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
Death hath draw this curtain thou shalt see that which will quickly leave thee speechless And how quickly will that day and hour come When thou hast had but a few more merry hours and but a few more pleasant draughts and morsels and a little more of the honours or riches of the world thy portion will be spent and thy pleasures ended and all is then gone that thou settest thy heart upon of all that thou soldst thy Saviour and Salvation for there 's nothing left but the heavy reckoning As a thief that sits merrily drinking the money in an Ale-house which he hath stoln when men are riding in post haste to apprehend him so is it with you While you are drowned in cares or fleshly pleasures and making merry with your own shame death is coming in post haste to seize upon you and carry your souls to such a place and state as now you little know or think of Suppose when you are hold and busie in your sin that a messenger were but coming post from London to apprehend you and take away your lives though you saw him not yet if you knew that he was coming it would marr your mirth and you would be thinking of the haste he makes and hearkning when he knocked as your door O that you could but see what haste death makes though yet it have not overtaken you No post so swift No messenger more sure As sure as the Sun will be with you in the morning though it hath many thousands and hundred thousand miles to go in the night so sure will death be quickly with you and then where is your sport and pleasure then will you jest and brave it out Then will you jear at them that warned you Then is it better to be a Believing Saint or a sensual Worldling And then whose shall all those things be that you have gathered Luke 12.19 20 21. Do you not observe that dayes and weeks are quickly gone and nights and mornings come apace and speedâ—ly succeed each other You sleep but your damnation slumbereth not You linger but your judgment this long time lingreth not 2 Pet. 2.3 4 5. to which you are reserved for punishment 2 Pet. 2.8 9. O that you were wise to understand this and that you did consider your latter end Deut. 32.29 He that hath an ear to hear let him hear the Call of God in this day of his salvation O careless sinners that you did but know the Love that you unthankfully neglect and the preciousness of the blood of Christ which you despise O that you did but know the Riches of the Gospel Oh that you did but know a little know the certainty and the glory and blessedness of that everlasting life which now you will not set your hearts upon nor be perswaded first and diligently to seek Heb. 11.6 12.28 Matth. 6.33 Did you but know the endless Life with God which you now neglect how quickly would you cast away your sin how quickly would you change your mind and life your course and company and turn the stream of your affections and lay out your care another way How resolutely would you scorn to yield to such temptations as now deceive you and carry you away How zealously would you bestir your selves for that most blessed life How earnest would you be with God in Prayer How diligent in hearing and learning and enquiring How serious in meditating on the Laws of God Psal. 1.2 How fearful of sinning in thought word or deed and how careful to please God and grow in Holiness O what a changed people you would be And why should not the certain Word of God be believed by you and prevail with you which openeth to you these glorious and eternal things Yea let me tell you that even here on earth you little know the difference between the Life which you refuse and the Life which you choose The Sanctified are conversing with God when you dare scarce think of him and when you are conversing but with earth and flesh Their Conversation is in heaven when you are utter strangers to it and your belly is your God and you are minding earthly things Phil. 3.18 19.20 They are seeking after the face of God when you seek for nothing higher then this world They are busily laying out for an endless life where they shall be equal with the Angels Luke 20.36 when you take up with a shadow and a transitory thing of nought How low and base is your earthly fleshly sinful life in comparison of the noble spiritual life of true Believers Many a time have I looked on such men with grief and pitty to see them trudge about the world and spend their lives and care and labour for nothing but a little food and rayment or a little fading pelf or fleshly pleasure or aiery honours as if they had no higher things to mind What difference is there between the lives of these men and of the beasts that perish that spend their time in working and eating and living but that they may live You taste not of the inward heavenly pleasures which Believers taste and live upon I had rather have a little of their comforts which the fore-thoughts of their Heavenly inheritance doth afford them though I had all their Scorns and Sufferings with it then to have all your pleasures and treacherous Prosperity I would not have one of your secret gripes and pangs of conscience and dark and dreadfull thoughts of death and the Life to come for all that ever the world hath done for you or all â—hat you can reasonably hope that it should do If I were in your Vnconverted Carnal state and knew but what I know and believed but what I now believe methinks my life would be a foretaste of Hell How oft should I be thinking of the Terrours of the Lord and of the dismal day that 's hasting on Sure Death and Hell would be still before me I should think of them by day and dream of them by night I should lie down in fear and rise in fear and live in fear lest death should come before I were Converted I should have small felicity in any thing that I possessed and little pleasure in any company and a little joy in any thing in the world as long as I knew my seâ—f to be under the Curse and wrath of God I should be still afraid of hearing that voice Luke 12.20 Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee And that fearfull sentence would be written upon my conscience Isa. 48.22 and 57.21 There is no Peace saith my God to the wicked O poor sinners it is a joyfuller life then this that you might live if you were but willing but truly willing to hearken to Christ and come home to God You might then draw near to God with boldness and call him your Father and comfortably trust him with your souls and bodies If you look upon Promises you may
say they are all mine If upon the curse you may say From this I am delivered When you read the Law you may see what you are saved from when you read the Gospel you may see him that Redeemed you and see the course of his Love and holy Life and sufferings and trace him in his temptations tears and blood in the work of your salvation You may see death conquered and Heaven opened and your Resurrection and Glorification provided for in the Resurrection and Glorification of your Lord. If you look on the Saints you may say They are my Brethren and Companions If on the unsanctified you may rejoyce to think that you are saved from that state If you look upon the heavens the Sun and Moon and Stars innumerable you may think and say My Fathers face is infinitely more glorious It s higher matters that he hath prepared for his Saints Yonder is but the outward Court of Heaven The blessedness that he hath promised me is so much higher that flesh and blood cannot behold it If you think of the grave you may remember that the Glorified Spirit a Living Head and a Loving Father have all so near Relation to your dust that it cannot be forgotten or neglected but will more certainly revive then the plants and flowers in the spring because that the soul is still alive that is the Root of the Body and Christ is alive that is the Root of both Even death which is the King of fears may be remembred and entertained with joy as being the day of your deliverance from the remnants of sin and sorrow and the day which you believed and hoped and waâ—ted for when you shall see the blessed things which you had heard of and shall find by present joyful experience what it was to choose the better part and to be a sincere believing Saint What say you sirs is not this a more delightfull life to be assured of Salvation and ready to die then to live as the ungodly that have their hearts overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and the cares of this life and so that day comes upon them unawares Luke 21.34 â—6 Might you not live a comfortable life if once you were made the Heirs of Heaven and sure to be saved when you leave the world O look about you then and think what you do and cast not away such hopes as these for very nothing The flesh and world can give you no such Hopes or Comforts And besides all the misery that you bring upon your selves you are the troublers of others as long as you are Vnconverted You trouble Magistrates to rule you by their Laws You trouble Ministers by resisting the light and guidance which they offer you Your sin and misery is the greatest grief and trouble to them in the world You trouble the Common-wealth and draw the Iudgements of God upon us It s you that most disturb the holy peace and order of the Churches and hinder our Vnion and Reformation and are the shame and trouble of the Churches where you intrude and of the places where you are Ah Lord How heavy and sad a case is this that even in England where the Gospel doth abound above any other Nation in the world where Teaching is so plain and common and all the helps we can desire are at hand when the sword hath been hewing us and Iudgement hath run as a fire through the Land when deliverances have relieved us and so many admirable mercies have engaged us to God and to the Gospel and an holy life that yet after all this our Cities and Towns and Countries should abound with multitudes of unsanctified men and swarm with so much sensuality as everywhere to our grief we see One would have thought that after all this Light and all this experience and all these Iudgements and Mercies of God the people of this Nation should have joyned together as one man to Turn to the Lord and should have come to their godly Teachers and lamented all their former sin and desired him to joyn with them in publike Humiliation to confess them openly and beg pardon of them from the Lord and should have craved his Instruction for the time to come and be glad to be Ruled by the Spirit within and the Ministers of Christ without according to the Word of God One would think that after such Reason and Scripture evidence as they hear and after all these means and mercies there should not be an ungodly persoâ— lest among us nor a worldling oâ— a drunkard or a hater of Reformation or an enemy to holiness be found in all our Towns or Countreys If we be not all agreed about some Ceremoâ—ies or Forms of Government one would think that before this We should have been all agreed to live a holy and heavenly lâ—fe in obedience to God his word and Ministers and in Love and Peace with one another But alas how far are our people from this course most of them in most places do set their hearts on earthly things and seek not first the Kingdom of God and the righteouâ—neâ—s hereof but look at holinesâ— as a needless thing Their Families are prayerless or else a few heaâ—tlâ—ss lâ—feless words must serve instead of hearty fervent daily prayers their children are not taught the knowledge of Christ and the Covenant of Grace nor brought up in the nurture of the Lord though they faâ—sly promised all this in their Baptism They instruct not their servants in the matters of salvation but so their work be done they care not There are more oaths and â—nâ—ses and ribbald or railing speeches in their families then gracious words that tend to edification How few are the Families that fear the Lord and enquire at his Word and Ministers how they should live and what they should do and are willing to be taught and ruled and that heartily look after everlasting Life And those few that God hath made so happy are commonly the by-word of their neighbours when we see some live in drunkenness and some in pride and worldliness and most of them have little care of their salvation though the cause be gross and past all controversie yet will they hardly be convinced of their misery and more hardly recovered and reformed But when we have done all that we are able to save them from their sins we leave the most of them as we find them And if according to the Law of God we cast them out of the Communion of the Church when they have obstinately rejected all our admonitions they rage at us as if we were their enemies and their hearts are filled with malice against us and they will sooner set themselves against the Lord and his Laws and Church and Ministers then against their deadly siâ—s This is the dolefull case of England We have Magistrates that countenance the ways of Godliness and a happy opportunity for Vnity and Reformation is before us and faithfull Ministers long to
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
lie and yet dare you give the lie to God But if you tell God plainly you will not believe him blame him not if he never warn you more or if he forsake you and give you up as hopeless For to what purpose should he warn you if you will not believe him should he send an Angel from heaven to you its seems you would not believe For an Angel can speak but the Word of God and if an Angel should bring you another Gospel you are not to receive it but to hold him accursed Gal. 1.8 9. And surely there is no Angel to be believed before the Son of God who came from the Father to bring us this Doctrine If he be not to be believed then all the Angels in heaven are not to be believed And if you stand on these terms with God I shall leave you till he deal with you in a more convincing way God hath a voice that will make you hear Though he intreat you to hear the voice of his Gospel he will make you hear the voice of his condemning Sentence without intreaty We cannot make you believe against your wills but God will make you feelâ—gainst â—gainst your wills But let us hear what reason you have why you will not believe this word of God which tells us that the wicked must be Converted or condemned I know your reason it is because that you judge it unlikely that God should be so unmerciful you think it cruelty to damn men everlastingly for so small a thing as a sinful life And this leads us up to the second thing which is to justifie the Equity of God in his Laws and Judgements And first I think you will not deny but that it is most sutable to an immortal soul to be ruled by Laws that promise an immortal reward and threaten an endless punishment Otherwise the Law should not be suited to the nature of â—he subject who will not be fully ruled by any lower means then the Hopes or Fears of everlasting things As it is in case of temporal punishment if a Law were now made that the most hainous crimes shall be punished with an hundred years captivity this might be of some efficacy as being equal to our lives But if there had been no other penalties before the flood when men lived eight or nine hundred years it would not have been sufficient because men would know that they might have so many hundred years impunity afterward So is it in our present case 2. I suppose you will confess that the promise of an endless and unconceivable glory is not unsuitable to the wisdom of God or the case of man And why then should you not think so of the Threatning of an endless and unspeakable misery 3. When you find it in the Word of God that so it is and so it will be do you think your selves fit to contradict this Word Will you call your Maker to the Barr and examine his Word upon the accusation of falshood will you sit upon him and judge him by the Law of your Conceits Are you wiser and better and righteouser then he Must the God of heaven come to School to you to learn wisdom Must infinite wisdom learn of folly and infinite Goodness be corrected by a swinish sinner that cannot keep himself an hour clean Must the Almighty stand at the Bar of a worm Oh horrid arrogancy of sensless dust Shall every mole or cold or dung-hill accuse the Sun of darkness and undertake to illuminate the world Where were you when the Almighty made these Laws that he did not call you to his counsel Surely he made them before you were born without desiring your advice and you come into the world too late for to reverse them if you could have done so great a work you should have stept out of your Nothingness and have contradicted Christ when he was on earth or Moses before him or have saved Aâ—am and his sinful progeny from the threatned death that so there might have been no need of Christ And what if God withdraw his patience aud sustentation and let you drop into Hell while you are quarrelling with his Word will you then believe that there is a Hell 4. If 〈◊〉 such an evil that it requireth the death of Christ for its expiation no wonder if it deserve our everlasting misery 5. And if the sin of the Devils deserved an endless torment why not also the sin of man 6. And me thinks you should perceive that it is not possible for the best of men much less for the wicked to be competent Judges of the desert of sin Alas we are all both blind and partial You can never know fully the desert of sin till you fully know the evil of sin and you can never fully know the evil of sin till you fully know 1. The Excellency of the soul which it deformeth 2. And the excellency of holiness which it doth obliterate 3. And the reason and excellency of the Law which it violateth And 4. the excellency of the Glory which it doth despise And 5. the excellency and office of Reason which it treadeth down 6. No nor till you know the infinite Excellency Almightiness and Holiness of that God against whom it is committed When you fully know all these you shall fully know the desert of sin Besides you know that the offendor is too partial to judge the Law or the proceedings of his Judge We judge by feeling which blinds our reason We see in common worldly things that most men think the cause is right which is their own and that all is wrong that 's done against them and let the most wise or just impartial friends perswade them to the contrary and its all in vain There 's few children but think the Father is unmerciful or dealeth hardly with them if he whip them There 's scarce the vilest swinish wretch but thinketh the Church doth wrong him if they excommunicate him Nor scarce a Thief or Murderer that is hanged but would accuse the Law and Judge of cruelty if that would serve turn 7. Can you think that an unholy soul is fit for heaven Alas they cannot love God here nor do him any service which he can accept They are contrary to God they loath that which he most loveth and love that which he abhorreth They are uncapable of that imperfect Communion with him which his Saints do here partake of How then can they live in that perfect love of him and full delights and Communion with him which is the blessedness of heaven You do not accuse your selves of unmercifulness if you make not your enemy your bosom Counseller or if you take not your swine to bed and board with you no nor if you take away his life though he never sinned And yet will you blame the absolute Lord the most wise and gracious Soveraign of the world if he condemn the Unconverterted to perpetual misery Vse I Beseech you now
of his own free-will For the second God did that which belonged to him that is he gave man a perfect Law requiring him to continue in the Love of God and perfectly to obey him By the wilful breach of this Law man did not only forfeit his hopes of everlasting life but also turned his heart from God and fixed it on these lower fleshly things and hereby did blot out the spiritual Image of God from his soul. So that man did both fall short of the Glory of God which was his End and put himself out of the Way by which he should have attained it and this both as to the frame of his heart and of his life The holy Inclination and Love of his soul to God he lost and instead of it he contracted an Inclination and Love to the pleasing of his flesh or carnal-self by earthly things growing strange to God and acquainted with the creature And the course of his life was suited to the Bent and Inclination of his heart he lived to his carnal self and not to God he sought the creature for the pleasing of his flesh instead of seeking to please the Lord. With this Nature or Corrupt inclination we are all now born into the world For who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Iob 14.4 As a Lyon hath a fierce and cruel nature before he doth devour and as an Adder hath a venemous nature before he sting so in our very infancy we have those sinful Natures or Inclinations before we think or speak or do amiss And hence springeth all the sin of our lives And not only so but when God hath of his mercy provided us a Remedy even the Lord Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of our souls and bring us back to God again we naturally love our present state and are â—oth to be brought out of it and therefore are set against the means of our Recovery and though custom have taught us to thank Christ for his good will yet carnal self perswadeth us to refuse his Remedies and to desire to be excused when we are commanded to take the Medicines which he offereth and are called to forsake all and follow him to God and Glory I pray you read over this leaf again and mark it for in these few words you have a true Description of our natural state and consequently of a wicked man For every man that is in this state of corrupted nature is a wicked man and in a state of death By this also you are prepared to understand what it is to be Converted to which end you must further know That the mercy of God not willing that man should perish in his sin provided a Remedy by causing his Son to take our Nature and being in one person God and man to become a Mediator between God and man and by dying for our sins on the Cross to ransom us from the curse of God and the power of the Devil and having thus Redeemed us the Father hath delivered us into his hands as his own Hereupon the Father and the Mediator do make a New Law and Covenant for man not like the first which gave life to none but the perfectly obedient and condemned man for every sin but Christ hath made a Law of Grace or a Promise of Pardon and Everlasting life to all that by true Repentance and by Faith in Christ are Converted unto God Like an Act of Oblivion which is made by a Prince to a company of Rebels on condition they will lay down arms and come in and be loyal subjects for the time to come But because the Lord knoweth that the heart of man is grown so wicked that for all this men will not accept of the Remedy if they be left to themselves therefore the Holy Ghost hath undertaken it as his office to inspire the Apostles and seal up the Scripture by Miracles and Wonders and to illuminate and convert the souls of the Elect. So that by this much you see that as there are three persons in the Trinity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost so each of these persons have their several works which are eminently ascribed to them The Fathers works were to Create us to Rule us 〈◊〉 his â—ational creatures by the Law of Nature and Judge us thereby And in mercy to provide us a Redeemer when we were lost and to send his Son and accept his Ransom The works of the Son for us were these To Ransom and Redeem us by his Sufferings and Righteousness to give out the Promise or Law of Grace and Rule and Judge the world as their Redeemer on terms of Grace and to make intercession for us that the benefits of his death may be communicated and to send the Holy Ghost which the Father also doth by the Son The works of the Holy Ghost for us are these to indite the Holy Scriptures by inspiring and guiding the Prophets and Apostles and sealing the Word by his Miraculous gifts and works and the illuminating and exciting the ordinary Ministers of the Gospel and so enabling them and helping them to publish that Word and by the same word Illuminating and Converting the souls of men So that as you could not have been reasonable creatures if the Father had not Created you nor have had any access to God if the Son had not Redeemed you so neither can you have a part in Christ or be saved except the Holy Ghost do sanctifie you So that by this time you may see the several causes of this work The Father sendeth the Son the Son Redeemeth us and maketh the Promise of Grace the Holy Ghost inditeth and sealeth this Gospel the Apostles are the Secretaries of the Spirit to write it the Preachers of the Gospel do proclaim it and perswade men to obey it And the Holy Ghost doth make their preaching effectual by opening the hearts of men to entertain it And all this to repair the image of God upon the soul and to set the heart upon God again and take it off the creature and carnal self to which it is revolted and so to turn the current of the life into an heavenly course which before was earthly and all this by the entertainment of Christ by Faith who is the Physitian of the soul. By this which I have said you may see what it is to be Wicked and what it is to be Converted Which I think will be yet plainer to you if I describe them as consisting of their several parts and for the first a wicked man may be known by these three things First he is one who placeth his chief content on earth and loveth the creature more then God and his fleshly prosperity above the heavenly felicity He savoureth the things of the flesh but neither discerneth nor savoureth the things of the Spirit though he will say that Heaven is better then earth yet doth he not really so esteem it to himself If he might be
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
hath no pretence left to deny or question therefore the truth of the point in hand For this is confirmed by the Oath of God and therefore must not be distorted to reduce it to other points but doubtful points must rather be reduced to it and certain truths must be believed to agree with it though our shallow brains do hardly discern the agreeement Vse I Do now intreate thee if thou be an Unconverted sinner that hearest these words that thou wouldst ponder a little upon the forementioned Doctrines and bethink thy self awhile who it is that takes pleasure in thy sin and damnation Certainly it is not God he hath sworn for his part that he takes no pleasure in it And I know it is not the pleasing of him that you intend in it You dare not say that you drink and swear and neglect holy duties and quench the motions of the Spirit to please God That were as if you shouâ—d reproach the Prince and break his Laws and seek his death and say you did all this to please him Who is it then that takes Pleasure in your sin and death Not any that bear the image of God for they must be like-manded to him God knows its small pleasure to your faithful Teachers to see you serve your deadly enemy and madly venture your eternal state and wilfully run into the flames of Hell It s small pleasure to them to see upon your souls in the sad effects such blindness and hard-heartedness and carelesness and presumption such wilfulness in evil and such unteachableness and stifness against the waies of life and peace they know these are marks of death and of the wrath of God and they know from the word of God what 's like to be the end of them And therefore it is no more Pleasure to them then to a tender Physitian to see the Plague-marks break out upon his Patient Alas to foresee your everlasting Torments and know not how to prevent them To see how near you are to hell and we cannot make you believe it and consider it To see how easily how certainly you might scape if we knew but how to make you willing How fair you are for everlasting salvation if you would but Turn and do your best and make it the care and business of your lives but you will not do it If our lives lay on it we cannot perswade you to it We study day and night what to say to you that may convince you and perswade you and yet it is undone we lay before you the word of God and shew you the very Chapter and verse where it is written that you cannot be Saved except you be Converted and yet we leave the most of you as we find you We hope you will believe the word of God though you believe not us and that you will regard it when we shew you the plain Scripture for it but we hope in vain and labour in vain as to any saving change upon your hearts And do you think that this is a pleasant thing to us Many a time in secret prayer we are fain to complain to God with sad hearts Alas Lord we have spoken to them in thy name but they little regard us we have told them what thou bidst us tell them concerning the danger of an unconverted state but they do not believe us We have told them that thou hast protested that there is no peace to the wicked Isaiah 48.22 and 57.21 but the worst of them all will scarce believe that they are wicked we have shewed them thy word where thâ—u hast said that if thâ—y live after the flesh they shall die Rom. 8.13 but they say they will believe in thee when they will not believe thee and that they will trust in thee when they give no credit to thy word and when they hope that the threatnings of thy word are false they will yet call this a hoping in God and though we shew them where thou hast said that when a wicked man dyeth all his hopes perish yet cannot we perswade them from their deceitful hopes Prov. 11.7 We tell them what a base unprofitable thing sin is but they love it and therefore will not leave it We tell them how dear they buy this pleasure and what they must pay for it in everlasting torment and they bless themselves and will not believe it but will do as the most do and because God is merciful they will not believe him but will venture their souls come on it what will we telâ— them how ready the Lord is to receive them and this doth but make them delay their repentance and be bolder in their sin Some of them say they purpose to repent but they are still the same and some say they do repent already when yet they are not Converted from their sins We exhort them we intreat them we offer them our help but we cannot prevail with them but they that were drunkards are drunkards still and they that were voluptuous flesh pleasing wretches are such still and they that were worldlings are wordlings still and they that were ignorant and proud and self-conceited are so still Few of them will see and confess their sin and fewer will forsake it but comfort themselves that all men are sinners as if there were no difference between a Converted sinner and an Vnconverted Some of them will not come near us when we are willing to instruct them but think they know enough already and need not our instruction and some of them will give us the hearing and do what their list and most of them are like dead men that cannot feâ—l so that when we tell them of the matters of everlasting consequence we cannot get a word of it to their hearts If we do not obey them and humour them in baptizing the children of the most obstinately wicked and giving them the Lords Supper and doing all that they would have us though never so much against the word of God they will hate us and rail at us but if we beseech them but to confess and forsake their sins and save their souls they will not do it We tell them if they will but Turn we will deny them none of the Ordinances of God neither Baptism to their children nor the Lords Supper to themselves but they will not hear us they would have us to disobey God and damn our own souls to please them and yet they will not turn and save their own souls to please God They are wiser in their own eyes then all their Teachers they rage and are confident in their own way and if we would never so fain we cannot change them Lord this is the case of our miserable neighbours and we cannot help it we see them ready to drop into hell and we cannot help it we know if they would unfeignedly turn they might be saved but we cannot perswade them if we would beg it of them on our knees we cannot
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
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
I cannot change my own heart what can I do without Gods grace and shall they therefore be acquit If not why then should you think to be acquit for a course of sin against the Lord 2. FRom hence also you may observe these three things together 1. What a subtile tempter Satan is 2. What a deceitful thing sin is 3. What a foolish creature corrupted man is A subtile tempter indeed that can perswade the greatest part of the world to go wilfully into everâ—asting fire when they have so many warnings and disswasives as they have A deceitful thing is sin indeed that can bewitch so many thousands to put with everlasting life for a thing so base and utterly unworthy A foolish creature is man indeed that will be so cheated of his salvation for nothing yea for a known nothing and that by an enemy and a known enemy You would think it impossible that any man in his wits should be perswaded for a trifle to cast himself into the fire or water or into a coal-pit to the destruction of his life And yet men will be enticed to cast themselves into Hell If your natural lives were in your own hands that you should not die till you would kill your selves how long would most of you live And yet when your everlasting life is so far in your own hands under God that you cannot be undone till you undo your selves how few of you will forbear your own undoing Ah what a silly thing is man and what a bewitching and befooling thing is sin 3. FRom hence also you may learn that it is no great wonder if wicked men be hinderers of others in the way to heaven and would have as many Unconverted as they can and would draw them into sin and keep them 〈◊〉 it Can you expect that they should have any mercy on others â—hat have none upon themselves â—nd that they should much stick at â—he destruction of others that â—â—ck not to destroy themselves They do no worse by others then â—hey do by themselves 4. LAstly you may hence learn that the greatest enemy to man is himself and the greatest judgement in this life that can befall him is to be left to himself and that the great work that Grace hath to do is to save us from our selves and the greatest accusations and complaints of men should be against themselves and that the greatest work that we have to do our selves is to resist our selves and the greatest enemy that we should daily pray and watch and strive against is our own carnal hearts and wills and the greatest part of your work if you would do good to others and help them to heaven is to save them from themselves even from their own blind understandings and corrupted wills and perverse affections and violent passions and unruly senses I only name all these for brevity sake and leave them to your further consideration WELL Sirs now we have found out the great Delinquent and Murderer of souls even mens selves their own wills what remains but that you judge according to the evidence and confess this great iniquity before the Lord and be humbled for it and do so no more To these three ends distinctly I shall add a few words more 1. Further to convince you 2. To humble you And 3. To reform you if there be yet any hope 1. We know so much of the exceeding gracious nature of God who is willing to do good and delighteth to shew mercy that we have no reason to suspect him of being the culpable cause of our death or to call him cruel He made all good and he preserveth and maintaineth all the eyes of all things do wait upon him and he giveth them their meat in due season he openeth his hand and satisfieth the desires of all the living Psalm 145.15 16. He is not only righteous in all his waies and therefore will deal justly and holy in all his works and therefore not the author of sin but he is also good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works Psal. 145.17 9. But as for man we know his mind is dark his will perverse his affections carry him so headlong that he is fitted by his folly and corruption to such a work as the destroying of himself If you saw a Lamb lie killed in the way would you sooner suspect the sheep or the dog or woolf to be the author of it if they both stood by or if you see an house broken and the people murdered would you sooner suspect the Prince or Iudge that is wise and just and had no need or a known Thief or Murderer I say therefore as Iames 1.13 14 15. Let no man say when he is tempted that he is tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth be any man to draw him to sin But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death You see here that sin is the brat of your own concupiscence and not to be fathered on God and that death is the off-spring of your own sin and the fruit which it will yield you as soon as it is ripe You have a treasure of evil in your selves as a spider hath of poyson from whence you are bringing forth hurt to your selves and spinning such webs as enâ—â—ngle your own souls Your Nature shews it s you that are the cause 2. It s evident that you are your own destroyers in that you are so Ready to entertain any Temptation almost that is offered you Satan is scarce readier to move you to any evil then you are ready to hear and do as he would have you If he would tempt your understanding to error and prejudâ—ce you yield If he would hinder you from good resolutions it is soon done If he would cool any good desires or affections it is soon done If he would kindle any lust or vile affections and desires in you it is soon done if he will put you on to evil thoughts or words or deeds you are so free that he needs not rod or spur if he would keep you from holy thoughts and words and waies a little doth it you need no curb You examine not his suggestions nor resist them with any resolution nor cast them out as he casts them in nor quench the sparks which he endeavoureth to kindle but you set in with him and meet him half way and embrace his motions and tempt him to tempt you And its easie to catch such greedy fish that are ranging for a bait and will take the bare hook 3. Your destruction is evidently long of your selves in that you Resist all that would help to save you and would do you good or hinder you from undoing your selves God would help and save you by his word and you resist it it is too strict for you He would
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
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
and judgement and of the certainty and excellency of the Joys of Heaven and of the certainty and terrour of the torments of Hell and the Eternity of both and of the necessity of Conversion and an holy life Steep your hearts in such Considerations as these DIRECTION III. IF you will be Converted and Saved attend upon the word of God which is the ordinary means Read the Scripture or hear it read and other holy writings that do apply it constantly attend on the publike preaching of the Word As God will lighten the world by the Sun and not by himself alone without it So will he Convert and save men by his Ministers who are the Lights of the world Acts 26.17 18. Mat. 5.14 When he hath miraculously humbled Paul he sendeth him to Ananias Acts 9.10 and when he haâ—h sent an Angel to â—oâ—nelius it is but to bid him send for Peter who must tell him what he is to believe and do DIRECTION IV. BEtake your self to God in a course of earnest constaâ—t Prayer Confess and lament your former lives and beg his grace to illuminate and Convert you Beseech him to pardon what is past and to give you his Spirit and change your hearts and lives and lead you in his waies and save you from temptations And ply this work daily and be not weary of it DIRECTION V. PResently give over your known and wilâ—ul sins Make a stâ—nd and go that way no further Be drunk no more but avoid the place and occasion of it Cast away your lusts and sinful pleasures with detestation Curse and swear and rail no more and if you have wronged any restore as Zacheus did If you will commit again your old sins what blessing can you expect on the means for your Conversion DIRECTION VI. PResently if possible change your Company if it have hitherto been bad Not by forsaking your necessary Relations but your unnecessary sinful companions and joyn your selves with those that fear the Lord and enquire of them the way to heaven Acts 9.19 26. Psal. 15.4 DIRECTION VII DEliver up your selves to the Lord Iesus as the Physitian of your souls that he may pardon you by his blood and sanctifie you by his Spirit by his word and Ministers the instruments of the Spirit He is the way the truth and the life there is no coming to the Father but by him Iohn 14.6 Nor is there any other name under heaven by which you can be saved Acts 4.12 Study therefore his Person and Natures and what he hath done and suffered for you and what he is to you and what he will be and how he is fitted to the full supply of all your necessities DIRECTION VIII IF you mean indeed to Turn and Live Do it speedily without delay If you be not willing to Turn to day you be not willing to do it at all Remember you are all this while in your blood under the guilt of many thousand sins and under Gods wrath and you stand at the very brink of hell there is but a step between you and death And this is not a case for a man that is well in his wits to be quiet in Up therefore presently and fly as for your lives as you would be gone out of your house if it were all on fire over your head O if you did but know what continual danger you live in and what daily unspeakable loss you do sustain and whaâ— a safer and sweeter life you might live you would not stand trâ—flâ—ng but presently turn Multitudes miscarry that wilfulâ—y deâ—ay when they are convinced that it must be done Your lives are short and uncertain and what a case are you in if you die before you throuâ—hly turn You have staid too long already and wronged God too long sin getteth strength and rooting while you delay Your Conversion will grow more hard and doubtful You have much to do and therefore put not all off to the last lest God forsake you and give you up to your selves and then you are undone for ever DIRECTION IX IF you will Turn and Live do it unreservedly absolutely and universally Think not to capitulate with Christ and devide your heart betwixt him and the world and to part with some sins and keep the rest and to let go that which your flesh can spare This is but self-deluding you must in heart and resolution forsake all that you have or else you cannot be his Disciples Luke 14.26 33. If you will not take God and Heaven for your portion and lay all below at the feet of Christ but you must needs also have your good things here and have an earthly portion and God and Glory is not enough for you it is in vain to dream of salvation on these terms For it will not be If you seem never so Religious if yet it be but a Carnâ—l Religiousness and the fleshes prosperity or pleasure or safety be still exâ—epted in your devotedness to God this is as certain a way to death as open prophaness though it be more plausible DIRECTION X. IF you will Turn and Live do it Resolvedly and stand not still deliberating as if it were a doubtful case Stand not wavering as if you were yet uncertain whether God or the flesh be the better Master or whether Heaven or Hell be the better End or whether sin or holiness be the better way But away with your former lusts and presently habitually fixedly Resolve Be not one day of one mind and the next of another but be at a point with all the world and Resolvedly give up your selves and all you have to God Now while you are reading or hearing this Resolve Before you sleep another night Resolve Before you stir from the place Resolve Before Satan have time to take you off Resolve You never Turn indeed till you do Resolve and that with a firm unchangeable Resolution So much for the Directions AND now I have done my part in this work that you may Turn at the Call of God and Live What will become of it I cannot tell I have cast the seed at Gods command but it is not in my power to give the increase I can go no further with my message I cannot bring it to your hearts not make it work I cannot do your parts for your to entertain it and consider of it Nor I cannot do Gods part by opening your heartâ— to cause you to entertain it Nor can I shew you Heaven or Hell to your eye-sight nor give you new and tender hearts If I knew what more to do for your Conversion I hope I should do it But 〈◊〉 thou that art the gracious Father of Spirits that hast sworn thâ—n delightest not in the death of the wicked but rather that they Turn and Live deny not thy blessiâ—g to theâ—e Perswasions and Directions and suffer not thine enemies to triumph in thy sight and the great deceiver of souls to prevail against the Son thy Spirit and thy Word O pitty poor Vnconverted sinners that have not hearts to pitty or help themselves Command the blind to see and the deaf to hear and the dead to live and let not sin and death be able to resist thee Awaken the secure Resolve the uâ—resolved Confirm the wavering and let the eyes of sinners that read these lines be next employed in weeping over their sins and bring them to themselves and to thy Son before their sin have brought them to perdition If thâ—u say but the word these poor endeavours shall prosper to the winning of many a soul to their everlasting Ioy and thine everlasting glory Amen Finitur 1656. Decemb. 31. Mr. R. Rowly of Sâ—rew bury upon Aâ—ham-bridge