undergone could you eat and drink and sleep and not pray to God which was more necessary than any thing which is mâ—st necessary for your bodies and if there was no worship of God at home could not you have looked alroad were there none lived neer you who would have been glad of your company in the worship of God and way to Heaven could yâ—u finde out no religious young men or women suittble to your degree who would have quickned you and heartned you against discouragements Did not you devote your selves rather to the service of some lusts and were glad of any excuse when conscience would have minded you of your duty towards God Take them Devils binde them hand and foot 4. Come forth all ye Sabbath-breakers you that have spent the day in sleeping in eating and drinking to excess who instead of holy meditations have been thinking and contriving your worldly business instead of religious conferences have discoursed only of earthly matters instead of going to Church to worship God have walked into the Fields and spent the time in recreations or if you have seemed to give God a half-day service by your presence at Church one part of the day yet have worshipped him only with your bodies when your hearts were removed far from him had not you an express command for the Sabbaths observation and if the day of first institution were changed was the day and worship thereof laid aside and ceased to be a duty If the Iews were obliged to keep a day holy were not the Christians much more Was not the Sabbath made for man was it not his Priviledge to take that time for holy rest and worship and did the Gospel straiten mens Priviledges Did not the morral Law of which Sabbath observation was one precept bind throughout all generations could you call other daies holy which the Scripture gave no warrant for and not observe that holy day which you were enjoined Did not God allow you six daies for labour in your Callings and was it unequal for him to take one day for his own worship had he eased you of the burdensome Ceremonies under the Law and was the Sabbath so burdensome to you could you reasonably hope to enter into eternal rest and keep a Sabbath in Heaven if you would not celebrate the appointed Sabbaths on Earth Were not the works of the Creation and Redemption worthy your memorial was not communion with God in Ordinances desirable had you no need of those spiritual provisions which God did use to deal forth on the Sabbath daies to them that waited upon him for them What! not worship God either in your own houses nor in his house neither on the week-day nor Sabbath-day could your sometimes could and formal services be counted worship Did you think that lip-prayers would ever be heard by God that searcheth and requireth the heart Did you think that Sermons un-minded un-remembred which you did neither believe nor were affected with would be effectual to save you Take them Devils binde them hand and foot 5. Come forth all ye swearers and profaners of the Name of God Did you never read nor hear the third Commandement which forbad this sin Did you never hear of my strict Injunction that you should not swear at all in your discourses but that your communication should be yea and nay Were you never told that swearers would fall into condemnation Was the Great and dreadful Name of God of so little regard that you could not only use it irreverently so frequently but also even tear it in pieces by your oaths What profit did you get by your swearing and are you like to sustain no loss what pleasure did you find in your swearing and are you like to reap no litterness was it for your honour to swear by the Name of God or rather was it not for your dishonour but how did you dishonour God What an affront did you offer to him hereby you call'd upon him sometimes to damn and sinke you can you speake in that language now now damnation is so near you Worms could not God have trodden you under his feet or crusht you as easily as you could do a flie every time you profaned his Name and because he was patient would you presume because he did not presentlie punish did you dare him and flie in his face to provoke his fury You have sworn in your solly and have not repented and God hath sworn in his wrath and will not repent that you shall never enter into his rest Take them Devils binde them hand and foot 6. Come forth all yee scoffers at Religion and the zealous Professors thereof who thought and spake of Religion as if it had been a fancie and cunningly devised Fable and of the most holy humble and self-denying Christians as if they were the most mean-spirited foolish and contemptible People upon Earth and have used the name of a Saint in derision and Proverb of reproach Have you the same minde now that Religion was but a fancy Is your Resurrection and my appearance but a fancie Is your punishment eternallie in Hell like to be bus a fancie Had you not a sure ground and bottome for your faith in the Scriptures Could you have desired more reasonable evidence of things done before your age Could you laugh at Scripture-threatnings And can you laugh now you are come to Execution Could you contemn Gospel-promises And are they so contemptible now in your eies when now you see the accomplishment of them before you Against whom was it that you opened so wide a mouth Whom was it that you did flout and scorn What my Disciples because they were meek and humble and did not take the pleasures of sin with you and were strict in their profession and conversation What think you of them now Were they so mean-spirited and contemptible Were they so foolish which made so wise a choice Did they well or ill in staying till this time for their happiness Look upon the Persons now whom once you scorned and thought unworthie of your companie Was it so ridâ—culous a thing to be a Saint as you imagined Was not shining with them in glory at all desirable Would not you be glad to be numbred amongst them now Why do you not laugh and fleer at the Saints now Yee fooles and blinde sots do you know what you sâ—oft at Could you see no excellencie in Holiness and the Divine Nature in my Image which was engraven upon them Did ever any Man of understanding laugh at the light of the Sun They were lights in the dark World where they lived what mock at Holiness hereby you mocked at God himself who is so infinitelie glorious in this attribute and hereby distinguished from all his Creatures vile Wretches Take them Devils binde them hand and foot 7. Come forth all yee Persecutors of my Disciples Was it not enough for you to mock them but you must persecute them too Was it
your wicked courses have you liked darkness so well and is it not fit then that you should go to the place where there is blackness of darkness for ever Take them Devils bind them hand and foot 2. Come forth all ye slothful and uprofitable persons Had not ye Talents committed to you for my use and service and what have you done with them did you bury them in the earth or lay them up in a napkin what could you lie down and slumber when you had so much work to do could you trifle away so many hours when time was so preciâ—us could you sleep in the day in the day of grace sleep in the Harvest which was so rich and plentiful where you lived could you stand idle all the day long in the market-place were you born for nothing that ye lived so unprofitably and were good for nothing would not religion have found you imployment sufficient if you had followed its direction Did the difficulties of duties discourage you and therefore you would let them alone though they were so necessary had the command of God no force with you would not your own good and happiness move you at all to diligence did fear of men and suffering dammage in the world keep you off from zealous profession and a strict course of life and should not the fear of God and danger of Hell have kept you more from sin and stirred you up unto the most difficult hazzardous duty was there a Lion in the way to Heaven and were there no Lions in the way to Hell did not some sin â—â—st you pâ—ins and labour did you finde no difficulty iâ— the service of the devil and your own lusts and was not holiness more worth your paines to get would not I have proved a better master had you been diligent in my service could you be diligent in your callings to get a livelihood for your selves and families and neglect the life and salvation of your precious souls would not my work have brought wages with it was there not sweetness mingled with the difficulty and would not the fruits have been sweet would not a Crown and Kingdom a weight of glory and eternal pleasures move you to undergo some difficulty was there so much difficulty in obedience to my commands which were not grievous to a spiritual heart and is there not more difficulty in suffering what you mâ—st unavoidably suffer for your neglect if my yoak were painful to an unaccustomed neck could not I have fitted your neck to it and made it easie if my burden were heavy to a weak back could not would not I have put under my shoulder and helped you to have born it were not the most difficult duties I required for your own good and so many priviledges and the best work you could be employed in were any of my servants so wearied with my service with the hardest work I set them about as you were wearied with your idleness and doing nothing did not the Earth groan under such unprofitable burdens did not Hell gape for you long ago and Devils long for this time when you should be delivered into their powers Take them Devils binde them hand and foot 3. Come forth all ye that have neglected Family-worship and never sought after God in your Closets Were not you creatures and did the law of Creation require no worship were not you subjects and should not you have shown homage to your Sâ—veraign did not you live upon Gods finding and bâ—unty every day and should not you have acknowledged your dependance did not God bring you into your Family-relation and did he require no duty Did not he threaten to pour out his wrath upon irreligious families and yet would not you set up Religion in yours had you any business to do in your houses of that consequence as worshipping God in your houses if you had not ability to pray at first with others might not you have attained it had you used to pray by your selves would not God have helped you had you been â—illing to have been helped had you been sensible of sin would you have wanted words in confession had you been sensible of your wants would you have lacked expressions to make them known was it curiosity and elegancie of words that God so much looked for would not sighs and groans have been understood would not the Scriptures have furnished you with expressions had you used to read them would not Sermons have furnished you with matter and expressions had you used to repeat them had you need of such and such things for your families and had you no need of Gods blessing and could you hope for his lessing if you did not worship him might not you have prospered more in the world if you had used to pray more in your houses might not you have had more comfort in your relations if you had daily engaged with them in the duties of Gods worship might not family-prayer have prevented much sin and sorrow which you â—rought upon you did not you fall into many â—â—ares duty for want of the armour of prayer had our children and servants no need of religious educaâ—ion were they like to be obedient and faithful to you if you did not teach them to be obedient and faithful â—nto God had not you the charge of their souls put into your hands and what account can you give â—ave not you brought their blood upon your heads â—ave not you contracted to your selves the guilt of 〈◊〉 sins can you endure to hear their curses and banning of you for neglecting to give them such religious education as might have been the means of their salvation And you that were under government in families which had no religion could you so willingly imitate the governours and the rest in neglect of Gods worship Could you contentedly go to Hell for company is it any â—lleviation of your grief and horrour that all your family is together can your masters or fathers answer for themselves or you had not you a greater master in Heaven whom you should rather have obeyed did not you understand your duty and if you could not worship God more publickly should not you have sought out retiring corners if others would not pray with you should not you have prayed alone by your selves what if you had no example for it in your house had you no precept for it in the Word what if you were under command and much business was required of you and you were discouraged in such duties could not you have found time when business was over or before business began could not you have redeemed time from sleep and recreations rather than have neglected Gods worship daily would not God have encouraged and rewarded you what if you had been sâ—â—ft at and reproached for this would not the favour and smiles of God have compensated the flouâ—s and â—câ—rns of men would not Heaven have been worth all the reproaches you could have
you into Hell into the Ocean of Gods wrath and can you secure your selves a moment from the stroke of death when you are most secure may not death be most neer when you think you shall live many years to eat and drink and take your pleasure like the rich fool in the Gospel may not deatâ— knock at your door that night and break in upon you and fetch away your bodies to the grave and Devils drag your souls to Hell Awake then before you sleep the sleep of death awake out of the sleep of sin think with yoâ— selves this night we may be in Hell and free â— rather bound in Chains of Darkness and horroâ— amongst the damned or to morrow we may bâ— in torments with Cain and Iudas with the Devâ—â— and his Angels and therefore give not sleep 〈◊〉 your eyes nor slumber to your eye-lids until yoâ— have redeemed your selves out of the snare of thâ— Devil and sin as a Bird out of the snare of thâ— Fowler or a Roe out of the hand of the hunter 4. Sinners consider the everlastingness of yoâ— punishment in Hell when your Souls are onâ— in they shall never come forth until they 〈◊〉 brought forth unto the last Judgment at Christs aâ—pearance and when soul and body are joyneâ— and sentenced to this place of torment and thruâ— into it the Door will be shut upon you and yoâ— will be locked in so that it will be impossible sâ— you to get forth for ever your bodies as well 〈◊〉 souls will be immortal and the Fire of Hell wiâ— be everlasting those flames will never be quencâ—ed and your torments will never be ended whâ—â— you have been ten thousand times ten thousaâ—â— millions of years in Hell it will not bear the pâ—â—â—portion of a moment of time to the unmeasuâ—rable space of Eternity in which you must be tormented for sin your punishment will alwayes be in the beginning of it never never never will it come to a conclusion nor your to any hopes of it as long as God lives and Heaven continues which will be for evermore so long will Hell continue and you abide in extremity of torments without any possibility of release and deliverance Awake sinners awake think how horrible the thoughts of Eternity in Hell will be Extremity and Eternity will be the great aggravation of your misery methinks the danger of such torment should fill you with such fear and terrour that nothing should be able to remove until you had secured your selves by an interest in him who alone can deliver from the wrath to come and yet can you be secure when you are in the greatest danger Awake think whether the pleasures of sin for a season are to be compared with the eternal torâ—ments of Hell or the uncertain treasures of Earth with the eternal store of Gods wrath or the empty vanishing wordly honour with the exceeding and everlasting weight of misery which the damned shall sink under in Hell If any sleepy sinners begin to startle with such thunder-claps of Judgment and being unwilling to part with their sins feel their hearts to rise within them against the message and Messengers for thrusting such harsh things into their eares for molesting their spirits and disturbing the peace which they have hitherto had in their sinful way cannot Ministers let us alone will they be called to an account for us will they suffer for us and why do they thus affright us with Peales of Judgment Beloved we Ministers are set as Watchmen to sound the Trumpet and warn you of Judgment which if we should neglect to do your blood would be required at our hands Ezek. 33. from the 1. vers to theâ—â— 1. And we shall be called to an account for the Souls committed to our charge Heb. 13. 17. And therefore having notice given us by God in his Word of the coming of Christ to judge and punish the ungodly World at the last day and knowing the terrour of the Lord how terrible the day of Judgment will be unto you if you be found amongst the ungodly and how terrible the day will be unto us if we be sound unfaithful to your souls we warn you and perswade you to flee from the wrath to come and can you blame us then for using harsh language when we cannot omit it without danger to our selves and your souls when otherwise we cannot be faithful to you nor to our Master who hath sent us to declare these things we might indeed like some slaâ—ter you and sooth you up in a way of sin we might speak smooth things unto you and prophesie deceits but what advantage would it be unto you to be deceived if you were pleased with us and did commend us here I am sure you would curse us for our unfaithfulness hereafter Sinners it is not cruelty but pitty and mercy to shoot the sharp arrows of Gods threatnings into your consciences it is not out of hatred but tender love to your souls that we endeavour to thrust the sword of the spirit into your bosomes that if possible we might wound sin to the heart and fetch forth the blood thereof as it were which if it still live in you will be your ruine Christ will certainly and quickly be here and when he doth appear we shall appear to be judged and is it not good you should know it before hand that you might be prepared If any be so awakened by this Doctrine concerning Christs coming to Judgment that they begin to feel a sting and wound in their spirits and are so perplexed with fear of being condemned for their sins which their consciences do accuse them of that they know not what to do yet are willing to take any course to prevent their ruine and those dreadful miserics which they are in danger of at that day I shall speak unto such by way of Counsel and Exhortation 3. For the Exhortation of Sinners Will the Lord Jesus Christ certainly and quickly appear to Judgment there are two things I would exhort sinners unto that they may escape the wrath of God which on that day will be revealed and inflicted upon all the wicked of the Earth 1. Flee from Sin 2. Flee unto Christ If you would flee from wrath and Hell Or 1. Repent of Sin 2. Get an interest in Christ. And then you may be able to stand with confidence before the Son of Man at his appearance yea whatever your sins be now do these two things effectually and when Christ doth appear you also shall appear with him in glory 1. Sinners repent of sin Acts 17. 30 31. God commandeth all Men every where to repent this is a duty which God requires of all Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the World in righteousness c. This is the Argument to enforce the duty It is your duty to repent because you have sinned and God commandeth you to do it and it is your interest and