weakness of judgment erroneous opinions though but in lesser truths or thy knowing not nor searching after thy secret sins be it but a sudden eruption of passion into anger and shrewd words or desires after forbidden and unlawfull objects or immoderate desires after things lawfull in themselves yet all these and all other infirmities to speak the most favourably of them are the disease sickness and disorders of the soul and ought to be the matter of our sorrow and humiliation and must be confessed to God in the enumeration of our sins and pardon must be begged in Christs name for his sake for them and except thy soul be humbled for all thy secret sins and all thy infirmities if not in every instance yet in the whole summe and thy labour and watchfulness be for the suppressing of their rise and preventing their reign as much as possible yea even they so little as they seem to thee they will prove mortal at the last and thy plea of Infirmity will not serve thy turn except thy sins of infirmities be pardoned and they will not be pardoned any more then greater sins but upon thy repentance and that which far greater offences could not doe if repented of in time and forsaken in heart and practice that these sins of infirmities will doe if not repented of in time and amended to what degree is possible for thee even these will procure thy damnation at the last S. 8 Now concerning all those sins which the vulgar sort of men who pretend to Christianity account either no sins at all or very lightly of them as small and inconsiderable yet by a long custome and frequent repetition are become habituall and so very sinfull and so very destructive and besides men that think them so small and innocent seldome if ever charge them upon their souls as sins to be grieved at repented of and amended when they examine their lives and actions as to other sins which are noted with a blacker character by reason of which neglect those smaller sins are let alone unmortified and men goe to their graves with impenitency as to those sins which will sink a man as deep into the gulf of misery and drown the soul in destruction and perdition and if they be but foolish lusts yet they are thus hurtfull to the soul 1 Tim. 6.9 To instance in some things of this kind for thy fuller conviction § I. Evil motions of lust the taint and corruption in nature S. 9 There are in every mans nature the seeds of all evil Gen. 6.5 Mat. 15.19 20. Jam. 1.14 15. Col. 3.5 which are the beginnings of all actuall sins mans nature is tainted and corrupted naughty Concupiscences and lusts are born with us which are defiling and corrupting the whole man the heart of man is full of them and in their first motions they are sins even that proneness inclination to evil and aversness and indisposedness to good which is in thee which thou mayst and must take notice of as a matter of sorrow and complaint against thy self as it is thy unhappiness and misery so it is thy sin and thy death and such a disease it is Gal. 3.22 Rom. 5 12. Psam 51 5. Rom. 7.5 that if not healed and pardoned in thee by regeneration will leave thee under wrath and the curse This that I mean is that which is understood by the name of Originall sin that is the corruption of humane nature by the sin of our first parents propagated to the whole kind of Adams race and posterity which is every man and woman as they receive life and birth these motions of sins doe work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death S. 10 Now though this be every mans case scarce any man makes it his own particular grief men make light of it and are so far from watching over and resisting the first motions and lustings after evil things and mortifying these corruptions that they are most apt to plead it by way of excuse for their faults and actuall transgressions which are the issues and effects of this corruption and lust from within S. 11 But if ever thou hopest to be savingly reformed this old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts must be put off that is must not be served nor yeilded unto but resisted and prayed against and indeed for my part had I no other sin that might be laid to my charge yet I find this inbred wickedness this naturall proneness to evil so exceeding sinfull that I should account it a choice mercy to be quite rid of it and 't is for this I have cause to hang the head and mourn and 't is that the moving corruptions may be quite destroyed and mortified in me is the prayer and care of my poor soul for my joy cannot be full untill my enemies that is my sins both root and branch seed and fruit be plucked up and withered and untill Christ alone his grace and vertues be formed in my soul and triumph in my conversation S. 12 O doe not make light of that which put thee under the wrath of God and power of Satan that may not be slighted by thee which is in thee the cause and originall of all sins that set the whole man upon evil the cause of all disorder and confusion every where in thee and every where in the world in a word 't is exceeding sinfull all evils lie folded up in thy original concupiscence S. 13 Take heed therefore and take a special view and measure of this thy sin and because thy flesh will never be weary in it's sinfull motions then be thou never weary nor give over resisting these lusts in thy self weakening this body of sin and hinder the progress of it and if thou canst not get it quite discharged suffer it not what ere it cost thee to reign in thee or prevail over thee listen not to lusts solicitations entertain no treaty with lust believe not its promises fear not its threats when God hath said and commanded one thing let no arguments make thee believe the contrary §. II. Vain thoughts S. 14 Thy thoughts though they lie hid from man and free from the laws and censures of men yet to God are they known who discerns the inward counsels of the heart and are judged by him according to the agreement they have with or dissonancie from or repugnancie to the laws of sobriety righteousness and holiness And what ever is uncomely or undecent to speak or act is as much to think and as much a sin as the word or act would be though not so apparent and if it be an evil to speak or practise evil so is it to think evil and a man that would search and trie himself for discovery may know what he is for grace or sin by his thoughts one may know another by words or actions thy own thoughts to thee are the Signatures of thy own heart whether
reproof to the wicked saying Psal 4.2 4. How long will ye love vanity how long will ye continue wicked and in the 4th verse he gives a direction and counsell saying Stand in awe and sin not stop here go no further in sin sin is a dreadfull thing but commune with your own heart upon your bed i. e. discourse and reason the case with your self in private consider your heart and ways what hath been the course of your life what is now the frame of my heart Say to thy self what have I done what am I doing how long shall I go on in these sad courses when shall I determine and resolve on amendment why not now is it not yet time have I not yet long enough been an enemy to God a rebell against his Lawes a drudge to my lust a slave to Satan a companion of fools and mad folk and a wanderer in the broad way which at last will lead me to endless wo and destruction shall I any longer consume any the rest of my time in fulfilling the lusts of the flesh as I have done too too much already 1 Pet. 4.2 3. or shall I now even now cease my folly and cast off my sins oh 't is doubtless high time S. 9 And secondly you are perswaded to deal roundly and particularly with your self do not go about to lessen and excuse thy faults spare not thy sins for thy sins will not spare thee give them no quarter believe none of their promises for to be sure if thou let any of them live with thee they will kill and destroy thy soul if it be a beloved sin with which thou hast taken pleasure or by which thou hast gotten somewhat yet trust it not keep it not for every sin let it promise never so fairly is thy mortall enemy there is a venome and deadly poyson in it which will infect all thy other performances and eat out thy comforts and cause thee at last to lie down in sorrow and despair S. 10 If it be thy beloved one yet remember so was Delilah to Sampson Judg. 16. to the end who notwithstanding betrayed him to affronts bindings woundings and death and so will this to thee if it come with pretended kindness to salute or delight thee or to remain with thee in quietness yet remember so did Joab to Abner 2 Sam. 3.27 yet smote him there and then under the fifth rib so that he died And so was the pretended sacrifice of the harlot in the Proverbs Pro. 7.13 23. With much fair speech she caused him to yield with the flattering of her lips she forced him and he goeth straitway after her as an oxe to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction c. Till a dart strike through his liver and as a bird hasteth to the snare not knowing that it is for his life Even so will it do with thee if thou trust it as Joab did Amasa And Joab said to Amasa 2 Sam. 20.9 10. art thou in health my brother And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the that hand to kiss him But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joabs hand so he smote him therewith and shed out his bowels to the ground and he died So will every sin that speaketh fair to thee if thou be led aside by it do with thee for it still hath with it an instrument of woundings and death and will not spare thee when thou comest within its reach and power whatever hopes thou hast to the contrary for how true is that of the Apostle Rom. 6th after this question is put to every sinner what fruit had ye then in these things whereof you are now ashamed doth he not challenge your answer and can you answer any other thing to it but what he concludes Rom. 6.21.22 the end of those things is death for the wages of sin every sin is death and will any event be found other then what St. James speakes of the progress of sin Jam. 1.14 15. that every man that bringeth forth sin being enticed by his own lust and finisheth it must die eternally for it as certainly as every one that is born of a woman must tast of natural death with this only difference that both righteous and wicked penitent and impenitent must die a like death in nature but the wicked unregerate onely shall die eternally that is be for ever separate from God and be forever miserable S. 11 How much then doth it concern me to labour the death of my sin that my sin may not bring this death upon me how should I and every soul cast out that morsell though never so sweet that will either choke or poyson us at the last why should I dally or be familiar with that or keep it under the roof of my tabernacle that will cut my throat and then set all my house on fire and put my soul into flames of everlasting burnings Oh how can I doe this and act the other sin which doth put me under the wrath of my Lords displeasure at present and if I continue in it will procure that finall displeasure which will never be removed and this is an hell of misery to be banished from the face and favour of God and to lie under his wrath for ever S. 12 Shall I then or any body else that loves God and his own soul continue in that or this sin which for ought I know if I continue one day longer in it may never be pardoned though at my dying day I may cry to God for pardon and mercy and yet go without it because I did not in time sue for it by repentance and amendment why should either I or you be so like that profane person Esau who for one sweet morsell of meat sold his birth-right who after when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected Heb. 12.16 17. For he found no place for repentance though he sought it carefully with tears S. 13 Is is not a thousand times better to forgo the pleasures of sin which are sinfull pleasures and but for a season then to keep them to the loss of Heaven and happiness hereafter Must I part with my sins or lose heaven and part from God Ah poor soul le ts be wise and say we would not lose heaven nor our happiness in God for ten thousand worlds what shall we keep a sin which is worse then nothing to the hazard of that which is more worth then all things even Christ and glory no God forbid we should cast away our precious souls so for a trifle which cost Christ so much pain and blood to redeem from hell and from all iniquity to serve the living God onely here and to be happy with him in everlasting mansions of glory hereafter Ah me methinks I should not be so foolish nor such an enemy to my own happiness Must I take my farewell of all my sins or
be disswaded from that which is evil except he see evil in that thing he is disswaded from S. 20 And now truly in every sin thou art guilty of there is so much evil that a serious considerate soul would chuse to lie under the greatest affliction without sin rather then to commit the least sin to escape that temporary affliction or to gain by sinning all the advantages this world can procure to the flesh The want of the consideration of the heinousness of sin S. 21. Plas 51. was the occasion that let that good man David loose to a sin which afterward cost him many a salt teat and it was well for him he found place for repentance a melting heart and a weeping eye or else his sin had cost him dear had it not been pardoned upon his repentance Against thee onely have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight which if he had considered before as afterward he did he had not fallen into that which was so hard for him to get out of And on the other side the consideration of sin as sin notwithstanding the advantage might have accrued thereby was the occasion that Joseph withstood the solicitation of his Mistress to an experiment of folly namely with this Gen. 39.9 How can I doe this great wickedness and sin against God and this consideration kept him from that act of folly which otherwise he might have committed to his wounding and endangering Now that you may no longer retain any the least love and liking of your sin whatever it be S. 22. Job 11.14 but forthwith tenounce and cast it far from thee And if iniquity be in thine hand to put it away and never more let wickedness dwell in thy tabernacle then enter on these following considerations First S. 23.1 I consider and so likewise doe you that sin in its self when it was first known by the creatures angels and men and by any of either of those two kinds of creatures committed and acted became the greatest downfall of each of those Actors as ever since and never before they became sinners was heard of Sin at the first made the first and great breach between God and sinning Angells God and sinning men Man had not known misery but for sin and the miseries and calamities and natural death of mankind are not half so dreadfull as sin is nor half so much evil as sin is and the devils had not felt torment and now their unspeakable misery but for their sin nay hell had not been hell a place of torment had it not been for sinners which was prepared and prepared onely for sinning angells and sinning men and all the Miseries that have befallen any since the creation or that ever shall be inflicted upon any are but the wofull consequences of sin the first and single transgression of a law of God and that by the most choise of the creation and by their single act and being but once committed there fell on them the immediate curse and misery which to this day and to the end of the world and will for ever continue as long as sin is sin and that will be for ever For Christ himself never undertook to abrogate the law of God nor to make it a law that transgression of those laws should be no sin nor that transgressors should be accounted innocent when they sin by disobedience and transgression nor that they should be approved of by God and saved eternally in a way of disobedience that is in a way of habituall and actuall rebellion against God S. 24 Now when I consider the venome and perniciousness of sin in its first infection and in one single act that it defiled and destroyed by rendering them for ever most miserable so great a number of once most glorious and happy angels that sinned but once before their fall and the first sin that ever was committed yet for that once sinning were cast down in disgrace presently from heaven and of glorious angels made wretched devills and reserved in chaines of darkness 2 Pet. 2.4 Jude v. 6. never to be restored upon any termes to the least hope of recovery and reconciliation with God S. 25 Yet again when I consider that for one sin in our first parents Adam and Eve which came upon them by the instigation and cheat of Satan in the time of their pure innocency and integrity what an hereditary misery it brought with it yea such an infection and pollution that not onely they which transgressed became miserable slaves wretched persons deprived of their excellency and paradise but even all the whole race of mankind are fallen under the misery of pollution in our very nature and thereby in a state of wrath and liable to eternal misery can I when I consider this the wofull consequences of one sin in such as those once glorious angels and these once most happy men chuse but I must entertain most dreadfull apprehensions of the nature of sin and flee from it and lotheit as a poisonous serpent and fiery dragon issuing out of the bottomless pit of hell pursuing thy soul to the death and destruction S. 26 2ly I consider the exceeding sinfulness of sin and I think with Abhorrency of soul on that venome in it and detestableness that when the immaculate most innocent sinlesse lamb the holy and ever-blessed JESUS took mans nature and undertook to expiate the guilt and to satisfie the justice of God and to intercept the wrath of the offended God pouring out upon the whole race of mankind for the first and after-transgressions see although he did but beare our sins for he had not one sin of his own to answer for not the least sinless he ever was and sinless he will for ever be yet consider what expence he was at and what chastisements he bare what agonies of soul he laboured under what woundings he suffered what blood he shed what death he died and all ignominie and ten thousand times more then I can express did he passe through and all because he in infinite love to mankind would interpose and was content to be reputed as a sinner that he might satisfie for sin committed and repair the ruines sin had made and restore the losse sin had procured yet when I consider what wofull worke sin made on the humanity of the ETERNALL JESUS while on earth though being but laid on him not found in him how can I keep my blood from rising up against sin my sin that fetcht the heart-blood of Christ my Lord and crucified the Lord of Life the Lord of my Life too and caused his death for a season But had he been tainted in himself with the least sin of his own or been guiâ—ty of the least transgression or had he made the least failer in any of those many transactions enjoyned him by his Eternal Father for the redemption of mankind fallen or had he admitted of the least irregularity in all
writing to and you understand thus much by it that when a man hath been vicious vain worldly naught and hath left off those wretched courses and is become sober just serious humble charitable and good now say they he is a reformed man or a changed man another manner of man then he was before he is now reclaimed a man of an other nature and life I mean by it much the same thing as you understand it but in this latitude I mean no less by Reformation then a through Change of disposition and life from that which is bad displeasing to God and disadvantageous to thy own precious soul to that which is good and commanded by God and of necessity to be done by thee in order to thy salvation S. 2 And if you understand better the meaning of your duty by these expressions Conversion Repentance Regeneration Renovation Sanctification Returning then whatever is comprehended under any or all these terms I mean by Reformation and so much I aim at by this perswasion to a speedy Reformation S. 3 For the word in its own proper signification is a state unto which either persons or things disordered and out of course are reduced as unto their first form or state wherein they should be either by creation or appointment and Institution now every sin and Inclination to it is a great disorder and holiness is the Rectitude and right frame of soul Therefore untill I am reformed I am out of order and out of the way to eternall happiness and in a course leading to eternall misery so that Reformation is a Reducement of the heart and life of man every man that means to be saved to that state and frame of soul and life as is meet for heaven such as unto which God hath promised eternal life S. 4 And when I perswade you to think on your sins and be sad at the heart grieve and lament that you have been so bad by inclination and evil practices and hereupon to leave off all your transgressions and turn to God and holy living then I mean true repentance by reformation when I intreat you to change your evil disposition of heart of your mind and disordered affections and evil actings of your life to live unto God to adhere unto him to serve him in all things to lead a pure and holy life then I mean sound conversion joyned with sanctification by reformation S. 5 And you must grant That sincere repentance and sound conversion is absolutely necessary to Salvation and every one that is come to years must repent and be converted or else he cannot for he shall not be saved CHAP. IV. Of mans state before Reformation implying the necessity of amendment S. 1 HAving declared what I intend by Reformation I shall shew you that such a reformation God requires of thee and every one that means to be saved as absolutely necessary to thy salvation 'T is not a thing indifferent as though it may or may not go well with thy soul whether thou perform it or no but in plain terms be reformed and thou shalt surely be saved be not reformed and thou shalt assuredly be damned and until reformation come on thee thou art no better than a child of wrath a servant of sin and so in a state of enmity against God and consequently under the power of Satan and a subject of his horrid Regiment and a vessel fitted to destruction S. 2 The first state of mankind you believe was a state of perfection God made man upright holy and good without sin or any actuall disorder or deformity and if man had stood to this and continued in his Primitive Integrity there had not needed but adhesion to God to have secured the eternall happiness on man there wanted not Reformation for there yet was no deformation S. 3 But the unhappy defection that our first Parents made brought themselves and mankind unto this day into a dreadfull state of sin and misery and being defiled with sin dishonored disordered and spoiled we are no more to be accounted of but as enemies to God a company of lost and miserable wretches carrying in our very nature the markes of shame and misery and untill restoring grace comes we are but O sad to say the children of wrath being first enemies to God God is become a God lothing but justly lothing us in this state as 't is said * Zach. 11.8 Their soul abhorred me and my soul lothed them †Rom. 3.9.10 for there is none righteous before restoring grace come no not one for all are under sin the power guilt and filth of sin * Ephes 2.2 3. And by nature the children of wrath S. 4 Now as long as any man is in his naturall estate acting according to the disorder of his soul following the sinfull motions and lustings of his own depraved heart he is still under the power of sin and curse of the Law and hath nothing to do with God as a Father nor with heaven as an inheritance sin cuts him off from those relations and continuance in sin debares him quite from any benefit of Christs coming in the flesh onely there is afforded possibillty to be saved through the Commiseration of God toward miserable man and to repair in man what was defaced and to restore by Christ what was lost by Adam S. 5 And if thou return in time while grace is offered thee and Christ is calling thee if thou leave off thy sins and become a new man if thou submit to reformation and dost repent thee of and forsake all thy sins and leadest a new life walking in the commandements of God constantly and sincerely if thou art throughly converted in heart and life thou mayst be saved but otherwise if thou continuest unregenerate and abidest impenitent and art not converted and wilt not be reformed never hope to be saved but in terror and trembling of soul expect to enter into that horrid and black eternity of misery unavoidable unrecoverable when thou art taken by death in thy sins out of this World S. 6 If you are not yet perswaded of this consult these following Texts impartially which render what I say and therefore I affirm it constantly undeniable being the decreed Law of God about this very thing and undoubtedly shall be made good S. 7 This Truth is that we must acquaint you withall and this is that I mind you now of from the Lord * Esai 3.10.11 Say unto the righteous it shall goe well with them for they shall eat the fruit of their doings Woe unto the wicked it shall go ill with him for the reward of his hand shall be given him * Ezek. 3.19 If thou warn the wicked and he turn not from his wickedness nor from his wicked way he shall die in his Iniquities Now this is said to thee who ere thou art in thy sinfull course or in any one way which is sinfull and if thou doe not turn from
thou lovest or likest any of them though not brought forth into act in the outward man yet must be mortified resisted subdued or else there will be no hope for thee of salvation being inconsistent with a gracious frame of soul and saving Christianity S. 2 Reader I would not peremptorily charge thee as guilty of any one damning actuall sin much less of all those any of which is more then enough to render thy state miserable and deplorable but none of them shall actually procure thy damnation if thou heartily repent for leave off and in time ere it be too late in this thy day of continued grace to thee dost reform by renouncing them all in heart and life withall dost affectionately embrace and actually perform instead of them the contrary virtues which are opposed to the sins thou art guilty of S. 3 For when a sinner is brought to the knowledg of his faults and immediately repents imploring the grace of God for his sincere amendment and withall sets himself against them all and enters without delay upon a course of holy living and continueth in a watchfull observance of his sinfull inclination and checks the motions and prevents the acts of sin in every kind and withall turns to God to think and act that which is pleasing to God and observes to doe his will in every Instance both for avoiding evil and doing good this man is in a happy estate for the present and through Gods grace assisting him in such a course to the end of his life he shall undoubtedly be pardoned and in Christ accepted of justified that is acquitted of the guilt of his former sins and saved eternally S. 4 But on the contrary if thou reform not but goest on still in thy sins repeating the acts when temptation comes and settling the habit of an irregular inordinate disposition and course of ungodliness though mixed with some acts of seeming religion there remaineth no sacrifice effectuall for such an one to expiate his sins or to make an atonement for him nor men nor angels nor Christ himself can doe him any more good no more then for him who hath renounced Christ and Christianity and hath proceeded to commit the unpardonable sin but he such an one who ere he be must remain hopeless for ever either to escape the horrors of hell much more is he left without hope of being saved except he repent and change his course in time S. 5 This being so doth it not concern thee and every soul that hath any regard to his own eternall well-being to look into his heart and life that he may know his danger and so if he find himself charged with any sin which to live in is death by the decreed Law of God thou mayest forthwith renounce it and all and turn from it and all that are a kin to it that so thy precious soul may escape the severe stroke which is falling on such a sinner S. 6 Come then along considerate soul and take a veiw of those sins and dispositions of heart that carry with them the black characters of death condemned to the pit of Hell by an unalterable decree and every one that is guilty of them all or any of them and doth not repent and forsake them utterly is the person that must expect to be condemned for living in those sins because he doth not reforme by a speedy hearty and voluntary change of life pray God thou be not he that resolves to continue in them If thou be guilty S. 7 Consider I beseech thee thy case and state and examine well thy self whether these following sins may be charged upon thee or which of them belongs to thee marke them as you goe and read their doom with trembling and never give rest to thy soul untill thou art rid of them by Reformation §. I. Wilfull Ignorance S. 8 First of all consider is Wilfull Ignorance and unbelief thy case if it be thou art a perishing man in this state till saving knowledg and faith come thou art a child of darkness under the power of Sathan if when means of knowledg afforded are neglected when meanes offered are rejected by thee And such is thy state if so it be that after so long living with the meanes of knowledg so much hearing of the word of faith and so many helpes for instruction in the knowledg of God and ways of Godliness if it be so I say that after all this thou art ignorant of the true God and knowest not thy Saviour Christ and upon what account he is thy Saviour and what he is and did to redeem thee and if thou knowest not yet what thou art by nature how hatefull sin is to the Holy God how sin defiles and will ruine the soul if permitted if thou knowest not what it cost Jesus Christ to purchase thy pardon and acceptance with God If thou understandest not the conditions on thy part to make thee capable of the benefits of Christs purchase S. 9 If thou art yet ignorant of this thy State is wofull for t is in thee wilfull thou hast neglected or refused or resisted this knowledg and thy ignorance seeing thou hast the use of thy reason and thy senses is thy sin And because it is about the necessary and weighty things of thy salvation and yet supinely neglected or wilfully refused it is now a contracted superadded guilt and except thou come out of this thy ignorance and labour to know and understand so much of God in Christ and the Holy Ghost at least as is necessary to thy salvation thou canst not be saved For if to know the onely true God John 17.3 and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent be life eternal as Christ hath said then not to know him as he is to be known must needs be death eternall and consider well that the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire 2. Thes 1. 7 8 9. taking vengeance on them that KNOW NOT God and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ and mark the dreadfull allotment for such ignorant persons in the 9. verse Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord Prov. 5.12 13 23. Eph. 3.18 Hos 4.6 Esay 27.11 Psal 95.10 11. 2 Cor. 4.3 4. and the glory of his power Read also these Scriptures in the margent if you would have more proofs of the danger of wilfull ignorance If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost they are lost who are ignorant of the contents of the Gospell §. II. Infidelity S. 10 Is Infidelity and unbelief thy condition art thou still an unbeliever And thou art an unbeliever if thou acknowledgest not nor believest in the onely True God the Father of Christ and Creator of the World as revealed to thee in the Scriptures if thou believest not in Jesus Christ the onely Eternall Son of God If thou confess him not
to be the true Messias nor acknowledgest him to be HE that was promised and in time was sent into the world born of a virgin and took humane nature into his Godhead and suffered here on earth death for the Redemption of mankind who were lost by sin and under the curse and power of Satan if thou takest him not for thy Saviour and Lord if thou yeildest not up thy self thy mind Will affections and actions to be sanctified and ruled by him thou art yet an Infidel S. 11 If thou believest not the Holy Ghost to be God and proceeding from the Father and the Son and yet equall with the Father and the Son and that the FATHER SON and HOLY GHOST are one onely God in essence nature power dignity infiniteness according to the Scriptures thou art an Infidel Nay if thou believest not the holy Scriptures of the OLD and NEW TESTAMENT to be of God given unto us for a full Revelation of the mind of God concerning our faith and life If thou believest not the promises and threats of the Gospell If thou believest not reward for the Godly and punishment for the wicked a day of Judgment where and when all mankind shall be Judged according to their workes done in this present World in the Resurrection of all the dead at the last day when men shall receive the finall sentence from the mouth of Christ either for the enjoyment of Heaven or the torments of Hell from that time for ever S. 12 If thou believest not all this thy state is Infidell thou art yet an unbeliever and if thou continuest so this must be thy doom read it and tremble * Mar. 16.16 He that believeth not shall be damned * John 3.36 He that believeth not the Son which is Jesus Christ shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him †Rev. 21.8 The unbelieving shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Consider this and see if thy case be unbelief whether it doth not concern thee speedily to reform in this particular and become a true believer §. III. Unrighteousness S. 13 Art thou an unrighteous person I mean one that is unjust in thy dealings with men doest wrong either friend or foe in goods name or life Is it thy custome in trafficking with others to cheat deceive defraud any one dost thou keep back for thy own use that which is not thine own by consent or purchase or gift from the right owners hast broken thy promise and covenant made with man wilfully hast thou stollen from or robbed any man of what was his or anothers in his keeping hast received stollen goods knowingly and consenting to theeves and robbers dost usually doe to others in any case what in no case thou wouldest have them doe to thee Then art thou an unrighteous person injurious to man a wronger of thine own soul and highly offensive to the Just and Righteous God who loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity and hast sinfully transgressed that excellent Rule of thy blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who hath said that whatsoever you would that men should doe unto you Luke 6.21 Mat. 7.20 doe ye even so unto them S. 14 Now if thou art guilty of unjust and unrighteous dealing you must repent of it speedily and quit it absolutely away with this evil frame and wicked practice S. 15 Leave off to walk unrighteously if thou meanest to be reformed and saved but if thou wilt not then take notice that this remaines against thee Deut. 25.16 Rom. 1.18 1 Cor. 6.9 All that doe unrighteously are an abomination unto the Lord thy God And then know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God S. 16 Now will you dare to doe unrighteously any more or wilt thou not much rather reform in time then undergoe thy exclusion of heaven and loss of thy happiness to the ruine of thy soul for ever for thy unrighteous dealing S. 17 Then be perswaded to rid thy hands of unjust gain and thy heart and mind from all unjust and unrighteous thoughts and contrivances that it may be said of thee such was I indeed but now I am reformed I have left off all my unjust unrighteous dealing through the grace of God convincing me of my sin warning me and helping me to forsake it Adde this consideration to further thee in thy REFORMATION what will it profit thee yea what is any man profited if he shall gain the whole world by unrighteousness Mat. 16.26 and lose his own soul alas what will all thy getting doe thee good when thou shalt pay so dear for it even the unvaluable losse of thy precious soul at last §. IV. Idolatry S. 18 Is Idolatry thy sin Art thou guilty of that If thou hast worshipped a false God any of the Heathen Idols instead of the true God Hast thou worshipped or prayed to or before an image directing thy service to it or to God by an image of mans making Hast thou adored or worshipped a piece of bread as though it were really and materially the very body of Christ or hast thou adored a crucifix and prayed unto it Or attributed any divine power to a piece of gold silver brass wood made after the fashion of a cross Dost thou give the honour and worship due unto God to any creature or likeness of any thing thou then art guilty thou art found a gross Idolater S. 19 Nay further Rom. 1.21 if thou in thy fancie dost conceive of the eternall invisible GOD who is a pure spirituall being as though he were like unto any thing thou ever sawest and dost worship him under that imaginary shape thou wrongest God and hast set up an Idol in thy imagination and so art thou an imaginary Idolater though thou hast no picture before thine eyes yea further if thy heart mind will affections be laid out upon earthly things and thou payest more true love to and devotest thy self to the pleasures profits and honours of this world If thou servest the creature more constantly affectionately and willingly then the great God then art thou an Idolater for what is Idolatry else but the setting up the creature in the place of God and to give the creature the preeminence in our hearts and minds and what is it to commit Idolatry but a serving the creature and adoreing it * Rom. 1.25 more then the Creator who is blessed for ever And therefore the covetous worldling is branded with this abominable title of Idolatry †Eph. 5.5 For this ye know that no covetous man who is an IDOLATER hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ and of God S. 20 Now it mightily concerns thee to examine thy self speedily and narrowly whether thou art guilty of Idolatry any of the forementioned wayes whether thou worshippest an Idol for thy God or the true God by an Idol whether thou servest and
self men will not be perswaded they are so though they be so it is a damning sin yet he that is most guilty will not believe it his sin or not a sin there are so many reserves and excuses for covetous desires that now Loving the world and heaping up riches or desirous to doe so are adopted into the fellowship of good-husbandry and honest providing for future necessities and contingencies which indeed is no better then one of the artifices of Satan to make men call evil good And I think I may appeal to the consciences of men when they examine themselves and goe about to repent them of their sins whether they ever bewail this cursed disposition but rather account it one of their perfections when alas God abhors the covetous Psal 10.3 Col. 3.5 1 Cor. 6.10 11. Eph. 5.5 Hab. 2.9 and covetousness is no better then Idolatry in Gods account And the covetous shall not inherit the kingdome of heaven nor covetous nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God Woe to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house that he may build his nest on high that he may be delivered from the power of evil S. 33 This sin lies close in the heart and the symptomes of it are a desire of abundance of these worldly things a love to riches and esteem of them and a studying contriving for to gain them as things conducing to make up thy happiness a caring disposition about the things of this life see it in that speech of our Saviour illustrated by the example of a certain rich man Take heed and beware of covetousness Luk. 12.16 c. for a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth and then you shall find it in the parable following which expresseth the thoughts of the rich man v. 17. And he thought within himself what shall I doe And he said this I will do I will pull down my barns and build greater and there will I lay up my goods and then mark his repose I will say to my soul thou hast goods laid up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry here was his account but then see what Gods account is of such an one v. 20. Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee then whose shall those things be that thou hast provided Even so is he that lays up treasure for himself and is not rich towards God Therefore said Christ to his disciples Luke 21.34 take no thought for these things of this present life let not worldly cares possesse your souls S. 34 And some think themselves far from this guilt and as far off from it as the extreme prodigality and can in their extravagances boast of this that they are not covetous when alas they are deeply guilty of this sin also The prodigall mentioned in Luke 15th he coveted and desired his fathers substance Luk. 15.12 13. and got it up together to spend it on his lusts he coveted it to spend it not to feed the hungry and relieve the poor but to feed his lusts Jam. 4.2 So we find S. James saith they lust and desire to have there is their covetousness that ye may consume it upon your lusts this their prodigality and indeed t is easie to find many that spend lavishly upon their pleasures in gaming and rioting revelling clothing and feasting doe exercise covetous practices as the Apostle Peter expresseth it calling such cursed children to feed their lusts 2 Pet. 2.14 but the poor or charitable uses alas but little doe they care for or give to such they are free to themselves but penurious to others all too little they can get to themselves and the least too much they lay out to the needy S. 35 Now covetous practices are easily seen whereby we may know a covetous heart art thou one that dost eagerly pursue these earthly abundances dost use wrong means to get riches art an usurer extortioner unjust in thy dealing art one that lovest the world and desirest a great portion here and when thou hast gotten what thou desirest dost keep it when the necessity of the poor and the Church doe call for thy bounty and liberality hast thou reaped plentifully and yet dost thou sowe sparingly Mat. 9 21 22 23. This is that which our Saviour saith how hardly shall a rich man be saved So that if thou study contrive thirst after with greedy desires abundance of the things of this life and accountest of them as the things to make thee happy and lovest the having and keeping of these earthly riches Mat. 7.21 22 23 then art thou a covetous person S. 36 And besides the guilt of the sin on thee there is a filth in covetousness which defiles the man and makes thee odious to the bountifull God and obnoxious to his wrath and infallibly excludes every covetous man from the kingdome of God S. 37 Therefore examine thy self and if thou find thy heart after covetousness and thy practices be after that cursed disposition repent and mortifie that worldy lust and never more enter on covetous practices as thou tenderest the favour of God here and eternall weal of thy soul hereafter Covetousness the root of all evil they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtfull lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition for the love of money is the root of all evil 1 Tim. 6.9 10. which while some coveted after they have erred from the faith Love not the world neither the things that are in the world 1 John 2.15 16. for he that loveth the world the love of the father is not in him §. IX Murder S. 38 Hast thou actually been the death of any one hast killed or bereaved any man of his naturall life 1. Art thou a private man and hast at any time to satisfie thy malice and revenge either upon deliberation or sudden passion killed man woman or child then art thou guilty of this sin then hast thou done that which thou canst never repair thy repentance must be lasting and deep or thou must burn in hell for it for ever Yea 2. art thou a souldier and takest up killing weapons with resolution to slay and hast not commission from thy lawfull Soveraign and a just cause All those thou killest are upon thy account as the murderer of them so killed and all thou commandest to be so slain 3. Yet further 2 Sam. 12 9. compared with 2 Sam. 11.14 15. hast thou commanded contrived consented to the death of any thou art guilty thou art a murderer S. 39 4. Art thou a magistrate and givest sentence of death and commandest execution upon any man without or against the Law and causest the life of a man to be taken away that hath not merited condemnation then art thou not guiltless of murder but must be accountable to God who is
word and religious duties and hopes of heaven after an holy life here it is good and a duty as also to grieve much and sorrow heartily for the absence of grace or breach of covenant and faith with God to be grieved at the heart for sin committed or interruption of communion with God by failings in our duties of Religion c. this I say is godly joy and godly sorrow and needs not to be repented of but commonly this is not the kind of that joy delight sorrow and perplexity which men and women are so much in alas it is otherwise indeed 't is sinfull too much for it is worldly too much yet how few take notice of their joys and griefs whether they be sinfull or holy hurtfull or profitable to their souls S. 36 To be a worldling is to bea sinner he can never joy or grieve much about worldly concernments but he must be one that loves and prizes earthly things beyond their proportion irregularly and sinfully Godly sorrow worketh Repentance to salvation not be repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 but the sorrow of the world worketh death So to delight rejoyce and glory in the Lord is good and pleasing to God but to set ones heart upon riches honors and pleasures and to rejoyce in any of these is a sin and such a joy should be turned into heaviness and such laughter into mourning Jam. 4.9 S. 37 If thy joy and grief lie about worldly things and trifles if thou hast more comfort in a good bargain or a friends legacy or some worldly emoluments then in the favour of God then in the pardon of thy sins then in the means of salvation then art thou yet in fault And if thou canst grieve and lament with tears the loss or disappointment of some benefit or the unkindness of a friend or the crossness of an enemy or chaines of a tyrant c. and yet canst not sorrow for thy sins the loss of Gods favour nor of missing an opportunity of grace and communion with God then thy joys and sorrows are worldly and sinfull and you must not permit such worldly joys and sorrows to prevail but you must repent for them and leave off to spend your comforts and your griefs this way and look to that you should rejoyce in and lament for as afore hath been shewed S. 38 And as for all other outward things our rejoycing or grieving should not be much or lasting labour therefore to reform these passions and set them right and this you will doe if you desire to be sincere upright and complete in the reformation S. 39 And the like doe I advise you to doe about your impatiencie and discontent frettings and perplexities about these worldly temporary vain perishing things as also with your carking carefulness your thoughtfullnesse and distrustfulness about earthly things to reform in each of these for all such dispositions are evil and hurtfull both to soul and body wounding your own souls and tranquillity of spirit and reputation of Christianity and doth much hinder the progress and increase of grace and heavenly conversation and all our affections about earthly things regulated so that it may be with us as to our taking pleasure in worldly vanities or confidence and relying as our happiness or cheif support that once we may be able to say truly with St. Paul I account of all things as dung and dross in comparison of the things of Christ and heaven And to this must we come ere we be complete in Christ and throughly changed in all our affections to a state wherein we may truly and freely say without dissimulation or constraint say Truly the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world these worldly concernments move me not much any way I see nothing here below as things below that deserve either my joy in their possession or grief for their absence nothing that I need be troubled much about or that I should relie upon or put any trust at all in for all are flying and lying vanities therefore doe I labour for and seek the things above and my treasures are with Christ in heaven there also is my heart and thither will I goe for my comforts and my grief is that I am not more in love with them and less in love with the world and troubles of spirit about them S. 40 That each of us may say in obedience to that command 1 John 2.15 I love not the world neither the things that are in the world because I would not lose the love of my heavenly Father For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life i. e. worldly pleasures or pelfe or pomp which are not of God nor for his children and servants to look after for they and this world pass away 1 Jo. 2 15 16 17. but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever And as I doe urge and press thee to be carefull and watchfull over your spirits in those forementioned qualities and actings of your souls about those things which although they may seem frivolous niceties to men that judge not of things spiritually but according to sence and common apprehensions yet I earnestly intreat thee as thou hopest for pardon grace and heaven at last that thou wouldst reform them all in every instance for untill you doe you are not a true sincere reformed convert for though they be esteemed but small things and inevitable infirmities yet their account will be numerous at last and their burthen intolerable they will if not pardoned sink thy soul as low as hell pardoned they will not be except thou repent of them and labour against them to a reformation of them all for Eccles 19.1 as the son of Syrach saith he that despiseth little things shall fall by little and little and experience tells us that many small leakes will in time sink the stoutest ship even so will these smaller sins if let alone make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience Titus 1.19 and cast away thy soul at last §. VIII Unthankfulness murmuring inconsiderateness worldly confidence vain opinions and recreations S. 41 And with the same earnestness doe I perswade thee to reform thy unthankfulnesse to God for those daily favours he shews to thee a worthless wretch how many blessings hast thou received already and how many more laid up for thee and yet how seldome hast thou returned thanks to God for all how many thy mercies and how few thy acknowledgments O! ingratitude is a very high offence both to God and good men S. 42 Thy murmuring against Gods providence and distrust of his fidelity and truth of performance of things promised to thee and for thee whilst thou seekest him in his way of upright walking and yet how art thou ever and anon complaining and uttering thy discontents and hard thoughts of thy gracious good God O this must be
and be brought from the dominion of sin and Satan to be under the rule and guidance of Christ and grace and so be sanctified pardoned justified and at last glorified this I say I perswade thee to by such discoveries as the glorious good God hath made concerning his acceptation of true penitents and converts Because thou mightest been couraged to this reformation without delay and to keep thee from sinking into a despair of Gods mercy in Christ pardoning thy sins past upon thy sound repentance and sincere reformation and this consideration also may raise thy hopes and expectation that thou shalt yet find grace and mercy from the Lord to relieve thee and help thee in thy misery and give thee a full conquest over thy spirituall enemies through Christ and deliver thee from all thy sins into the hand and protection of JESUS CHRIST who will keep thee safe and bring thee to heaven if thou apply thy heart in good earnest to this work of self-reformation and perseverest in the same unto the end For if there were no hope but he that hath been vicious must of necessity be always so why then should there be given any meanes for thy recovery why should God send to thee invite thee intreat thee rebuke thee expostulate with thee as he doth by his Ministry word and Spirit if God did not mean to reclaim thee that he might pardon thee and save thee why hath he appointed repentance for thy work and space for thy repentance but that thou mightest finish thy reformation And why so many promises for thy support of mercy for guidance victory acceptation and pardon if God meant not to deal graciously with thee this way upon thy endeavours at reformation S. 6 4ly And I have hitherto been perswading thee concerning every sin to repent speedily and leave off that thy sin be it whatever great or small without delay Rea. 1 Because impenitency is a cursed estate in it self though thy sin of which thou art guilty be pardonable upon thy repentance yet thy impenitency for the least sin thou knowest in thy self is unpardonable and that which all the sins specified could not effect if they had been repented of in time and forsaken this one sin of wilfull impenitency will undoubtedly effect viz. thy damnation for damnation though it be not to sins absolutely the smallest of them yet absolutely to all impenitent sinners S. 7 Christ hath secured the salvation of that sinner who exerciseth faith in him and repentance from dead works by his life death resurrection and intercession But he did not die nor doth he intercede nor is he a propitiation for to save impenitents and unbelievers as such they living and dying impenitent and unconverted And therefore the earnestness of thy Monitor with thee to be speedy in this work is such for that thy continuance in any sin argues thy unwillingness to forsake it and thy delaying and deferring repentance is nothing lesse then a flat denial to reform and amend untill thou canst sin no longer nor live any longer to sin and then thou wilt either miss of the will to repent thee or of sufficient time or because forced from the apprehensions of terror it will not be accepted and then alas where art thou S. 8 And this consideration if it be serious would conclude in this resolution I will put off no longer I l'e not deferre till to morrow for if I die ere my conversion be wrought and if sickness and death seise on me in an impenitent state what will become of me I am resolved to begin now and to renew again what once I began and will not sleep eat drink or take any comfort in any thing untill I am in a mending case untill my soul and sin be at odds I le stay no longer here with this and that sin nor will I consent that any sin shall lodge with me henceforth for ever lest mischeif and a snare death and destruction overtake me and I lie down in sorrow S. 9 For I have been and am a great sinner perverse and obstinate in my courses and too long already have I been so and I despair of mercy pardon and heaven while I continue in a state of voluntary sinning unconverted and unreformed in heart and life But I see there is hope how bad so ever I have been yet I may be reclaimed and if in time I do repent heartily and renounce all my wicked ways and lay hold on Christ and live the rest of my days soberly righteously and holily I may find mercy and partake of an happy eternity of glory I am resolved therefore now even this moment to put in practise that which I have been long a purposing even to bid farewell to all my sinfull pleasures and profits to all my vanity and folly and do now forsake the sinfull world the flesh and the devil and will no longer be befooled by my lusts the world nor Satan to the loss of my soul for all the present seeming content and advantage may come to me by living in sin or complying with sinners Mat. 16.26 For what will it profit me though I gain the world by sinning and lose my soul for sinning What shall a man do for another soul to save when he hath damand or lost this one by sinning What shall I do to be saved then at last if now I refuse to doe that which God is pleased to demand of me as a condition and in my power through grace which is to repent and to turn from all my iniquities so sin shall not be my ruine Alas then I shall have no grace to repent nor space nor acceptance nor pardon nor heaven I can then do nothing that can be acceptable neither will God accept any thing I do if I will not hear him to day he may refuse me to morrow although I call upon him but to be sure if I put off the Lords requests and admonitions refusing them now in my health strength life and do not yield obey repent and reform as I know it is my duty then at last God will refuse and reject me yea laugh at my calamity and empty the vials of his just wrath and indignation upon me Pro. 11.12 to the end and leave me in misery to all eternity S. 10 Such a consideration as this would make one dread the thought of continuance in sin or to deferre repentance one day longer and would bless God he was not cut off in the last act of sin or in a state impenitent yesterday or the last week and resolves to venter no more so presumptuously on the morrow while to day is put into his hand for an opportunity Let this be thy resolution O sinner that readest and be happy in it CHAP. VIII Containing the main swasion and motion for a finall resolution and speedy practicall repentance and reall reformation S. 1 NOw having made known unto thee and laid in thy view before thee as
finall chastisement and eternal punishment S. 34 4ly For this I consider that the least sin that can be named be it but the sin of a vain word an irregular thought an impertinent and unprofitable action is able to undoe and overthrow millions of angels and a world of men if laid and charged on them and the reason is because of that poyson that is in it and 't is enough that it is sin and whatever hath the nature thereof is insupportable by any or all the concurrent strength of angels and men S. 35 Now if I have but the least exercise of my reason or religion how can I contentedly keep my sin how can I but I must forthwith renounce suppresse and cast quite away my sins be they great or small many or few For first when I shall seriously consider these following things 1. I consider that every sin is against God and every time I sin I fight against God and use it as my weapon with which I oppose resist offend contradict the GLORIOUS MAjESTIE of my gracious God that 't is a contrariety against him S. 36 1. To the holy nature of God sin is set forth in Scripture and that doth shew the maliciousness and exceeding desperateness of it where sin is termed a Rom. 8.7 enmity against God b Act. 7.51 resisting the holy Ghost c Act. 5.39 fighting against God and sinners are said while in their sins to walk d Levit. 26.21 28. contrary to God and e Isai 45.9 striving against God yea rising up in f Micah 2.8 rebellion against God And all these are expressions which demonstrate the nature of sin in the root and every branch and spring of the tree is of the same venomous quality in its measure and proportion and can any man think well of that which sets him against the glorious God and renders me an enemy to God and provoketh Gods displeasure against me Wo unto that soul that striveth with his maker Isai 45.9 how can the pot-sheard prevail against his maker how can chaffe stand before the wind how can a bramble withstand the fire S. 37 2. Sin is against the holy and righteous laws of God and by my sin I go about to evacuate and null the just and holy laws of God made to rule us by and when I sin I do in effect say I will not be ruled by those laws of God nor obey the will of God but I will resist his will and break his commands and will not have God for my God to reign over me but follow my own will the will of the flesh and obey the devill and his commands will I follow whatever the issue may be and what a damnable resolution is this yea what a desperate conclusion what wofull and dreadfull consequences will my sinning bring upon my soul if thus I set my self act against the commands of God which one day will be justified against me vile sinner S. 38 3. My continuance in sin in any sin is contrary to that most gracious design and purpose of God by which he willeth my freedome from the dominion filth and guilt of my sin and to put me in a state of holiness and happiness 1. God sent Christ his dear Son into the world on this design and on this errand he came and for this he spent his precious blood and laid down his life to redeeme me from my sins to be a sacrifice for me to destroy the work of the devil in me to wit my sin to slay that enmity in my cursed nature to abolish sin to rid me of my sin to make me a new creature to purge out the old leaven to separate me and my sin he gave himself for me to redeem me from all iniquity Tit. 2.12 14. and to purifie me and make me holy to teach me this lesson by his holy life and holy doctrine to avoid sin to resist temptations to live spotless in the world to renounce all ungodliness to call me to repentance for all my sins past and to lead a sober righteous and godly life in this present world and by his meritorious life and death hath procured this grace for me that through him I might be able to crucifie all my corruptions overcome all my sins and free me from every damning practise and so reconciling me to God and to turn my enmity against God to a harred of every false unholy disobedient way and practise and to be at peace with God And doe I not by my continuing in my sin frustrate this mercifull design and render my blessed Saviour undertaking and his great expence of no such great effect to me do not I while I keep my sin and act my shame and misery put a scorn upon Christs undertakings and trample his precious blood one drop of it being more worth then mountains of gold and precious stones 1 Pet. 1.19 Heb. 10.27 under foot as an unholy thing as a thing not effectual to redeem me from my vain conversation do I not by my continuance after all this in my sin render my self in such a state in which there is nothing can be expected less then a certain fearfull looking for of judgment see it plain Heb. 10.26 If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaines no more sacrifice for sins but a certain fearfull looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversary c. S. 39 2. My continuance in my sin is contrary to the gracious design of the Gospel and ministry of it which is appointed of mercy to my soul and to this end published to thee Act. 26.20 that it might be the happy instrument of thy conversion and to work thee off from thy sin and to perswade thee to let thy sins go Act. 20.21 and to build thee up in a most holy faith and life to turn me from sin to God from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God S. 40 And what are all those calls intreaties invitations wooings complainings menaces promises in the Gospel-administrations and all the labours watchings prayings and preachings and studies and teares and admonitions and warnings and to what end are sermons and sabbaths and sacraments for me why doth God rebuke and correct and inflict punishments upon sinners what are all these from the gracious God to me but so many varieties of arguments and so many importunities and instruments for this very end that I might leave off and cease to doe evil and learn to doe well to what purpose is all this cost but to bring my soul my life and sin asunder what is it for but this to cause me to leave and forsake that which God hates perfectly and that will undoe me certainly if â—â—ept 't is to perswade me to yeild to do no more any such act as God hates O doe not the thing that I hate saith God by all these his
dispensations and that is the upshot of all S. 41 Now while I continue in any sin what do I any less then cross the design of God by these means and so render my self inexcusable and oppose God in Christ and resist the Spirit of God in his word working and endeavouring by all means my conversion what am I less injurious to Gods grace and Christs love by my obstinacie and wilfullness then they of this sort which our Saviour speaks to in tears How often would I have gathered thee Luke 13.34 Luke 19.42 as a hen doth her chickens under her wings but ye would not O that thou hadst known even thou in this thy day and by these thy means the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes thou knewest not the time of mercies visitation but crossest the gracious design of thy invitation thou wilt not leave thy sins and now mercy is hid from thee and so my continuance in sin is a meer contradiction to my pardon and forgiveness you see S. 42 O how should this consideration cut me to the bone and pierce me to the heart when my continuing in sin is no less then the opposing the grace of God Its design is to bring me to repentance and forsaking sin that I might find mercy and favour from him who but a mad man or a fool would continue in his sin against such grace and so cross that design of God to bring thee poor wretch to happiness S. 43 I consider that as my sin is against God for 't is a pollution and so against his most holy nature which hath no defilement and 't is against his holy laws his good will purpose and gracious designs and makes the sinner and God at great dispute and controversie which is a state bad enough for a poor wicked wretch to be in yet I may further consider that my sin is against God and so bad enough though God notwithstanding my enmity and contrariety can well enough secure his own honour holiness and eternal happiness without impeachment or the least interruption or diminution yet 't is bad enough to me that I by my sin am become an enemy to God and God an enemy to me which is death and misery sure enough to the sinner I may further consider that as often as I sin I offer violence to my own soul my sin is against my own self it is the greatest wrong and injury I can do to my self and if I had any true love to my self that is to the eternal welfare of my best self my soul Pro. 8.36 I should forbear sinning He that sinneth against me that is against Christ wrongeth his own soul all they that hate me love death If I live in sin and will not repent of it and forbear it I work the greatest mischief I can against my self sinning is self-murthering I lay violent hands on my self if I would study to ruine my self for ever there is no way imaginable like this now mentioned of sinning and repeating the acts and continuing in any sinfull course to effect my utter destruction every sin is a deaths-wound although it kill me not out-right yet it leaves me for dead I am a condemned man I am dead in law and dead as to the acting any life of grace it may be I may have for a little while a name to live but indeed I am dead dead while I live in the world Such an one a sinner is as the Angel of the Church of Sardis reproveth Rev. 3 1. I know thy workes that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead S. 44 When I commit a sin I consider I doe that which for ought I know I may neither have the grace nor the space to repent of I may forget it I may make light of it or I may excuse it or defend it or maintain it I may be hardened in it and adde more to it and draw others to countenance and practise my sin and so still infect another with my plague and become an exemplar and promoter of wickedness and teach others to sin too and propagate iniquity and bring subjects to the devill and enlarge his kingdome O what an innumerable many of mischiefs do I bring upon my self and others when I sin And after all this if I do seem to be sorry for my so doing at the end of a vicious life I can have none assurance that I shall be pardoned but on the contrary most certain it is if I continue in my sin untill death I must be damned for all my repentance for Judas sinned and repented and despaired and was damned for all his repentance his sin for which he was accused and for which he hanged himself was but a sin and my transgression is a sin too and if Judas or Cain or a Simon Magus or a Julian be damned for their sins what advantage will it be for me if my sin be not so deep a dye so grim a complexion so horrid a sound as treasons and murder a betraying my Master and killing my Brother if I be cast into hell for my omissions of Gods commands and doing such things though but in the least instance which God hath absolutely forbidden When I consider this methinks I should dread sin as an ugly fiend as a devill of hell and shun it as a pest and a killing plague and repent me heartily that ever I committed any and resolve to commit it no more and the more I consider the more I should detest lothe shun renounce all and every wickedness and the more should I raise my resolution to sin no more as I have done lest as bad a thing befall me as hath befallen any of those whose destruction was most dreadfull God grant I may I hope I shall S. 55 3. I consider again that when I sin I injure my own soul 1. I wrong my knowledg I know I should not commit the sin I commit and yet I do it against my knowledge 2. I wrong my reason and judgment my reason and my judgment if it act clear tell me that there is no reason why I should serve sin but all the reason in the world why I should not sin thus and if I would yeild to reason I should not yeild to sin and yet I sin against my reason and judgment and wrong both 3. I wrong and offer violence to my conscience when I sin my conscience minds me that I must not commit this and that sin and it smites me when I do and it accuseth for my sinning when I have done it and yet I sin I do act against my conscience when I sin at all and how will my conscience endure this will not my conscience one day complain to God of me that I wronged it and did things contrary to it in despite of it and do I not wound and gash and tear my bosome friend when I sin do I not
increased I will lay me down in peace c. how comfortably doth he take to his rest when he lyes down in Gods favour And had he kept his sin he had lost his peace and happinesse for you may see a glimpse of the sadnesse of his soul and unquietness in that 51. Psalm when he cryes out O his sin his sin Why David what hast thou done by sining what damage hath fallen on thee by thy sin why you shall see he lost his peace he lost the presence of Gods favour and by this his onely comfort and felicity he had lost The best Jewel in his Crown was dropt out when he lost Gods favour he cryes heartily for mercy the mercy of pardon the mercy of purification and cleaning from the filth of his sin the mercy of his restauration to those joys comforts and happiness he had in Gods favour which then were hid from him which was his misery Purge me and I shall be clean cleanse me from my sin and I shall have joy and gladness again Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation once more See how he mourns and prays and for what is it why t is that his sins may be abolished his guilt pardoned and his comforts restored which he had lost by his folly and which could never be restored but by repentance and leaving off his sin and untill this was gotten he knew he could never see happy day nor enjoy a minute of true comfort in all the world though it had been one paradise of pleasure And thus it will be with every one that goeth on in his sin Ah! at what a loss doth a sinner act and keep his sin And this is my case already and shortly it will be worse with me I know God and my Conscience will not long hold peace and be silent I am sure I must leave my sin or lose my comforts lose my quiet lose my felicity and espouse a quarrel that will admit of no reconciliation if I keep my sins I must never look God in the face more or expect to have the least good look of favour from his grace nor any friendly dealing from my own conscience but must be under perpetuall rebukes and accusations of a wronged conscience and when this comes to pass then farewell happy day no more comfort when God and my own conscience are against me As my sins increase true felicity ceaseth and my comforts wither and decay and alas how sadly doth that poor wretch think on death when it will prove but the execution of a rebell and a changing of this miserable life for an eternity of horror and reproch Ah! let me now consider whether my gain by sin any way will countervail this loss is it not more eligible and should it not be a matter of my choice infinitely rather to enjoy the favour of God and peace and tranquillity of my own conscience then whatever pleasure gain or other emolument might come to my flesh by sinning with the loss of my innocency integrity my happiness in Gods favour and that inward peace which is a continuall feast passing all outward delights whatsoever S. 60 3. Sin doth not onely banish God and happiness from my soul here for a season but the loss goeth higher still by my sin and continuance in it it loseth me the hopes of heaven it disappointeth my expectation of heaven how can I once hope to be saved while I practise those things which would throw me out of Heaven if it were possible for one to think on with delight in heaven how can I with reason conclude I shall be saved and yet live in a course contrary to the promises of salvation Heaven is a place of holiness as well as of happiness and no unclean thing shall enter into it there is not one there nor ever shall be that lived in actuall sin and died out of this world impenitent and unreformed how then can I with any face expect to be saved with my sin when God saith I shall not is heaven at my dispose or at Gods is it not his to give to whom he please can I force in against his will hath he not passed his word that no wicked man nor unrighteous nor adulterers nor whoremonger nor theif nor drunkard nor liar nor any impenitent sinner of any kind shall inherit the kingdome of heaven And shall I think God will revoke his decree and comply with the expectation of any vile sinner against his own truth honour and holiness may I hope to get to heaven whether God will or no no certainly I must leave my sin or leave off to hope any more that I shall be saved I must despair of salvation or I must depart from mine iniquity and get my sins pardoned and soul sanctified by a timely repentance and sound reformation or quit my claim to salvation and let fall my suit and expectation though I seek it beg for it desire it cry for it in my setled course of sinning I shall not find it nor attain it nay though I had to give and would freely give all I have Micah 6.7 8. and ten thousand times more then the whole world is worth to purchase heaven at the end of a vitious life it would not be accounted of it would not open heaven-gate to me it could not procure for me one glimpse of that glory which the Saints enjoy much less that full enjoyment which is laid up for those that repent and believe and live holily here and so persevere to the end of their dayes And now let me consider had I best leave my sin or my claim and hopes of heaven I may not keep both I must forgoe one either my sin here or my happiness hereafter will my sin be a sufficient compensation for the losse of heaven or heaven for the parting with my lusts will a base lust be of greater advantage to thy soul then heaven that thou makest so much of it and so little of salvation canst not brook the thoughts of parting with thy sin and yet canst well enough endure the thoughts of the loss of heaven is sin so pleasing a thing and holiness and heaven so uncomfortable that thou shouldest take such pleasure in unrighteousness and account grace and salvation such a burthen and loss canst thou not sustain with patience the loss of a child a friend the disappointment of a little carnall contentment or to be crossed in thy gratifying a vile lust and canst bear with contentedness the loss of thy God and Saviour thy joy and felicity for ever O sordid stupidity O stupid folly O desperate madness is it imaginable that such a thing as this should ever enter into the heart of any man that hath not forfeited his reason and sold himself to work wickedness or resolved to throw away his soul and undoe himself for ever and resolves to continue in his sin though it be with the loss of his salvation S. 61
not deliver me I am tormented tormented tormented in this flame Oh what an hell is this what company is here what horror is here what anguish do I feel within me what a rack of torture am I upon what trembling of joynts what gnawing of conscience what hellish groanes and moaning accents what harsh affrighting afflicting gnashings within and round about the poor damned sinner what gastly looks what hideous out-crys alas alas who can express the misery of the damned oh to what a wofull pass is an impenitent now brought to where are now his carnall delights where is his worldly greatness and riches gotten by sin and enjoyed in sin what 's become of his joviall company where wretch now is thy presumption and vain hope and foolish confidence and dull security what wouldst give for one minutes ease now which thou wouldst not believe was not to be found in hell or that thou shouldst ever be brought to this case by thy continuance in sin you put then the thoughts of this evil day far from you while the seasonable thoughts thereof in time might have prevented it and now poor wretch thou canst not remove thy thoughts from thy misery now thou wouldst do any thing to release thee but then thou wouldst not hearken â—o do the least matter toward the preventing of this thy misery who can pitty thee who will pitty thee no the time of pitty and mercy from the Lord is gone Qui voluntatem Dâ—â— spâ—â—veâ—â—nt invitantem voluntatem Dâ—i sâ—ntient vindiâ—â—nâ—em Aug. Isai 66.4 24. and gone for ever and thou art lost and lost for ever I will bring their fears upon them saith the Lord Isai 66.4 because when I called none did answer when I spake they did not hear but they did evil before mine eyes and chose that in which I delighted not And they shall go forth and look upon the carkesses of the men that have transgressed against me for their worme shall not die neither shall their fire be queâ—ched and they shall be an abhorring to all flesh Oh who would live in sin to pay so dear for sinning would any but a prophane Eâ—â—â— sell away his happiness the blessing of heaven to purchase the curse and hell and yet every sinner that goes on in his wickedness doth so he takes up the pleasures of sin for a season and exchangeth for it hâ—aven and undergoes for his short mirth an ETERNALL MISERY S. 68 O stubborn O wilfull O careless sinner wilt thou not yet consider this in time while deliverance may be had while thy damnation may be prevented Now consider this ye that forget God Psal 50 2â— lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you Wilt thou rather die eternally then take some paines to turn from thy sinfull courses and live shall it be all in vain that thou art fore-warned will it not be one day all in vain that thou wishest thou hadst been reformed if thou refuse it now O poor soul if thou hast any regard to thy self if thou wilt ever escape the damnation of hell think on it now and sin no more do no more so foolishly 't is enough thou hast done already and too much let it suffice thee and repent thee that thou hast lived so long in that state which will bring thee to thy misery if not speedily reformed let hell the portion of impenitent sinners and its everlasting torments the punishment for such sinners be thought on by thee and quickly quickly without delay come out of that way which leads to this destruction which will infallibly be met withall at the end of a vitious sinfull course S. 69 And now that thou mayst be brought by these considerations to a speedy effectuall and practicall resolution forthwith to leave off every sinfull way that thou hast gone on in sinning which is so odious to God so much against him and so much against thy soul so much against thy happiness and so much to thy losse and damage how should the consideration of all these things work upon thine heart and hasten this resolution and without more adoe bring thee to this conclusion Therefore will I now return now will I no longer abide in my sins I have done too much already if God will accept of me yet I will provoke him no more I would not lose my God my soul my happiness but I will part with my sins all my sins and return no more to folly by the grace of God this will I do I see there is reason I should I see there is a necessity for it if I mean to be happy and I would not be damned but with all my heart I desire to be saved eternally O spara a little good Lord that I may have some space yet to repent Psal 39.13 that I may have some space yet to repent to amend and that I may recover some strength ere go I hence and be no more S. 70 But lest thou shouldest deferre to put this resolution into practise and so suffer thy time to passe away and to put off to another day and for the present rest in thy good resolution which is but the beginning of reformation and will not be accepted without actuall performance and perseverance in the duty I do now in the next place exhort thee to be speedy and resolute in forsaking and casting off all thy transgressions without any further delay To day Heb. 4.7 while it is said to day after so long a time if you will hear his voice harden not your hearts For be the work hard or be it easie done it must be there is a necessity for it sin must be left corruption must be mortified and your life must be reformed ere you die and the present opportunity is the fittest opportunity if not the onely acceptable day And if you are still about to amend and intending to reform and yet do it not but rest in thy almost being resolved and about being resolved you do but flatter your self and lose your time and give sin the head and suffer corruption to take deep root and every days defetting gives God the denial who calls to day and renders the duty more difficult and thy self more sinfull and religion more unpleasing and makes grace more feeble and ineffectual and so putting off from day to day shortly death will come which will not be put off and thy work undone thy sins not left thy lusts unsubdued thy God offended thy soul wronged thy sorrows drawing neer thy appearance in judgment at hand and thou all this while a guilty unholy impure soul summoned to answer for all thy delays and thou then sentenced to misery for thy neglecting thy day of grace and putting away far from thee thy reformation which a long time thou hadst been convinced to be necessary and it may be hast been about it and about it but hast not endeavoured it effectually This is the case of too many
comes to be thy present it will be as much against thy will then as now it is and therefore unless I intend to put off my repentance and amendment my conversion and reformation for altogether and never to think on t ' more otherwise let me do that which I think to do this year or seven years hence NOW FORTHWITH and that is to forsake all that God dislikes in me and all that his holy word hath witnessed against and my conscience reproves me of without any more ado For I must not befool my self any longer with this opinion that sin will cease of it self and if it doth then sin leaves me I leave not sin Si autem vis agere poenitentiam quando jam peccare non potes peccata te dimiserunt non tu illa Aug. or that pardon will be more easily obtained when I have sinned as much and as long as I can or that repentance will be more acceptable to God when I am forced to it and then too when my age and strength my understanding memory and affections fail me or that God will be pleased well enough with the refuse of my service after I have served the world the flesh and the devil with my prime and full strength and best affections as though God which deserves infinitely more then I can perform Irrisor est non poenitens qui adhuc agit quod paeniteat non minuit peccata sua sed multiplicat Aug. would be put off with any thing or pleased and contented to be mocked by me a most vile wretch while I seem to offer that fag-end of my life which is fit neither for time nor ability to perform that service which God will account of for true repenoance and thorough-reformation S. 85 O let me never put the fair hopes I now have of obtaining mercy from God if I now set my heart to this my duty of reforming my life speedily to the hazard but while a price is put into my hand let me not be such a fool to cast it and so my self away and that for ever S. 86 Sixtly methink I should not delay any longer my reformation but speedily set my heart upon it and endeavour it to purpose considering that I would not for any worldly good miss the day of grace or that death should meet with me in my unregenerate state and for any thing I know to the contrary this may be the last day of my life or the last day of grace beyond which God will not wait any longer or give me any motion or help towards my conversion but he may in judgment seal up my heart harden it and sear my conscience that I may never so much as think on my condition any more or desire him heartily to heal me and convert me many men have come to this pass even to out-live the date of that mercy intended for them which if they had in time accepted would have brought a saving pardon and reformation to their souls and why should I adventure my salvation on an uncertainty while I may be sure of it if I take the offer while I may have it Besides why should I provoke God to withdraw his grace and cut me off in his displeasure for all the while every moment I live in sinfull impenitency and unconverted state I have nothing to do with any promise of mercy pardon or heaven I am under the curse of the law and power of Satan and go in danger of death and damnation and if death overtake me in my sins I am a lost soul and who can tell how neer he is to his last hour are you not hastening on to your end will time stay for you or can you call back yesterday whether I eat drink sleep play or work yet my time consumes and I am drawing toward my long home of eternity Oh that I may think still on this and make this concluding resolution of it even to speed my work the great business of my sound reformation and put it off for nobodies pleasure no not for any objection to the contrary nor any worldly advantage might be had upon the account of continuance in my sin if I rest in an unconverted state I am in a lamentable condition S. 87 Seventhly let me consider why should I delay this duty any longer but rather make hast to it and be diligent and constant in it seeing all the objections that have ever been made against speedy reformation and all the excuses and pretences for delaying this necessary work are both frivolous and of no weight and treacherous and pernicious how fully have they all been answered and how easy is it for a man of the meanest capacity to satisfy himself of the unreasonableness of all arguments may be produced by the most cunning Sophister against reformation and for procrastination and continuing in sinfull practices from day to day or but for one day longer And why then should I hearken to any thing that may he further insinuated to me from Satan or any of those his instruments which would cause my delay to the wrong of my poor soul CHAP. XI Of Temptations with their Answers §. I. Temptations answered S. 1 MY sins are not so great or not so many nor have I lived in them so long that I need make such hast out of them that I ought to be so much troubled for them or that I should despair of salvation though I never leave them S. 2 This favourable conceit of sin I believe hath betrayed many an unwise soul to their undoing Answ and men that have no mind to change their course have a mind to lessen their faults and to reduce them to a narrow compasse and minute instance how easy it is with men to do wonders in this kind when they have a mind to it but how difficult are far more easy matters when they are actions to be done with what facility doth a wicked man make his great sins little his many sins few and his little sins and few none at all or nothing but God will not be so indulgent to thy sins although thou art S. 3 Now can you not easily repel this temptation and refute this smooth opinion that it prevail not with thee so as to cause thee lay aside thy repentance for the present Thus my sins they are not great but are they not great nor many nor great But are they any at all though they are not many nor great yet they are more then I can reckon and greater then I can bear if I am guilty but of one kind of sin yet that is too much by one if I have acted that sin but once yet that is by once too often if I have lived but one day without repentance 't is a day too long I should not have sinned at all there was no necessity for it I had no command from God to sin neither did any decree of his enforce me to
off the kind intreaties of Christ and those many invications to holiness it will trouble thee if ever thou come to be converted that thou wert not converted sooner that God and religion had not thy heart and service long agoe that thou didst not yield and resign up thy self when first thou wast moved to it that sin had so much and Christ so little of thy will and affections O then dear soul deferre not any longer but do that with all speed which you have now a fair opportunity to perform that is forthwith to leave off your known sins and betake your selves to a sober serious holy life so will you prevent your own molestation and your own misery III. Motive S. 4 3. Let the danger and dreadfulness of an unconverted state move thee speedily to get out of it by all possible means alas all the while I live unreformed I am under the curse of the Law and power of Satan a slave to lust and a son of perdition and if I chance to die in this estate my case and the already damned in hell will be the same they who died in their sins are miserable wretches and so shall I be as they are there is but a step between me and their sad condition and while I am on this side the grave in a sinning course following the motions of my lusts I am in a worse condition then the worst of creatures a toad in my ditch is better by much then a man in his sins unconverted unreformed And all the while I live in my sins I am unpardoned and am hastening to an eternity of misery I am in that broad way which leadeth straight on to destruction Oh then let my soul get quickly out of that way and from that state in which I walk in so much danger and which will most certainly carry me to the chambers of death and bring me under the eternall wrath of God IV. Motive S. 5 4. Let the consideration of the brevity and uncertainty of thy life move thee to hasten thy reformation this night thy soul may be taken from thy body if not then within a very short time it must and it will be called to an account and oh what a sad day will it prove then when death opens the passage from a sinfull life to an endless misery when death puts an end to the pleasures of sin and gives a beginning to the pains of hell never to end S. 6 Therefore if you mean to prevent the miseries of a dying sinner you must destroy the sin ere you die and this requires your care and diligence your speed and quick dispatch Oh that you would be wise concerning your later end and leave not that to do at the last which can neither be well done nor accepted if it be put off till the last V. Motive S. 7 5. Another Motive to a speedy reformation let be that none of thy most pleasurable sinfull practices are half so pleasing to thee a sinner as the ways of godliness and exercise of vertues are to the true convert reformation if it be sound and universall will prove the rarest delight and content in the world and be of excellent satisfaction to thee Pro 3.15 1 Tim. 4.8 1 Tim. 6.6 Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace and godliness with contentment is great gaine profitable to all things having the promise of this life and that which is to come No life can be compared to a godly life for pleasure profit and contentment how quiet is the conscience of a devout holy Christian how sweet his sleep how calm and serene is his spirit that is at peace with God! how doth he rejoyce in the Lord what a merry life doth he lead and goeth on his way cheerfully to his home to his inheritance to his joys in heaven which he hath in prospect and is at the end of his race how doth that soul triumph in his victories that is daily resisting temptations and slaying his corruption how sweetly doth he passe his time that spends it in communion with God and delights of heaven But 't is farre otherwise with a wicked man that serves the interest of sin and studies to gratifie and serve his lusts in sinful actings Oh what a many plots doth he lay and paines doth he take to bring about his sin and then what shifts must be make to hide to excuse to maintain his sin what a many perplexing gripes of conscience and often terrours hath a wicked man within himself and besides the bitterness in the end of sinfull actions what a toile and weariness it is in the exercise of it so that truly a man may say of sin WHAT A WEARINESS IT IS to what purpose is all this cost and losse of time and exhausting the spirits and after all what pleasure hath a man or what content can accrue to any man upon the remembrance of his evil actings is not a holy harmless life spent in the exercise of purity and charity infinitely more to be desired for content and satisfaction were there nothing else to be found in the practise of godliness and vertues then what we find in themselves then in all the formes and modes in all or any the ways of vitiousness that can be named were there nothing else to be expected by way of punishment for my sinning then the enjoyment of the pleasures supposed to be in sin O then dear Christian let nothing keep thee back from leaving off every sinfull course nor from taking up the practise of holy living seeing nothing can bring true pleasure not content unto thy soul untill thou be habitually imployed in the duties of religion and practise of godliness VI. Motive S. 8 Finally Let this be a Motive to cast off all thy wickedness immediately and forthwith to follow Jesus Christ in an entire imitation of his holiness in a godly affection and conversation forasmuch as God hath born long enough with thee already and thou hast lived long enough in thy sins already Oh do not live any longer or spend any more of thy time to the will of the stesh but to the will of God for the time past of our life may suffice to have wrought the will of the Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousnesse excesse of wine and other sins 't is enough dear soul 't is enough and too much that we have done foolishly 't is high time to cease to do evil and to learn to do well and likewise consider what an honest how honorable how pleasant how profitable and how comely a thing it is to live a godly holy and heavenly life Oh let it never be said of thee that thou chusest thine own undoing by refusing to do what God requires of thee seeing all that God doth ask of thee and what ever is here exhorted to is for thine own eternall good glory and endlesse happinesse S. 9 And therefore to conclude I do in the name of Christ exhort thee Reader to be mindfull of thine own concernments and if there be any thing herein which if you follow to do would prejudice thy salvation then do it not but if the things here exhorted to that is a speedy through reformation in heart and life be of absolute necessity if thou meanest to be saved eternally then upon pain of damnation and as thou hopest to see Christ in glory and to be glorified with him do not forget to put it into speedy execution lest when you would if now you refuse you may not it may be too late or not accepted S. 10 I beseech thee therefore precious soul if there be in thee any hope of consolation from God if any love to Christ and thine own soul Rom. 12.3 if any mercy or tenderness of compassion toward thine own soul ready to be undone by reason of sin then think on these things and accordingly I beseech thee therefore by the mercies of God Eph. 4.22 23 24. that you be no more conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you put off concerning your former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your minds And that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness so shall you prevent eternal damnation and through the mercies of God in Christ obtain everlasting salvation which damnation cannot be avoided nor this salvation ever attained without a sound entire timely holy reformation which is the summe and finall conclusion of this my earnest perswasion by all those foregoing arguments in this first part the rest shall be set in order for thee in due time when this shall be so well proved as that by renouncing all thy sins thou wilt be in that blessed frame and serious Resolution to devote thy self to a godly course of holy living and therein to abide with God to THE END