thou wouldst be converted and saved embrace this following counsel Direct I. Set it down with thy self as an undoubted truth that it is impossible for thee ever to get to Heaven in this thy unconverted state Can any other but Christ save thee And he tells thee he will never do it except thou be regenerated and converted Mat. 18. 3. Iohn 3. 3. Doth he not keep the keys of Heaven And canst thou get in without his leave as thou must if ever thou comest thither in thy natural condition without a sound and thorough renovation Direct II. Labour to get a thorough sight and lively sense and feeling of thy sins Till men are weary and heavy laden and pricked at the heart and stark sick of sin they will not come to Christ in his way for ease and cure nor to purpose enquire What shall we do Mat. 11. 28. Acts 2. 37. Mat. 9. 12. They must set themselves down for dead men before they will come unto Christ that they may have life Iohn 5. 40. Labour therefore to set all thy sins in order before thee Never be afraid to look upon them but let thy spirit make diligent search Psal. 77. 6. Enquire into thine heart and into thy life enter into a thorow examination of thy self and of all thy ways Psal. 119. 59. that thou mayst make a full discovery and call in the help of God's Spirit in the sense of thine own inability hereunto for it is his proper work to convince of sin Iohn 16. 8. Spread all before the face of thy Conscience till thine heart and eyes be set abroach Leave not striving with God and thine own soul till it cry out under the sense of thy sins as the enlightned Jaâ—lor What must I do to â—e saved Acts 16. 30. To this purpose Meditate of the numerousness of thy sins David's heart failed when he thought of this and considered that he had more sins than hairs Psal. 40. 12. This made him to cry out upon the multitudes of Gods tender mercies Psal. 51. 1. The loathsome carcass doth not more hatefully swarm with crawling worms than an unsanctified soul with filthy Iusts They fill the head the heart the eyes and mouth of him Look backward where was ever the place what was ever the time in which thou didst not sin Look inward what part or power canst thou find in soul or body but it is poisoned with sin What duty dost thou ever perform into which poison is not shed Oh how great is the sum of thy debts who hast been all thy life long running upon the hooks and never didst nor canst pay off one penny Look over the sin of thy Nature and all its cursed broad the sins of thy life Call to mind thy Omissions Commissions the sins of thy thoughts of thy words of thine actions the sins of thy youth the siâ—s of thy years c. Be not like a desperate Bankrupt that is afraid to look over his Books Read the Records of Conscience carefully These Books must be opened sooner or later Rev. 20. 12. Meditate upon the aggravations of thy sin as they are the grand enemies against the God of thy life against the life of thy soul in a word they 〈…〉 publiâ—k enemies of all mankind How do David Ezra Daniel and the good Levites aggravate their sins from the consideration of their injuriousness to God their opposition to his good and righteous Laws the mercies the warnings that they were committed against Nâ—â— 9. Daâ— 9. Ezra 9. O the work that sin hath made in the world This is the enemy that hath brought in death that hath robbed and enslaved man that hath blacked the Devil that hath digged Hell Rom. 5. 12. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Iohn 8. 34. This is the enemy that hath turned the Creation upside down and sown dissention between man and the creatures between man and man yea between man and himself setting the sensitive part against the rational the will against the judgment lust against conscience yea worst of all between God and man making the lapsed sinner both hateful to God and a hater of him Zech. 11. 8. O man how canst thou make so light of sin This is the Traytor that sucked the blood of the Son of God that sold him that mocked him that scourged him that spit in his face that digged his hands that pierced his side that pressed his soul that mangled his body that never left till it had bound him condemned him nailed him crucified him and put him to open shame Isa. 53. 4 5 6. This is that deadly poyson so powerful of operation as that one drop of it shed upon the root of mankind hath corrupted spoiled and poisoned and undone his whole race at once Rom. 5. 18 19. This is the common Butcher the bloody Executioner that hath killed the Prophets burnt the Martyrs murdered all the Apostles all the Patriarchs all the Kings and Potentates that hath destroyed Cities swallowed Empires butchered and devoured whole Nations Whatever was the weapon that 't was done by sin was it that did Execution Rom. 6. 23. dost thou yet think it but a small thing If Adam and all his Children could be digged out of their Graves and their Bodies piled up to Heaven and an inquest were made what matchless murderer were guilty of all this blood it would be all found in the skirts of sin Study the nature of sin till thy heart be brought to fear and loath it And meditate on the aggravations of thy particular sins how thou hast sinned against all God's warnings against thine own prayers against mercies against corrections against clearest light against freest love against thine own resolutions against promises vows covenants of better obedience c. charge thy heart home with these things till it blush for shame and be brought out of all good opinion of it self Ezra 9. 6. Meditate upon the desert of sin It cryeth up to Heaven It calls for vengeance Gen. 18. 21. It s due wages is death and damnation It pulls the curse of God upon the Soul and Body Gal. 3. 10. Deut. 28. The least sinful word or thought lays thee under the infinite wrath of God Almighty Rom. 2. 8 9. Mat. 12. 36. Oh what a load of wrath what a weight of curses what treasure of vengeance have all the millions of thy sins then deserved Rom. 2. 5. Iohn 3. 36. Oh Judge thy self that the Lord may not â—udge thee 1 Cor. 11. 31. Meditate upon the deformity and desilement of sin 'T is as black as Hell the very image and likeness of the Devil drawn upon the Soul 1 John 3. 8 10. It would more affright thee to see thy self in the hateful deformity of thy nature than to see the Devil There is no mire so unclean no vomit so loathsome no carcass or carrion so offensive no plague or leprosie so noisom as sin in which thou
Jesus Christ Acts 4. 12. Thou must unlearn tâ—y self and renounce thine own wisdom thine own righteousness thine own strength and throw thy self wholly upon Christ as a man that swimmeth casteth himself upon the water or else thou canst not escape While men trust in themselves and establish their own righteousness and have confidence in the flesh they will not come savingly to Christ Luke 18. 9. Phil. 3. 3. Thou must know thy gain to be but loss and dung thy strength but weakness thy righteousness rags and rottenness before there will be an effectual closure between Christ and thee Phil. 3. 7 8 9. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Isa. 64. 6. Can the lifeless carcass shake off its grave cloths and loose the bonds of death Then mayst thou recover thy self who art dead in trespasses and sins and under an impossibility of serving thy Maker acceptably in this condition Rom. 8. 8. Heb. â—1 6. Therefore when thou goest to pray or meditate or to do any of the duties to which thou art here directed go out of thy self call in the help of the Spirit as despairing to do any thing pleasing to God in thine own strength Yet neglect not thy duty but lie at the pool and wait in the way of the Spirit While the Eunuch was reading then the Holy Ghost sent Philip to him Acts 8. 28 29. when the Disciples were praying Acts 4. 31. when Cornelius and his friends were hearing Acts 10. 44. then the Holy Ghost fell upon them and filled them all Strive to give up thy self to Christ Strive to pray strive to meditate strive an hundred and an hundred times try to do it as well as thou canst and while thou art endeavouring in the way of thy duty the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee and help thee to do what of thy self thou art utterly unable unto Prov. 1. 23. Direct V. Forthwith renounce all thy sins If thou yield thy self to the contrary practice of any sin thou art undone Rom. 6. 17. in vain dost thou hope for life by Christ except thou dâ—part from iniquity 2 Tim. 2. 19. Forsake thy sins or else thou canst not find mercy Prov. 28. 13. Thou canst not be married to Christ except divorced from sin Give up the Traitor or you can have no peace with Heaven Cast the head of Sheba over the wall Keep not Dalilah in thy lap Thou must part with thy sins or with thy soul. Spare but one sin and God will not spare thee Never make excuses thy sins must die or thou must die for them Psal. 68. 21. If thou allow of one sin though but a little a secret one though thou may'st plead necessity and have a hundred shifts and excuses for it the life of thy soul must go for the life of that sin Ezek. 18. 21. and will it not be dearly bought O sinner hear and consider If thou wilt part with thy sins God will give thee his Christ Is not this a fair exchange I testifie unto thee this day that if thou perish it is not because there was never a Saviour provided nor life tendred but because thou preferredst with the Jews the Murderer before thy Saviouâ— sin before Christ and lovedst darkness rather than light Iohn 3. 19. Search thy heart therefore with Candles as the Jews did their Houses for Leaven before the Passover Labour to find out thy sins enter into thy Closet and consider What evil have I lived in What duty have I neglected towards God What sin have I lived in against my Brother And now strike the darts through the heart of thy sin as Iâ—ab did through Absalom's 2 Sam. 18. 14. Never stand looking upon thy sin nor rolling the morsel under thy tongue Iob 20. 11. but spit it out as poyson with fear and detestation Alas what will thy sins do for thee that thou shouldst stick at parting with them They will flatter thee but they will undo thee and cut thy throat while they smile upon thee and poyson thee while they please thee and arm the justice and wrath of the infinite God against thee They will open Hell for thee and pile up fuel to burn thee Behold the Gibbet that they have prepared for thee Oh serve them like Haman and do upon them the Execution they would else have done upon thee Away with them crucifie them and let Christ only be Lord over thee Direct VI. Make a solemn choice of God for thy portion and blessedness Deut. 26. With all possible devotion and veneration avouch the Lord for thy God. Set the world with all its glory and paint and gallantry with all its pleasures and promotions on the one hand and set God with all his infinite excellencies and perfections on the other and see that thou do deliberately make thy choice Iosh. 24. 15. Take up thy rest in God Iob. 6. 68. Set thee down under his shadow Cant. 2. 3. Let his promises and perfections turn the scale against all the world Settle it upon thy heart that the Lord is an all-sufficient portion that thou canst not be miserable while thou hast a God to live upon take him for thy shield and exceeding great reward God alone is more than all the world Content thy self with him Let others carry the preferments and glory of the world place thou thy happiness in his favour and the light of his countenance Psal. 4. 6 7. Poor sinner thou art fallen off from God and hast engaged his power and wrath against thee Yet know that of his abundant grace he doth offer to be thy God again in Christ 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. What sayest thou man Wilt thou have the Lord for thy God Why take this counsel and thou shalt have him Come to him by his Christ Ioh. 14. 6. Renounce the Idols of thine own pleasures gain reputation 1 Thes. 1. 9. Let these be pulled out of the Throne and set Gods interest uppermost in thine â—eare Take him as God to be chief in thine affections estimations intentions for he will not endure to have any set above him Rom. 1. 24 Psal. 73. 25. In a word thou must take him in all his Personal Relations and in all his Essential Perfections First In all his Personal Relations God the Father must be taken for thy Father Ier. 3. 4 19 22. O come to him with the Prodigal Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and am not worthy to be called thy Son but since of thy wonderful mercy thou art pleased to take meâ— that am of my self a dog a swine a devil to be thy child I solemnly take thee for my Father commend my self to thy care and trust to thy providence and cast my burden on thy shoulders I depend on thy provision and submit to thy corrections and trust under the shadow of thy wings and hide in thy chambers and â—ly to thy name I renounce all confidence in my self I repose my confidence in thee I depose my concernments with
belong to thy peace should be hid from thine eyes Now mercy is wooing of thee Now Christ is waiting to be gracious to thee and the Spirit of God is striving with thee Now Ministers are calling now Conscience is stirring now the Market is open and Oyl may be had thou hast opportunity for the buying Now Christ is to be had for the taking Oh! strike in with the offers of Grace Oh! now or never If thou make light of this offer God may swear in his wrath thou shalt never tast of his Supper Luke 14. 24. Direct XII Attend conscientiously upon the Word as the means appointed for thy Conversion James 1. 18 19. 1 Cor. 4. 15. Attend I say not customarily but conscientiously with this desire design hope and expectation that thou mayest be converted by it To every Sermon thou hearest come with this thought Oh I hope God will now come in I hope this day may be the time this may be the man by whom God will bring me home When thou art coming to the Ordinances lift up thine heart thus to God. Lord let this be the Subbath let this be the Season wherein I may receive renewing Grace Oh let it be said that to day such a one was born unto thee Object Thou wilt say I have been long a hearer of the word and yet it hath not been effectual to my Conversion Ans. Yea but thou hast not attended upon it in this manner as a means of thy Conversion nor with this design nor praying for and expecting of this happy effect of it Direct XIII Strike in with the Spirit when he begins to work upon thy heart When he works convictions O do not stifle them but joyn in with him and beg the Lord to carry on convictions to conversion Quench not the Spirit do not out-strive him do not resist him Beware of putting out convictions by evil company or worldly business When thou findest any troubles for sin and fears about thine eternal State beg of God that they may never leave thee till they have wrought off thy heart throughly from sin and wrought it over to Jesus Christ. Say to him Strike home Lord leave not the work in the midst If thou seest that I am not yet wounded enough that I am not troubled enough woundâ— me yet deeper Lord. O go to the bottom of my Corruption let out the life-blood of my sins Thus yield up thy self to the workings of the Spirit and hoise thy Sails to his gusts Direct XIV Set upon the constant and diligent use of serious and fervent Prayer He that neglects prayer is a prophane an unsanctified sinner Iob 15. 4. He that is not constant in prayer is but an Hypocrite Iob 27. 10. unless the Omission be contrary to his ordinary course under the force of some instant temptation This is one of the first things Conversion appears in that it sets men on praying Acts 9. 11. Therefore set to this duty Let never a day pass over thee wherein thou hast not Morning and Evening set apart some time for set and solemn prayer in secret Call thy family also together daily and duly to worship God with thee Wo be unto thee if thine be found amongst the families that call not on Gods name Ier. 10. 25. But cold and lifeless devotions will not reach half way to Heaven Be fervent and importunate Importunity will carry it But without violence the Kingdom of Heaven will not be taken Mat. 11. 12. Thou must strive to enter Luke 13. 24. and wrestle with tears and supplications as Iacob if thou meanest to carry the blessing Gen. 32. 24. comp with Hos. 12. 4. Thou art undone for ever without grace and therefore thou must put to it and resolve to take no denyal That man that is fixed in this resolution Well I must have grace and I will never give over till I have grace and I will never leave seeking and waiting and striving with God and mine own heart till he do renew me by the power of his grace this man is in the likeliest way to win Grace Obj. But God heareth not sinners their prayer is an abomination Ans. Distinguish between sinners 1. There are resolved sinners their prayers God abhors 2. Returning sinners these God will come forth to and meet with mercy though yet afar off Luke 15. 20. Though the prayers of the unsanctified cannot have full acceptance yet God hath done much at the request of such as at Ahab's humiliation and Ninevehs Fast 1 Kings 21. 26. Ionah 3. 8 9 10. Surely thou mayst go as far as these though thou hast no grace and how dost thou know but thou mayst speed in thy suit as they did in theirs Yea is he not far more likely to grant thee than them since thou askest in the Name of Christ and that not for temporal blessings as they but for things much more pleasing to him viz. for Christ Grace Pardon that thou mayst be justified sanctified renewed and fitted to serve him Turn to these soul incouraging Scriptures Prov. 2. 1 to 6. Luk. 11. 9 10 11 12 13. Prov. 8. 34. 35. Is it not good comfort that he calleth thee Mark 10 49. Doth he set thee on the use of means and dost thou think he will mock thee Doubtless he will not fail thee if thou be not wanting to thy self O pray and faint not Luke 18. 1. A person of great Quality having offended the Duke of Buckingham the Kings great Favourite being admitted into his presence after long waiting prostrates himself at his feet saying I am resolved never to rise more till I have obtained your Grace's favour with which carriage he did overcome him With such a resolution do thou throw thy self at the feet of God. 'T is for thy life and therefore follow him and give not over Resolve thou wilt not be put off with bones with common mercies What though God do not presently open to thee Is not grace worth the waiting for Knock and wait and no doubt but sooner or later mercy will come And this know that thou hast the very same encouragement to seek and wait that the Saints now in glory once had for they were once in thy very case And have they sped so well and wilt thou not go to the same door and wait upon God in the same course Direct XV. Forsake thy evil Company Prov. 9. 6. and forbear the occasions of sin Prov. 23. 31. Thou wilt never be turned from sin till thou wilt decline and forego the temptations of sin I never expect thy Conversion from sin unless thou art brought to some self-denial as to fly the occasions If thou wilt be â—ibling at the bait and playing on the brink and tampering and medling with the snare thy soul will surely be taken Where God doth expose men in his providence unavoidably to temptations and the occasions are such as we cannot remove we may expect special assistance in the use of his means
pardon peace life blessedness all are thine and is not this an offer worth the embracing Why shouldest thou hesitate or doubtfully dispute about the case Is it not past controversie whether God be better than sin and glory better than vanity Why shouldest thou forsake thine own mercy and sin against thine own life When wilt thou shake off thy sloth and lay by thine excuses Boast not thy self of to morrow thou knowest not where this night may lodge thee Prov. 27. 1. Beloved now the holy Spirit is striving with you He will not always strive Hast thou not selt thy heart warmed by the word and been almost perswaded to leave off thy sins and come in to God Hast thou not felt some good motions in thy mind wherein thou hast been warned of thy danger and told what thy careless course would end in It may be thou art like young Samuel who when the Lord called once and again he knew not the voice of the Lord 1 Sam. 3. 6 7. but these motions and items are the offers and essays and calls and strivings of the spirit O take the advantage of the tide and know the day of thy visitation Now the Lord Jesus stretcheth wide his arms to receive you He beseecheth you by us How movingly how meltingly how pitifully how passionately he calleth The Church is put into a sudden extasie upon the found of his voice The voice of my beloved Cant. 2. 8. O wilt thou turn a deaf ear to his voice It is not the voice that breaketh the Cedars and maketh the mountains to skip like a Calf that shaketh the Wilderness and divideth the flames of fire it is not Sinai's Thunder but the soft and still voice It is not the voice of Mount Ebal a voice of cursing and terror but the voice of Mount Gerizim the voice of blessing and of glad tidings of good things It is not the voice of the Trumpet nor the noise of War but a message of peace from the King of peace Eph. 6. 15. 2 Cor. 5. 18 20. Methinks it should be with thee as with the Spouse My soul failed when he spake Cant. 5. 6. I may say to thee O sinner as Martha to her Sister The Master is come and he calleth for thee Iohn 11. 28. Oh now with Mary arise quickly and come unto him How sweet are his invitations He cryeth in the open concourse If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Iohn 7. 37. Prov. 1. 21. He broacheth his own body for thee O come and lay thy mouth to his side How free is he he excludeth none Whosoever will let him come and take the water of life freely Rev. 22. 17. Whose is simple let him turn in hither Come eat of my bread drink of the wine which I have mingled For sake the foolish and live Prov. 9. 4 5 6. Come unto me c. Take my yoak upon you and learn of me and ye shall find rest unto your souls Mat. 11. 28 29. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out John 6. 37. How doth he bemoan the obstinate refuser O Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered by Children as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings and ye would not Mat. 23. 37. Behold me behold me I have stretched out my hands all the day to a rebellious people Isa. 65. 1 2. O be perswaded now at last to throw your selves into the arms of love Behold O ye sons of men the Lord Jesus hath thrown open the prisons and now he cometh to you as the Magistrates once to them Acts 16. 39. and beseecheth you to come out If it were from a Palace or a Paradise that Christ did call you it were no wonder if you were unwilling and yet how easily was Adam tolled from thence but it is from your prison Sirs from your Chains from the Dungeon from the Darkness that he calleth you Isa. 42. 6 7. and yet will you not come He calleth you unto liberty Gal. 5. 13. and yet will you not hearken His Yoak is easie his Laws are Liberty his Service Freedom Matth. 11. 30. Iames 1. 25. 1 Cor. 7. 22. and whatever prejudices you have against his ways if a God may be believed you shall find them all pleasure and peace and shall tast sweetness and joy unutterable and take infinite delight and felicity in them Prov. 3. 17. Psal. 119. 165. â— Pet. 1. 8. Psal. 119. 103 111. Beloved I am loth to leave you I cannot tell how to give you over I am now ready to shut up but fain I would drive this bargain between Christ and you before I end What! shall I leave you as I found you at last Have you read hitherto and are not yet resolved upon a present abandoning all your sins and closing with Jesus Christ Alas what shall I say What shall I do Will you turn off all my importunity Have I run in vain Have I used so many arguments and spent so much time to perswade you and yet must sit down at last in disappointment But it is a small matter that you turn me off You put a slight upon the God that made you you reject the bowels and beseechings of a Saviour and will be found resisters of the Holy Ghost Acts 7. 51. if you will not now be prevailed with to repent and be converted Well though I have called you long and ye have refused I shall yet this once more lift up my voice like a Trumpet and cry from the highest places of the City before I conclude with a miserable Conclamatum est Once more I shall call after regardless sinners that if it be possible I may awaken them O earth earth earth hear the word of the Lord Jer. 22. 29. Unless you be resolved to die lend your ears to the last calls of mercy Behold in the name of God I make open proclamation to you Hearken unto me O ye children Hear instruction and be wise and refuse it not Prov. 8. 32. 33. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price Wherefore do you spend your money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Hearken diligently unto me and eat â—e that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatness Incline your ear and come ye unto me hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlastingâ— Covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Isai. 55. 1 2 3. Ho every one that is sick of any manner of disease or torment Matâ—h 4. 23 24. or is possessed with an evil spirit whether of pride or fury or lust or covetousness come ye to the Physician bring away your sick Lo here is he that healeth all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people Ho every one that is in debt