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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A58034	A looking-glass for the wise and foolish, the godly & ungodly Wherein they may see, how much it concerns them to be wise unto salvation, before it be too late. By John Ryther, minister of the gospel in Wapping, near London.	Ryther, John, 1634?-1681.	1677 (1677)	Wing R2440; ESTC R222745	34,418	116

the strictness of Religion at the Ordinances of God yea make a mock at Repentance for sin 2. Inquiry What are the leading Occasions to this Folly of making a mock at sin They pretend something for it this is their folly but they have some pretended Reasons for this their wicked practice 1. Occasion of this sin being long before it be discovered it lying long ●id occasions sinners to make a mock at it they think because it is ●ong before it be discovered that it will never be Alas poor sinners ●ll this while your secret sins are set ●n the Light of Gods Countenance O what folly is this to think to hide ●hy sin and prosper You sinners that talk of your sins being hid d●o you ever consider these things While your sin is hid your Consciences will sting you O how will it flie in your Faces Did not the guilt of Josephs Brethren do so after many Years it had been hid When guilt shall have a Resurrection by Conviction and shall walk in your Consciences O how dreadful will this be what a fearful Spectrum is unpardoned guilt when it walks in a● awakened Conscience Ah sinner dost thou ever consider this What though thy sin be hid yet it will wal● in thy Conscience 2. Dost tho● consider though thy sins be hid ye● God hath all thy secret sins in h● Treasures Deut. 32.34 are th● not laid up in store with him A● they not sealed up among his Treasures Ah sinners what fools a● you to think God hath forgott●● them until he hath forgiven them Though you have cast them behin● your backs yet God hath Treasured ●hem up And O dreadful will this be when the Lord shall open these Treasures to bring them forth against you 3. Sinners did you ever consider there is a court-Court-Day coming in which you must have all the Books opened and it will be read out of these Books what hath been hid for many Years all sinners Indictments are drawn out of these Books And the Dead were Judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works Rev. 20.11 12. 4. Do you ever consider sinners that God often discovers that which sinners labour to hide most If it be thy design to hide it God will make it his design to discover it Ah sinners how sad is it to carry on contrary Designs to God 5. Did you ●ver consider that you have not more ways of sinning than God hath of discovering Sometimes God makes use of Conscience to discover sin sometimes he makes u●● of Providence to discover sin as in Jonahs case The storm is sent to discover the guilty Person sometimes by Ordinances sometimes by such as were Partners with you in your sin Ah sinners put all these things together and you will see hiding of your sin is a poor Plea to make a mock at it 3. Sinners are led into the evil o● mocking at sin by sin growing successful and prosperous When the● see the path of the wicked to prosper O how are they hardned by it Prov. 1.24 The prosperity of Fools sl● them Such Fools are we to thin● a prosperous Condition a good Condition but it hath been the undoing of many a poor Soul to all Eternity O how did the Church of the Jew Hos 2.7 8. run from God after other Lovers until God hedged u● her way with Thorns and mad● Wall to prevent her And how ●id the Prodigal like a foolish Son ●hat causeth shame run from his Fathers House Luke 16.17 until his Father sent a Famine after him ●nd denied him Succour in his Apo●acy For he would gladly have fil●ed his belly with the Husks which the 〈◊〉 wine did eat but no Man gave unto ●im Rubs in the ways of sin are ●●eat Mercies what mercy it is to ●ave a Rub in the way to Hell to ●●ing a sinner to a stand that stand ●ay bring him to a turn First the ●●ner comes to a stand of Consideration before he comes to a turn of conversion I considered my ways says David and turned my feet to ●y Testimonies 3. Another thing that leads Fools 〈◊〉 make a mock at sin is Gods defer●●g Punishment when sinners see 〈◊〉 escape the strokes of Divine Ven●●ance then they begin to think 〈◊〉 at sin is but a sport Because God kept silent viz. did not presently thunder upon them with the Tokens of his Wrath What was the use they made of it They thought God was like unto themselves Psal 50.21 Now they fall into Atheistical thoughts concerning God and surely this will lead them to make a mock at sin if they once come to make a mock at God Thus were they hardned upon whom Sentence was not speedily Executed O how many poor fools have been hardned and flattered by this to the Gallows here and to Hell hereafter 4. Another thing that leads Fools to make a mock at sin is they never have felt it a Burden upon th● back of their Consciences An● poor Soul that hath felt it weigh 〈◊〉 dare say is past making a mock a● it David will tell you how 〈◊〉 weighed upon him It went over h●● Head as a Burden yea as too heav● a Burden to bear It is the heavie● thing in the World to such as have felt the burden of it and it is the bitterest thing in the World to such as have tasted the bitterness of it It is true Afflictions are heavy burdens and Temptations are heavy burdens Doubts and Objections that press in upon many a Believers soul are heavy burdens but alas these are all light things comparatively to the guilt of sin What a burden was sin upon the backs of Angels Did it not tumble them headlong into Hell What a burden was it upon our first Parents did it not tumble them out of Paradise O what a burden was it to our dear Lord Jesus Christ Did not he cry out under it Though they were not his own sins but our sins which he took upon him And could you mock at this if ever you had felt ●t Ah what fools are poor sinners many Thousands are sunk into the Pit of Eternal Perdition with the weight and burden of their sins upon the back of their Immortal souls 5. Thing that leads sinners to make a mock at sin is custome in sin This is very hardning we say it is a second Nature Consuetudo peccandi tollit sensum peccati Alas when Souls have got a custome of sinning then they begin to make a mock at it being hardened in it O how often doth the custome of sin take away the feeling and conscience of it That is a great word in the Prophet Jer. 13.23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the Leopard his spots The●● may you do good that are accustomed to do evil And yet how ordinary is it for these poor Fools to plead a custome for sinning which is so far from being a Plea that it is an aggravation I

have say Sinners gotten a custome of it I cannot leave it Tell a sinner of his Drunkenness of his Uncleanness c. O h●● hath gotten a custome of it Is this any Plea thou foolish sinner Suppose a Malefactor before a Judg of Assize should plead thus My Lord the Indictment is true I confess the Fact but I have gotten such a custome to Steal and play the Thief or I have gotten such a custome of it to cut Purses that I cannot leave it therefore I crave your Lordships favour Would this pleading Mittigate or Aggravate the Offence think you And yet is not this the Case of Thousands of sinners Some have Allegorized that passage of Lazarus being dead four days as though it set out a sinner dead in his sins and trespasses dead the first day ●y conceiving sin the second day by consenting to sin the third day by committing sin the fourth day by ●ustome in sin so that a Sinner accustomed to sin is not only dead ●ut buried in sin and a Grave-stone ●olled upon it and now no sense being left in this sinner being dead in sin he becomes a mocker at sin 6. Another thing that leads foolish ones into mocking at sin is because it doth not appear to them at present in its proper colours it appears to them in Disguises in Masks Sinners do not look at sin in two Glasses and so have not a right view and prospect of it 1. The Glass of the Law this will make sin● to appear in its proper colours Si● says Paul that it might appear sin● it did not appear sin before it did not look like it self before it had a painted Face but now it hath death in the Face of it yea Hell and Damnation in the Face of it Sin revived and I died Rom. 7.9 10 11 12 13. The Apparition of it th● sight of it kill'd him O what 〈◊〉 thing is sin that thou mockst a● poor sinner The sight of it will ki●● a man He had been looking upon his sin in the Glass of the Law th● Commandment Alas Do not the most of sinners in the World look upon sin like a painted Lion that cannot take a Man by the Throat O but the Law of God will let you see it is a real Roaring Lion and will tear you to pieces if you get it not pardoned 2. There is the Glass of the Gospel to shew you sin in its proper colours The Gospel lets you see sin is the Knife that cut the Throat of Gods Isaac viz. the Lord Jesus Christ This was the Dagger that stab'd the Son of God ●o the Heart This was the Spear that let Water and Blood out of his side The Nailes that fastned his Sacred Hands to the Cross And if ●hou hadst such a sight of sin couldst ●hou nay durst thou make a mock 〈◊〉 sin 7. Another thing that leads Fools 〈◊〉 make a mock at sin is their unbelief of the severe Threatnings of ●od against it Though the Lord hath threatned it with Eternal Condemnation with Destruction yea everlasting Destruction from his Presence and the Glory of his Power to lie under Wrath to come without the least hopes of Mercy to all Eternity But alas these sinners are such fools that they put them far from them and so make a mock at that they should mourn over Did they believe the soul that sins shall die Did they believe that the wages of sin is death Did they believe that the wayes of sin do lead down unto death Did they believe that Jesus Christ will come in flaming fire rendring Vengeance to them that know him not and obey not the Gospel Could it be that they durst make a mock at sin But alas Do not all these severe Threatnings seem to them like so many idle Tales as things spoken they think meerly in Terrorem and that God will never make the● good upon them But what a dream what a delusion is this God will as surely perform his Threatnings as he will his Promises Not one Threatning shall fall to the ground no more than one Promise 8. Another thing that leads Fools to make a mock at sin is this A secret apprehension that they have taken up that God will never call them to an account hereafter for what sin they run into now O if poor sinners did but reckon of a day of Account of standing before a Judgment Seat of being called before Gods Bar could they durst they make a mock at sin Did the Thief in the act consider I must answer for this before the Judg would it not strike him with dread and terrour while he is about it Would he then make a mock at it What at that which he must answer for And sinner hath not God said we must all appear at his Judgment Seat And that to give an account of all the deeds done in the Body whether they be good or evil And hath not he told us after death we must come to Judgment And that we must give an account for every idle word at the great Audit-Day Then surely we must for every action Mat. 12.36 1 Pet. 4.5 Is not Christ Judg of the Quick and the Dead before whom we must all appear And sinner is all this in Jest can the Holy God thus dally with guilty sinners What is all this an idle story Is this only a Romance Are these only big words Come come poor sinners you will find every syllable of this to be true and will you go on mocking at that which you must be accountable for to an Impartial Judg Will the Judgment Day be a mocking matter Is the dreadful Tribunal of God a jesting Business Then go on like Fools and make a mock of sin 9. Thing that leads Fools to make a mock at sin is a wretched Conceit sinners have taken up that God will forget sin as fast as they commit it Tush say they will God remember He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will never see it Psal 10.11 And so poor deluded souls go on making a mock at it Ah poor sinner what a madness is this in thee to harbour such a Conceit God did foresee such a piece of Atheism as this in the hearts of the Sons of Men therefore he hath laid us in with plentiful Texts of Scripture against it Deut. 32.34 Is not this laid up in store with me and sealed among my Treasures God hath laid them up to bring them out when occasion serves Therefore you read that in Job Job 14.17 My transgression is sealed up in a bag thou sowest up mine iniquity Some read it Thou packest up mine iniquity Others complicate them together Lays one of them upon the top of another Former sins with present sins to make up the pack and aggravate one another When the great Assizes come we read how sinners must be proceeded against out of the Books which are written says the Text Rev. 20.15 O poor

Sinners will you dare you make a mock of that which God keeps a Remembrance of which God Books down Sinners think what you will your sins are so far from being forgotten by God that your iniquity is marked before the Lord as he told them Jer. 2.22 No no the Day is coming God will reprove you and set your sins in order before you Psal 50.20 An Allusion to letters in a Book that are set in order all in a row before one The Lord hath Sinners such a Book where all your sins are Recorded and out of this Book you shall one day be forced to read all in their proper order you will then see God hath not forgotten any of them no not so much as the circumstances of them All is remembred 10. Another thing that leads Sinners to make a mock at sin is their stifling and strangling their Convictions of sin until they bring themselves under obduracy of heart Many sinners at first sinning are arrested with the Accusations of their own guilty tormenting Consciences but then they run into one Diversion or another to swallow up and drown their convictions and troubles as Cain did when he went out from the presence of God and dwelt in the Land of Nod and buildt a City Gen. 4.16 Which some think was to divert the troubles of an awakened guilty Conscience Many wounded Souls will run to their Pleasures for a little ease others to their Comforts others to their Callings and at last their Convictions wear off and then the Sinner comes to be hardned and now he arrives at the height of sin even to make a mock of it For usually Persons who have been under some common work and troubles for Sin and not being throughly wrought upon by them become Mockers and Scoffers afterwards O therefore Sinners look that your Convictions be through and through O beg of God they may not be transient like a flash of Lightning in a Room that makes it a little lighter for the present but leaves it dark when it is gone Now Sinners you have heard the occasions that leads you into making a mock of Sin Will you remember to pray against them that it may not be thus with you that you be not the Fools in the Text. Now to convince you poor Sinners that this is the greatest Folly in the World to make a mock at Sin 1. Is it not Folly to make a mock at that which you must certainly either mourn for here or hereafter As merry poor Sinner as thou art thy mirth is but madness I have said to Laughter thou art mad and to Mirth what doth it Eccles 2.2 It holds in this sense it lays a foundation for sorrow and bitter lamentation 1. Here if God have a design of love upon thee he will bring thee to mourn over that which thou hast so often mockt at Can you ever sinners expect to be pardoned if you have not repented Doth he comfort any that do not mourn Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Ah Sinner if thou didst but remember in thy Jollity and Madness when thou art making a mock of Sin ere long thou must be made to mourn over it and cry out of it as a burden too heavy for thee to bear Would not this check thee in thy careere of Madness and Folly 2. If thou mourn not over it here it will be worse thou wilt be made to mourn over it hereafter and then thou wilt mourn without hope Now thou mayest have hope of pardon there is hope concerning this thing but this afterwards mourning is altogether hopeless which makes me remember the sad condition of that poor sinner Prov. 5.11 12 13 14. And thou mourn at last when thy flesh and thy body is consumed and say How have I hated Instruction and my heart despised Reproof And have not obeyed the voice of my Teachers nor enclined mine ear to them that instructed me I was in all evil in the midst of the Congregation and Assembly Whether we took it of mourning here in old Age as some or of mourning in Hell as others yet it holds true O what a mourning will this be Some read it Quoniam Because I have hated Instruction Others read it Cur Why have I hated Instruction As being a Confession he had no Cause no Reason to do so We read it Quomodo How have I hated Instruction As being an acquitting Gods Justice in his punishment O how have I hated Instruction and it is but just with God I now should be thus dealt withal God is Righteous in all this that is come upon me And is not this folly great folly to lay the foundation of such mourning and such bitter mourning 2. Is not this Folly to mock at that which the Righteous God hates with a perfect hatred yea and will be revenged of Did poor Sinners see God hated sin would they make a mock at it That you make a matter of Mockery of God makes a matter of hatred of As in that case of Idolatry so in this he says Do not the abominable thing my soul hates Jer. 44.4 And it is said of Christ He loves Righteousness and hates Iniquity Heb. 1.9 And do you think this is a mocking business Sirs Nay God's hatred boyls up into Revenge Shall not my soul be avenged on such a Nation as this And is it not a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Everliving God Who hath said Vengeance is his and he will repay First God will either be avenged of Sin here or hereafter He often takes Vengeance of it here and shall Sinners make a mock at Gods Judgments How many thousands hath God taken Vengeance of in this Life How hath Gods Righteous Judgments often taken hold of this wicked Person or that wicked Family Secondly Hereafter we read o● Christ coming in flaming Fire 2 Thes 1.8 to take vengeance on poor Sinners that know him not nor have obeyed his Gospel And do not we read of the Vengeance of Eternal Fire Jude ver 7. And is this a mocking matter with you Will there be any Laughter any Mocking any Drollery in Hell Now you Sinners make a meer piece of Drollery about Sin but stay when you come under a sentence of Damnation that will be no Drollery with you 3. Is not that Folly yea great Folly to make a mock at that which grieves God We would not grieve the dearest Friend thy dear Father thy dear Husband thy dear Wife would you willingly grieve them And O what folly is this to grieve God! to grieve that God that thou daily livest upon that is thy dearest Friend in the World Do you know what you do Sinners when you grieve God First What grieve that God tha● you depend upon for your lives for the lives of your Souls for the lives of your Bodies who can both kill Body and Soul He that is Lord of your Lives and can seal a Lease of Ejectment