thou lovest or likest any of them though not brought forth into act in the outward man yet must be mortified resisted subdued or else there will be no hope for thee of salvation being inconsistent with a gracious frame of soul and saving Christianity S. 2 Reader I would not peremptorily charge thee as guilty of any one damning actuall sin much less of all those any of which is more then enough to render thy state miserable and deplorable but none of them shall actually procure thy damnation if thou heartily repent for leave off and in time ere it be too late in this thy day of continued grace to thee dost reform by renouncing them all in heart and life withall dost affectionately embrace and actually perform instead of them the contrary virtues which are opposed to the sins thou art guilty of S. 3 For when a sinner is brought to the knowledg of his faults and immediately repents imploring the grace of God for his sincere amendment and withall sets himself against them all and enters without delay upon a course of holy living and continueth in a watchfull observance of his sinfull inclination and checks the motions and prevents the acts of sin in every kind and withall turns to God to think and act that which is pleasing to God and observes to doe his will in every Instance both for avoiding evil and doing good this man is in a happy estate for the present and through Gods grace assisting him in such a course to the end of his life he shall undoubtedly be pardoned and in Christ accepted of justified that is acquitted of the guilt of his former sins and saved eternally S. 4 But on the contrary if thou reform not but goest on still in thy sins repeating the acts when temptation comes and settling the habit of an irregular inordinate disposition and course of ungodliness though mixed with some acts of seeming religion there remaineth no sacrifice effectuall for such an one to expiate his sins or to make an atonement for him nor men nor angels nor Christ himself can doe him any more good no more then for him who hath renounced Christ and Christianity and hath proceeded to commit the unpardonable sin but he such an one who ere he be must remain hopeless for ever either to escape the horrors of hell much more is he left without hope of being saved except he repent and change his course in time S. 5 This being so doth it not concern thee and every soul that hath any regard to his own eternall well-being to look into his heart and life that he may know his danger and so if he find himself charged with any sin which to live in is death by the decreed Law of God thou mayest forthwith renounce it and all and turn from it and all that are a kin to it that so thy precious soul may escape the severe stroke which is falling on such a sinner S. 6 Come then along considerate soul and take a veiw of those sins and dispositions of heart that carry with them the black characters of death condemned to the pit of Hell by an unalterable decree and every one that is guilty of them all or any of them and doth not repent and forsake them utterly is the person that must expect to be condemned for living in those sins because he doth not reforme by a speedy hearty and voluntary change of life pray God thou be not he that resolves to continue in them If thou be guilty S. 7 Consider I beseech thee thy case and state and examine well thy self whether these following sins may be charged upon thee or which of them belongs to thee marke them as you goe and read their doom with trembling and never give rest to thy soul untill thou art rid of them by Reformation §. I. Wilfull Ignorance S. 8 First of all consider is Wilfull Ignorance and unbelief thy case if it be thou art a perishing man in this state till saving knowledg and faith come thou art a child of darkness under the power of Sathan if when means of knowledg afforded are neglected when meanes offered are rejected by thee And such is thy state if so it be that after so long living with the meanes of knowledg so much hearing of the word of faith and so many helpes for instruction in the knowledg of God and ways of Godliness if it be so I say that after all this thou art ignorant of the true God and knowest not thy Saviour Christ and upon what account he is thy Saviour and what he is and did to redeem thee and if thou knowest not yet what thou art by nature how hatefull sin is to the Holy God how sin defiles and will ruine the soul if permitted if thou knowest not what it cost Jesus Christ to purchase thy pardon and acceptance with God If thou understandest not the conditions on thy part to make thee capable of the benefits of Christs purchase S. 9 If thou art yet ignorant of this thy State is wofull for t is in thee wilfull thou hast neglected or refused or resisted this knowledg and thy ignorance seeing thou hast the use of thy reason and thy senses is thy sin And because it is about the necessary and weighty things of thy salvation and yet supinely neglected or wilfully refused it is now a contracted superadded guilt and except thou come out of this thy ignorance and labour to know and understand so much of God in Christ and the Holy Ghost at least as is necessary to thy salvation thou canst not be saved For if to know the onely true God John 17.3 and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent be life eternal as Christ hath said then not to know him as he is to be known must needs be death eternall and consider well that the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire 2. Thes 1. 7 8 9. taking vengeance on them that KNOW NOT God and that obey not the Gospell of our Lord Jesus Christ and mark the dreadfull allotment for such ignorant persons in the 9. verse Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord Prov. 5.12 13 23. Eph. 3.18 Hos 4.6 Esay 27.11 Psal 95.10 11. 2 Cor. 4.3 4. and the glory of his power Read also these Scriptures in the margent if you would have more proofs of the danger of wilfull ignorance If our Gospell be hid it is hid to them that are lost they are lost who are ignorant of the contents of the Gospell §. II. Infidelity S. 10 Is Infidelity and unbelief thy condition art thou still an unbeliever And thou art an unbeliever if thou acknowledgest not nor believest in the onely True God the Father of Christ and Creator of the World as revealed to thee in the Scriptures if thou believest not in Jesus Christ the onely Eternall Son of God If thou confess him not
reproof to the wicked saying Psal 4.2 4. How long will ye love vanity how long will ye continue wicked and in the 4th verse he gives a direction and counsell saying Stand in awe and sin not stop here go no further in sin sin is a dreadfull thing but commune with your own heart upon your bed i. e. discourse and reason the case with your self in private consider your heart and ways what hath been the course of your life what is now the frame of my heart Say to thy self what have I done what am I doing how long shall I go on in these sad courses when shall I determine and resolve on amendment why not now is it not yet time have I not yet long enough been an enemy to God a rebell against his Lawes a drudge to my lust a slave to Satan a companion of fools and mad folk and a wanderer in the broad way which at last will lead me to endless wo and destruction shall I any longer consume any the rest of my time in fulfilling the lusts of the flesh as I have done too too much already 1 Pet. 4.2 3. or shall I now even now cease my folly and cast off my sins oh 't is doubtless high time S. 9 And secondly you are perswaded to deal roundly and particularly with your self do not go about to lessen and excuse thy faults spare not thy sins for thy sins will not spare thee give them no quarter believe none of their promises for to be sure if thou let any of them live with thee they will kill and destroy thy soul if it be a beloved sin with which thou hast taken pleasure or by which thou hast gotten somewhat yet trust it not keep it not for every sin let it promise never so fairly is thy mortall enemy there is a venome and deadly poyson in it which will infect all thy other performances and eat out thy comforts and cause thee at last to lie down in sorrow and despair S. 10 If it be thy beloved one yet remember so was Delilah to Sampson Judg. 16. to the end who notwithstanding betrayed him to affronts bindings woundings and death and so will this to thee if it come with pretended kindness to salute or delight thee or to remain with thee in quietness yet remember so did Joab to Abner 2 Sam. 3.27 yet smote him there and then under the fifth rib so that he died And so was the pretended sacrifice of the harlot in the Proverbs Pro. 7.13 23. With much fair speech she caused him to yield with the flattering of her lips she forced him and he goeth straitway after her as an oxe to the slaughter or as a fool to the correction c. Till a dart strike through his liver and as a bird hasteth to the snare not knowing that it is for his life Even so will it do with thee if thou trust it as Joab did Amasa And Joab said to Amasa 2 Sam. 20.9 10. art thou in health my brother And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the that hand to kiss him But Amasa took no heed to the sword that was in Joabs hand so he smote him therewith and shed out his bowels to the ground and he died So will every sin that speaketh fair to thee if thou be led aside by it do with thee for it still hath with it an instrument of woundings and death and will not spare thee when thou comest within its reach and power whatever hopes thou hast to the contrary for how true is that of the Apostle Rom. 6th after this question is put to every sinner what fruit had ye then in these things whereof you are now ashamed doth he not challenge your answer and can you answer any other thing to it but what he concludes Rom. 6.21.22 the end of those things is death for the wages of sin every sin is death and will any event be found other then what St. James speakes of the progress of sin Jam. 1.14 15. that every man that bringeth forth sin being enticed by his own lust and finisheth it must die eternally for it as certainly as every one that is born of a woman must tast of natural death with this only difference that both righteous and wicked penitent and impenitent must die a like death in nature but the wicked unregerate onely shall die eternally that is be for ever separate from God and be forever miserable S. 11 How much then doth it concern me to labour the death of my sin that my sin may not bring this death upon me how should I and every soul cast out that morsell though never so sweet that will either choke or poyson us at the last why should I dally or be familiar with that or keep it under the roof of my tabernacle that will cut my throat and then set all my house on fire and put my soul into flames of everlasting burnings Oh how can I doe this and act the other sin which doth put me under the wrath of my Lords displeasure at present and if I continue in it will procure that finall displeasure which will never be removed and this is an hell of misery to be banished from the face and favour of God and to lie under his wrath for ever S. 12 Shall I then or any body else that loves God and his own soul continue in that or this sin which for ought I know if I continue one day longer in it may never be pardoned though at my dying day I may cry to God for pardon and mercy and yet go without it because I did not in time sue for it by repentance and amendment why should either I or you be so like that profane person Esau who for one sweet morsell of meat sold his birth-right who after when he would have inherited the blessing he was rejected Heb. 12.16 17. For he found no place for repentance though he sought it carefully with tears S. 13 Is is not a thousand times better to forgo the pleasures of sin which are sinfull pleasures and but for a season then to keep them to the loss of Heaven and happiness hereafter Must I part with my sins or lose heaven and part from God Ah poor soul le ts be wise and say we would not lose heaven nor our happiness in God for ten thousand worlds what shall we keep a sin which is worse then nothing to the hazard of that which is more worth then all things even Christ and glory no God forbid we should cast away our precious souls so for a trifle which cost Christ so much pain and blood to redeem from hell and from all iniquity to serve the living God onely here and to be happy with him in everlasting mansions of glory hereafter Ah me methinks I should not be so foolish nor such an enemy to my own happiness Must I take my farewell of all my sins or
be disswaded from that which is evil except he see evil in that thing he is disswaded from S. 20 And now truly in every sin thou art guilty of there is so much evil that a serious considerate soul would chuse to lie under the greatest affliction without sin rather then to commit the least sin to escape that temporary affliction or to gain by sinning all the advantages this world can procure to the flesh The want of the consideration of the heinousness of sin S. 21. Plas 51. was the occasion that let that good man David loose to a sin which afterward cost him many a salt teat and it was well for him he found place for repentance a melting heart and a weeping eye or else his sin had cost him dear had it not been pardoned upon his repentance Against thee onely have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight which if he had considered before as afterward he did he had not fallen into that which was so hard for him to get out of And on the other side the consideration of sin as sin notwithstanding the advantage might have accrued thereby was the occasion that Joseph withstood the solicitation of his Mistress to an experiment of folly namely with this Gen. 39.9 How can I doe this great wickedness and sin against God and this consideration kept him from that act of folly which otherwise he might have committed to his wounding and endangering Now that you may no longer retain any the least love and liking of your sin whatever it be S. 22. Job 11.14 but forthwith tenounce and cast it far from thee And if iniquity be in thine hand to put it away and never more let wickedness dwell in thy tabernacle then enter on these following considerations First S. 23.1 I consider and so likewise doe you that sin in its self when it was first known by the creatures angels and men and by any of either of those two kinds of creatures committed and acted became the greatest downfall of each of those Actors as ever since and never before they became sinners was heard of Sin at the first made the first and great breach between God and sinning Angells God and sinning men Man had not known misery but for sin and the miseries and calamities and natural death of mankind are not half so dreadfull as sin is nor half so much evil as sin is and the devils had not felt torment and now their unspeakable misery but for their sin nay hell had not been hell a place of torment had it not been for sinners which was prepared and prepared onely for sinning angells and sinning men and all the Miseries that have befallen any since the creation or that ever shall be inflicted upon any are but the wofull consequences of sin the first and single transgression of a law of God and that by the most choise of the creation and by their single act and being but once committed there fell on them the immediate curse and misery which to this day and to the end of the world and will for ever continue as long as sin is sin and that will be for ever For Christ himself never undertook to abrogate the law of God nor to make it a law that transgression of those laws should be no sin nor that transgressors should be accounted innocent when they sin by disobedience and transgression nor that they should be approved of by God and saved eternally in a way of disobedience that is in a way of habituall and actuall rebellion against God S. 24 Now when I consider the venome and perniciousness of sin in its first infection and in one single act that it defiled and destroyed by rendering them for ever most miserable so great a number of once most glorious and happy angels that sinned but once before their fall and the first sin that ever was committed yet for that once sinning were cast down in disgrace presently from heaven and of glorious angels made wretched devills and reserved in chaines of darkness 2 Pet. 2.4 Jude v. 6. never to be restored upon any termes to the least hope of recovery and reconciliation with God S. 25 Yet again when I consider that for one sin in our first parents Adam and Eve which came upon them by the instigation and cheat of Satan in the time of their pure innocency and integrity what an hereditary misery it brought with it yea such an infection and pollution that not onely they which transgressed became miserable slaves wretched persons deprived of their excellency and paradise but even all the whole race of mankind are fallen under the misery of pollution in our very nature and thereby in a state of wrath and liable to eternal misery can I when I consider this the wofull consequences of one sin in such as those once glorious angels and these once most happy men chuse but I must entertain most dreadfull apprehensions of the nature of sin and flee from it and lotheit as a poisonous serpent and fiery dragon issuing out of the bottomless pit of hell pursuing thy soul to the death and destruction S. 26 2ly I consider the exceeding sinfulness of sin and I think with Abhorrency of soul on that venome in it and detestableness that when the immaculate most innocent sinlesse lamb the holy and ever-blessed JESUS took mans nature and undertook to expiate the guilt and to satisfie the justice of God and to intercept the wrath of the offended God pouring out upon the whole race of mankind for the first and after-transgressions see although he did but beare our sins for he had not one sin of his own to answer for not the least sinless he ever was and sinless he will for ever be yet consider what expence he was at and what chastisements he bare what agonies of soul he laboured under what woundings he suffered what blood he shed what death he died and all ignominie and ten thousand times more then I can express did he passe through and all because he in infinite love to mankind would interpose and was content to be reputed as a sinner that he might satisfie for sin committed and repair the ruines sin had made and restore the losse sin had procured yet when I consider what wofull worke sin made on the humanity of the ETERNALL JESUS while on earth though being but laid on him not found in him how can I keep my blood from rising up against sin my sin that fetcht the heart-blood of Christ my Lord and crucified the Lord of Life the Lord of my Life too and caused his death for a season But had he been tainted in himself with the least sin of his own or been guiâ—ty of the least transgression or had he made the least failer in any of those many transactions enjoyned him by his Eternal Father for the redemption of mankind fallen or had he admitted of the least irregularity in all
dispensations and that is the upshot of all S. 41 Now while I continue in any sin what do I any less then cross the design of God by these means and so render my self inexcusable and oppose God in Christ and resist the Spirit of God in his word working and endeavouring by all means my conversion what am I less injurious to Gods grace and Christs love by my obstinacie and wilfullness then they of this sort which our Saviour speaks to in tears How often would I have gathered thee Luke 13.34 Luke 19.42 as a hen doth her chickens under her wings but ye would not O that thou hadst known even thou in this thy day and by these thy means the things that belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes thou knewest not the time of mercies visitation but crossest the gracious design of thy invitation thou wilt not leave thy sins and now mercy is hid from thee and so my continuance in sin is a meer contradiction to my pardon and forgiveness you see S. 42 O how should this consideration cut me to the bone and pierce me to the heart when my continuing in sin is no less then the opposing the grace of God Its design is to bring me to repentance and forsaking sin that I might find mercy and favour from him who but a mad man or a fool would continue in his sin against such grace and so cross that design of God to bring thee poor wretch to happiness S. 43 I consider that as my sin is against God for 't is a pollution and so against his most holy nature which hath no defilement and 't is against his holy laws his good will purpose and gracious designs and makes the sinner and God at great dispute and controversie which is a state bad enough for a poor wicked wretch to be in yet I may further consider that my sin is against God and so bad enough though God notwithstanding my enmity and contrariety can well enough secure his own honour holiness and eternal happiness without impeachment or the least interruption or diminution yet 't is bad enough to me that I by my sin am become an enemy to God and God an enemy to me which is death and misery sure enough to the sinner I may further consider that as often as I sin I offer violence to my own soul my sin is against my own self it is the greatest wrong and injury I can do to my self and if I had any true love to my self that is to the eternal welfare of my best self my soul Pro. 8.36 I should forbear sinning He that sinneth against me that is against Christ wrongeth his own soul all they that hate me love death If I live in sin and will not repent of it and forbear it I work the greatest mischief I can against my self sinning is self-murthering I lay violent hands on my self if I would study to ruine my self for ever there is no way imaginable like this now mentioned of sinning and repeating the acts and continuing in any sinfull course to effect my utter destruction every sin is a deaths-wound although it kill me not out-right yet it leaves me for dead I am a condemned man I am dead in law and dead as to the acting any life of grace it may be I may have for a little while a name to live but indeed I am dead dead while I live in the world Such an one a sinner is as the Angel of the Church of Sardis reproveth Rev. 3 1. I know thy workes that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead S. 44 When I commit a sin I consider I doe that which for ought I know I may neither have the grace nor the space to repent of I may forget it I may make light of it or I may excuse it or defend it or maintain it I may be hardened in it and adde more to it and draw others to countenance and practise my sin and so still infect another with my plague and become an exemplar and promoter of wickedness and teach others to sin too and propagate iniquity and bring subjects to the devill and enlarge his kingdome O what an innumerable many of mischiefs do I bring upon my self and others when I sin And after all this if I do seem to be sorry for my so doing at the end of a vicious life I can have none assurance that I shall be pardoned but on the contrary most certain it is if I continue in my sin untill death I must be damned for all my repentance for Judas sinned and repented and despaired and was damned for all his repentance his sin for which he was accused and for which he hanged himself was but a sin and my transgression is a sin too and if Judas or Cain or a Simon Magus or a Julian be damned for their sins what advantage will it be for me if my sin be not so deep a dye so grim a complexion so horrid a sound as treasons and murder a betraying my Master and killing my Brother if I be cast into hell for my omissions of Gods commands and doing such things though but in the least instance which God hath absolutely forbidden When I consider this methinks I should dread sin as an ugly fiend as a devill of hell and shun it as a pest and a killing plague and repent me heartily that ever I committed any and resolve to commit it no more and the more I consider the more I should detest lothe shun renounce all and every wickedness and the more should I raise my resolution to sin no more as I have done lest as bad a thing befall me as hath befallen any of those whose destruction was most dreadfull God grant I may I hope I shall S. 55 3. I consider again that when I sin I injure my own soul 1. I wrong my knowledg I know I should not commit the sin I commit and yet I do it against my knowledge 2. I wrong my reason and judgment my reason and my judgment if it act clear tell me that there is no reason why I should serve sin but all the reason in the world why I should not sin thus and if I would yeild to reason I should not yeild to sin and yet I sin against my reason and judgment and wrong both 3. I wrong and offer violence to my conscience when I sin my conscience minds me that I must not commit this and that sin and it smites me when I do and it accuseth for my sinning when I have done it and yet I sin I do act against my conscience when I sin at all and how will my conscience endure this will not my conscience one day complain to God of me that I wronged it and did things contrary to it in despite of it and do I not wound and gash and tear my bosome friend when I sin do I not
to be the true Messias nor acknowledgest him to be HE that was promised and in time was sent into the world born of a virgin and took humane nature into his Godhead and suffered here on earth death for the Redemption of mankind who were lost by sin and under the curse and power of Satan if thou takest him not for thy Saviour and Lord if thou yeildest not up thy self thy mind Will affections and actions to be sanctified and ruled by him thou art yet an Infidel S. 11 If thou believest not the Holy Ghost to be God and proceeding from the Father and the Son and yet equall with the Father and the Son and that the FATHER SON and HOLY GHOST are one onely God in essence nature power dignity infiniteness according to the Scriptures thou art an Infidel Nay if thou believest not the holy Scriptures of the OLD and NEW TESTAMENT to be of God given unto us for a full Revelation of the mind of God concerning our faith and life If thou believest not the promises and threats of the Gospell If thou believest not reward for the Godly and punishment for the wicked a day of Judgment where and when all mankind shall be Judged according to their workes done in this present World in the Resurrection of all the dead at the last day when men shall receive the finall sentence from the mouth of Christ either for the enjoyment of Heaven or the torments of Hell from that time for ever S. 12 If thou believest not all this thy state is Infidell thou art yet an unbeliever and if thou continuest so this must be thy doom read it and tremble * Mar. 16.16 He that believeth not shall be damned * John 3.36 He that believeth not the Son which is Jesus Christ shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him †Rev. 21.8 The unbelieving shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Consider this and see if thy case be unbelief whether it doth not concern thee speedily to reform in this particular and become a true believer §. III. Unrighteousness S. 13 Art thou an unrighteous person I mean one that is unjust in thy dealings with men doest wrong either friend or foe in goods name or life Is it thy custome in trafficking with others to cheat deceive defraud any one dost thou keep back for thy own use that which is not thine own by consent or purchase or gift from the right owners hast broken thy promise and covenant made with man wilfully hast thou stollen from or robbed any man of what was his or anothers in his keeping hast received stollen goods knowingly and consenting to theeves and robbers dost usually doe to others in any case what in no case thou wouldest have them doe to thee Then art thou an unrighteous person injurious to man a wronger of thine own soul and highly offensive to the Just and Righteous God who loveth righteousness and hateth iniquity and hast sinfully transgressed that excellent Rule of thy blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who hath said that whatsoever you would that men should doe unto you Luke 6.21 Mat. 7.20 doe ye even so unto them S. 14 Now if thou art guilty of unjust and unrighteous dealing you must repent of it speedily and quit it absolutely away with this evil frame and wicked practice S. 15 Leave off to walk unrighteously if thou meanest to be reformed and saved but if thou wilt not then take notice that this remaines against thee Deut. 25.16 Rom. 1.18 1 Cor. 6.9 All that doe unrighteously are an abomination unto the Lord thy God And then know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdome of God S. 16 Now will you dare to doe unrighteously any more or wilt thou not much rather reform in time then undergoe thy exclusion of heaven and loss of thy happiness to the ruine of thy soul for ever for thy unrighteous dealing S. 17 Then be perswaded to rid thy hands of unjust gain and thy heart and mind from all unjust and unrighteous thoughts and contrivances that it may be said of thee such was I indeed but now I am reformed I have left off all my unjust unrighteous dealing through the grace of God convincing me of my sin warning me and helping me to forsake it Adde this consideration to further thee in thy REFORMATION what will it profit thee yea what is any man profited if he shall gain the whole world by unrighteousness Mat. 16.26 and lose his own soul alas what will all thy getting doe thee good when thou shalt pay so dear for it even the unvaluable losse of thy precious soul at last §. IV. Idolatry S. 18 Is Idolatry thy sin Art thou guilty of that If thou hast worshipped a false God any of the Heathen Idols instead of the true God Hast thou worshipped or prayed to or before an image directing thy service to it or to God by an image of mans making Hast thou adored or worshipped a piece of bread as though it were really and materially the very body of Christ or hast thou adored a crucifix and prayed unto it Or attributed any divine power to a piece of gold silver brass wood made after the fashion of a cross Dost thou give the honour and worship due unto God to any creature or likeness of any thing thou then art guilty thou art found a gross Idolater S. 19 Nay further Rom. 1.21 if thou in thy fancie dost conceive of the eternall invisible GOD who is a pure spirituall being as though he were like unto any thing thou ever sawest and dost worship him under that imaginary shape thou wrongest God and hast set up an Idol in thy imagination and so art thou an imaginary Idolater though thou hast no picture before thine eyes yea further if thy heart mind will affections be laid out upon earthly things and thou payest more true love to and devotest thy self to the pleasures profits and honours of this world If thou servest the creature more constantly affectionately and willingly then the great God then art thou an Idolater for what is Idolatry else but the setting up the creature in the place of God and to give the creature the preeminence in our hearts and minds and what is it to commit Idolatry but a serving the creature and adoreing it * Rom. 1.25 more then the Creator who is blessed for ever And therefore the covetous worldling is branded with this abominable title of Idolatry †Eph. 5.5 For this ye know that no covetous man who is an IDOLATER hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ and of God S. 20 Now it mightily concerns thee to examine thy self speedily and narrowly whether thou art guilty of Idolatry any of the forementioned wayes whether thou worshippest an Idol for thy God or the true God by an Idol whether thou servest and