proffered them on the same terms that Heaven is how greedily would they lay hold on them If a rich man should say to them Love but this Gold more than the Dirt under your feet and you shall have it Oh how quickly would they purchase it and never think the condition hard If the poor man was enjoyned to prefer bread bfore a stone and to desire it more and then it should be given him do you think he would ever bee without it And yet when the blessed God offers them ten thousand times greater mercies upon such terms as these they refuse them as if they were requir'd to do some great thing for that which was not worth their labour What doth God command us but to love himself more than empty creatures To value an everlasting Kingdome before the frail comforts of this short life And yet we will not do it He bids us but love our best part even our Souls more than these vile bodies and to take most care for that which deserves most as being the more excellent When hee enjoyns us to fly from sin and embrace holiness it is as if he should say Beware of that which will do you the greatest mischief and close with that which will do you the most good Accept of Liberty and freedome and do not lye in Prison and Fetters bee in Health and not in Sickness and yet men will not bee perswaded When God saith prefer my pleasant service before the bondage of the Devil and thou shalt be happy for ever he doth as it were say Be but heartily willing to accept of happiness here and thou shalt have it hereafter but the most are unwilling And upon this it is that not only God but all the world yea themselves will for ever lay the blame of their destruction by their resolvedness and willfulness in the waies of sin they are merciless murderers of their own Souls The Devil may tempt and the world may allure but they cannot not force them to sin There is not one of all those millions that perish who can truly say that hee was unfeignedly willing to have sav'd himself but could not But as for those that perish from amongst Christians they have least of all to plead in their own excuse For they have been exhorted and besought again and again to put away their evil-doings to renounce their lusts and turn to the good waies of God and yet they would not hearken What though the Devil entic'd them to wickedness did not Gods Spirit also move upon their hearts to have drawn them to holiness But they who knew not how to resist the Devil as they were commanded could resist and grieve and offer despight to the Spirit of Grace Whilst they knew not how to reject nor get away from a sinful Companion they could put off their Ministers and godly Friends with flat denials if not with contempt and jeers What though the flesh was craving for forbidden fruit unlawful pleasures and satisfaction Yet did not Conscience contradict and check it Why then should flesh which had no reason for its desires be hearkned to and obeyed whilst Conscience which is the voice of God must be slighted and silenced Tell me whoever thou art that makest a Trade of sin and livest in the neglect of thy Duty to God that made thee and keeps thee alive not accounting it the business of thy life to serve and honour him but goest from one day to another without the serious thoughts of his glorious Majesty and all his wonderful works and mercies thou who seest no need of hearing or reading Gods Word of constant Prayer or receiving Sacraments that puttest off the thoughts of Death and Judgement and art careless of making preparations for the same Tell me I beseech thee what 's the reason of such a wretched sinful course as this Is it because thou knowest no better Was 't thou never told how thou oughtest to behave thy self Didst thou never hear who it is puts men upon sin and what wages they have for it at length Didst thou never read nor hear of a Saviour that came to call men to repentance and holiness and laid down his life to save all that will be his faithful followers and Servants It 's very strange indeed if thou hast lived in any such dark corner that thou wert never acquainted with these matters But it is most likely thou hast heard them again and again but all hath been to no purpose What dost thou not know who made thee and why thou wast made There 's few Children but can answer such questions as these and yet how few men that consider them or that live as if they knew them There are indeed many to be found especially of the meaner sort who tell you they cannot read nor are Book-learned and therefore they hope God will hold them excused and not require much of them but yet these people have learning enough to look to their business in the world and if they be sick they 'l seek for help or if they are wronged they 'l look out for relâ—ef And what have they not learning enough to know what they must do to be saved Have they been idle and unwilling to learn so much as to read plain English and do they think this will serve their turn to plead for their ignorance and neglect of Duty and wilful Rebellions against God What were they taught or commanded such difficult things that none but Scholars can understand or do them They can tell as simple as they are that the light of the Sun is greater than the light of a Candle that Gold is better than Brasse that a King is above a Constable that its better to have an estate of their own which they shal enjoy as long as they live than to be Tenants to another to be turned out when he will Do they know these things and is it any harder to know that God who made all things and put that goodness into them which they have is better than all those things which he made and therefore should be preferred before all Creatures That he who is Lord of all should be obeyed above all that to be like him is better than to be like the Beasts that a certain everlasting Glory is more worth than short uncertain comforts here below Again these men knew well enough how to eat and drink and to take heed of what might hurt their bodies they could avoid the persons and places that were infected if the house was on fire they would run out of it and call neighbours to help to quench it if they are upon the way and are told of quicksands and quagmires they can avoid them And yet have they not learning enough to do good to their souls and to take heed of that which will destroy them for ever and hearken to others that warn them of their danger They can be diligent enough to please those that do them
find that thou art such a one still as ever thou wast as earthly and carnall as ever as hard-hearted and stupid and as mad of Sin as ever and know'st not what it means to have thy heart broken for thy offences committed against the great God of Heaven and Earth Nay it may be thou prid'st thy self in being of the very same mind and disposition that thou art now ever since thou canst remember Thou art one that hast always lov'd God and believed in Christ and bore a good conscience towards all men and then I fear all 's little better than stark naught with thee for though there may be multitudes of good people in times of light and having good education that cannot distinctly tell when they were in a more especiall manner wrought upon and brought home to God yet few if any but can remember that once they were much worse than they are even that they were too like the rest of the world but now they find they are washed and cleansed Perhaps when thou hast sworn or been drunk or committed any the like wickednesse thou could'st cry God forgive me and say thou art a great sinner but still goest on and remainest as bad as thou wast If this indeed be thy case if thou art yet a meer stranger to this work of Christ upon thy soul who is exalted in 〈◊〉 first place to give repentance thou art at present very unfit to drink of that Blood which was shed for and which seals the Remission of sins Now that I may proceed in the method I promised by directing to the attainment of those graces which are wanting in order to the breaking of thy hard heart and humbling thy soul for Sin I might advise thee in the first place to look back into thy heart and life to find out thy particular sins not being content in the generall to confesse thy self a sinner as all men are for this is not so likely much to work upon thee but to fasten upon thy most remarkable sins and dwell upon and bewail them and so all lesser evils and that body of death which thou carriest about thee continually which was born with thee and is the ground of all the rest In this method partly may you find David's confession Psal. 51. at the beginning to the 5. verse Further I might direct thee earnestly to beg of God to open thy eyes and shew thee what thy estate is and discover to thee more of the evil of Sin before thou feel its sad effects when repentance will come too late Moreover thou art to use all other means appointed for the working of a true and saving sorrow for Sin as to observe what God speaks against it in his Word and to attend diligently to the most searching and awakening Preaching and to be much employ'd in those considerations that have a special tendency to the begetting of this frame and of this sort I might name severall as for instance to think frequently how great and gracious a God sin is committed against and what particular reasons thou hast to serve and please him from the mercies and means thou enjoyest think how he stands related to thee as thy Creator Preserver and Ruler and therefore disobedience to him is most odious impudent and undutifull Withall its good to consider how much hurt Sin doth to the soul which is so excellent a Being how it defiles debaseth and disquiets it how it exposeth the whole man to all kind of evils and sufferings here on earth and to everlasting torments hereafter and deprives men of those unspeakable joys which are to be had with and from God But to avoid tediousnesse I shall passe over these and many the like considerations and keeping to the Subject in hand shall rather direct thee to fetch matter for humiliation and repentance from the Crosse of Christ the remembrance whereof at the Sacrament should still keep up and renew thy godly sorrow If then thou art one who never yet sawest any great hurt in Sin but for all the ill language which is given it canst quietly and lovingly entertain it let me beseech thee a while to fix thy thoughts upon a crucified Saviour and then remain of this wretched opinion if thou canst Behold the Son of God become Man a most innocent holy person whose whole life was spent in doing good who heal'd Diseases cast out Devils pitied all that were afflicted taught the ignorant pray'd and wept for poor Sinners after all behold this blessed Jesus who had never in all his life been guilty of the least sin in thought word or deed nor ever gave just cause of offence to any man living behold him I say in the Garden a little before his crucifying sorrowfull even to the death in such a bitter agony that he sweat great drops or clots of bloud and what inward pains and sorrows dost thou think must those needs be which put him into such an unnaturall sweat as this though his patience was as much greater than any mortall mans as his sufferings themselves were for we cannot imagine that he who so calmly bore all those indignities and cruelties which were offered and inflicted by insolent men should be lesse patient in regard of those sufferings which he underwent immediately from God but we may conclude that these were infinitely the greater Then after this beginning of sorrows and after he had been most vilely abused and set at nought by the Rulers the chief Priests the Souldiers and common people after he had in a jeer been cloathed in a purple Robe with a Crown of Thorns on his Head and a Reed in his Hand after he had been laught at spit on whipt and buffeted behold him brought forth to be stretcht upon the Crosse where his enemies stood gazing shouting and wagging their heads at him whilst his tender hands and feet are struck through with nails that fasten him to the wood and in his soul he felt that pain which wrung from him that doleful complaint My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Now let me beg thee to dwell a while upon this Subjâ—ct with the reason and bowels of a man and then tell me whetheâ— in thy Conscience thou think'st it was for a small matter that the Lord of Glory underwent such grâ—evous sufferings What was Christ so prodigall of his Blood as to shed it for a trifle or was God so cruel as to put his own dearly beloved Son to all this smart for an inconsiderable thing Certainly if thou art a Christian thou canst not harbour any such base thoughts Well then what was it that put Christ to all this sorrow and shame and smart Ah friend it was thy sin and mine and the rest of the worlds that was the cause and canst thou then imagine it an harmlesse thing If thou doubt of what I say hear the plain word of God Isa. 53.4 5 6. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we
thou dar'st not affirm either of these beware how thou mincest and lessenest thy sins when thou should'st repent of and bewail them for by so doing thou dost in effect thus blaspheme God Oh then let sin be call'd to the barre indict it for a murtherer as well thou mayst accuse it as guilty of the bloody death of the Lord of Life shew all the wounds and stabs that it gave him and see that thou pronounce sentence against it even utter death without any pity or remorse and heartily lament thy own basenesse in having so long given loving entertainment to such a monstrous murtherer and traitour And when ever thou find'st any favourable thoughts of sin arising in thy breast call to mind what it did against Christ and let that make thy heart rise against it and even boil with an holy hatred and desire of revenge And let the frequent remembrance of those streams of blood which thy sins fetcht from him open thy eyes to shed streams of tears or however work thy heart to an unfeigned sorrow for all thy iniquities for which thy Saviour was thus wounded 2. The next thing I would have have thee to enlarge thy meditations upon in the sufferings of Christ in order to the bringing of thee to a kindly repentance is that unspeakable love which is hereby manifested to the lost sons of men when I speak of Repentance I mean not meerly thy shedding of a few tears but an inward change of thy mind as I before shewed that thou should'st turn from Sin to the love of God and I know not what can be more likely to produce this than to shew thee the intolerable evil and mischief of sin that thou maist turn from it and the infinite goodnesse of God that thou maist be drawn to him Both these the Crosse of Christ most admirably holds forth so that well might the Apostle call Christ crucified the wisdome of God and the poweâ— of God 1 Cor. 1.23 24. How it shews the evil of sin to bring us to loath and leave it I have already shown and shall doe more in two following particulars That which I would now set thy thoughts upon is the inconceivable love of God in giving Christ for us and of Christ in being willing to lay down his life that as many as believe in him might not perish but have everlasting life Consider seriously how the great God hath sent after thee a poor worm the God whom thou hadst sinn'd against makes thee offers of peace the God who needs thee not yet appears desirous of thy happinesse when he might have poured out everlasting wrath upon thee he was willing to shew his compassion And see what he hath done in order to thy recovery He hath sent his own Son made of a woman made under the Law and delivered him to death for our offences and accepted of the satisfaction he hath made on the behalf of all that shall by him come to that God from whom they are faln and by his death not onely pardon of sin and deliverance from hell but a glorious Kingdome that shall never fade is purchast for all true Believers So that here 1. Thou seest plainly there is hope of pardon and acceptance upon thy hearty sorrow for and resolutions against sin And whom would not this encourage to come in freely acknowledging and protesting against their former backslidings and rebellions If indeed thou wast past hope it were as good keep thy sins while thou maist and make thy best of them But this is not yet thy case and if it hereafter should be thou maist thank thy own wilfulnesse For Jesus Christ hath brought in a better hope there is by him liberty proclaim'd to the captive freedome to all that are bound ease and rest to all that are burdened a pardon to all that are penitent And what will not this make thee stirre Is a golden Scepter held forth and wilt thou not lay hold of the opportunitie Is God willing to put up all the affronts he hath received from thee if thou wilt now come and submit thy self and will not this bring thee in Is he ready to be reconcil'd and art thou backward what dost thou rather hold off because he doth so invite and importune thee to him Because he is pleased with so much earnestnesse and compassion to call thee off from sin to himself dost thou the more securely run on in wickednesse Oh base ingratitude and meer madnesse Because there is hope of pardon discovered by the Gospel as procured by Christ therefore even therefore doe wretched sinners harden their hearts and embolden themselves to continue at a distance from God as if it was a matter of nothing to get their peace made with him or as if he must of necessity pardon and save them let them live as they list Thus vilely doe they pervert the very design of the Gospel Whereas were they ingenuous and reasonable they would acknowledge it to be a most forcible motive and engagement to cast away sin to hear that there was hopes of having forgivenesse and favour from God If a company of Subjects should rebell against their Prince what course would be more effectuall in all probability to reclaim them than to assure pardon to all that would throw down their arms But if they should be so base as to abuse the mercy of their Prince and think because he was so compassionate they might the safelier persist in their rebellion it is but just they should be destroy'd If thou love thy soul then beware how thou abusest the grace of God Wilt thou put away from thee the evil of thy doings wash thee and make the clean and so with humility and submission flie to God for mercy if so this mercy through Christ shall be assuredly thine But otherwise know there is not a word of comfort for thee in the whole Gospel nothing but what may strike thee with terrour For remember well that the death of Christ gives all the encouragement in the world to Repentance but not the least to Sin Yea it hath done more to destroy sin than all the terrours and threatnings of the Law Well then though thou art a lost sinner departed from God once without hope yet behold the God of heaven and earth takes pity on thee he would not have thee utterly perish though thou hast done so much to destroy thy self He calls thee back to him if thou wilt hearken and obey and humble thy self before him for thy departure from him and for all the dishonours done to his holy Name and wilt now at length devote thy self to his fear thou need'st not doubt of his favour So then here 's hope of mercy that may encourage all that hear it to Repentance 2. And in the next place there is so much love and goodnesse manifested in that way whereby this mercy is procured and tendered that may serve to work upon the hearts of all but flat
this canst thou without tears and groans look back upon all the disorders of thy life whereby thou hast done all that in thee lay to make those wounds of thy tender compassionate Saviour bleed afresh which he first receiv'd upon thy account I believe thou thought'st not of this no if thou hadst one would think thou could'st never have done it Thy design was onely to please thy flesh by all thy sensuall courses thou wast onely full of projects to maintain and raise thy self and thy posterity by all thy worldly designs and businesses wherewith through thy whole life though hast been so swallowed up But thou seest how the case stands that this while thou hast been most viley rejecting and even trampling upon the Lord Jesus who would have have brought thee off from thy vain conversation from all thy ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and hath followed thee with his Word and Spirit to that end and hath prest thee with arguments drawn from his matchlesse love discovered by his Death and hath besought thee to regard him yea to take pity on thy self but thou hast made light of all and hast gone on as securely and quietly in the ways of sin as if thou hadst never heard what sin did upon Christ. And what art thou resolv'd to doe so still shall nothing stop thee in thy career wilt thou not stay to hearken what a way it is thou walkest in nor think what unvaluable mercies thou all this while treadest under feet Hast thou not yet sufficiently abused thy Redeemers love and patience hast thou not made him wait long enough in vain wilt thou still make shew of deafnesse to all those messages he sends thee If so yet be thou sure of this thou shalt not be able to say at thy appearance before him that thou never knewest that sin was such an evil thing and so provoking to him for beside all other warnings that thou hast had I now declare to thee who readest or hearest these words that if thou still continuest in thy loose ungodly life living in swearing cursing drunkennesse whoredome covetousnesse cozening malice or any other known sin and wilfully neglectest thy duty to God going whole days without prayer or reading Gods Word profaning the Lords Day neglecting Sacraments if thou hold on this course thou dost no better than again crucifie and deny the Lord that bought thee and so hast no reason to complain if thou fall under the same condemnation which thou thy self wilt acknowledge Judas and Pilate and the rest of Christs enemies deserve and therefore that thou maist not be found amongst them loaded with the same guilt at Judgement I doe once again in the name of Christ beseech thee with all speed to change thy heart and life and use all means appointed to that end and after all thy wandrings now at length return to him the good Shepherd of souls who laid down his life for his sheep 4. Lastly the Death of Christ may powerfully move thee to repent of and forsake all sin as it holds forth this weighty but sad truth That all those who are despisers of this Death and by living and dying in their sins reap no saving benefit by it shall in their own persons undergo insupportable torments for this their unbelief and wilfull impenitence If thou believest the Gospel thou canst not but acknowledge that all men had been in a most miserable condition if Christ had not died and thou wilt grant that sin is a most perilous mischievous thing and an unspeakable provocation to the most holy God since nothing could appease his wrath but the Death of Christ without whose bloodshed we had obtain'd no remission And what then dost thou think is like to be thy case if through thy own fault thou art never the better for all Christ hath done but must thy self answer for thy sins and bear the punishment they have deserved Let the Death of Christ I say instruct thee what thou art like to expect if this be thy condition If as he himself speaks such things were done to the green tree what shall be done to the dry If he who was without the least stain of originall or actuall sin drank such a bitter cup when he stood in our stead what will be the portion of their cup who being poor frail creatures must make satisfaction for their own sins How will they ever up under all the load of Gods hottest wrath when he shall meet them in judgement and cause his fury to rest upon them And above all thy impenitent obstinate continuance in sin and contempt of Christ will lie heaviest upon thee in the day of vengeance These sins aganst the Gospel against mercy the greatest and freest mercy are most provoking to God most inexcusable in themselves and will therefore prove most pernicious to sinners Methinks then if thou hadst but any regard to thy self to thy own ease and comfort this should make thee out of love with sin to consider how dear its like to cost thee how pleasant soever it may now seem It was not for nothing that Christ felt so much sorrow and pain as thou shalt know to thy everlasting woe if thou pluck the heavy judgements of God on thy own head by sleighting him who would have kept them from off thee Assure thy self poor sinner as bold and confident as now thou art thou wilt never be able to contest with that wrath which exercised even the strength of Christ to bear it thou art never like to go away lightly with that which he felt so heavy For shame at length leave thy foolish plea that God will be more mercifull than to torment his creatures for hast thou not seen how he bruised his own Son who never offended him how he bruised him I say for our iniquities and will he then spare thee who in thy own person hast been a most stubborn hard-hearted rebel and hast cast away with loathing the mercies that were again and again even prest upon thee Thou hast no reason for such fond expectations What wilt thou tell Christ at Judgement that thou didst not believe that ever God would be so severe as to punish thee so dreadfully and everlastingly as his Word threatned and that therefore thou took'st somewhat more liberty in thy life than he allowed thee Darest thou come with such a plea as this But if thou should'st what wilt thou answer to Christ when he shall lay open what he underwent for thy sake and how thou madest light of his love will not this soon silence thee If he ask thee whether thou hadst not evidence and proof enough of the evil and danger that was in sin by his suffering so much for others transgressions wilt thou have any pretence left to justifie thy self I may perhaps urge this consideration but I mention it now as offered to us by the sufferings of Christ which doe most plainly declare that dolefull are the miseries prepared for those who
they converst with and after some time this King taking pity on his banish'd Subjects should agree with his onely Son that if he would venture upon the hazards and troubles of so long a journey he should take a chief Officer along with him and go to these rebels with proclamation of pardon to all such who should acknowledge their crime and were willing to return into their own land there to live in the obedience and favour of their Soveraign and in order hereto would come to this Officer to be taught by him the language of their Countrey and how to behave themselves so as they might please their King and be fit to be in his presence when now the King's Son should come to these men and shew them his Commission and perswade them to be ruled by him who is come so tedious and dangerous a journey to free them from the miseries of banishment proposing the terms on which he will deliver them all those that believe he speaks true and hath power to help them and being willing to be delivered upon his conditions doe put their trust in him by his means to be restored to the favour of their Prince and their former habitations they doe by this very action manifest their love to their native Countrey and their willingnesse to live in obedience to their King whom they had displeased and doe hereby also engage to accept of this Officer that accompanies the Prince to teach them the language and manners of the Countrey they are about to return to The application of this to the matter in hand is very easie for in the same manner doth Faith in Christ and our acceptance of him implie our love to God and desire to live for ever in his favour which is that Christ offers us and by his death hath purchased for true Believers and it implies also our willingnesse to be sanctified by his Spirit that we may be made meet to live for ever in the love of God Oh hearken then and give ear all you lost sinners somewhat to pursue the former comparison all you that are the posterity of sinfull Adam who by his transgression banish'd himself out of Paradise you that are wandring up and down in this wildernesse and have even forgot the heavenly Countrey as if you were made onely to be inhabitants of this lower world here to live with the Beasts a miserable life for a while and hereafter to die like Beasts that perish and accordingly make it your onely work to run and ride to labour and toil for such things as are needfull for this present life without regarding that which is to come whilst you are thus estranged from God forgetfull of and daily running farther and farther from him behold a message of glad tidings and great joy is dispatch'd to you from heaven The great God that made you takes pity on you and is even grieved to see what a misery you have plunged your selves into when he made you so happy He is by no means pleased that such noble Creatures lately raised out of nothing for such glorious ends should through their own folly and the subtlety of the tempter be debased into such a wretched sordid slavery Wherefore in pursuance of his gracious designs for your recovery and to shew how his bowelâ— yearn over you he hath sent his own Son out of his bosome who is one with himself to take our nature upon him and to become one with us that he might be every way fit to be a Mediatour betwixt God and us that he might teach us by his doctrine encourage us by his example and make attonement for us by his death Accordingly all this is done the Son of God is come into the world and hath abundantly evidenced his Commission from the Father to treat with lost mankind about their reconciliation to him for the procuring of which reconciliation he laid down his life and being risen again he furnished his Ambassadors with authority to assure all that life was given to the world and this life was in the Son so that he who hath the Son hath life And this is that message which the Ministers of the Gospel at this day and to the end of the world are to proclaim to the sons of men This Sirs is the joyfull sound that is now in your ears If you will but trust your souls with Christ and consent that his Spirit should teach you the language of Canaan and work in you an heavenly nature and disposition suitable to the state and place he would bring you to then shall you be happy with God for ever What say you then shall Chriâ—â— be your Redeemer to bring you to glory upon these terms or not What have you to object against him Doe you think he does not mean as he speaks or that he cannot doe what he promiseth Dare you question his power his willingnesse or his truth If you will not believe his Word yet give credit to his Death Does not that tell you he is in good earnest with you and fully bent upon the Redemption of mankind And beside the miracles wrought by and upon him which fully witnesse for him let his Resurrection put you out of doubt that him hath God the Father sealed to this Office of Mediatour by this is assurance is given to all men that he is the Judge of to be world and therefore that all are delivered into his hands to save or condemn as he shall think fit and he hath plainly declared that to those who receive him he will give power to become the Sons of God but as for those who reject him upon them the wrath of God abides for ever But these things I shall branch out into two or three particular considerations to perswade you if it may be to accept of Christ the Prince of peace who comes with the tender of peace to your souls to accept of him I say to wash you in his Blood and sanctifie you by his Spirit that at length he may present you without spot or blemish into the presence of his Father CHAP. V. Perswasions to accept of the Redeemer and give up the Soul in Covenant to him 1. AND first consider I am onely perswading you to be Christians which you professe your selves to be And will you not indeed be what you professe Why doe you embrace the name if you dislike the thing I know you have false measures whereby you judge of Christianity and think perhaps that all who are Baptized and keep their Church and call themselves Christians are so indeed but you should rather say such doe professe themselves so to be but they are not so in Gods account except they are true to this profession He that wears a Noble-mans Livery seems to be his Servant but if he will not acknowledge him to be his Master by doing what he commands him you will scarce say such a one's his Servant however not a Servant to be
any other condition than forsaking them If bare confession and begging of mercy might serve turn or if coming to the Sacrament might serve turn and yet still they might live as they list few would go without a pardon But remember God nowhere assures pardon to any man absolutely but upon a certain condition which except we perform we cannot look for the promised mercy What this condition is I have before told you even that you should repent of and give diligence to forsake all sin and receive Christ to be your perfect Saviour upon no other terms therefore expect to have a pardon confirmed to you by the Sacrament which will no farther avail you than as it receives power and efficacy from the promise without which it is a seal to a blank paper that will warrant you to claim nothing Suppose a Landlord should make you a Lease of an House upon condition that you would own your self his Tenant yearly pay him some small quit-rent should set his seal to this Lease all this would stand you in no stead if you denied that you was his Tenant and refuse to pay the Rent he required Wherefore to know whether your hope of pardon be upon good grounds and such as will not fail you examine whether you are such kind of persons as I have before described whether you are humbled for and brought out of love with every sin and doe with firm purpose of heart cleave to the Lord Jesus To bring you thus to depend upon Christ for a pardon in a right manner and upon sure grounds the considerations I laid down under the last particular may be of use since this is one part of that faith in Christ which I there exhorted you to that was an acceptance of him in all his Offices this hath a peculiar respect to his Priestly Office and is called Faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 Onely to adde a word or two more for the quickning of all such who have not much laid it to heart how to get their sins pardoned as if they thought it was a thing of no great consequence Consider I beseech you whether the Incarnation Life and Death of Christ was not a matter of huge importance to the world and tell me Reader dost not think thou art as much concerned herein as any other man Hadst not thou as much need of his Death as any And therefore doth it not stand thee upon to see whether thou sharest in the benefits of it as much as it doth any man breathing And tell me farther if all this preparation in the Gospel had been made for thee onely and Christ had come down from heaven and suffered on the Crosse for thy sake alone that thou mightest be saved by him on the same terms that now thou maist and should have sent thee a message calling thee by thy particular name assuring thee of all this and beseeching thee to accept of these offers of life dost thou think all this would have convinced thee of the greatnesse of Divine love and of thy need of mercy And would it have awakened thee to make out after the same and to doe all that was required to obtain it If so why then wilt thou not now be perswaded to the same care Since the Gospel speaks to thee as particularly as if it named thee and the mercy is as great and thy need of it as much as if thou alone wast concerned in it and thou shalt never have the lesse benefit nay rather more by having others to share with thee in it but thy misery if thou misse of a pardon will be never the lesse for having many companions in the same sad case with thy self Once again let me ask thee thou who now art so insensible of thy need of a pardon that thou wilt not take pains to get it in the way thou art commanded wouldest thou be contented at any rates absolutely and expresly to part with all hopes and expectations of it If thou might'st be hired with a thousand or ten thousand pounds would'st thou for such a summe of money professe thou didst renounce all right and title to Jesus Christ and all hopes of mercy through him Or would'st thou give this under thy hand in writing to the Devil or to any man that would help thee to a great Estate what would'st thou think of those who should doe thus would'st thou not look upon them as most wretched forlorn creatures Why be it known to thee if through negligence and stupidity thou seek not out after an interest in Christ that thou maist be pardoned and saved by him thy condition will at length be found as miserable as theirs If there should be certain acres of ground in Ireland promised to any one that would go thither to possesse them he that would not take the pains to go over would have no more advantage by them than he that should formally renounce his righâ— thereto Even so by carelesnesse and sloth maist thou lose all benefit by Christ as certainly as those poor creatures that are drawn to make compacts with the Devil and sell away their souls for a thing of nought To conclude if nothing I have hitherto said will move thee consider I entreat thee whether this thy undervaluing of pardoning mercy will remain always Sins thou hast I know thou wilt acknowledge yea many and great sins such as would sink thee to the lowest hell if they be laid to thy charge Dost thou not grant this And thou canst not but know that there will at length come a day of reckoning for these thy sins and dost thou think when thou must stand before the Judge and give up thy account that thou shalt not earnestly desire a pardon then will it then seem as indifferent a thing as now it does Then I say when without it thou must be sentenced to keep company with the Devils in the midst of scorching flames for ever and ever And thou canst not sure be so ignorant as not to know that none shall have a pardon then but those who got it now that 's a day for examining and declaring what our estates are whether good or bad that we may be dealt with accordingly not a time for getting them made better if they were naught before Wherefore if thou beest not a very bruit onely to mind what 's before thee if thou hast any foresight any belief of this Judgement-day that thou art going to now rouze up thy self and with all speed and industry labour to get that pardon which within a while to thy own most lively sense will be so needfull and stand thee in so much stead And when thou art wrought to such a sight of thy misery as makes thee desire after mercy and to such a loathing of thy sins as fits thee for it then thou maist be assured that God for Christ sake will be gracious to thee and thou maist comfortably addresse thy self to the Sacrament and take
hid but rather use all means to supply them whilst they are afforded And as there is required in all Receivers an earnest longing after sanctifying grace which is here vouchsafed so the other qualification suitable hereto I told you is a Resolution to improve this grace that is to lay it out and shew forth the fruit of it in an holy conversation This is an effect of the former and indeed necessarily flows from the nature of grace which is no way desirable but for use and exercise not is it possible that in should ordinarily lie still in the heart and not be brought forth into act and shewn in the life He that desires patience humility purity temperance to what purpose is it but to overcome the temptations which he meets with in the world to the contrary vices and to shew forth these fruits of the Spirit in all his converse Whence it appears that no man is worâ—hy to come to the Lords Table who is not resolved by the grace of God to live an holy life and to be led by the Spirit in all his ways He that hath got any sin which he is resolv'd to keep is not like to have any desire after that grace which should mortifie and quell his sin nor any mind to remember that Death which was to deliver us from this present evil world He 's like to be far from a right remembrance of Christ who will not be perswaded to imitate him for certainly that 's one end of our remembring his Death that we may thereby be drawn to follow his example which he gave us then as well as in his life by his constancy patience charity to his enemies and ready resignation of himself to his Fathers will As he walked so ought we to walk and from his very death may we fetch directions for our life This resolution for holinesse which I am speaking of is indeed one branch of our Faith in Christ being no other than our consent to take him for our King to guide and govern us in all our thoughts words and actions and therefore having said something to it under that Head as also the former of Repentance I shall at present passe it over CHAP. VIII The third benefit is eternall happinesse with God 3. THE last of those benefits which I named obtained for us by the death of Christ and to be remembred at the Sacrament is eternall happinesse It is by his resurrection from the dead and consequently by his death that Believers have a lively hope of an inheritance incorruptible undefiled that fadeth not away reserved in the heavens for them 1 Pet. 3.4 It was his blood that redeemed them to be Kings and Priests to God Rev. 5.9 10. He gave his flesh for the life of the world Joh. 6.51 By Jesus Christ God calls us to eternall glory 1 Pet. 5.10 He opened the entrance into Paradise which sin had shut up It was his will not onely that they who believe in him should be kept from the place where Satan was but that they should also be with him where he is Joh. 17.24 This he pray'd for this he died for and is gone before to prepare a place for them and keeps them here to prepare them for that place and being ready they shall enter into the Kingdome He receives their Spirits when they die and will raise up their bodies at the last day Now their life is hid with Christ in God and when he appears then shall they also appear with him in glory Coll. 3.3 4. Be we sure then this Death of Christ cannot be remembred as it ought if the glory purchast thereby be forgotten How can we remember a dying Christ but withall we must call to mind that he vanguisht this death is risen again and ascended into glory whither in due time he will exalt his people Moreover that Covenant which is sealed to by this Sacrament promiseth an everlasting Kingdome to Believers and can any man forget such a benefit even whilst he is receiving a confirmation of his right to it Again here is that grace given out which is the pledge the seed the beginning and forecast of glory here is the meat which endures to everlasting life and who can forget his Journeys end whilst he is taking food to strengthen him for his travell To conclude here 's a communion of Saints which does in some measure shadow out and signifie that perfect communion which they shall have one with another when all the Elect shall be gathered from the four corners of the earth and with Abraham Isaac and Jacob shall sit down and for ever remain in the Kingdome of God Now hence it appears that the worthy Receiver must be one who hath taken the heavenly glory for his portion who hath got a treasure above and there placed his heart and his hopes for none but such a one can with any life and raisednesse remember this glory which is to be revealed He that is wont to solace himself with the contemplation thereof will rejoyce in every thing that hath a relation to it much more in the remembrance of that price that was paid for it But how can the earthworm whose soul lies groveling upon the dust bring himself to any affectionate thoughts of hidden treasures which cannot be got into his bags not coffers which he cannot so much as get a sight of Nor can the swinish voluptuous sinners that feed upon none but the muddy delights of sense take any comfort in the forethoughts of pure and spirituall pleasures such as are prepared for exalted purified souls Any whoever they be that place their chief conâ—entment on earth are not like with any pleasure to think of that time when they must leave this earth and enter upon another state where are no such sensuall enjoyments as here they blest themselves in Ignorant narrow souls have no heart to think of what shall be thousands and millions of years to come These poor sordid spirits are so glewed to the little trifles of the world that they look not so high as after Crowns and Scepters which Christ hath in store for his faithfull followers And they who never took much pains to secure or clear up their evidences for heaven but have taken it for granted that they must needs go thither at last or counted it an indifferent thing whether they doe or not will be farre from those lively apprehensions of the greatnesse of that love which purchast it and of the excellency of the blisse it self which are necessary for him who can rightly remember either Now to bring those who are yet strangers hereto to such an apprehension of the glory to come by Christ that they may chuse it as their portion and so be joyfully taken up in the expectations thereof in one word I would desire thee whoever thou art that hast but so much common reason as to distinguish between good and evil to consider well whether thou hast not
as these affected your hearts with a sense of your iniquities humbly betake your selves to God and lay open all before him by a free and full confession acknowledge what wretched hainouâ— sinners you are and how unworthy of the least favour and beg of him to work and increase in you that true and kindly sorrow for sin which may fit you for mercy And cease not by your good will from this confession till you finde your souls even melted within you in the apprehension of your own vilenesse but however cease not till you finde in your hearts a loathing of every sin and of your selves by reason of it And if you have but an inward sense of your sores and pollutions you will not want such words to expresse it as will be acceptable to God only see that you be sincere and let your heart make your confessions rather than your tongue Labour to be as sensible of your case as you would be if now you stood before a King whom you had offended from whom except you could beg a pardon you must presently be put to death of which pardon there was good hope if he did but perceive you to be really sorry for your fault Oh how affectionate and earnest would you be in this case and would have words at will to expresse your self How passionately would you acknowledge and bewail the offence you had committed and with what vehemence professe against ever being guilty of the like And how importunately would you beg for mercie when you saw no other way but present death if your importunitie did not prevaile Thus behave your selves towards God and believe that he stands over you now in your Closet and hearkens to your Prayers and observes whether you be heartie in them or not But remember all this while it is an inward-dislike and abhorrence of sin wherein the truth of your Repentance consists more than in bare confessing it and speaking against it with the greatest fervour these are required too but beware of taking up with these Beware I say as ever you hope for mercie of retaining any secret liking to sin or the least thoughts of continuing in it still whilst with a great deal of stir you revile it as such an abominable thing But rather if you finde in your souls a kinde of hankering after some old lust not yet thorowlie mortified betake your selves to those considerations which may bring you out of love with it as how little its like to do for you what an happinesse it doth now and will hereafter deprive you of what a miserie it leads to with other the like formerlie laid down and quit not these thoughts till you finde your selves turned against it For once again let me assure you then and never till then is your Repentance right when you are not only brought to grieve for sin but to hate it when your hearts are not only broken in the remembrance of it but are broken off from and thorowlie bent against it Though this exercise of Repentance seems most properly preparative to the work you are going about yet in such a penitent humble frame would I have you be even when you are at the Lords Table If you eat this bread and mingle the Wine with tears it will be never the worse for your souls And must it not needs affect thee to behold Christs body broken and his blood poured out here in a figure and then to think with thy self This was sin my sin even my pride and earthlinesse and all the wickednesse of my heart and life was part of that load which he bare on his own bodie on the Cross when he cried out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Might not the Lord call to me and even shew me the Print of my many grievous sins in his hands and feet and the deep stabs they gave him and yet ungratefull wretch that I am how little have I valued this his love how little hath my heart been affected herewith where had I been and what had become of me if he had not thus undertaken for me Oh what had my sins brought upon me if he had not interpos'd and kept it off how mad and senslesse have I been in venturing upon sin harbouring and delighting in sin Sin which is so hainous a thing that without shedding of blood it will never be remitted and for which no blood but that of Christs could obtain a remission How more especially hainous then is my guilt in undervaluing this blood so much and so long as I have done How base was my heart to give entertainment to sin after I had heard what it had done against Christ and to deny entertainment to him after I had heard how much he had done for me Was his kindnesse such as to bleed for my sins and shall not I weep for them especially for the unkindnesse I have shewn to him As God never shew'd greater love to Man than in delivering up his Son for our offences so he never shew'd greater hatred of sin than by this action and therefore conformably as we ought hereby to be brought to the greatest love of God so to the deepest hatred of sin and humiliation for it But I have formerly more fully shewn how the consideration of Christs death may bring us to true Repentance and what I there spoke chiefly of a change of state may be applied to the particular exercise of Repentance wherefore I shall insist no more on this Onely let me meet with an Objection that may perhaps be in the minds of some namely That sorrow for sin at this time scarce seems consistent with that hope of mercy that joy and thankfulnesse which are chiefly required in the Communicant Know therefore that I presse no sorrow but what is a preparation to joy and doth even animate and exalt it whilst the humble Christian reflects upon his own nothingnesse and unworthinesse and thence is carried forth to the greater admiration of that mercy that hath so favourably regarded him And take notice farther that I would have the sense of Divine bounty chiefly to raise and keep up this humiliation whilst we think with our selves Oh what wretched creatures are we thus to offend so loving a Father who notwithstanding all our provocations is yet compassionate towards us and upon our return to him is so readily reconciled To retain this apprehension of love in the midst of our mournings will make them most ingenuous and even pleasant to our souls and though it will make us sincere and deep in our repentance yet it will so moderate our spirits that we shall not sorrow as those without hope and I could wish that Christians in all their sorrowings would observe this rule But then that such an ingenuous shame and sorrow as this is consistent with the greatest confidence of mercy there is not the least doubt for which to omit all further proof of a matter so plain see that very