promised an open reward to such as secretly and sincerely seek him Pray frequently be often upon your knees give your selves unto Prayer begin the day conclude the day with Prayer and recover some other time to visit and speak to God at least mingle ejaculatory Prayer with every other work and labour that your minds may be always in a praying frame and do not withdraw but be glad when an opportunity offereth it self to come to the throne of grace Pray fervently pour forth your hearts before God in the duty wrestle with God in Prayer like Jacob be earnest in your Petitions as for your lives be instant and importunate take no denyal follow hard after God stir up your selves to take hold on him use arguments in Prayer to plead with him Pray believingly mingle your prayers with Faith make use of the name and mediation of Jesus Christ and make application of the Promises which God hath made to his People which he hath made to Faith and which he hath made to Prayer Means 6. Christian Conference Take heed of the company of the wicked from such turn away if you are under tyes to be in such company converse with them as infected persons with an Antidote lest you receive hurt by them and with endeavours of doing them good But choose the company of them that fear God they are the excellent persons the wicked are the Dross of the Earth they are the Gold let your delight be in their society associate chiefly if you have opportunity with such as have most of the power of godliness and labour to improve by their company whenever you come into it endeavour to get light and life and warmth and strength from them take heed of unprofitable discourse but let it be with grace for edification Means 7. Watchfulness Watch unto duty there are some golden seasons for some duties some choice opportunities of doing and receiving good which if once slipt you may never have the like again so long as you live watch that you may know them watch that you may improve them understand the day of your visitation sow your seed whilest the weather lasteth hoist up the sail when the wind bloweth watch the breathings of the Spirit and comply with its motions Watch against sin and therefore keep your hearts with all diligence guard your senses take heed of Satan get on the Spiritual Armour especially the shield of Faith and fight the good fight of Faith that you may lay hold on eternal life Means 8. Sanctification of Fasting-dayes Set apart times to humble your Souls before God in Fasting and Prayer and therein rend your hearts and not your garments labour to afflict your Souls for sin meet God with weeping and supplication cloathe your selves with humility lie in the dust cover your selves with shame loath and abhorr your selves in his sight for your iniquities mourn for your own sins and for the great dishonours of his Name by the sins of others And seek to the Lord both for your selves and for his Church Means 9. Sanctification of Sabbath-dayes Remember to keep holy the Sabbath-day break off timely the day before from worldly employments and be earnest with God to prepare your heart for the day and when the day is come begin and hold on with God from Morning to Night in the publick private and secret duties of his immediate Worship except what time works of necessity and mercy do call for Labour to be in the Spirit and in the fear of God all the day long lay aside worldly business take heed of vain and unprofitable discourse let not the Duties of Religion seem tedious but call the Sabbath your delight begin Heaven-work on such dayes that you may be fitted by these Sabbaths for the Eternal Rest Praise God on these dayes for the works of Creation especially for the work of Redemption and labour to grow in grace by the dews of the Word which fall upon you most plentifully on such dayes Means 10. Improvement of Sacrament-dayes Come frequently to the Table of the Lord if you have opportunity to celebrate the Memorial of Christs Death and come preparedly examine your selves pray for the Wedding-garment read the history of Christs Passion consider such arguments as may be a means to draw forth your graces into exercise and when you are there labour to mourn for sin which hath pierced the Lord to hunger after his righteousness to receive him by Faith to apply the Promises of the Covenant of Grace whereof the Sacrament is a Seal endeavour after a burning love to him whose love hath been so great as to dye for you and let your hearts be filled with joy and your mouths with Praises and deliver up your selves in Covenant unto the Lord in this Ordinance After you come from the Lords Table reflect upon your carriage towards the Lord if you have been straitened endeavour to find out the cause mourn and by after-pains and application of Christ endeavour to get some benefit and prepare better against the next time if you have been enlarged be humble be thankfull be watchfull live up to Obligations draw vertue from Christs death for the crucifying more and more of your flesh with its affections and lusts and fetch influences of grace and spiritual nourishment that you may encrease with the encreases of God Finally be diligent in the use of these and all other means and helps and so at length you shall attain the ultimate end for which they are appointed even your Salvation and Eternal Happiness FINIS
known unto us than it hath been in former ages unto any or than it is in other places unto many In former ages this salvation was not made known so clearly unto any I mean in the ages before the coming of Christ the Prophets themselves who prophesied of it did not fully understand what the Spirit in them did signifie when it foretold of this grace which should come unto the Church in after ages 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. And therefore the first preaching of the Gospel of salvation is called a revelation of the mysterie which had been kept secret since the world began unto that time Rom. 16. 25. And a manifestation of that mysterie to the Saints which had been hid from ages and generations Col. 1. 25 26 27. The Gospel of salvation was indeed revealed in the dispensation of the Law upon Mount Sinai by Moses but it was more obscurely it was wrapt up in types and figures and as there was a vail before Moses his face so there was a vail before the truths of salvation so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look unto the end of those things which were after to be abolished 2 Cor. 3. 13. but this vail is done away in Christ v. 14. When Christ suffered upon the Cross the vail of the Temple which kept the people off the Holy of Holies was rent from the top to the bottom of it and then the way into the Holy of Holies was made manifest and Christ by his appearance abolished death and brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel 2 Tim. 1. 10. Then darkness did pass away and the true and marvellous light did shine upon the Church 1 Joh. 2. 8. And now with open face believers do behold as in a glass the glory of the Lord 1 Cor. 3. 18. The scope of which places is to shew the obscurity of former revelations and the clearness and evidence of the revelation of the Gospel in these latter daies In other places this salvation is not made known so clearly unto many it is not made known at all unto the most in the world a thick darkness of ignorance doth overspread the greatest part of the face of the earth and even amongst those that call themselves by the name of the Church of Christ there are in many places such fogs and mists of errour and heresie that the truths of salvation are darkened and peoples minds are blinded but now unto you this salvation is made so clear and evident the thing and way of it is made so manifest that it is a great encouragement to seek after this salvation 7. This salvation is a Free Salvation it will cost you no money you may have it for nothing you may have it for accepting If you were taken captive by men if you were slaves to the Turks possibly you might not be delivered without some considerable summ for your ransom but you may be delivered from the slavery of the Devil and your own lusts you may be saved from sin and Hell without money Indeed a price hath been paid for your ransom not silver or gold but that which is ten thousand times more precious and that was the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed upon the Cross for you yet though your salvation cost Christ dear it is free unto you it will cost you nothing pardon is free and grace is free and eternal life unto you is a free gift you are invited to come unto the waters and to buy wine and milk but it is without money and without price Isa 55. 1. The Spirit faith come and the Bride faith come and whosoever is athirst let him come and take of the waters of life freely Rev. 22. 17. There is sufficiency of grace in God for the salvation of you all and you may come and partake of this grace in your salvation freely You may have it without money if you be poor the gifts of God cannot be bought and you may have it without merit if you conceit that you deserve any thing you shall be sure to have nothing if you are sensible of your unworthiness and apply Christs merits and righteousness through him you may have salvation freely 8. And lastly This salvation is a Sure Salvation you have the promise of God for it and there can be no greater certainty of a thing than the word of God especially if you consider that God is infinite in power and therefore can do whatever he will and that God is infinitely true and therefore will do whatever he hath promised God is most powerful and therefore able to save you there is strength sufficient in his Almighty Arm to bring salvation unto you and God is most faithfull in the promises of salvation which he hath made in the Covenant of Grace if you get faith to apply the promises you shall certainly have the thing There is an uncertainty in every thing else in the world but there is a certainty in this salvation that there is such a thing is certain from the revelation of the Word of God who cannot lye and that you may have it if you will accept of it is certain from the nature and firmness of the promises and when you have attained unto any degrees of this salvation the perfecting of it will be most sure for he that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1. 6. Thus I have laid before you the properties of this salvation it is a great salvation it is a rare salvation it is a necessary salvation it is a possible salvation it is a near salvation it is an evident salvation it is a free salvation it is a sure salvation all which being laid together may be a strong motive and inducement to you to labour that you may attain a share in this salvation CHAP. IV. Motive 3. FRom the consideration of the Damnation of all such as do not obtain salvation The damnation of all such persons will be Dreadfull and Certain 1. The Damnation of such as are not saved will be dreadful 1. The Day of their damnation will be dreadful 2. The Sentence of their damnation will be dreadful 3. The Execution of their damnation will be dreadful 1. The Day of the damnation of such as are not saved will be dreadful and that is the last day the day of judgement O how dreadful will this day be to you that are wicked and ungodly when the Heavens shall be opened and the Lord Jesus Christ the Judge of the world shall descend with a shout with the voice of the Arch-Angel and the loud sound of a Trumpet when the Earth shall be opened and you shall be raised out of the dust and summoned to appear before Christs Tribunal and the Books shall be opened and all your sins shall be made manifest before the whole world when the Heavens shall be on fire and melt down upon you and pass away with
faith from the consideration 1. Of God 2. Of the Promises 3. Of Christ 4. Of the Saints 1. From the consideration of God who hath given his Son to save sinners it is an encouragement to faith to consider 1. That God is mercifull and therefore willing to pardon and save otherwise he would not have sent his Son he doth not delight in the death of sinners Ezek. 18. 23. but delighteth to shew mercy see Micah 7. 18 19. Exod. 34. 6 7. Psal 103. 8 9 c. 2. That God is faithfull in his Promises of salvation which he hath made through his Son in his Covenant of Grace God needed not have made the Covenant nor promised mercy to any sinners but having made the Covenant he is engaged to make it good 3. That it is for his glory to save sinners through his Son the glory of his free grace yea and justice too which hath been fully satisfied by Christs death 2. You have encouraging Arguments for faith from the consideration of the Promises which are 1. Large made to all sorts of persons and all sorts of sinners none are excluded 2. Full they extend to all sorts of sins though never so many and great Isa 55. 7. 3. Free nothing is required on your part but accepting 4. Sure being the Promises of God in Christ 3. You have encouragement to believe in Christ for salvation from the consideration of Christ the proper object of faith 1. The quality of his person who is God and man in one person that he might reconcile man unto God 2. The merit of his sufferings which as hath been shown was of infinite value and sufficient for the redemption of men 3. His alsufficient power to save those that come to him Heb. 7. 25. 4. His mercy and faithfulness to make reconciliation Heb. 2. 17. 5. His interest with the Father 6. His continual intercession at the right hand of God Heb. 7. 25. 4. You have encouragement to believe in Christ for salvation from the consideration of the Saints the experience which they have had of salvation by Christ some of whom have been as vile sinners as you You have as good grounds to come unto Christ and believe in him for salvation as the most holy men alive before conversion 5. If you would attain this grace of faith in Jesus Christ you must labour to act it looking up to God for help herein endeavour to cast and roll your selves upon Christ to apply Christ and his merits and to rely upon him and his righteousness It is in your endeavour that God doth work and here you must endeavour again and again against all opposition which you find from the Devil and your own evil heart of unbelief which will be ready to carry you away from Christ So much for the 4th Direction Direction 5. You must get a new Nature if you would be saved You must be made partakers of the Divine Nature if you would be made partakers of this salvation You have brought unholy and impure natures into the world with you which must be changed and renewed after the Image of God in knowledge righteousness and true holiness before you can be in a state of salvation and see the Kingdom of God This new nature which is absolutely necessary unto salvation is begun in the work of regeneration and carried on in the work of sanctification In regeneration the work of grace is begun the habits of grace are infused a new principle of spiritual life is put into the soul and sin which before lived and had dominion over the man imploying all his members as instruments of unrighteousness to make provision for the satisfaction of its affections and lusts doth receive its deaths wound and loseth its force and reigning power In sanctification the work of grace is carried on the habits of grace are strengthned and encreased the new man doth grow and the old man doth decline and decay there is a vivification or quickning more and more of grace by the influence of the Word and Spirit and a mortification or subduing more and more of remaining iniquity What our Saviour tells Nicodemus Joh. 3. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God I may tell you that unless ye be born again unless ye be regenerated ye cannot be saved no possibility of entring into the Kingdom of Heaven without you get this new nature A man must be born the first time before he can possess a temporal inheritance and a man must be born again before he can possess the eternal inheritance You must be children before you can be heirs Rom. 8. 17. children not only by adoption but also by regeneration Ye must be Saints before meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. You must have the new nature before you can enter into the New Jerusalem You must be made like to God in holiness before you can be admitted to live with God in the place of everlasting happiness God doth suffer the wicked that are unclean and unholy to live before him in the Out-house of the Earth but he will not permit any except such as are sanctified to live with him in the Palace of Heaven O then labour after a work of Grace upon your hearts be perswaded of the worth of Grace that it is a rare and precious Jewel that the least measure of Grace is of more worth than ten thousand Worlds be sensible of your want of it that naturally you are without it that it doth not grow in Natures Garden that you have no good Nature in you before God till your Nature is renewed be ready to receive the seed of Grace which drops down from above whilest People are attending upon Gods Ordinances be ready to hearken and yield to the Spirits motions whereby this work of Grace is effected And having the work begun O cherish the Grace you have got and as new-born Babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby and labour to cleanse your selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit that ye may perfect holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. Direction 6. You must lead a new Life if you would be saved see what kind of Life the grace of God which bringeth salvation doth require and teach namely to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2. 11 12. You must deny ungodliness and worldly lusts you must put off concerning the former conversation the old man which is corrupt according to deceitfull lusts Eph. 4. 22. and not fashion your selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance and unregeneracy 1 Pet. 1. 14. not running with others unto the same excess of riot 1 Pet. 4. 4. not walking according to the course of a profane and ungodly world Eph. 2. 2. but saving your selves from an untoward generation Act. 2. 40. as he
Righteousnesses are as filthy rags and therefore altogether insufficient to procure for me the pardon of sin the favour of God and the peace of Conscience as also fully perswaded that no meer Creature is able to give unto me any help and relief in this case And being informed by the Word of God what the Lord Jesus is hath done and suffered for poor sinners That there is no Name under Heaven given amongst men whereby we can be saved but only the Name of Jesus Christ that he is able to save all them unto the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing be ever liveth to make intercession for them that he is a mercifull and faithfull High-priest in things pertaining to God to make Reconciliation for the sins of the People that whosoever cometh unto him he will in no wise cast out and finding a Promise in the Covenant of Grace that God will be mercifull unto our unrighteousness and that our sins and iniquities he will remember no more which Covenant is of full force through the death of Christ the Testator thereof and having Christ set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood and his Righteousness declared for the remission of sins which are past through the forbearance of God and this Christ freely tendered unto me and being invited earnestly yea entreated that I would be reconciled unto God through him and by the Spirit being perswaded of the truth of these things and hereby encouraged to apply my self unto Christ and the Promises through him unto my self I do now grieving that I have offended God groaning under the burden of sin renouncing all my own righteousness hungring after the Lord Jesus Christ and his righteousness upon the bended knees of my soul come unto him and cast my self wholly upon him I choose him for my only Advocate to plead my cause in the Court of Heaven to procure for me Pardon and Reconciliation that being justified by Faith I may have peace with God through my dear Lord Jesus Christ Next repenting from the bottom of my heartâ— of my sins grieving that I have such a sinfull Nature such a deceitfull heart that I have so adulterated my affections and gone a whoring from God to the Creatures that I have so indulged my flesh and satisfied its irregular desires that I have given ear to the Devil and complyed as I have done with his temptations I now renounce all allegiance and service to the World to the Flesh and to the Devil these enemies of the Lord and of my peace which warr against my Master and against my own soul covenanting and promising never to give away my heart any more from the Lord unto any person or thing in the World to refuse the World for my portion and chief happiness to deny my flesh iâ—s sinfull desires and demands to resist the Devil and his Temptations not to live and allow my self in any known sin and to make use of all the known means which the Lord hath prescribed for the crucifying of the World for the mortifying and utter extirpation of sin for the resisting and overcoming the Devil And being perswaded of the power and interest the subtilty and deceitfulness of these enemies and withall sensible of my own imprudence folly weakness and inconstancy I humbly and earnestly implore and beseech the highest Majesty who is infinite in wisdom power and goodness that he would give me counsel and discretion in the use and management of all means and helps that I may not neglect any nor through sloth and imprudence suffer a lesser duty to justle out a greater that he would give me courage strength and constancy in the maintaining my spiritual warfare against these my spiritual enemies unto my lifes end And if ever I should fall through unwatchfulness and weakness which the Lord grant I may never do I do promise in the strength of the Lord to arise again by Faith and Repentance And because of the Body of sin within me and remaining corruptions I shall be subject during my abode here unto daily failings and infirmities I do promise to pray watch and strive against them beseeching the Lord to strengthen me herein and grant that my sinful infirmities may be lesse every day than other in the mean time looking upon those disallowed miscarriages contrary to the settled bent and resolution of my heart as insufficient to make my Covenant void Furthermore being convinced of the vanity emptiness and utter insufficiency of any or all the Creatures in the World to make me happy had I the most desireable enjoyment of them and having a discovery of the infinitely blessed God made unto me in his Works chiefly in his Word as being the chief good of man and withall a Promise in the Covenant of Grace that he will be our God yea our Father through Christ and that we shall be his people his Sons and Daughters I do here with deep veneration of Soul and chief estimation of minde choose the thrice Blessed Jehovah for my Portion and chief good beyond all persons and things in this World and do avouch him this day to be my God I humbly accept of the relation of a Servant and a Son or Daughter which he hath called me unto I put my self under his wing and commit my self to his care and Tuition and henceforth shall be bold through my dearest Lord to call him and look upon him to be my God and Father and humbly shall expect from him Protection and Provision in his way and work Correction Audience of Prayer and the fulfilling of all those Promises unto me which he hath made unto his Children Moreover being perswaded that none can come unto the Father but by the Son nor share in any spiritual priviledge but through Christs death and intercession and being perswaded of the infinite amiableness of Christs person the greatness of his love and affection unto the children of men as also of his infinite desireableness in regard of those offices and relations which he hath vouchsafed to take upon him and enter into for the good of his people I do avouch the Lord Jesus Christ to be my only Saviour and choose him in all his Offices and Relations I choose Christ to be my High-Priest to intercede and procure for me daily pardon access unto God acceptance of my person and service audience of my prayers and supply of all my wants I choose Christ to be my Prophet to teach me by his Word and Spirit the will of the Father I choose Christ to be my King to rule and govern me to command my whole man into the obedience of himself I choose Christ to be my Captain to go before me and to tread down my spiritual enemies under my feet I choose Christ to be my Friend and Brother to counsel and advise me to stand by me in all the difficulties and straights of my life I choose Christ to be my Husband and beloved humbly