believing and hungering after Christ Their examples shall be your Judges These are Gods Witnesses Secondly Next let us consider what are the object matters unto which they give their testimony and that will be found two-fold according to the two-fold event the Gospel hath upon them that hear it of both which the Apostle gives us this account 2 Cor. 2. 16. Vnto some we are the savour of life unto life and unto others the savour of death unto death Accordingly a double Record is made 1. Of the obedience and faith of some which Record will be produced to their joy and comfort in the day of the Lord when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe because our testimony among you was believed in that day Ministers are Instruments of espousing Souls to Christ and Witnesses to those espousals and contracts made betwixt him and them 2 Cor. 11. 2. Both these offices are exceeding grateful and pleasant to every faithful Minister 2. A Record is made and Witness taken of all the refusals disobedience and slightings of Christ by others Thus Moses will be the accuser of the Jews John 5. 45. Do not think I will accuse you to the Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom you trust This is the saddest part of a Ministers-work the fore-thoughts of it are more afflictive than all our Labours and Sufferings There is a three-fold Record made in this case 1st Of the time men have enjoyed under the means of Salvation how many years they have sat barren and dead hearted under the labours of Gods faithful Ministers Luke 13. 7. Behold these three years I come seeking fruit on this Fig-tree and find none Behold the same term of Notification with that in the Text applyed to the time of Gods patience towards them And again Ier. 25. 3. From the thirteenth year of Josiah even unto this day that is the three and twentieth year the word of the Lord hath come unto me and I have spoken unto you rising early and speaking but ye have not hearkened Oh consider all the years and days you have spent under the Gospel are upon your Dooms-day-book 2dly Records are also made of all the instruments that ever God employed for the Conversion and Salvation of your Souls So many Ministers whether fixed or transient as have spent their labours upon you are upon the Book of your account Ier. 25. 4. The Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the Prophets rising early and sending them but ye have not hearkened nor enclined your ear to hear They have wasted their Lungs dropt their compassionate tears and burnt down one after another as Candles to direct you to Christ and Salvation but all in vain 3dly Every call perswasion and argument used by them to espouse you to Christ is likewise upon the Book of account Prov. 1. 24. 25. Because I have called and you refused I have stretched my hand and no man regarded but you have set at nought all my counsels and would none of my reproofs These calls and counsels are of too great value with God though of none with you to be lost and left out of your account Thirdly we shall in the last place inquire into the grounds and reasons of these Judicial procedures of God why he will have every mans obedience and disobedience Registred and Witnessed for or against him under Gospel administrations and there are two weighty reasons thereof First that wherever the end of the Gospel is attained in the Conversion of any soul that soul and all that were instrumentally employ'd about the salvation of it may have their proper reward and comfort in the great day 2 Cor. 1. 14. As also you have acknowledged us in part that we are your rejoycing even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Iesus This will be matter of joy unspeakable both to you that shall receive and to them that shall give such a comfortable testimony for you Oh the joyful congratulations that will be in that day between Laborious Faithful Ministers and their Believing Obedient Hearers Lord this was the blessed instrument of my happy Illumination and Conversion though I might have ten thousand Instructers in Christ yet not many Fathers for by the blessing of thy Spirit upon this mans Ministry my Soul was begotten to Christ. And on the other side Lord these are the Souls for whom I travelled as in birth until Christ was formed in them 'T is a glorious thing to say as the Prophet Here am I and the children God hath given me Nay those that were but collaterally useful to help on the work of God begun by others must not lose their reward in that day Iohn 4. 36. And he that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoyce together Secondly Records are now made and Witnesses taken that thereby the Judicial Sentence of Jesus Christ in the last day may be made clear and perspicuous to all the world that every mouth may be stopt and no Plea or Apology left in the mouth of any condemned Sinner For Christ in that day cometh to convince all that are ungodly Iude ver 15. to convince by demonstration that all that are Christless now may be found speechless then Matth. 22. 12. Here it is said Psal. 1. 5. That the wicked shall not stand or rise up in the Iudgment And no wonder when so many full testimonies and unexceptionable Witnesses shall come point blank against them the Minister that preach'd the word they preached their own consciences and the examples of all Believers will be produced against them 1. INFERENCE First The undoubted certainty of a day of Iudgment is hence evinced To what purpose else are Records made and Witnesses taken but with respect to an Audit day this is a truth sealed upon the consciences of the very Heathens Rom. 2. 15. their consciences bear witness But in vain are all these Records made unless there be a day to produce and plead them and of that day the Prophet Daniel speaks Dan. 7. 10. The Iudgment was set and the Books were opened And again Rev. 20. 12. And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the Dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works Believe it Friends these are no devised Fables but most awful and infallible truths according to the saving effects the Gospel now hath it will be a time of refreshing to our Souls Acts 3. 19. to all others a day of terrour wrath and amazement 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. The day in which the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming Fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not
optimus Theologus evasurus est Nudati donis non possumus veritatem propugnare aut veritatis inimicos oppugnare Non bona indoles nec elocutionis gratia non gestus decor aut conversationis urbanitas pro egestate donorum compensare queat Utcunque Fratres prae omnibus cavete ne germinante indies Arbore scientiae sola sterilescat Arbor vitae ut eximius Theologus satis apposite lâ—quitur ne sint apud vos ultima prima prima vicissim ultima tam pestifera inversio toto conversionis operi exitialis erit caput regulatum est valde desiderandum sed cor sanctum absolute necessarium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. XII 31. Vigeant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed emineat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 altius radices figant cordibus vestris 〈◊〉 magni Apostoli 1 Cor. IX 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quid enim prodest peritum esse periturum Aliud est erudiri de veritatibus Christi aliud edoceri de eo sicut veritas est in Jesu Noctes atques dies mentibus vestris insideat grav is ista cautela literatissimi Reynoldi nostri Ne nobis nimium adblandiamur si forsan exquisitissimis naturae dotibus ingenii acumine sermonis elegantia varia lectione longo rerum usu Artium linguarum scientiarum omnium peritia judicii gravitate rationis pene angelica perspicacia nos Deus ornaverit nisi simul accedat Spiritualis gratiae adjutorium quo Coelestis mysterii cognitionemque adaptemur Quamvis enim splendidissima haec 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 merito nobis in animis affectibus hominum famam gratiamque conciliant quamvis magnum inde Reipub literariae Ecclesiae Christi emolumentum accedat nullum tamen ex sese aut ad Dei favorem aut ad Coelestis beatitudinis mercedem consequendam momentum conferunt Det Deus dona ministrantia sanctificantia ut Christi Propugnatores inimicorum ejus Expugnatores vosmet comprobetis Sed manum de tabula Epistolam hanc levidensem pingui ut aiunt Minerva contextam benevole tamen excipite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debitae observantiae A Conservo vestro in Evangelio Christi Johanne Flavello By reason of the Authors distance from the Press some mistakes have escaped which the Candid Reader is desired to Correct ERRATA in this Epistle PAge 3. l. 4. read omnimode p. 5. l. 9. after ita add neque ib. r. regimen p. 7. l. 6. for r. ut p. 10. l. 12. for iniquitatem r. iniquitatum TO THE READER THE worthy Author of the Discourse emitted herewith is one whose praise is in the Gospel throughout all the Churches His other Books have made his Name precious and famous in both Englands Nor can my Testimony add any thing to one every way greater than my self Nevertheless a singular Providence having cast my Lot to be at present in this great City I could not withstand the importunity of them who desiâ—ed a few Prefatory Lines to manifest the Respect I owe to this Renowned and Learned Man. It was a wife Reproof which a grave Divine administred to a young Preacher who entertained his Auditory with an elaborate Discourse After he had commended his parts and pains there was said he one thing wanting in the Sermon I could not perceive that the Spirit of God was in it And though Morality is good and necessary to be taught and practised yet it is much to be lamented that many Preachers in these days have hardly any other Discourses in their Pulpits than what we may find in Seneca Epictetus Plutarch or some such Heathen Moralist Christ the Holy Spirit and in a word the Gospel is not in their Sermons But blessed be God that there are some and great is their Company in this Land of Light who preach the Truth as it is in Jesus And he who has taken the Book out of the Right Hand of him that sits on the Throne and is worthy to open the Seals thereof has been pleased in wonderful ways to set open and keep open a door of Liberty to the Gospel that they unto whom he has given an Heart to Preach Christ may do it This is the Lords doings This is a Spirit of Life from God. When Cyrus proclaimed Liberty for the free Exercise of Religion the Lords Servants who for some years had lain dead were brought out of their Graves Ezek. 37. 12 13. This Treatise is a word in season God has made the Author to be a wise Master-builder in his House and acccording to the Wisdom given him of God he has inlarged on a Gospel subject very proper to be insisted on at such a day as this I am inform'd by unquestionable hands that there was a remarkable pouring out of the Spirit when these Sermons were viva voce delivered a great number of Souls having been brought home to Christ thereby The Lord grant that the second preaching of them to far greater Multitudes by this way of the Press may by the same Spirit be made abundantly successful for the Conversion and Salvation of Gods Elect. The Fruit brought forth by the Holy Apostles in respect of the Writings of some as well as the Doctrin preach'd by all of them does still remain The fruitful Labors of this faithful Servant of Christ will promote the Glory of God and the good of Souls when he himself shall cease from his Labors and his Works shall follow him Let the Lords people be thankful to him for that he has sent such a Labourer into the Harvest and pray that he may be continued long therein and that many such for there are but â—ew such may be raised up and be made eminently successful in their holy endeavours to the inlargement of the Kingdom of Christ and of God and let him reign in this Land for ever and ever which is the Hearts Desire and Prayer of one who is Less then the least of all Saints INCREASE MATHER London 18. 1689. Books written by the Author and sold by Matthew Wotton at the Three Daggers in Fleetstreet FLavell's Fountain of Life opened or a Display of Christ in his Essential and Mediâ—torial Glory 4 o. The Method of Grace in bringing hoâ—â— the Eternal Redemption 4 o. Discourse of the Immortality of the Soul. 4 o. Husbandry Spiritualized or the Heavenly use of Earthly things 4 o. Two Treatises of Fear and Evil days 8 o. Divine Conduct or the Mystery of Providence 8 o. The Saint Indeed the great Work of a Christian opened and pressed from Provâ—râ— 4. 23. 12 o. The Touch-stone of sincerity or signs of Grace and Symptoms of Hypocrisie Being the second Part of the Saint Indeed The Seaman's Compass 8 o. The Seaman's Companion containing Six Sermons suited to the various conditions of Seamen 12 o. Token for Mourners or Boundaries for Sorrow on Death of Friends 12 o. Preparation for Sufferings 12 o. Sacramental Meditations 12 o. Balm of the Covenant
Heart or bow the Will The hardest part of the Ministerial work is to preach Truths into the Hearts and Lives of Men. This makes the frequent inculcations of the same Truths necessary and safe to the peoples Souls Phil. 3. 1. To write the same things unto you to me indeed is not grievous but for you it is safe V. Inference How astonishing and wonderful is the Power and Strength of Sin which can hold Men fast after their Eyes are open'd to see the Misery and Danger it hath involved them in One would think if a mans eyes were but once opened to see the Moral Evil that is in sin and the Everlasting train of Paenal Evils that follow sin together with a way of escape from both it should be impossible to hold that sinner a day longer in such a state of Bondage the work were then as good as done but alass we are mistaken sin can hold those Men and Women fast that see all this They know it is an horrid violation of Gods just and holy Laws they know it brings them under his Wrath and Curse and will damn them to all Eternity if they continue in it They know Christ is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him and that he is as willing as he is able and yet no Arguments can prevail with them to part with sin Shew but a beast a flame of fire and you cannot drive him into it if he see any way to escape it Tell a man this is rank poyson and will kill you and you cannot make him swallow it though wrapt up in Sugar or put into the most pleasant Vehicle But let a sinner see death and destruction before him and sin can make him rush on as a horse into the battle Ier. 8. 6. He goes as an Oxe to the slaughter His heart is fully set in him to do evil Eccl. 8. 11. As one said when his Physitian told him If he followed such a course of sin he would in a little time lose his Eyes Then said he vale lumen amicum farewel sweet light I cannot part with this practise So t is with others rather than forego their pleasures and break their Customs in sin farewel Heaven Christ and all O the enchanting efficacy of Sin Ier. I8 11 12 And they said there is no hope but we will walk after our own devises When a man considers what Visions of Misery and Wrath Conviction gives Men he may wonder that all convinced men are not converted and on the otherside when he considers the strong hold sin hath gotten upon the hearts of sinners it may justly seem as great a wonder that any are converted VI. Inference How dreadful is the State and Case of Apostates who have had their eyes opened their Consciences awakened their Resolutions for Christ seemingly fixed and yet after all this return again to their former course of Sin. You see Brethren sin hath not only power to hold men in Bondage to its Lusts after their eyes have been open'd but it hath power to recover and fetch back those that seemed to have clean escaped out of its hands 2 Pet. 2. 18 19. The unclean Spirit may depart for a time and make his re-entry into the same soul with seven Spirits worse than himself Matth. 12. 43. Restraints by conviction and formality do not wholly dispossess Satan he still keeps his propriety in the Soul for he calls it my house and that propriety he keeps under all those Convictions and partial Reformations opens to him and all his Hellish retinue a door for his return But oh how doleful will the end of such Men be and how just is that Martial Law of Heaven that dooms the Apostate to Eternal Wrath Heb. 10. 38. Such are ' twice dead and will be pluckt up by the Root Iude 12. VII Inference To conclude this Use How sure and dreadful will be the condemnation of all those in the day of the Lord who obstinately persist and continue in sin under the Convictions and Condemnations of their own consciences Poor wretches you are condemned already Ioh. 3. 18. Condemned by the Law of God and by the sentence of your own Consciences What thy own Conscience saith according to Gods Law God will confirm and make it good 1 Ioh. 3. 20. If our hearts condemn w God is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things His sentence will be as clear as it will be terrible for in the last Day the Books will be opened the book of Gods Omniscience and the book of thine own Conscience Now the book of Conscience is as it were a Transcript or Counterpart of Gods book for thee to keep in thine own bosom Now when Gods book and thy own book shall be compared and found exactly to agree there can be no farther dispute of the Equity of the account O when God shall charge thee saying thou knewest this and that to be sin and yet thy lusts hurried thee on to commit it Is it not so Look sinner into thine own book and see if thy Conscience have not so charged it to thy Account Thou knewest Prayer was thy duty when thou neglectedst it and over-reaching the lgnorant Credulous and Unwary was thy sin when the love of gain tempted thee to it You knew I had plainly told you Thest Uncleanness Drunkenness and Extortion would bar you out of the Kingdom of Christ and of God 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. and yet putting that to the venture you have lived in those sins is it not so Examine the book in your own bosom and see The Lord make men sensible of coming Wrath for those sins they live in under light for the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against them II. VSE Is the Wrath of God revealed from Heaven a gainst all that hold the Truth in Unrighteousness Then let me exhort and perswade you by all the regard and love you have for your Souls by all the fears you have of the Incensed Wrath of the great and terrible God that you forthwith set your Convictions at Liberty and loose all the Lords Prisoners that lye bound within you because there is Wrath beware Iob 36. 18. O stifle the Voices of your own Consciences no more slight not the softest whisper or least intimation of Conscience reverence and obey its Voice Motives pressing and perswading this are many yet estimate them by weight rather than by number I. Motive The Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against them that hold the Truth in Unrighteousness and because there is Wrath beware Are you truly informed what the Wrath of God is Who knoweth the power of thine anger according to thy fear so is thy wrath Psal. 90. v. 11. O if the Wrath of a King who in all his Glory is but a mortal Worm be as the roaring of a Lyon and as the Messengers of Death Prov. 20. 2. Prov. 16. 14. What then is the power of his Wrath at whose
bear it or could Spira bear it What 's the Torment of Hell but the Worm that dies not and what is that Worm but the remorse of Conscience Mark 9. 44. O what is that fearful Expectation mentioned Heb. 10. 27. see how you like that life described Deut. 28. 65 66. the primitive Christians chose rather to be cast to the Lyons than into the Paws of an enraged Conscience ad leones potius quam ad Lenones Every little trouble will be insupportable to a sick and wounded Conscience as a quart of water would be to your Shoulder in a great leaden Vessel O if men did but fear their own Consciences if they did reverence themselves as the Moralist speaks If they did herein Exercise themselves to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence as Paul did Acts 24. 16. Then would you be clear of this great Sin of holding the Truth in Unrighteousness III. Direction If you would escape the guilt and danger of holding Gods Truths in Unrighteousness then keep your Hearts under the awful sense of the Day of Judgment when every secret thing must come into Judgment and Conscience like a Register book is to be opened and examined The Consideration of that day gives your Consciences a sevenfold defensative against Sin. 1. It provokes every man to get real solid Grace and not rest in an empty Profession Matth. 25. and this secures us from formal Hypocrisie That we be not found foolish Virgins 2. It excites us to the diligent improvement of our Talents that we be not found slothful Servants neglecting any duty God and Conscience calls us to Matth. 25. 21. 3. It confirms and establishes us in the ways of God that we wound not Conscience by Apostacy 1 Ioh. 2. 28. 4. It s a loud call to every man to Repentance and not to lye stupid and senseless under guilt Acts 17. 30 31. 5. 'T is a powerful Antidote against formality in Religion the general and dangerous disease of Professors Matth. 7. 22 23. 6. It excites holy fear and watchfulness in the whole course of Life 1 Pet. 1. 17. 7. It puts us not only to our watch but to our knees in fervent Prayer 1 Pet. 4. 7. And he that feels such effects as these from the consideration of that Day is fortified against that sin my Text warns of and dares never hold the Truth of God in Unrighteousness 'T is our regardlessness of Judgement to come and ignorance of the Nature of it which so emboldens us to neglect known Duties and commit known Sins Amos 6. 3. 2 Pet. 3. 3 4. If our Thoughts and Meditations were engaged more frequently and seriously on such an aweful Subject you would rather chuse to dye than to do violence to your Consciences IV. Direction Get right and true apprehensions of the Moral Evil that is in sin and of the Paenal Evil that follows sin then no Temptation shall prevail with you to commit a sin to escape a present trouble or neglect a known duty to accommodate any earthly interest and consequently to hold no truth of God in unrighteousness 'T is fear of Loss and Sufferings that so often overbears Conscience but if men were once made throughly sensible that the least sin is worse for them than the greatest affliction or suffering the peace of Conscience would be well secured And that this is really so appears thus 1. Afflictions do not make a man vile in the Eyes of God. A Man may be under manifold Afflictions and yet very dear and precious in Gods Account Heb. 11. 36 37 38. but S in makes a man vile in the Eyes of God Dan. 11. 2. 2. Afflictions do not put men under the Curse of God Blessings and Afflictions may go together Psal. 94. 12. but Sin brings the Soul under the Curse Gal. 3. 10. 3. Afflictions make men more like unto God Heb. 12. 10. but Sin make us more like the Devil 1 Ioh. 3. 8. Ioh. 8. 34. 4. Afflictions for Conscience sake are but the Creatures wrath inflam'd against us but Sin is the inflamer of Gods Wrath against us as in the Text. 5. Afflictions are but outward Evils upon the Body but Sin is an internal Evil upon the Soul. Prov. 8. 36. 6. Afflictions for Duties sake have many sweet Promises annexed to them Matth. 5. 10. but Sin hath none 7. The effects of Sufferings for Christ are sweet to the Soul 2 Cor. 7. 4. but the fruits of Sin are bitter it yields nothing but shame and fear 8. Afflictions for Christ are the way to Heaven but Sin is the Road-way to Hell Rom. 6. ult 9. Sufferings for Duty are but for a Moment 2 Cor. 4. 17. but Sufferings for sin will be Eternal Mark 9. 44. If such thoughts might be suffered to dwell with us how would they guard the Conscience against Temptations and secure their Peace and Purity V. Direction Be throughly perswaded of this great Truth that God takes great pleasure in uprightness and will own and honour Integrity amidst all the dangers that befall it Psal. 11. 7. Prov. 11. 20. when he would encourage Abraham to a Life of Integrity he engages his Almighty power for the protection of him in that way Gen. 17. 1. I am God Almighty walk thou before me and be perfect So Psal. 84. 11. The Lord God is a Sun and a Shield he will give grace and glory and no good thing will be with-hold from them that walk uprightly An upright man is the boast of Heaven Iob 1. 8. He is Gods darling and the reason is because he bears the Image of God Psal. 11. 7. The upright Lord loveth uprightness Yea and if Integrity bring them into trouble they may be sure the Lord will bring them out Psal. 34. 19. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth them out of all How safely then may they leave themselves in the hands of his infinite Wisdom Power and Fatherly Care Nay God is not only the Protector but he is also the Rewarder of Conscientious Integrity Psal. 18. 20. and that four ways 1. In the inward peace it yeilds them Isaiah 32. 17. The work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever But the effect of sinful shifts and carnal Policies are shame and sorrow 2. In the Success and Issue of it it not only turns to Gods glory but it answers and accommodates our own designs and ends far better than our sinful projects can do Prov. 28. 23. 3. Great is the Joy and Encouragement resulting from it in the day of Death 2 King 20. 3. Psal. 37. 37. 4. In the World to come Psal. 49. 14. Were this duely considered and throughly believed men would chuse rather to part with life than the purity and peace of their own Consciences They would suffer all wrongs and injuries rather than do Conscience the least injury VI. Direction Do not idolize the World nor overvalue the Trifles of