Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	bring_v	law_n	zion_n	23	3	8.8947	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46526	Compunction or pricking of heart with the time, meanes, nature, necessity, and order of it, and of conversion; with motives, directions, signes, and means of cure of the wounded in heart, with other consequent or concomitant duties, especially self-deniall, all of them gathered from the text, Acts 2.37. and fitted, preached, and applied to his hearers at Dantzick in Pruse-land, in ann. 1641. and partly 1642. Being the sum of 80. sermons. With a post-script concerning these times, and the sutableness of this text and argument to the same, and to the calling of the Jews. By R.J. doctor of divinity.	R. J.	1648 (1648)	Wing J27; ESTC R213600	381,196	433

expected finding themselves to have been worse afraid then hurt This should teach us wisedom and not either to be led away with pleasures present or to be so out of love with Gods ways But I hasten CHAP. VI. How Peters Converts came to be pricked in conscience BEfore we particularly shew the Order and Degrees of Conversion It would first be inquired and considered How these converts came to be pricked Answ how these Converts here upon Peters Sermon came thus to be pricked I answer They God opening their hearts as he did Lydia's to attend came upon Peters wise and skilfull handling and applying of the sharp sword of the spirit or word of God which pierceth to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and by piercing pricketh at once to see and be convinced within themselves of their sinne against Christ in crucifying of him 1 Generall and of Gods wrath thereupon and vengeance hanging over their heads and of their own just damnation and hereupon were pricked in heart struck with fear made sorrowful When Peter so deeply charged them that they were the crucifiers of Christ they knew well and remembred that they indeed had desired Pilate to crucifie him and now hearing and by such apparant signes from heaven as on that day which in some degree had astonished them all seeing a divine power therein and being told that it was Jesus now exalted to glory Verse 33. who shed forth that which they did now see and hear and apprehending him to be indeed a King the Christ and that Lord who now as David foretold did sit at the right hand of God they are afraid of him as of an avenger now raigning in heaven whom on earth as a bountifull and mercifull Saviour they contemned and slew 2 Particular By being convinced of their sinne 1 Of murder 2 Parricide More particularly they hearing and generally believing that to be true which they were told concerning Christs glory do see and are convinced 1 Of sinne their sinne 1 Of murther whereby they procured or consented to the death of Jesus as a man yea an innocent man 2 Of Parricide and withall of extream ingratitude and unthankfulnesse in crucifying him as Jesus as a Saviour yea as their own Jesus who came to save them 3 Of Infidelity and unbelief whereby they so long had rejected him their onely Messias or Christ 3 Of unbelief refusing him that spake unto them and whom God had annointed to be their teacher or their Prophet 4 Disobedience and their Priest yea King 4 Of Disobedience in not submitting themselves to him as their Lord and King 5 Of Impenitency 5 Impenitency obstinacy and hardnesse of heart in not repenting and relenting at his doctrine and preaching who was incarnate and came into the world to call them to repentance 6 Ignorance 1 Cor. 2.8 6 Lastly of their Ignorance of him as Lord of glory whom if so they had sooner known to be they would not have crucified him But now conceiving of him as Lord and Christ they are wounded and pricked in that they wounded and pierced him Even as Pauls conscience was touched a little after he had reviled the high Priest when once he came to know him so to be Act. 23.5 but much more when he came first to know Christ and that it was he even the Lord of glory whom he persecuted in his ignorance and unbelief Act. 9.5.6 1 Tim. 1.13 2 of judgement which made them 1 fear 2 These Jews thus convinced of their sinne 1 fear and quake in apprehension of Gods judgements due to such grievous sinnes and offences as have been named whilst they now see that as Christ himself told Paul afterwards they did all this while but kick against the pricks and run upon their own death and destruction in provoking the mighty God and Christ their Lord and King against them Now they look upon him whom they had peirced and see him whom they slew to be one who being Lord of heaven and earth was able yea for ought they then saw ready to destroy them in souls and bodies and therefore they tremble 2 Despair of themselves 2 Yea they withall despair in themselves and see themselves unworthy of that salvation which they rejected and are at their wits end not knowing what to do to undo what they have done or to appease Gods wrath Thus they came to be perplexed troubled and sorrowfull and pricked in heart 3 Sorrow They came thus to be pricked by reasoning within themselves Now this was done by a kind of reasoning with themselves and communing with their own hearts by a practicall syllogisme The Proposition whereof the Law written in their hearts and word of God afforded them in effect this Murtherers especially of their Saviour and of the Lord of life are under the curse Gal. 3.10 and no murtherer or none that hates his brother hath eternall life abiding in him John 3.15 But saith Peter and their own consciences We are murtherers and that even of Christ then follows the conclusion Therefore we are under the curse and debarred of life Now out of this conclusion made by conscience follows in the affections fear despair in themselves sorrow horrour and perplexity in a word wounding and pricking and it is as when an evil doer a secure sinner thief or murtherer Out of the conclusion of which syllogisine issued this pricking is apprehended and brought to the barre where the Judge giving the charge declares what is Law what sinnes and crimes are against Law and by Law deserve death after which the Malefactour is accused of such crimes as deserve death and by sufficient witnesse proved to be guilty and he himself cannot deny the fact whereupon the Judge passeth sentence of condemnation and of death at which the party is stricken with astonishment and pricked at heart as with the point of a sword Such is the work of conscience in sinners the same conscience being as a Law to inlighten and to judge generally of good and evil it is also a witnesse to convince and lastly a Judge to give sentence against it self and so to terrifie Thus it was with these Jews and no otherwise it is with other Converts as comes now to be shewed so that looking on this pricking of heart as the beginning of or first step to conversion we do raise and make this Generall observation following namely that CHAP. VII SECT 1. That all true Converts must first be pricked in heart Hence with the explication of the point True Converts must first be pricked in heart SVch as God will convert and save must lesse or more be first pricked in heart for their sin Such as to whom God intends to shew mercy must in some measure be troubled in mind and conscience in sight of their sinne and miserie So that so long as sinne never troubles men there is no conversion as we see

intent is not the same to both which if it were it should not be frustrated and therefore as he intended the conversion of these here so the subversion of those other Acts 7.54 we need not fear to say it 1. in these and those other Jews It appears by the Apostle Rom. 11.8 The rest were blinded according as it is written God hath given them the spirit of * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 slumber or remorse eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear unto this day and as in Pharaoh who though he could say I have sinned upon Moses his reprehension of him yet he repented not God raised him up for another end 2. in Pharaoh and David Rom. 9.17 even for this same purpose have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee c. Yet look upon David who upon Nathans reproof whom God sent unto him repented So in Ahab and Jezebel the one humbled 3. in Ahab and Hezekiah and both raging against Elijah compared with Hezekiah touched pricked and pierced by Isaiah and truely humbled for his pride Rom. 9.15.18 God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth The Spirit of God being promised as a Comforter and that is onely of the elect yet its first work is to convince them of sin Joh. 16.8 Therefore as in the resurrection of our bodies Simil. both the wicked and godly arise and that by Gods power but to different ends Joh. 5.29 and as God gives wealth to some as a blessing to others as a curse and snare so it is here A reprobate may be convinced of sin and judgement and see his damned condition 4. generally in the elect and reprobate but yet have no hope a childe of promise may also be lost in his own apprehension and acknowledgement yet in Gods intention shall be sought and saved Christ therefore came into the world to seek and save that which thus was lost and such an one shall undoubtedly be saved and fully converted Luke 19.10 he shall come to Christ In Gods intention this as a preparative act shall bring forth faith in the one but not in the other God means to follow home the work in the one not in the other God wounds the one as a loving Surgeon to cure him the other as a just Judge to kill him yet justly for his sin The one is pricked as with a needle which prepares the way for the threed to follow and so he comes to be sewed as it were and joyned at length by faith unto Christ the other is like the cloth pricked with the same needle but without threed he is left in the estate of slavish fear whilst the other is delivered from it by the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.17 which where it is given savingly gives liberty 2. The reprobate in their greatest fears of wrath 2. in themselves shew neither hatred of sin as sin as Pharaoh in his distresse Take away not this sin but this plague nor love and desire of goodnesse the heart remains hard still and seeks not to God It is not so with the other 3. The event is different 3. in the event The one breaks thorow these straits and is soundly converted the other sticks in the birth and is held still in bondage even in the midst of his jollity But more of such differences hereafter Hence another Question might be resolved How came these here to be converted when those ot●●r Acts 7 and the rest of these who heard Peter ●aving the very same outward means motives and arguments used to them yea and feeling the sting of the same reproof made by Steven were not converted This difference is not from themselves but from God Answ In one word I answer The difference is not made by man himself by any power of a mans own free-will but by God alone and by the power of his free grace Who maketh thee to differ c. See 1 Cor. 4.7 Conversion is a work as well of mercy and love in God as of his power or of any power else yea first of mercy then of power as we shall see afterwards If there be any congruity whether of time or any other circumstance or respect which may seem to sway the balance in one more then in the other whence is it but from Gods gracious ordering See Dr Prid. in Lect. 4. Arg. 1. as also effectual working with it But of this formerly The Point thus explained would be illustrated CHAP. VII SECT 2. The former Point illustrated 2. The Illustration of the Doctrine NOw for the Illustration of this Doctrine it would be confidered that before a man be converted unto God he must be turned quite out of himself he must first see himself what a vile miserable wretch he is in what need he stands of mercy Sense of sin and misery and self-conviction must go before thorow conversion shewed by allusions to Scripture And being naturally proud self-conceited secure and ignorant of himself he must be made and brought to know himself as he is his drowzie conscience must be awakened and rowzed by the shrill trumpet of the Law he must either set or have his sins set in order before him and be presented with that fearful spectacle of hell death and condemnation and so as one self-convict and self-condemned must receive the sentence of death in himself and see hell opening her mouth wide to receive him he must see his own miserable and withal helplesse condition yea before he be thorowly converted he must be not o●●ly pricked in conscience and broken but bruised also and beat as it w●● into powder as are spices by true Contrition yea molten by the fire not onely of the Law but also Gospel upon some apprehension and hope of mercy whereby he may be made pliable and frameable to Gods will his icy heart must be thawen These here not onely quaked to consider whom they had crucified even the Lord of glory but looking on him as the Messiah Christ and a Saviour they were not without hope of help and therefore not seeing any means of help in themselves they seek direction from without themselves what to do to be holpen not wholly despairing of all possibility of help and so they aske saying What shall we do And this is the true pricking Look into examples and by examples of Adam Gen. 3.8 9 10 15. Judg. 2.4 5. 1 Sam. 7.6 Israelites and 12.19 20. Did not Adam finde and see himself naked was not he ashamed of himself and of that which he had done Yea was he not afraid at the presence of the most holy God before he was comforted by the promise Did not the people of Israel being reproved by an Angel weep at Bochim and after at Mizpeh did they not draw water and pour it even tears of repentance out before

in the suspected party it is accounted detection sufficient So when a member of the body becomes once to be gangrained by excessive heat Gangrenes or upon a wound or hurt not looked to in time it becomes to be void of sense as being deprived of vital heat and spirit to be blasted and like wilde-fire some call it S. Anthonies fire to spread and so tends to the destruction of the party So when that uneven swelling or tumour called a Cancer possesseth any part Cancers that part comes to be black or wan and without all sense or pain In like manner where much fatness is or corruption Mcuh fatness corrupt matter the outward skin or rind once pricked or pierced the pin weapon or instrument being thrust further in is not much felt such corruption hath no sense in it and that part is so far without sense till the corruption be drawn or purged out Now if we would be truly sensible and mourn savingly for sin in a sense of Gods displeasure as also spirituall pain and grief when and after that the word meets with us Let us take heed of such things as in a proportionable manner stupifie benum and bereave the soul of all spirituall sense of sin or judgements Take heed then of these things 1 Sensuality and worldlinesse First of sensuality love of pleasures gluttony drunkennesse good fellowship to which also let me adde cares and too much minding of the world Some give themselves purposely to sensuall courses to stop the mouth and cries of their conscience and to prevent or put away heart-qualms as they will call them binds all the spirituall senses Howsoever such courses as these do besot and stupifie the conscience dull and fill the spirituall senses of the soul cast it into a dead sleep whereby through present delectation in sin and sensuall courses and through cares of the world Isa 6.9 they have not eyes to discern distinctly of any thing or object which concerns them not an eare for God or for his word and judgements so as to hear the rod and who hath appointed it when God calls them to mourning Micah 6. sensuall courses cry louder and more prevailingly with them Isa 22.12 and 5 11 12. Psal 34.8 1 Pet. 2.2 3. God and the works of his hand can have no attention they are so taken up with sensuall delights they cannot be brought to taste the things or goodnesse of God and of his wayes all wayes leading them to repentance are so distastfull to them all the good means used for their good humbling are the savour of death to them 2 Cor. 2.16 yea their hearts are fat and so brawny that they are past feeling and insensible herein like unto Idols and images Ephes 4.19 having eyes and see not ears and hear not c. Psal 115.6 Howsoever as outward heat abates the inward as the love of one thing lessens the love of another and as the distempered eye will not let a man see any thing in its own and right colour but like it self Simil. so mens love and affection to their lusts and other distempers of their souls will not suffer any thing to work upon or affect them but what is sensuall they are so taken up in their thoughts and affections with such things as that what savours not of the flesh or of the world doth no whit affect them Talk of Religion especially of duties of mortification to a voluptuous man he hath no eare for that and of like duties to the worldling and you shall find his soul so filled and taken up with the love of the world that you shall have him go a way sorrowfull from you indeed but not for his sin or covetousnesse but because you interrupt his thoughts and courses which he is not minded to leave as we see in that rich young man who upon that ground though he seemed to have an ear to obey in all things else Matth. 19. yet not in that his love to the world made the duty of self deniall unpleasant to him So generally wine women and the world steal away and besot the heart the immoderate use of yea or love to any earthly thing takes away all spirituall sense the more sensible the soul is of such things the lesse it is of spirituall and so the soul as well as the body becomes spiritually drunken and casts into a dead sleep and so farre senselesse when once it is drowned and drenched with the pleasures and cares of the world this casts it into a dead sleep which binds all the senses of the soul and possesses it with a spirit of slumber Isay 29.10 Rom. 10 7 8. The godly like the five wise virgins may sometimes slumber but yet their heart waketh but these mens hearts are asleep yea even in a dead sleep to whom that belongs Eph. 5.14 awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead they cannot be got awaked like such as be oppressed with soporiferous diseases Abernethy physick for the soul chap. 7. as with Lethargies Caro's Catalepsies Cataphoraes or Typhomanes which are all deadly except they be speedily cured Now to prevent senselesnes from sensuality I onely tell you of our Saviours advice and commend it to you The Remedy is watch fulnesse Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeting and drunkennesse and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares for so it came upon the old world Luk. 21 34.36 Matth. 24.37 watch ye therefore and pray alwayes c. yea the Scripture joynes fasting and prayer together Math. 17.21 that so we might take heed of bodily drunkennesse as well as spirituall All deadly sleeps proceed of a cold humor or vapor replenishing the brain and oppressing the animal spirits and senses so this deadly spirit of slumber is when men are frozen in the cold dregs of their sins and sensualitie and sobriety Jer. 48.11 whom God therefore will visit Zeph. 1.12 Take heed then of ebriety both corporall and spirituall and be ye sober and watch As ebriety causeth sleep 1 Pet. 5.18 so sobriety keeps men waking and sensible Let us be sober both in body and in mind that we also may be kept waking and affected with such things as do concern us even with sense of sin and wrath Let us not onely when we heare Gods word but at all times wholly put away the lusts of youth and for other delights and cares use a moderation The like let us spiritually do in all our joyes yea sorrows in our desires delights designes hopes and confidence take we heed especially of spirituall drunkennesse and of the immoderate love and use of the creature especially when we go about any good duties as this of hearing Gods word For my part I otherwise in handling this argument of godly sorrow compunction and conversion

seeing nothing is more opposite or a greater enemy to this pricking of heart or to the tender plyable humble and contrite heart such as I desire and endeavour to bring you to then is hardnesse and senselesnesse of heart and soul And thus having according to my office endeavoured to prepare the way for you and to gather out the stones I will come a little nearer to direct you to the Means Isa 62.10 by the use of which with Gods blessing you may attain to true compunction of heart and contrition of spirit the thing I aim at CHAP XV. SECT 1. Of the means of true compunction and sensiblenesse and first of Gods word heard Meanes of compunction and sensiblenesse such as was in these Jews and shall be at their calling again recalled and applyed THis pricking of heart as we have heard doth imply first tendernesse and withall pliablenesse to Gods word and will Secondly sensiblenesse and sorrow for sin not excluding fear of Gods judgements such as was in these Converts in my Text who were 1 pricked in heart that is wounded in conscience and made sensible of their sin and danger 2 Pliable to Gods will saying what shall we do And such as shall be again in these Jews at their conversion when first they also being convinced and made sensible of their sin in piercing and crucifying their Saviour shall mourn bitterly for the same Zach. 12.10 and shall no longer be stiffe-necked or abide in unbelief Rom. 11.23 such a heart was that of King Josiah and such as was in good King Josiah which was both tender and humbled yea rent and sorrowfull which made him both mourn within himself and send to enquire of the Lord with readinesse of heart to obey 2 Chron. 34.19 21 27. That then which I desire to bring or at least to direct you to The divers phrases signifying this compunction of heart is that which the Scripture in variety of phrases signifies not onely by the tender heart and heart of flesh Ezek. 11.19 and 36.26 but thus to have the heart pricked as in my Text to be of an humble and contrite heart Isa 57.15 to be of a wounded spirit Prov. 18.14 of a broken heart Psal 51.17 and to have the caul of the heart rent as Hos 13.8 Joel 2.13 God onely can and doth soften the heart Now howsoever we are exhorted hereunto and directed to the means by which it may be wrought in us yet we must know it for an undoubted truth that it is God who onely makes the heart truly humble tender and senfible Ezek. 11.19 and 36.26 Jer. 23.29 I will give them an heart of flesh which he doth by the meanes of his word which becomes as fire and as an hammer by his Judgements Mercies which yet he doth by Meanes 1 by his word and Corrections c. which he requires we attend unto and make a right use of by hearing meditation application and prayer so that whilst we thus do we are said to humble our selves though it be God by whose hand and power such hearts are given us 2 Chron. 30.11 12. 1 by our hearing his word faithfully taught 1 Make conscience of hearing of Gods word as it is taught especially by such as Peter here and other the Apostles were who without flattery in a zeal of Gods glory and of the Conversion of those they preached unto in power also and demonstration of the spirit now more abundantly powred upon them told these Jewes and convinced them of their sins that they were the crucifiers of Christ whose glory also they set forth Such teaching convinceth and judgeth the harers yea makes them judge themselves fall down and worship God and whilst the secrets of their hearts are made manifest acknowledge a divine presence and power in the preacher 1 Cor. 14.24 25 So was it here with these Converts who found a greater and more effectuall power in the word preached and thus brought home to their consciences The power of Gods word in pricking the heart which Miracles did not in these Jews then in all the miracles which God shewed either before and at the death of Christ when yet the very stones and rocks and the vail of the Temple were rent asunder or now at this time when besides the mighty noise and shew of fire or fiery tongues from heaven they saw and heard the Apostles men of no note nor learning speak in all languages the wonderfull things of God Acts 2.13 so in David they mocked at that but were pricked wounded with this Thus David after his sin of numbring the people came to a sense of his sin and his heart pricked or smote him for it and brought him to confession of it but when after the Lord had sent the Prophet Gad unto him to convince him by offering him an hard choice for that is given as the reason so that a Sam. 24.10 11 12. I do not say the word is alwayes thus powerfull or in all some are more hardened by such a ministery as the anvile by the strokes of the hammer God justly denying them his grace and not working in power with his word onely I say if the word thus preached do not prick if the word do it not nothing will do it wound and mollifie the heart nothing will do it If God by his word and spirit breath not upon the soul the soul cannot breath out so much as a sigh for sin if that wind blow not the waters of repentance will not flow if he send not out his word Psal 147.17 18. Exod. 17.6 our icy hearts will not be thawen if Gods presence promise and power be not there mans indeavours are not of effect If God stand not upon the rock our rocky hearts though Moses smiting the same shall never bring forth water onely where God will soften and wound the heart he by such a Ministery as is named shews out his power and poures out his spirit and makes his word effectuall to that purpose Wherefore if indeed we would have such hearts wrought in us we must indeavour to live under such a ministery we must desire yea and strive to live under a searching and forcible Ministery where we may hear such doctrine and so handled and applyed as that the secrets of our soul our secret sins and our hearts may be ransacked sifted and tried we may be made known to our selves and become vile in our own eys the deceits of our false hearts discovered and our sin and danger fully revealed to us without all flattery and partiality Till we be within such a distance and compass as within which the word is onely except extraordinarily active wee can expect no such at least saving effect from it Buy the truth then and spare for no cost rather then want it and accordingly to spare for no cost that is such wholsome and powerfull teaching account

joyn thereunto 1 Religious Fasting as it will give an edge to thy prayer so the afflicting of thy body if it be done without superstition will help well to the afflicting and humbling of thy soul and heart for so fasting is called And wee know that the hearts of Gods people have been wonderfully softned at such times as Judg. 20.26 1 Sam. 7.6 So David I humbled my self with fasting Psalm 35.13 and 69.10 2 Watchfulness especially against worldly cares and distractions 2 Watchfulnesse watch and pray Watch against all the former Lets named but especially against all worldly cares take heed of a heart busied with the world and earthly thoughts Distractions from the world keep the heart from minding such things as might affect it with godly sorrow as a man hastily and suddenly smitten whiles hee mindes his business is less sensible at least for the present of pain and grief from the hurt Simil. then hee would be in the apprehension of it beforehand and for the present when especially he cannot avoid or divert the blow And as a man forgets his pain when a friend talks with him which is the reason why such as are sick and sorrowfull for the loss of friends are comforted by company as having their thoughts and mindes by conference taken off in good part from thinking of their sorrow and why on the night time and in solitariness men are more sensible of their sickness and sorrow as in their other senses of hearing c. seeing all sense is from the soul Alex. Probl. l. 1. Prob. 118. it is the soul which sees which hears which feels and which accordingly being distracted with many objects is the less sensible in each So by like reason if the soul and thoughts be taken up with wordly cares and distracted therewith it can less be afflicted with such things as otherwise by gods blessing would prick and wound it To which end in our prayer and● meditation wee are to retire our selves In which regard it will help wel when we would meditate and pray to retire and withdraw our selves from company into some solitary place which we are also taught both by precept and practice of Christ himself His precept wee have Matth. 6.6 so Psam 4.4 Commune with your hearts upon your bed His practice Mark 1.35 So Peter went up to the top of the house to pray Acts 10.9 So Jeremiah's soul did weep in secret chap. 13.17 And of these Jews and Converts it was foretold they should mourn every family apart the husband apart and the wife apart Zech. 12.12 Retiredness both of place and thoughts is fittest to work our hearts unto goldly sorrow SECT 7. A reproof of the secure with an Exhortation and Caveat Conclusion of the Directions NOw for conclusion of these Directions It were good and it is needfull that such as have heard or now read the same would well consider with themselves whether they have in any measure followed or yet so much as do resolve to follow the same or to take any pains with their hearts hereabout Where 1 A triall and reproof of such as yet remain secure and sensless 1 It is to be suspected that many continue still secure careless and slothfull and do still go on in their old courses as inconsiderately as ever without a right knowledge of the power of Gods anger and are as stout-hearted partiall and self-loving both flattering themselves and as desirous to be flattered by time-serving and false Prophets and as much hardened against the true and faithfull servants of God by unbelief as ever And that they are still sensuall and worldly and remain still senseless without fear of being hardened either by great sins which lay waste the conscience or by giving way to smaller sins against conscience or by custome of sinning or yet by and in Gods secret vengeance giving them up to this heavie and dismal judgement of an hard impenitent heart neither afraid of it as the worst of Gods judgements on earth and as the first and irrecoverable entrance into hell nor praying against it nor carefull to avoid evill company and examples and such other things and sins in speciall which are the procurers of it whilest they still make as light of sin of reproof of the word and of Gods threatnings as ever before all of them signes of an hard and dedolent heart especially considering how little they care for hearing of such teachers as would most help them in this work of conviction pricking and wounding their conscience or for calling to minde Gods word and such truths as have come neer them or for applying it to themselves And as for their sins Originall or Actuall they are far from raking into that dunghill from questioning or yet loathing themselves for the same from keeping an account or catalogue of their sins either for number or foulness or aggravation of the same never weighing or pondering with themselves how thereby they draw upon themselves the heavie weight of Gods vengeance And as little do they make use of Gods severe judgements and corrections whether on themselves past present or threatned and in expectation as of death hell and the last generall judgement or on others either private Christians in their sorrows and true mourners in Sion or whole Churches of Christ or of the sorrows of Christ for them or of the unparalleld love of Christ so dying for them and of other the mercies yea and high majestie of God against whom without all ingenuity or fear they daily trespass And as for the exercise of prayer accompanied with fasting and watchfulnesse it s a duty they are wholly strangers unto they are without sense of their wants they have no true desire of this so needfull a work of humiliation they can spend no serious thoughts thereon nor time being so taken up with their delights vain pleasures worldly cares and imployments Now what may a man think of such men This their little care and study after true compunction this their disaffection to the means thereof is an apparant signe of their unsensibleness and securitie and consequently that all the evils and miseries mentioned formerly lie heavie upon them as that they are still in their natural and damned condition dead in and by sin in Satans possession farre from the first step to repentance and salvation and that they come short of very reprobates Pharaoh Felix Saul Cain and Judas and under certain expectation of eternal wrath seeing their sin will have sorrow if not here yet undoubtedly hereafter even such as made the eternal Son of God crie out on the Crosse as he did for a time and which they must suffer and undergo eternally without end or ease 2 An exhortation and a caveat to take heed that repentant sorrow be not swallowed up of Ah then dear Sirs ye that yet cannot say or give any good proofe that your hearts are or have been pricked for your

my lusts of the devill and of the world how may I redeem my lost time what am I now doing what course of life is this I follow what will be the end of it is it agreeable to Gods word is it such as becomes the Gospel of Christ wherein differ I from a Reprobate If I were now to die where is my comfort in what condition without flattering of my self should I die I may commend my soul into Gods hands but how do I know whether he will receive it or no seeing no unclean thing shall ever enter that holy place Alas my case is wofull What shall I do Thus God deals with his But where men never suspect or question their course of life The want of which an evill sign and a mark of a formall professor only their estate and doings but take up at best with a civill life heartless service of God formall performance of duties resting in the same never questioning whether they be done in true obedience to God and to Gods glory or whither they tend whether they gain more of Christ thereby and get more acquaintance with God more assurance of his presence with them c. there is a certain sign of a secure soul and of one going on in the wayes of death especially if withall they from their duties secure themselves take God bound to them so far as to be taken to do them wrong if upon their hypocriticall fastings and other duties he do not see and shew himself to take knowledge thereof or to reward them Isai 58.2 3. and if in outward shew and profession whilst their lives are unreformed and unholy they seem to lean upon the Lord saying Is not the Lord among us none evill can come upon us Micah 3.11 But do thou whosoever thou art labour first to see and to be sensible of thy sin of Gods wrath Vse 2 and of the danger of thine estate To instruct all to be carefull and accordingly and then shew thy care to come out of it As the prickings and woundings of thy spirit are so will be thy care to seek or get into a better condition And first consult wisely what course to take for mercy and pardon of thy sins 1. Wisely to consult for peace and reconciliation with God 2. Seriously to resolve Secondly come to a serious resolution and full purpose of heart to save thy soul whatsoever it cost thee and accordingly to break through all lets scoffs disgraces nicknames and to part with every lust to deny thy self in all thine owne waies in a word to buy heaven with losse and not to slick with God for any thing and forgoing of all thy sins how gainfull how advantagious how contentfull soever they have been or are unto thee In this case of a troubled conscience and when God begins once to shew thee thy danger to parly with thee and to give thee any the least hope of acceptation pardon and life stick not with him stand not upon any termes conditions exceptions or reservations whatsoever Luke 9.57 58 59 60 61. come off freely like a franke chapman lose not such a bargain for a little more like some faint chapmen who having a good bargain before them perhaps cheapen the wares but ding and still expect some abatement in the price and so for not coming off freely lose all Remember how it was with that young man who left Christ because he could not enjoy him and his wealth too Mat. 19. Thinke of King Agrippa almost perswaded to be a Christian but because he was not altogether so he wholly missed of Christ and of salvation Therefore so shew thy care as not to remain hovering but come to some through resolution Thousands of souls perish who yet might seem not far off from the kingdom of heaven but to break through all lets True when once thou beginnest to consult about thine estate Satan and thine own lusts will plead hard with thee thou canst no sooner begin to mistrust thine own courses to question thine estate to thinke of getting into a safer way which Satan shall object but Satan afraid and loth to lose thee will make use of all his wiles and stratagems and of all likely waies and means too many here to mention whereby he might either detain thee making thy former wayes lovely or not so odious to thee or bring thee back again to former bondage as Pharaoh would have done the Israelites by pursuing thee with fears and terrors presenting to thee a red sea of afflictions and dangers and nothing but want hunger and thirst fiery Serpents giants to encounter withall in a word disgraces fire and fagot and death it self by one meanes or other And what marvell Christ himself tels thee before hand of so much and to cast the worst at first Matth. 10.16 17 18 19 21 22 37 38 39. and Mark 8.34 35. and would have thee aforehand to cast and count the cost Luke 14.26 27 28. and to consult vers 31. So saith he Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath that is in readiness of affection and actually also in case he be called thereunto which all are not he cannot be my Disciple ver 33. Christ then looks for such followers and converts as shall both wisely consider and fore-see what may befall them in their Christian course and consult with themselves whether they be able and willing to undergo such hazards for him lest we else become losers in the end and also stoutly resolve if need be to forgoe any thing according to Gods will and call as being also told on the one hand that otherwise they cannot be his disciples Mark 8.34 35 36 37 38. and that he that will save his life shall lose it and then what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul and on the other hand that whosoever shall lose his life for Christs sake and the Gospels if it come to that the same shall save it and whosoever shall confesse Christ before men him will Christ also confesse before his Father which is in heaven Matth. 10.32 Resolution is needfull Now these things this necessity these different issues considered and by due meditation and consultation pondered we see that Resolution is most needfull and that whatsoever conflicts within or temptations from Satan without would stand in our way cannot otherwise be overcome but by firm resolutions and full purpose of heart for the present and by answerable performance and obedience both in things to be done and suffered afterwards And where this consent and resolution of heart is without deceit or trusting to our own strength it is accepted for the present and such may assuredly hope to finde mercy as we see in the Jews ●nd Gods promise to them Isa 1.16 19. as also in David Psal 32.5 and in the Prodigal and in Gods performance with