LIFE DEATH Offered to the choice of the Sons and Daughters OF ADAM OR A Doctrinal Essay towards the discovery of the broad way that leadeth to Destruction and also the narrow path that leadeth unto LIFE Being the Substance of several SERMONS Preach'd on MATTH 7. 13 14. In the entrance of which Discourse you have something spoken occasionally touching judging of others and also touching the giving of holy things to dogs and casting Pearls before Swine I call Heaven and Earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and deach blessing and cursing therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live Deut. 30. 19. LONDON Printed in the Year 1662. To my Friends and Neighbours in the Parish of Upton cum Chalveii in the County of Bucks together with all those of adjacent parts that did use to attend upon my Ministry in that place The Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ with Grace and Peace be multiplied Friends and Neighbours IT was the good will and pleasure of God to grant me this mercy to be born in a time of great Light and in a Land of Visions when and where the Gospel was preach'd in great Power and Glory and to encline my heart in the morning of mine age to an attendance upon the preaching of the Gospel by those whom he had eminently gifted and spirited for that Work yea to take hold of my heart by his Word and so to engage me in the study of his will revealed in his word that I could not settle my self upon any secular employment save onely that while I did live at home my dear Mother being a Widow I was as became me serviceable unto her in that Calling God had set her in In which time I had the happiness of enjoying Communion with many of the Lords people by which Communion I was furthered in the knowledge and understanding of Scripture After this the Lord brought me into acquaintance and favour with several godly and able Ministers who after some knowledge of me did tell me that they did verily believe God had some work for me to do in the Ministry and that God would find me out and give me a clear call thereunto which perswasion of theirs answering the inclination that God had wrought in my heart almost from my Cradle did the more unsettle me as to any worldly employment And so it was that about the 21. year of mine age I had several proffers as to publike Work but still there was something or other did impede and hinder In fine being in the Countrey near Windsor for my health's sake about May 1654. I was desired to preach amongst you at Upton which accordingly I did on the 27. of that instant And after I had preach'd with you you being destitute of a Minister I was desired to take hold of that opportunity for the doing of God service which desire I did freely close withall and in order thereunto after that I had obtained power from the then Supream Magistrate I took possession of the Pulpit to preach in and the House to dwell in In this my undertaking I had but little external encouragement there being not much either of Maintenance or Countenance to be expected from you As for Maintenance it s known to be very short and as for Love and Countenance I could look for little being at the first desired but by a very few in the Parish and besides for that you did seem generally to expect those things from him who should be your Minister which unless I should have sinn'd against my Light and Conscience I could not do I hope I am able to say in some good measure of sincerity and truth That my great ends were the glory of God and the salvation of your precious souls For I considering how you had been supplyed for sixty years or more according to your own confession to wit with a prophane Ministry and also that the means was so short that few good men they being bound by the Law of God and Nature to provide for their Families could accept of it I did judge I might be of more service among you then elsewhere My Lord Christ had told me by his blessed Word that in this Work I must not looke to meet with the great things of this world as Riches Honours Friends c. but on the contrary to meet with Disgrace Contempt Scorn and Persecution And indeed there was no reason for me to have expected other among you but the setting of you in a flame about me so that I might have walked by your doors in fear have lai'n down and rose up in fear have preacht in fear My great Work in the Ministry being to pull down your strong holds to plunder you of that which is more dear to you than your Gold and Silver namely your sins to take your Beloveds out of your bosome to pull out your right eyes and cut off your right hands to take away your Gods from you your Carnality Hypocrisie Superstition c. But it was otherwise ordered by the holy and wise God for in the room of this I had your attendance upon my Ministry and approbation of it many of you confessing that the Word came in power upon you convincing you of many things I also received great respects and love from many Nay more after that I had been near two years among you and you fully knew what I refused to do I being alwayes open-hearted among you as to the matters of my God you did notwithstanding hearing of some Overtures made to me about a remove desire my continuance with you and did manifest this desire by subscribing your Names to what you were freely willing to give me Quarterly for the supplies of my Family Which Subscription of yours though it did not much augment my Maintenance yet it was to me so high an expression of your love and so clear a discovery of some Work that my Ministry had wrought among you that I resolved thereupon to continue a longer time with you and manifested this my resolution to be real by laying out a considerable sum of money upon the Vicaridge-House for my own â—â— ommo lation And so through the good hand of God did contâ—nue with you until December 1660. for which opportunity of Service I do think my self obliged for ever to bless the Lord that he should call out such a poor worm and give him six years time to bear a publike Testimony for Christ in his generation Now as for my departure from you though the cause thereof be known to many of you yet for the honour of the Gospel and clearing of mine own innocency I shall give you a brief account thereof in this place The greatest Contest I had all along with many of you was about the administration of the Lords Supper and Baptism and Burial of the Dead you requiring of me that I would bury the Dead according to
of them though they did as evil against me and my Wife Children as they could for though we had a hole to put our heads in provided by the Father of Mercies yet it clearly appeared that it had been all one to them whether we had or not But yet I can appeal to God in this that all the hurt I wish them is that God would give them repentance unto life But the great end of this account is that the Gospel may not suffer reproach for my sake After that I was thus ordered to depart and the Church-doors shut against me by the Wardens I did with what convenient speed I could remove my Family and leave the place And now since my departure from you looking back upon my conversation among you I find matter both of Humiliation and also of Peace and Consolation That which doth afford me matter of Humiliation is the consideration of the deadness of mine own heart and the straitness of mine own spirit while with you that I waâ— no more abundant in labours no more in praying in preaching publikely and from house to house that I did no more earnestly and affectionately endeavour your conversion to Christ though I have as much to plead as some others viz. a weak and frail body and other occasions which the wants of my Family did administer to me yet I must acknowledge that these things do afford me matter of humiliation to consider that God should give me so large an opportunity and that my heart should not as it ought be enlarged in the work of my God But then on the other hand there are some things do afford me matter of peace and comfort as 1. In that I was by the power of God kept faithful to my light with reference unto Gospel-Administrations I would not for all the world that I had come over to you in the administration of the Lord's Supper and Baptism in a promiscuous way 2. In that I did design and endeavour as I could the obtaining of your affections and went as far as I did judge the shooes of the Gospel would carry me to accomplish this my design 3. In that I did continue with you so long as I could had I come away sooner I might have broken my peace and had I continued longer I might have undone my Family and done you no good being deprived of opportunity to preach the Gospel amongst you 4. In that I am not without hopes that God did by my Ministry work upon some of your souls I am sure as to conviction there was work done Now that work may be done where there 's none and carryed on where there are any beginnings thereof is the design of this Book which I do heartily present unto you of the Parish and also unto those of adjacent parts that did use to attend upon my Ministry as a token of that dear love and affection I bear to your souls desiring your acceptance in the Lord. Now to him that is able to subdue most rebellious ones and to preserve subdued and enlightened ones from falling and to present them faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to him do I commend you all desiring that to this onely wise God our Saviour you may be enabled to give as is most due all Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and ever Amen Yours to serve you in the Lord R. CARTER LIFE and DEATH OFFERED TO THE CHOICE OF THE Sons and Daughters OF ADAM Matth. 7. 13 14. 13. Enter ye in at the strait Gate for wide is the Gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat 14 Because straight is the Gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it THese words are part of Christ's Sermon upon the Mount which he preach'ts to his Disciples and not onely to them but also to the multitude of people that did croud after him as appears by the two last verses of this Chapter When Jesus had ended these sayings the People were astonished at his Doctrine for â—e taught them as one having Authority and not as the Scribes Of which Sermon this Evangelist doth give us the largest account taking up the 5 6 and 7. chap. of this Gospel The substance of this Sermon is to discover what blessed ones are and what what blessed ones ought to do First What blessed ones are chap. 5. 3 to the 13. viz. Poor The puâ—port of Christ's Sermon on the Mount in spirit true mourners meekned ones such as do hunger and thirst after righteousness merciful pure in heart peace-makers though by the world they are accounted troublers and sowers of sedition and upon that account not fit to live yet by Christ they are known and judged to be the children of peace Now our Lord Jesus whom God sent into the World to bless his people * doth here declare the persons thus qualified to be blessed Acts 3. ult persons Though we are to take notice that these qualifications are not laid down as the causes of blessedness which is alone the eternal love of God in Christ but as the properties of such as are so blessed And then finally our Lord Christ doth declare these blessed ones to be the objects of the wickeds hatred and envy and that notwithstanding they are so yet he doth for the comfort and establishment of all his declare the persons so qualified as before †Those that are not so qualâ—fied whatsoever they may suffer for the profession of Religion yeâ— they are not blessed to be never the less blessed and happy at present and as for their future state it will be so much the more glorious by how much the more of persecution they have undergone in this world above others The other part of this Sermon is to shew what blessed ones ought to do And for this in general he teacheth that they being the Salt of the Earth should labour to season others walking in each part of their conversation so as that wicked ungodly men seeing their good works might glorifie their Father * Matth. 5. 6 which is in Heaven But before he descends into particulars he doth endeavour to establish his Disciples in this perswasion that he came not to destroy the Law to derogate from the Divine Authority thereof to cause any part of it to be judged false and unprofitable oâ— to release his people from obedience to the Moral Law which he chiefly intends in this place as appears by the following verses Christ came to 〈◊〉 the Law but he came to fulfil it that is 1. To answer all those shadows and representations of him exhibited in the Old-Testament and also to accomplish whatsoever was foretold of him by the holy Prophets 2dly To fulfil it that is to give a perfect and compleat obedience to every tittle and Iota of the Law in the stead and room of the poor
him Question Quest But how can we judge whether a man hath faith or no Answer Ans Jam. 2. A man is to shew his faith by his works Mind this as I have often told you though there may be good works as to visible appearance where there is no true Faith yet where true Faith is there the souls works I speak as to the general course of the conversation wil visibly appear to be good they cannot do otherwise for if the tree be good the fruit wil be good so that though a hearing praying person may be a hypocrite yet a swearing drunken prophane idolatrous person cannot be a Christian the one may be a hypocrite but the other can't be Christian Though I cannot say positively of a visibly holy person That he shall go to Heaven yet I may certainly say of a prophane man That he shall go to Hell if he dieth in that estate without repentance Question Quest But doth it not savour of pride for persons to judge themselves to be holy persons and good Christians and judge others to be outcasts and wicked persons Answer Ans It 's possible persons may judge themselves so when Prov. 13. 12. they are not so judge themselves to be pure and yet not washed from their filthiness Now for any notwithstanding their delight in secret sin and the indulging cursed lusts to judge themselves more holy then others this proceeds from pride and self-love and great blindness But now for persons that are sincere and upright towards God to judge themselves to be in the love and favour of God looking upon God as their Father and themselves as his sons and Daughters and also judging others to be wicked this is according to holy Scripture 1 Joh. 5. 19 20. And we know that We are of God and the whole world lieth in wickedness And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given Us an Understanding that we may know him that is true and We are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ c. Objection Object This was the judgement of an Apostle Answer Answ 1. None knoweth the heart but God The Apostles themselves were not infallibile in their Judgements if they had Simon the Sorcerer had not been baptized They judged onely by what appeared to them those that appeared truly godly they judged so and those that appeared otherwise they judged otherwise But 2dly John speaks here in the plural number Us and We whereby is clearly intimated that others as well as Apostles may judge themselves to be of God Nay he saith in the 13th ver These things have I written unto you that ye may know that ye have eternal life that ye may be able to try and examine your own state and make a judgement of your selves whether you are the persons that have a title to eternal glory yea or no and accordingly you shall find that he doth for the furtherance of this work of self-examination in this Epistle characterize the Christian by his doing of righteousness and loving the Brethren But further this judgement is not onely lawful but there is Great reason for the passing of a Scriptuâ—â— judgement 1. Reas great ground and reason for it As 1. If God's people should not judge themselves to be so they would be guilty of very great ingratitude We ought to be thankful for all mercies but especially for spiritual mercies When God shal by a mighty hand have brought a soul out of the Devils Kingdom into the Kingdom of his dear Son and manifest his love and mercy to it what greater sin can such a soul be guilty of then the not taking notice of the exceeding riches of Grace so as to own it and acknowledge it to the glory and praise of God Col. 1. 12 13. Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be maâ—e partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the Kingdom of his dear Son 2dly From this springs all a Christians comfort Alas what 2. Reas comfort can a Christian have in this wicked miserable reproachful hateful world were it not for this God is mine Psal 48. ult For this God is our God for ever and ever c. Isa 25. 9. Lo this is our God we have waited for him c. Isa 41. 10. Be not dismayed for I am thy God c. Isa 63. 16. Doubtless thou art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not Thou Lord art our Father our Redeemer thy Name is from everlasting 3dly Wicked prophane men they do judge themselves to be 3. Reas the people of God and good Christians and thereupon do lay claim to the seals of the Covenant Baptism and the Lords Supper and do judge holy and religious persons to be a company of hypocrites which are the worst sort of wicked persons in the world and shall undergo the greatest torments in Hell Then surely the true sincere Christian may judge God to be its Father and Christ its Saviour and on the contrary judge prophane wicked men to be as the Scripture declareth them to be in a state of wrath without God in the world and strangers to the Covenant of promise Eph 2. 12. 4thly There are a several duties to be performed upon this 4. Reas Judgement as thus We are to do good to all but especially to them of the Houshold of Faith Now this cannot be done except Gal. 6. 10. we may judge some to be of the Houshold of Faith The wicked Prov. 29. 27. is an abomination to the just It follows thence that the just doth know him and judge him to be wicked The wicked are to be withdrawn from 2 Tim. 3. 5. then they must be first discovered known and judged to be so else we break the rule of Charity by withdrawing from them especially if they are persons with whom we have formerly had communion in spiritual matters for from such we ought not to withdraw without cause By all which it appears that notwithstanding Christ doth here forbid rash Judgement yet it hinders not that a Stripture Judgement may be made Nay our Lord Christ in this 7th ch doth plainly declare his Will to be that according to the Scripture-Judgement should all his people walk According to this Rule should Hearers walk with respect to Hearers may pass a Scripture judgment on their Teachers yea ought to do it their Teachers and also Teachers and Ministers with respect to their people First People with respect to their Teachers ver 15. Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheeps clothing but inwardly are ravening Wolves But Lord might the Disciples have said How may we know them Know them saith Christ you may know them by their fruits ver 16. This generation of ravening Wolves and false prophets God doth generally suffer them for
Pipe through which doth run no Water And yet such is the madness of those that please themselves with hearing Sermons receiving Sacraments resting in these things notwithstanding they remain in an ignorant vile and wretched estate without the experience of ought that hath been preacht to them in the Word or represented to them in the Lords Supper 5. Christ calls to the denying of all worldly concernments 5. All wordly concernments as whatsoever in comparison of or in competition with himself as 1. Riches Jer. 9. 23. Psal 62. 10. 1 Tim. 6. 17. Heb. 11. 1. Riches 26. It 's a hard matter for a man to be rich in this world and not to trust in his riches and therefore it is that it 's so hard for a rich man to enter into heaven Math. 19. 23. compared with Mark 10. 24. where Christ by the rich man declareth his meaning to be of those that trust in riches 2. Honour Christ in this is proposed for our ensample 2. Honor. Phil. 2. 7. made himself of no reputation The Apostles 1 Cor. 4. 13. were content to be defamed made as the filth and off-scouring of the world Heb. 11. 24 25 26. There Moses despised and trampled upon the glory and honour of the Court and of being called the Son of Pharaohs Daughter A good name is a precious ointment but sometimes a person may fall into this dilemma that either he must be dishonest or be so accounted be a fanatick in name or in truth It then savours of an excellent spirit when a person shall choose rather to be accounted dishonest then to be dishonest choose rather to be called a fanatick then to be so 3 Relations Habitations 3. Relations Habitations Relations Mat. 10. 37. compared with Luke 14. 26. there you 'l finde that our love to Relations must be a hatred compared with our love to Christ Habitations Gen. 1â— 1. Psal 45. 10. Heb. 11. 8. Math. 19. 28. Mark 10. 29 30. Luke 18. 29 30. 4. Pleasures 2 Tim. 3. 4. We must take heed of loving 4 Pleasures pleasures more then God Isa 58. 13. It 's the love of pleasure that doth occasion the breach of the Sabbath An excellent example of this part of Self-denial we have in Moses Heb. 11. 25. Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season 5. There must be a denying our selves in respect of injuries 5. In respect of Injuries offered offered we must not seek revenge nor return evil for evil but on the contrary bless them that curse us c. Math. 5. Rom. 12. 14 19 20 21. 1 Pet. 2. 23. 6. In Meats and Drinks we are not to eat and drink in 6. Meats and Drinks 1 Cor. 10. 31. excess to surfeting and drunkenness but to use moderation making the service and glory of God our great end in the use of his creatures Prov. 23. 1 2 3. Rom. 13. 13. 1 Cor. 9. 27. Eph. 5. 18. Luke 21. 34. Phil. 3. 19. 7. Life it self as father and mother brother and sister 7. Life it self c. are to be hated in comparison of Christ so is even life it self Luke 14. 26. And the onely way to keep life here with a blessing and enjoy an eternal life in glory is to be willing to resigne up our selves and all that we have and are to the cause of Christ when ever Christ shall call us so to do Our Lord Christ hath said it once and again Whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel the same shall save it and what profit will it be for a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul Math. 10. 39. 16 25 26. Mark 8. 35 36 37. Luke 9. 24. 25. And thus much touching the first term viz. Self-denyal the second follows which is 2. That every Disciple must take up hit Cross daily I shall here first shew you what this Cross is secondly what it is to take up this Cross 1. By Cross sometimes is understood the efficacy power What the Cross of Christ is of Christs Death as 1 Cor. 1. 17 18. Gal. 6. 14. Col. 2. 14. and sometimes Affliction and Persecution so Heb. 12. 2. and so are we to understand it here in this Scripture A Christian he hath many Crosses in this world as that of Sin Temptation Desertion c. but that which Christ chiefly doth here intend is doubtless that of Persecution There are four places wherein Christ propoundeth this term namely Math. 10 30 16. 24. Mark 8. 34 and this in Luke 9. 23. In Math 10. he spake largely touching what they should expect from men and then in the close telleth them That he that takeih not his Cross and followeth him is not worthy of him that is whosoever shall decline him or his way by reason of that Cross of persecution he had afore-mentioned that person was not worthy of him And in the three other places he was in each of them shewing to his Disciples what great things he was to suffer of the Elders and chief Priests at Jerusalem and Peter being somewhat offended and troubled at it Christ rebuketh him and declareth in the presence of the people and of his Disciples That whosoever would come after him must take up his Cross Hereby clearly shewing to all his Disciples that the same spirit of envy and hatred that was in the world against him will be against them also Math 10. 23 24 25. Joh. 15. 18 19 20. and therefore they must resolve to follow him bearing their Cross There is a Cross of Persecution and Tribulation to be born in a lesser Such an enmity there is between the two Seeds that nothing can be expected but persecution from the wicked of the world See Gen 3. 15. Gal 4. 29. Prov. 29. ult Iohn 16. ult or greater measure by all the Saints in this world Joh. 16. ult Acts 14 22. Phil. 1. 29. 2 Tim. 3. 12. there the Apostle saith All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer Persecution It 's possible some carnal formal Professors may rub out in persecuting times but such as are godly in Christ Jesus such as walk by Gospel-light and according to Gospel-rule they shall be sure to suffer persecution Every unregenerate man is more or less a persecutor and therefore while the Saints do live in this world among wicked and ungodly men they will in a greater or lesser measure be tormented and persecuted by the world But what is it to take up this Cross I shall answer to this both Negatively and Affirmatively What the taking up of the Cross is 1. Negatively what we are not to understand and then what we are 1. Negatively We are not to understand any kinde of reverence to be given either to the Image or signe of the Cross The
bearing of the image of the Cross is a place of great honor among the Papists who do greatly adore and reverence the same And so also they do the Sign of the Cross giving the Signe no less honor then the Image but herein they are certainly as Paul said of the Athenians too superstitious there being no rule in the Word of God for such Adoration 2. Christ in propounding this term doth as it seemeth to me secretly inhibite his people the making creating a Cross to themselves As wicked men are apt to say Peace Peace when there is no Peace so Gods own people are apt to fear when no fear is and to create trouble and sorrow to themselves For the Devil if he can't intice the soul from the waies of God then will he endeavour to discourage it by perswading it that there is a Lion in the way That it will never be able to hold out and hold on in heavens way there is such vallies of death and mountains of difficulties to pass thorow go over Now though Christ would have the Soul to persevere in his commands whatever the difficulty be he meets withall yet he would not have it give heed to such amazing and perplexing suggestions but by faith to live above them And thus by way of Negation For the Affirmative I shall answer it in these four particulars 2. Affirmatively To take up the Cross is 1. For the Soul deliberately after serious debates in the heart about this matter to resolve in the strength of God to hold on in heavens-way let what will come Disgrace Poverty Imprisonment Fire and Fagot c. with Job to resolve Though he kill mee yet I 'le trust him * Iob 13. 15. A Hypocrite may resolve high but his resolves are usually sudden and passionate resolves and so come to little but now a Christians resolves when he acts like himself are deliberate and sincere resolves depending not upon his own but the strength of God and these resolves hold and though a Christian that hath so resolved may live and dye in a calm season and suffer little comparatively yet God who knoweth the heart accepteth the will for the deed and taketh it as kindely as if he had suffered abundantly more for his name and glory 2. It is to acquiesce in Gods pleasure to have our wills resolved into the will of God quietly to submit under all his dispensations and providences though seemingly they may contradict his promises and our expectations with the Church Micah 7. 9 to resolve the bearing his indignation untill he plead our cause c. That soul doth truly rightly bear his Cross that doth quietly submit himself to God under all afflictions being in Davids sense dumb not opening his mouth because it is the Lords doings * Psal 39. 9. 3. To take up this Cross is to do it cheerfully to do it upon choice for so Christ propoundeth this term that whosoever will choose him to be his Lord and Saviour must choose the Cross also will choose to reign with him must also choose to suffer with him A hypocrite may suffer much upon the account of Religion but he suffers not upon choice could he preserve his name or bring about some such sinister end he would never suffer his suffering for truth is not out of love to truth but upon some other base and low account But now Moses he suffered much and that upon choice he chose rather to suffer with Gods people then to enjoy sinfull pleasures * Heb. 11. 25. Christs yoke is not put on per force we are to take his yoke and burthen upon us Math. 11. 4. The last particular which acquainteth us rather with the manner then the matter of the duty is that to take up this Cross is to persevere to hold out to the end He must deny himself and take up his Cross daily We must not be weary of suffering for Christ or Truth but after we have suffered reproach and scorn then we must be willing to suffer confiscation of Goods after that Imprisonment and after that Banishment and after that cruel Death Math. 10. 22. And ye shall be hated of all men for my Names sake but he that endureth to the end shall be saved And thus I have dispatched the second term viz. The taking up the Cross The third and last is to follow Christ Now we are to follow We are to follow Christ Christ 1. In his Commands 2. Examples and 3. Providences 1. In his Commands to follow Christ is to obey him 1. In his Commands Joh. 10. 4 5 27. The true Sheep follow the true Shepherd and will not follow strangers that is they hear and obey the voice of Christ and his onely they will not hear neither obey the voice of Strangers In this term is required then that the soul do heartily and sincerely own Christ for it's Lord and Kâ—ng to be ruled and governed by him owning him alone for the Lord of it's conscience and obeying him at leâ—st in desire and affection in all his commands so farr as they are revealed and discovered unto the soul 2. We are to follow Christ in his Examples Christ was 2. In his Examples not in all things our Example for some things he did by the power of his God-head and therein he was not an Example to us and something he did as Mediator viz. satisfie his Fathers wrath and purchase eternal life for his people and herein he was not an Example Heb. 1. 3. When he had by himself purged our sins sate down on the right hand of the Majesty on high but in that holiness and righteousness that did appear in him therein he was our Example Math. 11. 29. Learn of me What is it we should learn Not to raise the Dead open the eyes of the Blinde c. but to be meek and lowly Every true Christian was predestinated to be conformable to this Pattern Rom. 8. 29. and called unto it 1 Pet. 2. 21 22 23. For even hereunto were ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps Who did no sin c. And therefore Whosoever saith he abideth in him ought himself so to walk even as he walked 1 Joh. 2. 6. A true Christian is then to take Christ for its great high Example to consider how Christ carried it first with respect to the world and all the enjoyments thereof how he debased and humbled himself and then secondly how he carryed it with respect to Satan when under his temptations how he defended Satan not with this or that notion nor yet with this or that experience but with a scriptum est Math. 4. It is written The sword of the Spirit is the best Weapon to fight the Devil with And then thirdly how Christ carried it towards men both Saints and Sinners how loving and meek and graciously disposed he was to
then wilt thou cleave Why I 'le cleave it may be thou mayest answer to that party that hath most power to impose their judgments upon me I confess that 's a good shift to keep thee from sufferings but if thou hast no better thou wilt hardly keep thy self out of hell 2. At the great day of Christ thou maist then answer for thy self There is none of those upon whose sleeves thou doest now pin thy faith will then appear to plead for thee it 's well if they can plead their own cause When God shall say Who required those things at thy hand it will not be enough for thee to answer I had such a mans command and such a mans judgment for it for God will say Did I ever require it Thou shouldst have made me and not thy fellow-Creature the Lord of thy conscience 3. It 's a duty incumbent upon every of you to search the Scriptures Joh. 5. 39. Col. 3. 16. And it 's the great work of a Minister of the Gospel to endeavour so to enlighten his people that in the performance of all religious duties they may walk by Scripture light doing all in judgment To be able as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 14. 15 to pray and sing with the spirit and with understanding also 4. Without knowledg understanding in the wil of God thy heart cannot be good neither canst thou be sincere in thy Worship minde that Scripture Phil. 1. 9 10 11. neither canst thou perform any duty that shall be well pleasing in the sight of God See for that Col. 1. 9 10. Finally Art thou got a step above all the former Dost thou not onely plead for a Worship but a pure Worship a Worship according to Scripture a Virgin-Worship Why then examine Art thou not in the way of Hypocrisie Is thy heart right with God Is Christ thy all and in all For know that by so much the more glorious thy profession is and the greater thy light is by so much the greater will thy condemnation be if thy heart shall not be found to be right with God And thus much for the first direction about Self-examination Again secondly In the handling of the second Doctrine we have opened those terms whereby Christ offereth himself unto the sons and daughters of Adam now examine thy self whether thou hast to this day cordially and heartily received Christ upon those terms Received Christ so as to deny and abhorr thy self so as to take up the Cross and so as to follow him in his Commands Examples and Providences 3. And chiefly if thou wouldest go thorow with this work beg of God that he would pour forth of his spirit upâ—â— thee it being the great Office of this Spirit to discover â—nto the Seed of Jacob their own vileness and Christs excellency their own sinfulness and Christs righteousness their own wants and Christs fulness their own guilt and Christs satisfaction The misery of their estate as the children of the first Adam and the happiness of their estate by virtue of union with the Lord Christ the second Adam Joh. 16. 8 9 10 11. 1 Cor. 2 9. to the end Eph. 1. 16 17 18 19 20. Be faithfull in the making use of these directions and by the blessing of the Lord upon thee thou mayest come to know the state of thy soul whether thou art in the broad way to destruction or in the narrow streight path to life and glory The fourth and last Use is of Exhortation and that first A Use of Exhortation to those who upon examination shall be found in the broad way that leadeth to ruine shall be found walking in the path of Ignorance Profaness Disobedience Will-Worship or Hypocrisie them I exhort being in some measure sensible of the terrours of the Almighty with David to consider their waies and turn to the Lord Psal 119. 59. I thought on my waies and turned my feet unto thy testimonies Consider O Soul what it is to be in this broad way if thou knowest not give me leave a little to acquaint thee To be in this broad way as all unregenerate persons are is to be without God in the world without interest in him or communion with him to be a stranger to the covenants of promise to be without any true hope of Salvation If thou knowest not I 'le tell thee It 's to be a filthy loathsome noisome creature more abominable to God then a Toad to be an enemy of God a childe of the Devil in the kingdom and under the power of Darkness If thou knowest not I 'le tell thee It 's to be a childe of wrath and an heir of hell This and a thousand-fold more then I can express is thy condition at present and as for thy future estate if thou dyest unchanged let it suffice that I tell thee thou shalt be damned and punished by an Almighty hand All Gods works are like himself if he loves a poor creature he loves him like a God if he hates a poor sinner it 's the hatred of a God if he saves a soul he saves him like a God and so if he damnes thy soul and torments thee in hell it will be the damnation and torment of a God Hear this Sinners and hasten out of this Sodom before God rains down fire and brimstone upon you Arise depart for this is not your rest it 's polluted and take Christs counsel Strive to enter in at this streight gate to walk in this narrow path whatever it cost thee and that this may stick minde these two arguments 1. There 's no life but in this narrow way all that ever went to heaven went through this strait gate there 's no salvation without Christ and no Christ without believing and no believing without holiness 2. Ere long Striving time will be over Life and Death are now offered to your choice you are now told If that yee live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the spirit mortifie Rom. 8. 13. the deeds of the flesh ye shall live You have as yet a may be for salvation which if you neglect you will most certainly be damned This is the day of Christs patience the golden Scepter is yet held forth Mercy is yet upon the bare knee to poor sinners but when once the Master of Luke 13. 25. the house be risen up and hath shut to the door then striving will be in vain It will then be in vain to say ye were baptized in his Name and that you have eat and drank at his Table Christ will then say Depart ye workers of iniquity I know you not What! you baptized in my Name you eat and drink in my presence What! and blaspheme my Name and contemn my people and profane my Sabbaths and swear and be drunk c. Away saith Christ depart I know not whence you are since you would not in the day of my Patience give me entertainment into your heart neither