never I would offer some things to your consideration for your conviction of guiltiness and need you have to get your peace made with God You are by nature a Child of Wrath and guilty of Adams Sin you brought a guilty defiled Soul into the world with you You were shapen in Iniquity and in Sin did your Mother conceive you You have long refused and slighted Jesus Christ and would none of him as your Prophet your Priests and your King and so are under a Sentence of Death from the Gospel as well as the Law by your unbelief you have sealed down the Wrath of God upon your own Soul you have fallen also into great Land-polluting moral evils Lying Stealing Adultery and Murder You would not hearken to the voice of your eminently pious Father-in law warning of you You have accustomed your self to these ways of sin tho' you Lived under the convincing preaching of the Gospel You closed your eyes and would not see tho' for many years you Lived under an eminently Soul-searching Ministry you have given up your self to these sins in the day that God was pleading his Controversie and hedging up your ways with thorns in the day of the Lords anger you have sinned more and more when God had driven you out of one Plantation into another by the Enemy when God had taken away your first Husband by Death and suffered your second to be carried into Captivity when he was in bondage you were wantonly doting on your Lovers yea though you could not look out an your door but the Garrison and Souldiers before your eyes proclaimed it to be a day of Gods anger your sin is very great in your violating your Marriage Covenant You have relapsed after God filled your Soul with horror for these abominations and turned again as a Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire You refused to be prevented from Murder by covering your Adultery with lying though so solemnly admonished and cautioned You have unnaturally murdered the fruit of your own body what in you lay its Soul have abused patience and long suffering exercised towards you of God multiplying lying and hardening your heart have not feared God being under a righteous Condemnation and Sentence of Death but to this day continued in lying You have slighted the Word of God quenched the Spirit of God refused Christ and have by these things filled up the measure of your sins so that you must Dye that the Land be not guilty None may stay you from death and suffer you to live least the Land be greatly polluted And you are now Enjoying your last Opportunity in Gods House you that have idled slept away yea whored away part of so many Sabbaths and Lectures shall have no more You that have disregarded Gods Counsels how righteously might God say I will laugh at your calamity and mock when your fear comesâ— Yet he sayes after all these things turn Jer. 3.7 For the life of your body your case is hopeless Your sin is so heinous that your life can't be saved without injustice Well then since you can't live guiltless labour to die penitent since your Body can't be saved alive endeavour that your Soul may be saved alive in death there is yet a possibility that your Soul may be saved See Prov. 1.20 22 23 24. Jesus Christ the essential wisdom calls after such an one as you to come to him though you have been long sinning lov'd and delighted in sinning yea tho' you have hated knowledge you are called upon encouraged to come God in Christ is shewing how ready he is to show you mercy upon your repentance and to help you in your repentance he offers you the best help and help suitable Oh then come away to Jesus Christ now left upon your refusal the after verses be made good against your Soul Direction Come away to Christ now upon the call and encouragement of the Gospel Stay away no longer Don't think your Prayers good promises and others praying for you will save you But hasten away to Christ There is no other Name given whereby you can be saved Act. 4.12 And no other way of being saved by Christ than by coming to him or believing on him You are called this day in an Ordinance of Christ to come for Reconciliation 1 Cor. 5.19 Christ came to save guilty sinners It s a faithful saying and worthy of your acceptation that Christ came into the World to save Sinners chief of Sinners The greatest sinners have been justified in this way 1 Cor. 6.11 So Manasseh that shed much innocent blood Consider for your encouragement that Christ fully accepts of them that ran far from him that refused to come as long as they could retain any hopes of being saved in any other way upon their coming to him Luke 15. God won't upbraid you upon your coming Jam. 1.5 Yea he that comes unto me I will in no wise cast out though he have been a great and an old Sinner though he have sinned away many Convictions yet if he come he shall have mercy Christ Jesus calls you to come not to sell you pardon but give you Grace Matth. 11.29 I will give you rest Christ aimes at your present gain and not at his own and therefore if you have no money yet you may have the mercy you want Isa. 55.1 Consider 1. That Christ don't call you to come to him to be Punished but Pardoned Christ in the Gospel comes to you to save you calls you to come to him to be pardoned It s true if you refuse the calls of Christ in this life he will call you in the next life to be punished and condemned Oh! Christ calls you and you need not be afraid to come to him now for he doth not call you to come to be punished for sins alâ—eady committed but that he may pardon and forgive them blot oâ—t the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against you May you have a free and full pardon of so many and great sins upon coming then delay no longer 2. Jesus Christ calls you to come not to pass a Sentence of Death upon you but to take it off from you There will be no Condemnation against your Soul when once you are gotten into Christ. Rom. 8.1 yea Christ says such shall not enter into Condemnation for they are passed from death to life there is a sentence of death gone out against you in the Law 't is a holy and righteous sentence too now the Gospel offers no mercy to the repealing and taking off this Sentence of Condemnation without coming to Christ. 3. Christ calls you to come to him not to shut you up in the Prison of Hell but to set you at liberty Oh! Christ would bring you out of the pit wherein is no water for Christ received a Commission from the Father to proclaim liberty and the opening of the prison doors to them that are shut up Isa. 61.1 2.
otherwise They say they shall sollace themselves with love and take their fill of love But in these words you see what God appoints them too not to a bed deckt with coverings of tapistry with carved works with fine Linnen of Egypt perfumed with myrrh aloes and cinnamon but to a lake burning with fire and brimstone a righteous allotment from God to all them that burn in their filthy lusts here In these words by an elegant Antithesis we have represented to us the differing frame of the wicked from the godly and the differing portion of these from the godly the Godly in the foregoing verse are described from their constancy and perseverance in opposing whatever was contrary to the holy nature or holy Law of God and happiness in its full complement or perfection is promised them of God The Ungodly spoken of in these words are such as are for preâ—ent ease and endless sorrow and pain are threatned to them In which words we have as it were a Catalogue of those that are appointed to Wrath or a very severe Commination or Threatning c. With the Subjects thereof 1. The Commination or Threatning shall have their part c. an absolute peremptory threatning shall have not that its probable or who can tell but it may be so they are in danger its very much to be feared it will be â—o but they shall have their part Part share or portion so much as hath been demerited by their sins and is appointed them of God who will give to every man according to the fruit of his doings Lake figuratively put for the place of Torâ—ent Hell wherein the reprobate shall be â—ormented Burns with fire and brimstone denoting the â—xtream torments of Hell when 't is said they â—hall have their part c. 't is as much as though â—t had been said they shall be adjudged to a most grievous Damnation by an irreversible Sentence Second Death Eternal Death c. Damnation of Soul and Body in Hell concludes under it the separation of the whole man Soul and Body from the glorious presence of God and the delivering of the Sinner to endless pain and torment in Hell 2. The Subjects of this doleful Commination Fearful Such as through fear of man swerve from the holy profession and practice of Godliness comprehending all those who are afraid from the encouragements of the Gospel to commit their Souls to Christ who dare not on Gospel Encouragements believe on Christ. Unbelieving all that remain in a Christless and Impenitent State on whatever consideration whether from sloth love of sinful pleasures or contempt of Christ and his Glorious Grace Abominable Those that are left to sin against nature and such as are guilty of Sodomy and Beaâ—tiality Murderers Those that unjustly take away the life of others or do that which hath a tendency thereto those that offer violence to the blood and life of others Whoremongers Unclean persons whether married who are termed Adulterers or unmarried who are called Fornicators Sorcerers Witches those that have familiar amity with Evil Spirits Idolaters Idol worshippers that use Idols in Religious Worship Such also are all that put the Creature in the room and stead of God All Lyars Such as are deceitful and dissembling who speak otherwise then they think and do otherwise then they speak such as accustom themselves to speak falsly comprehend those that fall into Heresie and all practical Lyars as Hypocrites who profess that they know God yet in works deny him any dying under the guilt of these sins are the Subjects of this Commination Any living under the single guilt of any one of these heads of sin are at present under a Sentence of Death and nothing but unâ—eigned repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ can prevent their being the Subjects of this threatning eternally DOCTRINE Murder and Uncleanness are sins that God punisheth men and women dying under the guilt of with Eternal Damnation Or thus That Impenitent Murderers and Unclean persons will â—e made the Subjects of Hell Torments Hell Torments will be the portion of all Impenitent and Unclean Persons I have singled out these two rather then the rest because God in his Providence calls me to â—ear testimony against these and to warn one in a peculiar manner convicted of both these and under a just Sentence of Death speedily to repent and get a pardon in the blood of Christ. Uncleanness and Murder are Sins that God punisheth not only in this life but in the world to come when the natural life of these shall be expired and that by Divine Appointment worse sorrows then ever they endured here shall seizâ— upon and apprehend them the sufferings of wrath here and loss of liâ—e by divine vengeance will not expiate guilâ—iness but divine wrath will pursue and abide on the guilty in the other world One Death will lead to another the First Death makes way for the Second God don't punish the Guilty only with Damnation but Everlasting Damnation Sinners dying under the guilt of these sins shall not only be Damned but everlastingly Damned Quest. How doth it appear that God will punish them that dye under the guilt of these sins with Everlasting Damnation 1. From Scripture Threatnings and Comminations God is not a man that he should lye nâ—ither the Son of man that he should repent hath he said and shall he not do iâ— Or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good God that said of old that he would Chastize as their Congregation had heard God who is truth and cannot lâ—e who after he had threatned his impâ—nitent people in ancient times for their Aposâ—acy warned them against flattering themselves with hopes of impunity by saying the Lord have spoken it this God hath in his Word threatned thus to deal with Unclean Sinners commanded them not to deceive themselves with hopes of a less punishment 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Gal. 5.6 these Exclusions from the Kingdom of Heaven comprehend in them positive punishments even the punishment of Eternal Damnation If Sinners hearing the curses and threatnings of Gods Word embolden themselves with promising themselves happiness they will find themselves in the issue separated to all evil Deut. 29.19 20. For heaven and earth shall sooner pass away than one jot or tittle of Gods word fail of its accomplishment 2. Because these are Transgressers of the Holy Law of God and Damnation is due to them on this account Rom. 6.23 Rom. 1.13 Every Sin is a transgression of the Holy Law of God it s therefore a meet and a reasonable thing that they should have their due Hell and Damnation are as really due to them and deserved by them in this their last end as ever wages were to a man at the end of his days work God is neglected slighted his holy Law trampled upon for a little present carnal satisfaction so that the Justice of God is concerned thus to deal with them 3. Because
than God laugh at you for ever God will be ashamed of them that are ashamed of Him before an Adulterous and Wicked Generation God will have them in Derision Yea he will laugh at their Calamity and mock when their fear cometh as desolation that on such pretences set at nought his Counsel Prov. 1.26 You are afraid sinners will laugh at you and count you a silly Creature you take a direct course to be a fool for ever 2. Others have kept from Sin under greater Temptations Moses Joseph Lot Daniel and the three Children 3. It would be no damage but a benefit to get rid of such Company whose favour you think to lose The Psalmist says Depart from me you wicked men I will keep the commands of my God Moses counted the reproach of Christ greater riches than all the pleasures and treasures of Egypt 4. It may be your Conversion might be an occasion not only of the Reformation but found Conversion of many others It may be your being so concerned for Christ may cause them to say O thou fairest among women Whither is thy beloved gone that we may go and seek him with you Cant. 6.1 It may be you may make them ashamed that falsly accuse your good Conversation you are not sure you shall be reproached by any 5. Your Conversion to God will rejoyce many God Christ your Godly Relations and Ministers will be glad and rejoyce Luk. 15.32 2 Joh. 4. 3 Joh. 3. 11. You say you are not convinced that such and such things are Sins you see no great harm in them God prospers you in such wayes if you really thought them to be sins you would reform You have heard such Unclean words and gestures reproved in the Pulpit but you are not of the Ministers mind you have known others that have fled from such things have been Afflicted and you have been Prospered 1. You don't bring your deeds to the light to know what they are that it may be made manifest what they are you might have been Convinced Your refusing to try your actions renders it suspicious that you have a Secret jealousy they are naught you would not willingly know them to be sins Joh. 3.20 2. You have often from the Ministry been warned of such courses and have heard them condemned from Scripture arguments your saying you are not of the Ministers mind who cites Scripture for what he layes down whilst you refuse to search with the Bereans whether the things be so or no will be no plea for you 3. Your own consciences have accused you for these things when you have lookt upon Death to be near when you are well your love to your lusts puts a new darkness upon your judgments that were before corrupted by the fall 4. Outward Prosperity is no argument that your ways are good You can say by experience that Soul prosperity don't go along with such ways and courses Prov. 1. penult others have been converted and you blinded and hardened you have lost the things that have been wrought and are gone backward 12. You say your Sins are Secret from the eyes of the world and you were never left above once to be actually and grosly Unclean If you had been an open sinner one addicted to wayes of Filthiness you think God would be very angry but you sinned but once you hope God will over look that and paâ—s it by 1. God that is to be your Judge sees in Secret and will Damn for Secret Sins Secret Sins will Damn you as well as open Christ denounced woes against Scribes and Pharisees for Secret sins God will bring every Secret thing into Judgment Eccl. 12.14 2. Adam by one act of disobedience was shut out of Paradise the Angels thrust out of Heaven 3. One act of these Sins may fill up the measure of other sins Ananias and Saphira they fill'd up the measure of sin in Lying one of these sins don't go alone many other sins prepare and make way for them 13. You say you have many good things as well as evil you hope your good may be set against your evil You Pray Hear Read and do many good things you hope no present hazard you should be afraid were it not that you are Religious in many things 1. Such have perish'd Eternally The Pharisies could say as much as you in this respect Yea Herod did many things gladly and the young man that came to Christ could say All these have I kept from my youth up 2. Those things which you call good are an abomination to God whilst you give your selves liberty to sin See what God sayes to them Isa. 1.11 God threatens to make them as Shiloah Jer. 7.14 3. By your impenitency you take a course to be openly wicked and to lose your Religiousness Though Herod had a respect to John the Baptist a while by retaining his Herodias he is left first to Imprison him who he had heard gladly and then Beheads him 14. You say you have known several do such things and yet when they come to dye they have made a very good end you hope you shall too 1. Did you never know any that seemed to be as good and religious as they whilst Sick that after recovery were worse Oh! do you think that all that were prophane in Health and Hypocrites in Sickness recover And that they all go to Heaven that are full of good Expressions on a Sick bed to Death 2. It may be God may come upon you with a sudden destruction that you may never come on a Sick bed Who can tell what a morrow may produce When you think Death farthest off and promise your selves years God may say Fools this night shall your Souls be required 15. You say you saw religious and good men do such things and therefore you apprehend no great harm in them surely they would never have done such things if there had been so much provocation and therefore so much hazzard in them 1. It may be they were only Hypocrites that you saw act so So was Judas so was Demas so the Scribes and Pharisees that were had in such Veneration for their Sanctitie 2. You are to follow none only wherein they follow Christ. Good men are not the rule you are to walk by Consider how the Prophet was punished that was deluded upon a Prophets suggesting to him that an Angel had so spoken to him 1 King 13.13 I would conclude with a Word of Warning to you that are the occasion of our being here this day before the Lord who are under a Righteous Sentence of Death To turn to the Lord under the guilt of these sins before the Decree bring forth You have stood before an Earthly Tribunal and are found guilty How will you stand before the Tribunal of Christ to answer for all your sins your day of Grace is almost gone and within a few hours you will either be in Heaven or Hell Oh! now turn to God or you will