silence this life is the time of working but death of cessation not onely do civil works cease then as buying selling trading c. but the religious also as praying hearing repenting believing c. The time for these is onely while you are upon the earth there are none of these in the grave nor in hell and therefore how should you resolve to work the work of him that sent you while it is day for when the night Joh. 9. 4. cometh no man can work 9. You can never come hither again to do it when once you are gone there 's no return back As the cloud is consumed and vanishes away so he Job 7. 9 10. that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more He shall return no more to his house neither shall his place know him any more I shall behold Is 38. 11. man no more with the inhabitants of the world And There is hope of a tree if it be cut Job 14. 7 10. down that it will sprout again c. But man dieth and wasteth away yed man giveth up the ghost and where is he c. no more here where ever he is not that Job denied or was ignorant Non negatur resurrectio ad vitam sed ad similem vitam Pined of the resurrection but he speaks it in regard of a natural life he shall come no more into this world to live and dwell here amongst men as he did or to dispatch any work no if his work was not done before he went hence he cannot return again to do it but it must cease for ever death as to that being the utter conclusion of man he is gone and returns no more and had you not need then to hasten to do your work when as Job speaks after a few years are come it may be weeks or days or hours you shall go Job 16. 22. the way whence you shall not return 10. The Scripture runs all upon Nows and upon the present as to this great work Acquaint now thyself with him c. Therefore also now Job 22. 21. Joel 2. 12. saith the Lord Turn ye even to me with all your heart c. and Return ye now every one from Jer. 18. 11. his evil way God does not onely command the duty and makes it every man's duty but prescribes also the time that it be now that it be forthwith without any further delay But now commandeth all men every where to repent and Act. 17. 30. If thou wilt return O Israel saith the Lord return that is presently and To day if ye will Jerem. 4. 1. hear his voice c. See also Eccles 12. 1. Math. 5. 25. Isa 21. 11 12. c. 11. The not doing what you are to do at present as to this great work makes Gods putting a price into your hand in vain and to no purpose Why because you do not imploy it nor improve it and so to what purpose is it it is all one as if you had none Wherefore says Solomon Prov. 17. 16. is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom seeing he hath no heart to it Now to repent and turn to God is your wisdom and you have at present a price in your hand for to get it a price of time strength parts gifts means and opportunities of grace but to what purpose seeing you have no heart to it nor to improve the present price that is in your hand for to get it Whereunto do opportunities and advantages of gettting good serve unless improv'd Say a man wanted some necessary commodity that he could not be without but must perish if he get it not and not having wherewith to procure it another should put a price into his hand now to what purpose was this if he be yet such a fool as not to lay it out but perish with a price in his hand had it not been better he had none To every thing there is a season Eccles 3. 1. and a time to every purpose under heaven and so for this but what are any the near if they let it slip and have no heart as to what they should improve it for which is wisdom saving conversion and so salvation and what should a man have an heart to if not to these 12. The not hearkening to God now at present while he calls does much provoke his wrath and aggravate your sins and will augment your misery For who are we that we should not presently stoop to and obey the call of so great a Majesty especially in what is so much our own concern Because says he I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man Prov. 1. 24 25 26 27 c. regarded But ye have set at nought all my counsell and would have none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh c. And this was the heavy aggravation of Jezebel's fornication that God gave her space to repent but she repented not and so Rev. 2. 21. 9. 20. of those who though not killed by former plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands and Solomon tells us that because to every purpose there is time and judgment therefore Eccles 8. 6. the misery of man is great upon him But how is man's misery therefore great is it not rather a mercy yes but his misery is therefore great because he either is so blind that he cannot see it or else so careless and negligent that he lets it slip For man also knoweth not his 9. 12. time as the fishes that are taken in an evil net and as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the sons of men snar'd in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them they know not in this their day the things which belong unto their peace at least not practically not savingly so as Luk. 19. 41 42 c. to pursue them till they are hid from their eyes which is so sad as that it made Jesus Christ himself to weep over Jerusalem and the neglecting such opportunities given to sinners for the good of their souls will certainly be another day as a dagger at their hearts when they shall see how wilfully and foolishly they have ruined their own precious souls in delaying to make Cùm nihil morte certius ac horâ mortis incertius quomodo quis audebit sciens ac volens in tanto remanere periculo per quod incurrere potest aeternam poenam c. Gerh. use of those helps they had to have prevented it and that they should be so strangely besotted and as it were bewitched not to look after that which so infinitely concern'd them till it was too late And therefore as you love your souls and tender your salvation delay no longer but forthwith set upon the work and dare not to go one
to their capacity and whatever is the stile or language know that the remedy it self here propos'd is not mine but of his making and prescribing who is the great Physician and healer of Nations and he therefore that rejects or despises rejects and despises not man but God onely he 1 Thes 4. 8. hath spirited me and bid and appointed me as he hath some others to mind you of it and to put you speedily upon it yea and to betake your selves to him to help and assist you in it that so the Nation may not perish and so soveraign a remedy at hand for want of being applied and made use of as unto which if any thing here dictated shall prove subservient or any ways adjutant it shall ever be acknowledged as a singular mercy to him from the God of mercies who is and remains A studious well-wisher of Thine and the Nations weal R. P. To the Christian Reader SAlvation is the most sutable and the most desireable mercy for sinners for sinful persons for sinful Nations Salvation as it imports deliverance from evil and that it imports most properly is a very great mercy but as it implies the gift and injoyment of good of the highest good so it is far better Temporal salvation is a signal favour but how unspeakable a favour is Eternal Now as questionless salvation with all the appurtenances and consequents of it is the greatest mercy that can be desired so the greatest question that can be asked is that of the Jaylour Sirs what must we do to Acts 16. 31. be saved Reader the worthy Authour of the ensuing Discourse having I doubt not well weighed and deeply laid to heart the doleful condition of many thousand souls in city and countrey who remain in a state of sin and persist impenitently in the practice even of the grossest sins considering also with himself possibly with others the dangerous state of the whole Kingdom by reason of those much to be lamented overflowings of sin he I say having laid to heart and considered these things hath studied and in this Treatise freely held forth a remedy indeed an unfailing and the onely remedy whereby the souls of men may be saved and delivered from wrath and damnation and the whole Kingdom from ruine destruction and desolation There needs no more for the saving either of persons or Nations but the Lords effectual turning of our hearts from sin by the working of his powerful grace in us and the sweet manifestations of his favourable grace towards us or as the Authors Text hath it the causing of his face to shine upon us A remedy compounded of these two Gospel-ingredients both the fruits of Christ's bloud and death for the cure and help of sin-sick dying souls and Kingdoms thou wiâ—t find Christian Reader ready at hand for thine and the Kingdom 's benefiâ— in the doctrinal part of this book if thou hast an heart to make use of it And that thine heart may be drawn out to make a right use of it thou wilt find it stor'd with many clear directions to guide thee with strong reasons to convince thee with many cogent motives to quicken thee all fetcht from and grounded upon the holy Scriptures many Texts whereof are not onely as thâ—y all are pertinently alledged but solidly pithily and largely paraphrased and expounded I commend all to the blessing of God and thy diligent perusal praying that all may turn not onely to thy souls profit and everlasting salvation but to the temporal salvation of these Kingdoms from those impending evils of punishment which our abounding evils of sin threaten us with and may quickly bring down upon us unless the Lord God of hosts according to his super abounding goodness turn us again to himself and cause his face to shine upon us then and not till then we shall indeed be saved or dwell safely and be quiet from fear of evil This Christian Reader is the apprehension this the daily petition of Thy friend and servant in the Lord JOSEPH CARYL Good Reader WE learn from the story of the Fall that man was first a fugitive from God and then an exile first Adam ran to the bushes and then God drove him out of Paradise and ever since besides the aversion of mans own heart there lieth a legal exclusion on Gods part Man in this condition is become a stranger to God and his own happiness and not only a stranger but an enemy but though we are enemies to God we cannot make good our quarrel against him the Lord of Hosts will be too hard for poor worms Alas what will our many lusts do against his mighty Angels God cannot be overcome yet such is his Grace he is ready to be reconciled Turn unto me saith the Lord of Hosts and I will turn unto you saith the Lord of Hosts Zech. 1. 3. The same stile is used both in the exhortation and the promise 'T is the Lord of Hosts who inviteth us to turn to him by a serious repentance and the Lord of Hosts who promiseth to reward us with all manner of felicity and happiness If we turn not we find him a dreadful adversary but if we have an heart to return to him we shall find him as powerful and delightful a friend Woe to him that striveth with his Maker But blessed he that submitteth to him We keep off from him out of carnal liberty not liking the strictness of his precepts and also out of legal bondage fearing the strokes of his Justice and we are hardened in our alienation from God by patching up a sorry happiness in the creature apart from him our remedy must be fully correspondent with our disease therefore our cure consists in turning from the creature to God from self to Christ from sin to holiness Do this and it shall be well with you sin shall be pardon'd and everlasting happiness shall be your portion But who is sufficient for these things The legal exclusion is taken off by the merit of the Lord Jesus and the straying disposition is cured by the all powerful and converting grace of his Spirit and in conversion we find him to be the Lord of Hosts aswell as in destruction as he conquereth and subdueth mans heart to himself for surely God never made a creature too hard for himself But his grace must be sought after by us in the use of all holy means Gods complaint against his people was that they would not frame their doings to turn unto the Lord surely they do the work of Christianity who most labour in this very thing especially in a time of general defection and corruption of manners when a people temptingly and daringly put it to the tryal whether God will be so severe against sinners as his word representeth him to be in such a time we need cry aloud both to God and men to God that he may turn us by his preventing grace and turn to us by his rewarding grace to
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neque enim à falute excluditur corpus Prsc good work Jesus Christ came to save 2. A soul not an estate or life though it is somewhat to save them but a soul indeed the body 's sav'd too but the soul as chief is specified onely A soul that is the main and indeed the man the jewel call'd our principal one They pursue my soul Job 30. 15. in the Hebrew it is as you may see in the Margin my principal one so call'd for its preheminence Dutch read it my Noble others Princess or excellent one David calls it his darling Ps 22. 20. a soul which is so precious more worth than a world and which Jesus Christ himself set so high a value upon as to lay down his life to save and which if a man should lose it would Math. 16. 26. profit him nothing though he should gain the whole world as Jesus Christ who best knew the worth of Souls hath declar'd and which being once lost is irrecoverable for what shall a man give in exchange for his soul O nothing can be given here though it was many worlds so as to avail any thing for as the loss of the soul is incomparable so it is irreparable A soul which being safe all 's safe and for the salvation of one of which there is joy among all the Angels Luk. 15. 10. in heaven 3. A soul from death that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pisc eternal death the second death and this is death indeed in comparison of which the other death viz. temporal deserves not the name of death 4. Hide a multitude of sins Some refer this to his sins that converts God being very gracious Efficiet ut Deus tegat c. ignoscit enim resipiscentibus etiamsi plurima gravissimáque peccata admiserit to such a one c. But others and better to the sinner converted for he being instrumental of his conversion proves so also of the covering or pardoning of his sins so as not to condemn or hurt him which is indeed man's blessedness and a very glorious priviledg as was hinted before and what a blessed thing is it to be instrumental herein in covering anothers sins yea multitudes Certainly this is more than if a man could be instrumental to another of compassing for him an whole world and to get one of such debts discharged towards God is more than ten thousand Talents unto man and let him now that converts a sinner from the errour of his way know yea and consider this to his comfort and to his own and others encouragement in so good a work and so as to give glory to God for putting so great honour and dignity upon him and who would not lay out their utmost endeavours here to save and to save a soul and from death yea eternal death and to cover sin yea a multitude of sins But the more yet to engage in so good a work consider we 1. Jesus Christ died to save souls and shall not we contribute our utmost endeavours c. 2. Others seek to pervert yea subvert and destroy souls and not we to convert and save them are they factours for the Devil and Hell and not we for God and Heaven c. 3. This is one great end of God's converting us and of giving us his Spirit it is to further the conversion of others the manifestation Ut Ecclesia inde fructum percipiat Calv. of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with all that is others for their good and benefit and not to be idle but to be made use of for 1 Cor. 12. 7. common service Christ says to Peter and when thou art converted strengthen thy brethren Luk. 22. 32. Acts 10. 38. and he himself being anointed with the holy Ghost it is said he went up and down doing good and so should we and not receive the grace of God in vain nor have Talents to keep them laid up in a napkin I have read of an old man who Pauâ—â—m sepultae distat inertiae celata virtus Horat. being converted himself was so zealous and industrious this way that he brought above fourty to seek out for heaven that before had no more care that way then as if they had been a company of beasts and this is indeed divine labour heavenly travel blessed imployment indeed to covert souls c. 4. This it is an high honour yea the highest to be instrumental in so blessed a work herein we are workers together with God and joyn in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 6. 1. fellowship with him and what an honour is that certainly it is a more glorious and honourable exploit to convert souls than to subdue Countreys and Kingdomes vanquish Nations yea than to exercise the vastest Dominions To rescue a soul from eternal death there is nothing Nihil praestantius aut magis optabile quam animam eripere ex morte aeterna c. says Calvin more honourable more desireable We see how much Christ values giving but meat to the hungry drink to the thirsty but how much more precious to him is the salvation of the soul than the life of the body 5. It is a point of great wisdom yea of the greatest He that winneth souls is wise that wins Prov. 11. 30. them to God and his ways I he is a wise man indeed truly wise greatly wise write him down as so for he approves and makes it appear he is so indeed it is as if Solomon had said There is a great deal of talk of wise men in the world but when all is said as can be said he is the wise man that wins souls not he that wins the world or wins so much wealth as the world thinks but souls because they are so precious one soul being more worth than a world yea many worlds and therefore it is greater wisdom to win a soul than a world and had Paul won but one soul he had therein approv'd himself wiser in winning that one soul than Alexander the Great in conquering the whole world yea had it been many worlds This is the wisdom that makes the face to shine here and such shall shine Eccles 8. 1. forth as the Sun for ever hereafter and of this wisdom may we say The Gold and the Cristal Job 28. 17 18. c. cannot equal it c. and the price of it is above Rubies c. 6. It is an evidence of sincere love and indeed Vera benevolentia maxime in mutuâ salutis curâ consistit amorenim vult ei qui amatur omne bonum maximè salutem Pareus there cannot be a greater nor clearer Who ever truly loves another he ever undoubtedly aims at and indeavours his good and especially his chiefest good and what can that be but his conversion and salvation and as ever therefore we would manifest the sincerity of our
29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 terminus nauticus it drawn in or drawn together rolled up into a narrow scantling as Sails use to be by the Mariner when the Ship draws nigh to the Harbour so much the Greek word imports and therefore you had need without any further delay mind and hasten your great work and having so little time lose no more of it there 's water little enough to run in the right channel and therefore let no more run besides and your time being so short can you find in your heart that God should still have less of it and the Devil and your lusts and your vanities more The Apostle Peter tells us The time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the 1 Pet. 4. 3. Gentiles when we walked in lasciviousness lusts c. to have gone on in the ways of sin for the least time is here too much it being but lost time and time which sinners imploy to wrong and ruine their own souls in Take our whole time all our days and they are as the Prophet David expresses it but as an hand bredth and our age is as nothing before God our life flies Psal 39. 5. Vita hominis subitò transvolat finis ejus initio ferè est contiguus away and our end is contiguous to our beginning Remember how short my time is wherefore hast thou made all men in vain Truly unless we speedily turn to God and give up our selves to serve him we seem made but in vain our Psal 89. 47. time is so short hence says David God's hands having made him and fashioned him I made hast and delayed not to keep thy commandements Enoch walked with God three hundred Psal 119. 60 years and was it Methuselah's years which where above nine hundred God deserv'd them all and infinitely more but being so few shall we still keep from God more of these few and give them to his and our worst enemies to whom we owe none at all and if God have any shall he have none but the worst the bran the carkass the lame infirm service of old age Offer it now Mal. 1. 7. unto thy Governour Some are indeed called at the eleventh hour but how quickly is it then night and how little service is God then like to have The Devil because his time is short he hastens the more to do mischief and wilt not thou to further thy own souls weal Epicures say Let us eat and drink for tomorrow we dye but say thou the contrary Let us turn to the Lord for tomorrow we dye and remember that upon this weak wire hangs the heaviest weight on this little moment depends a twofold eternity 5. Our time here is very uncertain it cannot be long but it may be less than you are aware of If you do not repent today you are not sure of tomorrow to repent in for who has given Prov. 27. 1. you security of it Boast not thyself of tomorrow Nescis quid serus vesper vehat for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth no nor an hour not a moment it may bring thee to thy end to the grave and that Accidit in puncto quod non accedit in anno may happen the next moment which never yet befell thee all thy life It was a wise answer of a grave person to this purpose who being invited to a feast on the morrow answered Of many years I have not had a morrow-day to promise to myself That rich man in the 12. of Luke v. 19 20. he counted indeed of many years but God called him fool for it and tells him that night his soul should be requir'd of him If you do not get turn'd by conversion today you may before tomorrow be turn'd to destruction and Psal 90. 31 your bodies may not onely be turn'd into the Psal 9. 17. grave but your souls into hell and what a sad Nè desperando peceata augeamus propositus est poenitentiae portus nèsperando augeamus datus est dies mortis incertus Gerh. turn will that be and had you not need then set about and hasten the other Remember your time is not in your hand in your power but in God's he is Lord of our time and not we to limit it to lengthen it out or cut it off as he pleases which made Austin to profess that he would not for the gain of a million of worlds be an Atheist for half an hour because he knew not but that God might in that time take him away 6. It is irrevocable being once gone it can by no means be recall'd no not one moment it passes and speeds away as an hasty headlong torrent but never repasses it is swift violent Vestigia nulla retrorsum and constant in its progresses without any the least intermission stop or stay but never admits of any the least retrogresses or going back here 's always ebb but never floud always running forward but never returning backward How many when they have been dying would have given a world for a little time and others have been heard crying day and night Call time again call time again and another in a dispairing condition cryed out Can you call time again if so then there is hope but it cannot be there is something before of time to Post est occasio calva take hold of but it is bald behind And how should you hasten then to take the present season men do it for other matters as the merchant for buying or selling the husbandman for sowing c. and onely here will you be so foolish as to let it slip especially when it cannot be recall'd 7. The days are evil and had ye not need then redeem the time The days are evil because Eph. 5. 16. we are evil for the days are not morally evill but evill men and evil manners make evil days and the evil of sin procures the evils of troubles and punishment and our evils of sin Ezra 9. 6. being so many and so exceeding great grown up even to the heavens what further evils of plagues and punishments may not we fear may be coming upon the Land And therefore what need had you to lay hold with all speed on the present opportunity and make the utmost advantage of it as to the furthering this great work 8. There 's no doing any thing as to this Quando istine excessum fuerit nullus jam locus poenitentiae hîc vita tenetur aut amittitur c. Cyprian great work when you are gone hence and therefore you had need to hasten and do what you can here for if it be not done you are undone for ever Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with might for there is no work nor devise nor knowledg nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest there all work ceaseth the grave is the land of