of Christ though the Soul be not convinced of it 3. The misery of a Soul out of Christ is in this it is eternal misery The eternity of the misery is the sting of Hell and the very emphasis of damnation To be miserable a thousand years and then to come out of it the very thoughts of a better estate would be some kind of ease to the oppressed mind but their misery is like to be endless and this compleats the misery It is called everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord c. 2 Thes 1.8 This brings me orderly to the next head 4. Poor Sinners seek not out to the Lord Jesus because they are not convinced throughly of a future state of the Soul They are not under the powerful sense of the Souls immortality Who will seek out to Christ if they be not convinced that the Soul is an immortal being Christs errand from Heaven to Earth is in vain his whole series of suffering is in vain his whole undertaking of the work of mans redemption in vain if there be no future state of the Soul But because we live in a time and day that Atheism doth abound let me offer by way of conviction some few Arguments to prove the future state of the Soul Alas men look not out after Christ because they are not taken up with Eternity 1. Argument is taken from Christs death 1 Thes 1.10 which was to deliver from wrath to come Then there is such a thing as wrath to come which could not be if there were no future state of the Soul 2. Argument of a future state is from the horrour that wicked men feel sometimes in their consciences when they are awakened O what Magor Misabibs are they to themselves sometimes Crying out Wo is them that ever they were born to sin such wrath upon their own heads These are the sparks of Hell that are gotten into the Conscience in this life this is the gnawing of that worm that never dyes 3. Argument is taken from the wishes of the wicked that they might dye the death of the Righteous as Balaam desired 4. Argument is taken from the sufferings of Saints What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul which is brought in to the Disciples to caution them against Apostasie O say poor believers we may lose our Souls and therefore we may not apostatize from God and therefore they will suffer the loss of all The poor people of God make a sad bargain of it if they suffer and yet there should be no reward 5. Argument is taken from the great desires that sometimes Believers have to be dissolved as Paul did which if there were no enjoyment of God after would greatly be to believers loss because they enjoy something of God here 6. Argument is taken from the great joy that many Saints have had in their passage into another world How have they gone off the stage of this present life with triumph and died boasting and glorying in God 7. Argument is taken from Saints Communion with God If there be such a thing here then much more hereafter what we enjoy here is but a drop to the Ocean 8. Argument is taken from mens natural unwillingness to dye Certainly there some thing follows death that the Soul cannot endure to think on It is true the dissolving of the marriage-knot betwixt such two dear lovers as Soul and Body is tedious to think of yet there is some preapprehensions of eternity that trouble the Soul that it cannot think of death with any quiet or comfort 9. Argument is taken from the end of Christs appointments God hath appointed the means of Grace in reference to the salvation of poor Souls That thou may save thy own Soul and them that hear thee 10. Argument from the endeavours of Satan seeking whom he may devour or drink up as the word is Satan would spare his pains if there were no future state of the Soul Now it is no wonder if poor sinners seek not the Lord Jesus when they lay not their souls under the convictions of the state of the Soul after death 5. Poor Sinners seek not after the Lord Jesus Christ because they are diverted by their worldly enjoyments and employments We read of some that made excuses and all their excuses were from their worldly business they could not come I have observed that young persons who have been under some notable convictions and resolutions to close with Christ and seek after Christ if ever they have abated and cooled in their first love it hath been when they have entred upon the world changed their conditions set up for themselves the world hath stoln their hearts from God O how sad is this The world broke the bargain betwixt Christ and the young man in the Gospel O but sayes a poor Soul I know not how to seek Christ I am a poor Gentile Sinner that have sate in darkness and am in my dark state of Gentilism to this day and how shall I seek the Lord Jesus that is you say thus willing to be found of me 1. Seek the Lord betimes If you would be speeding Seekers of Christ Job 8.5 you must not be loyterers there is but in time and out of time Make no delay therefore poor sinner in seeking the Lord Jesus Christ take the present time by the fore-lock While it is to day hearken to his voice Now acquaint your selves with God We must take hold of the present time They that seek me early shall find me shall morning me the Hebrew is We must in our seeking give the morning to God It is observable in the morning Jacob got the blessing in the morning the Lord looked through the cloud and discomfited the Aegyptian Host Nay Christ himself is called the Hinde of the morning the morning-star and all to teach us to seek him in the morning The first fruits were to be dedicated to the Lord the firstling of every Creature was to be offered up in Sacrifice to the Lord but the firstling of an Ass being so dull a Creature God would not accept it in sacrifice 1. We should seek the Lord early because the present time is the only time to seek the Lord in Now is the acceptable time now is the day of salvation c. Upon this monosylable Now depends Eternity sayes one There is a present time and a present Truth for us to lay hold on It was a good saying of him when invited to dinner to morrow sayes he I have not promised myself a to morrow this many years Who knows sayes Solomon what to morrow may bring forth What is in the womb of to morrow What if thy death nay thy damnation should be in the womb of another day We read of death and what was at the heels of death and Hell immediately followed him 2. Seek the Lord early you cannot promise your selves any more seasons of Grace
estate afterwards repents himself but rather looks back upon his diligence with delight So did you ever hear of any when they were to dye that ever cryed out O that I had not spent so many dayes in the service of God! O that I had never taken such pains in seeking after Christ But you have heard of many on the contrary that have cryed O that I were to live over my dayes and time again would I ever be so careless of an immortal Soul would I ever indulge my carnal sloth at that rate I have done would I miss so many precious seasons of Grace for my Soul as I have done 1. Poor Soul do not many strive and never win into the harbour had not thou need cast off thy sloth then 2. Work out thy salvation with fear and trembling who then would give way to flesh 3. It is a business of eternal consequence who would be slothful in a business of such great concernment 4. All our diligence is little enough therefore God calls for violence in the case to take heaven by violence this is honourable 5. The fruit of diligence will be peace upon a death bed 2 Pet. 3.14 Be diligent is Peters exhortation but what motive doth he use That you may be found of him in peace 5. Fifth hinderance to young Seekers after Christ is hope of a longer lease of their lives they hope there is no such hast Some years hence when they have gotten an estate in the world then they will look after these things but why should they be so early with Christ will not two seven years hence serve and thus they delay their seeking after Christ 1. It is worth considering what if thou do live longer and be hardened in sin While Plants are tender they may be dealt with but when they are grown they are too sturdy Alas poor Sinner thou mayst be hereafter a sturdy sinner an hardned sinner an Atheist a Scoffer a Persecutor what if God shall give thee up after thou hast refused to hearken unto him and say of thee Psal 81.11 12. as of Israel of old But Israel would have none of me so I gave them up to their own hearts lusts 2. Is it not worth considering whether the motions of the Spirit be not irrecoverably forfeited by such Souls as delay seeking after Christ upon hope of a longer day There have been Souls that have irrecoverably forfeited the Spirits gales and then what a sad condition would thy poor Soul be in God hath said his Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man 3. What if while thou art hoping for a longer day God should send thee a summons by the black Serjeant Death to tell thee this night shall thy Soul be taken away It was so with him while he was saying Soul take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many years 4. What if thy day of Grace should be over and Christ wooe no more tender himself no more but his abused love turn into incensed wrath 5. Consider how thy puts off and delayes have grieved Christ Hast not thou wearied out the Lord Jesus while he hath stretched his arm all the day long 6. Consider how your delays will sting you upon a death bed or in another world O how often was I called and yet delayed The remembrance of every delay will go to your hearts like a dagger and bleed in your conscience for ever 6. Sixth Hinderance to morning Seekers after Jesus Christ is perswasions of Christs unwillingness to receive them or be found of them because of their unworthiness This very case discourages many a poor Soul from seeking after Christ they have taken in hard thoughts of God and Christ And O how doth Satan now haunt the Soul taking all opportunities to blow up their unbelieving jealousies against Christ 1. Poor Soul would Jesus Christ wooe thee if he were not willing to be found of thee Would he knock if he were not willing to come in upon thy opening Would he hold out his Golden Scepter for thee to kiss if he were not willing to be reconciled to thee 2. Poor Soul would he wait if he were not willing What speaks his great patience and long suffering towards thee but his willingness to be found of thee Why doth he not only knock but stand and knock Behold I stand at the door and knock Rev. 3.20 He is not yet gone from your doors which notes his willingness to be in 3. Poor Soul would he complain of poor Sinners unwillingness to receive him if he were not willing If it stick not on the sinners side there then is no ground for complaining on Christs side O the sad complaints and groans that have proceeded from Christ upon this account You will not come unto me that ye might have life He was grieved because of their unbelief and hardness of their hearts 4. Poor Soul would the Lord Jesus Christ send his voice behind thee so often prompting thee on to seek after Christ if he were not willing O how doth the voice still keep behind thee in Ordinances in Afflictions whispering to thee thy duty We read of the Spirit saying Come as well as the Bride saying Come it is the Spirit of God is the great maker up of the match betwixt the Soul and Christ and this argues Christ is willing because he sends his messenger so often to thee upon the errand 5. Poor Soul would the Lord Jesus Christ have been so willing to come a Salvation-errand into the world if he were not willing to be found of Sinners What was Christs errand from Heaven unto Earth He came to seek Souls to seek and to save that which was lost He came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to repentance Would he seek you if not willing to save you O let not Christ lose his pains by your harbouring unbelieving jealousies of his love 7. Seventh hinderance to morning Seekers after Jesus Christ is they hope they may repent upon a death bed or sick bed after they have spent their youthful time in sin and vanity this is very incident to all but especially to young persons 1. Poor Soul what if the grim Serjeant Death serve a Writ on thee unawares If thou be struck on a suddain where then will be thy repentance Dost thou know the manner of thy death any more than the time of death What if thou poor young man who hast slighted so many warnings shouldst have none given thee when the great stroak comes What if the Lord come upon thee in an hour thou lookedst not for him 2. What if thou be given up to a seared conscience on a sick bed or death bed A seared conscience at any time is sad but most sad on a sick bed have not many died seared and hardned in sin yea in their very youth But as they lived so they died without sense or feeling of their sad and sinful state 3. Poor Souls what if
If God should prolong your lives your day of Grace may have its sun-set on a sudden and alas what good will your lives do you when you are wrapt up in gross darkness May not you say already Woe unto us our day goeth away Alas there is a night coming when no man can work 3. Seek the Lord early If you have your lives lengthened your means of Grace continued yet you cannot promise your selves any more gales of the Spirit of God to breath upon you And alas what will Gospel Ordinances signifie to you without the spirits influences breathing in them What is the most precious Ministry you can sit under if not influenced from the Lord by the efficacy of his own Spirit 4. Seek the Lord early you have loytered long you have slept much of your day of Grace away already He that sleeps in harvest is a Son that causeth shame but he that gathereth in summer is a wise Son O what a harvest of the Gospel have we slept in O what a spirit of deep sleep and slumber hath fallen upon us O that we may all take that counsel Vp and be doing and the Lord will be with you Up and be seeking Christ early 5. The longer you neglect to seek the Lord Jesus the more difficult it will be for you Your very sloth will take away your hearts the more a man sits still the less mind he hath to stir Sitting is a pleasing posture it is the description of Gentile Sinners they sit in darkness they are pleased with their dark state And it is hard when we have indulged our sloth to stir up our selves to lay hold of God 2. Seek the Lord earnestly as well as early It is said of Christ he prayed earnestly when in his agony and we read of striving to enter in at the strait gate Strive to an agony put your Souls into an agony So we must seek Christ having our Souls in an agony Poor Souls it may be fall under some general convictions of their sins and they are now put upon seeking the Lord but alas it is with a kind of indifferency of spirit as though they cared not whether they found him or not We should seek the Lord with Jacobs resolution I will not let thee go except thou bless me 2 Cant. 1.2 3 4. The Spouse by night sought Christ in a night of persecution some refer it to that night of persecution by Antiochus Epiphanes yet she gives not over seeking but did she find him No she found him not Now she might have fallen under some temptation to give over why should I wait upon the Lord any longer O no but she falls now upon an earnest search and enquiry after him and now she finds him 3. Seek the Lord under the sense of a promise viz. believingly They that seek shall find If we have not our practice bottomed in our seeking of Christ upon some promise we shall have no comfort in it But now when the Soul sayes I will go a seeking Christ but I will carry a promise with me O this is very comfortable Vnto him shall the Gentiles seek and in him shall the Gentiles trust This is the Great Magna Charta of the Gentiles thou must not seek to thy own Righteousness We read of seeking that way Isa 42.2 You must not trust in your selves but in his Name shall the Gentiles trust If you know not where to trust come hither Mat. 12.18 and here place your trust Many Souls seek Christ but their eye of faith is not up to the promise in their seeking of him 4. We are to seek the Lord in a through sense of our lost condition without him Many Souls seek Christ but they do it not in a sense of their undone condition It is the lost Soul that is the right seeker of Christ Christ seeks such Souls and such Souls seek Christ then they are like to meet That which is promised of the Jews Return holds good here Jer. 50.5 Going and weeping seeking the Lord their God c. It will make you seek him weeping if you were but convinced you were lost to all Eternity undone for ever irrecoverably miserable if you find not Christ. The first-step to seek Christ is to be convinced of ones lost condition O now the Soul falls inquiring after Christ If you see him whom my Soul loves tell him I am sick of love 5. Seek Christ perseveringly Thus the Spouse did seek Christ untill she found him as the woman sought her lost groat until she found it The watchmen smote the Spouse and took away her veil from her yet she gives not over seeking her beloved The watchmen either the Ministerial watchmen or the Magisterial upon the City walls they took away her veil viz. a token of subjection to Christ yet she perseveres still seeking Christ Jacob wrestled until the break of day He was a persevering wrestler and then came the blessing 6. We must seek Christ as appointed by the Father to entertain poor Gentile Sinners Therefore we see the Commission of Christ is to carry it tenderly towards poor Gentiles smoaking flaxes and bruised reeds The Father hath put this work upon him to treat with poor Gentiles about their everlasting Salvation and therefore we must seek Christ distinctly under a distinct notion as the Father hath commissioned him Poor Sinners get some confused notions and apprehensions of Christ and upon these notions they seek Christ but all this while they are ignorant of Christs being sent as the Fathers Commissioner to treat with poor Sinners about the things that concern their peace Several words the Spirit of God hath bestowed upon this thing noting to us that it is a matter of such great concernment 1. He hath set him forth to be a propitiation Rom. 3.25 or fore-ordained him to this end and purpose 2. God hath chosen him My Servant whom I have chosen 3. God hath called him Isa 42.6 4. God hath anointed him to this purpose 5. God hath sent him now we should consider all these and seek him as one thus sent by his Father to treat with poor Sinners 7. We must seek whole Christ in all his Offices As you have received the Lord Jesus Christ so walk you in him This is whole Christ as Prophet Priest and Lord. And thus should poor Gentile Sinners seek the Lord Jesus The second Observation is this That there are especial times for Sinners to find the Lord Jesus Christ in Seek the Lord while he may be found We read David pointing out such a time For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time Psal 32.6 when thou wilt be found or in a finding time so we should read it Others read it in a time of hitting when Gods judgements go abroad and the Lord hits the consciences But David had been confessing his sins and the Lord forgives him and the sense of this forgiveness raises
long untill his locks were silled with the dew of the night and yet she opened not to Christ and you see how ill Christ took this and did withdraw upon it O poor Soul how long hast thou made Jesus Christ stand and wait But know he will not always thus wait 2. When we believe not his willingness to receive us then we grieve him and cause him to withdraw He was grieved because of their unbelief and the hardness of their hearts saith the Text. It was said of Israel by the Lord Num. 14.17 how long will this people provoke me and how long will it be ere they believe me for all my signs and wonders Unbelief puts God to his How-longs Therefore the Prophet complains personating Christ who hath believed our report c. Must it not needs grieve him when you do not believe him 1. He promises to you mercy and pardon poor sinners upon your coming over to close with him and would it not grieve any to have the most serious and solemn promises slighted To be look'd upon as a person unfaithful this takes Gods good name from him his name is faithfulness Is not he faithful who hath promised 2. He is sent from his Father to declare this is the heart of the Father also and this must needs grieve him that you should not credit his Father that he should come from Heaven to Earth with such an errand and cannot be trusted If you ask but how comes he to be so well acquainted with his Fathers heart 1 Joh. 18. He tells us he lay in his Fathers bosome therefore he can tell best how it beats toward poor sinners 3. He hath sealed with an oath As I live sayes the Lord I delight not in the death of a sinner O surely the Lord would gladly have poor sinners to believe his love As one sayes O happy man for whose sake the Lord swears O unhappy man that will not trust a swearing God! The oath of God is for confirmation of Gods good will to poor Souls O how must it then grieve him that he cannot have his oath believed 4. O how it grieves him now he hath sealed this love with his blood Herein Divine Love is commended to poor sinners that while Enemies Christ died for them 5. It must needs grieve him not to believe him after so long waiting upon them Now when we have thus griev'd him he will withdraw not be found of poor finners 5. Time in which Christ will not be found of poor Souls is when in a time of mercy prosperity we have slighted him and yet in a time of judgment and calamity seek him but only seek him by being affrighted at his judgements Israel forgat God in their Prosperity and how did God take it and he said I will hide my face from them Psal 32.20 I will see what their end will be God now in a time of judgment will not be found of them because in a time of prosperity they had slighted him Therefore we read the Prophet Jeremy threatning Israel that the Lord will give them his back and not his face in the day of their calamity Jer. 8.17 Now O what a dreadful thing is this in a time of calamity and common judgment to have no God to look upon a people To go to him at such times is not to make him our choice but only to make him our refuge and if we make him not our choice in a time of prosperity can we expect he should be our refuge in a time of calamity What a sad word was that Go to the Gods whom you have served and see if they can deliver you Application Are there times in which Christ will not be found 1. It informs of the folly of poor souls that trifle in seeking Christ O why should we dally in a matter of such moment a matter of eternal consequence Be not deceived poor sinners Christ will not alwayes wait upon you not always be willing to be found of you The time is coming that his bowels will be shut up in displeasure that he will be gracious no more that his mercies will be clean gone for evermore O then why do you trifle now will the gates of mercy alwayes stand open will Christs arms always be held wide open 1. Here is great folly in trifling in seeking Christ it is a matter of eternal consequence There is no trifling in great cases We say we must be serious it is a matter of great concernment O! Soul-concernments are great concernments If I miscarry says a man in this design I am undone O then he will be mighty watchful and careful So sayes a poor Soul if I miscarry in this great business if I miss of Christ I am undone yea to all eternity undone 2. O the great folly of trifling in seeking Christ This is all the time you have to seek him in When a man hath a work allotted to him and he must do it in such a time else it can never be done O what folly it is to trifle that time away allotted for that work and this is the case this present life-time is your allotted time to seek Christ to get acquaintance with Christ and after the hour-glass of this present time be out you will never have more time for this work There is no work in the grave whither you go I often tell you the grave is too dark a shop to do any Soul-work in 3. O the folly of trifling in seeking of Christ ere long it will be past time Is not this great folly to trifle when time goes so fast away If you were like to have a long day you might say something sinners for your trifling but to have a short day and a great deal of work and to triflle any of it away this must needs be great folly We read of time being short 2. It informs us of this that though God wait long yet he will not wait always my spirit shall not always strive with man You may weary God as the Prophet says You have wearied man and will you weary God also He will be gone from your doors after long standing and long knocking 3. It informs of the wisdome of such poor Souls as seek him in a day and time when he will be found wisdom observes to take its fittest times and seasons There is much in timing actions O now this Soul and heavenly wisdom is all for observing its seasons Here the foolish Virgins miss'd it sadly they did not observe their seasons for getting oyl into their lamps 1. Is not this wisdom to seek the Lord while he may be found this will lay you in against the most tremendous and terrible dispensations that can come upon earth Wisdom appears much in foresight and in laying something in for a rainy day O poor souls you know not what rainy days hang over your heads what terrible clouds cover the face of the heavens and
what shakings of earth and heaven may come Therefore it is wisdom to seek Christ before such dayes come that the Lord may not be a terrour to us in an evil day Therefore it is that Jesus Christ is prophesied of to be a covert from rain and from storm and a refuge He is the only City of refuge to fly to when pursuers are abroad 2. Is it not wisdom to seek Christ while he may be found this will fit you for death Is it not great wisdom to consider our latter end This is that which God wished his own people might do Was not it wisdom in the five wise Virgins that they prepared for the Bridegrooms approaching O how much wisdom appears in this It is the property of a fool to say non putâram I had not thought O how many then have died fools saying I never thought an interest in Christ was so difficult a thing to obtain I never thought of any times in which Christ would not be found 3. Is it not great wisdom to seek Christ while he may be found your eternal happiness depends upon it Is it not wisdom to provide for eternity every man thinks it wisdom to provide for his own family what then is it to provide for his own Soul 4. Is it not wisdom to do that now which else your Souls will repent to all eternity Wisdom consists in preventing after-repentings O how many Souls are repenting the loss of their time in hell and saying O if they were to live on earth again and had their opportunities to seek Christ again they would never be such loyterers and sluggards in the matters of their Souls 5. Is it not wisdom to do that which you came into the world to do Was not this to seek the Lord while he may be found to look about for your salvation Did you come into the world to eat and drink and rise up to play What needed you immortal souls for such sensual employments 6. Is it not wisdom to do that God gives you time on purpose it might be done Why doth God exercise so much patience Why doth he hover over Souls and continues thus to be gracious but that he would still have them seek the Lord Jesus 7. Is it not wisdom to do that now which we have only means now to do it in No means of seeking Christ after this life no means then of acquaintance with God Now our dayes are filled up with means and Gospel advantages to this end 2. Vse Is it so that there are times in which Christ Jesus will not be found then it is a word of Exhortation to improve your present time in seeking Christ Redeem the time The Apostle gives us the exhortation to walk as wise and not as fools redeeming the time because the dayes are evil 1. Time is precious It is a precious commodity in hell sayes one where a damned Soul would give all the world for one inch of time It is precious time for it is filled up with precious advantages for precious souls It is precious it is your working-day for eternity O then while he is to be found seek him 2. You must be judged according to the precious opportunities you have now for your Souls The word sayes Christ that I speak shall judge you at the last day 3. Seek him in your present day it will lie heavy upon you that you lost so much time in which you might have sought Christ O how doth it cut to the heart to consider what a day a poor sinner once had only he wanted a heart to look after Christ O what wringing of hands will there be in hell one day under this very consideration 4. Seek him in your present day if others had enjoyed such Golden Scepter-seasons they would have kissed the Scepter and have submitted to the terms of the Lord Jesus they would have believed they would have repented yea in sack-cloth and ashes as is said of Tyre and Sidon 5. Seek him in your present day the damned Souls that have lost him for ever if God should priviledge them to have another day of Grace to seek Christ in O how would they seek him how would they mourn for him Would they hear as you do pray as you do sweal a way their time upon which eternity doth depend as you do Would they mis-improve precious seasons for their souls as you do If you did but know what the loss of an immortal Soul meant is it possible you could sleep away play away Sermons of Christ Heaven and Salvation 6. Seek him in your present day your Enemies seek you because you seek him To be sought after by Enemies and found by them as you must reckon of one time or other and yet not to find Christ O how sad is this Methinks our enemies should stir us up to lay hold of all seasons to seek Christ Could you young ones or old ones go to prison and have not yet found him whom your Souls love Can you suffer and not have found Christ 3. Vse Is it so that there are times in which Christ will not be found It is then a word of terrour to all such as live in their neglects to seek the Lord Jesus Christ What poor Souls if his bowels shall cease yearning towards your Souls What if they should be shut up in displeasure If the Lord Jesus Christ should strive with you no more O what a dangerous condition were your Souls in then 1. Your danger that live in neglects of Christ is much in this your offers and tenders of Christ will never be forgotten by you in another world O they will stick by your Consciences in hell Nothing will aggravate poor sinners condemnation so as this they slighted the offers of life and salvation by Christ How can you escape if you neglect such great salvation It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for Chorazin and Bethsaida Why so the one had Christ preached and offered to them and so had not the other 2. There is no possibility for your escape that neglect to seek Christ whoever escape you cannot How can you escape c. O poor Souls can you contend with the wrath of an Omnipotent God Can your hearts endure or your hands be made strong in that day he shall deal with you If you cannot escape it nor contend with it O how miserable are you This is a great piece of hell that you are in already 3. You that neglect Christ now must never come under a possibility of a tender of Grace after death If there could but be hope in hell of a possibility of a tender of Grace this poor hope would relieve the Souls that are in that pit of misery A very peradventure or it may be would be some comfort to them if they might ever come under the tenders of Christ again No their condition is now unalterably stated for ever 4. You that neglect Christ now know this is a degree of despight to the Spirit of Grace And is not this a dangerous thing Heb. 10.29 That Text in the Hebrews will tell you so Is not this to use Christ despightfully and O how can Christ bear these sleights time after time 5. You that neglect Christ now are every moment under condemnation There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Then others are under condemnation O now what if death should smite thee in this condition Would not thy poor Soul sinner be struck dead and damned at a blow O then see thy danger and tremble to continue in it Continue no longer in thy neglects of Christ but seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near FINIS
nothing to thee that thou art a slave to sin serving divers lusts and pleasures But when was this they did so the Apostle tells us before the loving kindness of God their Saviour did appear Tit. 3.4 5. Would'st thou have power against sin It may be thy Soul goes to thy prayers for it to thy duties for it to thy resolutions and purposes for it the best way is to close with Christ for there can be no power against sin that can subdue it until closure with Christ While thou art under the power of sin it doth what it will with thee it Kings it and Lords it that thou obey'st it in the lust thereof Secondly Hast thou seen the misery of thy distant state as thou art under enmity to God and God under enmity to thee 1. The enmity of thy side O what a piece of misery is it to be under the power of enmity this is a piece of the misery of the damned they have an inveterate enmity against God that if such a thing were possible they would dethrone God like some we read in their distress Isa 8.21 Curse their God and their King and look upward Is not this misery indeed to be an enemy to the God of all thy mercies to be an enemy to him thou daily livest upon nay cannot live one moment without And such a monster art thou I have read of one that killed her Child while it smiled so would'st thou do Art not thou spurning Gods tender bowels every day but now by seeking Christ or closing with Christ this enmity is done away 2. Enmities on Gods side God an enemy to thee and can there be greater misery than this what he thy enemy that thou art every day provoking and can upon every provocation in a moment turn thee into Hell Every one fears having great ones for their enemies but what sayst thou to the great God who is thine enemy If ever poor sinners were convinced of this O what seeking Christ would there be for reconciliation 3. Hast thou seen the misery of thy distant state as thou art a vassal to Satan for so is every one out of Christ and is this nothing to thee Wert thou in Algier what Letters wouldst thou send to thy friends setting forth thy dolefull slavery to affect their hearts to send over thy redemption-money But alas what is a Turk to the Devil the one reaches the Body the other the Soul Poor Soul out of Christ the Devil is thy patron and wilt not thou groan to be delivered Why are not Souls morning Seekers after Christ Alas they see not the misery of being under the power of Satan Now want of powerful convictions in these three things while you lye in a distant state from Christ is the first cause why he hath so few Seekers 2. Hinderance to young Seekers after Christ is their beloved lusts and darling corruptions they are willing to part with some but not all their lusts there is an Isaac that causes laughter they cannot think of cutting the throat of it there is a Benjamin they cannot tell how to let that go there is a Dalilah they are loth to lose there is an Herodias they cannot endure to part with Mat. 13.45 46. a right hand they will needs keep and hide O no poor young man thou must sell all if thou wilt seek and find this pearl of price We read of the young man and he was very fair and like to fall in with Christ Mark 10.22 Jesus Christ begins to strike at his right hand and he pulls it in and Christ and he parts upon this occasion Herod was fair but when John gets a blow at his Herodias Herod gets a blow at Johns head and strikes it off O poor sinner if thou resolve for Christ thou must resolve against thy darling sin 3. Hinderance to young Seekers after Christ is their entanglement by wicked company They come to Ordinances and are convinced that sin will be bitter to them in the latter end and they see no way but that living and dying in such courses they are lost for ever Well one would think some good would spring and grow out of such convictions but alas the next time they come in their evil company they have absolutely lost all one would not think these were the young men that were so affected at Sermons Now it may be you may see in their hands instead of their Bibles their Cups and in their mouths hear instead of their prayers their oaths Well young men know for all this God will bring you into judgement 1. Wilt thou poor Soul rather part with a precious Christ than with thy base company O unworthy Soul of Christ's bowels to prefer thy sinful Companions before thy Blessed Jesus as those poor Souls preferred Barabbas before Jesus What wilt thou love a drunkard a swearer an unclean wanton before Jesus Christ 2. Wilt thou rather part with an immortal precious Soul than part with thy wicked company O how many have been damned by this one sin how many thousands of Souls have been cast away for ever upon this rock while other sins have slain their thousands this hath slain ten thousands O how many company-keepers are now in Hell 3. Then canst thou look upon them when thou comest to dye and thy conscience filled with guilt and horrour canst thou then look upon them with delight Canst thou sport thy self with thinking or discoursing how many times you have been drunk together how many times you have violated the Lords day together how many nights you have spent all gaming together If your Companions should come in when you are upon a death bed and say Come be of good cheer remember such a bout and such a bout how merry we were O will not this be as a dagger to stab through your heart will not this wound like a sword in the bones Remember the young mans doleful ditty in the Proverbs and thou mourn at last when thy flesh and thy body is consumed and say Prov. 5.11 12 13. How have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof 4. Will not your wicked examples one to another here be aggravations of one anothers torments in another world 5. Poor Souls if you will go to Hell for company you shall have company enough there What company is there there There is the Devils company and wicked Spirits company As blessed Doctor Preston said in a good sence so here may be said in a sad sence I shall change my place but not my company So thou mayest say thou must change Earth for Hell but not thy company there is wicked company enough there 4. Fourth hinderance to young Seekers after Christ is a spirit of slothfulness they indulge themselves too much in their own ease as the Spouse did but this provoked Christ and he did withdraw upon it Poor Sinner what man that hath been industrious that by pains and care hath gotten an
time in which God will not be found For this shall the Godly pray unto him in a time when he will be found 1. There is a day coming in which the Spirit of God will leave striving with you and then seeking will be out of season Can you seek if the Spirit strive not What is that which puts poor Sinners upon seeking of Christ but the strivings and convictions of the Spirit 2. There is a day coming wherein the things that concern your peace will be hid from your eyes Thus God told Jerusalem But now the things that concern your Peace are hid from your eyes You will be judicially hardened 3. There is a day coming in which Gods bowels will be shut up in displeasure against you You are hardened against God and God against you O that is a terrible Text I will not answer when you call What will God then do Prov. 1.25 26. I will laugh at your Calamity and mock when your fear comes 4. There is a day coming when ordinances shall be ineffectal to you God sayes Make the bea rt of this people fat O dreadful word to have Ordinances given to harden and not to soften 5. There is a day coming that death and hell shall look ghastly upon you and will this be a seeking time Will not Christ tell you O poor Sinner this is but a force Now when you see no way but damuation before you now you seek after me this is only to serve your own ends of Christ O poor Souls be perswaded to seek Christ before these dayes come upon you 2. Motive in the morning of your dayes to be seeking the Lord Jesus Christ such Souls shall live in him you may have life life is only to be had in him therefore he is called a Believers Life He is the Way the Truth and the Life and he is called the Living Stone You will not come to me that you might have life The poor Sinner is dead while he lies at distance from Christ thou mayst have gifts and parts as dead bodies may be stuck with flowers and strawed with herbs but this is but dubbing the dead all this while there is no life in the man it is only he that hath the Son hath life 1. First They that seek Christ have living influences from Christ he is the head that sends living influences into all his members O what a supply of influences is to be had from Jesus Christ You must seek all you have from him it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell 2 Pet. 2.4 5. and this as believers head And we read of believers being called Lively Stones active for Jesus Christ not only Christians but lively Christians How comes this to pass being built up in him united to him as the superstructure is to the foundation the living Stone sends up living influences into all that are built upon him therefore he is the Vine that by his communicating influences doth keep Souls not only living but thriving 2. Secondly He communicates living comfort to such as seek him That is a precious Prophecy concerning Christ Psal 22. The meek shall eat and be satisfied they shall praise the Lord that seek him your heart shall live for ever They shall eat by Faith the Lord Jesus Christ and be satisfied viz. be comforted in their Soul Who The poor meek humble Seekers of Christ in the sense of their own vileness who have been cast down in the sense of their own unworthiness for by the meek are meant such What then They shall live for ever Gen. 4.5.27 not be rejoyced and comforted for a while for this is meant by the heart living it shall be revived and comforted O but may the poor Soul say this comfort will not last O yes Psal 69.33 Their heart shall live for ever The like Promises we have in other places 3. Thirdly They that seek Christ have living Graces from him we receive of his fulness Grace for Grace all we have must be in a way of seeking not only Grace at the first effusion when he sayes to the Soul live but the lively exercises of Grace are from him The Spicknard gives a pleasant smell viz. the Graces of the Spirit Faith and Hope and Love and Zeal they are all exercised they put forth lively acts What is the matter the King is at the Table 3. Motive to seek the Lord Jesus in the morning of your day your Rest must be found in Christ O whither will not a poor burdened sin-ladened Soul go for Rest O what will not a poor distressed Sinner do in hope to obtain Rest Rivers of Oyl and thousands of Rams if it were possible to expiate their sin Nay they will not stick at their first-born What is the reason the blind Papists appoint so many Penances so many Pilgrims so many Fasts and Scourgings but they hope these are expiatory But alas all this will but be seeking that they will never find If you will have the desirable mercy of Soul Rest you must go to him for it Mat. 11.29 Come unto me all ye that are weary and laden and you shall find rest for your Souls The verse before sayes I will give it this you shall find it But might the poor Soul say Lord if we seek it here shall not we miss of it No you shall be sure to find it Isa 11.10 To him shall the Gentiles seek and what then And his rest shall be glorious Some Interpreters it is true take it for his Church which is Christs Rest it shall be glorious Others carry it his rest the rest which he shall give it shall be glory It shall be the glory of a Soul to seek and find rest from him What is it you young ones would have is it this true spiritual rest and peace never think to have this short of Christ. 4. Motive to seek the Lord Jesus Christ in the morning of your day you know not what your evening may prove or your mid-day may prove What if you should have an afternoon filled up with afflictions do you know what God will fill up your day withall 1. What if God should fill up your day with temptations Will it not then repent you that you sought him not in the morning If you should be exercised with that one dismal thought that the day of Grace is over O how it will grieve you that you looked out so late after Christ O what a wretch am I to be so much behind with Christ and my own Soul And O how many objections will such a thought cast in thy way 2. What if God fill up thy day with sharp tryals with weakness of body losses in thine outward estate Will this be so fit a time to seek Christ in when thou wilt have enough to do to bear up under these tryals O then how will thy poor Soul wish thou had been laid in better for such rainy
of such as seek not the Lord. Such poor Souls see no worth in the Lord and are not such to be reproved If Christ be not worth seeking he is worth nothing When we see the worth of any thing we will seek after it The object we seek must be some good O how neglecters to seek Christ do undervalue Christ 2. They never see a want of him We seek not that we want not O but now when the poor Soul doth see its need of him then it doth with the Spouse seek him Poor Gentiles they sit still It is the Character of a Gentile to sit in darkness Vnto you who sat in darkness a great light shined viz. to Gentiles They have no mind to rise off from their seat 3. It will aggravate the condemnation of such that Christ sought them and they would not be found of him How often would I have gathered thee c. But there are a company of poor souls that object what have we to do with Christ such poor Sinners as we are O poor Souls the great Promise is to such To it shall the Gentiles seek Isa 11.10 All poor Sinners must betake themselves to this Glorious Ensign The root of Jesse shall stand for an Ensign of the people to it shall the Gentiles seek But we are dark Creatures Luk. 1.79 He came to give light to them that sate in darkness and in the shadow of death and guide our feet in the wayes of peace Another Vse is of Inquiry If Christ be so willing to be found of Gentile Sinners what then may be the reasons why poor Sinners do not seek the Lord Jesus O how few Seekers hath the Lord Jesus Sinners it is true are Seekers but it is of the living among the dead 1. Poor Sinners ignorance of the worth of Christ who will or can desire after an unknown good As he said to the woman If thou knewest the gift of God Mat. 13.44 45 46. thou would ask living water and he would give it thee So do I say If Souls knew the worth of Christ they would cry None but Christ none but Christ Nothing without Christ nothing below Christ would satisfie their Souls The Merchant man could not be satisfied with goodly Pearls after he had come to know there was a Pearl of Price then all the goodly Pearls were out-shined by the Pearl of great Price and now he is resolved upon any terms to have Christ He sells all O what difference betwixt this person and the young man in the Gospel who when Christ bid him sell all went away sorrowful O this broke the bargain betwixt him and Christ He knew not the worth of Christ It may be Christ is not much valued by you now but ask your hearts the question O my Soul what will Christ be worth upon a death-bed What will Christ be worth when thy Soul is filled with horrour of thy own guilt When thou art a Magor Misabib to thy self Nay it may be to all that are round about thee When thy heart is made to meditate terrour Could thou ask the damned in Hell what Christ would be worth to them what they would give if it could be procured for one offer of Christ in good earnest It may be they might better inform thy judgement If you did converse with awakened dying guilty consciences or with poor damned Souls they might tell you something of the worth of Christ or with Souls deeply groaning under guilt at first Conversion or with poor tempted Souls These four sorts of persons can tell you what apprehensions they have of the worth of Christ When men know the worth of a commodity it will go hard but they will obtain it O what will a Malefactor judge a Pardon worth So doth a poor self-condemned Sinner judge of Christ 2. Poor Sinners seek not after the Lord because they are lockt up under infidelity and unbelief We read of being concluded and shut up under unbelief as close prisoners under lock and key in arctâ custodiâ they are in Satans close custody 1. Poor Sinners believe not Christs willingness to embrace and entertain their poor Souls upon closure with him Untill poor Sinners be convinced of this they can never make out after Christ Therefore it is we read of Christs invitations and asseverations entreaties promises all to demonstrate his willingness to be found of sinners when they seek him Alas poor sinners take up false conceptions of Christ they think his heart is hardned against them and his bowels shut up in displeasure and they take him for their adversary and all this is their unbelief and so are hindred from looking out after Christ 2. Poor Sinners believe not the Fathers willingness to shew them mercy Many Souls stick here though Christ hath told them he hath declared his Fathers Name and would declare it to poor sinners O what pains doth Christ take to convince of his Fathers good will Joh. 6.37 38. This is the will of him that sent me 5. Poor Sinners believe not an indispensible necessity to close with Christ They do not see their Souls lost for ever without a Christ And this brings me to the next particular 3. Poor Sinners seek not after the Lord Jesus because they are not throughly convinced of their misery without Christ Peter did not cry out Master save me or I perish until he begun to sink So poor Souls cry not after Christ seek not after Christ until they see themselves in a perishing sinking condition Persons may fall under some convictions of their misery but alas they are â—lighty convictions and so wear off the next temptation that comes upon their Soul But when the conviction gets to the heart then it is hopeful When they were prickt to the heart then they cryed out Men and Brethren what shall we do There are many convictions that get no farther than the head But now when a sense of misery is clapt to a mans heart it will make him look out after Christ Let me shew poor Sinners something of their misery without Christ 1. You are without hope and is not this the height of misery Hope doth yield the Soul some relief in the saddest condition but to be without hope is to be in Hell above ground What is it that makes Hell Hell they have no hope of ever coming forth from the pit there is no redemption If a man be in Algier hope keeps up his heart that he shall be redeemed one day But there is not one prisoner of hope in all hell among all the damned 2. Without Christ you are condemned men already There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Then it follows they that are out of Christ Jesus are under the sentence of condemnation What a miserable condition doth a poor condemned creature think himself to be in and cannot rest night nor day but thinking of his execution This is the case of a poor Soul out
to an account for all your especial times of finding Christ 2. These especial times of finding Christ are not all persons priviledges He hath not dealt with all people as with you How many parts of the world that never were enriched with the tenders of Gospel-grace as you have been but lie in the rubbish of ignorance and ungodliness Nay how many that have lived under the sound of the Gospel and yet the Gospel is hid to them 2 Cor. 4.3 and such souls are lost And shall your Souls be priviledged above others in the being under these especial seasons and you not improve them 3. These especial times if you let slip you will be hardned and rivetted in your sins After men have sinned away the day of Grace O then they grow worse and worse Then their poor Souls do swim down the stream of all manner of prophaneness Have you not often observed it that after sinners have worn off their Convictions they have been more careless more prophane more resolute in their course of sin 4. These especial times if you let them slip it may be you shall never have such times again My Spirit shall no more strive with man His bowels will be shut up in displeasure against you You may out-live the breathings of the Lord upon your Souls And O if God should awaken you and cause you to reflect upon what hath past betwixt God and your Souls O then it may be you will cry out O that it were with me as in months past O for one of the Motions of the Spirit of God I have sleighted O for one of the Convictions I have murdered 5. These especial times will exceedingly aggravate your sin in standing out against Christ A woe was written upon the head of Capernaum and Bethsaida O when Christ shall say what have you to say for your selves was not I tendred unto you was not I offered with all the benefits of my death but you would none of me O now how will such poor Souls run to the rocks yea be fit to creep into the holes of the ragged rocks for the Majesty of the Lord 2. Word is a word of direction What shall we do by way of improvement of these especial times or how shall we improve them 1. Would you improve these especial finding times Then 1. Lament sensibly over your lost time Lapsed time goes to the heart of a poor convinced sinner nothing doth cut so deep as the consideration of trifling away golden seasons of Grace It was the charge the Lord brought in against Jezabel I gave her space to repent but she repented not O for a poor soul to reflect upon the time that is past then it will cry as Job did in that case O that it were with me as in months that are past O that I might enjoy one of the dayes of the Son of Man that I have so slighted The Apostle tells us of some who for the time might have been Teachers of others but alas they had lost their time If you lose but a tide-time you can fret at that and be impatient O how many tide-times have you lost for Eternity Every appointment of Christ in which the Spirit of Christ breaths is a tide-time O how many market-dayes for Heaven have your Souls lost And can you remember them and not lament over them 2. Would you improve these especial finding times Consider then you cannot mis-improve neglect these but you put a sleight upon Christ O how dangerous is this to put a sleight upon the Lord Jesus when he is willing to be found of you What a sleight was that they put upon Christ when they made all their excuses they could not come when Christ tenders himself and is refused Therefore he complained but my people would have none of me For the Lord Jesus Christ to leave the bosome of his Father the Glory of Heaven and be clothed in and married to our nature and be made a curse for us and after all this to be slighted by a company of poor sinners O what monstrous ingratitude is this Would we slight a Relation a Friend an Acquaintance thus Is not this to be highly uncivil to Jesus Christ O how do poor sinners put their incivilities upon Christ 3. Would you not mis-improve these especial finding times then consider how this grieves Christ When he came nigh the City he wept over it what was the matter this was the consideration that did draw tears from Christs eyes that they had enjoyed an especial time and day of Grace in which Christ was willing to have been found of them O that thou hadst known in this thy day c. We read also of those that refused the tenders of Christ the master of the house was angry at them O take heed of angring Christ poor sinners in this respect Kiss the Sun lest he be angry What if he be Ps 2. ult and you perish from the way When his wrath is kindled but a little Blessed are they that trust in him O who can stand before the wrath of the Lamb Yea what can cover us from the wrath of the Lamb O what ingratitude is this to grieve him for loving you to requite him evil for good Is this your kindness to your friend Will you thus requite the Lord O you foolish Souls Do you thus answer his love in coming from heaven upon your errand It is said the Lord Jesus Christ was grieved because of their unbelief and the hardness of their hearts You would not willingly grieve a Relation a Father a Mother and will you grieve Christ 4. Direction Would you not mis-improve these especial finding times then live in the consideration of what depends upon them Upon these times depend your eternal conditions upon on these monosyllables depends eternity upon these Nows these present gales and seasons of Grace We say of some business that we are very solicitous about there is much depends upon it It is a matter of grand importance This is the case thy laying hold of these special times is a business of great moment as much as your immortal Souls are worth O that every time you prayed you might say this is for eternity and every time you heard a Sermon O poor Soul this is for eternity As that great Painter said propter aeternitatem pingo So should every poor sinner say of his duties Write Eternity upon the head of them I have read of one that lived many years in a Cave under the earth among multitudes of Gnats to the wonder of many he was insensible of their disturbances and the reason given is this he was come thither to contemplate eternity So do I say the consideration and contemplation of eternity would make you forget the world and the comforts of it when you make your approaches to God 5. Would you not mis-improve these especial finding times O then live much in the consideration of the worth of your