Darkness for my Sin that would not lay hold on the Means of Grace IV. NEXT The Four Elements in their order accuse me And First The Heavens acquaint me they have supplied me with Light to my Joy and Comfort The Air whispers me I have given thee all manner of Fowl my Region affords to be at thy Command The Water violently speaks I have given thee all manner of Fish to eat And the Earth opens her Mouth saying I have given thee Corn Wine and Oyl to nourish thee but how hast thou abused these Mercies to the Contempt and Dishonour of our Creation Therefore let our Benefits redound to thy Punishment let the Fire consume thee the Water overwhelm thee the Air fann and winnow thee the Earth swallow thee up and Hell devour thee V. THE Holy Angels which were appointed by the Almighty to minister unto me in this Life and to be my Comforts in the Life to come they accuse me for by my Sins I have deprived my self of their Ministry in this Life and Hope of their Fellowship in the World to come the Voice of God's Divine Law accuses me either I must fulfil it or perish to perform the one is impossible and to undergo the other is intollerable VI. GOD the most severe Judge and potentest Executer of his Eternal Law accuses me Him I cannot deceive who is Wisdom it self from him I cannot fly who is Power it self and reigns every where Whither then shall I fly Psal. 139. 7. Even to thee O Blessed Jesu my alone Redeemer and Saviour I hear a Voice which bids me hide my self in the clifts of the rock Cant. 2. 14. Thou art that Rock and thy Wounds are the Clefts in them will I hide my self against the Accusations of all the Creatures VII My Sins cry aloud even unto Heaven but thy blood which was poured forth for my sins cryes louder Heb. 12. 2â— My Sins are potent to Accuse me but thy Passion is effectual to Defend me the Unrighteousness of my Life is powerful to Condemn me but thy most perfect Righteousness is powerfuller to Save me I appeal therefore from the Throne of thy Justice to thy Mercy-Seat but I dare not appear before thy great Tribunal unless thy holy Merits interpose betwixt me and thy Judgment MED II. That the Cross of the Holy Jesus should excite us to Repentance Rom. v. 8. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us BEHOLD my Soul thy Saviour's Sufferings the Wounds of him that was crucified and the Torments of him that expired on the Cross That sacred Head at which Angels tremble is platted with a Crown of Thorns That Face which in Beauty exceeded all Mankind's is spit upon by the Ungodly Those Eyes brighter than the Sun in his Meridian are obscured in Death Those Ears which were accustomed to hear Angelical Anthems are infested now with arrogant Speeches and scornful Reproaches That Mouth from whence proceeded Divine Oracles and dictated to Angels their Celestial Lessons receives nothing but Gaul and Vinegar Those Feet which the devout Magdalen kissed and wiped with the Hairs of her Head are fastened with Nails Those Hands which stretched out the Heavens like a Curtain are now extended on the Tree of Shame II. THAT Body the Deity 's Temple is scourged and wounded with a Spear Nothing escap'd the malicious Jews but his Tongue and that was meekly exercised in Praying for his Persecutors And he who now Reigns in the highest Heavens underwent all this for lost Mankind He felt the Pains of Hell and cry'd out My God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken me Mat. 27. 46. So great was his Agony and Anguish that he which comforteth Angels stood now in need of one to comfort him III. IF this happens to the Just what shall become of wretched Sinners What measure shall the Almighty take with us for our Offences who is so wrathfully displeased with his well-beloved Son for the Sins of the whole World O God of infinite Mercy take from us these stony Hearts of ours and give us Hearts of Flesh that we may tremble at thy Word and melt at thy Judgments Lord let us not forget thy Acclamations and Tears Thou cryedst from the Cross Behold O ye Sons and Daughters of Men what I suffer for you Was ever Grief so great or any Sorrow like unto my Sorrow But O Thou whose Property it is to have Mercy convert our stubborn Hearts unto Thee MED III. Of the Fruits of Repentance Mat. iii. 8. Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance THE Foundation of a Holy Life is True Repentance and where that is acquired Remission of Sins and Eternal Life succeeds Why then do we deferr our Repentance and procrastinate it from day to day To Morrow is not in our possession and to Repent sincerely is not in our power but when the Judgment-Day is approach'd we must render an Account not only for one Day but for our whole Lives II. ACKNOWLEDGE and bewail thy Sins so shalt thou find God in Christ appeased towards thee I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions saith the Lord Isa. 43. 25. inferring our Sins are enrolled in the Court of Heaven Turn away thy face from my sins begs the Royal Prophet Psal. 51. 9. Demonstating that our Iniquities are in God's sight Be converted unto us O God prayeth Moses therefore our sins do separate us from God Isa. 59. 2. Our sins have answered us complaineth Isaiah ver 12. and do accuse us before God's Tribunal Cleanse me from my sins is the Psalmist's Petition Psal. 51. 2. Concluding our Sins in appearance are sordid in the Eye of the Almighty III. SIN is the Distemper of the Soul which moved David to cry out Heal my soul for I have sinned against thee Psal. 41. 4. It is for Sin that we are blotted out of the Book of Life So said the Eternal Whosoever shall sin against me I will blot him out of my book Exod. 32. 32. We are cast off by the Almighty for our Sins which made David deprecate Cast me not away from thy presence Psal. 51. 11. Sin torments the Mind and dries up the Moisture as the Psalmist experienc'd Restore me to the joy of thy salvation Psal. 47. 12. IV. Sin is infectious says the ProPrphet Isa. 24. 5. The earth is defiled by the inhabitants thereof which have transgressed the law Our Sins press us down to Hell else the Psalmist had not broke out saying Out of the deep have I cried to thee O Lord Lord hear my voice 130. 1. Sin is the spiritual Death of the Soul So says the Apostle We were sometimes dead in our sins Ephes. 2. 1. By mortal Sin Man loseth his Creator who is the infinite and Incomprehensible Good therefore to be deprived of him is an infinite and incomprehensible Evil. And as the Almighty is the chiefest Good so Sin is the chiefest Evil. V. CALAMITIES and Punishments are not absolutely Evil for many times from them Good is
Profession only but our daily Practises too that must proclaim us Heralds of this Faith V. ALTHOUGH our Merits can never reach Heaven yet our pious Endeavours may if they are sincere because there is a Mercy hangs over our Heads that will pardon our Deficiency All the Blossoms and Buds of our Piety spring forth from this Stem and he that either believes or loves his Saviour that died for him cannot imagine he is too much industrious to live well This was the Female Sex's Faith here and she had scarce effus'd it out with floods of Tears when the Infernal Fiend in a Consternation forsakes his hold unable to endure the Eccho of that Sound which was repeated by the diviner Accent of our Redeemer's Lips and this Faith must be a Preservative against Sin and by its diviner Charms chase Satan to his Chains of Darkness 'T is this that prepares Heaven for us that makes us survive our Monuments become Immortal in our Graves and promises Eternity to our Dust and Ashes 'T is this that consummates our Happiness and will safely arrive us where the Blessed Jesus shall receive us into His Glory VI. O MOST Divine Omnipotence Thou sentest Thy Son Christ Jesus to die for us that by Believing in Him we might attain to Everlasting Life He under whom Thou hast put all things in Subjection was pleas'd to condescend to level Himself with them and dethron'd Himself to undergo a Crucifixion for our Souls that we might receive the Benefits of His Death and Passion and be Partakers of His Glory Oh let not those Miseries of our depraved Nature which petitioned Thy Mercy and Compassion make us uncapable of it Let not those that plead Ignorance of Thee but by Thy Miracles be more ardous in acknowledging Thine abundant Goodness than we who by the Manifestation of Thy Love claim an Interest in Thy precious Blood VII BUT grant O Lord that we may live in a perpetual Thanksgiving to Thy Merits who camest down from the Bosom of Thy Father to purchase and save our Immortal Souls To this end do Thou inspire into us that Faith without which it is impossible we should please Thee and with which Thou annexes all other Graces Teach us so to rely on Thy Mercies that we may not neglect the Means or imagine that a dead Faith will conduct us to that Life which Thou hast promised to none but them as work out their Salvation with Fear and Trembling MED XVII Of Love and Charity 2 Pet. i. 7. And to brotherly-kindness charity TRUE and Sincere Love is an inseparable Property of a Pious Person No Christian can subsist without Faith and where that Vertue is Charity is not wanting Where the Lustre of Charity is extinguish'd the Heat of Faith must consequently be quenched Thou may'st as well rob the bright Luminary the Sun of his Light as deprive Faith of the Gift of Charity Charity is the External Act of the Internal Life of a Christian. The Body is dead without the Spirit and Faith is dead without Charity Jam. 2. 26. He is not a Member of Christ that is not inspired with his Spirit and he is not endued with his Holy Spirit that is destitute of the Gift of Charity II. THIS Theological Vertue is the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. And by the Goodness of the Fruit the Tree is demonstrated Charity is the bond of Christian perfection saith the Apostle Col. 3. 14. As the Bodily Members are united together by the Spirit so the true Members of the Mystical Body are united by the Holy Spirit in the Bond of Charity Solomon's Temple was all covered with Gold within and without 1 King 6. 21. So our Bodies and Souls which are the Almighty's Spiritual Temples ought in like manner both within and without to be beautified with Love and Charity Let this regent Vertue exercise its Efficacy in moving thy Heart to Compassion and thy Hand to Contribution For one without the other is not effectual III. FAITH receiveth all from God the Fountain of all Goodness and from that Stream Charity as a Channel conveys it to her Neighbours By Faith we are made Partakers of the Divine Nature who is Love 1 Joh. 4. 8. Therefore where Charity manifesteth not Externally Faith Internally doth not inhabit No Man believes in the Lord Jesus which doth not express Affections of Love to Him and none can fulsil that New Commandment except he loves his Neighbour None can really apprehend the Benefits of Christ with a Heart unfeigned which has not Bowels of Compassion to the distressed IV. CHARITY is the Seminary of all Vertues and nothing can be of good growth which proceeds not from that Root And this Vertue truly delineated is the Soul 's Spiritual Relish for unto it alone are all things dulcified all Adversity Pain Anguish Trouble nay even Death it self And And the Wise Man confirms this That Love is as strong as Death Cant. 8. 6. And indeed I think I may invert the Wise Man's Text and with Assurance proclaim That Love is stronger than Death For Love brought down a Saviour to die for us Sinners that the Sting of Death might be removed from us He when he had overcome the sharpness of death did open the kingdom of heaven to all believers Oh let us then embrace this Love and die unto Sin daily that we may live unto Righteousness V. ALL the Works of the Most High proceeds from this lovely Attribute even Punishments Denunciations and Judgments The Two great Luminaries and the Constellations of Heaven illuminate not themselves but us wretched Creatures Fire Air Earth and Water were created for our Necessity The Beasts Herbs Plants Trees Birds Fish and Fowls were all for our Use. And as God has been so gracious to give thee Plenty of these Blessings so do thou distribute to thy Neighbours according to their Necessities And this must be done freely with true Amity Affection and Compassion else all our Charity is nothing worth but will prove like sounding Brass or a tinkling Symbal VI. CHARITY is patient 1 Cor. 13. 4. For no Man is easily enraged with those whom he truly affects Charity likewise is bountiful And he who has been so liberal as to resign his Heart to his Friend will without all question not with-hold from him any temporal Enjoyments for the Relief of his Necessity Charity envieth not it thinketh no Evil is not puffed up and behaveth not it self undecently Next she seeketh not those things which are her own neither is she provoked to Anger she imagineth no Mischief nor rejoyceth not in iniquity but she beareth all things believeth hopeth and endureth all things she refuseth not to do unto others as she desires them to perform unto her Tongues and Prophecies shall cease and Arts and Sciences be destroyed but Charity shall never be extinguished VII LET us then study this Lesson of Love and Charity and howsoever thy Friend or Neighbour be qualified towards thee yet remember
4. the Elements melt with fervent hert 2 Pet. 3. 10. and this magnificent imbellish'd Structure of the Material Creation must perish in a Conflagration IV. When the ecchoing Sound of the Last Trumpet will be loud enough to astonish drowsie Mankind out of the sleep of Mortality and all those innumerable Bodies which for so many past Ages have inhabited the vast Re-Regions of Forgetfulness shall arise from their Beds of Dust and appear before the Aweful Tribunal of the Great and Impartial Judge The Books will then be open'd the Indictments read and every Man's Works shall be produc'd at the Barr and Evidence given either for or against him No Title of Honour or Dignity of Place no Preheminence of Nativity or Excellency of Natural or Acquired Endowments will in this Court of Equity be admitted as a sufficient Demurr to an immediate and impartial Tryal but the High and the Low the Rich and the Poor the Noble and the Mean the Learned and the Ignorant he that sits on the Throne and he that stands behind the Mill even from the Swayer of the Scepter to the Drawer of Water must be equally impleaded and without respect of Persons receive a Compensation proportionable to their Merits V. IN this Great Day the Lord of the Harvest will gather his Wheat into Heaven's Granary bat the Chaff shall be thrown into Fire Unquencheable He shall separate his Fine Gold from the Dross and distinguish Right Jewels from False and Counterfeit Sparkles The Sheep will then be separated from the Goats and True Believers manifestly known from Formal Hypocrites But what Tongue not that of Angels can express the Joy of those vigilant Servants whom their Lord at that time will find diligently employ'd in the Performance of their Duties All that formidable Pomp and dreadful Solemnity which shall precede and attend the Advent of the Judge will but contribute to their Comfort and enhance their Consolation For they shall know that He who appears with such ineffable Majesty to keep his General Sessions of Righteousness is the same Iesus which was crucify'd for their Redemption VI. THEN that Exalted Saviour will accost his Followers in the Regeneration Mat. 19. 28. with these or the like transporting Expressions you my beloved Disciples who renounc'd all that the World call'd Grandeur and Generosity for the sake of your Crucify'd Lord and Master and despis'd the present Enjoyments of Flesh and Blood in Expectation of a Future and Invisible State of Felicity You who who retain'd your Obedience in the mid'st of a Rebellious Generation and embrac'd Vertue in an Age of Impiety and Prophaneness You who subdu'd your sensual Appetites by the Austerities of Self-denial and conform'd them to the sublimer Dictates of Reason and Religion And You who rejoyc'd in the Day of Tribulation and adorn'd the Doctrine of the Gospel by an exemplary Patience in the Day of Adversity This is the Day wherein you shall receive a Recompence for all your Sufferings a Recompence so incomparably Glorious and of such Sublimity that it will at once create and accomplish your Beatitude VII Your Troubles were Finite and expired in a Moment but the Duration of your Bliss will be Infinite and Eternal You shall now enter into that Heavenly Kingdom where all your Tears shall be wiped from your Eyes and those Chrystal Drops which you plentiful shed in the Prosecution of your Salvation shall be congeal'd into Pearls to enrich your Diadems and imbellish your Robes of Immortality There no Deluge of Sorrow shall disturb the Serenity of your Felicity no Anxiety or Perplexity no Discontent or Vexation shall intrude within the Limits of your Happiness but you shall securely bathe in Oceans of unmix'd Pleasures and feast upon Delights which know no period VIII BUT while these Fluctuations of the Divine Mercy will consummate a Beatifick Calm in the Breasts of the Righteous what irresistable Tempests of Consternation shall excruciate those impenitent Wretches who chose their Portion on this side Heaven and preferr'd the Dung and Miseries of a transitory World before the Real Joys of a Solid Eternity Now they shall in vain invoke the Mountains to bury them beneath their perpetual Ruines that by a more tolerable Destruction they might evade the Fury of that Almighty Indignation ready to overwhelm them But what will attribute them in these inextricable Exigencies that they possess'd the Quintessence of the Earth that they were splendid in Wealth and Honour that they inhabited Palaces of Cedar and took their Repose under Canopies embroider'd with Gold that they were homag'd by Crouds of Parasites and grew Famous in Popular Applause that they were the Favourites of Crowned Heads and the Darling of the Multitude that all things past currrant according to their Desires and were not molested by the Misfortunes of other Men when those illustrated Accommodations did contribute but to render 'em the more magnificently Miserable when they vanish'd like a visionary Dream of the Night but the Memento and Guilt of their Absurdity will like venomous Snakes and Serpents cling to their Consciences and become their remorseless Executioners for infinite Ages IX THEN the Eyes of their Understanding will be opened which the Fascinations of Sin had kept long clos'd and they shall perceive the Folly and Frailty of those impertinent Trifles which they courted with so much Passion and Eagerness and for whose unsatiable Fruition they neglected their Immortal Souls forfeited their Title to a blissful Immortality and subjugated themselves to those tremendous Extremities which are the inseparable Concomitants of an inevitable Damnation What heaps of Treasure then would they give to re-enjoy one Minute of that inestimable Time which they profusely expended in the unprofitable Works of Darkness that for so inconsiderable a space they might be but within a Possibility of Salvation What Presidents of Mortification What Miracles of Piety What inimitable Examples of Vertue and Goodness would they appear to Mankind were they to renovate the Lease of their Lives How would they disesteem all those magnificent Shadows and glittering Annihilations which the idolizing Worldling so preposterously admires and esteem the unmatchable Treasure of a Pacifick Conscience unspeakably beyond the most transcendent Terrestrial Enjoyments X. BUT alas 't will be then too late for Repentance and they who in the Day of their Visitation contemn'd the repeated Proposals of a Redeemers Reconciliation shall at this Juncture with Tears of Blood supplicate for Mercy and be refus'd it and the Lord Iesus who would have been their Saviour and so frequently extended his compassionate Arms to receive them into Favour if they would but Believe and Repent will as their inexorable Judge utter this direful Sentence against them Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels XI O IRREVERSIBLE Decree from whence there can be no Appeal and which no sooner pronoun'd but those Condem'd Wretches must be for ever exil'd from the Ecstatical Presence of the