answer it at the dreadfull day of judgement take heed of those evills and sinfull practises that heretofore you have committed lest you damne your soules for ever and you must know that conscience comes not without a commission but he hath a commission in his pocket and he shewes it also Pro. 29.1 there is one part of conscience's commission there saith the text he that being often reprooved hardeneth his neck shal suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy if you be often reprooved will not be bettered nor informed then the Lord sayes conscience froÌ„ the Lord tells you be it at your own perill ye shall surely perish that without remedy and in the 2. of the Thess 3.14 there is another part of his commission If any man obey not our word by this Epistle note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed hee that will not obey the Gospel he that will not stoope thereto nor be framed thereby why conscience he shewes his commission and charges men to take heed of this the God of heaven will take the part of conscience and will come in flaming fire to render vengeance to that soule that will not obey the Gospel But you will say cannot a man shift and free himselfe from the terrour of conscience I answer no conscience hath now a great deale of ayd from heaven because he hath been in former times so badly dealt withall therefore he will go no more so slenderly garded Deut. 29.19 there saith the text If it come to passe that hee that heareth the words of this curse shall blesse himselfe in his heart and say I shall have peace though I walke in the imagination of my heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst the Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and al the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven and therefore you that say conscience may command what he pleaseth yet you will do what you list and though you adde dunkennesse unto thirst yet you shall have peace and it shall go well with you tell you the wrath of the Lord shall smok against your soules he shall blot your names out of the book of life the wrath of the Lord shall follow thee into all places and upon all occasions whatever thou dost or whithersoever thou goest the wrath of God shall follow thee Gods wrath shall follow thee to the Ale house and the Brothel-house and to the Taverne God shall follow thee and pluck thee out to thy shame here to thy confusion hereafter and this is the first work of conscience He hath been snubbed in former times and no man cared for him but now he is a wakened and backt with power from the Lord and gives a peremptory command to the soule of a sinner bee it at your owne perill if you meddle with sinne and this makes sinnefull wâ—â—â—ches lie snugge for a while they dare not shew themselves but shut themselves under hatches conscience perkes then upon the crowne and this makes them hang the wing a little and withdraw themselves from their base courses and abstaine from the Ale-house awhile but now when wicked persons see that their companion is gone and that they have lost one of their company they make after him amaine and then conscience plucks one way and they pluck another way they lay siege to the soule of a poore sinner conscience bids him look to himselfe and take heed what he doth perhaps conscience sees him halfe perswaded to yeeld to his old companions and then conscience hath an eye to him and biddeth him take heed unto himselfe and saies I command and charge you as you will answer it at the dreadfull day of Iudgement before the Tribunall seat of God that you runne not into your former wicked courses but then his cursed companions they draw backward and come unto him and say what is the reason that now you begin to sever your selfe from us he tells them his conscience hath troubled him and he heard the Word of God he heard the commission of conscience read that whosoever was often reproved and not bettered thereby should perish and that hee which obeyed not the Gospell should be accursed and this makes him do as he doth when his companions heare this they begin to blind his judgement as much as they can and take off the command of conscience you have heard say they many threatnings from God and conscience hath told you that you shall perish and be damned if you continue in your old courses but threatned men live long these words break no bones and this breath blowes no corne there have beene many so threatned and yet never felt any of those judgements but have lived a merry life to this day and are the bravest fellowes and the boonest companions in the whole countrey and thus by carnall company and cursed perswasions the soule is drawn back againe to his former wicked course and so haply this hooke is broken and the sinner is gone but when conscience sees this that his first hook is broken and that his command is slighted he followes fast after him and layeth another hooke upon him and as before hee was a commander over him so now he comes to be an accuser of him and a witnesse against him he accuseth him before God and is a witnesse against him because he hath committed those sinnes which he upon paine of Gods everlasting displeasure and his owne everlasting damnation commanded and charged him he should not commit conscience before was only Gods Herald to tell him what God commanded but now conscience is become a Pursevant and a Sergeant to arrest him and therefore 2. Sam. 24.10 Davids heart smote him after hee had numbred the people conscience hee flung his actions upon him know how-ever a man may avoid the warning of conscience and break the command of conscience yet he cannot avoid the herror and stroke of conscience but conscience will smite him and fling this hooke into the very heart of him and conscience will smite the heart so much the more heavily because his former commands were despised look as it was with Gideon Iudg. 8.5 when he was pursuing after the Midiâ—â—ites he came unto the men of Succoth and prayed for aide of them he intreated them to help him and joyne sides with him but they refused and scorned him and said Are Zâ—â—â— and Zalumna now in thy hands that wee should give bread unto thine army as if they had said art thou a commander over them art thou sure to overcome them no no wee will not helpe thee Marke now what answer Gidâ—on makes these men of Succoth in the 7th verse weâ—â— saith hee When the Lord hath delivered Zebâ— and. Zalumna into mine hands then I will teare your flesh with thornes of the
I had never heard of mercy if I had not lived under the Gospell and the meanes of salvation oh then I had been a happy man in comparison alas it is mercy that I have neglected it is the glad tidings of salvation which I have contemned how shall I then be saved if the meanes of salvation have thus been slighted by mee if I had never opposed grace grace might now have helped mee if I had not despised mercy mercy might now have succourd mee but this is my plague this is my woe all the kindnesse that God shewed to mee and all the mercy that God hath revealed and offered I have despised and refused many a knock hath God given at my heart and many a rap at my soule the Lord hath even wept over mee as he did over Ierusalem oh that thou hadst known the things belonging to thy peace the Lord came kindly and wooed mee lovingly oh the perswasions of the Lord and commands of conscience that I have had and yet after all perswasions and horror and commands what yet proud still what yet covetous still and prophane still why then surely there is no mercy to be looked for no grace to be expected and therefore certainly to hell I must go and then he riseth and will be gone to hell all that are about him cannot hold him but then the Minister haply further replyes the truth of it is you have done thus but do you think so still would you do so still if you were out of this perplexity is it good now to be drunk is it good now to commit adultery is it good now to blaspheme is it good now to contemne Gods ordinances would you now rayle on Gods Saints and despise Gods truth prophane Gods Sabbaths would you now do these things oh no no saith he I now find what the end of those wretched courses will be the word of God could not prevayle with me the Minister could not perswade me therefore now I shal perish I shall be damned for these abominations which I have committed there is no remedy if ever man shall be danmed it is I if ever man go downe to hell surely it is I nay hell is too good for mee oh the good Sermons that I have heard the Minister hath spoken home oftentimes to my conscience the very flames of hell have been flashed in my face the Minister would often have spent his bloud that he might doe good to my poore soule and yet I despised the word and scorned the Minister and mocked those whom conscience vexed saying What you are a man of conscience are you you dare not sinne your conscience will not suffer you what are you such a foole to be ruled by your conscience and therefore God hath justly let my conscience loose upon me now I know to my woe that I have a conscience the worme that never dieth gnaweth my heart and rends and plucks my soule in peeces woe woe be unto mee that ever I snufled my conscience that ever I put out the light of conscience for therefore is it that my conscience is now thus tearing of my heart and terrifying of my soule here and therefore it is that I shall for ever perish hereafter But then the Minister he replyes yet further aye the truth is you have done thus but you will not yet forsake your sinnes and abandon your corruptions will you still be drunk and riotous will you still be proud will you still sweare and curse and blaspheme if you will part with these sins and take mercy in stead of these why yet there is hope Then the poore soule cryes out now the Lord for his mercyes sake remove these sinnes from mee oh I never had so much delight in my sinnes heretofore as now I have woe and misery and vexation for them Why here is a cup for a drunkard indeed here is a cup for a whore indeed here is a cup for a blasphemer indeed if every sinners cup were filled thus brim full of Gods wrath never any man would take any joy in be ing drunk more never would any man take any deligt in chambring and wantonnesse more but then the poore soule sayes further oh but it is not in my power to help my soule but if it will but please the Lord to do good unto my poore soule let him do what he will with it What faith the Minister you are then willing and content to part with your sinnes a yes yes saith the poore soule I will rather offend all the world than God I had as leiffe go to hell as to the committing of any sinnefull practise well saith the Minister if it be so it is well but do you speak this from your heart yes faith the poore soule if it would please God to help me I would forsake my sins with all my heart Why now the poore soule is comming againe and God is haling of him aside againe from his corruptions and sinfull distempers This is that we shall observe Hos 2.6 there saith the text behold I will hedge up the way with thorns and make a wall that she shall not find her pathes and she shall follow after her lovers but she shall not overtake them she shall seek them but she shall not find them then shall she say I will go and return to my first husband for it was better with mee then than it is now The Lord at last teares the soule and rends the heart from sinfull distempers and then the soule thinketh oh there is not that pleasure in sinne as I have formerly thought there was the soule then hateth drunkennesse as death he is not able to look upon his adulteresse queane he is not able to abide the house where he committed the folly his heart beginnes to tremble at it And therefore mark the next and last cord I should have added more to the former poynt out of Psal 88.16 there saith David thy fierce wrath is gone over mee and thy terrours have cut mee off thine arrowes stick fast in mee how ever David before had shook off the commands and accusations of conscience though these would not draw him to God yet now the Lords arrowes stuck fast in him he could not pluck them out nor cast them off for his life The last cord is the cord of the Spirit the Lord by the almighty power of his spirit when the soule is thus loosened he then fully plucks it to himselfe never againe to be sodered and closed unto corruptions with an almighty hand he cuts the soule off from sinne and takes it into his own hand that it may never be mustered by sinne and Satan any more as it was formerly Look as it is with a graft a man must pluck it by force from one stock before he can plant it upon another so the Lord by the spirit of power doth rend the soule from sinne and ingrafteth it into Christ and now the soule purposeth never
so simple will you be such a foole to shake at the word of a teacher alas alas it is not conscience it is but conceit in this case and so at last the poore sinner falls off againe by the inticements of Satan and carnall counsells of wicked men and at last the Lord lets in horror and anguish and vexation into the conscience and sets the very flashes of hell fire upon his face and now scoffes and scornes will not serve the turne for the poore soule saith Now I find that it was not conceit that troubled mee for the flashes of hell have beene in my face and all the opposition against God and his truth all the taunts and scoffes against God and his servants and all my abominations that ever I committed I tell you I saw them all set before me and I saw hell open in conclusion and God executing judgement upon me for my sinnes Now when his companions see him in this humour they think a scoffe will not chase away this horrour for he tells them it is not your scoffes that will do it now no no I am going to hell and you will follow after me as fast as may be you haled me to drunkennesse and adultery and other base courses you drew me to ungodly practises and therefore you shall to hell as well as I do you think that I shall goe to hell and you not make haste after me do you think that I shall bee damned and you not be plagued when his companions see this then they leave scoffing and gibing of him and dare not appeare themselves but the devill hee transformes himselfe into an angell of light a drunkard will not now come unto him in the coate of a drunkard but he takes the coate of some seeming grave man upon him and hee must set upon him and tell him how the case stands and this carnall man doth three things to draw away the heart from God in this kind first he deludes conscience and tels him there is such a thing in feare but nothing in deed thou saith he art sinfull and God is mercifull thou hast beene an adulterer so was David and hee did nothing but say I have sinned and he was forgiven oh but saith the poore soule David was a broken hearted man and this broke his very bones Well when he seeth this will not do then secondly he must get him to cards and to dice to sports and to playes untill his conscience be benumed and seared and then thirdly all goodnesse must be kept from him in these cases especially they will be sure that he doth not look upon a Bible lest by that meanes hee might bee drawne away againe Now the Lord be mercifull unto us the poore man by counsell on one side and allurements on the other whereas before his soule was a little inlightned and his conscience awakened now he begins to turne a devill he flies about as though hell were broken loose he cares not what he doth for the dishonouring of God and damning of his owne soule so that by this time you see the subtilty of men in this kind Will you now know the condition of these men I tell you if there bee any wretched miserable wofull accursed damned people in the world I cannot tell who they be unlesse these be they and therefore observe the wofulnesse of their condition in three respects first they are most like the devill secondly they are most opposite to God thirdly they are the greatest enemies to mens salvation first they that oppose this worke oâ— conversion and salvation are as like the divell as can be Acts 13.8 the Text saith when Paul was to deale with Sergius Paulus the Deputy Lievetenant of the countrey the Deputy called for Paul and Barnabas and desired to heare the word of God now Elymas the sorcerer who was with the Deputy seeing the wind in that doore Paul hee would have drawne the Deputy to the faith but Elymas he withstood him seeking to turne him away from the faith now marke what Paul saies unto him I would not say so may I durst not speak it but that the Scripture is plaine then saith the Text Paul being full of the holy Ghost set his eyes on him and said oh full of all subtilty and mischiefe thou child of the divell thou enemy to all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervert the way of God as if he had said here is the very claw and paw of the devill he is not only naught himselfe but hinders others from doing good Gen. 3.17 when the Lord had committed that threatning unto Adam and Eve that in that day that they eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evill they should surely perish so long as the woman could beleeve that threatning she was well enough now Satan perceiving this comes and takes away the life of the threatning and the power of the command and gainsayd the word of God what saith hee hath God said that yee shall not eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evill and in that day yee eat thereof yee shall die no no saith he you shall not surely die at all for God doth know that in that day yee eat thereof your eyes shall be opened and yee shall be as Gods knowing good and evill first he takes away the edge of the command and causes the woman to slight the threatning what did God say you should die you shall not die at all but be as Gods knowing good and evill as who should say God doth this for his own ends for he knowes when you do this you shall be like unto Gods thus the devill did in the beginning and looke what hee did that his children do now They that oppose this worke of God they have the tricks of their father up and downe they are as like the devill as if he had spued them out of his mouth the Lord saith he that killeth shall surely die the death this the truth saith and Ministers say but they say there is no such matter God is gracious and mercifull God did this to feare men not to vexe men and they slight that commandement of God also thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy selfe as thy life and as thy soule but they say though the word say so yet it is no matter whether men obey that commandement or no the divell did so from the beginning and they doe so now what saith the divell did God say that you should not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evill and in the day yee eat thereof yee should die why you shall not die at all what say they did the Minister say that your consciences must bee awakened and your hearts must be humbled or else you should perish you shall not die your conversation is holy enough and you need not take so strict a course in this kind thus the divell did