shed for me there was no need of any thing for me to doe so that whatsoever Fruits of Piety and Holiness should through thy power be produced by me would be of no regard Therefore relying upon thee trusting in thee and believeing that thou would'st not look upon me as I am in a state of uncleanness and corruption but through Christ as I am in him I cast my self upon thee and trust wholy in the merit 's of a crucified Saviour who came into the World to save Sinners But to such an exclamation what will the Righteous God reply Surely he will not say I have chosen you respectively in my good will and pleasure that you may Glorifie me World without end and have ordained to Destruction the greatest part of your fellow Creatures not by reason they are worse or you more worthy but that they may Glorifie me in Hell and you in Heaven and as I have mercy on you so will avenge my self on them that have in the Loins of Adam Sinned against me Mat. 25.12.41 But he will say in that day to those that have not fear'd and obey'd him Depart from me ye workers of Iniquity I know ye not with what confidence can you look for admittance into my Kingdom when you know your selves unworthy and unfit for such a Glorious place Rev. 21 27. where no unclean thing can enter or nothing that is defiled how can you expect that I should hear your Cries when you would not hear mine no no. Prov. 1.24.30 Because I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded But ye have set at nought all my Counsel and would hear none of my reproof I also will laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation and your Destruction cometh as a Whirl-wind when distress and anguish cometh upon you Then dismal and terrible will it be at that time shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me And mark the just occasion of it For that they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would hear none of my counsel and despised all my reproof Thus will the Righteous God plead with the workers of Iniquity who are covering themselves Isa 30.1 and not with the Spirit of the Lord that presume to say we are cover'd with the Righteousness of the Lamb justified by the Blood of Christ when they are inwardly ravening Wolfes corrupted and in a state of abomination and have not come so far nay have not Faith to beleive they ever can be able as to know the Blood of Christ to purge their corrupt and defiled Consciences from dead works perform'd without a renewed Heart to serve the living God in pure and hearty obedience to all his holy Laws Such are ready to forget or at least don 't solidly think that they must be called before the Judgment seat of God there to give an exact and strict account of the deeds done in the Body 2 Cor. 5.10 and to receive a reward according to them for every secret Action for every hidden Thought must they reckon And all that cannot stand this fiery Trial must be consumed by it Therefore came the word of the Lord to the Prophet after this manner Isa 33.13 16. Hear ye that are a far off what I have done and ye that are near acknowledge my might The Sinners in Zion are afraid fearfulness hath surprised the Hypocrites who among us shall dwell with the devouring Fire who amongst us shall dwell with everlasting Burnings He that walketh Righteously and speaketh uprightly He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks Bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure Oh the Blessed estate of the Righteous who is it will not cry Oh that I might die the death of the Righteous Oh that my latter end may be like unto his He shall lay down his Head in Peace and nothing shall make him affraid in a peaceable and quiet Conscience shall he leave the world no terrours of Soul shall assail him But in a certain assurance of endless Peace his Soul is sweetly resign'd to the will of his merciful God he takes his leave of the world without reluctance or trouble in Spirit and why so Oh who can declare that comfort and sweet consolation that he feels to abound in his Soul He is ready to lanch forth into that boundless Ocean of never ending joy Rev. 7. where the Wicked cease from troubling and all sorrow is done away Such a Man overcomes that unwillingness to die which is inherent to our Nature and how so He is sure that when his Earthly Tabernacle is dissolved 2 Cor. 5.1 there 's an Habitation provided for him eternally in the Heavens for this he grones earnestly and desires to be clothed with that Mortality may be swallowed up of Life 1 Cor. 15.55 then can he say Oh Death where is thy sting Oh Grave where is thy Victory whilst he is at home in the Body is absent from the Lord from the full and boundless enjoyment of his Love and Light and walking by Faith not by sight is willing to be absent from the Body and present with the Lord. But with the Wicked it is not so he has spent his days in contempt to the Lord in despight to his holy Laws but the time of his departure is at hand and now he begins to remember how he hath provoked a just and merciful God who would have had mercy upon him and would have reclaim'd him from the evil of his ways but he slighted his Visitations set at nought his counsel would none of his reproof persever'd in his impious courses and did not consider his latter end wherefore has terrour and torture already seised his Soul the Judgments of a Righteous God begin to take hold upon him now his Conscience more then a Thousand witnesses doth condemn him and God who is greater doth condemn him also Now he feels an Hell upon Earth that once had his Heaven here Now he that had as much of Heaven as he desired hath more of Hell than he can bear now he begins that work of repentance which here should have had end Now he cries for a longer time that has so greivously spent his own now I 'le part with all to have peace to my tormented Soul that would not once part with the least of my pleasures for it But ah remember thou in thy Life time Luke 16.25 how did the Lord strive to do thee good how many years did he call unto thee before he gave thee over to a reprobate mind he called and thou would'st not hear now he will not hear thy woful cries but will execute his terrible Judgments upon thee and none shall be able to deliver Destruction comes as a Whirl-wind desolation and misery surrounds on every side now the sight of his Friends that once rejoyc'd help to aggravate the greif of his Soul he spent his time in jollitry with them and forgot the Lord his maker and now he sorrowfully warns them that as he must to all Eternity be cursed with an inevitable woe so must they beware Luke 16.28 lest they come into this place of Torment now Hell is no longer feign'd to deterr him but dismally felt to damn him now Religion is no longer a Poâ—iâ—ick design but the neglect proves perpetual Damnation now ther 's an overruling God that will bring all into Judgment for he feels the weight thereof sinking his Soul down into everlasting pangs now he that enjoy'd the unbouaded pleasures of this world is enjoyn'd to bear the never ended plagues of another The thoughts of which may lay us low and humble and cause us to seek him that will secure us from such a deplorable condition of which too many are insensible but 't is to be fear'd will undergoe at last What else can the Wicked look for but the fearful Judgments of a revenging Fire which will burn up all the proud and workers of Iniquity they shall be all as stubble in this terrible day of the Lord Mal. 4.1 2. But to you that fear my name behold the repeated promises of joy to them that fear God shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing under his wings c. And we know that he is risen according to his promise and by the brightness of his appearance hath dissipated the darkness of our Hearts and discover'd the corruption of them and by the vertue of this his arising is healing administer'd to our diseased Souls he hath cured us of our Infirmities and made us strong in the Lord and in the power of his might So that we who have embraced him in this Spiritual appearance are enabled to run the way of his Commandment with great delight having open'd to him who brings refreshment with him Spiritual food and nourishmâ—â—â— will sup with him hath he â—â—â—mis'd and he with me Rev. 3.20 and we encourag'd in this our travel to 〈◊〉 on our course and keep our Faitâ— because we are assured that a crowâ— of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 will the Lord to Righteous Judge give to all the that love his appearing And wâ— can without presumption glory 〈◊〉 God in the highest bear an experâ—mental testimony to the words 〈◊〉 the Holy Psalmist Psalm 1.1 2 3. Blessed is the Man that walketâ— not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of Sinner nor sitteth in the seat of the Scornfuâ— But his delight is in the Law of tâ—â— Lord and in his Law doth he medâ—tate day and night And he shall 〈◊〉 like a Tree planted by the Rivers 〈◊〉 water that bringeth forth his Fruâ—â— in his Season his Leaf also shall nâ—â— wither and whatsoever he doeth shall Prosper THE END
and obey the great and merciful Creator and therby obtain the unmerited reward of an eternal joy overcoming the strength of Satan through the power of God to him that overcomes saith Jesus will I grant to sit with me in my Fathers Throne Rev. â— 21 and blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have right to the Tree of Life â—2 1â— and may enter in through the gates into the City of God the new Jerusalem the Mother of the faithful who are breathing Rev. 10.6.22.12 how long Lord how long for him who said behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his works shall be Is it so hath the God of infinite mercy engag'd and incited us to fear and obey him by such consolatory promises such Heavenly inducements and has he deterr'd us from rebelling and committing evil against him by dreadful and fearful threatnings even eternal woe and never ceasing torture how vigilant how diligent how considerate should the Rich Man be he would be ready to say I have been undeservedly blest by a supream Hand I have unworthely reccived of the blessings of Heaven my temporal Goods are encreased and worldly enjoyments are heap'd upon me shall I forget the hand that conferr'd them shall I ingratefully neglect to glorifie him that has thus dignified me Oh no But rather I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth I was needy thou hast supplied my wants I was in distress and thou hast releived me I am less than the least of thy mercies I will not fail to magnifie thy Name not by my own industry so much as by thy blessing does the world lend me its aid by thy favour not my worth who have so much displeased thee are Earthly Goods beneficial to me I will not be puffed up with what thou hast given me to glorifie thee with but will endeavour so to use these temporal blessings as to answer the end for which I was possesed of them and will learn to make all considerations tend to thy Honour who hast been thus merciful to me And thus will the wise Man say I am naturally endued with profound Sagacity with a deep and penetrating Judgment with a sound intellect and with a sharp and peircing fancy for what end am I so qualified is it to employ my self in search of such knowledge which not only bereaves me of my fleeting time but will also fail to be any profit in the end shall I exercise my wit in such matters that will shew I am void of Wisdom or shall I make use of my rational intellect no better than to fall short of a divine understanding Oh no but rather the great God has made me capable to do him eminent service I am naturally fitted to receive such spiritual gifts that may qualifie me for a Servant to his heritage I will therefore submit and bend to him who will yet further furnish me with more Noble parts for I remember the holy Man saith Psal 111.10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom a good understanding have they that depart from Evil I therefore learn to be humble and not puffed up as knowing 't is but Earthly Wisdom which exalts it self and will supplicate the Lord for Wisdom of a Celestial Nature that will make me wise to Salvation which will sanctifie my natural reason and make my innate genus inclinable to obey its Heavenly dictates I have no reason to be proud of my natural abilities as knowing I cannot attain to be for ever happy thereby I cannot conceive sufficiently of God by the exercise of my own conceptions the natural Man perceives not the things of God neither can he 1 Cor. 2.14 for they are Spiritually discerned So that I crave wisdom from above which will let me know that I should else have thought my self intelligent when I neither knew my self nor the means of doing so much less to have been endued with such a knowledge as will be Life eternal to my never dying Soul Joh. 17.3 which is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent And if the Voluptous were not less careful to satisfie their Spiritual wants than to provide for their corporal pleasures there would appear some acknowledgments of a supream favour to them insomuch as health strength and sufficient necessaries are so plentifully afforded and in penitential tears they would be ready to cry out How have we abused the manifold mercies of God turning into laciveousness and luxury those enjoyments which we have cause to fear may be greatly wanting to us as a punishment for our profuse and riotous courses we are now sensible that a divine Majesty is offended that our prophane lives have render'd us the objects of God's displeasure and that if his mercy doth not exceed our almost innumerable Sins we must to all eternity remain the monuments of his wrath and sore displeasure God is mercifully pleased to allow us the use of those necessaries and that in a plentiful manner which others more worthy are deprived of but now is his love yet further manifested in given us to see the misery which will inevitably follow those unrepented Sins and not only so but in given us hearts to bewail our former vicious courses and to praise him whose blessings inwardly and outwardly have been largely extended to us And as the Lord in mercy hath dispenc'd an appearance and gift of Divine Grace to every particular Soul Tit. 2.11.12 in order to teach the denial of all ungodliness and worldly lasts and to live Righteously Soberly and Godly in this present World So if there was not wanting a diligent attention to its Heavenly instructions how great alteration would apear in the world that whereas unrighteousness prophaness and impiety are daily presented under a profession of Religion then would their opposite virtues be a means to draw down the favour of Heaven upon Men as the contrary are its dreadful Judgments and by a due Adhesion in every individual Soul to the manifestation of this inward teacher John 1.4 5. which shines in the dark hearts of Men tho' they comprehend or conceive it not would a sense be rais'd of their misery in an unreformed state and desires and breathings be begotten Mat. 11.28.30 to come unto Christ as heavy laden that he may give them rest and learn of him who is meek and lowly in heart that they find peace to their Souls Then they will not only know but have power also to perform that which is requir'd of all even to Fear God and keep his Commandments which is the whole duty of Man And then they will not stand in need of humane doctrine they will have a teacher near unto them unto which they do well to take heed as St. Peter saith as to a light which shines in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 c. They 'l
the Eyes remain so hearing and the other senses are taken away altho' their proper organs are remaining So is it with respect to the Soul of Man 't is depraved in its senses having Eyes it sees not having Ears it doth not hear and tho' 't is Life to the Body yet it lives not because resting in Adam where all die and under subjection to the principle of disobedience 'T is a most noble truth that as the Soul of man animates the Body so the Spirit of God gives Life to the Soul the Soul is Life to the Body and the Holy Spirit quickens the Soul and as the Body without the Soul is Dead and unable to perform any office so is the Soul of man not enliven'd by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 15 45 47. the quickning Spirit the Lord from Heaven Dead and unable to perform its office to God which is to fear and obey him To retreive and remedy this disability of the Soul is the Son of God manifest 1 John 3.5.8 even to destroy the works of the Devil which have filled the Soul and bruised the heel of the Womans Seed to bring it from under captivity to Sin and Satan Rom. 8.21 into the Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God which is incomprehensible to the carnal in Heart which the Natural and unrenewed man cannot perceive but to the Spiritually minded man to the Heavenly attracted Soul to the Soul enflamed with a Celestial love with aspiring desires with noble and heroick affections how conâ—enting how ravishing how sweetly consolating is the sensible enjoyment of a restoration to this Glorious Liberty to this unconceivable joy peculiar to the redeemed Souls when the morning Stars sing together and all the Sons of God adopted Children pure peaceable and reconciled in Herrt and Soul do sing for Joy So that 't is not for the carnal mind to pry into these Divine secrets which are disclosed to none but the Spiritually inclin'd to those whose affections are set on things above whose conversation is in Heaven Mat. 6.21 whose treasures and hearts are there these alone shall not only know the means but feel the power of redemption the Blood of Jesus to purge their Consciences from dead works Heb. 9.14 to serve the living God these will know that they must die unto Sin and live unto Righteousness 1 Pet. 2.24.3.18 that the Redeemer came to deliver them from this present evil World and that they are saved according to his mercy Gal. 1.4 Tit. 3.5 6 7. by the washing of Regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost that being Justified by his Grace they may be made heirs of eternal Life Further that they must not live to themselves 1 Cor. 5.15 Ephes 5.25.26 but to him which died for them that he might sanctifie and cleanse them with the washing of Water by the Word to present them to his Father Holy and without Blemish that he might redeem them from all Iniquity Tit. â— 23 2â— and purifie to himself a peculiar people Zealous of good works And that Love Peace Ephes 5.22 Joy Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against which there is no Law may abound amongst them and wherein they that are Christs having Crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts do live and walk Now would'st thou know the means of redemption and would'st thou be blest with the same hearken and hear and thy soul shall Live Thou hast been or still art by Nature a Child of Wrath and thy affections are joyned to Earthly things to Transitory and Perishing objects that disagree to the pure Nature of thy soul but above all that capital Lust of Pride which as t' was most prevalent in the first Man Adam takes up the greatest part of thy heart so that not being yet acquainted with that power of Jesus which redeems from sin thou art Exalted and Puffed up in thy Fleshly mind which covets after this world and thereby art become wholly estranged from any good to thee in this desperate condition Mat. 11.28 29 30 does the Son of God cry Come unto me learn of me I am meek and lowly in heart and if thou wilt be humble I 'le teach thee of my ways my Doctrine shall be as the Diew it shall inspire Life into thy soul man lives not by Bread alone Mat. 4.4 but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God Joh. 6.48.63 the words that I speak unto thee they are Spirit Mt â— 18.11 and they are Life I am come to seek and to save I am come to abase the Proud and to exalt the Humble in soul he that exalts himself shall be abased but he that abases himself will I exalt Take my Yoke upon thee saith Jesus for thou'lt soon find it easie and my burthen to be light and follow me in the way of self-denyal and of Regeneration tho' thou art Blind I will restore thy sight tho' thou art Darkness I 'le make thee light nay tho' thou art dead I will give thee Life It shall come to pass that the Dead shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and those that hear shall live Oh blessed promise God is speaking from Heaven by his Son who is Infusing Life even his own Spirit into the Souls and making it to live Then the Dead cannot praise thee neither can they that go down to the grave celebrate thy Name but the living the living can praise thee and magnifie thy Glorious Name who hast redeemed them by thy mighty Power from Death and destruction from Sin and Satan by thy precious Blood by thy virifying Life by that word of eternal Life by which the World was made Man was created and Man is redeemed again through whom to the alwise and almighty Creator be sounded never ending Anthems and Hallelujah's Glory and everlasting Praise Amen Thus is the redeemed Soul engag'd to fear and obey the great restorer of breaches and of paths to walk in John 13.15 who as he left an example for us to follow his steps not assuming Glory to himself but submitting in all things to his Fathers will and at length laid down his Life for his greatest enemies so 1 Pet. 2.21 must we thereby learn to walk in self denial and newness of Life in meekness and in humiliation in submision and pure obedience to the internal revelation of the Divine word which teaches to love enemies to do good to them which hate us to bless them that curse and dispitefully use us Heb. 12.1 2 3. and to take him for our pattern who endured the Cross and despised the shame for the joy that was set before him who being without Sin bore the punishment due for Sin that Man might Sin no more but be restored by means of that Grace which came by Jesus Joh. 1.17 to such a state of Righteousness and perfection as to be enabled to fear
know their duty and more than so they will not be slack to render it in all respects both to God by living to his Glory and to their Neighbours by dwelling in Love and Charity with them For as nothing less than such a Life will bespeak them the servants of God so nothing more is wanting 't is their whole duty comprehensive of Faith Righteousness Charity and all good works the Fruits of the Spirit the fulfilling of the Law one tittle of which shall not pass away or be made void the loving of God with all the heart and their Neighbours as themselves and the effect and product of the Ministry of Jesus Christ Acts 26.18 which proposes a conversion from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God and from a corrupt and repugnant to a clean and regenerate mind as its principal scope whereby the Gospel the Power and Cross of Jesus will be embraced effectual and easie to be bore and the consequence glad tydings reformation and Peace to the Soul witnessed and enjoyed which is the end of all and the crown of all I have fought a good fight saith the Holy Man 2 Tim. 4.8 I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness Oh the comfort the joy and cause of rejoycing has that Man which so lives in this world as to answer his end He that offereth Praise glorifieth me Psal 50.23 and to him that ordereth his Conversation aright will I shew the Salvation of God Oh that Men would be perswaded to consider that God shall bring into Judgment every Work with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil surely then there would be something of a concern after this manner If it be so as 't is most certain that the great Judge of the World takes such a strict observance of all my Actions be they never so Secret nay of all my most hidden thoughts as that he will one day cause me to give an account of them all For every Idle word shall Men give an account in the day of Judgment How am I engag'd to be circumspect and watchful in all things not only in actions that have reference to Men and in my words but also in my thoughts and cogitations which none but an al-seeing God can charge with matter of evil In a sense of his al-knowing Power and of my own impotency I 'le beg of him to give me Grace so to Live in this world as that I may not by reason of my neglect be debar'd of those joys in the world to come and further I am sensible upon a most serious and retired examination that 't is by and through the illumination of a Divine Light that I see the evil of my ways and the misery ensuing such an unlimited course of Life I am therefore willing to deny my self and take up a Dayly Cross that I may know the work of Reformation and Regeneration the way to the Kingdom wrought Joh. 3.3 Vnless a Man be Born again he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven And in the first Place the Fountain of all Defilements and Corruptions being in my Heart Mat. 15.18.20 I 'le cry with the Psalmist Creat in me a new Heart O Lord and renew a right Spirit within me for unless the inside be clean the outside will not be so whilst the principle of hatred and envy is predominant in me 't is impossible I should bring forth works of Love and Charity and whilst I am under the power of the Devil 1 Joh. 3. doing his works I can by no means be the servant of God I cannot serve two Masters if the power of Satan bear rule in me I can be no subject of Jesus I cannot have right to call him Lord Luke 6.46 for I begin to be sensible that not he who says Lord Lord but that does his will is a Servant to him and of the Justice of that rebuke why call ye me Lord and do not the things which I command ye And when I feel the visitation of the love of God to my Soul 2 Cor. 4.6 opening the Eyes of my understanding then shall I see how wretched and miserable I am as also the exclency of the Glory of God who hath for that end caused his Light to appear now and not till now do I perceive the vanity of all Created things and my Soul is effused with breathings to the Lord to give me a further revelation of his will and to create a conformity in my depraved Heart to the same whereby I shall see an absolute necessity of sober and serious consideration of all my doings and the power of Jesus prevailing in my Soul I doubt not of ability to resist all temptations and to walk not as a Fool in my former vicious lewdness but as one that is awaken'd from the sleep of Sin and raised from the grave of Iniquity to redeem the time which I have spent in such an enormous manner as declares I neither endeavour'd to answer the end of my coming into the World nor was sensible of the necessity of the same When such thoughts and considerations have possessed the Hearts of Men they 'l remember that as there is no way to avoid or escape the Judgment of God so also that he will execute his Just and righteous decrees upon all without partiallity or respect of Persons Rom. 2.6.11 as 't is said God will render to every Man according to his works to those that by a patient continuance in well doing seek for Glory Honour and Immortallity Eternal Life but to those that are contentious and do not obey the Truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every Soul of Man that doth evil upon the Jew first and also upon the Gentile but Glory Honour and Peace to every Soul of Man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile for there is no respect of Persons with God Then none should presume to think that by vertue of any Personal predestination they shall if evil doers be exempted from the Sentence of go ye cursed For 't is apparent that as the Lord is no respecter of Persons so will he bring into Judgment the works of every Man And in vain will it be for any to plead at the Judgment Day after this manner Lord let me into thy Kingdom whom thou Elected'st before the foundation of the World not by my foreseen Holiness but in thy meer pleasure alone as thou didst for the same reason reject the greatest number in the World and as 't was thy pleasure and mercy to make me one of thy Elect so wholly confiding therein I look'd to be taken for a faithful Servant because thou art a faithful Master and so took no care to perform any thing of Service unto thee as believing that the Blood of thy Son being