combing thine head entring the flesh may make thy death's wound as it befel Ruffinus the Consul A Needle thrust into thy brest by a child born in thiue arms may hasten thy death as it befel Lucia the Daughter of Aurelius And when Death hath severed soul and body what shall become of thy soul Shall it ascend or descend Shall it live or shall it die c. O never think that thou who livedst and diedst without God in this world shall after death ascend to God or live with God in the world to come 7. Thou in thy Natural state canst not escape the damnation of Hell but shalt have part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second Death there to be excruciated with torments numberless easeless remediless and endless Mat. 23. 33. Rev. 21. 8. Rom. 6. 23. Gen. 2. 17. Mat. 25. 41 46. Iude verse 7. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 25. 30. There their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched Mar. 9. 43 44. There not one drop of water from the top of a finger shall be vouchsafed to cool a tormented tongue Luk. 10. 24 25 26. There thou shalt have pain of loss and pain of sense There thou shalt have plenty and penury plenty of torment penury of comfort There will be Amissio Coeli The miss of Heaven which was often tendered thee but thou didst refuse Privatio Terrae The loss of Earth which thou hadst but couldst not keep Positio Inferni The Position of Hell which thou shalt have and canst not be delivered from it There will be universality extremity eternity of unpityed misery upon thy soul and body without the least alteration mitigation and cessation Oh wretched Natural man Might thy torments in Hell be brought to an end after so many millions of years as there are Stars in Heaven Atomes in the Air Dust in the Earth Drops in the Sea Grass-piles on the ground or as there have been moments of time since time begun it would be some comfort to thee in enduring them some hope of being delivered from them But this eternity of Death and Torments will quite break thy heart would make the very stinging of Ants and Fleas intolerable Eternity is the very Hell of Hell One said O deadly life O immortal death What shall I term thee Life And wherefore then dost thou kill Death And wherefore then dost thou endure There 's neither life nor death but hath something good in it for in life there is some ease and in death an end but thou hast neither ease nor end What then shall I stile thee Even the bitterness of both for of death thou hast the torment without any end and of life the continuance without any ease God hath substracted both from life and from death all that is good the residue he hath mixed together and therewith tempered the torments of Hell O bitter Cup which all sinners impenitent shall drink at Gods hand This this O Natural man is a brief shadow of thy sinful and wretched condition by Nature But the one half the tenth part is not told thee O How can thine heart hold from breaking thine eyes from dropping thy bowels from turning within thee How canst thou eat or drink with any comfort How canst thou slumber or sleep one night in quiet How canst thou possess or go about any worldly thing with delight whilst thou art ingulfed in this sinful and woful Natural condition II. Direction BE clearly and fully convinced in thy Conscioâ—ce O Natural man That thou still remainest in this thy sinful and wretched condition un-converted un-regenerate un-renewed until this present day That thou art still in the first Adam and not as yet transplanted into Christ the last Adam That thou art still in thy sinful and miserable state of Nature and not hitherto translated into an holy and happy state of Grace That thou art in thy sins still 1 Cor. 15. 17. Thou art in the flesh still Rom. 8. 8. Thou art dead in sins and trespasses still Eph. 2. 1 5. Col. 2. 13. Thou art in darkness and very darkness it self still 1 Ioh. 2. 9 11. Eph. 5. 8. Thou art an enemy to God still Rom. 8. 6 7. Col. 1. 21. Thou art wholly displeasing to God still Rom. 8. 8. Finally That thou art in thy cursed and damned state still Gal. 3. 10. Ioh. 3. 18 36. Here therefore I shall offer to thee chiefly two things for thy most serious consideration viz. I. That it is most necessary for thee O Natural man to be throughly convinced That thou still remainest in thy most sinful and wretched state of Nature even until now For 1. Vntil thou beest throughly convinced O Natural man that thou still remainest in thy sinful and wretched state of Nature thou wilt be apt to flatter thy self into a fond and groundless imagination that thou art in a good spiritual state towards God especially if thou hast been kept by Gods common restraining grace from grosser sins and hast been exercised in some outward acts of Religion and righteousness Thus the un-convinced Pharisee though in his un-justified Natural state had an high opinion of his good spiritual state beyond other men and beyond the Publican and bragg'd of it even in his prayer to God because he avoided some gross sins and practised some outward duties Luk. 18. 9. to 15. Thus Paul before his conviction and conversion thought himself alive once without the Law by reason of his outward unblameableness legal priviledges and external exercises of Religion but when the Commandement came and convinced him sin revived and he died Compare Rom. 7. 9. with Phil. 3. 4 5 6. Thus the Laodicean Angel had an high opinion of his own good estate till Christ convinced him of the contrary and taught him the right way of bettering his condition Rev. 3. 16 17 18 19. The Natural man's self-opinionateness of his good estate seals him up incurably in his bad estate Many might have attained to a great degree of Christianity if they had not presumed themselves to be Christians good enough already 2. Vntil thou art fully convinced O Natural man that thou still remainest in thy sinful and wretched state of Nature thou wilt never be kindly humbled for nor become weary of thy Natural state Without conviction there 's no true sence of sin and misery without true sence of sin and misery who will be humbled for it or weary of it Conviction How did it humble Manasses 2 Chron. 33. How did it abase Paul Act. 9. Who can clearly see his own Natural sinfulness and wretchedness and not abhor himself as in dust and ashes Zech. 12. 10 c. 3. Vntil thou beest kindly convinced of thy present sinfulness and wretchedness by Nature thou wilt never seriously and sincerely seek out for supernatural remedy When Peter's Hearers were convinced and pricked in heart then they presently repair to the Apostles saying Men and
4. 3 While thou art 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a son or Child of Disobedience Gr. of Vnpersuadeableness Eph. 2. 2. who are most disobedient to God Christ and his Spirit Unperswadeable by his word Promises c. to repent believe c. 4 While thou art acted and energetically wrought upon by the Spirit that is the Prince of the Power of the a yr Ephes. 2. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit now energetically-working or effectually working He effectually works in such when he prevails with his Temptations over them when he attains his will upon them c. 5 While thou art resolvedly set and determined willfully to do the lusts of the Devil Ioh. 8. 44. 6 While thou art held in the Snare of the Devil and held Captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2. 26. Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Taken alive It seems to be a Metaphor from Captains and Conquerors who in war take their Enemies alive carry them away in triumph and use them as they please Or from Huntsmen who take their Prey wild beasts alive and do with them as they list So Satan deals with the Natural man while under his power he wholly enters him orders him acts him by his Suggestions as he will 12. If thou art dead in Sins and Trespasses and not as yet quickned by Christ Eph. 2. 1. 5. Col. 2. 13. thou art hitherto in thy Sinful and wretced State of Nature To be dead in Sin and Trespasses is to be Spiritually dead while thou art Naturally alive And art not thou Spiritually dead Are not the Tokens of Spiritual Death clearly upon thee 1 Art not thou quite destitute of the Fountain and Root of all Spiritual life to the Soul Christ is the Fountain of all Spiritual Life being united to the Soul by Faith Gal. 2. 20. Ioh. 11. 25 26. As the Soul is the Fountain of Natural Life being uâ—â—ted to the body the body is dead when without the Soul Iam. 2. 26. So the Soul is dead in every Natural man while he is without Christ. Eph. 2. 1. 5. 12. 2 Art thou not wholly destitute of any spiritual sense rightly to discern and receive the things of God 1 Cor. 2. 7 8 9 10 11 12 14. And where there 's no Soul there 's no life 3 Art thou not utterly destitute of Spiritual Breath viz. The sacred breathings of strong cryes and groans â—ervent desires and prayers crying Abba Father This is their breath that are spiritually alive Rom. 8 15. 26 27. No sooner was Saul converted and quickned by Christ but the Lord told Ananias behold he prayeth Act 9. 11. Breath and Life come and go together Gen. 2. 7. Psal. 104. 29. If thou art without this spiritual breathing this Spirit of Prayer thou art without the Spirit of Life from Christ and remainest dead in Sin 4 Art thou not without all vital Heat and Spirit warmth of heart desire love and all good affections towards God Christ his people and his wayes and even stone-cold as to all matters of Religion Devotion divine Worship as carnal men use to be Rev. 3. 15 16 Then thou art not only mortally â—ick but quite dead in Sin stretched-out and ready to be buried in the infernal pit As where there 's Natural warmth in the body there 's life where nothing but Coldness there 's Death 13 If thou art still an habitual worker of iniquity A Tradesman in sin Thou art still in thy Natural state and Condition Such Christ will not at all own but eternally reject at the last day Mat. 7. 23. â—Tis one thing to sin or slip into sin accidently another to trade in sin constantly habitually and to yield up his members as tools of unrighteousness unto Sin Rom. 6. 12 13. c. 14 Finally Thou art still in thy meer Natural sinful state if in the whole course of thy life thou walkest according to the Course of this World The Lusts and wills of the Flesh The suggestions Temptations and operations of the Devil All such are dead in sin and by Nature Children of wrath See all this most fully in Eph. 2. 1 2 3. III. Direction COnsider often with all Serâ—â—usness D Natural Man That living and dying in this thy Sinful and wretched Condition of Nature thou 〈◊〉 utterly lost both Body and Soul for evermore And caust not expect any other portion after this present momentary Life than everlasting Torments in unquenchable Fire with the Devil and his Angels Compare diligently Ephes. 2. 1 2 3. Luk. 13. 3. 5. and Ioh. 3. 36. with Mat. 25. 41. to the end Luk. 16. 24. Iude 7. Math. 9. 43 44. As was formerly intimated Here therefore O Sinful and wretched Natural Man I beseech thee let these 2 things sink deep into thine heart viz. 1. That Thou living and dying in this thy Natural State shalt certainly perish both Body and Soul in Everlasting torments in Fire Prepared for the Devil and his Angels Math. 25. 41. For 1. If thou livest and diest in thy Natural State of Sin Thou livest and diest Without Christ and without Hope Eph. 2. 1. 2. with vers 12. Christless and Hopeless And therefore Hopeless because Christless For Jesus Christ is our Hope i. e. The sure foundation of all our Hope of Salvation 1. Tim. 1. 1. What Christless How then canst thou be saved Who ever was or can be saved without Christ Act. 4 11. 12. And Hopeless too yes For who can once expect or look for Salvation by Christ without Hope 2. If thou livest and diest in thy Sinful and wretched state of Nature Then thou livest and diest a most Cursed Creature Gal. 3. 10. and A Child of wrath even as others Eph. 2. 1. 2. 3. what Cursed For what For that thou continuest not in all things which are written in the Book of the Law to do them Gal. 3. 10. because thou doest not perform as is thy duty perfect perpetual personal obedience to all things in Gods Law which nor thou nor any meer man since Adam's Fall could ever perform 2 To what art thou cursed 1. To pains of Loss and Sense Mat. 25. 41. Depart ye cursed There 's pains of Loss Depart from Christ from the only Redeemer Gal. 3. 13. From the only All-sufficient Saviour Heb. 7. 25. From the one only Mediator betwixt God and man 1 Tim. 2. 5. From the only way unto the Father Ioh. 14. 6. From the hope and consolation of Israel c. 1 Tim. 1. 1. Luk. 2. 25. Oh! who can so depart from Christ and that for ever and not be cursed 2. To pains of Sense Depart into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels What into fire What is more sharp and tormenting to the Sense then fire Into everlasting fire Then no hopes of relaxation or deliverance thence after millions and ten thousand millions of years c. Everlasting kills the soul. Oh! who can dwell with everlasting burnings Into everlasting fire prepared
The True way TO THE Tree of Life OR The Natural MAN DIRECTED UNTO CHRIST By Fran. Roberts D. D. Pastor of the Church of Christ at Wrington in the County of Somerset JOHN 14. 6. IESVS saith unto him I am the Way The Truth and the Life No man cometh unto the Father but by me ACT. 16. 30 31. Sirs What must I do to be saved And they said Believe on the LORD IESVS CHRIST and thou shalt be saved and thine House BERNARD in Iubilo c. p. 1659. Antverp 1616. JESU Decus Angelicum In auro dâ—sce Canticum In ore meâ— mirificum In Corde Nâ—ctar Coelicum Desidero te millies Mi JESU quando venies Me loetum quando facies Me de te quando suties LONDON Printed by T. R. for Geo. Calâ—ert at the Golden Ball in â—uck Lane 1673. THE Author 's Epistolary Exhortation AND Paternal Charge UNTO HIS CHILDREN My Dear and beloved Children WHat the Apostle Paul sometimes said with great affection touching Israel his Brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh that with like affection say I now touching You My Hearts desire and Prayer to God for you all is That you may be saved O that you might be so happy as to hear that sweetest Sentence of Iesus Christ at the last day directed unto you among the rest of his Elect Sheep at his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world And that you may be where Christ is which is far the best of all to behold his glory and to be made conform to him in Celestial glory for evermore But you had need deeply to consider That there are very many great and dangerous impediments unto Sinners eternal Salvation without removal whereof the Salvation of poor Souls will be rendered not only difficult but utterly impossible A few of these principal Hindrances I shall briefly mention unto you for your information and instruction That you may praise God for your deliverance from some of them and pray to him for his effectual removal of all the rest in his due time Some grand Hindrances of poor Sinners Salvation are these viz. 1. The State of Sin and misery in which all Mankind is involved by Nature through the Fall of Adam the Common root of all Mankind whence All are by Nature dead in Sins and trespasses and Children of wrath so that they who are in the flesh cannot possibly please God 2. Man's general Senslessness and â—in apprehensiveness by Nature of the Sinfulness and wretchedness of his Natural condition All Natural men being Children of the night and of darkness Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart And from this senslesness of their Natural malady it comes to pass that they are till God open their eyes and awaken their Consciences altogether regardless of the Supernatural Remedy 3. A Sinful course of life and wicked Conversation resulting from Mens Sinful state and condition So that they walk according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience fulfilling the wills of the flesh and of the mind and running to all excess of riot Now these and like ungodly waies will without true and timely Repentance undoubtedly shut all that walk therein out of the kingdom of God for evermore 4. Habitual Hardness of heart and Impenitency which are most dangerous fore-runners of Eternal Death and Destruction whereby all hardned and impenitent Sinners do treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath and Reveâ—â—tion of the righteous Judgment of God 5. That grand Soul-damning Sin of Vnbelief in Iesus Christ. Of this the Holy Ghost peculiarly and principally convincingly reproves the world of Sin because they believe not in me saith our Saviour This Sin he puts before others saith Augustine as if it were the alone Sin because this Sin remaining the rest are detained and this departing the rest are remitted Vnbelief rejects Iesus Christ the onely Saviour How then is it possible the Vnbelievers should be saved Our Blessed Saviour himself hath declared most plainly That he that believes not shall be damned Math. 16. 6. yea That he is condemned already because he hath not believed on the name of the onely begotten Son of God That he who believeth not the Son should not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Iohn 3. 18. 36. 8. And he placeth the Unbelieving in that black Catalogue which shall have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone which is the second Death Rev. 21. 8. 6. The Embracing of any False counterfeit and irreligious Religions whether through Corrupt Education and evil Example of Parents or through Seducement of heretical Impostors and false Teachers or through the just judgment of God upon them that receive not the Love of the Truth that they may be saved sending them strong delusions that they should believe a lye that they all may be damned who believe not the Truth And chiefly such false Counterfeit Religions which are most predominant and bear greatest sway in the world are these Four viz. Heathenism Mahumeâ—ism Judaism and Antichristianism By the poyson of which it is much to be feared far the greatest number of people in the whole world are deprived of Salvation and perish As divers of our Learned Orthodox and Religious Authors have demonstrated 7. The False Hypocritical and Conterfeit Entertaining of the onely true Religion viz. The Christian Religion leaves men still in a state of Damnation though thereupon multitudes vainly presume and promise to themselves eternal Salvation As when men make a Profession of Christianity without a sincere suitable Practice having Lamps without Oyle When they have onely a form of Godliness but deny the power thereof Having a Name to live but are dead When they attain to a Temporary Faith believing for a time but in time of Persecution falling away Become partakers of many Common gifts and en dowments of the Holy Ghost but of no true saving Graces of the Spirit So that though they may have some flashes of joy in the use of Gods Ordinances and may do many things yet walk not as the sincere Saints in all the Commandements and Ordinances of God blameless Now such Persons being meer Formal not real Christians indeed remaining â—as most in the visible Church do without effectual Calling Conversion Regeneration and true Sanctification cannot inherit the kingdom of God as the Holy Scriptures do abundantly testifie Now therefore my beloved Children I earnestly exhort charge and beseech you by the mercies of God As you tender the eternal welfare of your precious and immortal Souls As you desire to be found
in his word hath directed you to walk Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts even all Sins against the first and second Table living soberly towards yourselves righteously towards man and godly towards the Lord in this present world Observe and keep all his Commandements Yield and present your selves both Souls and Bodies living Sacrifices unto him Whether you live live unto the Lord or whether you dye dye unto the Lord that whether you live or dye you may be the Lords So live and walk also as Christ hath given you an Example Walk as Christ walked Walk in love as Christ hath loved us and hath given himself for us a Sacrifice an offering unto God for a sweet smelling Savour Walk in Love towards Iesus Christ as to love him beyond Father Mother Sister Brother or your own dearest lives For he hath loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own blood Walk in all well doing as Christ went about doing good every where and imitate him also in innocent and patient suffering for well doing commitâ—ing your selves and your Cause to him that judgeth righteously for herein he hath left us an Example that we should follow his steps 7. Remember the Lords-day-Sabbath the first day of the week unto which the seventh-day-Sabbath was translated by the Authority of Christ as appears by the after observation of that day by the Apostles and Apostolical Churches to keep it holy This is the Princess and Queen of all dayes This is the Glory of all the week For As on this day our blessed Saviour Rose from the dead triumphing victoriously over Death Grave Sin and all our Spiritual Enemies and thereby assured us of our Spiritual and Corporeal Resurrection by him As on this day our Saviour vouchsafed many of his apparitions to his Disciples instructing them and giving them commandements concerning the Kingdom of God On this day the Holy Ghost was most miraculously poured forth upon the Apostles On this day the Apostles and primitive Churches held their solemn Assemblies for the publick worship of God This is the solemn Mart and Market day for furnishing our Souls with all manner of Spiritual and Heavenly Provisions This is that Solemn Season and sweet opportunity which Christ hath afforded and ordained for acquainting us with Himself and the Mysteries of his Kingdom for maintaining our Communion with him in his Ordinances for edifying and perfecting of us in all Spirituals And as in the time of the Old Testament The Sacrifices of the Sabbath-day were to be double to those on the week day So our Spiritual Sacrifices on the Lords-days are to be twice so much as on any other day of the week Especially in Prayer and thanksgiving in Reading the Scriptures in Hearing the word preached in Partaking the Lords Supper in Catechizing in Shewing Mercy to the poor c. that so the sacred tincture and impressions of this day may remain fresh and lively upon your hearts all the week following 8. Let every day of the week be managed by you in a Christian sort To that End Be sure to present unto the Lord your Morning and Evening-Sacrifice of prayer and praise to God continually as God of Old appointed a Morning and Evening Sacrifice for every day in the week Holy David and Daniel Prayed thrice in a day Every day open with God in the morning and shut with God in the Evening by some religious ejaculation or savourly meditation Read daily some portion of Holy Scripture to keep up your acquaintance with God with Iesus Christ and his Spirit and the mysteries of true Religion And then follow the lawful affairs of your honest particular Calling diligently and righteously 9. Do ye Remember your Creator in the days of your youth while the evil dayes of old age come not nor the years draw nigh when ye shall say we have no pleasure in them Gods Eminent Saints have sought the Lord betimes and addicted themselves unto Godliness while they were young As David that man after Gods own heart while he was but a Youth Josiah that Phaenix King of Iudah while he was yet young but sixteen years old began to seek after the God of David And Timothy so highly commended by the Apostle Paul knew the Holy Scriptures from a Child Gr. from his insancy God in the time of the Law called for the first ripe fruits of the field and the firstlings of the flock to be offered unto him to teach his people how acceptable the first-fruits of our youth and life are to God O how happy are they that bear the yoke of Christ in their youth Hereby the flower of their age is best improved Hereby thousands and ten-thousands of sins are prevented Hereby they gain the longer time for walking with God for growing in grace for doing of good for increasing of Spiritual Experiences for treasuring up of Evidences and assurances of their Salvation and of preparing themselves for Heaven and eternal Glory 10. Herein alwaies exercise your selves to have a Conscience void of offence both towards God and Man That so living in all good conscience before God This may be matter of singular comfort and rejoycing to you in your greatest afflictions and distresses the Testimony of your Consciences that in simplicity and godly sincerity you have had your Conversation in the world 11. Imploy and improve to the utmost all the Times and Talents wherewith the Lord hath intrusted you to his Glory your own or others Benefit That when the time of reckoning shall come he may both command you and richly reward you and not condemn and punish you with that wicked sloathful and improfitable Servant 12. Hold fast the Platt-form of Sound words in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus That so you may not be carryed aside with every wind of false doctrine but may be the Children of the Truth And to this End constantly retain in your Memories the Catechisme wherein you have been trayned up now a long time together For this is an excellent Brevial or Sum of the true Christian Religion very useful to direct you both in the Faith and Practice in the right wayes of God against error and iniquity 13. Stand not at a stay much less go backward in the affairs of Religion But still grown in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Take heed of backsliding Having put your hand to Christs plow Look not back For then you will be unfit for the Kingdome of God Be stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord Be faithful to the death and christ will give you a Crown of Life 14. Love God Father son and Holy Ghost over
all with all your Heart Soul Mind and might and that especially for his own sake love such as are begotten of God and true Christians indeed chiefly for Gods sake for Christs sake And see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently Especially endeavouring to help and further one another in the way to heaven 15. Finally Set your affection on things above not on things on the Earth For all the things on Earth are meer vanity and vexation of Spirit being vanity they are empty shadows and bubles that cannot continue that cannot satisfie but utterly disappoint you By their disappointment they become vexation of Spirit heaps of thorns and briars unto you But your true lasting and Soul-satisfying Treasures are above there 's your Crown your Kingdom your Glory your Eternal life your Eternal inheritance your Masters joy and pleasures at his right hand for Evermore there 's your sweetest and most glorious Saviour Jesus Christ at Gods right hand and there 's your God in Christ in whose immediate vision and compleat fruition the supream happiness of Heaven will consist for ever Have therefore your Conversation in Heaven though for a while your conversation be on Earth and look for your Saviour Jesus Christ from Heaven to change your vile bodies and make them like to his own glorious body Then there shall be no more Sin Sorrow Pain Curse or Death Then Christ will wipe all your Tears away Then your everlasting Jubilee will bâ—gin but shall never end O how should we love his appearing when all those things shall come to pass Make haste O beloved and be as the Hind or the Roe upon the Mountains of Spices Even so come Lord Jesus These things my beloved Children I have earnestly desired to recommend unto you in order to your Eternal Salvation hoping that some of you have a true Spiritual sense and relish of them already Now the God of all Grace imprint them indelibly upon the Tables of all your Hearts that you may still remember them and conform your selves unto them not onely while I am with you in this land of the living but also after I shall be taken from you by Natures dissolution and sleep in Jesus And let him bless you with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly-places in Christ for evermore Amen THE Natural MAN DIRECTED TO CHRIST A Premonition to the Natural Man reading the ensuing Directions WHoever thou art that unto this present hour remainest still in thy Natural State in the Old Adam unconverted unto God in CHRIST the last Adam or justly suspectest thy condition to be such and perusest these DIRECTIONS following Read and understand Vnderstand and Consider in thine Heart Consider and Believe the Scripture Truths therein propounded Believe and put in Practise the Scripture Rules therein recommended unto thee lest otherwise what thou readest and art convinc'd in Conscience to be thy Duty hereafter sting thine Heart Rise up in judgment against thee and condemn thee both when thy Death Approacheth and at the Great day when the Lord IESVS shall be revealed from Heaven with the Angels of his power in flaming Fire taking Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord IESVS CHRIST 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. with Mat. 11. 20. to 25. and 12. 41 42. Directions tending to conduct the Natural Man to CHRIST I. Direction A Waken and rouz up thy Soul and Conscience O Sinful wretched natural Man seriously to consider and deeply to lay to heart How Sinful and miserable the State and Condition of all Mankind since the fall and of thine own Soul in particular is by Nature in the first Adam compare together Rom. 3. 9. to 21. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 5 6 7 8. Tit. 3. 3. and 1. 15 16. Eph. 2. 1 2 3. 1. The Sinfulness of Natural man's State what Words can enough express what thoughts of Man can sufficiently conceive who can understand his Errors Psal. 19. 12. The heart is â—â—eeitful above all things and desperately wâ—â—ked who can know it I the LORD search the heart I try the Reins Jer. 17. 9 10. God alone who cannot sin eâ—actly knows man's Sinfulness From his word take a brief discovery of it The Sinfulness of the Natural man's condition Consists chiefly in these particulars viz. 1. In the guilt of Adam's first Sin Of Eating the forbidden fruit contrary to Gods express Command Gen. 2. 16 17. with Gen. 3. 6 7. Rom. 3. 9. 19. In which Eating Adam's 1 Unbelief of Gods word 2 Contempt of Gods command 3 Impious Consent of his most free-will 4 Proud aspiring to be as Gods knowing good and evil Gen. 3. 5. 5 Apostacy from God 6 Disobedience of the whole man and 7 Ruine of himself and all his posterity are comprehended This sin of Adam being the Common Parent and Root of all mankind as St. Augustine well notes then virtually and seminally in his loyns is imputed to and charged upon all his ordinary posterity even upon all mankind ordinarily propagated form him Rom 5. 12. 15 16 17 18 19. Act 17 26. â— Cor. 15. 21. 22. 45. 49. As Levi who received Tithes is said to â—ay Tithes in Abraham to Melchizedeck for that yet he was in the loyns of his Father Abraham when Melchizedeck met him Heb. 7. 9 10. So then in Adams eating the forbidden fruit all mankind did eat the forbidden fruit In Adam's Sinning all his posterity Sinned In Adam's disobeying all mankind disobeyed In Adam's falling all his postâ—rity sell In Adams dying all his Posterity dyed And thou amongst the rest And Therefore in this Sense thou wast a Sinner algrievous Sinner before thou wast born even from the foundation of the world O thou Natural man Think of this Lay this to Heart deeply was it a small matter for Adam and for thee and all Mankind in Adam thus to Sin Consider well the many and great Aggrevations of this first Sin of Man As 1. The Person who sinned 2. Condition and State wherein 3. Place where 4. Time when 5. Law against which 6. Object against whom 7. And finally The manifold and great Evils both of Sin and punishment ensuing thereupon all which I have elsewhere at large illustrated and then see if ever Sin was perpetrated in this world all things duly considered so Sinful Haynous Horrid inexcusable and damnable as this first Sin 2. In being wholly overwhelmed with Original Sin so as is thought it 's called by Augustin contracted from lapsed Adam by Natural Propagation Gen. 5. 3. Psal. 51. 5. Ioh. 3. 6. Iob. 14. 4. and 15. 14. This Original Sin Consists especially â— In the privation or loss 1 of Man's Primitive Integrity or Original Righteousness concreated with him Gen. 1. 26 27. and 3. 6 7 8. Eccles. 7. 29. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. 2 and of that sweet communion which
return 1 King 12. 28. to the end and 19. 14 18. 2 King 17. 3. to 24. 5. The two Tribes of Iudah and Benjamin remaining grew very wicked from time to time especially in the reigns of wicked Kings insomuch that at last the face of all things in the Church was so corrupt that both the King Priests and people grew to such an height of impiety that there was no remedy and God gave them into the hand of the Chaldeans who destroyed them without pity and carried them captive to Babylon where they were in thraldom 70 years together 2 Chron. 36. 11. to 22. 6. Many of the Jews after their return from the Babylonish Captivity whereby they should have been reformed fell into sundry offences in the dayes of Nehemiah which he endeavoured to reform as most oppressive Usury Neh 5. 7 c. Prophanations of the Sabbath-day Neh. 13. 15. to 23. Marriages with Wives of Ashdod Ammon and Moab Neh. 13. 23 c. 7. Finally In the dayes of Antiochus the whole face of Religion was miserably corrupted and the conscientious were cruelly persecuted 1 Mac. 1. 45. to the end And when our Blessed Saviour became incarnate the whole affairs of Religion lay miserably prostrate and defaced See Mat. 5. and 6 and 7 and 15 and 23. Now all these things Considered How few can we rationally imagine to have been plucked out of their sinful and wretched state of Nature when iniquity so abounded in the Church 3. By the Scarcity of the Truth Life and Power of Godliness and Christianity even in the Visible Churches of Christ now under the New Testament the fewness of those that are effectually recovered out of their Natural state of Sin and misery may further appear For 1. In our Blessed Saviours dayes as the Scribes and Pharisees had in a manner engrossed all Religion to themselves as is none were Religious but they Luk. 18. 9. c. Phil. 3. 5. Act. 26. 5. So the whole Religion of the Scribes and Pharisees stood in outward Forms hypocritical appearances c. Rather then in any sincere Realities Math. 6. 2. 5. 16. and 15. 2. to 10. and 23 2 to 8 13. to 34. and therefore our Saviour tells his hearers plainly That Except their Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees they shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5. 20. 2. The Apostle Paul hath prophecied of perillous times to come in the last dayes viz. That men shall cloak and shelter their many notorious abominations under a form of Godliness denying the Power thereof 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4 5. 3. In the New Testament we are oft informed how rare and precious true Religion is As That Christs flock is but a little flock Luk. 12. 32. That of the ten Virgins the one half were foolish having lamps of Profession no Oil of Grace in them Math. 25. 1. c. That in the flower of the Church as there is Wheat so there is Chaff and more Chaff than Wheat Mat. 3. 12. That of four sorts of Hearers there are three naught Mat. 13. Luk. 8. And that it is very observable If out of the Visible Church you take away All the notoriously Prophane All the meer Moral and Civil honest men All the gross Hypocrites whose hypocrisy half an eye may discern all the privy close Hypocrites who know themselves to be Hypocrites and all formal Hypocrites or Temporary believers that believe only for a time Luk. 8. 13. Mat. 13. 20 21. the Residue will be very few in Comparison that are plucked by the hand of Heaven out of their Natural state of Sin and misery and thereby prepared for eternal felicity V. Direction EArnestly and Effectually lay to heart O Natural Man How happy it would be for thy poor Soul to he one of those few recovered out of the Sinful and wretched state of Nature rather then one of those many that live and die and so perish therein eternally Luk 13. 24. Mat 7. 13 14. O do not follow a multitude to do evil Exod. 23. 2. To walk according to the Course of this World to do as most do to swim down the Common stream c is the Natural man's way and delight Eph. 2. 1 2 3. But 't is no safe way The broad way hath most Company but the worst issue Destruction The Narrow way hath fewest passengers but the best Event eternal life Mat. 7. 13. 14. Will it not be infinitely better for thee To be converted with afew then to remain carnal with a Multitude To be Justified adopted acquitted at last day and eternally saved with a few rather then to be held guilty cast out of Gods family condemned at the last day and eternally tormented with the greatest multitude will it be any ease to thy 〈◊〉 to be tormented with the greater Company when the numerousness of the Tormented will but augment and aggravate one anothers torments Oh it will be far happier for thee to be in Abraham's bosom with one Lazarus then to be tormented in infernal Flames with Dives and all his five brethren Luk. 16. 23. 28. and with all the ungodly of the World VI. Direction FUlly be convinced O Natural Man How impossible a thing it is for thee or for any of the Sons of Adam to be effectually brought out of this Sinful and wretched state of Nature into an holy and happy state of Grace by any ability or sufficiency of our own or by the Sole Assistance or influence of any meer Creature in the whole world This is a point of great Consequence For clearing of it I shall endeavour to shew 1 what Natural man cannot do for delivering himself out of his Sinful and wretched state of Nature 2. What he can and ought to do 3. How for not doing what he can and ought to do he shall justly perish for ever I Natural man in order to his effectual Recovery out of his Sinful and wretched state of Nature cannot do these things following O Natural man thou canst do none of these things viz. 1. Thou canst not Circumcise thineheart from its natural filthiness Deut. 30. 16. nor take away thine heart of Stone canst not remove the natural hardness of thine heart in unbelief impenitency and Sin Nor free thy self from thy Death in Sins and trespasses This is Gods peculiar work Ezek. 36. 26. Eph 2. 1. 5. 2. Thou canst not furnish thy self with the Spirit of God the Spirit of Grace of Regeneration of Renovation nor with the Principle and Habits of Grace infused into the Soul as Repentance unto Life Faith unto Salvation c. These are not of ourselves they are the proper Gifts of God See Zech. 12. 10. Ezek 36. 26 27. Act. 11. 18. and 5. 31. Eph. 2. 8. 3. Thou canst not Actuate Exert and draw into Exercise the Principles and Habits of Divine Grace already infused and instilled into thy Soul but by Gods special assisting and Co-operating Grace Turn
thou me and I shall be turned Surely after that I was turned I repented Ier. 31. 18 19. It is God that worketh in us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both to will and to do of his good pleasurâ— Phil. 2. 13. Christ said without me ye can do nothing Ioh. 15. 5. Paul acknowledgeth not that we are â—ufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 2. Cor. 3. 5. Of God we must have Preventing Grace that we may will Subsequent Grace that we may not will in vain In Augustines judgement they are most sharply and vehemently to be resisted who think that without the help of God by the very force of Humane will they are able either to perfect righteousness or to profit in tending thereunto And elsewhere he speaks notably of Gods Preventing and following Grace He prevents us that we may be healed He will follow us that being healed we may grow He prevents us that we may be called He follows us that we may be glorified He prevents us that we may live piously He follows us that we may live with him perpetually For without him we can do nothing 6. Thou canst not subdue the reign and dominion of thy sins casting them as into the depths of the Sea mortifying them and crucifying them Miâ— 7. 19. Rom. 8. 13. Gol. 3. 5. Nor canst thou finally purge and cleanse thy self so compleatly from all incident corruption that neither spot nor wrinckle nor any such thing may remain Eph. 5. 25 26 27. These are the singular works of God and of Jesus Christ by his Spirit with or without the means of Grace 4. Thou canst not by any power of thine own or by the help of any creature Come unto Christ so as to accept him for thine only Saviour nor by Christ unto God as thy God in Covenant Except God himself the Father of Jesus Christ draw thee Ioh. 6. 44. But if he please effectually to draw thee to draw thy mind thy Conscience Tâ—y will Thine Heart and Affections then thou shalt not only come to him but even run after him Cant 1. 4. 5. Thou canst not of thy self seriously and sincerely so as thereby to please God so much as will or desire Jesus Christ and God in him in order to thine eternal happiness For 'T is God that works in us to will as well as to do Phil. 2. 13. 'T is Gods Spirit that puts desires and groans into the heart For we know not what to pray for as we ought what to will or desire as we ought c. Rom. 8. 26. 27. 2. Finally Thou canst not of thyself do that which may be acceptable unto God nor bring forth fruit unto God without Christs special influence and assistance Ioh. 15. 4 5. Philip. 2. 13. Now then O Natural man seeing these things are utterly beyond the sphear of thine activity 1. Presume not that thou canst be thine own Saviour or Deliverer out of thy Sinful and wretched state of Nature by any Vniversal Grace or Freedom of will 2. But deny thy self and all thy self-sufficiencies in this point utterly 3. Seek for Recovery out of thy Natural state of Sin and misery from the omnipotent God alone II. A meer Natural man notwithstanding is able to do many things and he ought to do them in order to his Recovery out of his Sinful and wretched state of Nature O thou Natural man God hath furnished thee with sundry Talents improvable in some measure to this End These thou must not hide in a Napkin or bury in the Earth but oughtest to improve to the uttermost Mat 25. 14 to 31. with Luk. 19. 12. to 28. Particularly 1. Thou art able to consider of many things very conducible to thy Recovery out of thy Natural state Ezek. 18. 27 28. Luk 15. 17. c. These thou shouldst take into serious Consideration As 1. That thy Natural state is most Sinful and wretched as was manifested 2. That Every one living and dying in his Natural state shall everlastingly perish without remedy Mat. â—8 3. Ioh. 3. 3. 5. and 8. 24. Act. 4. 11 12. 3. That no man can effectually and fully rescue himself out of his Natural state by his own ability Ioh. 1. 12. Phil. 2. 13. Eph. 2. 1. 5. 4. That now as during this present life man is to be recovered out of his Natural Condition or never 2 Cor. 6. 1. 2. Ecles 9. 10. Heb. 9. 27. 5. That thy Soul is most precious and no Treasures of this world no Pleasures of Sin no Pinacle of Earthly Honours can countervail the loss of thy Soul Mat. 16. 26. 2. Thou art able in some measure to search prove and examine thy state and wayes so as to be convinced of the badness of them and danger of Continuing in them 2 Cor. 13. 5. Lam. 3. 39. 40. 3. Thou hast ability upon discovery of thy Sinful wretched and dangerous Condition to humble thy self deeply in the sight of God for it Manasses in chains did it 2 Chron. 33. â—1 12. The Prodigal in misery resolved it Luk. 15. 17. 18. 19. 4. Thou canst confess thine iniquities upon Conviction vilest offendors have done it as Acham Iosh. 7. 20. 21. King Pharaoh Exod. 10. 16. 17. King Saul 1 Sam. 15. 24. Judas Mat. 27. 3 4 5. 5. Thou mayst in some sort forsake and turn from many iniquities though not sincerely nor from all entirely Herod for a while did forbear to put John Baptist to death though he mortally hated him for Herâ—dias sake Mat. 14. 3. to 13. Haman vexed extreamly at Mordicai's not bowing yet refrained himself from present Revenge Est. 5. 9. 10. Pharisees abstained from many outward gross sins Luk. 18. 11. Saul whilst a Pharisee was touching the law blameless Phil. 3. 6. Iudas lived so inoffensively among the Apostles that when Christ declared that one of them should betray him none suspected Judas more then themselves Mat. 26 21. to 26. Ioh. 13. 21 22 23. 6. Thou art able to attend upon and make use of all the outward means of grace ordinary and extraordinary Meer Natural men carnal men have done thus much heretofore and such may do the like hereafter Canst not thou O Natural man hear the Word of God preached when the three bad grounds the three sorts of bad hearers did Mat. 13. 19 c. When Herod heard Iohn Baptist gladly Mar. 6. 20. When Scribes and Pharisees heard Christ Mat. 21. 45. When Iudas heard Jesus preach often When Simon Magus heard Philip preaching Act. 8. 12 13. Canst not thou partake the Sacraments when Simon the Sorcerer was baptized Act. 8. 13. When the Corinthians came to the Lords Supper though many unworthily and smarted for it 1 Cor. 11. 29 30. Could they not have come better Canst not thou pray after a sort when the Mariners inâ— Ionas's ship prayed in the storm Ionah 1. 5 6. When Pharisees pray Mat. 6. 5. and Luk. 18. 10 c. Canst
1. to 4. Dan. 9. 24 25 26. Act. 10. 43. 2. By the many Types of Christ representing him as a Redeemer Restorer and Deliverer of his people Moses and Aaron Types of Christ as delivering Israel out of Egypt Act. 7. 37 38. The Judges and Kings Types of Christ as saving Israel from their enemies Iudg. 16 30. Psal. 2. The Sacrifices slain and their blood shed and sprinkled Types of Christ who by his death and blood should expiate our offences c. Heb. 9. 9. to the end and 10. 1. to 19. 3. By the many Names and Titles given unto Christ clearly declaring him to be the eminent Medium or Mean of lapsed man's Recovery He is to this end stiled A Mediator betwixt God and man 1 Tim. 2. 5. Heb. 9. 15. A Redeemer Isa. 59. 20. Rom. 11. 26. Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. A Ransom for many 1 Tim. 2. 6. A Sacrifice for sin offered once for ever Heb. 10. 12. A Propitiation for our sins and for the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2. 2. A Propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 3. 25. A Reconciler of the world to God 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. We are reconciled to God when we were enemies by the death of his Son Rom. 5. 10. By whom we have received the Atonement Rom. 5. 11. The Lamb of God taking away the sins of the world Joh. 1. 29. The Deliverer that shall come out of Sion and turn away ungodliness from Iacob Rom. 11. 26. A Saviour which is Christ the LORD Luk. 2. 11. Who came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. Able to save to the uttermost Heb. 7. 25. The chief Captain or Arch-duke of our salvation Heb. 2. 10. An Advocate with the Father 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. With divers such like Denominations 4. By the many saving benefits which he hath meritoriously obtained and purchased of God for us by his obedience sufferings and death As Satisfaction to Gods justice for our sins Eph. 5. 2. Heb. 10. 5. to 22. 1 Tim. 2. 6. Redemption from all our spiritual bondage Eternal Redemption Heb. 9. 12. Reconciliation to God Rom. 5. 10 11. 2 Cor. 5. 18 19 20. Adoption into Gods Family Gal. 4. 4 5 6. Remission of sins and Justification Eph. 1. 7. Rom. 3. 25. Heb. 9. 14. and 10. 12 14 17 18. Mortifying and crucifying of our old man Rom. 6. 6 7. Conquering of death and him that as an Executioner had the power of death that is the Devil Heb. 2. 14 15. Col. 2. 14 15. Appearing for us as our Advocate by representing the merit of his blood in Heaven Heb. 9. 24. and 7. 25. 1. Ioh. 2 1 2. Making a new and living way for us through the vail of his flesh which was rent with sufferings by his own blood into the holiest of all Heaven it self Heb. 10. 19 20. III. That this Iesus Christ is the only Mediator the only Saviour of sinnetrs the only meritorious Mean of lapsed mans Recovery out of his Sinful and wretched state of Nature There is one Mediator betwixt God and man the man Christ Iesus 1 Tim. 2. 5. Neither is there Salvation in any other For there is none other Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Act. 4. 12. Direct X. KNow also O Natural Man That Iesus Christ hath wrought Recovery and obtained Redemption for lapsed man from his sinful and wretched State of Nature into an Holy and Happy State of Grace As he is God-man Testator Surety and Mediator of the New Testament Executing his Mediatory office to this End as Prophet Priest and King both in his State of Humiliation and Exaltation The former Direction shows that Jesus Christ and he alone is Sinful man's Recoverer This declares How and in what way he hath Effected and obtained man's Recovery and Redemption In an abstruse and most mysterious way viz. 1. As he is God-man in one Person This I have elsewhere abundantly cleared There see 2. As he is Testator Surety and Mediator of the New Testament or New Covenant This also see elsewhere explicated and Confirmed for brevity sake 3. As he Executed his Mediatory office in a Prophetical Priestly where his Satisfaction to Gods justice for our sins is at large handled pag. 1607. to 1618. and Kingly way both in his state of Humiliation and Exaltation All these I have elsewhere cleared Consult the place that I may not actum agere Whereby I hope you will not lose your labour Direct XI LEt this sink deep into shine heart O Natural man That this Iesus Christ God-man the only Mediator and Saviour's Most able and Most willing 〈◊〉 Receive and Save all Lapsed Sinners that come unto him and to God by him 1. Iesus Christ is most able and sufficient to save all unto the Uttermost that Come unto God by him Heb. 7. 25. Mat. â—8 18. c. Col. 1. 19. He is not an impotent but an omnipotent Saviour Rev. 1. 8. whether we regard his Person or Office 2. Iesus Christ is most willing to save all that come unto him Both these I have already demonstrated Consult them there at large to avoid prolixity here Direct XII MArk well notwithstanding O Natural man That there 's a vast difference betwixt Christs obtaining of Redemption and Recovery for lapsed man and Christs applying of that obtained Recovery and Redemption so lapsed man Betwixt these there are two great differences 1. Christ hath obtained eternal Redemption for us immediately by his own Person and the merit of his obedience Heb. 1. 3. and 9. 12. Eph. 5. 2. 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. Eph. 1. 7 8. Christ applies this obtained Redemption to us immediately by his Spirit effectually working Faith and all saving grace in us that so we may close with Christ have union to him and communion with him Tit. 3. 4 5 6 7. Eph. 2. 8 9. Gal. 5. 22. Ezek. 36. 26 27. Deut. 30. 6. Eph. 1. 13 14. 1 Ioh. 5. 12. 1 Cor. 1. 30. 2. Christ hath obtained Recovery and Redemption for his Elect joyntly in fulness of time by his blood Gal. 4. 4 5. Eph. 1. 3. to 9. The vertue of his sufferings extending it self to them all from the beginning to the end of the world As the Sun in the Meridian line in the fulness of the day diffuseth his light heat and influence backwards towards the East as well as forward towards the West Eph 1. 10. Col 1. 20. But Christ applies this Recovery and Redemption which he hath wrought and purchased in due time to his Elect severally as he calls them particularly unto the fellowship of his Son 1 Cor. 1. 9. 2 Thes. 2. 13 14. And he calls some in their youth some in their manly-age some though very few in their old age some at the third hour some at the sixth some at the ninth and some at the eleventh hour of their day Mat. 20. 1. to 17. Direct XIII NO Sinner in
the Graces of the Spirit in its property of Receiving and applying Iesus Christ for Recovery and Salvation of Sinners that it 's set forth to us in Holy Scripture by sundry Emphatical Expressions and Comparisons All pointing out the Applying Act of Faith Faith is 1. A looking upon Christ as the Jews did upon the brazen Serpent when stung Ioh. 3. 15 16. and 8. 56. 2. A coming to Christ. Ioh. 6. 35. Mat. 11. 28. 3. A Receiving of Christ. Ioh. 1. 11. 12. 4. An Embracing of the Promises and so of Christ in the Promises Heb. 11. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly notes Lovingly-embracing eagerly-apprehending and thence signifies Saluting Saluting being performed with embracing 5. Eating of Christs flesh drinking of his blood Ioh. 6. 40. 53. 54. 6. Having of the Son 1 Ioh. 5. 12. 7. Harbouring Christ so that he dwells in the heart by Faith Eph. 3. 17. 4. The Doctrine of the Gospel reveales Recovery and Salvation of Sinners in and by Christ but as Received and applied by Faith Act. 10. 43. and 13. 38 39. Rom. 3. 21. to the end and 10. 9. c. 5. Convinced Sinners enquiring how they may be saved are directed to apply Christ by believing in him Act. 16. 30 31. 6. Recovery and Salvation of Sinners is Promised in and for Jesus Christ and his merit but then Christ must be Received and applied by Faith Faith is often expressed alwayes to be understood as the Condition of the Promise As Mat. 11. 28. Ioh. 3. 16. and 6. 40. 53 54. Mark 16. 16. Act. 10. 43. Rom. 9. 33. 1 Pet. 2. 6. Act. 16. 30 31. 7. Without Faith in Christ there 's no Salvation None can be saved that by believing apply not Christ for Recovery Ioh. 3. 18. 36. and 8. 24. Mark 16. 16. 2 Thes. 2. 12. II. How is Iesus Christ to be Accepted and Applyed by Faith in order to the Sinners Recovery and Salvation by him Answer Jesus Christ is to be accepted and Applyed by Faith in order to the Sinners Recovery by him in such sort as he is offered in the Gospel To accept and apply him otherwise in any other notion upon any other terms c. then God offers him is to apply a Christ of our own not the Lords Christ. Gods offer must be the ground and Rule of our Acceptance Now the Gospel offers Christ unto the Sinner for his Recovery by him and to his Faith 1. As that Messiah and Saviour of Sinners which from the Fall of man was Promised Prophecied of and fore-typified and in fulness of time was manifested in humane flesh for lapsed man's Recovery out of Sin and misery Gen. 3. 15. and 12. 3. and 22. 18. Gal. 3. 8. 16. with Act. 8. 10. 43. Ioh. 1. 41. 45. Gal. 4. 4 5 6. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 20. 2. As that only Messiah Redeemer and Saviour given among men by whom alone Sinners can be saved and by none other in the whole world Act. 4. 11 12. Ioh. 8. 24. 3. As an All-sufficient Saviour able to save fully unto the Vttermost all that come unto God by him Heb. 7. 24 25 26. and 9. 11 12 13 14. and 10 11. to 19. Ioh. 1. 14 15. Col. 1. 19 20. 4. As God-man Mediator betwixt God and man Ioh. 1. 14. Gal. 4. 4 5. 1 Tim. 3. 16. with 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. 5. As man's Surety Heb. 7. 22. who by his Obedience Active hath exactly fullfilled the Law of God which we could not perform or keep Gal. 4. 4. And by his obedience Passive to the Death even the death upon the Cross hath endured the curse and penalty of the Law for our sakes which we could neither have endured nor avoided that so satisfying Gods justice to the uttermost for our sins we might be eternally released from sin and wrath and be reconciled to God justified and saved by Christs Obedience imputed to us through Faith Rom. 5. 18 19. and 8. 3 4. Phil. 2. 6 7 8. Rom. 5. 9 10. and 3. 25. Gal. 3. 10. 13 14. Eph. 5. 2. Heb. 9. 12. 14. and 10. 10 to 19. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 20. Tit. 2. 14. 6. As the Sinners Perfect righteousness before God â—mputed by God unto him through Faith 1 Cor. 1. 30. Rom. 3. 21. 22. to the end and 4. 11 12. and 5. 18 19. and 10. 6. 9. 10. For which all self-righteousness is to be denied Phil. 3 7 8 9 10. 7. As Christ Jesus the LORD The Gospel tenders him As Christ or Messiah i. e. Anointed by the Spirit above measure for his office Psal. 45. 7. As Iesus i. e. A Saviour Mat. 1. 21. Luk. 2. 20. This denotes his office As the LORD to rule and raign over us in us and for us over all our enemies whatsoever As he is a JESUS to save so he will be a LORD to Rule Thus we are to receive and apply him as the Colossians did Col. 2. 6. 8. As that Redeemer for whom we are to deny ourselves take up ouâ— Cross and follow him Luk 9. 23. III. What encouragement may a poor lapsed and lost Sinner have to draw towards Iesus Christ to accept and apply him for his Recovery and Salvation by believing in him Answ. Much every way But especially upon these and like serious Considerations viz. 1. Christ himself hath plainly declared that it is the great duty of the Sinner to believe in Christ and so to accept and apply him by Faith This the work which God chiefly requires and accepts to believe in Christ. Ioh. 6. 28 29. 1 Ioh. 3. 23. 2. Christ most sweetly invites all distressed Sinners and thirsty Souls to come to him for relief to believe in him Mat. 11. 28 29 30. Ioh. 7. 37. with Isai. 55. 1 2. Rev. 22. 17. 3. Christ holds forth the Golden-Scepter of most great and precious Promises to encourage and allure Sinners to approach to him and to apply him by believing Mat. 11. 28 29. Mar. 16. 16. Ioh. 3. 16. 18. 36. and 6. 37. 40. 44. 51. 54. 57. Act. 10. 43. Rom. 9. 33. 1 Pet. 2. 6. 4. Christ never did never will reject any poor Sinful Soul that did but even creep to him by the feeblest Faith Ioh. 6. 37. why then shouldst thou fear that he will not accept and embrace thee 5. Christ hath most readily tenderly and compassionately received even greatest and most hainous offendors upon their coming to him by Faith And all these for Encouraging Patterns and Presidents to all that afterwards shall believe in him 1 Tim. 1. 16. And why should he not in like sort entertain thee notwithstanding all thy Sins if thou canst believe in him Remember the reception of the Prodigal Luk. 15. 20. to the end of Nicodemus the ignorant Pharisee Ioh. 3. 1 2 3. c. of Mathew the griping Customer Mat. 9. 9. of Zachaeus the oppressing Publican Luk. 19. 5. to 11. Of the notorious Sinful woman that washed Christs feet with her Tears c. Luk.
7. 37. to the end of Saul that was injurious a Persecutor and a Blasphemer Act. 26. 9 10. 11. 1 Tim. 1. 13 14. 16. of the Thief upon the Cross that even after his Crucifiction had railed upon Christ Mat 27. 44. compared with Luk. 23. 40. to 44. Yea of those that were guilty of his Death and Blood yet even some of them Christ washed from their Sins by the very blood which they shed Act. 2. 36 37. to the end Oh miracles of Christs mercy and Compassion to lost Sinners when Christ accepts such who would not hopefully come to him When Christ saves such who have cause to despair that desire truly to repent and believe in him XV. Direction POwer thus to believe in Iesus Christ God-man and by believing to accept and Apply him for thy Recovery O Natural man out of thy sinful and wretched state of Nature thou hast none at all of thy self But all thy sufficiency in this behalf is wholly of God Nevertheless thou mayst and oughtest to do some things for the furtherance of thy Faith in Christ. I. That of thyself thou hast no power or sufficiency at all to believe in Iesus Christ to receive and apply him effectually by believing without the supernatural influence and assistance of God Is plain For 1. The Testimony of Christ and his Apostles is clear for it No man can come to me i. e. by believing Except the Father which hath sent me draw him Ioh. 6. 44. He cannot of himself or by his own power come and believe till God influence him and enable him Again Without me ye can do nothing viz. nothing in fruit bearing either of Faith or any other good spiritual fruit Ioh. 15. 5. That of the Apostles is punctual By Grace are ye saved through Faith and that not of your selve it is the gift of God Ephes. 2. 8. 2. True saving Faith in Christ and the acting of it unto the accepting and applying of Christ is the special work of God and fruit of the spirit of the Regenerating spirit of God Compare and consider well Ioh. 6. 44. Gal. 5. 22. with Ioh. 1. 12 13. 3. Faith in Christ is the Life of the Soul from Christ it is as the vital spirits from him Gal. 2. 20. Rom. 1. 17. Now can the Soul of natural man which is dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2. â— quicken it self by believing Hence then these things must needs follow 1. That whosoever do believe in Christ truly and by Faith apply him effectually and savingly they owe all this wholly to the rich Grace and meer favour of God And are to render unto him all the praise thereof 2. That 't is a piece of gross Ignorance and groundless Presumption for any Natural man whatsoever to think he can believe and accept Christ at his pleasure This is impossible 3. Let every natural man take heed he reject not the divine offers of Faith unto his Soul nor resist the Spirits motions and operations inclining drawing and perswading the heart thereunto 1 Thes. 5. 19. Act. 7. 51. Eph 4. Ioh. 6. 44. For what if the Spirit of God draw and move the heart so no more And without God there 's no believing II. Notwithstanding Though the Natural man cannot of himself savingly believe in Christ or apply him by any self-sufficiency or power of his own yet something towards it and towards the furtherance thereof he may and ought to do Act. 8. 13. Luk. 8. 13. For what a meer Natural man hath done heretofore why may not a meer Natural man do again Now then O Natural man though thou canst not of thy self believe in Christ and apply him savingly yet neglect not to do what thou canst do in order to this believing in Christ and applying of Christ to thine own soul. Art thou grieved in thine heart thou canst not enough believe in him Art thou desirous to believe in him alone for Recovery and Salvation I would fain take this for granted Let me then draw thee thou poor trembling soul a few steps further towards Christ. Make use of these few Helps and Furtherances unto Faith in Christ Jesus For this thou canst and ought'st to do viz. 1. Know and Consider Jesus Christ well both in his Person Offices and the effects or acquirements of his Offices as all these are delineated in the Holy Scriptures Ioh. 17. 3. 1 Tim. 3. 16. 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. Heb. 9. 12 13 14. and 10. 7. to 19. Rom. 5. 9 10. And Assent fully to the Record that God hath given of his Son in his Word that eternal life is in his Son 1 Joh. 5. 10 11. Now Knowledge Heb. 11. 3. Isa. 53. 11. Ioh. 17. 3. Assent 1 Ioh. 5. 10 11. And Application Ioh. 1. 12. Gal. 2. 20. make up the Nature of true Faith 2. Ponder often and earnestly upon the Promises of God touching Christ and touching believing in him As That whosoever comes to him by believing shall not in any case be cast out by Christ Ioh. 6 35 37. shall not be ashamed or confounded Rom. 9. 33. 1 Pet. 2. 6. shall not perish Joh. 3. 16. shall never hunger nor thirst more Joh. 6. 35. Isa. 55. 1. shall find rest from Christ unto his soul Mat. 11. 28 29. shall live though he were dead yea shall never die Joh. 11. 25. yea shall have eternal life and be saved Joh. 3. 16 17. Mar. 10. 16. Now these and such like Promises being Yea and Amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1. 20. they are Fundamentum Pabulum Fidei The very foundation whereupon Faith is bottomed and grounded and the food wherewith Faith is nourished See Rom. 4. 17. to the end Heb. 11. 11. 3. Consider well the Nature of God the Promiser For this will greatly encourage Faith to embrace the Promises and Christ in the Promises For Gods Truth is such he cannot lie Tit. 1. 2. 'T is impossible he should lie Heb. 6. 10. Gods Fidelity such he cannot will not deceive Heb. 11. 11. Gods Power such he can fully perform what he hath promised seem it never so improbable impossible incredible Rom. 4. 20 21. His love and free grace such in giving Christ for us Ioh. 3. 16 17. and offering Christ to us Rom. 3. 21 c. 2 Cor. 5. 18 c. That with him he will freely give all things Rom. 8. 32. 4. Be diligent and constant in attending upon Gods Ordinances whereby Faith is bred and nourished Especially be singularly careful and vigilant in hearing the Word faithfully and powerfully preached Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10. 14 15 17. The Word preached is the Seed of Faith and Regeneration 1 Pet. 1. 23 25. 5. Cherish and make much of every good motion stirring striving inclination operation of the Spirit of God in thine heart and soul tending to thine accepting and closing with Christ 1 Thes. 5. 19. Eph. 4. 30. Act 7. 51. For Faith is the proper
Repenters do not so much forsake sin as sin forsakes them 5. While Repentance is delay'd the sinner treasureth up unto himself the greater pile of wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2. 5. 5. Thy life is short but Believing and Repenting are a great and long work He that hath much work to do a long journey to go had need to neglect no time but to be up early and doing For What is thy life A vanishing vapour Iam. 4. 14. A wind that passeth Iob. 7. 7. A blast or puff of breath Isa. 2. 22. A flower flourishing and fading Psal. 103. 15 16. A tale told Psal. 90. 9. Grass now growing now withering Psal. 103. 15. A flood still flowing away never returning Psal. 90. 5. As yesterday when it is past Psal. 90. 4. An hand-breadth Psal. 39. 5. A watch in the night but three hours long Psal. 90. 4. A shadow Iob 14. 2. A sleep Psal. 90. 5. An image or show Psal. 39. 6. Nothing and altogether vanity Psal. 39. 5. Now Believing and Repenting are great and long works None can believe or repent but such as are regenerate by the Spirit of God Iohn 1. 12 13. By Believing we must know Christ savingly Isa. 53. 11. Iob. 17. 3. Must assent to Gods Record touching Christ fully Ioh. 3. 33. 1 Ioh. 5. 11 12. Must embrace the Promises and accept Christ in the Promises Heb. 11. 13. Iohn 1. 12. Must purifie the heart Acts 15. 9. Must conquer the world 1 Iohn 5. 4. Must quench the fiery darts of the Devil Eph. 6. 16. And must live by it upon Christ continually Rom. 1. 17. Gal. 2. 20. Are these easie things Repentance turns from darkness to light from the Power of Satan to God Acts 26. 18. Tends continually to mortifie and crucifie sin Rom. 8. 13. Col. 3. 5. And to perfect holiness in Gods fear 2 Cor. 7. 1. Tit. 2. 12 13. 6. Death is most certain that it will come Heb. 9. 27. Sam. 14. 14. Psal. 49. 6 7 8 9. and 89. 98. Most uncertain when where or how it will come whether in youth man-hood or old age in the evening midnight Cock-crowing or day-break watch Mark 13. 35. Therefore seeing thou knowest not the year day nor hour of thy death thou hast need to be prepared for it every day every hour So true is that Verse Mors certa est incerta dies hora agnita nulli Extremam quare quamlibet esse puta I may thus English it Frail Man most certain is thy death Uncertain is the day None knows the hour of his last breath Then look for it alway In this respect Angustine's Advice is very good Let every one wholesomely think of his last day It is Gods mercy that man knows not when he shall die Man's last day is concealed from him that every day may be observed by him What Housholder is there that being certainly informed that such a week or such a night thieves will assault his house but at what hour is wholly uncertain will not prepare and watch every night lest his house be broken thorow and robbed Or what condemned Malefactor being assured that in a short time he shall certainly die on what day he is wholly uncertain but will make it his serious work to prepare for his death that he may die penitently And wilt noâ— thou O sinful mortal Soul who knowest thy death is certain the time when uncertain endeavour by speedy and sincere Repentance and Faith to prepare for dying well Especially considering That after death this work of Repenting and Believing hath no place no such work is to be done in the grave Eccl. 9. 10. There thine heart can send forth no sighs thine eye no tears thy tongue no confession c. in reference to thy sins There there is no knowledge assent or application of Faith to be exerted in reference to the Promises or Christ. But as the Tree falls so it lyes unalterably towards Heaven or Hell As soon as a man dies there is a great gulf fixed so that there 's no altering of his present condition from better to worse or from worse to better Luke 16. 26. 7. Finally O Natural man Repent now believe in Christ now or never 2 Cor. 6. 1 2. Heb. 3. 7. to 16. Isa. 55. 7. Eccl. 9. 10. 1. Now embrace the acceptable time now close with the day of salvation or never 2 Cor. 6. 1 2. For when the acceptable time is out when the day of salvation is ended thou canst expect no acceptation from God any more no salvation for evermore Prov. 1. 24. to verse 33. 2. Now believe in Christ and repent according to the tenour of the Gospel and Ordinances of Christ continued unto thee Mark 1. 15. Luke 24. 47. or never For if the Gospel be taken from thee or thou from the Gospel how canst thou repent How canst thou believe 3. Now entertain Christs sweetest â—nvitations and offers of Grace with all affectionateness and readiness of mind or never Mat. 11. 28 29 30. Iohn 3. 15 16 17. and 6. 37 38 39 40 50 51 c. and 7. 37 38 39. For Christ will not be alwayes inviting the obstinate alwayes offering Grace to them that do reject it The Guests that were bidden to the Marriage of the Kings Son i. e. of Christ with the Elect and rejected the invitation were invited no more Mat. 22. 2 3. and 8. with Luke 14. 16. to 25. 4. Now open the door of thine heart unto Christ while he stands at the door patiently and knocks importunately by his Word by his Rod by his Spirit c. Rev. 3. 20. or never For if Christ be still sleighted and repulsed so that he being weary of standing and knocking finally depart he will wait no more he will knock no more much less come in unto thee and sup with thee c. 5. Now while thou art in the land of the living believe repent turn to God work out thy salvation c. or never For if Death surprize thee if the Grave shut her mouth upon thee all these works will cease for ever Eccl. 9. 10. 6. Now like a wise Virgin furnish thy Lamp of Christian Profession with the oyl of true Grace that when Jesus Christ the Bridegroom shall come to the solemn marriage with his Church thou maist go forth to meet the Bridegroom or never Mat. 25. 1. to 14. For if thou like a foolish Virgin hast thine oyl to provide when the Bridegroom shall come They that are ready shall enter in with him and the door will be for ever shut against thee though thou knockest and cryest Lord open with the greatest importunity Mat. 25. 10 11 12. Then if thou beest once shut out of Heaven thou art shut out for ever if once thou art cast out into Hell thou art shut up in it for ever 7 Finally Now give all possible diligence to enter in at
the Houshold of Faith Restrain not Prayer but pray continually with groans that cannot be uttered by the assistance of the Spirit Have no fellowship at all with Sin and Satan nor any needless fellowship with any workers of iniquity Eph. 5. 11. Psal. 1. 1. and 26. 4 5. Psal. 119. 115. Walk not disconsolately and dejectedly but in the fear of the Lord and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost Acts 9. 31. Be abundantly contented in all conditions allotted thee by God Fully expect good by the worst of afflictions that may befall thee and be ever carefull to keep thy Hopes and Evidences for Heaven firm and clear that when thou comest to die thou maist lift up thine head and triumph that thy Redemption and celestial Coronation with Christ draweth nigh XXI Direction WRastle also most vlgorously O thou that wast Natural but art spiritualized wast dead but art alive again against all thy sins spiritual enemies and their temptations Heb. 12. 4. Col. 3. 5. to 12. Eph. 6. 11. to 19. for all time to come that they may none of them in the least measure eclipse any of these thy spiritual Priviledges or embitter any other thy sweet enjoyments Holy David by his lapses brought many deep wounds and scarrs upon his Conscience Psal. 51. 3 8. some of which he probably carried to his Grave Loving and confident Peter by his triple denial of his Lord and Master Christ purchased to himself a torrent of bitter tears Mat. 26. 75. The Ephesian Angel by leaving his first love and first works was so offensive thereby to Christ that he threatned the removal of his Candlestick Revel 2. 4 5. The Church her self by her carnal sluggishness and security lost her sweet Communion with Christ for a season and was involved in deep spiritual distress Cant. 5. 2. to 9. Be thou warned by their examples which are written for thine admonition lest through thy spiritual oscitancy and sluggishness thou bring upon thy self like spiritual calamities and so far wound thy Conscience as to go bleeding to thy Grave XXII Direction EXpress upon all good occasions all possible tenderness of heart and bowels of compassion towards those that yet remain in the first Adam in their sinful state of Nature unregeâ—erate especially towards thy kindred according to the flesh using all good endeavours to convince convert and gain them to Christ that they as well as thy self may be eternally saved Luke 22. 32. Rom. 10. 1. and 9. 1 2 3. Acts 9. 20 with 1 Cor. 9. 19. to 23. For 1. Even thou thy self wast sometimes foolish disobedient serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating others Tit. 3. 3. An enemy to God by wicked works Col. 1. 21. Yea dead in sins and trespasses c. and a child of wrath as well as they or any of them Eph. 2. 1 2 3. But God who is rich in mercy hath saved thee by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3. 4 5 6 7. Hast thou then experimentally felt the Wormwood and the Gall of thy Natural state of sin and misery And dost thou not commiserate such poor souls as are still in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity Acts 8. 23. Hast thou had the sweet experience of the riches of Gods free-Grace and Love in restoring thee from death to life from thy Natural state of sin and misery into a supernatural state of sanctity and felicity And do not thy bowels yearn within thee after other lost souls especially those of thy kindred that they also may be turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. 18. 2. Are not their souls as well as thine own very precious O Consider 1. Their immortal Constitution which no Creature can kill or destroy Matth. 10. 28. 2. The invaluable price paid for their Restitution even the most precious blood and death of Jesus Christ the only Son of God 1 Tim. 2. 5 6. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19. 3. The incomparable and transcendent value which the wisdome of God himself puts upon the soul as being of far more worth then the whole world Matth. 16. 26. And then think with thy self Shall not I endeavour to hinder the eternal loss and to promote the eternal salvation of such precious souls 3. What advantage will redound in sundry respects if God bless thine endeavours to the convincing and converting of their souls to Christ For Hereby 1. Thou shalt save a soul from death Jam. 5. 19 20. And what a great what a glorious work is it to have an hand in saving a soul from deathâ— 2. Thou shalt hide a multitude of sins Jam. 5. 19 20. Even an heap a sink a dunghil of hundreds and thousands of sins thou shalt hide from the revenging eye of God by Christs righteousness 2 Cor. 5. 20 21. 3. Thou shalt occasion great joy in Heaven among the blessed Angels of God who exceedingly rejoyce at the Conversion of sinners Luke 15. 7 10 22 23. 4. Finally Thou shalt hereby not a little further thine own eternal felicity Deut. 12. 3. Thou therefore commiserate thy Brethren in their sinful and wretched state of Nature as thy God hath in thy like condition had compassion on thee Canst thou lend an hand to pluck a Beast out of the mire or a Sheep out of a pit and wilt thou not lend an hand to help poor lost souls out of the mire of sin snares of Satan and pit of eternal destruction O warn them convince them counsel them exhort them rebuke them lament them pray for them weep over them do any good for them that thou maist by any means gain and save their souls XXIII Direction YIeld with all enlarged thankfulness all possible Praise Love and Obedience unto God and unto the Lamb who hath loved thee of the riches of his free-Grace before the world began who in fulness of time hath ransomed thee by the invaluable price of his death and in due time hath washed thâ—e from thy sins in his own blood aâ—d in the Laver of Regeneration by the renewing of the Holy Ghost Eph. 1. 3 4 5 6. 1 Iohn 4. 19. Gal. 4. 4 5. 1 Tim. 1. 15. and 2. 5 6. 1 Pet. 1. 18 19 20 Rev. 1. 5. Tit. 3. 4 5 6 7. For 1. Thou oughtest to be thankful for all Gods blessings of all sorts the least of them being beyond yea contrary to thy deserts Eph. 5. 20. Col. 3. 17. 1 Thes. 5. 18. with Gen. 32. 10. but especially for those choicest spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ Eph. 1. 3. Psal. 103 1 2 3. 2. The reality and sincerity of thy thankfulness will inwardly best approve it self in thy cordial affection and unâ—eigned love towards thy gracious God and Jesus Christ for all his love and all the fruits of his love in Christ. Kindness begets thankfulness and love breeds love as fire begets fire 1 Iob. 4. 19. Thus when