Jews Joh. 8. thought we may put away our wives we may swear we may hate our enemies we may kill the Prophets subject the Word of God to our traditions and follow our own lusts and yet they most confidently believed and stiffly maintained that God was their Father vers 41. Though by their leave Christ calls them bastards and finds out another Father for them ver 44. Ye are of your Father the Devil and the lusts of your Father ye will do As indeed they did not long after 〈◊〉 they murthered the same Christ who was the onely Son of God which proved it sufficiently Even so will the worst of men in these days boast themselves Christians Such as do nothing but sin and make others to sin such as glory in and maintain their sins CHAP. VI. ONe minds nothing but his cups another nothing but his coine a third nothing but his Courtizan yet all these promise to meet in Heaven Yea there is scarce a man on earth but he thinks to go to Heaven Which yet is no wonder if you consider all For what the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 3. is appliable to all that are in their natural condition Their minds were blinded for until this day remaineth the same Vail upon their hearts untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament which Vail when they shall turn to the Lord shall be taken away in Christ v. 14 15 16. Neither do they speak other than they think in this case as being of and holding that reprobate and yet common error of Unomius That faith without works will serve Onely believe and thou shalt be saved no matter how men live Whence it is they do not in the least doubt but to have benefit by the Gospel when yet they will not be tied to the least tittle of the Law Whence it is that most men walk in the broad way and yet every man thinks to enter in at the strait gate They will boldly do what God forbids and yet confidently hope to escape what he threatens But let all such read these two Scriptures and tremble The first is Deut. 29.19 20. where the Lord tells us exprefly that he will not be merciful to such as flatter themselves in an evil way but that his wrath and jealousie shall smoak against them and every curse that is written in his Book shall light upon them c. And the second is Prov. I. That if we will not regard nor hearken unto God when he calls upon us for repentance he will not hear nor râ—â—â—rd us when in our distress and anguish we shall call upon him for mercy but even laugh at our destruction and mock when our fear cometh v. 24 to 33. See other places to this purpose Heb. 12.29 Deut. 4.24 Matth. 25.30 41 to 64. and 3.10 These are Scriptures that would startle them were they not stark dead but all is one God they may hear but the Devil will they believe as it fared with our First Parents when they eat the forbidden fruit at the price of death eternal Sin like Opium brings them into a dead sleep and in sleeping they dream and suppose themselves good Christians Even as a Beggar may dream he is a King or a Traytor that he shall be crowned when he is to be beheaded and for the time be as much pleased therewith And so in this case whereof we have three most remarkable instances in the New Testament the one Rev. 3.17 another Luke 18.11.12 the third Mark 10.19 20. Which examples sufficiently declare that these mens saith is but a dream their hope but a dream their obedience but a dream their whole religion but a dream and so their assurance of salvation is but a dream They have Regeneration in conceit Repentance and righteousness in conceit they serve God well in conceit and they shall go to Heaven onely in conceit or in a dream and never wake until they feel themselves in the flames of Hell And the truth is were it not for Pride and Ignorance a world of men would be ashamed to have their faces seen abroad As but take away from mens minds vain opinions flattering hopes false valuations imaginations and the like you will leave the minds of most men and women but poor shrunken things full of melancholly indisposition and unpleasing to themselves O my brethren take heed of sinning away your reason lest by loss of conscience you become Atheists and by loss of reason beasts As what are these better than beasts for matter of reason For suppose they are as wicked as Devils in their lives yet this shall serve to blind conscience They have good hearts and mean well whatever their lives be When every wise man knows that the outward actions declare the inward intentions A good conversion is proved by a good conversation Nor is there any evil in the mouth or hand which was not in the heart first of all as the stream is first in the Fountain Out of the heart saith our Saviour proceed evil thoughts murthers adulteries fornications thefts false witness blasphemies Matth. 15.19 Yet we have good hearts and mean well Alas poor ignorant souls for every drop of wickedness that appears in the life there is an Ocean in the heart The heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Jer. 17.9 and when a man thinks there is no deceit in it even in that he is most of all deceived Insomuch that every man hath need to pray O God defend me from my self for a mans own heart is as arch a traytor as any he shall meet withal we trust it too much and know it too little as it fared with Hazael 2 King 8.12 13. and Peter Matth. 26.33 and those Jews Act. 2.36 But though they know not their own hearts yet God knows them and others may know them For words and actions express our hearts to men as thoughts to God Why else does our Saviour say by their fruits ye shall know them Matth. 7.16 20. And again more expresly Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Matth. 12. verse 34. Yea yet more fully A good man out of the good treasury of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things ver 35. But besides out warrant from Gods Word the tongue is the bewrayer of the heart says Pythagoras A man is by nothing better known then by his communication says Seneca The habit of the mind is best perceived by a mans talking saith Diogenes He who cannot rule his Tongue can much less rule his lusts says Socrates And another Evil speaking discovers an evil heart as the striking of the clapper does a broken Bell. Yea it were senseless to think the Fountain pure when the streams that flow from it are corrupt that Garlick should grow out of a Vine-stock That Wine should be in the Vessel when onely Vinegar comes forth Away than with
victory as Absalom strove with David whether the Father should be more kind to the Son or the Son more unkind to the Father As what think you That the road to Hell a place so wofull and dolorous should be so exceedingly thronged and the way to Heaven a place so blessed and glorious should be almost wholly neglected Matth. 7.13 14. John 5.19 Rev. 20.8 That Christ should lay down his life to ransom and redeem men from infinite intollerable and interminable torments and to purchase for them such pleasures as never entred into the heart of man to conceive and yet Satan that bloody devouring Dragon and vowed enemy of all mankind should have more Servants and Voluntiers than Christ and they do far more for him than Christs servants do for their Lord Rev. 3.4 and 13.16 Rom. 10.16 That men supposod rational should resolve to destroy themselves that they should love damnation that they should hate their own souls as well as holiness and the holy God and all for sin and vanity such a wretched emptiness this is the greatest folly and frenzy imaginable This above all deserves bitter lamentation yea what Sea of blood is enough to bemoan this foolish wicked and desperate madness CHAP. III. Quest BUt will you know how it comes to be so for the Word of God in this as in all other cases will acquaint us therewith Answ Many Reasons hereof might be collected from the Word but these few may serve Every man is born stark dead in sin and whereas the Word preached is spirit and life to quicken those that are dead in sin and to raise up those that are therewith cast down they will either not hear the Word as I think I may say that one half of the men and women in the Kingdom come not once a year within the Church doors It were good they were compelled to hear this Word of life which is the onely ordinary means of salvation Or if they do hear it they will not apply it to themselves or be reformed by it but contrarily resolve to continue their sins until at length the custom and reiteration of sin and rejecting the means brauns their hearts and blinds their minds Jer. 13.23 They will not receive the truth in love that they may be saved Therefore are given up to strong delusions to believe lies that they may be damned 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. They will not regard nor retain God in their thoughts therefore God gives them over to a reprobate mind Rom. 1.28 They will not take the Spirits counsel therefore the Spirit gives them up to walk in their own counsels Jer. 9.13 14 15. They think they have as good hearts as the best and therefore they will follow that deceitful guide Ezek. 14.3 4 5. They will not by any means that Christ can use understand nor be converted nor saved Therefore they shall not understand nor be converted nor saved Isa 6.9 10. Matth. 13.15 They will believe Satan that promises prosperity to sin yea life and salvation as the Pope promised to the Powder Traytors rather than believe God who threatens Hell and damnation if men do not repent of and forsake their sins Therefore God delivers them up to Satan so to be deluded that the light of the glorious of Gospel of Christ shall not shine unto them 2 Cor. 4.3 4. Eph. 2.2 2 Thes 2.9 10. Neither will they believe what is written until they feel what is written And therefore shall fire and brimstone confute them because nothing else will do it And let such take notice that when men reject all good means and refuse to serve the just and true God provoking him by their rebellious and damnable wickedness He in justice gives them over to the false namely the god of this world to be taught and governed by him Even as a just Judg having past sentence upon some hainous Malefactor gives him up to the Jaylor or Executioner as you may see by sundry places as 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. 1 Tim. 4.2 2 Tim. 2.26 Eph. 2.2 John 8.44 12.31 13.2 14.30 Acts 5.3 1 Chron. 21.1 Gen. 3.1 to 6. 15. Revel 2.10 2 Cor. 4.3 4. 1 Kings 22.20 21 22. Which being so no wonder there should be so many Athiests and so few Christians in this our Goshen where hath been such preaching that no people in the world enjoy the like True they will not believe that Satan hath any power over them no they defie the Devil and all his works But if the Word of God be true they are the devils captives at his command and ready to do his will For he rules over and works in them his pleasure as the Apostle witnesseth 2 Tim. 2.26 Eph. 2.2 3. Yea he enters into them and puts it into their hearts what he will have them to do John 13.2 Acts 5.3 1 Chron. 21.1 Opens their mouths speaks in and by them Gen. 3.1 6. Stretcheth out their hands and they act as he will have them Acts 12.1 2. Revel 2.10 He being their God 2 Cor. 4.4 their King John 12.31 â—4 30 and their Father Gen. 3.15 John 8.44 Which being so no wonder men should be so mistaken in judging themselves Christians while they are indeed worse enemies to Christ and his Gospel then are meer Heathens No wonder when onely those that are spiritual can judge of spiritual things For the natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2.14 Again It were impossible were it not for the fore-going reasons that in the midst of so much light and means of grace so few should be converted For otherwise the Word of God is so powerful and the Gospel so ravishing that the world could not stand before it without submitting to it Yea were it not for this how were it possible that we who are as traytors condemned to suffer eternal torments in Hell fire being onely reprieved for a time should hear the Gospel and glad tidings of salvation day after day and year after year Which is the strong arm of the Lord and the mighty power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 Quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword c. Eph. 6.17 Jer. 23.29 30. 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Heb. 4.12 And wherein God offers us a pardon in tendering Christ unto us upon the condition of faith and repentance which is such a spectacle of unspeakable mercy as might ravish our souls with admiration and stand it out and being so far from accepting a pardon thankfully that we refuse and contemn it yea in a manner deride the offer For we oppose the Gospel and persecute Christ in his members either with hand or tongue or both and are so far from imitating Christ or observing his precepts in being holy our selves that we most of us hate and scoff at holiness in others Here is ingratitude here is foollish wicked and desperate madness with a
witness And how could this be were it not for the foregoing Reasons Neither could men else but hate sin and love holiness For besides that any rational man would rather go to Heaven and be saved than to Hell and be damned even Plato a meer Heathen could say that vertue if it be clearly discerned moves great love and affection And that in case a vertuous soul could but be seen with corporal eyes it would ravish all men and set their hearts on fire with love and admiration of the same CHAP. IV. BUt you will ask me who are such as may properly becalled Christians Answ Those that are rightly so styled do in some measure walk according to the rules and precepts of the Gospel as these and the like though with much infirmity Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart mind and strength and thy neighbour as thy self Matth. 22.37 39. Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you even the same do ye unto them Mat. 7.12 c. He walks not according to the rudiments of the World neither does he follow the example of the greatest number nor the greatest men nor the greatest Scholars any farther then they follow Christ But he serves God in spirit according to Christs Gospel for so far forth as he can he lives and believes and hears and invocates and hopes and fears and loves and worships God in such manner as his Word prescribes without addition or diminution And having so done and performed his utmost not to deserve by it but to express his thankfulness to Christ that hath done and suffered so much for him he confesseth himself an unprofitable servant and that in all he comes far short of performing his duty Luke 17.10 If you would have a full and compleat Character of such an one for your imitation and direction or for a pattern to know believe and live by read The whole Duty of a Christian lately Printed for Mr. Crips In the mean time know that we are not born but new born Christians by the immortal seed of the Word and the Spirits powerful working with it And when any one is new born it will appear by this Regeneration or new birth is a creation of new qualities in the soul as being by nature onely evil disposed In all that are born anew is a change both in the judgement from error to truth and in the will from evill to good and in the affections from loving evill and hating good to love good and hate evil in the whole man from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God Nor is there one of that small number whom Christ hath chosen out of the World but is able to say I bless God his Word and Spirit hath wrought in me such a change and strange alteration that it hath opened mine eyes that were blind before inclined my will to obedience which before was rebellious softned my heart sanctified and quite changed my affections So that I now love that good which before I hated and hate that evil which before I loved and am delighted with those holy exercises which heretofore did most displease me and am displeased with those vain pleasures and filthy sins which in time past did most delight me and accounts the same such a mercy that no tongue is able to express it CHAP. V. BUt to bring this home to our selves Are none Christians but such as imitate Christ and endeavour to make the Gospel a rule for them to walk by then in the first place they that are in their judgments affections and actions quite contrary to Christ and the Gospel are far from being Christians And of this number are all Drunkards Swearers and Cursers and the lascivious and voluptuous all Adulterers and Fornicators all covetous unjust and unmerciful men all Seducers false Teachers and such us err in Fundamentals or hold damnable Opinions all ignorant persons that know not God nor the very first principles of Christianity which every one must of necessity know or he cannot be saved Isa 27.11 Hos 4.6 2 Thes 1.7 8. Prov. 19 2. John 3.19 and the number of these are numberless all the rebellious and disobedient all lyars flatterers and time servers who like those Chaldeans Dan. 3.7 would worship a golden Image rather then for-go their immunities all open or secret enemies to the power of godliness as scoffers at holiness and haters of the good who are not a few all Idolaters railers the fearful and unbelieving Sorcerers c. who shall every one if they repent not have their part and portion in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death as the Holy Ghost witnesseth Rev. 21.8 1 Cor. 6.9 10. All these I say shew by their works that they serve not the Lord Jesus but their Father the Devil and therefore ought not to be owned as Christians For what saith the Apostle his servants we are to whom we yield obedience Rom. 6.16 See more Gal. 5.24 2 Pet. 2.19 Matth. 6.24 Luke 1.74 75. So that it is an infallible argument if we observe and obey Christs precepts we are his Servants if Satans commands we are his subjects and slaves Men may pretend what they will but we are bound to believe the God of truth and what saith Saint John He that pretends interest in God or Christ and keepeth not his commandments is a lyar and the truth is not in him 1 John 2.4 5. and in the third Chapter and eight verse he affirms plainly that all wilful sinners are the Devils servants And indeed let men flatter themselves or pretend what they will it cannot be denied but the fruit tells best the name of the tree The conversation above all shews who carries the bridle of the will whether God or Satan And did not men purposely shut their eyes stop their ears and harden their own hearts lest they should see and hear and so be converted as our Saviour himself speaks Matth. 13.15 they could not but know that the whole Bible beats upon this It is St. Pauls everlasting Rule Rom. 6.16 Ye are his servants to whom ye obey And St. Peters infallible Doctrine 2 Pet. 2.19 Of whom a man is overcome unto him he is in bondage And St. John In this are the children of God known and the children of the Devil Whosoever doth not righteousness is not of God but of the Devil 1 John 3.8 10. And after this manner does our Saviour reason with the Jews John 8.33 to 48. See then whose commands ye do Gods or Satans if Satans then saith St. John Let no man deceive you through vain words for he onely that doth righteousness is righteous and he that doth unrighteousness is of the Devil 1 John 3.7 8. Now what can be spoken more express or more full to the point in hand Nevertheless as the
through the deceiveable lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your minds and put on the New man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Eph. 4.22 23 24. and then Christ and all his benefits and promises will belong unto you but not before In the mean time you are in your blood Ezek. 16.6 and have to answer not onely for your Original guilt but for every thought word and action of yours from your infancy Matth. 9.12 13 Luk. 1.53 Gal. 5.1 to 7. enough to make you bethink your selves And so much of Civil and Moral men CHAP. IX SEcondly there are others and not a few that seem and profess themselves real Christians when if they were well examined and discovered as Jephta once discovered and distinguished who were Ephramites and who Gileadites by their pronouncing the word Shibboleth Judg. 12.6 It would be found that the most of these also are no more like Christians than Michaels Image of goats hair was like David Many have a form of godliness while they deny the power of it yea there are too many titular Christians who stand more upon the outward appearance of godliness than the inward essence Such as seem and are not say and do not profess and practise not Others there are who be not onely great talkers of Religion but great frequenters of holy exercises yet altogether neglect to practice the same Ezek. 33.31 That like sick stomacks much do swallow down but little do disgest that go to Church onely to be seen there and out of self-ends that it may the more inhaunse their gain increase their custom or to get credit and esteem thereby Nor do they always miss of their aim for for outward shew they come short of none Neither is there any duty done by a Christian but an Hypocrite may outstrip him in it Who may be resembled to that unwelcome guest the wind for as the wind will counterfeit any disease of the body whether it be the stone gowt and the like So these outside and formal Christians will counterfeit every grace of the soul as faith zeal and the like Yea to the eye of the world they resemble Moscovia-glass which though it be of little worth is as clear as Christal as transparant as air yea the Hypocrite may not onely pass for a true Christian as did Judas Annanias and Saphira Nicholas the Deacon c. but they will seem to outstrip them in goodness as snow does salt and sugar in whiteness And well they may when their principle care is onely to hide their defects as Julius Caesar wore a garland of Bays onely to hide his baldness Nor can you blame their discretion therein whatever you do their honesty For Each cunning sin being clad in virtues shape Flies much reproof and many storms doth scape These have form of godliness but are the worse for it For in that they draw neer to God with their mouths and honour him with their lips when their hearts are far from him they are stiled Hypocrites both by Isaiah chap. 29.13 and our Saviour Mat. 15.7 8. as well they deserve it But there are yet far worse than these yea too many who may be called white Devils even such as make Religion a stalking horse to villany or a cloak to cosen the world unseen Such as shrowd an Egyptian heart under the habit of an Israelite whose life and profession is a continual incongruity and whose works are antipodes to their words Their profession being honey while their practice is poyson Even such as speak like Angels live like Devils have Jacobs voyce Esaus hands That like Ethiopians are white in teeth onely every way else coal black being Christians in skin Atheists at core Judas you know was openly a Disciple but secretly a Devil The Scribes and Pharisees were fair Professors foul sinners for they devoured widows houses under a colour of long prayers Matth. 33.14 28. Which grosser sort of Hypocrites may be resembled to some wicked Ale-house that hath Fear God Be sober Watch and Pray painted upon the walls when there is nothing but swearing and drunkenness in the same To a filthy Strumpet with a painted face To the Serpent Requius that hath scales as glorious as the Sun but breath as infectious as the Aconite Or to the Devil in Samuels likeness But let these take heed for as dissembled piety is double iniquity so their plagues shall be double in that they most wofully shame Religion by professing it and make the way of truth evil spoken of 2 Pet. 2.2 Yea as of old the people abhorred the service of God and became despisers of his worship because those prophane sons of Eli were so wicked and scandalous 1 Sam. 2.17 so do these Yea thou Hypocrite thou white Devil thy ill life single puls down more than many good tongues can build up CHAP. X. I Grant there are of them so like Christians as to the external parts of Christianity that it is no easie matter to convince them that they are not really such for they have been baptized live unreprovably pay their dues pray in their families are charitable chaste temporate hear the best Ministers repeat Sermons instruct their children and servants with many the like therefore they must needs be good and real Christians To which I answer All this they may do and yet be but almost Christians For as a child of God by looking more upon his sins then his graces more upon his failings then his faith more upon in-dwelling lusts then renewing grace may think his condition very bad when it is very good So the sinner by looking more upon his duties then his sins may think his condition very good and yet be in a wicked estate And the reason is Many mistake common grace for saving grace through the resemblance that is between them As many take counterfeit mony for current coin And as Saul took the Devil for Samuel because he appeared in Samuels likeness So many take common gifts for saving graces because of the resemblance And this is the common Rock that so many souls split upon to their eternal hazard They take up a form of godliness but deny the power thereof And as many might have been wise had they not so thought themselves so many a formal Professor might have been a sincere Believer had he not mistook his Profession for Conversion his Duties for Graces and so rested in that for Sincerity which is indeed but Hypocrisie A man may be like or almost a Christian and yet not be a Christian A man may come neer to the Kingdom of Heaven and yet be ne're the neer Thou art not far from the Kingdom of Heaven said our Saviour to the young man Mark 12.34 There is an external and an internal worship of God There may be the likeness of grace without the life of grace There is no grace but an Hypocrite may have somewhat like it and there is no duty done by a