him all his posterity by sin Gen. 3. 1 2 3 c. Now mans misery appeares in these two things 1. His misery in regard of sinne 2. His misery in regard of the consequents of sinne 1. His misery in regard of sinne appeares in these particulars 1. Every man living is borne guilty of Adams sin Now the justice and equity of God in laying this sin to every mans charge though none of Adams posterity personally committed it appeares thus First If Adam standing all mankind had stood then it is equall that he falling all his posterity should fall All our estates were ventured in this ship therefore if we should have been partakers of his gaines if he had continued safe its sit we should be partakers of his losse too But secondly we were all in Adam as a whole countrey in a Parliament-man the whole Countrey doth what he doth And although wee made no particular choyce of Adam to stand for us yet the Lord made it for us who being goodnesse it selfe beares more good will to man than he can or could beare to himselfe and being wisdome it selfe made the wisest choice and took the wisest course for the good of man For this made most for mens safety and quiet for if he had stood all feare of loosing our happy estate had vanish'd whereas if every man had beene left to stand or fall for himselfe a man would ever have beene in feare of falling And again this was the sure way to have all mens estates preserved for having the charge of the estates of all men that ever should be in the world hee was the more pressed to looke the more about him and so to bee more watchfull that he be not robbed and so undoe and procure the curses of so many thousands against him Adam was the Head of mankind and all mankind naturally are members of that head and if the Head invent and plot Treason and the head practise treason against the King or State the whole body iâ— found guilty and the whole body must needs suffer Adam was the poysoned roote and cisterne of all mankind now the branches and streames being in the root and spring originally they therefore are tainted with the same poysonous Principles If these things satisfie not God hath a day comming wherein he will reveale his owne righteous proceedings before men and Angels Rom. 2. 4. Oh that men would consider this sinne and that the consideration of it could humble peoples hearts If any mourne for sinne it is for the most part for other foule actuall sinnes few for this sinne that first made the breach and began the controversie betwixt God and man Next unto the sinne against the Holy Ghost and contempt of the Gospell this is the greatest sinne that cryeth lowdest in Gods eares for vengeance day and night against a world of men For now mens sinnes are against God in their base and low estates but this sinne was committed against Iehovah when man was at the top of his preferment Rebellion of a Traytor on a dunghill is not so great as of a Favorite in the Court Little sinnes against light are made horrible no sinne by any man committed was ever against so much light as Adam had This sin was the first that ever displeased God Drunkennesse deprives God of the glory of sobriety whoring of Chastity but this sinne darkens the very Sunne defaces all the Image of GOD the glory of man and the glory of GOD in man this is the first sin that ever did thee a mischiefe This sinne like a great Captaine hath gathered together all those troops and swarmes of sins that now take hold upon thee Thanke this sinne for an hard heart thou so much complainest of thank this sinne for that hellish darkenesse that overspreads thee This hath raised Satan Death Judgement Hell and Heaven against thee O consider those fearefull sinnes that are packt up in this one evill 1. Fearefull Apostacie from GOD like a Devill 2. Horrible Rebellion against GOD in joyning sides with the Devill and taking GODS greatest enemies part against God 3. Wofull unbeliefe in suspecting Gods threats to be true 4. Fearefull Blasphemy in conceiving the Devill Gods enemy and mans murderer to be more true in his temptations then GOD in his threatning 5. Horrible pride in thinking to make this sin of eating the forbidden fruit to bee a step and a stayre to rise higher and to be like God Himselfe 6. Fearefull contempt of God making bold to rush upon the sword of the threatning secretly not fearing the plague denounced 7. Horrible unthankfulnesse when God had given him all but one tree and yet he must be singring that too 8. Horrible theft in taking that which was none of his owne 9. Horrible Idolatry in doting upon and loving the creature more than God the Creator who is blessed for ever You therefore that now say no man can say blacke is your eye you have lived civilly all your dayes looke upon this one grievous sin take a full view of it which thou hast never shed one teare for as yet and see thy misery by it and wonder at Gods patience He hath spared thee who wast borne branded with it and hast lived guilty of it and must perish for ever for it if the Lord from Heaven pity thee not But here is not all consider secondly every man is borne stark dead in sinne Ephes. 2. 1. he is borne empty of every inward principle of life voyde of all graces and hath no more good in him whatsoever hee thinkes then a dead Carrion hath And hence he is under the power of sin as a dead man is under the power of death and cannot performe any act of life their bodies are living coffins to carry a dead soule up and downe in 'T is true I confesse many wicked men do many good actions as praying hearing almesdeeds but it is not from any inward principle of life Externall motives like plummets on a dead yet artificiall clock set them a running Iehu was zealous but it was only for a kingdome the Pharisees gave alms only â—o be seene of men If one write a Will with a dead mans hand deceased that Will can hold no Law it was not his Will because it was not writ by him by any inward principle of life of his own Pride makes a man preach pride makes a man heare and pray sometimes Selfe-love stirs up strang desires in men so that wee may say this is none of Gods Act by his grace in the soule but Pride and selfe-love Bring a dead man to the fire and chase him and rubbe him you may produce some heate by this externall working upon him but take him from the fire againe and he is soone cold so many a man that lives under a sound Minister under the lashes and knockes of a chiding striving Conscience he hath some heate in him some affections some feares some desires some
Sermon shall ever doe them good hee robs them of all they get in Gods ordinances within three houres after the market the Sermon is ended 4. He is a strong enemy Luk. 11. 21. So that if all the devills in hell are able to keepe men from comming out of their sinnes he will so strong an enemy that he keepes men from so much as sighing or groaning under their burthens and bondage Luke 11. 21. When the strong man keepes the palace his goods are in peace Fiftly He is cast into utter darknesse as cruell Jaylors put their prisoners into the worst dungeons so Sathan doth naturall men 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. they see no God no Christ they see not the happinesse of the Saints in light they see not these dreadfull torments that should now in this day of grace awaken them and humble them Oh those by paths which thousands wander from God in they have no lamp to their feet to shew them where they erre Thou that art in thy naturall estate art borne blind and the Devill hath blinded thine eyes more by sin and God in justice hath blinded them worse for sinne so that thou art in a corner of hell because thou art in utter darknesse where thou hast not a glimpse of any saving Truth Sixtly They are bound hand and foote in this estate and cannot come out Rom. 5 6. 1 Cor. 2. 14. for all kind of sinnes like chaines have bound every part and faculty of man so that he is sure for stirring and those are very strong in him they being as deare as his members nay his life Col. 3. 7. so that when a man begins to forsake his vile courses and purposeth to become a new man Devils fetch him back world enticeth him and locketh him up and flesh saith oh it is too strict a course and then farewell merry dayes and good fellowship Oh thou mayest wish and desire to come out sometime but canst not put strength to thy desire nor indure to doe it Thou mayest hang downe thy head like a bulrush for sin but thou canst not repent of sinne thou mayst presume but thou canst not beleeve thou mayest come halfe way and forsake some sinnes not all sinnes thou mayest come and knocke at heaven gate as the foolish virgins did but not enter in and passe through the gate thou mayest see the land of Canaan and take much paines to goe into Canaan and thou mayst taste of the bunches of grapes of that good land but never enter into Canaan into heaven but thou lyest bound hand and foot in this woefull estate and here thou must lye rot like a dead carkasse in his grave untill the Lord come and rowle away the stone and bid thee come out and live Lastly They are ready every moment to drop into hell God is a consuming fire against thee and there is but one paper wall of thy body betweene thy soule and eternall flames How soone may God stop thy breath there is nothing but that betweene thee and hell if that were gone then farewell all Thou art condemned and the mufflter is before thine eyes God knowes how soone the ladder may be turned thou hangest but by one rotten◠twined thread of thy life over the flames of hell every houre Thus much of mans present miseries Now followeth his future miseries which are to come upon him hereafter They must die either by a suddaine sullen or desperate death Psal. 89. 48. which though it is to a childe of God a sweet sleepe yet to the wicked it is a fearefull curse proceeding from Gods wrath whence like a Lyon he teares body and soule asunder death commeth hissing upon them like a fiery Dragon with the sting of vengeance in the mouth of it it puts a period to all their worldly contentments which then they must forsake and carry nothing away with them but a rotten winding sheet It 's the beginning of all their woe it 's the captaine that first strikes the stroke and then armies of endlesse woes follow after Revel 6. 2. Oh thou hadst better be a toade or a dogge then a man for ther 's an end of their troubles when they are dead and gone they fall now as men from a sleepe they know not where they shall goe now Repentance is too late especially if thou hast lived under meanes before it 's either a cold Repentance when the body is weake and the heart sicke or an hypocriticall repentance onely for feare of Hell and therefore thou sayest Lord Jesus receive my soule Nay commonly then mens hearts are most hard and therefore men dye like Lambes and cry not out Then it 's hard plucking thy soule from the Devils hands to whom thou hast given it all thy life by sinne and if thou dost get it back dost thou thinke that God will take the devils leavings Now thy day is past and darknesse begins to over-spread thy soule now flocks of Devils come into thy chamber waiting for thy soul to flye upon it as a Mastive Dog when the doore is opened And this is the reason why most men dye quietly that lived wickedly because Satan then hath them as his own prey like Pirats that let a Ship passe by that is empty of goods they shout cōmonly at them that are richly loaden The Christians in some parts of the Primitive Church tooke the Sacrament every day because they did looke to die every day But these times where in we live are so poysoned and glutted with their ease that it is a rare thing to see the man that lookes death stedfastly in the face one houre together but Death will lay a bitter stroake on these one day II. After death they appeare before the Lord to judgement Heb. 9. 27. their bodies indeed rot in their graves but their soules returne before the Lord to judgement Eccles. 12. 7. The generall judgement is at the end of the world when both body and soule appeares before God and all the world to an account But there is a particular judgement that every man meets with after this life immediately at the end of his life where the soule is condemned onely before the Lord. You may perceive what this particular judgement is thus by these 4. conclusions 1. That every man should dye the first day he was borne is cleare for the wages of sinne is death in justice therefore it should be paid a sinfull creature as soone as he is borne 2. That it should be thus with wicked men but that Christ begs their lives for a season 1 Tim. 4. He is the Saviour of all men that is not a Saviour of eternall preservation out of hell but a Saviour of temporall reservation from dropping into Hell 3. That this space of time thus begged by Christ is that season wherein onely a man can make his peace with a displeased God 2 Cor. 6. 2. 4. That if men doe not thus within this cut of time when Death hath
prove there will be a day of Iudgement p. 80. The time and manner of that day p. 81. How Iesus Christ doth redeeme men p. 98 VVhom Christ doth redeeme p. 108. Vpon what conditions Christ may be had p. 110. The great evill of rejecting Christ. p. 115. Who they are that reject him p. 114. The Paucity of true beleevers p. 122. The Difficulty of saving Conversion p. 144. VVherein a child of God goes beyond a hypocrite p. 139. Every easie way to heaven is a false way p. 148. Nine easie wayes to heaven p. 150. Foure streight gates to heavens p. 147. The grand-cause of mans ruine is from himselfe p. 156. How men do plot their owne ruines p. 157. A Discovery of unsound Professours p. 158. Ten false principles by which men are deceived in their spirituall estates p. 163. The cause of mens mistake about their eternall condition p. 164. How false peace is bred in the soule p. 195. Whence Carnall Security arises p. 213. How Carnall Confidence ruines men p. 228. Meanes to get a broken heart p. 225. The danger of Resting in holy performances p. 234. Wherein mens resting in dutie appâ—ars p. 229. Why men doe rest in their duties p. 242. The insufficiency of all duties to save a man p. 255. Sixe signes of a mans resting in duties p. 247. We must use good duties though we cannot be saved by them p. 259. How to know whether we make Christ our chiefe ayme and end in all things p. 191. THE SINCERE CONVERT CHAP. I There is one most Glorious God EXODUS 33. 18. I beseech thee shew me thy Glory THis is the first Divine Truth And there are these two parts considerable in it 1. That there is a God 2. That this God is most Glorious I will beginne with the first part and prove omitting many philosophicall arguments that there is a God a true God for every nation almost in the world untill Christs comming had a severall God Some worshipped the Sunne some the Moone called by Ezechiel the Queene of Heaven which some made Cakes unto Some the whole Heavens as some worshipped the Fire some the bruit beasts some Baâ—l some Moloch The Romans saith Varro had 6000 gods who imprisoning the life of nature were given up to sinnes against nature either to worship Idolls of mans invention as the ignorant or GOD and Angels in those Idols as the learned did but these are all false Gods I am now to prove that there is one true God the being of beings or the first being Although the proving of this point seemes needlesse because every man runs with the cry and saith there is a God yet few throughly beleeve this point Many of the children of God who are best able to know mens hearts because they onely study their hearts feele this temptation Is there a God bitterly assaulting them sometimes The Devill will sometimes undermine and seeke to blow up the strongest walls and bulwarks The light of nature indeed shewes that there is a God but how many are there that by foule sinnes against their conscience blow out and extinguish almost all the light of Nature and hence though they dare not conclude because they have some light though dimme yet if they saw their heart they might see it secretly suspect and question whether there bee a God but grant that none questions this truth yet we that are builders must not fall to a worke without our maine props and pillars It may appeare there fore that there is a God from these grounds First From the works of God Rom. 1. 20. when wee see a stately house although we see not the man that built it although also we know not the time when it was built yet wil we conclude thus Surely some wise Artificer hath beene working here can wee when we behold the stately theater of Heaven and Earth conclude other but that the finger armes and wisedome of God hath beene here although we see not him that is invisible and although we know not the time when he began to build Every creature in heaven and earth is a loud preacher of this Truth who set those candles those torches of heaven on the Table who hung out those lanthornes in heaven to enlighten a darke world who can make the stature of a man but one wiser than the stone out of which it is hewne could any frame a man but one wiser and greater than man who taught the biâ—ds to build their neasts and the bees to set up and order their common-wealth who sends the Sun post from one end of heaven to the other carrying so many thousand blessings to so many thousands of people and Kingdomes what power of man or Angels can make the least pile of grasse or put life into the least fly if once dead There is therefore a power above all created power which is God Secondly From the Word of God There is such a Majesty stâ—â—â—ing and such secrets revealed in the word that if men will not be wilfully blind they cannot but cry out the voice of God and not the voice of man Hence Calvin undertakes to prove the Scripture to bee the word of God by reason against all Atheists under heaven Hast thou not thought sometimes at a sermon the Minister hath spoken to none but thee and that some or other hath told the Minister what thou hast said what thou hast done what thou hast thought now that word which tells thee the thoughts of thy heart can be nothing else but the word of an alseeing God that searcheth the heart Againe that word which quickneth the dead is certainely Gods word but the word of God ordinarily preached quickneth the dead it maketh the blind to see the dumbe to speake the deafe to heare the lame to walke those that never felt their sinnes to loade them to mourn those that never could pray to breath out unutterable grones and sighes for their sinnes Thirdly From the Children begotten of God For wee may reade in mens foreheads as soone as ever they are borne the sentence of death and we may see by mens lives what hellish hearts they have Now there is a time that some of this monstrous broode of men are quite changed and made all new they have new mindes new opinions new desires new joyes new sorrowes new speeches new prayers new lives and such a difference there is betwixt these and others that they are hated by others who loved them well while they loved their sinnes and whence came this strange change Is it from themselves No For they hated this new life and these new men once themselves Is it because they would be credited thereby no It is to be hated of Father Mother Friends and maligned every where Is it out of simplicity or are their braines growne crazie they were indeed once fooles and I can prove them all to bee Solomons fooles bâ—t even simple men have beene known to be more
sorrowes stirred yet take him from the Minister and his chasing conscience and he grows cold again presently because he wants an inward principle of life Which point might make us to take up a bitter lamentation for every naturall man It is said Exod. 12. 30. that there was a great cry in Egypt for there was not an house wherein there was not one found dead Oh Lord in some townes and families what a world of these are there Dead Husband dead wife dead servants dead children walking up and downe with their sinnes as Fame saith some men doe after death with their grave-cloathes about them and God onely knowes whether ever they shall live againe or not How doe men lament the losse of their dead friends O thou hast a precious soul in thy bosome stark dead therefore lament thine estate and consider it seriously First a dead man cannot stir nor offer to stir A wicked man cannot speake one good word or do any good action if heaven it selfe did lye at stake for doing of it nor offer to shake off his sins nor thinke one good thought Indeed he may speak and think of good things but he cannot have good speeches nor good thoughts as an holy man may thinke of evill things as of the sinnes of the times yet the thought of those evill things is good not evill so è contra Secondly A dead man feares no dangers though never so great though never so neare Let Ministers bring a naturall man tidings of the approach of the devouring plagues of God denounced he feares them not Thirdly A dead man cannot bee drawne to accept of the best offers Let Christ come out of Heaven and fall about the necke of a naturall man and with tears in his eyes beseech him to take his blood himselfe his Kingdome and leave his sinnes hee cannot receive this offer Fourthly A dead man is starke blinde and can see nothing and starke deafe and heares nothing hee cannot taste any thing so a naturall man is starke blind he sees no God no Christ no wrath of the Almighty no glory of Heaven He heares the voyce of a man but he heares not the voyce of God in a Sermon hee savoureth not the things of Gods Spirit Fifthly A dead man is senselesse and seeles nothing so cast mountaines of sinne upon a wicked man he feeles no hurt untill the flames of hell break out upon him Sixtly A dead man is a speechlesse man he cannot speake unlesse it be like a Parret Seventhly he is a breathlesse man A naturall man may say a Prayer or devise a prayer out of his memory and wit or hee may have a few short-winded wishes but to powre out his soule in prayer in the bosome of God with groanes unutterable he cannot I wonder not to see so many families without family prayer Why They are dead men and lie rotting in their sinnes Eightly A dead man hath lost all beautie So a meere naturall man hath lost all glorie Hee is an ugly creature in the sight of God good men and Angels and shall one day be an abhorring to all flesh Ninthly A dead man hath his wormes gnawing him So naturall men have the worme of conscience breeding now which will be gnawing them shortly Lastly Dead men want nothing but casting into the grave So there wants nothing but casting into hell for a naturall man So that as Abraham loved Sarah well while living yet when shee was dead he seekes fora burying place for her to carry her out of his sight so God may let some fearefull judgement loose and say to it take this dead soule out of my sight c. It was a wonder that Lazarus though lying but foure dayes in the grave should live againe O wonder thou that ever God should let thee live that hast beene rotting in thy sin 20. 30. perhaps 60. years together III. Every naturall man and woman is borne full of all sin Rom. 1. 29. as full as a Toade is full of poison as full as ever his skin can hold Minde Will Eyes Mouth every limbe of his body end every piece of his soul is full of sin their hearts are bundles of sin hence Salomon saith foolishnesse is bound up in the heart of a child whole treasures of sinne An evill man saith Christ out of the evill treasure of his heart bringeth forth evill things nay raging seas of sinne Isaiah 20. nay worlds of sinne The tongue is a World of mischiese what is the heart then for out of the aboundance of the heart the tongue speaketh so that looke about thee and see what ever sinne is broached and runnes out of any mans heart into his life through the whole world all those sinnes are in thine heart thy minde is a nest of all the soule opinions berisies that ever were vented by any man thy heart is a stinking sink-hole of all Atheisme Sodomy Blasphemy Murther Whoredome Adultery Witchcrast Buggery so that if thou hast any good thing in thee it is but as a drop of Rosewater in a bowle of poison where fallen it is all corrupted It is true thou feelest not all these things stirring in thee at one time no more than Hazael thought he was or should be such a blood sucker when he asked the Propheâ— Elishab if he were a dog but they are in thee like a nest of snakes in an old hedge Although they break not out into thy life they lie lurking in thy heart they are there as a filthy puddle in a barrell which runs not our because thou happly wantest the temptation or occasion to broach and tappe thine heart or because of Gods restraining Grace by Feare and Sham Educaeion good Company thou art restrained and builded up and therfore when one came to comfort that famous picture patterne and monument of Gods justice by seven yeares horrour and grievous distresse of conscience when one told him hee never had committeed such sins as Manasses and therefore hee was not the greatest sinner isince the Creation as he conceived hee replyed that hee should have beene worse than ever Manasses was if he had lived in his time and been on his throne Master Bradford would never looke upon any ones lewd life with one eye bnt he would presently reâ—urne within his owne breast with the other eye and say In this my vile heart remaines that sinne which without Gods speciall grace I should have committed as well as â—ee O mee thinkes this might pull downe mens proud conceits of themselves especially such as beare up and comfort themselves in their smooth honest civil life such as through education have beene washed from all soule sinnes they were never tainted with whoredome swearing drunkennes or prophanenesse and here they think themselves so safe that God cannot finde in his heart to have a thought of damming them Oh consider of this point which may make thee pull thine haire from thine head and turn thy cloaths
meanes of grace but few shall be saved It may be sometimes amongst ninety nine in a Parish Christ sends a Minister to call some one lost Sheepe Matth. 13. Three grounds were bad where the seede was sowne and onely one ground good It 's a strange speech of Chrysostome in his fourth Sermon to the people of Antioch where he was much beloved and did much good How many doe you thinke saith he shall be saved in this Citie It will be an hard speech to you but I will speake it though here be so many thousands of you yet there cannot be found a hundred that shall be saved and I doubt of them too for what villany is there among youth what sloth in old men and so he goes on So say I never tell me we are baptized and are Christians and trust to Christ let us but separate the Goates from the Sheepe and exclude none but such as the Scripture doth and sets a crosse upon their dores with Lord have mercy upon them and we shall see onely few in the Citie shall be saved 1. Cast out all the Prophane people among us as drunkards swearers whores lyers which the Scripture brands for blacke sheepe and condemnes them in a hundred places 2. Set by all Civill men that are but wolves chained up tame devills swine in a faire meadow that pay all they owe and doe no body any harme yet do none any great good that plead for themselves and say who can say black is mine eye These are righteous men whom Christ never came to call for he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance 3. Cast by all Hypocrites that like stage players in the sight of others act the parts of Kings and honest men when looke upon them in their â—yring house they are but base varlets 4. Formall Professors and Carnall Gospellers that have a thing like faith and like sorrow and like true repentance and like good desires but yet they be but pictures they deceive others and themselves too 2 Tim. 3. 5. Set by these foure sorts how few then are to be saved even among them that are hatcht in the bosome of the Church First Here then is an use of incouragement Be not discouraged by the name of singularitie What doe you thinke your selfe wiser than others and shall none be saved but such as are so precise as Ministers prate are you wiser then others that you thinke none shall goe to heaven but your self I tell you if you would be saved you must be singular men not out of fashion but out of conscience Act. 24. 16. Secondly here is matter of terrour to all those that be of opinion that few shall be saved and therefore when they are convinced of the danger of sinne by the Word thy fly to this shelter if I be damned it will be woe to many more besides me then as though most should not be damned Oh yes the most of them that live in the Church shall perish And this made an Hermit which Theodoret mentions to live fifteen yeares in a Cell in a desolate wilâ— dernesse with nothing but bread and water and yet doubted after all his sorrow whether he should be saved or no. Oh Gods wrath is heavie which thou shalt one day beare Thirdly this ministreth exhortation to all confident people that think they beleeve and say they doubt not but to be saved and hence doe not much feare death Oh learne hence to suspect and feare your estates and feare it so much that thou canst not be quiet untill thou hast got some assurance thou shalt be saved When Christ told his Disciples that one of them should betray him they all said Master is it I but if he had said elevâ—e of them should betray him they all except one would they not all conclude Surely it is I If the Lord had said onely few shall be damned every man might feare it may be it is I but now he saith most shall every man may cry out and say Surely it is I. No humble heart but is driven to and fro with many stinging feares this way yet there is a generation of presumptuous brazenâ— faced bold people that confidently thinke of themselves as the Iemes of the Pharisees being so holy and strict that if God save but two in the world they shall make one The child of God indeed is bold as a Lion but he hath Gods Spirit and promise assuring him of his eternall welfare But I speake of divers that have no sound ground to prove this point which they pertinaciously defend that they shall be saved This confident humour rageth most of all in our old Professors at large who thinke that 's a jest indeed that having beene of a good beliefe so long that they now should be so farre behind hand as to begin the worke and lay the foundation a-new And not onely among these but amongst divers sorts of people whom the Devill never troubles because he is sure of them already and therefore cryes peace in their eares whose consciences never trouble them because that hath shut it's eyes and hence they sleepe and sleeping dreame that God is mercifull unto them and will be so yet never see they are deceived untill they awake with the flames of hell about their eares and the world troubles them not they have their hearts desire here because they are friends to it and so enemies to God And Ministers never trouble them for they have none such as are fit for that worke neere them or if they have they can sit and sleepe in the Church or chuse whether they will beleeve him And their friends never trouble them because they are afraide to displease them And God himselfe never troubles them because that time is to come hereafter This one truth well pondered and thought on may damp thine heart and make thy conscience fly in thy face and say thou art the man it may be there are better in hell than thy selfe that art so confident and therefore tell me what hast thou to say for thy selfe that thou shalt be saved in what thing hast thou gone beyond them that thinke they are rich and want nothing who yet are poore blinde miserable and naked Thou wilt say happily first I have left my sinnes I once lived in and am now no drunkard no swearer no lyer c. I answer thou mayest be washt from thy mire the pollution of the world and yet be a swine in Gods account 2 Pet. 2. 20. thou mayst live a blamelesse innocent honest smooth life and yet be a miserable creature still Phil. 3. 6. But I pray and that often This thou mayest doe and yet never be saved I say 1. 11. To what purpose doe your multitude of sacrifices Nay thou mayest pray with much affection with a good heart as thou thinkest yet a thousand miles off from being saved Prov. 1. 28. But I fast sometimes
through some of them but not all and what they cannot get now they feed themselves with a false hope they shall hereafter they are content to be called Precisians and fooles and crazie braines but they want brokennesse of heart and they will pray it may be for it and passe by that difficultie but to keep the wound alwayes open this they will not doe to be alwayes sighing for helpe and never to give themselves rest till their hearts are humbled that they will not these have a name to live yet are dead Eighthly The way of moderation or honest discretion Rev. 3. 16. which indeed is nothing but luke-warmenesse of the soule and that is when a man contrives and cuts out such a way to Heaven as he may be hated of none but please all and so doe any thing for a quiet life and so sleepe in a whole skin The Lord saith He that will live godly must suffer persecution No not so Lord. Surely thinke they if men were discreet and wise it would prevent a great deale of trouble and opposition in good courses this man will commend those that are most zealous if they were but wise if he meet with a black-mouth'd swearer he will not reprove him lest hee be displeased with him if he meet with an honest man heâ—l yeeld to all he saith that so he may commend him and when he meets them both together they shall be both alike welcome what ever he thiâ—kes to his house and Table because he would faine be at peace with all men Ninthly and lastly The way of selfe-love whereby a man fearing terribly he shall be damned useth diligently all meanes whereby he shall be saved Here is the strongest difficultie of all to row against the streame and to hate a mans selfe and then to follow Christ fully I now come to the sixth Generall Head proposed in order to be considered CHAP. VI. THat the grand cause of mans eternall ruine or why so many are damned and so few saved by Christ it is from themselves Ezek. 33. 11. Why will you dye The great cause why so many people dye and perish everlastingly is because they will every man that perisheth is his owne Butcher or murtherer Matth. 23. 27. Hos. 13. 9. this is the Point we purpose to prosecute at the present The question here will be how men plot and perfect their owne ruine By these foure principall meanes which are the foure great Rocks that most men are split upon and great necessity lyeth upon every man to know them for when a powder-plot is discovered the danger is almost past I say there are these foure causes of mans eternall overthrow which I shall handle largely and make use of every particular reason when it is opened and finished First by reason of that bloudy black ignorance of men whereby thousands remaine wofully ignorant of their spirituall estate not knowing how the case stands betweene God and their soules but thinking themselves to be well enough already they never seeke to come out of their misery till they perish in it Secondly by reason of mens carnall securitie putting the evill day farre from them whereby they feele not their fearefull thraldome and so never groane to come out of the flvish bondage of sinne and Sathan Thirdly By reason of mans carnall confidence whereby they shift to save themselves by their owne duties and performances when they feele it Fourthly By reason of mans bold presumption whereby men scramble to save themselves by their own seeming faith when they see an insufficiency in duties and an unworthinesse in themselves for God to save them I will begin with the first Reason and discover the first traine whereby men blow up themselves which is this They know not their misery nor that fearefull accursed forlornâ— estate wherein they lye but thinke and say they shall doe as well as others and therefore when any friend perswadeth them to come out of it and shewes them the danger of remaining in such a condition what 's their answer I pray yon save your breath to coole your broth Every Fat shall stand on his owne bottome let me alone I hope I have a soule to save as well as you and shall be as carefull of it as you shall or can be you shall not answer for my soule I hope I shall doe as well as the precisest of you all Hence likewise if the Minister come home to them they goe home with hearts full of out-cryes against the man and their tongue dipt in gall against the Sermon God be mercifull unto us if all this be true here 's harsh doctrine enough to make a man run out of his wits and to drive me to despaire Thus they know not their misery and not knowing they are lost and condemned Creatures under the ever lasting vvrath of God They never seeke pray strive or follow the meanes whereby they may come out of it and so perish in it and never know it till they awake with the â—lames of Hell about their eares They will acknovvledge indeed many of them that all men are borne in a most miserable estate but they never apply particularly that generall truth to themselves saying I am the man I am now under Gods wrath and may be snatcht away by death every houre and then I am undone and lost for ever Now there are two sorts of people that are ignorant of this their miserie First the common sort of prophane blockish ignorant people Secondly the finer sort of unsound hollow professors that have a Peacocks pride that thinke themselves faire and in a very good estate though they have but one feather on their crest to boast of I will begin with the first sort and shevv you the reasons why they are ignorant of their misery that is for these 4. Reasons First Sometimes because they want the saving means of knowledge Ther 's no faithfull Minister no compassionate Lot to tell them of fire and brim-stone from heaven for their crying sinnes there 's no Noah to forwarne them of a floud there 's no messenger to bring them tipings of those Armies of Gods devouring plagues and wrath that are approaching neare unto them they have no pilots poore forsaken creatures to shevv them their rockes they have either no Minister at all to teach them either because the Parish is too poore or the Church-living too great to maintaine a faithfull man the strongest Asses carrying the greatest burdens commonly O woefull Physitians sometimes they be prophane and cannot heale themselves and sometimes they be ignorant and know noâ— what to preach unlesse they should follow the steps of Master Latimers Fryer or at the best they shoot off a few pot-gunnes against grosse sinnes or if they doe shew men their misery they licke them whole againe with some comfortable ill applyed sentences but I hope better things of you my brethren the mans Patron may happily storme else