sinners if you will make good your way You see now with whom you have to deal What saist thou Unconverted sensual wretch Darest thou venture upon a dispute with God Art thou able to confute him Art thou ready to enter the lists God asketh thee Why wilt thou die Art thou furnished with a sufficient answer Wilt thou undertake to prove that God is mistaken and that thou art in the right O what an undertaking is that Why either he or you is mistaken when he is for your Conversion and you are against it He calls upon you to Turn and you will not He bids you do it presently even to day while it is called to day and you delay and think it time enough hereafter He saith it must be a total change and you must be holy and new creatures and born again and you think that less may serve the turn and that its enough to patch up the old man without becoming New Who is in the right now God or you God calleth on you to Turn and to Live an holy Life and you will not by your disobedient lives it appears you wil not If you will why do you not Why have you not done it all this while and why do you not fall upon it yet Your Wils have the command of your lives We may certainly conclude that you are unwilling to turn when you do not Turn And why will you not Can you give any Reason for it that is worthy to be called a Reason I that am but a worm your fellow creature of a shallow capacity dare challenge the wisest of you all to reason the case with me while I plead my Makers cause And I need not be discouraged when I know I plead but the cause that God pleadeth and contend for him that will have the best at last Had I but these two General Grounds against you I am sure that you have no good Reason on your side 1. I am sure it can be no good Reason which is against the God of Truth and Reason It cannot be Light that is contrary to the Sun There is no knowledge in any Creature but what it had from God and therefore none can be wiser then God It were damnable presumption for the highest Angel to compare with his Creator What is it then for a lump of dirt an ignorant sot that knoweth not himself nor his own soul that knoweth but little of the things which he seeth yea that is more ignorant then many of his neighbours to set himself against the wisdom of the Lord It is one of the fullest discoveries of the horrible wickedness of carnal men and the stark madness of such in sin that so silly a mole dare contradict his Maker and call in question the word of God Yea that those people in our Parishes that are so beastly ignorant that they cannot give us a reasonable answer concerning the very Principles of Relâ—gion are yet so wise in their own conceit that they dare question the plainest truths of God yea contradict them and cavil against them when they can scarce speak sense and will believe them no further then agreeth with their foolish wisdom 2. And aâ— I know that God must needs be in the right so I know the Case is so palpable and gross which he pleadeth against that no man can have reason for iâ— Is it possible that a man can have any Reason to break his Masters Laws and reason to dishonour the Lord of Glory and reason to abuse the Lord that bought him Is it possible that a man can have any good reason to damn his own Immortal soul Mark the Lords question Turn ye Turn ye Why will you die Is eternal death a thing to be de desired Are you in love with Hell What reason have you willfully to perish If you think you have some reason to sin should you not remember that death is the wages of sin Rom. 6.23 and think whether you have any Reason to undo your selves body and soul for ever You should not only ask whether you love the Adder but whether you love the sting It is such a thing for a man to cast away his everlasting happiness and to sin against God that no good reason can be given for it but the more any man pleads for it the madder he sheweth himself to be Had you a Lord-ship or a Kingdom offered you for every sin that you commit it were not reason but madness to accept it Could you by every sin obtain the highest thing on earth that flesh desireth it were of no considerable value to perswade you in reason to commit it If it were to please your greatest or dearest friends or to obey the greatest Prince on earth or to save your lives or to escape the greatest earthly Misery all these are of no consideration to draw a man in reason to the committing of one sin If it were a right hand or a right eye that would hinder your salvation it is the gainfullest way to cast it away rather then to go to Hell to save it For there 's no saving a part when you lose the whole So exceeding great are the matters of Eternity that nothing in this world deserveth once to be named in comparison with them Nor can any earthly thing though it were Life or Crowns or Kingdoms be a reasonable excuse for the neglect of matters of such higher and Everlasting Consequence A man can have no reason to cross his ultimate End Heaven is such a thing that if you lose it nothing can supply the want or make up your loss And Hell is such a thing that if you suffer it nothing can remove your misery or give you ease and comfort And therefore nothing can be a valuable consideration to excuse you for neglecting your own salvation For saith our Saviour What shall it profit a man to win all the world and lose his own soul Mark 8.36 Oh Sirs that you did but know what matters they are that we are now speaking to you of The Saints in Heaven have other kind of thoughts of these things If the Devil could come to them that live in the sight and love of God and should offer them a cup of Ale or a Whore or merry company or sports to tice them away from God and Glory I pray you tell me how do you think they would entertain the motion Nay or if he should offer them to be Kings on the earth Do you think this would tice them down from Heaven O with what hatred and holy scorn would they disdain and reject the motion And why should not you do so that have Heaven opened to your faith if you had but faith to see it There 's never a soul in hell but knows by this time that it was a mad exchange to let go heaven for fleshly pleasure and that it is not a little mirth or Pleasure or worldly riches or Honour or the good Will or Word
sanctifie you by his Spirit and you resist and quench it If any man reprove you for your sin you fly in his face with evil words and if he would draw you to an holy life and tell you of your present danger you give him little thanks but either bid him look to himself he shall not answer for you or else at best you put him off with an heartless thanks and will not Turn when you are perswaded If Ministers would privately instruct and help you you will not come at them your unhumbled souls do feel but little need of their help If they would Catechize you you are too old to be Catechised though you are not too old to be ignorant and unholy Whatever they can say to you for your good you are so self-conceited and wise in your own eyes even in the depth of ignorance that you will regard nothing that agreeth not with your present conceits but contradict your Teachers as if you were wiser then they you resist all that they can say to you by your ignorance and wilfulness and foolish Cavils and shifting evasions and unthankfull rejections so that no good that is offered can find any welcome acceptance and entertainment with you 4. Moreover its apparent that you are self-destroyers in that you draw the matter of your sin and destruction even from the blessed God himself You like not the contrivances of his Wisdom You like not his Justice but take it for cruelty You like not his Holiness but are ready to think he is such a one as your selves Psal. 50.21 and makes as light of sin as you You like not his Truth but would have his Threanings even his peremptory Threatnings prove false And his goodness which you seem most highly to approve you partly resist as it would lead you to repentance and partly abuse to the strengthning of you sin as if you might the freelyer sin because God is Merciful and because his Grace doth so much abound Yea you fetch destruction from â—he blessed Redeemer and Death from the Lord of life himself And nothing more emboldneth you in sin then that Christ hath died for you as if now the danger of death were over and you might boldly venture As if Christ were become a servant to Satan and your sins and must wait upon you while you are abusing him and because he is become the Physitian of souls and he is able to save to the utmost all that come to God by him you think he must suffer you to refuse his help and throw away his Medicines and must save you whether you will come to God by him or no so that a great part of your sins are occasioned by your bold presumption upon the death of Christ. Not considering that he came to redeem his people from their sins and to sanctifie them a peculiar people to himself and to conform them in Holiness to the image of their heavenly Father and to their head Mat. 1.21 Tit. 2.14 1 Pet. 1.15 16. Col. 3.10 11. Phil. 3.9 10. 6. You also fetch your own destruction from all the providences and works of God When you think of his eternal fore-knowledge and Decrees it is to harden you in your sin or possess your minds with quarrelling thoughts as if his Decrees might spare you the labour of repentance and an holy life or else were the cause of your sin and death If he afflict you you repine If he prosper you you the more forget him and are the backwarder to the thoughts of the life to come If the wicked prosper you forget the end that will set all reckonings strait and are ready to think it s as good be wicked as godly And thus you draw your death from all 7. And the like you do from all the Creatures and mercies of God to you He giveth them to you as the tokens of his love and furniture for his service and you turn them against him to the pleasing of your flesh You eat and drink to please your appetite and not for the glory of God and to enable you for his work Your cloathes you abuse to pride Your Riches draw your hearts from heaven Phil. 3.18 Your honours and applause do puff you up If you have health and strength it makes you more secure and forget your end Yea other mens mercies are abused by you to your hurt If you see their honours and dignity you are provoked to envy them If you see their riches you are ready to covet them If you look upon beauty you are stirred up to lust and it s well if godliness be not an eye-fore to you 8. The very gifts that God bestoweth on you and the Ordinances of grace which he hath instituted for his Church you turn to sin If you have better parts then others you grow proud and self-conceited if you have but common gifts you take them for special Grace You take the bare hearing of your duty for so good a work as if it would excuse you for not obeying it Your Prayers are turned into sin because you regard iniquity in your hearts Psalm 66.18 and depart not from iniquity when you call on the name of the Lord 2 Tim. 2.19 Your prayers are abominable because you turn away your ear from hearing the Law Prov. 28.9 And are more ready to offer the Sacrifice of fools thinking you do God some special service then to hear his word and obey it Eccles. 5.1 You examine not your selves before you receive the Supper of the Lord but not discerning the Lords body do eat and drink judgement to your selves 1 Cor. 11.28 29. 9. Yea the persons that you converse with and all their actions you make the occasions of your sin and destruction If they live in the fear of God you hate them If they live ungodlily you imitate them if the wicked are many you think you may the more boldly follow them if the godly be few you are the more emboldened to despise them If they walk exactly you think they are too precise if one of them fall in a particular temptation you stumble upon them and turn away from holiness because that others are imperfectly holy as if you were warranted to break your necks because some others have by their heedlesness sprained a sinnew or put out a bone If an hypocrite discover himself you say They are all alike and think your selves as honest as the best A Professor can scarce slip into any miscarriage but because he cuts his finger you think you may boldly cut your throats If ministers deal plainly with you you say they rail If they speak gently or coldly you eiâ—her sleep under them or are little more affected then the seats you sit upon If any errours creep into the Church some greedily entertain them and others reproach the Christian Doctrine for them which is most against them And if we would draw you from any ancient rooted errour which can but plead two or three
but Turn that is unfeignedly and throughly Turn p. 70. Proved p. 77. Doct. 3. God taketh pleasure in mens Conversion and salvation but not 〈◊〉 their death or damnation He had rather they would Turn and Live then go on and Die p 85. Expounded to p. 93. Proved p. 93. to p. 103. Doct. 4. The Lord hath confirmed it to us by his Oath that he hath no Pleasure in the death of the wicked but that he Turn and Live that he may leave man no pretence to doubt of it p. 103. Vse Who is it then that takes pleasure in mens sin and death Not God nor Ministers nor any good men p. 106. Doct. 5. So earnest is God for the Conversion of sinners that he doubleth his commands and exhortations with vehemency Turn ye Turn ye Applyed p. 120. Some Motives to obey Gods Call and Turn p. 126. Doct. 6. The Lord condescendeth to reason the case with Unconverted sinners and to ask them Why they will die p. 152. A strange Disputation 1. For the Question 2. The Disputants Wicked men will die or destroy themselves p. 154. Vse The sinners cause is certainly unreasonable p. 163. Their seeming Reasons confuted p. 175 Qu. Why are men so unreasonable and loth to Turn and will destroy themselves p. 200. answered Doct. 7. If after all this men will not turn it is not long of God that they are condemned but of themselves even of their own wilfulness They die because they will die that is because they will not turn p. 209. Vse 1. How unfit the wicked are to charge God with their Damnation It is not because God is unmerciful but because they are cruel and merciless to themselves p. 225. Obj. We cannot convert our selves nor have we Free-will Answered p. 235. and in the Preface Vse 2. The subtilty of Satan the deceitfulness of sin and the folly of sinners manifested p. 238 Vse 3. No wonder if the wicked would hinder the Conversion and Salvation of others p. 240. Vse 4. Man is the greatest enemy to himself p. 241. Mans destruction is of himself proved p. 242. The hainous aggravations of self-destroying p. 257. The concluding Exhortation p. 263. Ten Directions for those that had rather Turn then Die p. 273. to the end These Books following of the same Authors are also Printed for Nevil Simmons Book-selseller in Kederminster TRue Christianity or Christs Absolute dominion and mans necessary self-resignation and Subjection in two Assize Sermons preacht at Worcester in 12o. A Sermon of Judgement preached at Pauls before the Honorable Lord Major and Aldermen of the City of London Decem. 17. 1654. and now enlarged in 12o. Making light of Christ and Salvation â—oo oft the Issue of Gospel Invitations manifest in a Sermon preached at Law-â—eace Iury in London 8o. The Agreement of divers Ministers of Christ in the County of Worcester for Catechizing or personal Instructing all in their several Parishes that will Consent thereunto containing 1. The Articles of our Agreement 2. An Exhortation to the people to submit to this necessary work 3. The Profession of Faith and Catechism in 8o. Guildas Salvianus the Reformed Pastor shewing the nature of the Pastoral work especially in private instruction and Catechizing in 8o. Certain Disputations of Right to Sacraments and the True Nature of Visible Christianity 4o. Of Justification four Disputationâ— clearing and amicably defending the Truth against the unnecessary Oppositions of divers Learned and Reverend Brethren 4o. A Treatise of Conversion preached and now published for the use of those that are strangers to a true Conversion especially the grosly Ignorant and Ungodly 4 One sheet for the Ministry against the Malignants of all sorts A Winding-sheet for Popery One sheet against the Quakers A second sheet for the Ministry Justifying our Calling against Quakers Seekers and Papists and all that deny us to be the Ministers of Christ. Directions to Justices of Peace especially in Corporations to the discharge of their duty to God written at the request of a Magistrate and Published for the use of others that need it The Crucifying of the world by the Cross of Christ With a Preface to the Nobles Gentlemen and all the Rich erecting them how they may be Richer A CALL TO THE Unconverted Ezek. 33.11 Say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye die O' house of Israel IT hath been the astonishing wonder of many a man as well as me to read in the holy Scrippture how few will be saved and that the greatest part even of those that are called will be everlastingly shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven and be tormented with the Devils in Eternal fire Infidels believe not this when they read it and therefore must feel it Those that do believe it are forced to cry out with Paul Rom. 11.33 Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Iudgements and his waies past finding out But nature it self doth teach us all to lay the blame of evil works upon the doers and therefore when we see any hainous thing done a principle of justice doth provoke us to enquire after him that did it that the evil of the work may return the evil of shame upon the author If we saw a man killed and cut in pieces by the way we would presently ask Oh who did this cruel deed If the town were wilfully set on fire you would ask What wicked wretch did this So when we read that the most will be firebrands of hell for ever we must needs think with our selves How comes this to pass and who is it long of Who is it that is so cruel as to be the cause of such a thing as this And we can meet with few that will own the guilt It is indeed confest by all that Satan is the cause but that doth not resolve the doubt because he is not the principal cause He doth not force men to sin but tempt them to it and leave it to their own wills whether they will do it or not He doth not carry men to an Ale-house and force open their mouths and pour in the drink nor doth he hold them that they cannot go to Gods service nor doth he force their hearts from holy thoughts It lieth therefore between God himself and the sinner One of them must needs be the principall cause of all this misery which ever it is For there is no other to cast it upon And God disclaimeth it He will not take it upon him And the wicked disclaim it usually and they will not take it upon them And this is the Controversie that is here managing in my text The Lord complaineth of the people and the people think it is long of God The same controversie is handled Chap. 18. where Verse
25. they plainly say that the way of the Lord is not equal and God saith It is their wayes that are not equal So here they say Verse 19. If our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them how shall we then live As if they should say If we must die and be miserable how can we help it As if it were not long of them but God But God in my text doth clear himself of it and telleth them how they may help it if they will and perswadeth them to use the means and if they will not be perswaded he lets them know that it is long of themselves and if this will not satisfie them he will not therefore forbear to punish them It is He that will be the Judge and he will Judge them according to their wayes They are no Judges of him or of themselves as wanting authority and wisdom and impartiality Nor is it their cavilling and quarrelling with God that shall serve their turn or save them from the execution of Justice which they murmur at The words of this Verse contain 1. Gods purgation or clearing of himself from the blame of their Destruction This he doth not by disowning his Law that the wicked shall die nor by disowning his Judgement and Execution according to that Law or giving them any hope that the Law shall not be executed But by professing that it is not their death that he takes pleasure in but their returning rather that they may live And this he confirmeth to them by his Oath 2. An express Exhortation to the wicked to Return wherein God doth not only Command but perswade and condescend also to reason the case with them Why they will die The direct end of this Exhortation is That they may Turn and Live The Secundary or reserved ends upon supposition that this is not attained are these two First to convince them by the means which he used that it is not long of God if they be miserable Secondly to convince them from their manifest wilfulness in rejecting all his commands and perswasions that it is long of themselves and they die even because they Will die The substance of the Text doth lie in these observations following Doct. 1. It is the unchangable Law of God that wicked men must Turn or Dye Doct. 2. It is the promise of God that the wicked shall live if they will but Turn Doct. 3. God taketh pleasure in mens Conversion and Salvation but not in their death or damnation He had rather they would return and live then go on and die Doct. 4. This is a most certain truth which because God would not have men to question he hath confirmed it to them solemnly by his Oath Doct. 5. The Lord doth redouble his commands and perswasions to the wicked to Turn â—â—ct 6. The Lord condescendeth to reason the case with them and asketh the wicked Why they will die Doct. 7. If after all this the wicked will not turn it is not long of God that they perish but of themselves their own wilfulness is the cause of their damnation they therefore die because they will die Having laid the Text open before your eyes in these plain propositions I shall next speak somewhat of each of them in order though very briefly Doct. 1. IT is the unchangeable Law of God that wicked men must Turn or Die If you will believe God believe this There is but one of these two wayes for every wicked man either Conversion or Damnation I know the wicked will hardly be perswaded either of the truth or Equity of this No wonder if the Guilty quarrel with the Law Few men are apt to believe that which they would not have to be true And fewer would have that to be true which they apprehend to be against them But it is not quarrelling with the Law or with the Judge that will save the Malefactor Believing and regarding the Law might have prevented his death but denying and accusing â—t will but hasten it If it were not so an hundred would bring their reasons against the Law for one that would brind his reason to the Law and men would rather choose to give their reasons why they should not be punished then to hear the commands and reasons of their Governours which require them to obey The Law was not made for you to Judge but that you might be ruled and Judged by it But if there be any so blind 〈◊〉 to venture to question either the Truth or the Justice of this Law of God I shall briefly give you that Evidence of both which not thinks should satisfie a reasonable man And first if you doubt whether this be the word of God or not besides an hundred other texts you may be satisfied by these few Mat. 18.3 Verely I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven John 3 3. Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God 2 Cor. 5.17 If a man be in Christ he is a new creature Old things are past away behold all thing are become new Colos 3.9.10 Ye have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him Heb. 12.14 Without holiness none shall see God Rom. 8.8 9. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Gal. 6.15 For in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but a new creature 1 Pet. 1.3 According to his abundant grace he hath begotten us again to a lively hope Verse 23. Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever 1 Pet. 2.1 2. Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speakings as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Psalm 9.17 The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the Nations that forget God Psalm 11.5 And the Lord loveth the righteous but the wicked his soul hateth As I need not stay to open these Texts which are so plain so I think I need not add any more of that multitude which speak the like If thou be a man that dost believe the Word of God here 's already enough to satisfie thee that the wicked must be converted or condemned You are already brought so far that you must either confess that this is true or say plainly you will not believe the Word of God And if once you be come to that pass there is but small hopes of you look to your selves as well as you can for its like you will not be long out of Hell You would be ready to flie in the face of him that should give you the
of all which yet will never come to pass 5. And God as Ruler and Law-giver of the world hath so far a Practical Will for their salvation as to make them a free Deed of Gift of Christ and Life and an act of Oblivion for all their sins so be it they will not unthankfully reject it and to command his Messengers to offer this Gift to all the world and perswade them to accept it And so he doth all that as Law-giver or Promiser belongs to him to do for their salvation 6. But yet he resolveth as Law-giver that they that will not turn shall dye And as Iudge when their day of grace is past he will execute that Decree 7. So that he thus unfeignedly willeth the Conversion of those that never will be Converted but not as Absolute Lord with the fullest efficacious Resolution nor as a thing which he resolveth shall undoubtedly come to pass or would engage all his power to accomplish It is in the power of a Prince to set a guard upon a Murderer to see that he shall not murder and be hanged But if upon good reason he forbear this and do but send to his subjects and warn and intreate them not to be murderers I hope he may well say that he would not have them murder and be hanged he takes no pleasure in it but rather that they forbear and live And if he do more for some upon some special reason he is not bound to do so by all The King may well say to all the Murderers and Felons in the Land I have no pleasure in your death but rather that you would obey my Laws and live but If you will not I am resolved for all this that you shall die The Judge may truly say to the Thief or Murderer Alas man I have no delight in thy death I had rather thou hadst kept the Law and saved thy life but seeing thou wilt not I must condemn thee or else I should be unjust So though God have no Pleasure in your damnation and therefore calls upon you to Return and Live yet he hath Pleasure in the demonstration of his own Iustice and the executing his Laws and therefore he is for all this fully resolved that if you will not be Converted you shall be Condemned If God were so much against the death of the wicked as that he were resolved to do all that he can to hinder it then no man should be Condemned whereas Christ telleth you that few will be saved But so far God is against your damnation as that he will teach you and warn you and set before you life and death and offer you your choice and command his Ministers to intreate you not to damn your selves but accept his Mercy and so to leave you without excuse but if this will not do and if still you be Unconverted he professeth to you he is resolved of your damnation and hath commanded us to say to you in his name Verse 8. O wicked man thou shalt surely die And Christ hath little less then sworn it over and over with a Verily verily except ye be Converted and born again ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven Matth. 18.3 Iohn 3.3 Mark that he saith You cannot It is in vain to hope for it and in vain to dream that God is willing of it for it is a thing that cannot be In a word you see then the meaning of the Text that God the great Law-giver of the world doth take no pleasure in the death of the wicked but rather that they Turn and Live though yet he be resolved that none shall Live but those that Turn and as Iudge even delighteth in Justice and manifesting his hatred of sin though not in their misery which they have brought upon themselves in it self considered 2. And for the proofs of the point I shall be very brief in them because I suppose you easily believe it already 1. The very gracious nature of God proclaimed Exod. 34.6 20.6 and frequently elsewhere may assure you of this that he hath no Pleasure in your death 2. If God had more pleasure in thy Death then in thy Conversion and Life he would not have so frequently commanded thee in his word to Turn he would not have made thee such promises of Life if thou wilt but Turn he would not have perswaded thee to it by so many Reasons The tenour of his Gospel proveth the point 3. And his Commission that he hath given to the Ministers of the Gospel doth fully prove it If God had taken more pleasure in thy damnation then in thy Conversion and Salvation he would never have charged us to offer you Mercy and to teach you the Way of Life both publikely and privately and to intreate and beseech you to turn and live to acquaint you with your sins and foretell you of your danger and to do all that possibly we can for your Conversion and to continue patiently so doing though you should hate us or abuse us for our pains Would God have done this and appointed his Ordinances for your good if he had taken Pleasure in your death 4. It is proved also by the course of his providences If God had rather you were damned then Converted and Saved he would not second his word with his works and entice you by his daily kindness to himself and give you all the mercies of this life which are his means to lead you to Repentance Rom. 2.4 and bring you so often under his rod to force you into your wits he would not set so many examples before your eyes no nor wait on you so patiently as he doth from day to day and year to year These be not signs of one that taketh pleasure in your death If this had been his delight how easily could he have had thee long ago in Hell How oft before this could he have catcht thee away in the midst of thy sins with a curse or oath or lye in thy mouth in thy ignorance and pride and sensuality when thou wast last in thy drunkenness or last deriding the waies of God how easily could he have stopt thy breath and tamed thee with his Plagues and made thee sober in another world Alas how small a matter is it for the Lord Almighty to rule the tongue of the prophanest railer and tye the hands of the most malicious persecutor or calm the fury of the bitterest of his enemies and make them know that they are but worms If he should but frown upon thee thou wouldst drop into thy grave If he gave Commission to one of his Angels to go and destroy ten thousand sinners how quickly would it be done How easily can he lay thee on thy bed of languishing and make thee lie roaring there in pain and make thee eat the words of reproach which thou hast spoken against his Servants his Word his Worship and his holy Waies And make thee send to beg their prayers
whom thou didst despise in thy presumption How easily can he lay that flesh under gripes and groans and make it too weak to hold thy soul and make it more loathsom then the dung of the earth That flesh which now must have what it loves and must not be displeased though God be displeased but must be humoured in meats and drink and cloaths whatever God say to the contrary how quickly would the frowns of God consume it When thou wast passionately defending thy sin and quarrelling with them that would have drawn thee from it and shewing thy spleen against the reprover and pleading for the works of darkness how easily could God have snatcht thee away in a moment and set thee before his dreadful Majesty where thou shouldst see ten thousand times ten thousand of glorious Angels waiting on his throne and have called thee there to plead thy cause and asked thee What hast thou now to say against thy Creator his Truth his Servants or his holy waies Now plead thy cause and make the best of it that thou canst Now what canst thou say in excuse of thy sin Now give account of thy worldliness and fleshly life of thy time of all the mercies thou hast had O how thy stubborn heart would have melted and thy proud looks be taken down and thy countenance be appaled and thy stout words turned into speechless silence or dreadful cries if God had but set thee thus at his Bar and pleaded his own cause with thee which thou hast here so maliciously pleaded against How easily can he at any time say to thy guilty soul Come away and live in that flesh no more till the resurrection and it cannot resist A word of his mouth would take off the poise of thy present life and then all thy parts and powers would stand still and if he say unto thee Live no longer or live in Hell thou couldst not disobey But God hath yet done none of this but hath patiently forborn thee and mercifully upheld thee and given thee that breath which thou didst breath out against him and given those Mercies which thou didst sacrifice to thy flesh and afforded thee that provision which thou spentest to satisfie thy greedy throat he gave thee every minute of that time which thou didst waste in idleness or drunkenness or worldliness and doth not all this Patience and Mercy shew that he desired not thy damnation Can the candle burn without the oyl Can your houses stand without the earth to bear them As well as you can live an hour without the support of God And why did he so long support thy life but to see when thou wouldst bethink thee of the folly of thy waies and return and live Will any man purposely put arms into his enemies hands to resist him or hold the Candle to a Murderer that is killing his children or to an idle servant that Plaies or sleeps the while Surely it is to see whether thou wilt at last Return and Live that God hath so long waited on thee 5. It is further proved by the sufferings of his Son that God taketh no pleasure in the death of the wicked would he have ransomed them from death at so dear a rate Would he have astonished Angels and men by his condescension Would God have dwelt in flesh and have come in the form of a servant and have assumed humanity into one person with the Godhead and would Christ have lived a life of suffering and dyed a cursed death for sinners if he had rather taken pleasure in their death Suppose you saw him but so busie in preaching and healing them as you find him in Mark 3.21 or so long in fasting as in Mat. 4. or all night in prayer as in Luk. 6.12 or praying with thâ— drops of blood trickling from him instead of sweat as Luke 22.44 or suffering a cursed death upon the Cross and pouring out his soul as a sacrifice for our sins Would you have thought these the signs of one that delighted in the death of the wicked And think not to extenuate it by saying that this was only for his Elect. For it was thy sin and the sin of all the world that lay upon our Redeemer and his sacrifice and satisfaction is sufficient for all and the fruits of it are offered to one as well as another but it is true that it was never the intent of his mind to pardon and save any that would not by faith and repentance be Converted If you had seen and heard him weeping and bemoaning the state of a disobedient impenitent people Luke 19.41 42. or complaining of their stubborness as Mat. 23.37 Oh Ierusalem Ierusalem how oft would I have gathered thy chilâ—ren together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not Or if you had seen and heard him on the Cross praying for his persecutors Father forgive them for they know not what they do would you have suspected that he had delighted in the death of the wicked even of those that perish by their wilfull unbelief When God hath so loved not only loved but so loved the world as to give his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him by an effectual faith should not perish but have everlasting life I think he hath hereby proved against the malice of men and devils that he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked but had rather that they would Turn and Live 6. Lastly if all this will not yet satisfie you take his own word that knoweth best his own mind or at least believe his oath but this leadeth me up to the fourth Doctrine Doct. 4. THE Lord hath confirmed it to us by his Oath that he hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that he Turn and Live that he may leave man no pretence to question the truth of it If you dare question his word I hope you dare not question his oath As Christ hath solemnly protested that the unregenerate and Unconverted cannot enter into the Kingdom of heaven Mat. 18.3 Iohn 3.3 So God hath sworn that his pleasure is not in their death but in their Conversion and Life And as the Apostle saith Heb. 6.13 16 17 18. Because he can swear by no greater then himself he saith As I live c. For men verily swear by the greater and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of strife wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of Promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by on oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us which we have as an Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast If there be any man that cannot reconcile this truth with the Doctrine of Predestination or the actual damnation of the wicked that 's his own ignorance he
perswade them to it if we would beg it of them with tears we cannot perswade them and what more can we do These are the secret complaints and moans that many a poor Minister is fain to make And do you think that he hath any Pleasure in this Is it a Pleasure to him to see you go on in sin and cannot stop you to see you so miserable and cannot so much as make you sensible of it to see you merry when you are not sure to be an hour out of Hell to think what you must for ever suffer because you will not Turn and to think what an everlasting life of Glory you wilfully despise and cast away What sadder thing can you bring to their hearts and how can you devise to grieve them more Who is it then that you Pleasure by your sin and death It is none of your understanding godly friends Alas it is the grief of their souls to see your misery and they lament you many a time when you give them little thanks for it and when you have not hearts to lament your selves Who is it then that takes Pleasure in your sin It is none but the three great enemies of God whom you renouâ—ced in your Baptism and now are turned falsly to serve 1. The Devil indeed takes pleasure in your sin and death For this is the very end of all his temptations For this he watcheth night and day You cannot devise to please him better then to go on in sin How glad is he when he sees thee going to the Ale-house or other sin and when he heareth thee curse or swear or rail How glad is he when he heareâ—h thee revile the Minister that would draw thee from thy sin and help to save thee These are his delight 2. The wicked also are delighted in it For it is agreeable to their nature 3. But I know for all this that it is not the pleasing of the Devil that you intend even when you please him but it is your own flesh the greatest and most dangerous enemy that you intend to please It is the flesh that would be pampered that would be pleased in meat and drink and cloathing that would be pleased in your company and pleased in applause and credit with the world and pleased in sports and lost and idleness this is the gulf that devoureth all This is the very god that you serve for the Scripture saith of such that their bellies are thâ—ir gods Phil. 3.18 But I beseech you stay a little and consider the business 1. Quest. Should your flesh be pleased before your Maker Will you displease the Lord and displease your Teachers and your godly friends and all to please your brutish appetites or sensual desires Is not God worthy to be the Ruler of your flesh If he shall not Rule it he will not save it you cannot in reason expect that he should 2. Qu. Your flesh is pleased with your sin but is your conscience pleased Doth not it grudge within you and tell you sometimes that all is not well and that your case is not so safe as you make it to be and should not your soul and conscience be pleased before that corruptible flesh 3. Quest. But is not your flesh preparing for its own displeasure also it loves the bait but doth it love the hook It loves the strong drink and sweet morsels it loves its case and sports and merriment it loves to be rich and well spoken of by men and to be some body in the world but doth it love the curse of God Doth it love to stand trembling before his Bar and to be judged to everlasting fire Doth it love to be tormented with the Devils for ever Take all together for there is no separating sin and hell but only by faith and true Conversion if you will keep one you must have the other If Death and Hell be pleasant to you no wonder then if you go on in sin but if they be not as I am sure they be not then what if sin were never so pleasant is it worth the loss of Life Eternal Is a little drink or meat or ease is the good words of sinners is the riches of this world to be valued above the Joyes of heaven Or are they worth the suffering of Eternal fire Sirs these questions should be considered before you go any further by every man that hath Reason to consider and that believes he hath a soul to save or lose Well the Lord here sweareth that he hath no Pleasure in your Death but rather that you would Turn and Live if yet you will go on and Dye rather then Turn remember it was not to Please God that you did it it was to Please the world and to please your selves And if men will damn themselves to please themselves and run into endless Torments for Delight and have not the wit the hearts the grace to hearken to God or man that would reclaim them what remedy but they must take what they get by it and repent it in another manner when it is too late Before I proceed any further in the Application I shall come to the next Doctrine which giveth me a fuller ground for it Doct. 5. SO earnest is God for the Conversion of sinners that he doubleth his commands and exhortations with vehemency Turn ye Turn ye Why will ye Dye This Doctrine is the Application of the former as by a Use of Exhortation and accordingly I shall handle it Is there ever an Unconverted sinner that heareth these vehement words of God Is there ever a man or woman in this Assembly that is yet a stranger to the renewing sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost It is an happy Assembly if it be not so with the most Hearken then to the voice of your maker and Turn to him by Christ without delay Would you know the will of God Why this is his will that you presently Turn Shall the living God send so earnest a Message to his creatures and should they not obey Hearken then all you that live after the flesh the Lord that gave thee thy breath and being hath sent a message to thee from heaven and this is his Message Turn ye Turn ye why will you die He that hath ears to hear let him hear Shall the voice of the Eternal Majesty be neglected If he do but terribly thunder thou art afraid O but this voice doth more nearly concern thee If he did but tell thee thou shalt die to morrow thou wouldst not make light of it O but this word concerneth thy life or death everlasting It is both a Command and an Exhortation As if he had said to thee I charge thee upon the allegiance that thou owest to me thy Creator and Redeemer that thou renounce the flesh the world and the Devil and Turn to me that thou maist Live I condescend to intreate thee as thou either lovest or fearest him that made thee as thou
God and do as well as I can and not make so much ado Answ. 1. Is that doing as well as you can when you will not Turn to God but your heart is against his holy and diligent service It is as well as you will indeed but that 's your misery 2. My desire is that you should Hope and Trust in God But for what is it that you will Hope Is it to be saved if you turn and be sanctified For this you have Gods promise and therefore hope for it and spare not But if you Hope to be saved without Conversion and an Holy Life this is not to Hope in God but in Satan or your selves For God hath given you no such promise but told you the contrary but its Satan and self-love that made you such promises and raised you to such Hopes Well If these and such as these be all you have to say against Conversion and an Holy Life your All is Nothng and worse then Nothing And if these and such as these seem Reasons sufficient to perswade you to forsake God and cast your selves into Hell the Lord deliver us from such Reasons and from such blind understandings and from such sensless hardened hearts Dare you stand to ever an one of these Reasons at the Barr of God Do you think it will then serve your turn to say Lord I did not Turn because I had so much to do in the world or because I did not like the lives of some professors or because I saw men of so many minds O how easily will the light of that day confound and shame such reasonings as these Had you the world to look after Let the world which you served now pay your wages and save you if it can Had you not a better world to look after first And were you not commanded to seek first Gods Kingdom and Righteousness and promised that other things should be added to you Mat. 6.33 And were you not told that godliness was profitable to all things having the promise of this life and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 Did the sins of professors hinder you you should rather have been the more heedful and learned by their falls to beware and have been the more careful and not the more careless It was the Scripture and not their lives that was your Rule Did the many opinions of the world hinder you Why the Scripture that was your Rule did teach you but one way and that was the right way If you had followed that even in so much as was plain and easie you should never have miscarried Will not such Answers as these confound and silence you If these will not God hath those that will when he asketh the man Mat. 22.12 Friend how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment that is What dost thou in my Church among professed Christians without an holy heart and life What answer did he make Why the text saith He was speechless he had nothing to say The clearness of the case and the Majesty of God will then easily stop the mouths of the most confident of you though you will not be put down by any thing that we can say to you now but will make good your cause be it never so bad I know already that never a Reason that now you can give will do you any good at last when your case must be opened before the Lord and all the world Nay I scarce think that your own Consciences are well satisfied with your Reasons For if they are it seems then you have not so much as a Purpose to Repent But if you do purpose to Repent it seems you do not put much confidence in your Reasons which you bring against it What say you yet Unconverted sinners Have you any good Reason to give why you should not Turn and presently Turn with all your hearts Or will you go to Hell in despight of Reason it self Bethink you what you do in time for it will shortly be too late to bethink you Can you find any fault with God or his work or wages Is he a bad Master Is the Devil whom you serve a better or is the flesh a better Is there any harm in an holy life is a life of worldliness and ungodliness better Do you think in your Consciences that it would do you any harm to be Converted and live an holy life What harm can it do you Is it harm to you to have the Spirit of Christ within you and to have a cleansed purified heart If it be bad to be Holy why doth God say Be ye holy for I am holy 1 Pet. 1.15 16. Leviticus 20.7 Is it evil to be like God Is it not said that God made man in his image Why this Holiness is his Image This Adam lost and this Christ by his Word and Spirit would restore to you as he doth to all that he will save Why were you Baptized into the Holy Ghost and why do you Baptize your children into the Holy Ghost as your Sanctifier if you will not be sanctified by him but think it an hurt to you to be sanctified Tell me truly as before the Lord Though you are loath to live an Holy life had you not rather die in the case of those that do so then of others If you were to die this day had you not rather die in the case of a Conveted man then of the Unconverted of an holy and heavenly man then of a carnal earthly man and would you not say as Balaam Numb 23.10 Let me die the death of the Righteous and let my last end be like his And why will you not now be of the mind that you will be of then First or last you must come to this either to be Converted or wish you had been when it is to late But what is it that you are afraid of losing if you Turn Is it your friends you will but change them God will be your friend and Christ and the Spirit will be your friend and every Christian will be your friend You will get one friend that will stand you in more stead then all the friends in the world could have done The friends you lose would but have ticed you to hell but could not have delivered you But the friend you get will save you from hell and bring you to his own eternal Rest. Is it your pleasures that you are afraid of losing You think you shall never have a merry day again if once you be Converted Alas that you should think it a greater pleasure to live in foolish sports and merriments and please your flesh then to live in the Believing thoughts of glory and in the love of God and in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost in which the state of grace consisteth Romans 14.17 If it be a greater pleasure to you to think of your Lands and inheritance if you were Lords of all the Country
much daunt them because they see not whither they are gone poor wretches they hold on in their ungodliness for all this for they little know that their companions are now lamenting it in torments In Luke 16. the rich man in hell would fain have had one to warn his five Brethren left they should come to that place of torment It s like he knew their minds and lives and knew that they were hasting thither and little dreamt that he was there yea and would little have believed one that would have told them so I remember a passage that a Gentleman yet living told me he saw upon a bridge over Severn A man was driving a flock of fat lambs and something meeting them and hindring their passage one of the Lambs leapt upon the wall of the bridge and his legs slipping from under him he fell into the stream the rest seeing him did one after one leap over the bridge into the stream and were all or almost all drowned Those that were behind did little know what was become of them that were gone before but thought they might venture to follow their companions but as soon as ever they were over the wall and falling headlong the case was altered Even so it is with Unconverted Carnal men One dyeth by them and drops into hell and another follows the same way and yet they will go after them because they think not whether they are gone Oh but when death hath once opened their eyes and they see what 's on the other side of the wall even in another world then what would they give to be where they were 6. Moreover they have a subtile malicious enemy that is unseen of them and playes his game in the dark and it is his principal business to hinder their Conversion and therefore to keep them where they are by perswading them not to believe the Scriptures or not to trouble their minds with these matters or by perswading them to think ill of a godly life or to think that it s more ado then needs and that they may be saved without Conversion and without all this stir and that God is so merciful that he will not damn any such as they or at least that they may stay a little longer and take their pleasure and follow the world a little longer yet and then let it go and repent hereafter And by such jugling deluding cheats as these the Devil keeps the most in his captivity and leadeth them to his misery These and such like impediments as these do keep so many thousands Unconverted when God hath done so much and Christ hath suffered so much and Ministers have said so much for their Conversion when their Reasons are silenced and they are not able to answer the Lord that calls after them Turn ye Turn ye Why will you die yet all comes to nothing with the greatest part of them and they leave us no more to do after all but to sit down and lament their wilful misery I Have now shewed you the Reasonableness of Gods commands and the unreasonableness of wicked mens disobedience If nothing will serve turn but men will yet refuse to Turn we are next to consider who it is long of if they be damned And this brings me up to the last Doctrine which is Doct. 7. THAT if after all this men will not Turn it is not long of God that they are condemned but of themselves even their own wilfulness They die because they will die that is because they will not Turn If you will go to hell what remedy God here acquits himself of your blood it shall not lie on him if you be lost A negligent Minister may draw it upon him and those that encourage you or hinder you not in sin may draw it upon them but be sure of it it shall not lie upon God Saith the Lord concerning his unprofitable Vineyard Isaiah 5.1 2 3 4. Iudge I pray you betwixt me and my Vineyard What could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it When he had planted it in a fruitful soil and fenced it and gathered out the stones and planted it with the choicest Vine What should he have done more to it He hath made you men and endued you with Reason he hath furnished you with all external necessaries all creatures are at your service He hath given you a righteous perfect Law When you had broke it and undone your selves he had pitty on you and sent his Son by a miracle of condescending mercy to die for you and be a sacrifice for your sins and he was in Christ reconciling the world to himself The Lord Jesus hath made you a deed of gift of himself and eternal life with him on the condition you will but accept it and return He hath on this reasonable condition offered you the free pardon of all your sins he hath written this in his Word and sealed it by his Spirit and sent it you by his Ministers they have made the offer to you an hundred and an hundred times and called you to accept it and to turn to God They have in his name entreated you and reasoned the case with you and answered all your frivolous objections He hath long waited on you and slaid your leisure and suffered you to abuse him to his face He hath mercifully sustained you in the midst of your sin he hath compassed you about with all sorts of mercies He hath also intermixt afflictions to mind you of you folly and call you to your wits And his spirit hath been often striving with your hearts and saying there Turn sinner Turn to him that calleth thee Whither art thou going What art thou doing Dost thou know what will be the end How long wilt thou hate thy friends and love thine enemies when wilt thou let go all and Turn and deliver up thy self to God and give thy Redeemer the possession of thy soul When shall it once be These pleadings have been used with thee And when thou hast delayed thou hast been urged to make hast and God hath called to thee To day while it is called to day harden not thy heart Why not now without any more delay Life hath been set before you The Joyes of Heaven have been opened to you in the Gospel The Certainty of them hath been manifested The certainty of the everlasting Torments of the damned hath been declared to you Unless you would have had a sight of Heaven and Hell what could you desiâ—â— more Christ hath been as it were set forth crucified before your eyes Gal. 3.1 You have been an hundred times told that you are but lost men till you come unto him As oft have you been told of the evil of sin of the vanity of sin the world and all the pleasures and wealth it can afford of the shortness and uncertainty of your lives and the endless duration of the Joy or Torment of the life
in their hearts said Men and Brethren what shall we do How might we come to be truly converted We are willing if we did but know our duty God forbid that we should choose destruction by refusing conversion as hitherto we have done If these be the thoughts and purposes of your hearts I say of you as God did of a promising people Deut. 5.28 29. They have well said all that they have spoken O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandements alwaies Your Purposes are good O that there be but an heart in you to perform these purposes And in hope hereof I shall gladly give you direction what to do and that but briefly that you may the easier Remember it for your Practice DIRECTION I. IF you would be converted and saved labour to understand the necessity and true Nature of Conversion For what and from what and to what and by what it is that you must Turn Consider in what a lamentable condition you are till the hour of your conversion that you may see it is not a state to be rested in You are under the guilt of all the sins that ever you committed and under the wrath of God and the curse of his Law you are bondslaves to the Devil and daily imployed in his work against the Lord your selves and others you are spiritually dead and deformed as being void of the holy life and nature and image of the Lord. You are unfit for any holy work and do nothing that is truly pleasing unto God You are without any promise or assurance of his pâ—otection and live in continual danger of his Justice not knowing what hour you may be snatcht away to Hell and most certain to be damned if you die in that condition And nothing short of Conversion can prevent it What ever civilities or amendments or vertues are short of true conversion will never procure the saving of your souls Keep the true sense of this natural misery and so of the necessity of Conversion on your hearts And then you must understand what it is to be converted It is to have a New Heart or Disposition and a New Conversation Quest. 1. For what must you Turn Answ. For these ends following which you may attain 1. You shall immediately be made living Members of Christ and have interest in him and be renewed aâ—ter the Image of God and be adorned with all his graces and quickned with a new and heavenly life and lived from the tyrannie of Satan and the dominion of sin and be justified from the curse of the Law and have the pardon of all the sins of your whole lives and be accepted of God and made his Sons and have liberty with boldness to call him Father and go to him by prayer in all your needs with a promise of acceptance you shall have the Holy Ghost to dwell in you to sâ—nctifie and guide you you shall have part in the brother-hood communion and prayers of the Saints You shall be fitted for Gods service and be freed from the Dominion of sin and be usefull and a blessing to the place where you live and shall have the promise of this life and that which is to come You shall want nothing that is truly good for you and your necessary afflictions you shall be enabled to bear you may have some taste of communion with God in the Spirit especially in all holy Ordinances where God prepareth a feast for your souls shall be heirs of heaven while you live on earth and may for-see by faith the everlasting glory and so may live and die in peace and you will never be so low but your happiness will be incomparably greater then your misery How precious is every one of these blessings which I do but briefly name and which in this life you may receive And then 2. at death your souls shall go to Christ and at the day of judgement both soul and body shall be Justifyed and Glorified and enter into your Masters Joy where your happiness will consist in these particulars 1. You shall be perfected your selves your mortal bodies shall be made immortal and the corruptible shall put on incorruption you shall no more be hungry or thirsty or weary or sick nor shall you need to fear either shame or sorrow or death or hell Your souls shall be perfectly freed from sin and perfectly fitted for the knowledge and love and praises of the Lord. 2. Your imployment shall be to behold your glorified Redeemer with all your holy fellow Citizens of Heaven and to see the Glory of the most blessed God and to Love him perfectly and be beloved by him and to praise him everlastingly 3. Your glory will contribute to the glory of the new Jerusalem the City of the Living God which is more then to have a private felicity to your selves 4. Your Glory will contribute to the Glorifying of your Redeemer who will everlastingly be magnified and pleased in you that are the travail of his soul and this is more then the Glorifying of your selves 5. And the eternal Majesty the living God will be glorified in your Glory both as he is magnified by your praises and as he communicateth of his glory and goodness to you and as he is pleaâ—ed in you and in the accomplishment of his glorious works in the glory of the â—ew Jerusalem and of his Son All this the pooâ—est beggar of you that is Converted shall Certainly and Eâ—â—lâ—sly enjoy 2. You see For what you must Turn Next you must understand From what you must Turn Aâ—d that is in a word From your Carnal Self which is the End of all the Unconverted Fâ—om the flesh that would be pleased before God and would still be enticing you thereto From the world that is the bait And from the Devil that is the Angler for souls and the deceiver And so from all known and wilfull sin 3. Next you must know To what you must Turn And that is To God as your End To Christ as the way to the Father To Holiness as the way appointed you by Christ And so to the use of all the helps and means of grace afforded you by the Lord. 4. Lastly you must know By what you must Turn And that is by Christ as the only Redeemer and Intercessor And by the Holy Ghost as the Sanctifier And by the Word as his Instrument or Means And by Faith and Repentance as the means and duties on your part to be performed All this is of necessity DIRECTION II. IF you will be Converted and Saved be much in secret serious Consideration Inconsiderateness undoes the world Withdraw your selves oft into retired secrecy and there bethink you of the end why you were made of the life you have lived the time you have lost the sin you have committed of the love and sufferings and fulness of Christ of the danger you are in of the nearness of death