Temptations are to be feared and warily used Riches and outward Prosperity is a Temptation our Money and our Lands and our businesses in the World are Temptations He that will be Rich falleth into Temptation c. and therefore must so be feared as to make us the more wary and circumspect in the seeking and using of them follow your Trades with fear go into your Fields and Markets with fear Eat and Drink with fear fear your fine Houses fear you Plentiful and Prosperous Estates lest by these you be led away to sin and to forget God You are every day among Temptations throughout the whole time of your lives and therefore is the Exhortation of the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.17 Pass the time of your Sojourning here in fear 4. The punishments of sin are to be feared The wrath and the curse of God that Everlasting death which is the wages of sin as I told you before fear him who is able to destroy both body and soul in Hell He is able and he will do it if thou continue in thy sin This fear is planted in the heart as the Sword of the Angel was placed in the way of Balaam to keep him back from his wicked designs This world is a wicked world notwithstanding that God hath placed such a flaming sword in sinners ways notwithstanding all their fears how wilfully wicked are they but what world would this world be if there were no fear upon mens hearts to bridle or restrain them Secondly We are to keep the heart out of fear of what it should not fear to suppress and keep down all unreasonable and sinful fears There are two things especially which men fear but should not fear 1. The Yoke of Christ the difficulties and severities of Religion some men continue to be sinners because they are afraid to be Saints they continue under the power of the Devil because they are afraid of Christ They look on Christ as an hard Master his service as hard service his Yoke as an hard Yoke some desires they have after Religion they could wish themselves Christians but they are afraid to venture The difficulties and the severities of a Godly life keep them off they are afraid of them that they shall never bear them As God placed a flaming sword in Eden Gen. 3. so these fears are a flaming sword of the devils placing to keep the way of the tree of Life to keep sinners back from Christ they dare not come to Christ for fear of him and the heavy yoke that he would put upon their Necks 2. The Cross of Christ that is 1. The sufferings of this Life These are not to be feared Rev. 2.10 Fear none of those things which you shall suffer And this very charge not to fear them is an Evidence that even Christians are too apt to fear Sufferings 2. Death for Christs sake Luke 12.4 Fear not them that kill the body Fear not the worst that men can do You may not only be persecuted by evil men imprisoned spoiled of your Goods but you may be slain put to death by them yet fear them not and as a violent death a being put to death for Christ so neither is a natural death to be feared death is the King of terrours The Apostle tells us Heb. 2.15 That for fear of death men are all their life time subject to bondage There is a natural fear of death implanted in every man even in Christ himself and there is a sinful fear of death and then 't is sinful when 't is excessive when there is so great a fear of death as to distress and distract us in the duties of our lives When there is so great a fear of death that we cannot quietly and patiently submit to its stroke when we cannot comfort and support our selves against the fear of death by the hope we have in our death the righteous hath hope in his death Prov. 14.32 As the Apostle speaks concerning sorrow for the dead 1 Thes 4.13 Sorrow not as men without hope the same may be said concerning the fear of death fear not as men without hope The righteous hath hope in his death he lies down in hope goes to his grave in hope and this hope fortifieth his heart under all its fears Now friends would you keep your hearts under Government learn these two Lessons 1. Keep your hearts in fear and particularly 1. keep you in the fear of God keep up the Aw and Reverence of God in your hearts get you trembling hearts before the Lord behold the severe and jealous eye that is upon you live under such a deep sense of the Greatness Glory and Majesty of the great God as may constantly awe you Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts and let him be your fear and your dread Those that live not under an awe of God lye open to the Devil and all his Temptations It is this the fear of God that is the bridle to keep us in due order 2 Keep you in fear of sinning against God Psal 4.4 Tremble and sin not Art thou a professor of faith in God and dost thou not yet fear to sin against God dost thou believe that God is the observer of all ungodliness that thine iniquities are all marked before him dost thou believe that God is the avenger of all ungodliness and that all thine iniquities shall be recompensed and returned upon thine own head how is it then that thou art no more afraid of iniquity Art thou an hypocritical professor and doth not thine hypocrisie make thee afraid art thou a proud Professor or a worldly Professor or a luke-warm or froward or carnal or slothful Professour how is it that thy pride thy covetousness that thy coldness or frowardness or carnality or slothfulness doth not make thee afraid are these Evils this Pride and this Hypocrisie this Coveteousness this frowardness rooted and raigning in thy heart where are thy fears all this while call up fear put on fear and let this suppress these lusts which will else be breaking forth into practical iniquity If you would fear a life of Covetousness a life of Pride fear this heart of Pride this worldly carnal heart if you would fear a froward look a froward tongue fear a froward heart crush this Cockatrice Egg before it hatch into practical wickedness 3. Fear Temptation to Sin What does use to foment or heighten the lusts of thine heart What doth use to draw them forth into practice Whatever it be fear it as you would fear the Devil Particularly 1. Fear whatever you over love in the World 1. When you have your pleasant dishes before you and varieties of them when you have your pleasant cups before you fear your being tempted to excess feed not your selves without fear especially feast not without fear put a knife to thy throat if thou be given to appetite when thou seest dainties before thee Prov. 23.2 Look not on the wine when it is red in
who will reply why they were even as good come amongst us as amongst some of your selves and as much they are like to get and as little harm by us as by you Friends I have more than once provoked you to be more Spiritual and more Heavenly in your Converses but what hath been the fruit Is it better then it hath been O that you could tell me it was I thank God it is a little better I have set mine heart upon it I have put my self to it to bring forth something of what I have learned for others benefit I must tell you this unprofitableness is an ill sign as to your selves as well as it may be a snare to others barren lips are a sign of barren hearts 't is to be feared there is not so much of Christ within you when there is so little coming forth that there is but little truth in your hearts when there is so little Grace in your lips O Friends that you would yet check your selves for this neglect that you would yet charge it upon your hearts to be more fruitful this way To what purpose are you preach'd unto to what purpose do I warn you if you will not amend I 'le tell you one way to help it Let your own hearts be more set upon God get more spiritual savour more life and power of holiness in your own spirits and it will find an easier vent More divine Communion will be the best help to more holy Communication But this by the way 5. For our Grief or Sorrow I shall shew here 1. That the Object of our Sorrow is evil The Evils we are to greive for are 1. Sin 2. Misery or Affliction 2. What are the due degrees and just limits of our Grief 1. Sin This is the great and special object of Sorrow and sorrow for Sin is the best and most necessary of sorrows Sin is a grievous evil and it most calls for grief of heart He loves neither God nor himself that grieves not for sin Sin is the abuse of God and the wrong of our own Souls How canst thou say thou lovest God if thou canst abuse him or see him abused without sorrow how canst thou say thou lovest thy self when thou canst wrong thy self and not be grieved what wilt thou grieve for if not for that which is so provoking to God and so distructive to thy self Sin seems good in the eyes of sinners and therefore it seldom troubles them 't is that which pleaseth them and suits with their tempers 't is that which profits them and brings them in all their gains Sinners that must hereafter die for their sins do at present live by their sins they are beholding to their sins for their livelihood Some men live by lying and stealing and defrauding by Coveteousness and oppression 't is that which brings them in their Estates they had been some of them but poor men if their sin had not gotten them Estates Others live by their Pleasures and carnal merriments 't is their mirth and their pleasure that keeps them alive Sorrow and Melancholy they think would kill their hearts Sinners live upon their sins and therefore will not be grieved at them But though thou thinkest thou livest by thy sins thou must die for thy sins thy sins are making a grave for thee and carrying thee to it thy sins are preparing an Hell for thee and leading thee down to the chambers of Death Thy sin spoils thee at present of all that is good and makes thee good for nothing but to be fuel for the fire Holiness prepares the Saints and makes them meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1.12 and sin prepares sinners and makes them meet for the inheritance of everlasting darkness fit to serve none but the Devil fit to dwell with none but the Devil Sinners you that go on in your sins you are herein but fitting and preparing you for the Devil This Pride that you live in these Pleasures that you live in this Covetousness that you live in by all these the Devil is preparing you for Hell There is a fire prepared for you Mat. 25.41 Everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels there is an Hell prepared for you and your sin is as fast as it can preparing you for that place of Torment Your going on in your sin is your ripening for wrath thou art almost ripe already and art ripening every day and as soon as thy sin hath but made thee fully ripe thou droppest as ripe fruit uses to do down thou droppest to rottenness into the grave and into the darkness of the pit Thou art grown to that height in sin that thou mayst be ripe before to morrow and as soon as thou art ripe thou wilt be rotting thy Body in the dirt thy Soul in Hell This is the fruit that sinners get and shall get at last by their sins Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death But yet because at present they live by their sins their sins make them merry their sins make them Rich they get money by them they get Estates by them therefore they are not troubled though they sin they will not sorrow Thou hast smitten them but they have not grieved Jer. 5.3 'T is said with respect to the punishment of sinners and it might be said concerning them they have smitten themselves and yet have not grieved Sin seems good in the eyes of sinners and therefore it doth not trouble them but sin seems to be sin to Saints Rom. 7. that is the greatest and worst of Evils for so sin when it appears to be sin doth appear to be the worst of Evils and therefore to them its matter of Sorrow When sin appears to be exceeding sinful as the Apostles Expression is before then the heart will be exceeding sorrowful the degrees which by the right Government of the heart this sorrow for sin is held up to and the bounds and limits it is held within are these 1. This sorrow must be so great as to answer the ends and bring forth the proper fruits of it The end of this sorrow and the fruits it must bring forth the Apostle tells us 2 Cor. 7.9 is Repentance I rejoyced that ye sorrowed unto Repentance And ver 11. This self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly manner what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves c. What ever trouble for Sin what ever sorrow any of you have in your hearts if it doth not bring forth Repentance a forsaking and turning from sin if this sorrow doth not work a fear of falling back into sin if it doth not work a care of preventing your fall if it do not work to Indignation and Zeal against Sin if it leave you the Friends of sin still the followers of sin still if this be all you can say I am troubled at it but I cannot help it it 's my trouble that I am a Drunkard it
of life Have I been all this while in the strait and narrow way that leads to life or have I not hitherto been travelling in the broad way that leads to destruction This worldly way this fleshly way it is that which hath pleased me at present but whether will it bring me at last Sinners bethink your selves thus Whither is it that I am going What is like to be the end of this course I am taking Either to God or the Devil either to Heaven or Hell every one of you have been going and which of the two have you been making towards Is lying the way to God Is Drunkenness and carnal mirth and pleasure is this the way to Heaven Is hardness of heart in your way Is impenitence in your sin is this the way to blessedness Do not your own hearts tell you I must turn out of these evil paths I must take a new course ere ever I can be saved Be so wise as to spend some such thoughts This is sinners great folly and their great misery that they run on in their ways and we cannot perswade them to think whither they are going But what is it of so little weight with you whether you are saved or damned that it is not worth a few serious thoughts Sure you could never go on at that sensless rate you do if you did think whither you were going We come and preach Christ and righteousness and holiness to you as the only way of life you have been often told that Christ is the way and that no man cometh to the Father but by him Jo. 14.6 And you have been told that there is no coming to God by Christ to Heaven by Christ unless there be a coming to Christ a joyning your selves to him as his disciples and followers Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Jo. 6.37 but will bring him to Life you have been often told that without holiness no man shall see God Heb. 12.14 That this way of Faith in Christ and this way of holiness is the only way of life this hath been told you this hath been preached to you over and over again and yet we cannot perswade you into this way The reason is because you will not consider what we preach you will not consider what it is to be damned and perish for ever you will not consider whether you can think of any other way by which it is possible to escape damnation but this way of faith and holiness If you did consider and understand what an Hell it is whither your neglect of Christ and running on in your ways is leading you how hot that furnace is into which you are like to fall within a few days how dreadful it will be when you are in once and shall feel the scorching of those flames What think you would not such scalding and burning thoughts make you weary of your sins and willing of Christ Would they not awaken you would they not affright you out of this secure and vain course that you are now going on in Where do you think your fellow-Swearers and fellow-Drunkards and fellow-Worldlings that have been cut off in their sins and carried away into the other world in there impenitence that were laughing with you and mocking and scoffing with you a few years ago where do you think they are now What do ye think they are doing at this hour O it would make an heart of stone to tremble and quake to think what their companions that are dead in their sins do now see and feel Think with thy self man those that were a while agone drinking with me and laughing with me making a mock of Christ and of sin as I do O where are they now It would make thine eyes stare and thine hair stand on end and thy bones shiver to think where they are O consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you from that place of the dead that place of Pitch and burning Brimstone where you have reason to fear your companions in sin are frying at this hour Whilst Christ is preaching to you whilst God is yet a warning you to fly from the wrath to come Oh how are they tearing their hair and biting their tongue and wringing their hands to consider that preaching of Christ to them shall be no more that all their warnings are over that they must for ever feel and faint and perish under that wrath which is now too late for them to fly from or escape Bestow some thoughts upon your companions that are dead and gone and then consider your self whether if you keep on the ways you are walking in you must not shortly be with them in the same condemnation and if yet you will not consider it presently as Jer. 23.20 in your latter end you shall consider it perfectly Therefore yet again I say to you and charge you from the Lord consider your present evil ways and to what a fearful end they will certainly bring you if you speedily turn not out of them 2. Considering the ways that are before us that we should for the future go on in God hath given sinners there choice whether to continue as they are in the same way or to take up a new and a better way of life Think what you have done and how you have lived and think what you have now to do for the future let thine eyes look straight on c. What course do you think it is best for you to take for the future Dost thou think it is best to continue as at present to hold on your worldliness in your drunkeness in your lying in your carnal careless course or is it not best for you to hearken to Christ and to turn from your sins and to betake your self to a serious godly and holy life Which of the two is best May be it never came into your thoughts to put the question to your self but you have run on from one day to another without asking What were I best to do Why now here is that I would perswade you to to look before you and consider What is best for you from henceforth to resolve upon What would a wise man do in this case what choice would a wise man make Sure methinks a little consideration should bring you to this If I be wise I should turn and knock off from my wonted ways I shall be a fool and a mad man if I go on thus What doth God offer to pardon my neglects of Christ my neglects of my soul and all my sins if I will yet but turn to him What doth Christ yet offer to bring me to God and to save me from the Eternal Dungeon if I will yet come unto him and become a new creature What will my going on as I have hitherto done my spending the remainder of my life as I have spent that which is past in sin and
Families are destroyed Our houses are become Sepulchres places of the dead But why should we mourn over lost souls 1. Because there are such multitudes of them Come where you will into what Country into what Family into what Congregation you will and you may see almost as many dead men as you may see men It is but here and there one living soul is to be found such a great slaughter as sin hath made calls for great lamentation 2. Because they are in such a pitiful and lamentable case What is it to be a dead and lost soul where shall we have them a little while hence Those that are under the power of death are under the power of the Devil and those that are under the power of the Devil you may look to find them shortly in the place of the Devil At present they seem to be in a paradise they live at ease and in plenty and in peace there are none seem to be so much alive as the sinners of the earth as Mal. 3.15 We call the proud happy and the prophane and flesh-pleasers and the covetous these are counted happy ones They are far they shine they glitter who but sinners These are the only men the only happy men as the world counts them but what ever there be upon their backs or in their bellies their poor hearts are dead and where shall we find these flourishing and prospering ones a few days hence It would pity ones heart to think where What if you should see all these dead buryed buryed in Flames cast into the Pit of everlasting darkness and everlasting burning You cannot but foresee that there they will be shortly thither they are travelling their way is the way of death and their steps lead down to hell and how suddenly may they be swallowed up of the Pit O pity these lost souls have you any bowels Parents have you any bowels for your sinning children Friends have you any bowels for your sinning Friends Draw forth your bowels in sighs and lamentations pour forth your hearts at your eyes and fall a weeping over them look upon the ignorant and sottish ones look upon the loose and prophane ones the lying children the swearing and cursing and drinking and unruly children among you and let your eye affect your heart Yea weep not for them only but as Luke 23.28 Weep for your selves and for your children 3. Because they will not mourn for themselves They are not sensible of their own misery nor will lay it to heart These lost souls are men besides themselves distracted ones out of their wits ut supra The prodigal was out of his wits whilst he was running his wild course he was not himself What sense have mad men of their misery They count themselves to be wise and happy men and all others to be fools but themselves How shall we hear distracted souls talking of their lands and inheritances boasting some of them that they are Kings and Lords and Gentlemen though they be even stark naked half starved bound with Thongs and chains yet still they have high thoughts and make great boastings of themselves Such mad souls are the miserable souls of sinners Job 11.12 Vain man would be wise though he be as a wild Asses colt These wild men that run a wild course that have lost their reasons it their lusts they would be taken for wise men and they will not be perswaded out of their vain conceits of themselves Bray a fool in a mortar Prov. 27.22 Yet will not his foolishness depart from him Now this is cause of great lamentation that these lost souls are such stupid and sensless souls that will not mourn for themselves nor be brought to understand that they are objects of pity and lamentation they think they are wiser than their teachers that they have more wit than to become sober and serious Christians that they have no need of the Physiâ—ian no need of counsel and instruction and thereupon are ready to fall a laughing at those that mourn over them and mock at repentance and conversion Surely those that are in such a miserable case and have not the heart to mourn for themselves or to count themselves mournful and pitiful spectacles there is the more reason we should take up a lamentation over them Let us lament therefore that there are such multitudes of miserable souls that there are so few amongst those multitudes of lost ones that we ever see to be recovered O how few are the Converts to Christ How seldom do we hear of any lost sheep brought into the Fold You that are brought in pity those that are left without mourn for them let fall a tear over them lift up a prayer for them that though they have gone astray like lost sheep yet at length they may return to the Shepherd and B shop of their souls And you that are these lost souls how is it that you are noâ— yet come so far to your selves as to see what pitiful case you are in Sinners will you yet go away conceited that it is well enough with you Is it better with you than if you were Converts Are the Bâ—ick-kilns of Egypt as long as you can eat of the Leeks and On ons and Melons better than the freedom of Canaan Do the pleasures of sin make your chains pleasant to you Is it better to go on to serve the Devil and your Lusts than to come about and be the servants of the Lord Or whether it be better or worse wisdom or folly discretion or madness are you resolved however to continue as you are Have you not the sense in you as to be able to say it is a sorry case I am in Or do you see it is bad enough with you and yet have not the power to make out after a recovery Hast thou not pity upon that poor soul of thine but thou wilt give it up to be racked and torn and burned forever rather than for its sake thou wilt deny thy will or thy lust or thine appetite Art thou still so mad as to say live or die heaven or hell what ever be the issue I will not turn out of my course I will not come unto God and be his servant If there be a God I will venture his wrath if there be an Hell I will venture on its flames rather than not enjoy my will or mine ease or my pleasure Is this thy case Judge then if thou be not a pitiful and lamentable thing and an object of mourning and if thou canst get so much of a man in thee so much of the reason and understanding of a man so much of the heart and compassion of a man O pity thy self pity thy poor soul pity and mourn over it mourn and repent repent and pray that if it be possible thou mayest recover thy self out of the snare of the Devil who art thus held captive by him at his will 2. Let us take up a
rejoicing over the recovered souls Our great joy should be every man over the recovery of his own soul With what joy should this word be spoken this my soul was dead and is alive and we should rejoice over any other recovered souls It is matter of rejoicing when we can say this my Child or this my Brother or this my Neighbour was dead and is alive What joy is it to a travailing woman when she is safely delivered of a living child J h. 16.21 A wâ—man when she is in travail hath sorrow because her hour is come but as soon as she is delivered of thâ— chilâ— she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man child is born into the World Sinners your deliverance may cost you pain and travel but when you are once delivered and recovered you will forget all this pain then you will and then you ought to rejoice What joy is the day of victory to the triumphing Souldier What joy was the year of Jubilee to the indebted or the servants when they were to go out free from there debts and service What joy to the Mariner who hath been tossed with tempests to have gotten safe to shore Hast thou shot the gulf and gotten safe to land Hast thou gotten death and hell under thy feet Is death destroyed and is life and immortality brought to light in thy soul Art thou passed from death to life O what a day of joy what a day of praise should this be to thee Rejoice in the Lord O ye righteous and again I say Rejoice Phil 4.4 Stand Christian stand and look back on that death that was lately feeding on thy soul stand and look down into the hole of the pit from whence thou art delivered Remember how it was with thee not long since when thou wert without Christ and without hope and without God in the World when thou wert a slave to every lust in thy heart to every vile companion when thou wert by led by the Destroyer and posting on to destruction When thou Wert without fear and without sense of that danger and misery which was running upon thee like a floud Remember how it was with thee when God first open'd thine eyes and thy fears came upon thee How did thy soul cry out I am lost I am undone when thou sawest what a gulf there was fixed between thy natural estate and the state of grace When thou sawest a necessity of conversion and yet wert astonished at the difficulty of obtaining it When thy proud heart would not stoop thine hard heart would not break nor yield unto the Lord When thou wert afraid that thou shouldst have perished in the birth and never have seen life remember how it hath been with thee and how it is now What hath the Lord delivered thee from thy fears conquered to thee thy difficulties Is thine heart broken and brought about to the Lord Is the day broken and the day star risen in thine heart art thou passed from death to life What s y st thou now Is it not meet thou shouldst rejoice Is not this birth day the day of thy new birth a day of joy and praise Dost thou not bless thy self that it is not with thee as it hath been Does not thine heart shake to think what if I had been let alone let to go on in the way that I was going I went with the Drunkards I was among the Lyars and Swearers and Covetous and the Scoffers I was one of them As much against a new heart and new life as any of them as true a drudge to my flesh and this world as the worst of them How is it that the Lord God singled my soul out of that wicked crowd and brought me up out of that state of the dead and brought me into the light of life and hath written me amongst the living in Jerusalem Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me bless his holy name Magnifie the Lord O my soul and let my spirit rejoice in God my Saviour He that is mighty hath done for me great things and holy is his name 3. Let us again take up a lamentation over the imperfection of our recovery Rejoice in the Lord but rejoice with trembling Psal 2.11 Rejoice that the work is begun that thou art come to the morning of the day of redemption that the day is dawned that the Sun is risen upon thee yet lament that there are still such clouds yea so much of the darkness of the night remaining upon thee Rejoice that thou art born again but yet lament that thou art but as a new born Infant so imperfectly washed from thy pollution in thy bloud and that so much of the shame of thy nakedness is yet appearing that though thou art made a child of light yet there is so much of thine old darkness of thine old ignorance and unbelief abiding upon thee that though thou art born from above yet thine heart should be so much below that though thou art risen with Christ thy affections should be so little set on things above that though thou art born of the Spirit the Flesh should still have such power in thee Lament and bewail it that thou art no more perfectly recovered that it can yet hardly be discerned whether thou be alive or dead or if it appear thou art alive lament that thou art such a a dwarf still or such a sickly and unthriving child that thou art such a froward and unruly child Lament that thy recovery is so imperfect and be growing up towards perfection be working out those remains of thine old corrupt state be working out this carnality and this earthliness and working up thine heart to more spirituality and heavenliness and let both thine heart and thy life be as the path of the just which shineth more and more unto the perfect day Prov. 4.18 Christians whilst I have hope of many of you that you are passed from death to life and in this hope do rejoice over you yet I have sorrow in mine heart for you that you that have life have it no more abundantly that you are yet so imperfectly recovered from among the dead and that you are not which I doubt is the case of too many among you contending and reaching forwards towards perfection How many living Christians soever there be of you yet I can see but few growing Christians among you Pray Friends look inwards what sensible improvement have any of you made of late years Yea how many of us are there that do not lay it to heart that do not lament it that they are improved no more Who of you can say that you are breathing and thirsting after an increase or if you thirst for more grace how very few are reaching forth and labouring and that in so good earnest that they are impatient in their spirits and restless till it may be better with them O what might I do to whet your appetites after
you should not when once you have gotten duely to love the Lord. Well by this you see the Order in the Heart and in special the due Order and Measure of your love that is necessary and how necessary it is Can you therefore except against this Order and Measure of your Love What should be first and chiefly loved Wilt thou not say That God should be he Which should be most in our Love our Bodies or our Souls Will you not every one say O my Soul my Soul is of more worth than my Body and more worthy of my Love Which should be more loved your Bodies or your Estates and the Creatures you enjoy Surely you would all say in this as Christ said Mat. 6.25 The Life is more than Meat and the Body than Raiment what would you think of such a Man that loves his Money more than his own Body that would suffer his Body to Starve and Pine rather than spend his Money upon it you would say This Man is a Monster and is not he as much a Monster who loves his Body more than his Soul or himself more than God as he who loves his Money more than his Body Christians would you not count it well with you if your Love were thus regulated What if you could now feel that which you have so often questioned and doubted whether it be so or no that you can now love God above all that the whole stream of your Love did run into the Ocean If you could feel such strong and such lively and such passionate workings of your Hearts towards God such dearness and such tenderness and such strength and ardency of Affection to the Lord if you could feel your Hearts burning within you with the Divine Love if these Hearts were all flameing Hearts and flaming upwards and that so sensibly and so strongly that there might be a resolving of that doubt and you saâ— it true beyond question and you could say Now I feel who hath mine Heart none but God none but Christ Whom have I in Heaven but thee there 's nothing in the Earth that I love in comparison of thee God is the love of my Heart and my Portion for ever what if you could now feel it thus within you What if from your own sense and experience you could heartily speak out such words Take this Heart to thee O Lord thine it is thou art mine only Love and nothing will I love or regard but in Order to thee would you not bless your selves in such an experience Would it not be Marrow and Fatness to your Souls Would you not rejoyce in the Lord and triumph in Christ and praise his Holy Name that had wrought you to that pass That God should have thus gotten to be the chief in your love and Self and Flesh and the whole World were brought to stoop and stand aside yea and to be trampled on in comparison of him Sure you that are Christians would count it happy with you if it were thus and I dare say concerning you this is it you pray for and hope for and wait and thirst and long after and would count it an infinitely greater matter of joy and praise than if the Corn and the Wine and the Oyl if all the Pomps and Pleasures and Grandeur of the World were increasing unto you and were rolling in upon you and therefore you for your parts have nothing to except against this Order and Measure of your love Qu. 2. But how is it with you If it be an excellent thing if it be a blessed thing to have our Hearts brought into such a Frame and Order what do ye find Are you made partakers of this blessedness O the Lord help me I am far short of it I can feel that I love this World I need no tryal whether I love this Flesh or no whether I love my Credit or no whether I love my Money or my Lands or mine Ease or my Pleasures I feel I love these things but whether I love my Soul as I ought whether I love God as I ought there 's my great doubt and I fear I do not Dost thou fear Dost thou doubt whether thou lovest thy Soul as thou lovest the World Whether thou lovest thy God as thou lovest thy Flesh And is there any thing but need then that thou shouldst be brought to a better pass Canst thou be quiet canst thou be comforted in any thing whilest it is thus with thee Christians would you ever be clearly satisfied concerning your eternal State that you shall hereafter dwell in the eternal Love Would you be comforted touching your present Case that God is your God That Christ is your Jesus That the Covenant and the Promises and the Mercies of God are yours that you are passed from Death to Life that your Names are written in Heaven and that you are Enrolled amongst the Saints and shall have an Inheritance with the Saints in Light Then put hard on for this blessed Frame of Heart let it henceforth be the great thing in your Eye look for it pray for it reach forth towards it down with this World tread upon this Earth and Flesh love nothing but what God would have you love love nothing but in subordination to God Dread the encroachments of the Creatures upon the Right of God despise these carnal Pleasures despise this Money and these Lands or this Credit so far forth as they stand in competition with God set your Foot upon the Necks of them all give your Hearts unto the Lord and let him be your Love and your Delight and your Portion for ever 2. For our Desires in this as in the former we must desire what we should desire and as much as and no more than we should desire it the Object of our desires is the same with the Object of our Love that which is Good Now of all the Good which may or ought to be desired 1. Something is to be desired Absolutely and Vltimately and thus God only is to be desired 2. Other good things are to be desired Absolutely but Subordinately and thus the first Grace is to be desired and the evelasting Happiness of our Souls absolutely but subordinately we are to desire our own blessedness but chiefly that therein God may be glorified 3. Other good things are to be desired in subordination and with submission And thus the higher Degrees of Grace the best and most advantageous Means of Grace Gifts the gift of Prayer gifts for Edification c. these all are to be desired with submission to the will of God the first Grace or saving Grace we are not to desire with submission so as to be content to be deny'd it no not to the will of God for there is no such will of God for us to submit to God would not have any Man to submit to it to be for ever left an Enemy or a Reprobate from God God would not have any Man content to
Christ reconciling you to himself 2 Cor. 5.19 You have not had us dealing with you in the name of Christ who are the Ministers of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5.18 but he who is the great Reconciler Christ himself hath been dealing with you and hath reconciled you to God So sure as the Devil hath been dealing with sinners he hath drawn them away from God drawn them to sin and wickedness against God hath been hardning them against God you could never have been so wicked you could never have been so hardned against God as you are hardned against conversion hardned against repentance if the Devil had not been dealing with you You see what hard hearts you have we cannot humble you we cannot perswade you to repent and turn our words do nothing with you you will not be perswaded to return but you go on your way and remain stupid and sensless of your sin and misery you will not be perswaded 't is so bad with you We cannot for our hearts make you sensible of your wretched cases nor put a stop to you in your sins You may see well enough who hath been dealing with you that you continue so sinful still and so hardned in your sins It is the Devil that hath had to do with you thus to deprave you and to harden you as sure as the Devil hath been dealing with sinners so sure hath Christ been dealing with his Saints 'T is not Ministers that have awakened you that have convinced and humbled you and brought you about to the Lord 't is Christ that hath done these things for you We could never have humbled you we could never have perswaded nor turned nor reconciled you to God if Christ himself had not done it You were once foolish and disobedient led about with diverse lusts you were once Drunkards Liars Covetous and Prophane and you had been amongst this uncircumcised Crew to this day if Christ had not fetched you off 't is with him you have had to do as 't is said Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and open before his eyes with whom we have to do You have to do with Christ Christ hath been dealing with you that are Christians or you had never come to this you had never been these living Souls you had never known what you do of God nor known what you do of Sin nor been washed from your sins your had never been here praying and hearing and praising the Lord and become followers of the Lamb if Christ had not had to do with you Particularly you that are Christians there have been great transactions betwixt God and your Souls 1. In point of Covenant Behold you that are Christians you are in Covenant with the Lord by reason whereof I may say concerning you as Moses concerning Israel Deut. 26.17 18. Thou hast avouched the Lord to be thy God to walk in his ways and keep his statutes And the Lord hath avouched thee to be his peculiar People You have avouched the Lord to be yours and the Lord hath avouched you to be his a solemn and mutual Covenant hath there passed between the Lord and you he is become your Covenant God you are become his Covenant People How came this to pass how is it that you are not still as poor sinners are in Covenant with Death and Agreement with Hell how comes it to pass that when poor sinners are in Covenant with the Devil you are in Covenant with God O you may thank Christ for this he hath been effectually dealing with you in this thing He hath not only procured such a gracious Covenant a Covenant of Mercy a Covenant of Pardons a Covenant of Peace but he hath also 1. Made offer of this Covenant of God to you inviting you to come and joyn your selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall never be forgotten 2. He hath made void your Covenant with Death and disanull'd your Agreement with Hell He hath given you an heart to break and make void that wicked Covenant to break with the Devil to break with Sin and the World and to come out from among them 3. He hath effectually perswaded you into this Covenant of God He hath brought you into the bond of the Covenant Ezek. 20.37 He hath sprinkled you with the Blood of the Covenant and hath gained your hearty acceptance of all this You have opened your Mouth to the Lord you have vowed your selves you have sworn your selves his Covenant Servants not with your Mouths only not in profession only but you have engaged your hearts to the Lord. Jer. 30.21 Your Hearts are no longer your own you have given them to the Lord to be his for ever So that you can now say through Grace to the Lord what he said to Israel Is 54.20 The Mountains shall depart and the Hills shall be removed but through the help of God my faithfulness shall not depart nor shall the Covenant of my peace ever be removed His I am and through his Grace I am determined to be the Lords for ever Friends such a solemn and sacred Covenant transaction hath there been in those very Hearts of yours betwixt the Lord and you He hath avouched himself to be yours and you have avouched your selves to be his own and those Hearts of yours are the Records wherein this Transaction is registred and kept Remember and look back and consider if there have not been such mutual engagements passed betwixt the Lord and you Look into your Closets and remember what of this kind hath passed between him and you in secret look back to your Sacraments and remember what Covenanting have been between the Lord and you at his Table and what solemn sealing there hath been God sealing to you and you sealing back to him Your Hearts are the Records wherein these Sacred Transactions have been Registred look into thine Heart doth not this testifie for thee how thou hast bound thy self to be the Lords for ever and hast accepted of his Bond to thee The remembrance of this Covenant Transaction will be of use to you as long as you live will be of use to comfort you in the day of your doubts and fears to confirm you in the day of Temptations to hold you close to the Lord according to the Vows that are upon you to quicken you and hold you on in that way of holy and lively Obedience which you have covenanted for When you grow cold and careless and remiss in your way of Religion then remember Is this the Life I covenanted with God to live When you are tempted to decline to a worldly life or a fleshly life then remember I have promised to the Lord that I will never return to such a life again When you are out of heart and complain of weaknesses and want of strength and so are discouraged and disheartned I shall never be able to hold to such an industrious life then remember the Covenant of the Lord with you who
vanity will this a running on upon mine own death and a shutting up the door of mercy forever against me and yet shall I continue as I am Is there a way of life yet before me is there a door of mercy yet open to me and shall I not get into the Way and be making towards the door Consider sinners what is the best the wisest and the only safe course to take from henceforth and do accordingly 2. Why must we ponder our paths 1. God pondereth them Is 26.7 Thou weighest the path of the just 2. The devil pondereth them Luke 22.31 That he may sift you as wheat 3. Wicked men our enemies ponder them 4. Our way may be right in our own eyes for want of consideration when yet upon consideration it may appear to be the way of death Prov. 14.12 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death 1. There is a way of some men that is not so much as right in their own eyes who as little as they do consider it do see their way to be the way of death and not of life the way of the openly Prophane the way of the Drunkard and Adulterer the way of the Swearer and Blasphemer Prophanness doth not pretend to be the way of life Drunkards and Adulterers know they are out of the way their consciences tell them this is not the way of God this is not the way to heaven their conscience tells them I must turn I must repent and take up a better way ere I die I must not die a Drunkard I must not die a Blasphemer or a Scoffer I must repent or I am lost and hopes they have that they shall repent and this their hope hardens them The consideration that such men should take up is not to convince them that they are out of this way of life that they know already but to convince them of the necessity of a present turning and changing their way Darest thou not to die a Drunkard or a Libertine or a Licentious Liver how then darest thou to live so a day longer Art thou sure but that death may meet thee before thy turning day comes And how if it should thou knowest that then there is no hope of thee but Everlasting wrath must be thy portion Thou countest upon turning and repenting but consider what is the reason thou dost not repent at present that thou dost not this day give a divorce to all thy wickedness shake hands with all thy companions and forthwith become a new man Why not now O I cannot bring mine heart to it And dost thou in good earnest think that it will be easier hereafter Hath the Lord been perswading thee to a change all thy life long and thou seest his word cannot prevail thou seest it doth not after all thy convictions and fears and threatnings of the Word and checks of thy conscience hitherto thou goest on thy lust is too hard for thy conscience or convictions and dost thou think in thy heart that this is the way to make it easy to repent to continue longer in thy sin A course of sin hardens thee sinner Thine heart is not so hardned against repentance this year but look for it thou art like to find it harder the next year The farther thou goest on in sin the farther off art thou from repentance 2. There are others whose ways are right in their own eyes which consideration would make appear to be the way of death and not of Life I shall instance in two sorts 1. The ways of moral unbelievers These are they that are sober and temperate and harmless and just in their dealings with men and courteous and good natured this is their way and this way seems right unto them in this way they hope to come to heaven though whatsoever they have of morality they have nothing of Christianity in them Conversion or Regeneration are as strange things to them as they were to Nicodemus Jo. 3.3 who when Christ told him except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God he answered how can these things be And they have need to ask as Pilate did what is truth So they what is this new birth what is this new creature what is this conversion Consider man what dost thou think of this plea at last when this is all thou canst say I am an honest man but God help me no good Christian I am no drunkard but yet an unbeliever I am no Lyar nor Swearer but yet no convert to Christ Consider those scriptures Jo. 3.3 except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God â—â—d Mat. 18.3 Except a man be converted he cannot enter into the kingdom of God And dost thou bless thy self in thy harmless and less vitious way when thou hast never felt any such thing as Regeneration upon thee This thy way is thy folly and though it be right in thine own eyes yet it is and thou will find it to be the way of death 2. The way of hypocritical professors some hypocrites know themselves hypocrites and the way seems not right to them others are hypocrites and yet take themselves to be sincere and the deceit of their hearts may be so deep that there is need of deep consideration to discover it They pray and they hear and have some face of Religion upon their ways they will speak of God and the things of God with some affection and live in the visible communion of the church with good approbation they are it may be well reputed and well reported among all men and yet for all that the root of the matter may not be in them they may be unsound and rotten at heart and neither themselves know it and others suspect it there may be some secret reigning lust in their hearts they may be lovers of the world lovers of their ease or their pleasures more than lovers of God Whatever they have there may be one thing lacking as it was the case of the young man Mar. 10.21 whose life was commendable in many things yet says Christ one thing lackest thou and that one lack was loss of heaven And have we not all need to consider our selves and to consider deeply how it is with us A sincere Christian is an entire christian psal 119.1 Blessed are the undefiled that is the entire in their way that labour to be entire lacking nothing and sure we had need consider whether we are or no. Some Professors are so lame and halting in their way that they lack many things almost all things of serious Christianity Thou hast the profession of christianity but is not the power of it lacking Thou dost some of the works of righteousness but may not the Lord complain of thee as of Sardis Rev. 3.2 I have not found thy works perfect before me thou dost some of the works of Christians but are not the inward graces lacking Some of