prayest to the eternal Spirit framing to thy self any likeness of God in thy imagination or fancie Whether thou servest the world or any thing in the world with thy dearest affections and desires delighting in them and seeking more them then God If so then art thou deeply tainted with this foul sin of Idolatry Therefore now dear soul be advised if thou findest thy self guilty though but in the least to repent and reform rid thy self of this damning sin which God doth hate and will not tolerate in any one but such as those are determined for hell for all Idolaters are abominable to God 1 Pet. 4.3 and God would have his children keep themselves from IDOLS from the sight and from the service of Idols * n = John 5.21 My little children keep your selves from Idols And now if you will not come off from all Idolatry then see what will befall you you shall be shut out of heaven and shall be shut up in hell †1 Cor. 6.9 Idolaters shall not inherit the kingdome of God Without are Sorcerers and Idolaters Rev. 22.15 which shall never be admitted into the kingdome of heaven Sorcerers and Idolaters shall have their part in the Lake that burnes with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 Phil. 3.19 which is the second death Now judg thee friend whether it doth not neerly concern thee to try thy self whether guilty and then speedily to reform and let fall all thine Idols and serve the living God in spirit sincerity and truth and believe in him and love him with all thy heart mind and strength of soul §. V. Adultery Fornication Effeminateness Buggery Beastiality S. 21 I should not name some of these as the two latter being abominations so much against nature but that the wickedness of some men hath been so great as to abuse themselves with their own sex and abominably defiled themselves with beasts so luxurious have been their lusts like that of Sodom and t is to be feared some to this very day are given to such abominations and have been found out and put to death for such cursed crimes by men and condemned to the fire of Hell for their burning lust this way Now if thou art guilty of such cursed wickedness oh how quickly will the Lord find thee out and how soon will damnation overtake both soul and body Rev. 21.8 The abominable shall burn in Hell shall have their portion in the Lake which burns with fire and brimstone S. 22 But not onely such exclude from heaven but also those other acts of unchastity 1. If thou in a married state hast at any time committed folly with any other in lying with any other carnally t is adultery and thou art an adulterer or adulteress yea if it be in thy heart to lust after another and desirest it and delightest in the thoughts of carnall fruition of the party forbidden then our Saviour Christ saith this is adultery whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her Mat. 5.28 hath committed adultery with her in his heart 2. If thou in a single state hast before marriage known any one carnally This is FORNICATION S. 23 3. Under the notion of EFFEMINACIE you are to judge your selves guilty of that when you give your self to venerious lascivious thoughts loose words embracements gestures attires that are alluring and inticing to wantonness and bodily uncleanness when you are contriving with delectation to satisfie those inordinate fleshly lusts and attempt wayes to accomplish that fleshly design such an one that doth so is to be accounted an unchast person and EFFEMINATE S. 24 Now examine thy self whether any of these sins be thy sin art thou guilty of any of these and wilt thou not be humbled at the heart for it that thou hast been so naught so wicked and by and by cast off far from thee all such thy thoughts desires and practices henceforth for ever all these workes of the fleshly appetite abandon speedily and keep thee chaste * Eph. 5.3 Fornication and all uncleanness let it not be once named among you much lesse practised by any of you S. 25 But if thou hast been so unhappy as to have fallen into any of these sins alas it is too much if thou hast been faulty but once take heed continue not in it under pain of the losse of HEAVEN and punishment of HELL for if but once yet thou art an adulterer or fornicator and without repentance that to a reformation how canst thou hope to escape this sentence for the truth of God speakes it For this you know Eph. 5.5 that no whoremonger nor unclean person hath any inheritance in the kingdome of God Nor fornicator nor adulterer 1 Cor. 6.9 nor Effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind shall inherit the kingdome of God But their portion lies deep in hell †Rev. 21.8 Whoremongers and the Abominable shall have their part in the lake that burnes with fire brimstone which is the secoud death Gal. 5.19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these ADULTERY FORNICATION UNCLEANNESS LASCIVIOUSNESS c. of which I tell you that they which doe such things shall not inherit the kingdome of Heaven S. 26 I perswade thee then that thou wouldest strictly examine thy life and heart and try if thou hast been guilty any of these wayes as that the termes of adulterer or fornitator or effeminate belong to thee either in heart or deliberate consent or practice S. 27 Then doe I earnestly intreat thee as thou hopest for pardon from God and to see him with comfort hereafter speedily to betake thy self to an hearty repentance reformation and a sincere amendment and henceforth keep thy vessell pure be chast in thoughs words and refrain consenting to lustfull motions this way and abhorre acting any more so wickedly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isidor Col. 3.5.6 and either seeing lust not or lusting look not but doe as Paul exhorteth Christians to Mortifie therefore the members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affections evil concupiscence For which things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience Marriage is honorable in all Heb 13.4 and the bed undefiled but WHOREMONGERS and ADULTERERS God will judge §. VI. Drunkenness S. 28 Is drunkenness thy sin and if it be it is a great one and thou art guilty of this sin more ways then one men think themselves for the most part then onely to be guilty when they have drunk to that excesse as to wallow in their vomit and have lost both reason and sences This indeed is to forsake the manhood and to be transformed into a beast and worse for a beast is not capable of sinning by excesse but a man sins wofully in so doing for he breaks a Law of God and sobriety abuseth the creature dishonoreth and debaseth his own soul exposeth himself to shame and scorn and gives a foul
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
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
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
in a map that thou mayst be the better able to examine and try thy state and accordingly understand which of those sins and how many of them thou art guilty of either in thoughts words or actions or evil inclinations and you will find if you will not be partial in the inquiry and search most of them either in whole or in some circumstances and branches to be thine own as certainly as any bodies else and if you have charity to your own soul or any care or desire for pardon and heaven you will be free to acknowledg them confess them own shame for them and be as ready and willing to beg forgiveness of God for thy faults as you were to commit your sins and speedily to forsake them all and with full resolution of soul never to venter on any of them again or come neer the appearance of sin any more lest thou be caught in sins snare and be defiled with sins filth S. 2 Now that thou mayst be brought to this happy result and upon serious consideration to take up an invincible resolution to leave off the love and practice of every sin and never to have to doe with any sin for the future but to sight and strive against it to the death and expulsion of it from the borders of thy soul and withstand all temptations whatsoever from world flesh and Satan to thy dying day that would engage thee again in sinfull courses and when this is done thou wilt finish this first part of reformation in thy self which consists in forsaking all sin and resolving against it in the whole kind of it S. 3 And though this be the harder and most difficult piece of thy duty to rid thy self of the prevalencie of thy inbred corruptions and shift thy life of all thy ill companions and long acquaintance I mean thy endeared sins with whom thou hast taken such content and pleasure and 't is a hard matter to be perswaded out of an habit of such vices wherein men have been long exercised and in which fleshly-minded men have taken such delight and complacencie S. 4 Yet the business is not impossible nor dishonorable nor beyond the power and strength of a true resolved Christian but if thou call in with fervent prayers and cryes Christ and grace to thy help in time who is not wanting to such and thou diligently use all those spirituall instruments and weapons God hath appointed for this spiritual warfare carefully it will be so far from impossible that it will be most succesfull and you shall find a most happy conquest and a glorious deliverance from both the guilt and powerfull dominion of sin S. 5 And to this work and resolution without any further delay or hesitancie I am now perswading thee by the best arguments I can think of at present and if you can think on better and more and more convincing and prevalent then what I offer to thee so they do the work with thee that is to cause thee leave off with all possible dispatch and speed all thy evil practises and sinfull follies I am content for my design is to bring thee to a speedy reformation through grace if I can and if this be done upon thee thou thy self wilt be happy in it and I say I am fully satisfied if that be done so thou be reformed soundly whether by these or any other motives S. 6 Now that you may understand clearly what is that I am about to perswade you to know it is this and this onely with these ensuing arguments that you would be humbled for and speedily cast off all your transgressions great and small in heart and life in habit and act so as never more hereafter to return to any thy sins upon any account again resolve against them all never listen to any allurements to sin never comply with any temptation or motion to sin again never yield to any perswasion to continue in thy sin one day longer live not in any sin for any bodies pleasure nor for any worldly advantage nor for fear of any frown from man or temporary loss or for fear of any affliction or trouble may happen to thee if thou leave off to walk in the way of sinners but take up the invincible resolution and courage of a Christian that is called forth to an honorable employment and a rich reward and a certain conquest if thou stand to it and dost persevere to the end in the use and exercise of those means thy God hath appointed thee for thy help this way both to banish sin from thy heart and life and to keep thy self from being polluted again with sins impurity and from being imprisoned any more under its insolencies and cheating traps and crafty solicitations and devices S. 7 And that this may be effectually performed in its measure and time which are appointed thee for this work I do intreat thee and in the Name of God enjoyn as thou hopest to attain unto that happiness thou wishest thine own soul by reformation to follow these few directions First of all to search and try thy own heart and wayes that thou mayst come to the knowledg of thy self and consider which of those sins forementioned how many of them are with thee how long thou hast lived in them and if you can remember when first you began to be a sinner in this or that kind and how often you have acted any of them and what instance and with what complacencie and delight with whom and in what place and at what time with what temptation and beg heartily of Almighty God to help thee to the veiw and discovery of all thy open and hidden sins S. 8 This way all true penitents took having been once convicted and upon after-faillings and miscarriages Lamen 3.40 Let us search and try our ways and turn again unto the Lord and that same convert David tells what way he took at the beginning of his reformation to wit I thought on my wayes Psal 119.59 60. and turned my feet unto thy testimonies And tells us further that so soon as ever he was convinced of the necessity of reformation and the danger of living longer in his sins I made hast and delayed not to keep thy commandements and this true penitent gives thee what he desired of God it was this Search me O Lord Psal 139.23 24. and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting He knew the danger of sin and in some good measure the deceitfulness of mans own heart and the secret hidings of sin within and because he would keep none of his sins nor favour any of them he would have them discovered to himself that he himself might not conceal them and this was an argument he meant to be sincere and resolved to be reformed to purpose and the same convert David gives in the 4th Psalm first a
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
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
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
Pet. 1.23 25. being born again not of corruptible but of incorruptible seed by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever and this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you S. 17 Therefore yield thy self freely and wholly to Christ and the word of his grace and thou mayst then be seasonably and savingly wrought on and converted X. Direction S. 18 10. Dost thou intend to reform thy heart and life wouldst thou be a true convert and have thy faults pardoned and thy life amended then be fervent and frequent in prayer to the God of heaven for this very thing pray I say mightily fervently and frequently if ever thy reformation be wrought it must come from God and he will be sought unto by prayer and the desire of thy soul must be with earnestness that God would pardon thee and heale thee and separate sin and thy soul sin from thy conversation and instead thereof implant grace and nourish holiness and make thee a new man by renewing thy judgment will and affection and introducing the image of the holy Jesus in thy soul and conversation S. 19 'T is true God hath made free and gracious promises that he will give grace to convert and change the heart from evil to good that he will cleanse and purisie by his Spirit saying I will give grace I will pardon I will heal Ezek. 36.25 26 37. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthiness A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you an heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes God will do all this for and to a poor sinner and except God give it and work it no man living can get it yet saith the Lord I will yet for all this be inquired of the house of Israel to do this thing for them God gave David a aew heart and pardoned his sins Psal 51.10 yet see that 51. Psalme David prays heartily Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Our Saviour Christ bids us ask Mat 7.6 7. and you shall have seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened for every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Therefore if ever thou wilt be savingly converted seek it earnestly of God cry incessantly and mightily to the Lord and give him no rest untill he give thee conversion and pardon pray that thou mayst get it and pray that thou mayst keep it pray for this spirit and pray with it and never leave off praying as long as thou livest And I am perswaded that no man shall attain unto saving reformation but he that begs it of God and seeks earnestly after it and I am also perswaded that he that begs it earnestly and constantly shall not be denied it if he neglect not to endeavour to practise what God commands S. 20 Thus have I given you those directions which if you will speedily and carefully follow and put in practice will prove very succesfull toward your reformation those means God hath appointed to bring about this so great and necessary a work of reformation if conscientiously and diligently used S. 21 Now I would perswade you to use all means possible and with all speed possible that might be any way conducing to thy reformation by these motives following CHAP. XIV Some Motives to provoke men to be speedy and in good earnest about the one thing necessary which is sound Reformation I. Motive S. 1 1. REmember that all thy weal and happiness depends upon this very thing even that thou art worth in an other world If thou art converted in time thou art made for ever but if thou put off thy reformation and wilt not yield to become a penitent and throughly reformed it will be thy marring for ever this must be done and done perfectly or else thy poor soul will be quite undone and a lost man for ever thou wilt be it is as impossible for a man that lives and dies in an unregenerate estate to be happy in another world as it is for one damned in hell already to come thence or to be there happy where he is Now or never is the time to provide for heaven by timely reformation here or no where must every one that means to be saved look to it for when death shall part soul and body there is no more working nor reforming here and now is the time and place in this present world to do all we have to do in reformation in the other world every one must be rewarded according to what he hath done in this world and receive a finall unalterable sentence and the decree of the Almighty will be executed on thee and for ever must thou lie under it whether it be unto life or death salvation or damnation nor will there be any revocation or alteration of that unalterable decree Oh then how much doth it concern thee and every one that thou be sincerely wholly reformed in this world seeing thy everlasting making or marring depends upon it forasmuch as thy eternal weal or woe is determined and fixed according as thy heart and life is reformed or not reformed S. 2 Do not therefore O Christian neglect the doing of that speedily which may put all out of doubt and give thee a comfortable assurance that heaven shall be thy portion which thou mayst depend upon if thy heart be converted and thy ways amended and as sadly mayst thou sink in thy hopes of heaven if this be not fully wrought in thee O then let not any thing in the world make thee put off thy reformation or baffle thee out of thy duty or betray thee into vain hopes to be happy without it II. Motive S. 3 2. The next Motive to provoke thee to hasten thy reformation is this that all the while you deferre it you lose your time and are doing that you must undoe again for the best of all that you do else are but trifles and toies and nothing at all to the purpose of true happiness and all this while you are making more work for tears lamentation and repentance and if ever you come to the happy state of conversion hereafter you will be much afflicted and troubled that you continued so long a fool and a wretch as you are all the while you put off and delay your amendment how bitter will it be to a devout soul to remember how long he continued at a distance from Christ how long he did live after the flesh and the world how many days and how much strength he spent in the service of sin how many excuses and delays he used Oh! he will beshrew himself to think how often he put