case hadst thou been in had God but done by thee as thou hast by him Acquaintance with God! methinks sinful man should stand and wonder at such a word methinks he should be even surprized with an extasie of admiration and say and will God indeed be acquainted with such a Worm such a dead Dog such a Rebel as I Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou shouldest make such an offer to him One would think thou shouldest no more dispute the matter then Esther did when that great Monarch made her his Queen Were it but in sensible things that nothing near such an offer were made which is impossible man would think the very questioning in such a case a strange folly One would think that every one of Gods enemies that have been in open Rebellion against him and are utterly unable to make their part good against him when they hear of such tearms of mercy from their Prince who hath all their lives in their hand should rejoyce at this news and say How beautiful are the feet of them which bring such tidings How did Benhadad look when instead of a Halter he had a Coach When instead of Rebel he heard Brother Whatever we may think of these things David thought it high time for him to bid such a Messenger welcome and to open his heart for the receiving his God Hear what he saith to his own heart and others Psal 24. Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors that tht king of glory may come in And because the door of mens hearts is lock'd and barr'd and bolted and men are in a deep sleep will not hear the knocking that is at the gate though it be loud though it be a King therefore David knocks again Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors Why what haste saith the sinner What haste Why here 's the King at your Gates and that not an ordinary King neither he is a glorious King that will honour you so far if you open quickly as to lodge within to take up his abode in your house to dwell with you but the soul for all this doth not yet open but stands still questioning as if it were an enemy rather then a friend that stood there and ask who is this King of glory Who he answers again It is the Lord of hosts he that if you will not open quickly and thankfully can easily pull your house down about your ears He is the Lord of Hosts that King who hath a mighty Army always at his command who stand ready for their Commission and then you should soon know who it is you might have had for your friend Lift up therefore your heads O ye gates open quickly ye that had rather have God for your friend then for your enemy O why should not the soul of every sinner cry out Lord the Door is locked and thou hast the key I have been trying what I can do but the Wards are so rusty that I cannot possibly turn the Key but Lord throw the Door off the Hinges any thing in the world so thou wilt but come in and dwell here Come O mighty God break through Doors of Iron and Bars of Brass and make way for thy self by thy love and power Come Lord and make thy self welcome all that I have is at thy service O fit my soul to entertain thee But where is the sinner that is in this note How seldom do poor Creatures desire Gods company or bewail his absence Where almost are the men and women to be found that do in good earnest long to be acquainted with God Men are naturally strangers to God and it is a wonderful difficult thing to perswade men to enter into so much as a serious deliberate consideration of these things Though it be so infinitly for their interest though the God that made them out of pity to their souls desires it though he send his Embassadors in his name to beseech them to be reconciled unto God against whom they have been in open arms though in infinite mercy he perswade them to lay down their weapons and promise them Free and General Pardon and to receive them into Favour and to forget and forgive yet where is the sinner almost to be found that with any thankfulness doth close with these tenders Now it being a business of such infinite concernment and it being the very work and business of a Minister of Christ to bring God and man into union to get man acquainted with God I shall in the next place labour to inforce this Exhortation upon the hearts of sinners and do what I can possible to prevail with them that are as yet strangers to get acquainted with God that they may have peace and that thereby good might come unto them EXHORTATION Once more poor sinners That God which can in a moment stop thy breath and send thee into Hell doth offer to be friends with thee If thou wilt come upon his invitation well and good thou art a happy man for ever if not thou wilt rue the day that ever thou wert born yet through mercy the matter is not gone so far but that thou mayest if you will now at last in good earnest humble thy self to him be received into favour Behold a Pardon Mercy and Grace stand astonished O ye Heavens at this infinite condescention wonder O ye Angels and pry into this kindness Was there ever such condescention love and goodness heard of If thou didst but understand O stupid sinner what an offer is made to thee thou couldest not but adore that goodness that can pardon and forget such offences and receive such a Creature into favour thou wouldest also cry out with as great admiration as he did what manner of love you would think it a mercy not to be paralell'd a kindness never to be forgotten a proposal by no means to be refused Now that I may if possible prevail with some that are yet afar off to come near I shall enforce this Exhortation with many powerful Motives the least of which were men but well in their wits as to Spiritual matters were the world not to a wonder fools in the great affairs of their souls and eternity might easily prevail O that I might prevail O that some might be perswaded O that God would put life and power into these words that they might prove effectual to the intended ends O that some poor rebellious sinners might be made to close with the most advantagious offers that ever were or could be made to Creatures in our condition MOTIVES The first Head of Motives that I shall insist upon to inforce this Exhortation shall be taken from the nature of the Person that I would have you acquainted with Consider well what kind of friend you are like to have of him and if after you have well weighed what I
live Wherefore else is it that we are so straightly commanded as we will answer the neglect upon our peril before God at that terrible day that we preach the World in season and out of season To what purpose should Paul expose himself to so many hazards both by Sea and Land Why should he teach this Doctrine of Reconciliation night and day with tears Doth he not tell you that he did all this by Divine Dispensation and that it was as much as his Soul was worth to wave this work And doth not all this speak his willingness to be friends again with man Could not God have sent Legions of Angels with flaming swords in their hands when he sent his Son and thousands of Prophets Apostles Ministers and Teachers might he not have proclaimed war against them for ever when he followed them with the Embassadors of peace If he had had no thoughts of Agreement with them could he not have spoken to them in thunder and lightning with fire and brimstone as well as in the still voyce of the Gospel He could if he had pleased have made them to have known the breach of his Covenant by giving them up to the will of their cruel enemies God could as easily have cut off a whole world of us as we can crush a moth and easier too But he is willing to shew forth the riches of his patience and goodness that thereby sinners might be brought to Repentance How doth God further express his willingness to receive returning sinners by engaging them by many temporal favours Who preserved that tender creature in the Womb and brought it out of those dark Chambers into light Who kept that helpless infant after it was in the world Whose flax and wool do we wear upon our backs To whom is it that we are beholding for every crumb we eat and every drop we drink Who spreads our table for us and makes our cups to overflow Who brought us from the brink of the grave when we had received the sentence from our Doctor and our Disease And what is the Language of all these mercies but return O back-sliding Sinner for in me is thy help found Love delight in and be acquainted with him from whom thou hast received so many kindnesses If thou wouldest accept of him for thy Lord Husband and Friend who hath sent thee these tokens thou shalt have other favours then these be Is not this the meaning of all the common mercies that we daily receive from him Why was not thy breath stopt with an Oath in thy mouth Why is it that so many thousands that were born since thy self are gone to their eternal state when thou art still standing What hast thou done to engage God more then others that Worms should not be feeding on thee when thou art feeding upon the fat and sweet What is the English of all this what are all these droves of mercies which God sends to thee but to cool thy enmity against him and to make thee who art marching out in thy warlike furniture to meet him with tears of joy and friendly embraces Is not Love the Giver written upon all his tokens What means his frequent visiting of thee but desire of acquaintance with thee Had he had no desire at all to know you and to be known of you do you think he would have call'd so oft and so kindly at your door would he have stood knocking with so much patience and have spoke to you so lovingly if he desired still to be a stranger to you Is this like one that desires your ruine Did God never plead with thee by his Ministers and urge the same Argument that I do now Did you never hear such kind of expostulations as these Why wilt thou go on to despise thy God and to refuse his love what reason hast thou to harbour such hard thoughts of him doth he deserve such unkindness at your hands How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity why will ye make light of that you can't possibly overvalue the favour of God and acquaintance with thy maker How oft have you grieved his Spirit by your unworthy contempts how many times have you given him cause to complain of your unhandsome usage when he in very pity and compassion came to visit you He hath reason to say now as well as of old Hear O Heavens and give ear O Earth for I have nourished and brought up Children and they have Rebelled against me Isa 1.2 Do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise is not he thy Father that bought thee hath he not made thee and established thee Deut. 32.6 O that they were wise And be instructed O Jerusalem least my Soul depart from thee Jer. 6.8 Is not this the voyce of mercy have not these been Expostulations of the mighty God with his Rebellious Creatures and yet how do they stand it out all this while as if God were like to get so much by their acquaintance Return O foolish Sinner if thou makest any thing of Salvation and Damnation if thou valuest everlasting glory if thou thinkest the commands threatnings and promises of the Almighty to be minded come away and make no delay O why wilt thou go on thus madly to undo thy self come away poor Soul for all this it is not yet quite too late thy glass is not yet quite run thy Soul is not yet fully fixed in its unchangeable state Once more I make such an offer to thee as I am sure none but a mad man will refuse such an offer as none of the Kings and Lords of the world can make The great and mighty Monarch of Heaven tenders thee an Alliance with himself he sees how far thou art spent how poor and low thou hast brought thy self by a dangerous and long war against thy maker he foresees what a condition thou wilt be in after a few more merry hours except thou repent and turn Wherefore in compassion to thy precious soul he hath commanded us to follow thee and not to let thee be at quiet till thou hast given us a promise that thou wilt return and humble thy self to thy God and what shall we still lose our labour shall all this come to nothing O prodigy of unkindness O wonder of patience thou hast slighted the friendship of thy God thou hast set light by Christ and undervalued Heaven and Eternity for ten twenty thirty years already and yet the Lord send us once more in his name to ask you whether you are willing to have God for your Friend God hath not yet said Cut him down bind him hand and soot and cast him into that lake that burns for ever Bring those mine enemies that would not that I should reign over them and slay them before my face God hath not yet spake that dreadful word Depart O what is it thou stayest for What is it that makes this business to hang so long What Lover is it
more then is he to be admired that he humbled himself to acquaint himself with man Let us than be filled with admiration that God should take us so nigh unto himself As Psal 8.4 What is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou shouldest visit him And Joh. 7.17 18. What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thy heart upon him and that thou shouldest visit him every morning Man in the pride of his heart seeth no such great matter in it but an humble soul is filled with astonishment Isa 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty One which inhahiteth eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Oh saith the humble soul will the Lord have respect unto such a vile worm as I am will the Lord acquaint himself with such a sinful wretch as I am Will the Lord open his arms his bosome his heart to me shall such a loathsome creature as I find savour in his eyes In Ezek. 16.15 We have a relation of the wonderful condescention of God to man who is there resembled to a wretched infant cast out in the day of its birth in its bloud and filthiness no eye pitying it such loathsome creatures are we before God and yet when he passed by and saw us polluted in our bloud he said unto us live It is doubled because of the strength of its nature it was the time of Love vers 8. This was love indeed that God should take a filthy wretched thing and spread his skirts over it and cover its nakedness and swear unto it and enter into a covenant with it and make it his that is that he should espouse this loathsome thing to himself that he would be an husband to it this is love unfathomable love unconceivable self-principled love this is the love of God to man for God is love Oh the depth of the riches of the bounty and goodness of God! How is his love wonderful and his grace past finding our How do you find and feel your hearts affected upon the report of these things do you not see matter of admiration and cause of wonder Are you not as it were lanched forth into an Ocean of goodness where you can see no shoar nor feel no bottom Ye may make a Judgement of your selves by the motions and affections that ye feel in your selves at the mention of this For thus Christ judged of the Faith of the Centurion that said unto him Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof Mat. 8.8 When Jesus heard this he marvailed and said to them that followed him I say unto you I have not found so great faith no not in Israel If then you feel not your souls mightily affected with this condescention of God Say thus unto your souls What aileth thee O my soul that thou art no more affected with the goodness of God Art thou dead that thou canst not feel Or art thou blind that thou canst not see thy self compassed about with astonishing goodness Behold the King of glory descending from the habitation of his Majesty and coming to visit thee hearest not thou his voice saying Open to me my sister behold I stand at the door and knock Lift up your selves O ye gates and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors that the king of glory may come in Behold O my soul how he waits still while thou hast refused to open to him O the wonder of his goodness O the condescention of his Love to visit me to sue unto me to wait upon me to be acquainted with me Thus work up your souls into an astonishment at the condescention of God USE 2. Secondly Is there to be acquaintance between the soul and God then let us learn to make a right judgement of our own Excellency let us judge of our selves as too high and noble to converse with this base and beggarly world I am of a nobler original then to debase my self to such mean things I am the off-spring of God and shall I acquaint my self with earth I am of the family of God shall I converse with Sathan Is there bread enough in my Fathers house and shall I perish for hunger Lift up thy self O my soul shake off the intanglements of the flesh break out of that bondage of the Devil trample upon the glory of the world and scorn to let out thy precious desires upon dung and dross get the Moon under thy feet cloath thy self with the Sun put on the son of righteousness come into the palace of God and acquaint thy self with him for this is thy glory this is thy excellency Ye precious ones who can call God Father and the son Brother who have fellowship with the Father and the Son who may have communion with the Holy Ghost What do you lying among the Potts What do you raking in Dunghills What do you conversing with the World Have a holy scorn of these things as below the dignity of your souls know your worth esteem of your selves as of more value then all these lower Treasures This is your glory and your excellency that ye are of Gods acquaintance that ye are Sons of God Heirs of God joynt-Heirs with Christ that ye understand and know God There are two things wherein most men are mistaken First In the Nature of Pride Some look upon that only as Pride which manifesteth it self in costly Apparel and bodily Ornaments beyond the degree and rank of the person Some look no further then the carriage of one man towards another Now favourably consider with me that the greatest Pride in the world is mans undue esteem of himself toward God and this is in the heart of every one by nature Every one by nature doth lift up himself against God goes about to dethrone God and to crown himself Every one takes counsel in his heart against the Lord saying Let us break his hands asunder and cast his cords from us This is the voice of every one that dares wilfully to sin We will not have God to rule over us Yet this is the working of the Pride of a man against God to thurst God out of the Throne of his Majesty and to set himself in For what is Gods glory and respect among his creatures Is it not this that he being the beginning and Author of all should be likewise the end of all And this is the very purpose of God in making of man that having received himself from God he should have what he might freely give up to God so that all man is and all that he hath is to be offered to God as the end and center of all Now a sinning creature brings God under to serve him to provide for him Now though this Pride of man against
Christ for he is our peace who hath made both one In verse the tenth is a description of our state withour Christ being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel being strangers from the Covenant of promise and having no hope and without God in the world This is a description of our unacquaintance with God But Christ makes up the breach and that by a double Act. First by Covenant with the Father to make man sit for communion with him Secondly His giving man assurance that the Father will receive him upon his return This then is the great design in all those glorious accomplishments of Christ for this he left his Fathers bosome that he might bring us into acquaintance with the Father for this end did he who thought it no robbery to be equal with the Father make himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of man and being sound in fashion of a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross that he might bring man into a re-union with God for this end did Christ live a wearisome troublesome life among a company of Rebells and Enemies as if a man should live among Toads and Serpents So that he cryed out as weary of any longer abiding with them Oh faithless generation How long shall I be with you How long shall I suffer you For this did he make himself an offering for sin that by taking away sin he might bring men to God This is the great purpose of Christ in all his offices Ye have heard of the three Offices of the Mediator that he is a Priest a Prophet and a King This is the end of the Priestly Office The purpose of Christs offering up himself a Sacrifice was by satisfying the justice of God to make way for sinners return to God This is the end of his prophetical Office to lead men into knowledg and acquaintance with God This is the end of his Kingly Office that governing them and ruling their hearts by his Spirit he might effectually bring men to God to acquaintance with him Now then since this is the great design of God in his great dispensation towards man to keep men in acquaintance with himself and to reduce him when he had lost it doth it not concern us to do our part for the bringing to pass this great work shall God lose his end in making us and in setting man in the world every way furnished for his service and shall God lose his end in sending his Son to receive us when we had forsaken him Shall Christ leave his Fathers bosom to bring us home to the Father and shall we refuse to return Shall he pour out his soul an offering for sin that he might make way for our access to God that we who were far off might be made nigh by the blood of Christ and shall we frustrate all by our refusing to go to him shall Christ come and offer us his help and direction to come to the Father and shall we abide still strangers Shall the Kings Son come into our Cottages to invite us to dwell with his Father at Court and shall we shut the door upon him esteeming our Cottages better than his Pallace Secondly It is the duty of man to acquaint himself with God because therein is the improvement of his highest excellency Every one acknowledgeth an excellency in man above all the rest of this lower world Now what is this excellency of man Is it not that he is made in a capacity of knowing God and enjoying God and having Communion with God This is the height of his glory Jer. 9.23 24. Thus saith the Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdom let not the mighty man glory in his might nor the rich man in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understands and knoweth me that I am the Lord that exercise loving kindness and righteousness in the earth and judgment for in these things I delight saith the Lord. Yee see here wherein man is to glory for which he may value himself as truly glorious In his understanding and knowing of God man standeth above the rest of the Creatures in that he is a rational intellectual Agent This is part of the Image of God even knowledg Col. 3.15 which is renewed in knowledg after the Image of him that created him The nigher any thing resembleth God the greater is the excellency of that thing now in this we resemble God more than any other Creature in that we are knowing understanding Agents and the highest improvement of this excellency of man is in the knowledg of God and acquaintance with God Prov. 20.27 The spirit of a man is called the candle of the Lord that is it is a light set up in the soul to direct the soul to a discovery of God This is the highest improvement of our greatest excellency this is the excellency of man above other Creatures this is that whereby one man excels another Who are those whose names are as precious ointment poured forth who are those which have obtained a good report Are not they those who were most acquainted with God Enock is said to walk with God an expression which signifies intimate acquaintance with God and therefore was translated that he should not see death And Noah whose family alone was preserved when God destroyed the old World by water he was said to walk with God Gen. 6.9 Among all the sons of men he kept close to God and God took care of him alone Abraham who was the Father of the Faithful he was called the Friend of God Moses who was the Mediator of the old Covenant he was said to speak with God face to face as a man speakoth to his friend I might make mention of many more who were the excellent ones of the earth because they did delight in God God delighted in them Mal. 3.16 17. They that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard and the book of remembrance was written for them that fear the Lord and that thought upon his name And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in the day when I make up my Jewels Ye see how God accounts of those that are of his acquaintance that met together and spake of God and that thought upon his name he reckons them amongst his Jewels his peculiar Treasure Such honour have all those that are acquainted with God Ye see then the excellency of man above all the rest of the other Creatures Now if man fail in this which is his highest excellency he will become the vilest of Creatures Every thing if it fail in its chiefest end and purpose and highest excellency becomes base and of no account If salt lose its savour saith our Saviour it is good for nothing If man have lost his acquaintance with God he is
God be not so much taken notice of yet it is the very daring sin of the World It is indeed to be wondered at that ever creatures did cast out the first thoughts of such an attempt Now consider how far mans Pride is from his true Excellency in his Union with God We are therefore to distinguish between that high esteem that man is to have of himself and pride For man to look upon himself as a noble being and of rank above all the natural world it is not Pride for thus he is being a Spiritual understanding Agent in a capacity of being acquainted with God of being united to God and as I may say of exchanging himself with God Secondly Another mistake of most men is concerning their Dignity and Excellency and in the rule and measure of their Excellency Most measure their Dignity by the advantage which they have over others in this world As some in their Power and Authority some in their Friends and Relations some in their Riches and Estates some in their Wisdom and Faculties some in their Strength and power And what more universal evil is there then this for every one in to something or other to lift himself up in his own esteem and in his thoughts to tread upon others as something inferiour to himself But men lie blinded in their own delusions not considering what is the true Excellency of man nor know the right rule by which mans worth is to be judged of The way for us to judge rightly concerning our selves is to see how we stand towards God God is the perfection of excellency and the nigher we are to God the greater is our excellency This is the greatness of a Nation to be nigh to God Deut. 4.7 What nation is there so great which hath God so nigh unto them And Amos 8.7 God is called the Excellency of Jacob. God sweareth not by any thing below himself therefore God is here meant Isa 60.19 God is called the Glory of his people The Lord shall be to thee an everlasting light thy God thy Glory Now God is the glory of those that are acquainted with him First By vertue of the Relation wherein God stands towards them An intimate Relation to those that are persons of Dignity Worth doth communicate Worth and Dignity to those who are so related to them As the son of a mean man is not so highly valued and esteemed as the son of a prince David reckoned it to be a great thing to be Son-in-law to a King 1 Sam. 18.18 Who am I and what is my life or my fathers family in Israel that I should be son in-law to the king Thus are we to reckon it our Dignity and Excellency to be in nigh relation to God to be sons of God to be heirs of God and to be the friends of God what greater honor then this to be in such a nigh relation to the God of Glory Now the Excellency that we have from this Relation ariseth from the excellency of that Act which is the Foundation of this Relation and that is our being born of God as we are Sons Joh. 1.12 13. God marrying us to himself as he is our husband Jer. 3. Turn O back sliding children saith the Lord for I am married unto you God takes us into fellowship communion and acquaintance with himself as he makes us his friends and his acqaintance This act of God doth instamp a Worth and Excellency upon man as the impression of the Kings Seal upon Wax and makes it of value Rev. 22.4 It is here spoken as the glory of the servants of God Those that follow the Lamb they shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads that is God hath chosen and as it were marked them out for his own and this marking them and owing them it sets a high Dignity upon them such as secures them from the Curse that is to be upon all besides as Revel 9.4 They are commanded to hurt none but those who have not the seal of God on their foreheads This Relation of the soul to God gives the soul an excellency as it doth interest the soul in the glory and excellency of God himself they are Gods and Gods is theirs 2 Cor. 6.16 I will dwell in them and walk with them and I will be their God and they shall be my people vers 17. He argues from the dignity of this relation that they should count themselves too good to convers with the world Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separated saith the Lord and touch no unclean thing and I will receive you and be a father to you you shall be my sons daughters saith the Lord. Thus you see the dignity that is upon the soul by its acquaintance with God Our relation to God in our acquaintance with him doth ennoble us lift us above the world make us that we are too good for the company of those that are not acquainted with God It is then no pride in us thus to esteem of our selvs to have high thoughts of our selves because of that acquaintance which our souls are to have with God It is pride for to think too highly of our selves but it is sobriety to think of our selves according to that acquaintance which we have with God Rom. 12.3 I say through the grace of God given to me to every one that is among you not to think of himself more highly then he ought to think but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith Here the Apostle commands them to measure the esteem which they have of themselves by the measure of faith which they have from God because by faith they come to be valued excellent in the eye of God So likewise we are to measure our esteem which we have of our selves by the measure of our acquaintance which we have with God because by acquaintance vvith him vve come to be truly excellent And vvhile vve do thus vve shall not think more highly of our selves then vve ought to think for while we account our selves excellent because of our acqaintance with God we in lifting up our selves magnifie God and while we thus glory we glory in the Lord 1 Cor. 1.31 But now herein we are to beware of two things First That we distinguish carefully between our capacity of being acquainted with God and our being actually acquainted with him for our capacity or being so as that we may be acquainted with God is of no worth unless we be actually acquainted with him We are in a remote capacity naturally as men and we are in a more nigh capacity by the mercy and covenant of God but this adds no true worth to the soul without the actual acquaintance of the soul with God Yea man is the worse for this if he be without the other for if man being made fit for enjoyment of God and communion
kindness and love and good will and affection If then I can upon search into my self find that God hath the highest room in my affections that my heart is his that his love is prevailing with me above the love of all things beside and that I love those that are his beloved for his sake then I have in me a sign of regal acquaintance with God for love is the very quintessence of acquaintance but if in the search into the workings of my mind I can find no such friendly compliance but that God was still thwarting and crossing my designs that I should find my self better content if there were no God and that those workings of my mind that are about God are sower harsh and tearing upon my spirit then it is to be feared that I have no acquaintance with God And hast thou made an impartial inquiry into thy state And how stand things between thy Soul and God Art thou acquainted with him or art thou not Consider seriously O sinners that this is one of the weightiest questions in the world and if this question were but well resolved it would put an end to a thousand other questions He that can say of God and Christ this is my beloved and this is my friend he need not very solicitously ask what news He hath heard good news from Heaven which will easily ballance all come what will come he need not much pass as long as there stands that one Text in the Bible That all shall work together for good to them that love God He hath no cause to goe a begging to the world and to say who will shew me any good As long as the Lord hath shined upon him with the light of his countenance He need not complain what shall I do I have lost this or that dear friend when he hath found him who can make up all with one look whom he can never lose In a word he need not ask how shall I do to live and what shall I eat and what shall I drink and wherewithall shall I be cloathed So long as he knows that he hath a noble friend who will ease him of all this care and never see him want Well then hast thou answered this great question or not Or wilt thou do by thy conscience as Felix put it off and say thou wilt hear of these matters at some more convenient season and I wonder when that more convenient season will be and why not now I pray What season more fit then the present I am sure God saith Now is the acceptable time and do you know better then he What hast thou to do that is more necessary Speak out I pray is the following of thy pleasures Is the serving of Satan Is the damming of thy Soul more necessary then the saving of it Is the life and death of a Soul nothing Are everlasting glory and misery small matters Is the love or hatred of thy God so inconsiderable a thing Awake O sinner what meanest thou Arise speedily and look about thee man Consider seriously as thou valuest thy Soul what best becomes a sinner in thy condition What answer shall I return to my Master Are not these things worth the thinking of Shall I say for all this that thou art not at leisure to look after an interest in his favour or any thing that rends to it Shall I tell him that thou hast somthing of greater weight and higher importance to trouble your head with And do you in sober sadness think so For you make account that excuse is sufficient I pray then make use of it your self for I dare not When God shall come to ask you why you did no more vigorously mind the getting acquaintance with himself tell him then if you think that answer will serve your turn that you were not at leisure you had such urgeth occasions which took up the whole of your time such and such a friend you had who sent for you to the Tavern and you could not possibly come when he invited you tell him if you believe that plea will hold water that you would have been glad to have come upon his invitation but that you were taken up with such good old friends the World the Flesh and the Devil How do you think such an answer will be taken You may think to put us off with such kind of reasons as this but do you hope by this answer to satisfie your Judge Believe it sinner God will not thus be put off Wherefore I do again with all the earnestness I can for my soul renew by suit to thee that thou wouldest act like a man in his wits make some serious inquiry into the state and condition of thy soul And consider for the Lords sake again and again before you send me away thus what errand I come to you on It is to treat with you about a rich match for thy poor undone soul therefore consider well what you do before you make light of this business and know when you are well offered believe it God will not long send after you in this manner and you are not like every day to have such proffers Divine Patience and Goodness will not always plead at this rate with you God will ere long say let them alone the Lord will ere long speak to scornful sinners in such language that will make their ears to tingle he will despise and slight as well as they and who is like to have the worst of it at last I leave to any rational man to judge The time is coming when your ungodly hearts shall ake to see him whom you might have had for your husband when you shall have him for your Judge whom you might have had for your Advocate And though we could not get you to be willing to be acquainted with him no not so much as to have any serious thoughts about it or to make any enquiry after him to inform your self concerning him yet you shall have him for your enemy whether you will or no. But O let us not part thus let me a man like thy self reason the case a little more with thee come tell me poor ignorant creature thou that still standest demurring and sayst Shall I shall I what evil is there in thy God that thou shouldest be thus hardly brought so much as to discourse this business with thy own soul What is the reason that thou scarce thinkest it worth the while to trouble thy head about any thing that doth concern your interest in his love Thou that mindest his love so little tell me what do'st thou think had become of thee long before this if God had regarded thee as little as thou dost him What wouldest thou have done had the Lord said to any Disease the least of his Messengers fetch that Rebel before me that values not my favour he shall know what my anger is seeing he will not prize my love O what a lamentable
it How do many undervalue their lives and make nothing to hazard their blood for a little of that men call Honour some prize it above riches and wealth and care not almost at what rate they purchase it and yet in the meanwhile they are furthest from that which they so grâ—â—dily desire and they run away from that which they seem to pursue Poor ignorant man is fearfully mistaken he calls that his honour which degrades him and takes that for his glory which is his shame How is he pleased with that which when he hath he neither sees nor feels aâ—d scarce knows what it is Epict. What is it O man that thou loosest thy sleep for what is it that thou art at so much charge to buy that rather then you will want it Estate Blood Life and Soul and all must go for it Knight Lord Earl c. Worshipful Right-worshipful Honourable Excellent Gracious are big words and make a great noise but is this the true honour will these words without the thing do a man so much good a man I said and so doth God say too and death will make the biggest of them all know as much ere it be long for all those big words what if his breath stinks that speaks these words and his that hears them be not much sweeter Antoninus Is it such an honour to have a company of fools to call him wise that it may be is like themselves is it worth a Soul to have it said when I am in hell there lived a brave Gentleman that kept a Noble house and brave Table his Cellar was always open one might come when one would and drink as long as one could stand and never hear why do you so and be always welcome that is in plain English where a man might be incouraged to damn his Soul There lived a Noble gallant Person who bid defiance to the Almighty that had courage enough to go to hell merrily and had a desire to carry as many along with him as might be damning swearing cursing was their Language eating drinking sleeping whoring and persecuting the people of God their business And are these your honourable Persons Nay Go higher to bustle up and down in Cloth of Gold with a vast retinue to have men on this side and that side bowing and cringing and is this such a business Is it worth the while to keep such a stir about that which a wise man may want and a fool have Anton. Will those Names that Grandeur and state those high Titles render you more acceptable to God will they procure you a freer access into the presence of that great King will those great words scare death will he say when he comes to your house this is a person of quality I must not be so bold as to come near him will your honour procure you a protection from the arrests of this Serjeant Where is the Honourable Personage the Gentleman Knight Lord King or Monarch that hath lived a thousand years Lucian Are the worms affraid to gnaw thy heart Will thy flesh never putrisie Will your Servants or your Master either honour you in Hell And is this all that you keep so much a stir for that can do you no good in the grave or in another world Can that be better worth then Heaven then God O that we might but know what it is that great thing is which is preferred before Christ and everlasting glory Again I ask what is it that the Grandees of the world do so much idolize Is it to be called Wise Great and Noble But what if the wise God call such a one a fool Epict. What if he know neither himself nor his God nor his interest Hath he much greater reason to boast then a feather that some body will say it is heavy or dung that the Swine saith it is sweet Juven What profit is it for a man to be made great for betraying his Country and flattering a Tyrant who yesterday was the son of a Stage-Player and to morrow shall be shorter by the head What good will it do a beggar that is ready to be starved to be told that he is a Prince a brave fellow worth some thousands by the year But would yon know which is the ready way to true honour I tell you it consists not in the favor of them that must die like themselves and before that few years be over must stand but upon even ground with the meanest it consists not in the sorry acclamations of them which measure a mans worth by his estate and their dependance upon him it consists not in the praise of them whose commendations some wise men have counted a discredit But he hath shewed thee O man what is truly honourable to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God Micah 6.8 To bare relation to God as a Father and to carry themselves as his Children to be a Servant and Friend of God this this is honourable truly honourable this is the heighth the top of the Creatures preferment To converse with and delight in his Maker To love admire and rejoyce in God and to love God to take complacency in the soul this is something indeed this is honour a wise man would not grutch to venture his Estate his Blood his All for this And how few of the Gallants of the world understand the nature of this honour How do most of them account that which is the only true badge of Nobility a term of disgrace and that which speaks a person highly honourable and to have brave blood running in his veins to be low sorbid and much beneath them as if it were below a Creature to serve his Maker and a pitiful preferment to be advanced to glory O that men of parts and learning that persons of Quality should be so mistaken O what 's become of their Reason Is it an honour a preferment for a man to become a brute We are ready to pity mad men and to laugh at fools but whether there be not more reason to bemoan the condition of most of the honourable persons in the world I leave Christ and Christians to judge Well then will you be informed after all this by him who hath all preferments and honours in his gift I mean the great King and he will tell you that Glory and honour are in his presence 1 Chron. 16.27 Mans onely honour and true dignity lies in his nearness and acquaintance with God A practical knowledge of his Maker is the Creatures groatest preferment David was of the mind that it was none of the lowest honours to be Gods servant Psal 84. It is upon the account of Israels near Relation to God that Moses reckons them the happiest the most honourable people in the world Because God had avouched them to be his peculiar people therefore they might well be said to be high above all the Nations which God had made in praise in name and
to think God is out of the reach of his Prayers let me ask thee O thou of little Faith when did God ever absent himself from his in a time of need When was he quite out of the hearing of their cry I know indeed he may hide himself yet then he is near them also to try their love and hear their voice for God loves to hear his Children cry earthly Parents may correct their Children for crying but God chastiseth his Children usually for their silence When he seems furthest off he is but behind the Curtain he is there where he with pleasure sees how earnestly his Children look up and down for him and then when they are ready to sit down weeping as if they had lost their Father when they think they are quite forgot and their enemies begin to triumph and to ask where now is your God Then he lets both friends and foes know that he is near And what say you to all this you that as yet are strangers to God Have you gotten such a friend as he is that will always be at your elbow that can and will come to help you when other friends are far enough off whether man will or no have you got such a friend If not why then will you not now accept of his acquaintance who will be such a friend to all that love him No good man is without the company of God he walks with God he talk with God he cats with God he drinks with Gods and is entertained by him and he sleeps in hiâ— Arms. God is with him in his Shop in thâ— Rode at Home and Abroad and who can miâ—â— carry that hath so helpful a companion alwayâ— with him When thy burdens are too heavy do but complain and he will either take them off thy back or put under his own shoulders and help thee to go away lighty with them he will assist thee in six troubles and in seven he will give thee help 15. He is a Soul Friend Soul Friends are the best friends As soul affairs are the mightiest affairs so those that give us the greatest help in those matters ought to be valued God is the great Soul Friend expect not to find him a friend to thy lust this scares the wicked from him who would be glad to be acquainted with God if he would gratifie their lusts and please their wicked humors and give them eternal happiness after a life of wickedness that is would ungod himself for their sakes But hold there man you shall sooner see the Sun black and have fire cold and find a heaven in hell then have God a friend to your Sin God doth not promise to furnish all his acquaintance with provision for their sensuality he will not put a knife into thy hands to stab himself or to cut thy own throat There are too many of such friends in the world and men are generally so foolish as to count them friends which deserve another name these are they which help men to Hell and shew them the shortest cut to eternal misery and this must go for a special kindness Sure men and woman will scarce be always of this mind Must poison in a guilded cup go for a Cordial and a kiss though with a dagger be taken for true love Seneca had more wit then to reckon such among benefactors He that can teach me the way to true happiness he that can help me to adorn dress and trim my Soul he by whose instructions I shall be more in love with vertue and out of love with sin he by whose directions I may be acquainted with my self and made truly to value that which is really most excellent this shall be my friend this shall be my companion And where are such friends to be found How few of them in the world Do not most that go under that sweet name of friends do one another the greatest unkindness that can be imagined How do they incourage one another in an evil way Prov. 1. Psal 2. How do men tug and pull to get one another apace into damnation and if the wise world may be Judges none must go for a friend but he that would do me most mischief none must be counted an enemy but he that desires to do me the most real kindnesses This sounds strangely yet for all that did it lie in my way I could easily prove it Yet I must confidently affirm that every ones experience first or last will say as much Something of this I have taken notice of in my conversing with dying men I remember once more particularly being by a poor Creature that was just a going into another world one of his old friends looked in to see him at the sight of which person he gnashed his teeth and could not indure him in the room but cry out this was he that brought me to this I may thank him or I had not been in so sad a condition upon a death-bed But this by the by Open enemies are better then such friends I say again do not expect to have God such a friend God loves his too well to let them undo themselves he knows the worth of Souls and pitties them that would part with their souls for a trifle and therefore he tells men plainly that which may be really prejudicial to the health of their Souls he can't but let them know what is food and what is poison what else is the meaning of those vehement expostulations Why doth he send so many messengers one after another To what purpose else doth he tender such promises such incouragement Be it known therefore unto thee O man if thou understand'st the worth of thy own Soul and would'st have that Soul of thine to do well for ever and would'st have a friend for thy Soul that there is but one such a friend to be found in the whole world and that is God O hast thou no regard at all for thy precious and immortal Soul Dost thou never think of that excellent thing within thee Dost thou not care though thy Soul starve be naked and miserable for ever Is it nothing to thee that thy Soul hath not so much as a shelter to hide it self under when a dreadful storm shall rise and death shall turn it our of his old Tenement Dost thou not believe that it must have a being somewhere for ever and that either in everlasting glory or eternal burnings and are these small matters with you What will you for all this take no care in the world about these grand affairs Had a special friend committed but a Dog to thee to take care of you would have thought your self engaged in gratitude and honour to have suited your care of him to your respect to the person from whom you had him Epict. But dost thou not know O man that thy God hath committed a Soul to thy care hath told thee what thou shalt do to preserve the life and health
upon the things of Religion They must eat they must drink they must sleep and if they want any of these things they count themselves in a sad condition But further they must riot they must be drunk they must whore they must have what their lust calls for let it be what it will they must get into the favour of such and such a great person whose displeasure they have incurred These are things that the world say must be they are reckoned among the necessary things but they do not say they must have a Christ they must be reconciled to God they must deny themselves they must seek first the Kingdom of Heaven No these are indifferent things amongst them these are things minded by the by if not matter of scorn and jesting these the world think unnecessary things It 's necessary their flesh should be pleased it 's necessary the Devil should be obeyed it 's necessary they and theirs should be somebody in the world these are matters of weight for these they think it worth the while to toil and moil to ride early and late and to lose their sleep and think they can never do too much and all this while they see no need at all of getting a friend for their souls no need at all of knowing loving and delighting in God Well seeing the case is thus seeing it is no great matter whether you know God or be known of him be not then troubled at the day of Judgement if God look upon you as a stranger then be not grieved seeing the knowledge of God is nothing with you if God say he knows you not if Gods presence be no such material thing complain not then for the want of it be content if you can to hear him say Depart I know you not O but shall I thus leave you poor ignorant sinners Consider for the Lords sake for thy soul sake whether it be a necessary thing to avoid everlasting burnings is it a necessary thing to be saved Is Eternal Glory and Heaven necessary dare you say these are unnecessary things If these be necessary then I am sure God and Christ are necessary For this is Life Eternal to know God and him whom he hath sent Jesus Christ O how will the case be a altered ere long with the God-hating and Christ-despising world when they shall be quite despoiled of all that which they prized above the knowledge of God when all their friends shall appear to be enemies when all their hopes shall be swept down like a Spiders web O will they not then be of this mind that it was no such slight matter that I was so earnest with them about that acquaintance with God was no such unnecessary thing as they took it to be and that there was more need of getting an interest in Christ than of running to a Play-house or a Whore-house How will they rend the skies with their fruitless wishes How will the Mountains eccho with their doleful lamentations O that God would but know them O that they might not hear that word Depart but seeing all that too little purpose how then will they exclaim against themselves O that they should be such fools that they should be so madly besotted as to neglect the looking after acquaintance with God Time was that God would have had them to come to him he called after them and sent for them again and again but they would none of his company they desired not the knowledge of the most High they said to him Depart from us and now they have what they then desired now they see that the Ministers had cause enough to say what they did and a thousand times more As troublesome as it was to hear of Hell it 's worse to feel it They see now Must is for the Soul and not the Body O that men and women would be now as serious in their judgments about these things as they will be shortly Consider O man that as little as thou mindest these things these are the only things that are necessary Thou must have a God for thy Friend a Christ for thy Saviour to save thee from thy fins or else thou Must be damned or else thou Must be cursed for ever Thou mayst lie racked upon thy bed of sickness where none can help thee thou mayst rot in a stinking dungeon where no man can relieve thee thou mayst be roasted in the flames and yet for all this be a happy man Worldly ease pleasure health riches are none of those absolutely necessary things A man may go to Hell and have them all and a man may go to Heaven and want them Thou mayst have Eternal Rest in another Life though thou hast scarce a day of ease in this One may be a Favorite of God though as miserable as Job But what will you say of that man that hath not a God to go to This this is the miserable man with a witness â—hat seeing mens lives are so short they would wisely husband their precious time in minding nothing but necessary things O that unnecessaries might be cut off When I am about to undertake a business let me ask my Soul this question O my soul is this a business of absolute necessity hast thou not something of greater importance that is yet undone We enter not into the Lists for honour where it is no great matter whether we conquer or no we perswade not men to busie themselves about toys we are not so importunate about a thing of nothing No Sirs as unnecessary as you think these things we speak of are ere long you will say as much as we do and more too you 'l shortly find that it was as much as your life and happiness was worth that lay at stake These are things we must mind you of or else we hazard our souls and they are things that you must mind also or else you hazard yours I want significant words enough to express the weight and importance of these things O that what is wanting of that nature might be supplied with tears groans and compassions I am through mercy ashamed of my own heart O that I were more so that I should speak of such serious matters so slightly It is not now a time to jest O my soul when thou art to discourse with miserable men and women which refuse their happiness and doat upon their misery Thou art now about a work that concerns souls and their eternal state Tell me dear friends do you in sober sadness believe that you have immortal souls do you indeed know that your souls are naturally enemies to God and that if yoâ— be not reconciled to God that you must be dealt with as enemies do you really believe all this do you believe what a dreadfull thing it is to look such an enemy in the face when he shall sit in Judgement Further do you believe what it is to lie down in devouring flames and to dwell with
are out of their mouths they know not what these things are So that from hence it appears that God and they were never really acquainted no wonder then that they do forsake God and are forsaken of him The building might look neatly and the house seem to be strong but because it was built upon the sands it need not seem strange if it fall when the winds rise and the waves beat against it but I say it and say it again the house that is built upon a rock will not cannot fall If a man be really united to God in Christ and the work of Grace throughly wrought upon him it is impossible that God should forsake such a one God can't but be true though man be false he can't but value the satisfaction and intercession of his Son he can't forget his own nature Isa 44.15 16. Can a woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her Womb Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me c. I do not say but that God may suspend the refreshing intimations of his love nay he may quite hide his face and his dearest ones may look upon themselves as free among the dead they may reckon themselves such as have no acquaintance with God and yet for all this be exceeding dear to God this is clear'd by every days experience Nay I may say I believe that there are very few of them which know what Gods presence smiles and love is but know in some measure what it is to have his face hid to walk in the dark and see no light It is no unusual thing of a Child of God to question his state to fear whether all that he ever did were not in hypocrisie and formality have not the best been made sometimes to question especially upon some notable fall whether what they did formerly did not proceed from meer common grace or some less spiritual principle then the life of grace and a divine nature within them Were there ever any of the Sons of Adam whom rich mercy hath plucked as Fire-brands out of the fire to whom the Lord hath shewed his marvellous kindness and love in Christ that hath kept their watch so exactly that have walked so closely with God so as never to have the least frown from him were their ever any that lived all their days under a constant lively sence of their interest in divine everlasting love If there be they have fared better then Job did they enjoyed more then ever Heman or David did A Child of God may oft be in a sad state but yet he is always in a safe state the purpose of God stands firm Though for a small moment he seem to forsake them yet with everlasting mercies will he gather them O Everlasting That 's a sweet word indeed in the Saints ear he would not that one word should have been out of the Bible left out of the promise for a world Isa 54. If thou beest once truly acquainted with God thy state is as safe thy condition as sure as if thou wer 't already in Heaven God may and will chastise his with rods but his loving kindness he will never remove from them his mercy indures for ever All that God gives to his friends and acquaintance that is spiritual is like himself Everlasting God is not like short-spirited man every moment changing one day doating upon an object and the next day hating it as much An earthly Prince may one moment set his Favourite at his Table and the next command that he should be hanged But far be it from the unchangable God that he should do thus As for the great ones of the world it hath been counted by some and those none of the weakest no small piece of policy to keep out of their knowledge their favours are so dearly bought their kindness so uncertain their displeasure so dangerous and yet so easily procured But here it is far otherwise It is God and God alone that is an everlasting Friend in whose presence there is fulness of Joy and Pleasure for ever more O these everlasting things are great things An everlasting friend an everlasting inheritance everlasting glory everlasting joy everlasting life and everlasting death they are matters of weight O why should not our very Souls be over-powred with the very thoughts of such things O this unbelief this unbelief 19. He is one that is willing and desirous to be acquainted with you What I have said before had signified little to us were it not for this It 's a misery and no comfort to hear and know the great things which we must go without But this is that which puts life into all those powerful Motives which I handled before God is the most loving most strong and rich Friend and withall he hath in him a sweet inclination to be acquainted with us The tearms that he offers are the most reasonable in the world This this is the comfort of the poor fallen Sons and Daughters of Adam that though they have run away from God though they have left their Fathers house and turn'd Prodigals yet their tender-hearted compassionate Father is ready to receive them again his arms are open he meets them while they are yet a great way off he runs to them and falls upon their neck and kisses them and expresseth the greatest kindness to them and joy for their return O unparalell'd love O infinite goodness God hath expressed this his willingness to receive poor lost Sinners abundantly throughout all the Scripture If God had not been willing to have been friends again with man what needed he to have given himself the trouble of parting with his dearest Son and sending him into the world to manage this great work of reconciling man to himself why else was that precious blood shed and to what purpose should he send so many Prophets Apostles and Ministers for so many hundreds of years rising up early and sitting up late why are they commanded to cry aloud to use so much earnestness to compel poor wandring strangers to come to his house but that he might be acqainted with them Can any one conceive that he should do all this without the least design of kindness If all that God hath done to the reconciling man to himself doth not speak his willingness to be reconciled to them what can Isa 5.4 Nay so willing is he to receive them notwithstanding all their backslidings that he teacheth them how they may address themselves to him most acceptably he puts words in their mouths which they may use with good success when they come before him Hos 14.1 2 4. Nay that sinners may be the more confirmed in their expectation of his favour he hath most solemnly sworn That he delights not in the death of sinners but had rather that they should return and
and ask her what is her beloved more then another beloved what there is in God and Christ more then in the world and she will almost wonder that any one that is rational should ask so foolish a question she thinks you might with as much judgment and reason have ask'd what there is in Heaven more desireable then in Hell What is there is in ease more then in torments in Gold and Jewels more then in dross in a living healthful beautiful Creature more then in a stinking rotten carcase Did you but see his face you would soon think there were something in him more then in another could you but see his eye your heart would be in a flame did you but understand what it is to be brought into his banquetting-house you would say that they are neither fools nor mad-men that can find in their hearts to scorn the beauties and glories of this world in comparison of one look or smile from God and believe that his love was better then wine to be preferred infinitely before the greatest worldly pleasures and think that the Virgins had reason enough to love him Cant. 1.4 How high doth the Church run in his commendations How doth she endeavour to set him out to the life that every one may admire his excellencies and be taken with his beauties as well as her self neither doth she fear to lose him by this nor indeed is unwilling that others should fall in love with him as well as she Cant. 5.9 10. c. She begins first with his face it is white and ruddy the most exact beauty so that she must be blind that is not taken with him and so she goes on as well as she can to set him out but he is so infinitely above her commendations that she wants words to express her self therefore she speaks one great one He is altogether lovely and if you will not believe come and see Do but look upon him by Faith and meditation contemplate his beauties and then if you have any thing yet to object if after you have had a true sight of him and have well weighed all you do not find that there is in him infinitely more then I can tell you why then let me bear the blame for ever Well now let us gather up all these things together and if a multitude of arguments and if weight and reason if vehemency and earnestness may prevail I should have some good hopes that I should not want success in this work nor you of the acquaintance with God and everlasting glory Therefore I say again if kindness and love be taking who so sweet and obliging as he If comfort joy and pleasure be desireable who is there when the Soul is surrounded with a multitude of perplexities that can so much delight refresh and raise it If Power Glory and Majesty if ability to defend from injuries and revenge wrongs might signifie any thing with poor shiftless Creatures who is there that ever yet prevailed against him Who ever contended with God and prospered If vigour activity and care in all the affairs of his friends can intice the dull helpless sinner to receive him who will take more care for and do more for them then he If his humility may engage us if freedom of access notwithstanding that infinite distance that is between us and him signifie any thing as to the commending of him to our acquaintance where can a poor beggar be more welcome then at the house of this mighty Prince Can Faithfulness in the greatest streight raise the esteem of a friend who ever yet trusted him that was deceived Are riches and wealth taking Who is there that can give a Kingdome for a portion a love-token and give everlasting glory and Heaven for a joynture but God Doth pitty in misery simpathy in suffering compassion in distress indear and commend a friend who is more tender-hearted then he Are Honours and preferments such great things Who is that which will make all his favourites Kings and Priests and set them upon Thrones and reward and commend them before the whole World is suitableness a considerable qualification to make up this match who so suitable for the Soul a Spirit as God a Spirit Who can satisfie it's vast and infinite desires but infinity it self Have poor simple Creatures that have quite undone themselves by their folly and indiscretion need of a wise Counsellor to wind them out of their sad intricacies who is there among the profound Polititians and grave Sages of the world to be compared unto him Doth a dying man that hath a never-dying Soul that is to pass speedily into an eternal state lack an ever-dying immortal friend that may stand him in some stead when immortal Are not friends sometimes furthest off from one when one hath most need of them Is not he then a friend highly to be prized who can who will never be absent Doth not God fill heaven and earth What think you of a Soul-friend Is not such a one worth the looking after who takes care that your Soul to be sure shall not miscarry Who ever did more for Souls then Christ Will it not be true prudence to make sure of such a friend as we must have for our friend or we are miserable for ever and where is such a one to be found but he that hath the keys of heaven an hell which is most considerable Time or Eternity and whom shall I most value him that promiseth present pleasures that are lost as soon as felt or him that will bestow everlasting favours and are there not at Gods right hand pleasures for evermore If the trial and experience of so many millions may speak his commendation will not all that ever knew God say truly God is good to Israel Will Gods willingness desire and earnestness prevail with you to come to him What is the substance of the whole Bible doth not almost every Chapter speak the desire that God hath to be reconciled to man if the perfection of all excellencies meeting in one can render him amiable how can he be slighted who is altogether lovely And what say you now are you resolved or are you not Shall the infinite Majesty of Heaven condescend to offer himself to be loved and imbraced by sinful dust shall God say I will be thy Father and shall not the sinner say I would be thy Child Why should not the heart of every Apostate rebellious Traytor that hath forfeited Estate Life and Soul leap at such good news and say will God for all this lay aside the controversy and conclude a peace Will he receive the rebell to mercy will he open his doors to his prodigal and is there yet any hope Is it possible that such sins as mine should be forgiven Can it be conceived that such a Creature as I should be imbraced what look upon me will God indeed take me into favour Yes thee behold he calls thee he offers thee
before I leave you for ever I hope I should be contented to be trod in the dirt O that my heart may not deceive me O that my compassion to your souls were greater a thousand times greater O that I could never speak to you of such things as these without tears I must again and again profess I am ashamed of my heart that it is no more sensible of these weighty affairs But O mighty and glorious God if thou pleasest thou canst out of the mouth of a Babe and Suckling ordain strength O that thou wouldest make the worm Jacob to thresh Mountains O that thou wouldest make me of the most unworthy and weakest instrument in that bonourable Service of bringing home some Souls to thy self O if but any one Soul if but one Soul that was estranged from God might by these lines be brought acquainted with him if I might prevail with any other stubborn Enemy to lay down his weapons and be Friends with him I should think my pains well bestowed though if that will make you to regard it ever the more this work hath cost me many an hours study and it hath been interrupted with many bodily distempers groans and sorrows fears and sighs Yet if after all my travel I may hear of any Children born of God if I may meet but one soul the better for it by it brought to Glory I shall have abundant cause to blesse my God and to rejoyce that my labour hath not been in vain in the Lord. But if I might have more I should have more cause to adore infinite Goodness and rich Grace O my dear Friends O precious and immortal Souls What shall I say to you What shall I do for you O did you but know how hardly I fetch my breath at this time did you but see what a crazy Creature he is that writes to you did you but know how faint he hath been sometimes in speaking to you you would go nigh to pitty him O pitty your selves O pitty your own Souls that ere long must be turned naked out of your Bodies and hear the expostulations of a dying man that would gladly live with you in everlasting glory and meet you all among the Friends of the Bridegroom that I may see you among the Sons of God in your great meeting when the Father shall send his Servants the Angels to fetch all his children home to his own house O pitty your Souls let not all my pains be lost trample not under your feet the blood of the Covenant neither count it a common thing remember that the slighting of Christ is a dangerous thing the loss of his favour and the loss of your soul must go together O how shall I leave you How shall I part with you shall I go before my work is done What shall I say more What arguments shall I further make use of O that I knew what to say that I might prevail And are you still resolved to put me off with frivolous excuses Can you put off your consciences thus Are you still contented to be Aliens and Strangers If you are know this that I must leave these lines to bear witness against you Remember this that you were told of these things again and again Those that can forget Sermons here shall remember them hereafter if you be not the better for this discourse you will curse the day that ever you heard it it will be a cutting reflection when another day you shall say to your own Soul at such a time such a one did beseech me in Christs stead to be reconciled to God and I would not Cursed man that I was I made nothing of all the offers of Grace and Mercy I made little account of these intollerable Torments which now make me to gnash my teeth Hear O unhappy Creature that art yet alive Be not ye past hope O that thou mayest see thy sad state before it be quite past remedy O let me take up a lamentation for thee as one whose condition is beyond expression deplorable O that I could speak as affectionately to you as one did lately who spent his strength and life amongst you all viz. That I can neither eat nor drink nor sleep quietly whilst I think of the danger that precious Souls run every moment while they are unacquainted with God! O that mine eyes were waters and my head a fountain of Tears that I might weep day and night for poor Christ-less Creatures that laugh and are as cheerful as if no danger were near them whereas that dismal day approaches apace wherein they must bid an everlasting farewel to all their pleasures and lie down for ever under the scalding wrath of an angry God! O stand astonished O Heavens and wonder O Earth Here 's a man that had rather be a Beast than a man a Devil than a Saint that prefers Hell before Heaven that loves Death and hates Life Here 's a man that makes nothing of going to Hell Damnation is a thing that he jests with 't is but damning he saith But damning Is that so light a thing a thing to be laughed at Well if that damning be nothing never complain of it when you feel it If it be nothing never groan nor bite your tongue nor gnash your teeth for it If Heaven and your Soul the favour of God eternal happiness be such small matters never complain for the loss of them Well then belike you are pleased very well with your choice and you do choose rather to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a moment than the pleasures of Holiness which last for ever There stands a sinner that hears all this and frets and foameth at the hearing of it it 's a torture to his Soul to be within the sound of such Truths Why act like one in his wits If the hearing of Hell and damnation be so troublesome what will the feeling of it be thinkest thou But that I may if possible prevail I shall leave a few serious questions with you which I charge you in the presence of God seriously to consider of and to give a wise answer to these following Questions Quest 1. Are those things which you have heard true or are they not Doth not the Scriptures speak the same things which I do Dare you say that the word of Truth is False Do but open the Bible dip where you will what is that you read there Is it not something that hath a tendency to what I have been teaching of O that you would but give your selves the trouble of searching the Scriptures to see whether these things are so To what purpose do you think should we spend our breath To what purpose should we follow you with such exhortations if we had not some grounds for what we say If there be no such thing in the word of God why then do you not say so Why do you not shew us it if there be such a place that saith there is
undervalue the favour of God so as you do what reason have you thus foolishly to cast away your selves and to slight acquaintance with your Maker Let me plead with you in the language of a Reverend Divine R. B. of our own Look up your best and strongest Reasons and if you see a man put his hand into the fire till it burn off you 'l marvel at it but this is a thing that a man may have reason for as Bishop Cranmer had when he burnt off his hand for subscribing to Popery If you see a man cut off a Leg or an Arm it 's a sad sight but this is a thing that a man may have good reason for as many a man doth it to save his life If you see a man give his body to be burnt to ashes and to be tormented with Strappado's and Racks and refuse deliverance when it is offered this is a hard case to flesh and bloud but this a man may have good reason for as you see in Heb. 11.33 34 35 36. and as many an hundred Martyrs have done But for a man to forsake the Lord that made him for a man to run into the fire of Hell when he is told of it and intreated to turn that he might be saved this is a thing that can have no reason in it that is reason indeed to justifie or excuse it For Heaven will pay for the loss of any thing that we can lose to get it or for any labour that we bestow for it but nothing can pay for the loss of Heaven Read on in Mr. R. B's Call to the Vnconverted pag. 169. Do you still believe the Word of God to be true and the things contained in it to be the most weighty and yet will you still pass them over as if there were nothing at all in them Quest 4. My next Question that I shall propound to you and desire your serious and speedy answer to is this Do you believe that you can find a better friend then God can you mend your self any where else is there in Heaven or Earth any that can do as much for you as God can is there any one that can take you off when you come to be accused for High Treason against the King of Heaven and to be arraigned before that just Judge have you got that which will quit your cost in getting of it and countervail the loss of a Soul what is it that still hath an interest in your heart that is thought to be an equal competitor with God for your dearest love If it be indeed that which will shield you from the arrests of Death and the wrath of the Almighty if it be that which can shelter you from the storm of his displeasure if it be that which will do you as much good as Heaven and make you as happy as God can why then I have little to say make your best of it But consider well what you do first be sure that you be not mistaken have not many thought as you think and have found their mistake when it was too late Quest 5. Do you think that this world will last always with you do you not believe that ere long you must die and your soul appear before God and by him be sentenced to its everlasting state where is all the glory of those great Monarchs which despised God and oppressed his people what is become of all their pomp which of them that flourished three thousand years ago stand alive now in glory and are you better then they shall the worms which have made a prey of them spare you is Death more favourable now a days then he was before is not the world still as it was but vanity is not all flesh still but grass and the beauty of it as a flower that is cut down and withereth suddenly Well then this being granted that nothing is more certain then Death and that it is appointed for all men once to die would you not then be glad of something that will stand you instead after death a Friend in another world why then do you not speedily get acquainted with him who alone can befriend you in that dreadful hour Quest 6. What do you think will become of you if after all this you go on in your old ways what will become of you do you think if you should die without the knowledge of God what hopes hath you of life in peace if you bid defiance to the Lord of life and contemn the Prince of peace how shall you escape if you neglect so great salvation what do you think that those which did once as you do now slight Christ and never look after Reconciliation with God are now a doing in another world what would you do in this case should one come to you either out of Heaven or out of Hell how wonderfully do you think you should be affected with the Narration which they would give you of the affairs of the invisible world why then will you not now be affected with what we say for assure your selves whatever you may think our testimony is as true and hath a better foundation of credit then if one should tell you he came from the dead and speak to you of these things Quest 7. Another Question I would propound to you is this Are you willing to bear the displeasure of God can you undergo the weight of that wrath which made his back to ake who was mighty to do and suffer can you with any patience hear that dreadful word pronounced by the mouth of that Judg which will see to the execution of his sentence Depart from me ye cursed unto everlasting torment Depart from me ye workers of iniquity for I know you not Can you endure without any trouble that scalding hot wrath which is abundantly more painful then Fire and Brimstone more intolerable then to be shut up in a burning fiery Furnace or to be boyled in a Caldron of melted Lead or whatsoever torments the wit of men or Devils can invent Can you with any patience bear the Stone Gout Tooth-ach Chollick or some such distempers of body which last but for a while O how long do you think the time when you are in that condition how do you toss and tumble what lamentable moan do you make do not you think you can't be too much pitied in that condition how then will you be able to lie down in those torments the least drop of which is abundantly more painful then the greatest torment that ever you felt in your life If these seem dreadful to you why do you not go the way to avoid them which is by getting an interest in him who hath the Keys of Hell at his gridle for there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus to them that are brought into a state of Reconciliation and Acquaintance with God by his Son our Mediatour Quest 8. Are you contented to lose everlasting
in that Ordinance doth afford some of his sometimes I have heard another dear Brother say that for some years together he scarce ever failed of some notable Token of Love at that great Ordinance But I would not instead of comforting and incouraging the poor Saint bring him into greater fears and dispondings Judge not therefore that this is the portion of all Gods Children nor of any at all times to have such large Discoveries as these Heaven is reserved for Heaven some have a single Messe some a double some five times more than their Brethren let all be thankful if the great Joseph instead of a Prison give a Feast and in it make himself known to us to be our brother let 's love him and admire his condescention and be ready to wonder that he doth so much for us rather than repine that he doth more for others If thou hast some drawings and longings and mournings after Christ and a deep sence of thy hardness unbelief and worldliness be thankful it may be this is more wholsome entertainment and fitter for the present Temper and Constitution of thy Soul than those Flagons of Wine perhaps they would fly up into thy head and make thee giddy proud and wanton if thou be but well wrought poor and hungry thou wilt be thankful for a little and a Crumb that falls from the Table to an humble Soul is better Intertainment then it knows it deserves or could without a Miracle of Kindness have expected mistake me not as if I would have Christians sit down satisfied with little or no comfort at that Ordinance no t is quite another designe that I am carrying on t is only a hint to quell Ingratitude my great work at present is to quicken diligence in Preparation and to raise the Saints Valuation of that Ordinance and his Expectations from Christ in it I say again Christ usually proportions his Intertainment to the diligent faithful humble preparations of the Soul to meet him they that trim their Lamps and have Oyl in them are most like to meet that Bridegroom with Joy he that hath on the Wedding Garment can't miss of a Welcom and the good and faithful Servant is most likely to have the Masters commendation and to enter into his Joy But more or less every sincere Soul at one time or another will meet with Refreshment at that Supper and amongst all the rare Dishes that are served up no question but some will be sutable if not all to a hungry Spiritual Stomach I can scarce leave this sweet Subject the time draws nigh and the Servants are sent out to invite and thou O my Soul art one of the Guest that art bidden Hark methinks I hear a Royal Proclamation Whosoever is a thirst let him come and drink of the Waters of Life freely Methinks the silver Trumpet of the Gospel and Divine Love sounds a Jubile Methinks the Air ecchoes with a strange Harmony somewhat like that Luke 2.14 Glory to God in the highest and on Earth Peace Good will towards men Don't the very Heavens ring with these Blessed Words A Saviour a Saviour a mighty Redeemer a Pardon a Pardon Liberty Liberty a glorious Liberty and again the Congregations of the Saints and Redeemed ones cry Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah I had thought to have done but the Feast is so sweet I must fall on again Here no Surfeiting the more I feed the more hungry and yet the more satisfied the more delighted Here 's nothing but Fulness Swectness and Love may be written upon every Dish and Royal noble everlasting Bounty may be proclaimed before every Course All the dismal Bonds are thrown in Cancelled all our Debts forgiven and paid the great Surety shews the Acquittance long since granted in the Court of Heaven now it s given in to the Court of Conscience The bloody War is concluded by a happy and firm Peace God is no longer a Judge an Enemy but now the Soul hears such words Friend Father Husband The Challenges of Law Conscience and Sathan are now silenced the Inditements against the Soul are all quashed the Soul may walk now at liberty and fear no Arrest who can lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect its Christ that justifies who can condemn Christ saith it swears it seals it it cannot but be true why art thou then cast down poor Soul and why art thou disquieted Christ hath made a blessed exchange with thee he hath drank the bitter Cup and offers thee the sweet which is spiced with Grace and Love Christ both purchased the Crown for thee and taken the Cross to himself he took the Rags and gives thee the Robes he became Poor that thou mayst become Rich he emptied himself that thou mayest be filled he was esteemed as nothing that thou mightest from worse than nothing possess all things and what now remains but that with the greatest Gratitude you accept of Christ's offer whensoever he invites thee to his Table what doth better become thee then the deepest resentment of the highest kindness and a grateful closure with all the overtures of Divine Goodness O happy are the people that are admitted to this Intimacy happy are the Souls that know the worth the use of this Ordinance and make it their business wisely to improve it O what an opportunity have such of Christ here what Request may they not then have granted and when Christ is giving what will he what can he deny them which have his heart already I have been the more large in this because it was the particular request of one of my Brethren a Reverend Minister that in the next Edition I would not forget that Ordinance in which God usually doth most signally discover his Love to his people III. DIRECTION If you would get acquainted with God get Christ along with you when you go to God You are like to speed no way so soon as this way nay let me say all that I have said before signifies nothing at all without this There is no Name under Heaven by which we can be saved but by the Name of Christ and whosoever comes to the Father by him he will in no wise cast out God can't deny his own Son any thing he can never forget that great undertaking of his by which he glorified his Fathers infinite Justice and infinite Love and did him more honour than all the Saints and Angels in the world His Son the Lord Christ hath such an interest in his Father that he can as soon despise his own honour as to refuse any request that is presented to him by his Son If Christ come to him and say Father here is a poor sinner that I have undertaken for and that flew to me for refuge Look upon him for my sake why the Fathers Arms are presently open he will not reject his Sons Petitions The truth of it is this is the greatest cause of the miscarriage of poor Creatures that go about to do that