you say The time that I spend thus I can spare from my Soul that care 's taken already Christ is sure Heaven is sure to me Now for the flesh and mine ease and my pleasure now for this present World I have done enough for that to come Or else will you say These dayes of my Vanity and Earthliness will I hope be left out of my Reckoning my Prayers and my Alms the good that I have done is so much that my evil Deeds and Dayes will be over look'd and past by But must not every Day must not every Work be brought to Judgment Doth not the Righteous and All-seeing God book down all Is not the Sin of Judah written as well as their Tears and Duties Is not every thing noted in his Book And must not all things that are written therein be read in that day Canst thou look on this and not fear continually every day 1 Pet. 1.17 If ye call on the Father who without respect of Persons judgeth according to every Man's Work pass the time of your sojourning here in Fear If you had to do with a God that would never call you to a Reckoning whether you serv'd him or not or how much or how little you serv'd him or whom else you serv'd besides him if you had to do only with such a God the matter were not then so much how you liv'd and spent your time But if ye call on the Father if you serve such a God who will reckon with every one of you and for every thing you have done you had need look better to it Pass the time the whole time of your Sojourning here in Fear Beloved if your own Souls were not so highly concern'd yet this Consideration That the Work of your Lives is to serve the Lord would work you to Fear If you were upon some Service for a Prince or a great Man of the Earth suppose it were but to make him a Garment would you not fear how you sullied it or bungled upon it Or if it were but to keep his Garden would you not fear how you let it run to ruine What is this God whom you serve Is he not a great God the King of all the Earth Is he not an Holy God and a Jealous God that looks to be sanctified and to be the Fear and the Dread of all those that serve him Isa 8.23 The Service of God is often exprest in Scripture by fearing of God Cornelius Acts 10.2 was said to be a Man fearing God that is the same as a Man that served the Lord And the Apostle exhorts Heb. 12.28 That we have Grace in our Hearts whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly Fear Thou servest the Lord but wouldst thou that thy Service be accepted with God Then serve him with Fear Therefore to the end to hold this Fear upon you I shall add this Counsel Through your whole course and all the parts of it carry this express Notion upon your Hearts That you are serving the Lord in all that you do Do all you do as the Servants of the Lord and look on every Duty as the serving of him What the Apostle requires of the Servants of Men is the Duty of every one of the Servants of God Col. 3.23 24. What-ever you do do it heartily as unto the Lord for ye serve the Lord Christ When you go to pray think with your selves this is a Duty which I ow to God I am going into my Closet upon a Service I have to do for God there When you give an Alms or when you teach or instruct your Families think with your selves these are Services which I have to perform not only to my poor Brethren to my ignorant Family but I ow them to the Lord and to him I will perform them I have a Service to do for God amongst the Poor I have a Service to do for God in my Family God hath bid me Feed the one and Teach the other and to whomsoever I do it I 'le do it as unto the Lord. And in like manner in all the matters of your Life in the ordering of your whole Conversation let this be still in your Eye and upon your Heart God hath sent me forth as his Servant into the World I have no business here but for the most High I am born for him I am fed I am clothed I live for him all that ever I have are the Talents of my Lotd committed to me to use and improve for him I am Debtor to no other I am Servant to none else what-ever goes out any other way this is no less than unfaithfulness to him whose I am and now I go bound for him for his pleasure I was made and to him I am devoted this Life of mine and every day of it and every breath of it I consecrate to the Lord his Servant I am and 't is no Work for me that I cannot call serving the Lord. What would such a Sentiment upon the Heart bring forth What care yea what watchfulness yea what fear would it produce What shall I serve the Lord with that which cost me nothing Shall cheap-Service and easie-Service and lazy-Service and eye-Service be all that the Lord God shall have of me I dare not serve my Governour so and how will my God take it But what shall I divide my Service betwixt the Lord and any other Master shall my Flesh be serv'd shall my Pride be serv'd shall my Covetousness shall Men be serv'd shall this Heart or this Time or this Estate be divided betwixt the Lord and them How if the Lord find me in another Field in another House or upon other Work than whither he sent and appointed me How if he find any of his Talents wasted his Goods conveyed away to another Master how will he bear it Yea how shall I bear it Art thou not afraid O my Soul how this will be born and what a Reckoning thou mayest be brought to for it O let me fear to be such an evil Servant that I may not fear the evil Servant's doom let me continually fear every day that I may prevent the fear of the Reckoning-Day Such a standing Impression would this Notion of our being engaged in Service for God kept constantly upon the Heart produce This Notion mingled with all our Thoughts Duties and Wayes and the Holy Fear it will bring forth will not only hold us to constant Service but will put us upon the highest and best Service What is the Lord whom I serve Is he not one who looks for all I have and is he not worthy of all I have What an honour is it to be the Servant of God and what a terror to be none of that number He is the best Master he is worthy he is worthy of the very best I have Fear and be ashamed O my Soul to put him off with any thing that is not worthy of him What will an
there can be nothing whether Good or Evil that can be hid from his Eyes If there be a God he is Almighty able to save and to destroy As his Eye will find out so by his Power he can revenge all ungodliness and wrong If there be a Judg one that is Holy Righteous All-seeing and Almighty if there be a Judg then there shall be a Judgment wherein every Man must give an account of himself and receive the reward of his doings whether they be good or evil Rom. 2.6 2 Cor. 5.10 'T is Mens Atheism that lies at the bottom of their Security in sinning The Devil would have found it hard work to have fill'd the World with so much wickedness if he had not first filled it with Atheists and Infidels Sinner how is it that thou darest be as thou art and live as thou dost How canst thou eat or drink or sleep for very fear Dost thou not see how much wickedness thou compassest thy self about withal What are thy Sins but so many Devils or worse and art not thou afraid of the Devil Whether thou art or no Remember that there is a God Can that Holy One but hate such a Beast as thou art Does not the All-seeing One see thee will not his Eye find thee out Will not the Almighty one be too strong for thee Art thou stronger than he and able to stand it out against him Is there not a Judg to sit upon thee before whose Bar thou must be brought forth to answer for all thine ungodliness Shall not the Judg of all the Earth do right Will he either destroy the Righteous with the wicked or will he spare the wicked with the Righteous There is a God Sinner there is a God believe and fear The belief of the very being of a God would make Sin to be feared But what will the belief of what God hath said The Word of God hath more plainly and fully declared beyond what might be gathered out of the bare notion of a God what the Sinners of the Earth must expect to receive from his hands Why what is it that the Lord hath spoken Search the Scriptures that 's a Book as to impenitent Sinners like Ezekiel's Roll Ezek. 2.10 Written all over with Lamentations Mourning and Wo. Herein is the Wrath of God revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of Men Rom. 1.18 Who hath appointed a day wherein he will judg the World Acts 17.31 Who will appear in flaming Fire rendring vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the Presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power 2 Thess 1.8 9. Who shall be cast into the Lake of Fire Rev. 20.15 These and many more like words are written against Sinners in the Scriptures of God O were this Word believed that it is indeed the Word of God O were this God believed that he is not as Man that he should lye or as the Son of Man that he should repent but will certainly perform and do according to all things that are written in this Book This would make the stout-hearted to faint and the strong Sinner to bow down at his Feet But because of Mens unbelief therefore the Hearts of the Sons of Men are fully and fearlesly set in them to do evil O what Mettal are believing Sinners hearts made of What dost thou believe the Scriptures and yet not afraid to transgress Believest thou that God resists the Proud and yet does not thy Pride make thee afraid Believest thou that by thy lying and covetousness and oppression or but by thy vain life thy walking after the flesh and fulfilling the lusts thereof thou art treasuring up Wrath for thy self against the Day of Wrath and yet darest thou go on canst thou be quiet and secure Sure that heart of thine is a very stone within thee One would think it were not possible for such Sinners as believe the Scriptures but we should find them all fallen upon their Faces smiting upon their Thighs shivering and quaking for fear of the Wrath of God and the Judgment of the Great Day But canst thou hold up thine Head and keep on thy way and mock at Fear Sure either thy Belief is Unbelief thou believest not what thou thinkest thou dost or else thy heart is as the nether Milstone 3. Another Reason why Men Fear not is their Presumption As Mens Unbelief so some Mens Belief is the Reason why they do not Fear Presumption is Belief without a Bottom an House built upon the Sand a Spider's Web spun out of their own Hearts strong confidence founded on the weakness of a conceit or the belief of a lye This Presumption may be either 1. Of the goodness of Mens present State Or 2. Of the happiness of their future State what-ever their present State be 1. There is a Presumption of the goodness of their present State It is some Mens unhappiness that they believe themselves to be happy their great danger that they believe themselves to be out of danger Some Unbelievers and impenitent Sinners take themselves to be Believers and Converts to Christ some that are the Children of Hell believe themselves to be the Children of God This was the case of those Jews John 8.39 who said with great confidence Abraham is our Father we are the Children of Promise and vers 41. We have one Father even God What-ever thou accountest us we are the Children of God And this Confidence Men sometimes grow up unto upon little search or examining whether it be so or no. Nay it may be the Reason is their not examining at all how 't is with them Their case may be so extreamly bad and unsound that a very little search would break down all their confidence There are multitudes that are perswaded 't is well with them upon no other ground but because they cannot tell how bad 't is with them and therefore they understand not their misery and danger because they never search'd nor look'd into themselves nor ever spent a serious thought about the state of their Souls It is a wonderful thing that Men can so easily satisfie themselves in so great a case as multitudes do Let a Minister of Christ come to deal with such Persons let him go from House to House from Man to Man amongst the rude and ignorant Multitude how far may he go how many may he enquire of e're he meet with one that is so much as in doubt but all is well Let him ask How is it with your Soul what hope have you in God Why I doubt not but by the Grace of God my condition is good I hope in God all is well with me Let him go farther and ask But are you not mistaken are you sure you are not No I do not question but by the Grace of God my Soul is in a good condition Let him
before thee I am an unclean thing all wounds and bruises and putrifying sores A covering Lord a covering to hide this unclean thing out of sight a garment Lord a garment rolled in blood to hide the shame of my nakedness Friends are your sins hid yes mine are I hope but what covering hast thou gotten There are five sorts of coverings besides those already mentioned under which mens sins are often hid 1. A covering of ignorance they know not sin to be sin the blind see not their own spots and thereupon think there are no spots upon them their darkness serves them for a covering Thou that sayest thine heart is clean it may be 't is for want of eyes thou seest not what an heart it is when do we hear ever a word of complaint or confession from thee There is no soundness in my flesh saith the psalmist because of thine anger nor rest in my bones by reason of my sin my wounds stink and are corrupt my loynes are filled with a loathsome disease and there is no soundness in my flesh Psal 38.3 c. Such are the complainings of the righteous but when dost thou complain thou art whole and sound thou sayest I but t is because thou art blind thou thinkest so if God should open thine eyes thou wouldest see such sights as would amaze thee 2. Oblivion or their own forgetfulness whilest mens sins are fresh in their memory they are sometimes afraid but after a while they are forgotten and all buried in Oblivion Thou a good Christian thou an honest man and hast done no harm remember thy self look to the dayes of old call back the things that are past Where wert thou at such a time and such a time what wert thou then a doing call to mind thine oathes and thy lying and thy drunkenness and thy companions in sin Hast thou done nothing amisse rub up thy memory and that will help thine eye sight 3. Hardness of heart some sinners can feel nothing and they can see nothing but what they feel Nothing is evil with them but what is uneasie nothing is sin but what smarts The Apostle tell us Eph. 4.18.19 That men without understanding are past feeling and sure those that are without feeling are so much the more past understanding the brawn upon their hearts is a film upon their eyes Seest thou nothing to trouble thee O hard heart what such a drunard such a scoffer such an earthworm such a prodigal and yet seest thou nothing to trouble thee if God should but smite this rock that would open thine eyes 4. Some hide their sins in other mens greater sins by looking on the greater blazes of other mens sins their own embers that lye most under the ashes are not seen If they can say with the Pharisee I am not as other men they will not see but they are honest men and no hurt found in them 5. Others will hide their sins in the Church will take up some little profession of religion and make so much reformation as will give them admission into a congregation of Christians or it may be but into a sect or party that call themselves Christians to whom when they have once joined themselves ther 's an end of their old sins If they have gotten a new skin upon them and are hang'd on as members of the body of Christ as they think then they go for new men and all their old things are vanished away But sinners are these the only coverts in which your sins are hid in your ignorance in your forgetfulness c. From whose eyes will these coverings hide them will they hide them from Gods eyes or is it onely from your own eyes Is this all you need to hide your selves from your selves woe be to those men whose sins are open before the eyes of the Lord and only hid from their own Will any of these coverings hide them from the Lord Because you see not doth not God see because you have forgotten hath God forgotten O if there were such a book of remembrance of all that you have done presented to you as is written against you before the the Lord how pale would your faces grow If God should now come in amongst us and read over to each sinner the roll that is written against him what a trembling congregation would this be how would you look one upon another as men astonished how would you strike upon your breasts and smite upon your thighs and speak trembling men and brethren what shall we do what ease would it be to you when you hear so much written in your own books to think there is more written against some others And what if you be gotten into the church and your sins be buried under the shadow of the Altar under your profession of religion will not God see them there Consider sinners are your sins repented of and pardoned hath the Lord cast them behind his back and blotted them out of his book you have made a shift to blot them out of yours but what if they should be still found on Gods book nay is it not certainly so do they not all stand there against you even all the sins you have committed in your lives O look ye out for a better covering hast ye hast ye cry for a pardon sue out an act of oblivion from heaven look unto Jesus get your sins nail'd to his crosse and buried in his grave Repent and be converted that your iniquities may be blotted out and in that day the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found 2. Get your souls hid hid with Christ in God I flee unto thee to hide me Psal 143.9 I will trust in the covert of thy wings Psal 61.4 Christ will be no hiding place for your sins unless your souls also take sanctuary in him Get thee in to Christ if thou be found in him thy sin shall not be found Hide thee from Christ in Christ in the bloud and bowels of Christ a Saviour from the fury and wrath of Christ a judge Great is the wrath of that day there will be no enduring and there can be no escaping that wrath but by himself Woe be to those that shall then be found out of Christ in what ever else they be found The kings of the earth and the grat men the Rich men and the Captaines and the mighty men that are found out of Christ shall hide themselves in dens and the rocks of the mountaines and shall say to the mountaines fall on us and to the rocks cover us and hide us from him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Rev. 6.15.16.17 O sinners you that have ventured it to stand out from Christ hitherto look before you to that great day that comes you that neglect the