themselves to Christ and follow him in that way he commands I shall draw one Observation more which lieth in the way that is Obs 4. That there is an unseparable mutual union betwixt Christ and every Saint From these words My Beloved is mine and I am his there is the union as if the Spouse had said I am united to Christ and he to me as the Vine is to the branches Joh 15. 5. so is Christ to me and I to him and as the head is to the members so is Christ to the Saints and the Saints to Christ and as the head is governour of the body so is Christ over the Saints and the Saints act by his light and motion This union is mutual as it is with the consent of will and truth of love so it is unseparable the love of Christ never changes it holds out for ever As the Prophet Jeremy c. 31 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore in loving kindness have I drawn thee Christ will never depart from his Saints he will never leave them untill he hath saved them to the utmost point of salvation Heb. 7. 25. There is no peace no quiet neither in Christ nor in the souls of the Saints longer then they enjoy each other And that made the Apostle Paul say Our life is hid with Christ in God Our life is in Christ there is no life for a Saint out of Christ Again God hath given all the Saints to Christ All that the Father giveth me saith Christ shall come to me and all those that come to Christ shall never be plucked out of his hands Joh. 10. 28. So likewise in Hos 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever The Spouse of Christ is joyned to him for ever there is no separation See one Scripture more 1 Thess 4. 17. At the time of death when all ungodly men shall for ever be separated from Christ then is the time for the Saints to enjoy their Beloved fully and for ever You see now that this is a truth that there is both a mutual union and unseparable between Christ and the Spouse which is his Church or the Saints Well now from these Heads or Observations there will proceed Uses The first will be a use of Examination to all in general whether we have this assurance of Christ yea or no. The second will be a use of Exhortation to all the Saints that they love and prize Christ dearly as it is their duty The third to all that as yet are without Christ that they be perswaded to give up themselves to him The fourth is a use of Comfort to the Saints in general The first Use is of Examination to search our hearts and souls thorowly whether we have Christ or no And in the doing of this beware that you do not look on those Evangelical Marks and Signes in the Word of God as notions but bring thy heart to the Word and see what thy Portion is there and what thy fruits appear to be and what Condition soever thou finde thy self in deal plainly with thy self if thou finde thy self yet in a state of Nature then think it thy duty to confess it and do not deny it because it is a sad Condition but own it and take those courses to come out of it that thou findest hereafter mentioned 2. Consider the equity of this Duty and the great need all men and women have to be sure of Christ You must have Christ or else you are but Reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. Again God chooseth and setteth apart the Godly for himself as you have it in Psal 4 3. and therefore I tell thee of nothing but what thou standest in great need of and which thou art required to do if thou intendest to be a sharer in the Lord Christ Therefore now let us put the Work upon examination and search after our assurance and if we are willing to see our selves in our own condition then take notice of these marks which follow First Take notice what men and women are by Nature 2. Consider what the work of Conversion is and what blessed effects there is that followeth this work First Consider what estate all are in by nature All by nature are the children of wrath Ephes 2. 3. In this estate thou art in darkness and hadst nothing to do with Christ thou hadst no fellowship with him neither wast thou any way taken with the Commands of God as to see any loveliness in them every soul in the world in this estate is alienated from God and as Adam hid himself from God for fear of his sin so do all poor creatures run from God for fear of punishment and as they are by nature they never desire to have to do with God the guilt of sin lies hard on every unregenerate soul and that makes him a stranger both to God and his wayes and therefore now let us search into our souls and try if our condition be not such a one as this is 2. Let us consider what the work of Conversion is and we shall finde it to be A changing of this nature and a quickening of the soul as you may see in Eph 2. 5. It is a working over of the soul into obedience to the Commands of God And usually the great God is pleased to do it by these six particular degrees which follow First By Illumination 2. By Inspiration stirring up the soul to do the will of God 3. By Operation working up the soul to the love of Christ 4. By Direction teaching us to do the will of the Lord. 5. By assisting us to do that which is directed to us 6. By a full evidence of his Spirit that we are the Sons of God First The Lord illuminates the soul the poor soul being in darkness and knowing no way to come out the Lord enlightens him and brings him to see his miserable estate John 1. 5. the Lord shews the soul the filthiness of sin and his lost and undone condition that he is in by nature and his great need of Christ makes him to long for his Assurance of the love of Christ more then ever he did for any thing in the world and now being enlightened all things to him are as bad as may be sin is exceeding sinfull to him and he sees himself loaden with it and therefore he is like those in the Acts who were so enlightened Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved Acts 2. 37. 2. The Lord works by Inspiration carrying on the soul to Actions of life making him fit for such service as is now to be done makes him still in motion and ready not only to see but obey As Paul saith in Rom. 6. 17. Ye obeyed from the heart the doctrine delivered This is worth something to have the heart lifted up to God in Obedience and to have the soul at an utter enmity with sin striving against it in a continual motion never
of the Acts from ver 19. to the end The Manner of a Godly Mans Return after some Back-sliding from the ways of GOD. FIrst Experience tells me the heart is deceitful the Old man being not wholly crucified strives to insnare our poor souls and many times gets advantage and brings us to a lost Condition I am sure in these days many a poor soul hath even run himself off from holy duties and from the society of the Saints and so hath lain and not seen his evil nay grew dead as it were and hardened in it Many such are returned already and all the rest that are God's will follow But before I go any further I shall shew some of the Reasons or Causes that have made this disorder which otherwise t is like might not have been The first cause was the terrible out-cries of some Ministers against all that separated from their National Worship calling them Hereticks Blasphemers and such like calling upon the Parliament and Magistrate to punish and destroy them with these ensuing punishments 1. With threatnings and scourgings 2. With imprisonments 3. With banishments 4. With death This was common in their Pulpits for which I am confident God will reckon with them because this was the first offence and the cause of much bitterness And truly most of the reason that moved them was fear that now they should not keep the people in blindness and that their Lord-like power would not stand over the Consciences of men And the Reason why I thus conclude is this because they only are the men that uphold Formality how loth are they to part with their old Reliques nay we see that many of the Grand fathers among them still wear their old weed the rags of Prelacy will hardly come down Nay that which is far worse their patching up a body for Christ of their carnal hearers and calling them his Church and giving them the Ordinances of Christ which are left only for the Saints the proof of which is so plain that none can deny and now it should do well if you would look and see if your Members are such as Christ saith his be John 15. And see then what fruit they bear are not most of them meer sots in any thing of God hast thou found a change in them doth not thy conscience tell thee that not one of them is truly godly what then hast thou to do to give the childrens bread unto them And now one thing more I have observed from thee thou art overjoyed to see any one that is not in thy Form fall into sin thou never art troubled that God is dishonoured by it neither dost thou take notice of the daily wickedness committed by those of thy own form but this thou sayest This was one of the fellows under new light and so endeavourest to cast dirt on all And by such like courses have thy ways provoked many to slight thee and that justly And envy and evil hath been by thee procured even to the hurt of the Saints VVo be to him by whom offences come 2. Another Reason why many have backslidden is because of many rotten hearts among themselves which always waited to finde holes open that under some pretence they might run forth to sin and by this means many were befooled with them 3. Another was the rigidness of them under forms so that there was no Communion with them unless a man agreed in every part of their judgement which many could not do and therefore were fain to withdraw from them and so to abide alone which hath caused much evil But to return to the matter in hand T is truth many have back-slidden the Question will be from what they did back slâ—de Answ It was from the ways of God and in particular these From the Communion of Saints From holy Duties As Prayer and Thanksgigiving and such like These have been neglected and reading and meditating on the Word of God or that there hath been a yielding to some sin or that there hath not been that watchfulness over the heart and lips as there ought These are the things both omitted and committed Now a godly man lies not here but he returns and the manner how he doth return here followeth First God brings him to see the evil of it as in Jeremy 31. 19. And then the heart is ashamed and repents for what hath past and it works in him a Revenge against sin and a searching of the heart there shall no sin now lie in quiet He longs now for the wayes of God and he sees what t is to want Communion with the Saints and now he longs for it again and loves them dearly where he sees fruitfulness in grace Again his heart is much for holy duties he will keep close to God by prayer his soul longs for Communion and fellowship with his God as David saith His soul panteth for God and longeth to enjoy more of him he sees his own nothingness and weakness and he flies wholly to the Lord Christ he dares not trust himself any more His delight is in the Law of his God as David saith And this is the manner how a backslider returns to God and his ways I shall only add a word or two more and that shall be of Advice 1. To those that are not yet returned but are still in a back-sliding condition Come off now and lie not in this sad luke-warm condition and minde what Christ saith in Rev. 3. v. 15 16 17. Think it no small matter to be lukewarm in the wayes of God and godliness lest thou be spued out of his mouth 2. To those that have seen the evil of it Let this also advise thee that thou keep close now to thy God and the ways of Godliness thou seest that t is not in vain to serve thy God set about it then with a perfect heart and keep a narrow watch that thou be no more ensnared Let it appear of a truth that the power of God and godliness is in thee A SHORT TREATISE Wherein is contained 1. The worth of a good Conscience 2. The Happiness of a holy Conversation 3. The Blessed and Comfortable Estate of those that have a true fellowship with God Christ and the Saints 4. What t is to bear the Cross of Christ 5. The Reward in holding out to the end 6. An Invitation of all sorts of sinners to the offer of Grace 7. The wofull Condition of all that accept not of it A wise man will hear and will increase learning Pro. 1. 5. You therefore that are wise and endued with knowledge shew it in a holy conversation Jam. 3. 13. THe first thing we are to speak of is a good Conscience and the great Worth of it Because most men and women keep much ado about it and yet deceive themselves we shall proceed 1. To shew what a good Conscience is 2. To prove the worth of it 1. What is a good Conscience A good conscience
find a godly man endevouring to search out the great mysterie of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and therein lifting up the praise of God and trying his heart by the Word of truth keeping a Diurnal of his daily practise and so can say as Hezekiah Remember O Lord how I walked before thee I see 2 King 20. This work is fit for a godly man and by this thou mayest know him So much of the first mark He is a new man 2. A godly man wouldst thou know him thou shalt know him in the second place by his Will his will is now subject to the will of God See an example of this in Saul Act. 9. Although he was going with a full consent to persecute the Saints of God and that with zeal yet so soon as God doth but speak to him see the change in him Lord what wilt thou have me to do And let the will of God be what it will he will be willing to submit to it and therefore it is that the godly man sets such a high esteem upon the Word of God in the Scriptures because the revealed will of his God is discovered there there he finds it the will of his God that he should hear the voice of his Son This is my dear Son saith God hear him To which the godly man answers Must I hear the voice of Christ nothing in the world is more sweet to me He looks not on it as a burden but as a high priviledge and would be content to enjoy it continually Further the godly man eyes the will of God in all things and endeavours to bring his will under it As to instance in some things first in that which Paul saith 1 Thess 4. 3. The will of God is our Sanctification the godly man sees it to be the will of God and therefore he endeavours according to his strength to possess his vessel in honour and sanctification I mean acts of godlines by humbleness patience prayer thanksgiving c. By which thou mayest see clearly that he is such a one as I have told thee of And so likewise in all things in every dispensation of God the godly man is willing to yield to God either to take up or to cast down in all things he is content as Paul saith of himself content in every condition And yet further he is very inquisitive after the knowledge of Gods will a gratious heart is not content to follow God in some things and neglect others no he is inquiring still further and strives to go on to higher attainments he presseth forward as the Apostle Paul saith to the mark And here thou mayest discern him also from the formal man who keeps much ado about his knowledge as if he knew all things and would force all to live as he and that none should step beyond him but a godly man in the state of grace he is so far from this kinde of temper that he sees nothing in himself and as Paul saith 1 Cor. 8. 2. neither knows as he ought to know Therefore his desire is that all men who are godly should press forward he knows there are yet higher attainments to be enjoyed and therefore is industrious to finde out truth and when he hath found it out he confers not with flesh and blood but goeth on to do as he is commanded 3. Wouldst thou know a man in the state of grace a godly man thou shalt know him by his love to God and his wayes such a soul loveth the Lord Christ dearly O how delightful are all these to him he cries out as the Spouse the Saints of Christ Cant. 1. 2. and 7. O thou whom my soul loveth the heart and soul of a godly man is engaged to love God and Christ and the wayes of God that he thinks he never loves them enough and cries out as David Psal 31. 23. O love the Lord ye his Saints and then for his love to Christ he is sick of it longs to be with Christ Cant. 25. Tell such a soul of what thou canst t is in vain his love cannot be drawn from his God and dear Redeemer and therefore that is the reason why a godly man holds on in his love to God and his wayes because it is fixed firmly and on good and sure grounds and here now thou mayest discover why those that have made fair shews in Religion have fallen away because they had not this love firmly fixed they reserved to themselves other lovers which at last stole away the heart after them And again the hearts of such were never new modell'd they never saw as yet what it was truly to enjoy the love of God and therefore how should such love him so as to hold out all weathers God will by one way or other discover all such Wandring-stars but chiefly his way is to do it by themselves he gives them up to that lust which they were most in love with so that all the world may see that they never loved God nor his ways in truth We see many in these dayes so laid open and made manifest I hope it will not be long that such rotten-hearted men shall have any shelter under the profession of godliness God hath begun to lay them open some of every form Some in turning with the sow and dog to build that which they cryed so often to destroy and to accomplish their ends joyn themselves with that Crew which God hath as appears designed to ruine and this they do as 't is pretended out of zeal But wilt thou know what the practise of a godly man is then see Gal. 5. 22 c. to the end of the Chap. thou shalt in spight of thy teeth by this word be condemned for in no part is this to be found in thee in stead of these thou art no better then a rigid Railer who art not content with Gods will but wouldst have thine own accomplished as appears by thy late actings which 't is a shame to name And instead of admiring at the goodness of God in delivering his people from that trouble which they were in before these wars and in bringing down the proud looks of the greatest Enemies they had even Mighty and Noble ones are fallen and that he hath raised a poor despised small Number and given them the Rule of this Commonwealth and hath by them in some measure sorely wounded the hairy scalp of the wicked I say in stead of thy admiring and blessing God for this thou art discontent and hast not a heart for but against this great work I tell thee and thou shalt find it true that if thou return not from this thou wilt even perish with the enemies of God and his people I can only lay it before thee Be not wise in thine own conceit To be short Thou seest many others discovered Some for defrauding the State and such like have been Cashieâ—'d with their sin on their head Others more wicked for denying
the Lord that bought them as the Apostle saith Some called Ranters and others who deny the Word and Ordinances of God are laid open Others who are more subtile yet deny Duties of holiness are discovered And now there is like to be no cloak for them by reason those that are truly godly are withdrawing from them And therefore now O ye wandring Stars hear what the Word of God saith which some of you deny in the Epistle of Jude and let thy Conscience if it be not seared answer What thinkest thou will become of thee when the Lord Christ cometh in flaming fire to render vengeance on such as thou art for not obeying his Gospel 2 Thess 1. 8 9 10. Shift it not off but receive this as thy portion But to return to what was in hand before A godly man may be easily known from any of these by his love to that which they despise namely and in answer to the first they delight to see the will of God accomplished O how sweet are his mercies He eyes God and blesseth him for reckoning with his enemies and for bringing their necks to the block and for rooting out their posterity and for dealing thus closely with that hypocritical Nation of Scotland and for discovering his and our enemies that plot and contrive to hinder the great work of God on foot among us Also by his love to the Word of God and his Ordinances and his delight in holy duties by these thou mayst know a godly man Mark them now for time to come for they only are the godly men 4. A godly man may be known yet further by his desires a godly mans desires are chiefly to these following particulars 1. His great desire is that he may bring some glory to God and he is earnest about it Thou mayst take notice of such a man he is ready to embrace all opportunities wherein he may do any good and will not flinch back though he see great difficulty in it his heart tels him that God hath called him to it and therefore he desireth to imbrace it 2. In the next place he is earnest in his desires after Communion with God as David saith My soul longeth and panteth for thee Psal 84. 2. so it is with a truly godly man O how his soul longs more and more to enjoy the presence of God! how doth it refresh his poor soul to have communion with him all his Springs are in him the very life of a godly man is in his communion with God what sweet discourses are there between God and such a soul And yet 3. his desires are not only for himself but also for others as the Apostle 1 Joh. 1. 3. that others may have fellowshp in this precious enjoyment 4. Such a soul his desires are always submissive desires content with every thing God sees fit for him Phil. 4. 11. Therefore now by this try and see who is the godly man 5. A godly man who is so indeed is full of the bowels of love towards the Saints Beloved now observe who they are that his love is so to they are such as walk holily such as he is perswaded have the image of Christ in them and for this only he loves them And here by the way thou mayst know him also from those that cry up Forms and love one another because they are under the same form and so judge carnally of spiritual things and as the Apostle Paul saith walk even as men knowing one another after the flesh See 1 Cor. 3. 1 2 3. I say thou mayst know a godly man from such clearly a godly man loves the Saints because they are his fellow-members of the body of Christ he is bone of his bone as it were receiving nourishment from the same root O how dear are the truly godly to each other 1 Cor. 12. 27. Joh. 15. 5. Branches springing forth from the same root and so are dear to each other Here thou mayst discover an Hypocritical people in this Land who would fain be accounted Saints and thou shalt see they never take notice of them nor shew any love to them especially if they be poor proud hearts cannot stoop except to some in places of honour Well now see that God hath set even the poorest Saint apart for himself Psal 4. 3. Nay God hath chosen the poor rich in faith and grace as James saith c. 2. v. 5. and it is most like thou art but as a barren wilderness that canst so easily pass by and take no notice of them Again the godly man loves the Saints because they have taken up the Cross of Christ because that now they are resolved together to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth though in a field of blood famine nakedness or whatever come they will never leave Christ see an example in the 11. of the Epistle to the Hebrews at large A godly man loves the Saints because he sees the beauty of holiness upon them because they are ready still to obey the Commands of God by this thou mayst know a godly man Sixthly Wouldst thou know a godly man then observe this a godly man he is the greatest enemy to sin that can be he strives to kill it O how he sees the ugliness of it and how he cryes to God for power against it the sight of it makes him to say as Paul Rom. 7. 24. His body seems to him a body of death by reason of the remains of sin well but his work is to kill it he gets on the Armour of God and fights it out till t is destroyed even the least appearance of it is tedious to him take notice of such a man and see how his heart is set against it both in himself and others he hath a perfect hatred against it as David Do I not hate them that hate thee yea with a perfect hatred see Psal 139. 20 21 22. Well what is the reason David hates them so it is only because they sin against his God 't is because they do wickedly that he hates them and not only in others but also in himself he hates every false way Psal 119. 104. By this you see a godly man is an enemy to sin he will kill and destroy it if possible as the Apostle saith Rom 6 6. He thinks it the greatest shame in the world to sin against his God and therefore who ever thou art assure thy self except thou finde in thy self this hatred of sin thou mayst conclude thou art not godly thou mayst conclude so because that every godly man is of a nature utterly opposite to sin the Spirit of God in him sets up a standard against it he cannot endure it because it is so contrary to his loving God and here thou mayst know him from one who makes no great matter of sin takes little notice of it neither in himself or others I say thou mayst know him clearly from such for he makes it his work to kill and
making any peace with it Therefore now try and search whether thou hast this Spirit of the living God acting in thee carrying up thy soul to actions of life and power If thou art inspired by the Spirit of God then take it for ever granted that these effects will follow 3. The Spirit of God is an operative Spirit it acts in the soul spiritual things it begets its own likeness in the soul it molds the soul in the new mold of Obedience to the Commands of God The spirit of God works in the soul these operative Acts. First It works Faith 2. It makes the soul live by Faith 3. It drives him to see all in Christ and nothing in himself 1. It works faith in the soul to believe that there is no way to come to God but by Christ and that it is the work of God to draw the soul to him John 6. 29. 2. This Faith will work up the soul to lay hold on him it will cause the soul to reach forth it self to Christ to see him to be the Son of God and to trust and relie on him for life 3. The Spirit of God doth by Faith work a mortifying of sin as it is in Rom 8. 10. If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin Where these works of the Spirit of God come it operates it carries the soul to a new frame of life He that is in Christ is a new creature saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 17. This work of Faith lifts up the soul to that spiritual Combat between the spirit and the flesh I see saith Paul a law in my members warring against the Law of my minde It is by this work of Faith that all the Saints hold out in this warfare that they still continue a Resolution against sin to kill that and to bring every lust into subjection Secondly It makes the soul live by faith that is it makes him as it were see feel and enjoy all the Riches of God in the Lord Christ you may in part see in the 11. to the Hebrews what it is to live by faith It is to cast thy self with a full confidence upon God and Christ for life and salvation To live by faith is to do these three things 1. To put credit and confidence in God that what is looked for we shall enjoy 2. To look for our happiness only in Christ and not in our selves 3. To rest satisfied as if we already had our desire to live by faith is to credit what God sayes to Rely on him to trust him with confidence that whatsoever he hath promised to us his poor creatures he will make good Heaven and earth shall pass away saith Christ but not one jot or title of my word or promise shall fail It is to cast our selves on God and Christ believing that he will and is fully able to save even to the utmost in every condition 2. Again to live by Faith is to live by something without our selves it is to see all in Christ and nothing in our selves it is to look on our own righteousness as dung and wholly to submit to the righteousness of Christ as you also may see in Phil. 3 8 9 10. 3. To live by Faith is to rest satisfied in every dispensation of God that all is for the best to us and to look on all things as if they were already done according to Gods promise or our own desire so that our content may be in every thing as well as if we had all things All things are yours saith Paul you are Christs and Christ is Gods there is a full enjoyment of all 4. The Spirit of God works also by direction directing of every soul whom it hath wrought the former effects in to do the will of God to walk in the wayes of his Commandments whispering in every soul and saying This is the way walk in it This duty thou must do and that evil thou must leave undone And therefore examine thy self doest thou not finde the Spirit of God telling thee thou must perform Duties of holiness and refrain the evil of sin if not I dare say thou art yet in thy sins 5. The Spirit of God works also by assisting us to do that which it directs us to it never directs us to do a Duty and leaves us No it stay by us and enables us to go thorow it and not only so but even with sighs to God for us which cannot be by us uttered it helps our infirmities Rom. 8. 26. Examine thy soul when didst thou ever go to God by prayer or any Duty else that this Spirit was not ready to assist thee and to thy comfort take notice of this for time to come and thou shalt finde this truth if ever thou hast had this work on thee 6. God closes up all our comfort in this life in this last degree of his working that is by a full witness of his Spirit that we are his sons and daughters And this is a very high enjoyment indeed yet no higher then all the Saints do enjoy and indeed thou art not a Saint till thou hast this Witness in thy soul And this the Apostle Paul affirmeth in Gal. 4. 6 7. Because ye are sons God hath sent the witness of his spirit to testifie it to you and therefore ye are no more servants Again in 1 Joh. 3. 2. Now are we the sons of God And in Joh. 1. 12. He gives all that through faith lay hold on him power to be his sons God doth evidence to all the Saints their interest in Christ and this is to them a sure Record as 1 Joh. 5. 7. 8. This is the new name and the white stone spoken of in Rev. 2. 17. which none knoweth save he that hath it This is that earnest which Paul tells the Ephesians of in chap. 1. 14. And this also you may see in Phil. 1. 13. and 4. 30. After you believed you were sealed with the holy Spirit the which Spirit you see is that which seals all the Saints to the day of Redemption and all this is given to the Saints to assure them that God is their Father and Christ their Husband as the Spouse in the Text doth witness And yet further take notice how God doth this great work he gives the Spirit as the earnest of our Inheritance as a man gives one pound or one shilling in earnest to pay a thousand so the Lord gives his Spirit in earnest of enjoying his presence in Heaven for ever And the soul that hath this Earnest may be sure that as God is God he shall have the whole sum made good to him And that all the Saints may know this is true God will set a seal on their souls to confirm them and therefore thou mayest say on good grounds if thou hast this seal and this earnest that thou canst not miss of Christ Again the Spirit assures us by working in us a fruitfulness
To come more nearly to the business Thou shalt know him by his will he hath yet a perverse will his will is not subject to the Law of God Rom. 8. 7. Tell such a man of the righteous laws of God and of his sad condition what cares he it may be he will mock or else bid you hold your tongue his will is so set upon sin that you may see his shame daily As for the Word of God it may be he reads it but to no purpose for he never carries away any part of it and for any duties or service of God it is not pleasing to him and he sees no life in it Mal. 3. 14 15. He eyes not the will of God but his own will he delights in Further his desires are not to know God Then his Conscience terrifies him 3. Wouldst thou find out an ungodly man thou needst not go far For thou mayst know him by his hatred to God and his wayes Dost thou not hear him blaspheme curse swear revile and rend the name of God this is easily proved by most of the sad souls in England Others are more Civilized yet some secret sins keep off their love from God and his wayes pride covetousness and such like Alas if thou set thy heart upon any sin though thou think t is not worth taking notice of yet this is enough to keep off thy heart for ever from God See Ananias and Sapphira in Act. 5. They kept back part of the price and that did undo them for ever And now here thou mayst take notice of many in these dayes who pretend they are godly do but mark them and thou shalt see they keep much or at least part of the price they when time serves can break out so that discovery is made a rotten heart cannot hold out because his love is where his treasure is as Christ saith Mat. 6. 21. Read and lay this to heart 4. We may discern an ungodly man by his desires What is that which he desires most 'T is mostly to be rich to have honour to live without care and enjoy outward contentments Mark him now when didst thou ever see him lament in his desires after the enjoyment of God when didst thou ever find him disputing for God and his wayes It may be thou shalt find them going to hear the Word and thrusting among godly men but do but mark them and as soon as he is departed his mind is on what he desires and that he followeth And this is the sad tone of many poor Professors at this day they profess to know God but in works deny him 5. Thou mayst know an ungodly man by his hatred to the Saints such a man loves not the Saints he can see nothing wherefore he should love them that are indeed the Saints he looks on them as simple poor mean-spirited fools he knows no better Saint then himself for saith he I hope to be saved as well as the best of you that are so precise and so shifts off all upon an unsound rotten hope Poor soul know thou art yet in the gall of bitterness what account wilt thou give to the Lord Christ when thou shalt stand naked before him with all thy sins about thee what thinkest thou wouldest thou not love a Saint then Remember Christ is coming in flaming fire to render vengeance on thee and all others that hate his Saints and obey not his Gospel Mat. 25. 41. to the end If thou hast ears to hear then hear 6. Wouldst thou know an ungodly man thou shalt know him by this He loves sin it is so sweet to him that he cannot part with it Tell such a man a carnal story let him see another drunk and hear another blaspheme he laughs at it let it be what sin it will it never troubles him he delights either in these or some other poor soul he knows not how hateful it is in the sight of God Take notice now in these times where in the hand of the Magistrate is lifted up against sin and thou shalt see what shift poor souls make to sin They will be drunk in the night others more secret yet God finds them out of which we have many examples of late and it s like more will follow speedily Fear then and tremble at your sins and repent that thou mayst be hid in the day of the Lambs wrath See Rev. 6. 15 16 17. 7 8. A man in the state of nature is known by this He makes no conscience of Time neither cares he how it is spent he never considers what it cost and that had it not been for the sakes of the Saints he had now been in hell he minds not holy duties they are irksom to him Take notice of him and thou shalt see him employed about his own lusts most of his time is spent in vain company he thinks not of his uncertainty except it happen that sickness fall on him and then his Conscience flies in his face but being recovered he returns with the sow to wallow in the mire This is the sad condition of many poor souls who if they continue so will one day cry for the hils to fall on them to hide them from the presence of God 9. And lastly an ungodly man may be known by that mark which Christ used Mat. 7. 18. A corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit Thou mayest know a wicked man by his fruit See what his fruit is it is of the flesh it is sin that he bears as the Apostle saith Gal. 5. 19. 20 21. Well know now from this Word of God that being in this condition thou hast a sad sentence lying on thee Thou shalt be cut down and cast into the fire Mat. 7. 19. They are the words of Christ and thou art under this condemnation and whither wilt thou flie from his presence See in Psal 139. v. 7 8. God will find thee out one day do what thou canst and then what will become of thee See Rev. 22. 15. there 's thy portion The wicked shall be turned into hell and all that forget God Vse Is it so that a natural man is ungodly and that we have found him who he is and that he is in so sad a condition O then poor soul take this advice flie to the Lord Christ there is no way but that or be damned Let no time slip now yet whilest thou hast life it may be thou mayst finde grace Christ came on purpose to save sinners Cry to him that thou mayst be one of them Turn now from sin and set thy face against the appearance of it Love the Saints get acquainted with them thou hast heard who they are they will inform thy dark judgement Leave off thy old Companions think it no shame to do it for thou must do it if ever thou be saved Turn from Satan to God that thou mayst receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those that are sanctified Read the 3.