thy reformation let the pleasures be never so fair or ever so many be not deceived by thy self but be thou a doer of the work and not a pretender to it only 't is a deceiving and a deceived heart that makes thee hitherto either deferre the duty or do it slightly IX Direction 9. If you would be throughly reformed S. 15. converted and saved in time then forthwith give up thy self to Jesus Christ and to the word of his grace let Christ be thy Physitian go to him which is the fountain opened for sin and for uncleannesse Zac. 13.1 1 Jo. 1.7 't is the blood of Christ that cleanseth from all sin flee unto him and yield up thy self unto him shew thy wounds and beg his healing carry thy burthen and let him ease thee Come unto me saith Christ Mat. 11.28 29. all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest take my yoke upon you and learn of me and ye shall find rest for your souls Let the word of Gods grace reach thee and rule thee be often at those ordinances where Christ is applyed to thy soul and the Spirit of Christ is working conversion give up and resign thy self to the teachings of the spirit by the word hear that word and obey it which discovereth and debaseth sin and searcheth the heart frequent that preaching that advanceth Christ and holiness that wooes thee off thy sins unto Christ and holy walking If thou be converted it must be by those means that God hath appointed to convert souls S. 16. and bring them to saving faith and repentance all true converts can say that God of his own will begat them with the word of truth Jam. 1.18.21 22. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls But he ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves and every one that is made a new creature must say being born again not of corruptible but of incorruptible seed 1 Pet. 1.23 25. by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever and this is the word which by the Gospel is preached unto you Therefore yield thy self freely and wholly to Christ S. 17. and the word of his grace and thou mayst then be seasonably and savingly wrought on and converted X. Direction 10. Dost thou intend to reform thy heart and life S. 18. wouldst thou be a true convert and have thy faults pardoned and thy life amended then be fervent and frequent in prayer to the God of heaven for this very thing pray I say mightily fervently and frequently if ever thy reformation be wrought it must come from God and he will be sought unto by prayer and the desire of thy soul must be with earnestness that God would pardon thee and heale thee and separate sin and thy soul sin from thy conversation and instead thereof implant grace and nourish holiness and make thee a new man by renewing thy judgment will and affection and introducing the image of the holy Jesus in thy soul and conversation 'T is true S. 19. God hath made free and gracious promises that he will give grace to convert and change the heart from evil to good that he will cleanse and purisie by his Spirit saying I will give grace I will pardon I will heal Ezek. 36.25 26 37. I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean from all your filthiness A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you an heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes God will do all this for and to a poor sinner and except God give it and work it no man living can get it yet saith the Lord I will yet for all this be inquired of the house of Israel to do this thing for them God gave David a aew heart and pardoned his sins yet see that 51. Psal 51.10 Psalme David prays heartily Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Our Saviour Christ bids us ask Mat 7.6 7. and you shall have seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened for every one that asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Therefore if ever thou wilt be savingly converted seek it earnestly of God cry incessantly and mightily to the Lord and give him no rest untill he give thee conversion and pardon pray that thou mayst get it and pray that thou mayst keep it pray for this spirit and pray with it and never leave off praying as long as thou livest And I am perswaded that no man shall attain unto saving reformation but he that begs it of God and seeks earnestly after it and I am also perswaded that he that begs it earnestly and constantly shall not be denied it if he neglect not to endeavour to practise what God commands Thus have I given you those directions S. 20. which if you will speedily and carefully follow and put in practice will prove very succesfull toward your reformation those means God hath appointed to bring about this so great and necessary a work of reformation if conscientiously and diligently used Now I would perswade you to use all means possible S. 21. and with all speed possible that might be any way conducing to thy reformation by these motives following CHAP. XIV Some Motives to provoke men to be speedy and in good earnest about the one thing necessary which is sound Reformation I. Motive 1. REmember that all thy weal and happiness depends upon this very thing S. 1. even that thou art worth in an other world If thou art converted in time thou art made for ever but if thou put off thy reformation and wilt not yield to become a penitent and throughly reformed it will be thy marring for ever this must be done and done perfectly or else thy poor soul will be quite undone and a lost man for ever thou wilt be it is as impossible for a man that lives and dies in an unregenerate estate to be happy in another world as it is for one damned in hell already to come thence or to be there happy where he is Now or never is the time to provide for heaven by timely reformation here or no where must every one that means to be saved look to it for when death shall part soul and body there is no more working nor reforming here and now is the time and place in this present world to do all we have to do in reformation in the other world every one must be rewarded according to what he hath done in this world and receive a finall unalterable sentence and the decree of the Almighty will
mindfull of them and be watchfull over thy inward outward self every hour in every place and action as thou ever hopest to avoid sin to keep thy self pure and to please God for Jude the 8th verse speaks of Filthy dreamers who defile the flesh c. §. VII Worldly Joy and Sorrow I intreat likewise you would be warned about your joys and griefs S. 34. for as they are more or less about worldly concernments so are they more or less sinfull 'T is true we the best of us are but men at the best and easily are we surprised we have these passions in our nature and of themselves are not sinfull but our failings are about their measures and their objects and the more our delights are in the fruition of the object according to the value and esteem we have of the thing so the more is our sorrow arising from the want of or parting with our beloved whatever it be And this may be sometimes good and gracious according to the sense apprehension we have of good things S. 35. to wit to rejoyce exceedingly and delight much in the presence and fruition of God and grace his word and religious duties and hopes of heaven after an holy life here it is good and a duty as also to grieve much and sorrow heartily for the absence of grace or breach of covenant and faith with God to be grieved at the heart for sin committed or interruption of communion with God by failings in our duties of Religion c. this I say is godly joy and godly sorrow and needs not to be repented of but commonly this is not the kind of that joy delight sorrow and perplexity which men and women are so much in alas it is otherwise indeed 't is sinfull too much for it is worldly too much yet how few take notice of their joys and griefs whether they be sinfull or holy hurtfull or profitable to their souls To be a worldling is to be a sinner S. 36. he can never joy or grieve much about worldly concernments but he must be one that loves and prizes earthly things beyond their proportion irregularly and sinfully Godly sorrow worketh Repentance to salvation not be repented of 2 Cor. 7.10 but the sorrow of the world worketh death So to delight rejoyce and glory in the Lord is good and pleasing to God but to set ones heart upon riches honors and pleasures and to rejoyce in any of these is a sin and such a joy should be turned into heaviness and such laughter into mourning Jam. 4.9 If thy joy and grief lie about worldly things and trifles S. 37. if thou hast more comfort in a good bargain or a friends legacy or some worldly emoluments then in the favour of God then in the pardon of thy sins then in the means of salvation then art thou yet in fault And if thou canst grieve and lament with tears the loss or disappointment of some benefit or the unkindness of a friend or the crossness of an enemy or chaines of a tyrant c. and yet canst not sorrow for thy sins the loss of Gods favour nor of missing an opportunity of grace and communion with God then thy joys and sorrows are worldly and sinfull and you must not permit such worldly joys and sorrows to prevail but you must repent for them and leave off to spend your comforts and your griefs this way and look to that you should rejoyce in and lament for as afore hath been shewed And as for all other outward things S. 38. our rejoycing or grieving should not be much or lasting labour therefore to reform these passions and set them right and this you will doe if you desire to be sincere upright and complete in the reformation And the like doe I advise you to doe about your impatiencie and discontent S. 39. frettings and perplexities about these worldly temporary vain perishing things as also with your carking carefulness your thoughtfullnesse and distrustfulness about earthly things to reform in each of these for all such dispositions are evil and hurtfull both to soul and body wounding your own souls and tranquillity of spirit and reputation of Christianity and doth much hinder the progress and increase of grace and heavenly conversation and all our affections about earthly things regulated so that it may be with us as to our taking pleasure in worldly vanities or confidence and relying as our happiness or chief support that once we may be able to say truly with St. Paul I account of all things as dung and dross in comparison of the things of Christ and heaven And to this must we come ere we be complete in Christ and throughly changed in all our affections to a state wherein we may truly and freely say without dissimulation or constraint say Truly the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world these worldly concernments move me not much any way I see nothing here below as things below that deserve either my joy in their possession or grief for their absence nothing that I need be troubled much about or that I should relie upon or put any trust at all in for all are flying and lying vanities therefore doe I labour for and seek the things above and my treasures are with Christ in heaven there also is my heart and thither will I goe for my comforts and my grief is that I am not more in love with them and less in love with the world and troubles of spirit about them That each of us may say S. 40. in obedience to that command 1 John 2.15 I love not the world neither the things that are in the world because I would not lose the love of my heavenly Father For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life i.e. worldly pleasures or pelfe or pomp which are not of God nor for his children and servants to look after for they and this world pass away 1 Jo. 2 15 16 17. but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever And as I doe urge and press thee to be carefull and watchfull over your spirits in those forementioned qualities and actings of your souls about those things which although they may seem frivolous niceties to men that judge not of things spiritually but according to sence and common apprehensions yet I earnestly intreat thee as thou hopest for pardon grace and heaven at last that thou wouldst reform them all in every instance for untill you doe you are not a true sincere reformed convert for though they be esteemed but small things and inevitable infirmities yet their account will be numerous at last and their burthen intolerable they will if not pardoned sink thy soul as low as hell pardoned they will not be except thou repent of them and labour against them to a reformation of them all for
Eccles 19.1 as the son of Syrach saith he that despiseth little things shall fall by little and little and experience tells us that many small leakes will in time sink the stoutest ship even so will these smaller sins if let alone make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience Titus 1.19 and cast away thy soul at last §. VIII Unthankfulness murmuring inconsiderateness worldly confidence vain opinions and recreations And with the same earnestness doe I perswade thee to reform thy unthank fulnesse to God for those daily favours he shews to thee a worthless wretch S. 41.1 how many blessings hast thou received already and how many more laid up for thee and yet how seldome hast thou returned thanks to God for all how many thy mercies and how few thy acknowledgments O! ingratitude is a very high offence both to God and good men Thy murmuring against Gods providence S. 42.2 and distrust of his fidelity and truth of performance of things promised to thee and for thee whilst thou seekest him in his way of upright walking and yet how art thou ever and anon complaining and uttering thy discontents and hard thoughts of thy gracious good God O this must be left I pray thee leave off murmuring and learn submission and resignation to divine providence in all his dispensations and if thou hast thought ot spoke foolishly lay thy hand upon thy mouth doe so no more God cannot endure murmuring nor murmurers leave it quickly if thou mean not to provoke God as the Israelites did 1 Cor. 6.10 and were punished severely for it Thy rash attempts and inconsideratenesse S. 43.3 be no more heady but héedfull consider seriously both the nature of thy actions and the end of them all for God accounts all men sinfull that are nor considerate and serious Isai 1.3 because inconsiderate and rash The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider Jer. 8.6.7 For as consideration is the beginning of reformation so is inconsideratness an inlet to all vice and villany Thy worldly confidence and trust on vain things must be altered to a trust and dependence on God onely S. 44.4 if thou aim at saving reformation for he that relieth on any thing under heaven men or money arm of strength or armies of men wit policie friends health greatness or his own goodness doth much derogate from God and become sinfull because he sets his heart upon that which is not to be confided in nor set up as any way able to support satisfie deliver or to make one happy Mans trust is always to be in God onely and all his hopes and expectation from him Isai 26.4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength But when I lay out my first thoughts and chief hopes upon worldly things I put them up in stead of God and commit idolatry and go quite contrary to the will of God Trust not in man nor riches nor Princes saith David If riches increase set not your heart upon them for you will find a disappointment in all without God Jer. 17.5 7. and a curse too Cursed is the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the living God But blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is Job being once very rich and alwayes very good which was his best riches and abided with him when all outward things were flown away and gone saith in his most serious examination and pleading with God If I have made gold my hope Job 31.24 25 28. or have said to fine gold Thou art my confidence If I rejoyced because my wealth was great and because my hand had gotten it This were iniquity to be punished by the judge for I should have denied the God that is above You see what apprehension godly men have had of the trusting worldly things concluding it to be sin and iniquity folly and idolatry and what is the hope of an Hypocrite what will his worldly confidence come to though he hath gained much Job 27.8 9. when God taketh away his soul Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him So that 't is not enjoyned as a prudentiall thing onely not to put confidence in these worldly things nor depend upon them because of their vanity inconstancy insufficiency but 't is a sin if we do and a great iniquity too which every gracious man should avoid and every convert should repent of and be ashamed that he hath put confidence in pittifull worldly things and made them his rock shelter and comfort and resolves he will do so no more while he hath a God the rock of ages and time to fly unto who will never fail nor forsake them that put their trust in him because they trust in him I counsel thee dear soul S. 45. to look carefully what is that you put your confidence in and if you find the world or anâ—things in the world first coming in your thoughts as to trust in them then conclude 't is from a carnall principle within thee contrary to God's mind and holding no conformity to the Saints who have said within themselves and declared to the world too that nothing in heaven or earth within them or without them should be the object of their trust saving God only a guess of this their frame we may take from Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee Psal 73.25 26. and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee My strength and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever O then beware what thou makest thy rock thy tower thy defence and portion be sure it be God onely and repent if thou hast done other Thy vain and erroneous opinions in matters abour religion must be regulated by the Word of Truth S. 46.5 and reduced to the obedience of Christ and his doctrine and that without prevarication or strife of words 1 Tim. 6.5 or perverse disputings vain bablings to no profit or edification toward charity and holiness 2 Tim. 2.14 16. Pro. 19.27 Cease my Son saith Wisdom to hear the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledg for 't is a dangerous thing to be of a corrupt judgment About thy recreations S. 47.6 and those little indulgencies to thy flesh which men are pleased to call refreshments and pastimes not considering what sin and hurt may be in them and how too too often they become fewel to lust and a temptation to sin consumption of time and exhausting of spirit and effeminating men rendring them soft and unfit for exercise of religious duties and many other inconveniences which experience hath instructed those that have been much and often in the service of pleasures which now they see but
them my enemies which yet is bad enough God knows for me but I also sin away and lose by sinning my felicity my comforts my peace my happiness all my heaven on earth Alas what a poor miserable uncomfortable creature is a resolved sinner what is a man worth that hath lost the rich enjoyment of Gods favour and his own good conscience what an hell of darkness and horror is that soul in who hath lost the light of Gods countenance and peace of his own conscience Many sorrows shall be to the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about so that the righteous and upright of heart the holy penitent may be glad in the Lord and take joy and delight themselves in the Lord he and he onely that is reformed hath those comforts and delights which wicked men know not nor can ever attain unto as long as they continue wicked David though a great and potent Monarch found not that happiness in his crown which the world may think to be a felicity S. 59. He doth not say I am a King and have many subjects at my command and a large dominion and much revenue Psal 4.6 7 8. and therefore am happy no but when he would comfort his soul and recount his worth and treasures saith Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us give David but Gods favour and love and he will single out him from all to make his joy full and his happiness complete Lord thou hast put gladness in my heart more then in the time when their corn and wine was increased I will lay me down in peace c. how comfortably doth he take to his rest when he lyes down in Gods favour And had he kept his sin he had lost his peace and happinesse for you may see a glimpse of the sadnesse of his soul and unquietness in that 51. Psalm when he cryes out O his sin his sin Why David what hast thou done by sining what damage hath fallen on thee by thy sin why you shall see he lost his peace he lost the presence of Gods favour and by this his onely comfort and felicity he had lost The best Jewel in his Crown was dropt out when he lost Gods favour he cryes heartily for mercy the mercy of pardon the mercy of purification and cleaning from the filth of his sin the mercy of his restauration to those joys comforts and happiness he had in Gods favour which then were hid from him which was his misery Purge me and I shall be clean cleanse me from my sin and I shall have joy and gladness again Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation once more See how he mourns and prays and for what is it why t is that his sins may be abolished his guilt pardoned and his comforts restored which he had lost by his folly and which could never be restored but by repentance and leaving off his sin and untill this was gotten he knew he could never see happy day nor enjoy a minute of true comfort in all the world though it had been one paradise of pleasure And thus it will be with every one that goeth on in his sin Ah! at what a loss doth a sinner act and keep his sin And this is my case already and shortly it will be worse with me I know God and my Conscience will not long hold peace and be silent I am sure I must leave my sin or lose my comforts lose my quiet lose my felicity and espouse a quarrel that will admit of no reconciliation if I keep my sins I must never look God in the face more or expect to have the least good look of favour from his grace nor any friendly dealing from my own conscience but must be under perpetuall rebukes and accusations of a wronged conscience and when this comes to pass then farewell happy day no more comfort when God and my own conscience are against me As my sins increase true felicity ceaseth and my comforts wither and decay and alas how sadly doth that poor wretch think on death when it will prove but the execution of a rebell and a changing of this miserable life for an eternity of horror and reproch Ah! let me now consider whether my gain by sin any way will countervail this loss is it not more eligible and should it not be a matter of my choice infinitely rather to enjoy the favour of God and peace and tranquillity of my own conscience then whatever pleasure gain or other emolument might come to my flesh by sinning with the loss of my innocency integrity my happiness in Gods favour and that inward peace which is a continuall feast passing all outward delights whatsoever 3. Sin doth not onely banish God and happiness from my soul here for a season S. 60. but the loss goeth higher still by my sin and continuance in it it loseth me the hopes of heaven it disappointeth my expectation of heaven how can I once hope to be saved while I practise those things which would throw me out of Heaven if it were possible for one to think on with delight in heaven how can I with reason conclude I shall be saved and yet live in a course contrary to the promises of salvation Heaven is a place of holiness as well as of happiness and no unclean thing shall enter into it there is not one there nor ever shall be that lived in actuall sin and died out of this world impenitent and unreformed how then can I with any face expect to be saved with my sin when God saith I shall not is heaven at my dispose or at Gods is it not his to give to whom he please can I force in against his will hath he not passed his word that no wicked man nor unrighteous nor adulterers nor whoremonger nor theif nor drunkard nor liar nor any impenitent sinner of any kind shall inherit the kingdome of heaven And shall I think God will revoke his decree and comply with the expectation of any vile sinner against his own truth honour and holiness may I hope to get to heaven whether God will or no no certainly I must leave my sin or leave off to hope any more that I shall be saved I must despair of salvation or I must depart from mine iniquity and get my sins pardoned and soul sanctified by a timely repentance and sound reformation or quit my claim to salvation and let fall my suit and expectation though I seek it beg for it desire it cry for it in my setled course of sinning I shall not find it nor attain it nay though I had to give and would freely give all I have Micah 6.7 8. and ten thousand times more then the whole world is worth to purchase heaven at the end of a vitious life it would not be accounted of it would not open heaven-gate to me it could not procure for me one glimpse
redeemed ones Heb. 12.22 23 24. and never come to that heavenly Mount Sion the City of the living God to that innumerable company of Angels to the generall assembly of the first-born which are written in heaven shall I hinder my self of the happy condition of the spirits of just men made perfect Oh shall I disappoint my soul of the sight fruition and eternall enjoyment of my Jesus my Lord my redeemer who loved me and died forme and is in heaven preparing a place for his followers all true believers shall I miss him whom my soul loveth can I endure to be any where but where he is will any place content me for my rest and hapess but his armes and eternall embracements Oh Jesus how can I now without breaking my heart once think of being separated from thee one moment it would be an hell upon earth to think that it should be a separation for ever from that lovely loving melting heart and bosome of my Lord and Saviour Yea cursed be that tempter and temptation that would make me do that again that might deprive my poor soul of the enjoyment of my Lord Christ which is all the heaven and happiness I desire so I may be with him for ever with thee dear Jesus for ever And this is enough I crave no more and with less then this enough I cannot be satisfied I must have Christ for my heaven and my heaven where Christ is or I am undone give me saith my soul Christ or I die let me have him let my portion be Christ and then I shall be richly satisfied dear Lord bring me home to thy kingdome where thou dwellest where thou reignest that I may be where thou art for ever I desire I say no more and thus much I cannot be without Now sin will not only deprive me of this happiness S. 64.4 and put me under this irreparable loss but it will if I continue in a state of sinning bring me into and leave me for ever under INSUPPORTABLE TORMENTS my sin will infallibly bring me to HELL I must be damned for it 't is a quick word a severe word and a terrible word DAMNATION is and yet the expression is not so significantly dreadfull as the thing the term pincheth not the sinner but the thing will hell is a place of torment as well as darkness not one drop of water to cool the inflamed tongue or to quench those everlasting flames not one accent of comfort shall ever be heard spoken to a damned sinner nor one moment of ease shall ever be had After Christ hath once said Mat. 25.41 Depart from me thou cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his Angels then immediatly is the miserable sinner clapt into prison and put into the same state with devils how doth every word of that sentence pierce the heart of a condemned sinner DEPART alas whither shall I go muâ—â— I depart whether I will or no is there no remedy for me alas from thee Lord why to whom should I go then if I must depart from thee I am lost and undone what from my Lord in whose presence is joy in whose favour is life only no happiness but with thee and must I depart from THEE may I not be admitted to stay so much as in thy sight where I may have a glimpse of THEE and be blessed sometimes with a crumb of thy favour among thy meanest servants No! depart from me ye CURSED oh killing accent what must I depart and from thee and not have thy blessing not so much as I blesse thee in the name of the Lord and go in peace what not a kind word from thee to comfort me in my distresses must I have thy curse with me too oh this is wounding my Lord can say no more to the very devills then to call them ACCURSED and must I fare no better Oh cursed the day that I was born why did I ever see a day to come to this dark and dismall day to be CURSED and banished with a CURSE why if it must be so that I must depart from thee and with a curse at my back let me be banished into some corner of the earth let me be buried under some mountain let me lie as one forgotten let me hear no more of my faults nor feel my misery No no depart from me ye cursed into EVERLASTING FIRE Oh terrible what into fire must I burn and be tormented why who can endure to be burnt must I lie down in flames oh that I might be quickly consumed then and cease to be that I might feel no pain then 't is a thousand times better not to be then to be thus miserable may I not have the favour to be turned into nothing rather then into burnings or let me be tormented but for ten thousand years and then gain at length thy favour Voluisset reprobus si potuisset sine fine vivere ut posset sine fine peccare Greg. No 't is too easie a punishment for such a sinner who wouldest sin eternally if thou hadst been to live eternally on the earth thou didst continue in sin all thy life-time which was all the eternity thou hadst and wouldest do so alway if thou hadst been to live always therefore now thy lot is an eternal curse an everlasting fire without mitigation without limitation no ease there no redemption thence no end of that torment 't is everlasting fire But will not the Lord abate somewhat of the heat and fierceness of that fire S. 65. No 't is PREPARED and prepared for Gods greatest enemies 't is such and alltogether such as is prepared for the torments of devills Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire PREPARED for the DEVIL and his ANGELS what must a vile sinner have no better company in his misery then the cursed devils and his cursed crew to all eternity No! no other they that were thy companions in evil will be thy tormentors thou wilt curse them and they will curse thee and all will curse themselves and Jesus Christ will curse them all and to all eternity shall those wretches that live in their sin and will not be in time reformed be cursed and shut up into that condition with finall despair for the reprobate wretch shall be tormented to all eternity and they shall know so much and despair shall seife upon them as a part of their torment O sinner whoever thou art that readest this reflect on thy self now S. 66. and seriously consider what 't is to live in sin here and to refuse amendment and to despise admonition and not to reform thy life and get thy sins pardoned and soul sanctified and thy self throughly converted ere it be too late Consider I say what thy sin will bring thee to it will bring thee to hell-torments S. 67. to the region of horror to flames unquenchable to Legions of devils to the spirits of wicked men made most
and affections till that time if I cannot command repentance at pleasure and be my own judge and carver as to proportion how much and so much will serve my turn if I may not limit God to my proportion and allow him to accept as much of it as I am willing to perform and at what time and in what degree and then that God shall seal me a pardon and give me heaven upon my own conditions whether he will or no and sure this were high presumption and an arrogancie not to be born by a mortall much less by the glorious supreme Majesty of heaven who is Lord of all men their lives their strength their souls and all they have who hath the sole power and disposal of all things temporal spiritual and eternal all graces and glories and shall I dare think much lesse how can I hope that God will alter his decree and deny his prerogative and cancell the conditions of salvation and devest himself of that eternal Soveraignty and give it to me a base wretch onely that I may be wicked and continue as long in my sins as I will and then to make God serve my ends and countenance my rebellion and reward me for all the contempts of his offers and abusing his patience and long-sufferance with heavenly joys and a crown of glory at the end of a life that hath been spent in a direct contradiction to his most holy will Oh my soul let never such profanenesse enter into thy secrets let no such thoughts abide with thee let me never prescribe but let me stand to and yield to Gods prescription and let me repent and reform speedily even now let me turn from my evil ways and thoughts and make no dispute of it this may be the acceptable day this is the day of grace if God doth now move thee and thou art now under conviction that thou needest repentance and that 't is high time for thee to amend and to cast off all thy transgressions you must confesse at least that it is very fit you should though it may be you will not see it so absolutely necessary because of that blindness that is in thee Yet know that if thou hast any conviction S. 74. it is an hint from the Lord that this is the time you are to resolve and to st p as to your former course of sinning in any kind any more and to set heartily about the work of reformation in your own soul and life and you may expect Gods grace will not be wanting to thee to assist thee in and carry thee through the work and so will it prove the blessedst day thy eyes ever yet beheld But secondly S. 75. if this consideration move thee not to be speedy in thy reformation then think with thy self thus would I take it well and as sober counsel from any man especially from one I think that loves me and that knows my danger and sees me going on in a course absolutely destructive to me and that will inevitably procure my utter undoing if he should not onely let me alone in it but perswade me to continue in that way which will certainly bring me to ruine saying well friend I perceive you are almost past recovery and the date of mercy is neer expiration and you are come to this point that except you turn speedily even now and alter your course you must perish eternally without remedy yet seeing you have no mind to leave off your sins go on and although God hath said except you repent and be converted you cannot be saved do not believe it let not that trouble thee thy sins and wickedness the devill and hell may prove better friends to thee and be more for thy advantage and bring more content to thee and happiness then timely reformation or pardon or the favour of God Christ or Heaven do not hearken to any counsell that may reclaim thee let no argument prevail to disswade thee from following thy own lewd and lustfull practises let no intreaties deterre thee why shouldst thou consider anything or those preachers the holy messengers of the glorious God speaking unto thee though they woe thee with tears in their eyes saying Oh do not these abominable things which God hates do not yield so timely nor give back in the least oppose thy self thy sins to all they say or can do for thy eternal good if you die you die you can be but damned at last and is that so great a matter that thou shouldest cross thy self in the least or deny thy selt any of those sweet damning sinfull actings no do not is it not much better to perish eternally then to undergoe now for a moment such a loss as to part with thy beloved sins or to contract the reproch and scoff of a few of thy ungodly companions whose favour and friendship in a way of sinning is far rather to be priced then the love and favour of God why will you hazard your interest in the pleasures and profits of the world and sweet company of your lusts now here in the flesh for heaven hereafter is heaven so much to be valued is the loss of that happiness or losing heaven so great a loss Now how would you brook such doctrine as this S. 76. is this good counsell would this be acceptable to you would you account such an one your friend indeed that should thus perswade thee or wouldest thou not take such language as the greatest Sarcasme most bitter taunt scorn and jeer that any man in the world could put upon or insult over thee withall wouldst thou not account him either a starke fool or one quite out of his wits distracted and mad that would counsell thee after this rate could you ever think such an one thy friend or that he means thee well or that he speaks what he thinks that would argue thee out of thy happiness into thy misery thus Yet alas even so it is that my own heart deals thus with me all the while I go on in my sin S. 77. and delay my reformation every suggestion from my self to which I yeild to put off my repentance and amendment is just such a counsell and the counsell of a naughty mans heart that hindersspeedy resolution to become a new creature are the very same when articulated as you have here read O then why should I ever yeild to that in my self S. 78. and do that by my own counsell which I should dislike from another why should I delay my reformation upon that account which I should be ashamed to offer to another and abhorre any other should propose to me and yet for all this I do the same thing all the while I continue in my sin or wave or delay my turning from all and every one of my transgressions to serve the Lord Christ have I all this while cheated and befooled my self and shall I continue to do so injuriously still God forbid
but the lest right sound reason left him or counsell would not long be deliberating what to do in this case seeing 't is so evident that he dare not pray or ask leave of God to continue life that he may live to sin or that God would accept of his sinfull disobedience for an holy service but at last should he resolve to go no further in sins way but now with speed immediately turn from his sins ere he closes his eyes to sleep lest it may prove his last nights repose on this side hell Fifthly S. 84. let me consider for a speeding motive to a speedy practical resolution whether or no is it of indispensable necessity and special concernment for me that some time or other ere I die I must be soundly converted and cease to do evil and to take off my heart from the love and consent to lusts motions and lead an holy harmlesse and heavenly life if it be necessary as no question it is then why is it not as necessary to me now as at another time as much my duty to day as to morrow Before I committed any sin actually it was my duty to abstain and forbear but after the first act of folly and evil immediately it is my duty to repent leave it off and cease from doing any more of it and if it had been good for me that I had never sinned sure it must be my next advantage to leave it as soon as possibly For next to that of committing no evil the best course I can take is to repent betimes and if it seem to any one that hereafter will be a fitter time then this present then it will fall out when hereafter comes to be thy present it will be as much against thy will then as now it is and therefore unless I intend to put off my repentance and amendment my conversion and reformation for altogether and never to think on t ' more otherwise let me do that which I think to do this year or seven years hence Now FORTHWITH and that is to forsake all that God dislikes in me and all that his holy word hath witnessed against and my conscience reproves me of without any more ado for I must not befool my self any longer with this opinion that sin will cease of it self and if it doth then sin leaves me I leave not sin Si autem vis agere poenitentiam quando jam peccare non potes peccata te dimiserunt non tu illa Aug. or that pardon will be more easily obtained when I have sinned as much and as long as I can or that repentance will be more acceptable to God when I am forced to it and then too when my age and strength my understanding memory and affections fail me or that God will be pleased well enough with the refuse of my service after I have served the world the flesh and the devil with my prime and full strength and best affections Irrisor est non poenitens qui adhuc agit quod paeniteat non minuit peccata sua sed multiplicat Aug. as though God which deserves infinitely more then I can perform would be put off with any thing or pleased and contented to be mocked by me a most vile wretch while I seem to offer that fag-end of my life which is fit neither for time nor ability to perform that service which God will account of for true repenoance and thorough-reformation O let me never put the fair hopes I now have of obtaining mercy from God S. 85. if I now set my heart to this my duty of reforming my life speedily to the hazard but while a price is put into my hand let me not be such a fool to cast it and so my self away and that for ever Sixtly S. 86. methinks I should not delay any longer my reformation but speedily set my heart upon it and endeavour it to purpose considering that I would nor for any worldly good miss the day of grace or that death should meet with me in my unregenerate state and for any thing I know to the contrary this may be the last day of my life or the last day of grace beyond which God will not wait any longer or give me any motion or help towards my conversion but he may in judgment seal up my heart harden it and sear my conscience that I may never so much as think on my condition any more or desire him heartily to heal me and convert me many men have come to this pass even to out-live the date of that mercy intended for them which if they had in time accepted would have brought a saving pardon and reformation to their souls and why should I adventure my salvation on an uncertainty while I may be sure of it if I take the offer while I may have it Besides why should I provoke God to withdraw his grace and cut me off in his displeasure for all the while every moment I live in sinfull impenitency and unconverted state I have nothing to do with any promise of mercy pardon or heaven I am under the curse of the law and power of Satan and go in danger of death and damnation and if death overtake me in my sins I am a lost soul and who can tell how neer he is to his last hour are you not hastening on to your end will time stay for you or can you call back yesterday whether I eat drink sleep play or work yet my time consumes and I am drawing toward my long home of eternity Oh that I may think still on this and make this concluding resolution of it even to speed my work the great business of my sound reformation and put it off for nobodies pleasure no not for any objection to the contrary nor any worldly advantage might be had upon the account of continuance in my sin if I rest in an unconverted state I am in a lamentable condition Seventhly let me consider S. 87. why should I delay this duty any longer but rather make hast to it and be diligent and constant in it seeing all the objections that have ever been made against speedy reformation and all the excuses and pretences for delaying this necessary work are both frivolous and of no weight and treacherous and pernicious how fully have they all been answered and how easy is it for a man of the meanest capacity to satisfy himself of the unreasonableness of all arguments may be produced by the most cunning Sophister against reformation and for procrastination and continuing in sinfull practices from day to day or but for one day longer And why then should I hearken to any thing that may he further insinuated to me from Satan or any of those his instruments which would cause my delay to the wrong of my poor soul CHAP. XI Of Temptations with their Answers §. I. Temptations answered MY sins are not so great S. 1. or not
shift sinners are put upon S. 11. when the refuge they have is that others have had their faults and faylings as though the very worst of godly men even those things which if they had lived and died in without repentance had made their religion of none effect for salvation to them should be a sufficient warrant for my evil practise would it not better become a Christian to cease from evil speedily and amend his faults not onely because it is my duty so to do but also because I should not follow the best man in the world where he failes in his duty and I am sure God did never allow any man how dear soever to him to commit a sin much less to live in any sin without repentance Alas S. 12. why should I plead that for my excuse which all good men complain of as their misery and their spoil let me rather imitate the worst men in their best actions then the best men in their worst miscarriages let me be sorry I have done any thing unseemly and unholily though it hath been no other then some Saints have been overtaken with heretofore and let me ever think that if I continue in my sins I shall be damned for them though some dear Saints have been pardoned for the like after they had repented and been converted A Christian must follow the best examples of others and in the best things and not the example of the best men sinning I would follow no man where he followeth not Christ nor plead any mans faults for my security for if I do I am sure I have no warrant for so doing nor shall I deliver my soul from the guilt untill I deliver my self of the sin and become a true penitent for how can I think to be guiltless when I continue to do that which made Adam the first good man and every man since guilty why should I imagine that God will like me well enough though I continue in my sins seeing he never liked them in any since the world began nor will he ever approve of the least as long as the world lasts nor for ever § III. Temptation answered There is a third temptation which too much prevails with poor sinners to their hurt S. 13.3 Tempt keeping men in a carnall security and dangerous delay a sinner is convinced that he must repent and leave off his sins some time or other ere he die yet still puts it off and thinks within himself being deluded by a deceitfull heart That the time is not yet come I may as well reform hereafter many have lived I hope longer in their sins then I have done and yet have proved true penitents and I have heard of one thief that at the hour of his death upon the crosse repented and was accepted and therefore I need not be so holy yet I hope I have time enough and God hath as much mercy in store for me as for another and why may not I be as well accepted as the thief on the crosse at last A man may quickly answer to this and repell the temptation thus S. 14. Answ that bendes the unmannerliness of giving GOD the deniall when he calls thee to repentance and that impudency and madness which is in every plea and suggestion for countenance of and continuance in unful practises against all reason conscience and religion there is I â—ay besides that a great deal of folly and presumâ—tion in this temptation As 1. you think the time for repentance and a â—endment not yet come S. 15. why can any sinner repent too soon have you not more reason to fear the time of acceptance may be past then that the time of reformation should not yet be hath not God long enough born with thee already hast thou not put his intreaties off long enough am I sure of an other day after this or of acceptance when I please are the days and times of grace in thy power would a man that hath drunk poyson say to his Physitian I am poysoned and begin to swell and I fear my death and you have onely that which may help and recover me yet I desire you to forbear a day or two and let me alone I le try whether I may not do well enough without your physick and that onely remedy which is proper for one in my case do you think such a one did much regard his life that would deal so imprudently certainly every sinner that doth put off repentance and reformation dealeth worse and more foolishly with his soul though he means to be saved for sin is a poison which hath seased on the vitals and nothing but true repentance can help a sinner and yet wilt thou put this off Oh how hath â—n bewitched thee is not the time come yet for remedy and yet now this present time even this moment thou art infected and even drawing on and expiring thy last 2. You think you may reform as well hereafter as now S. 16. and you hope many that have lived longer then you and have resisted as many calls as you and given as many denialls as you and have sinned against as much knowledg as you have proved true penitents for all at last How easily may sober wisdome repell and quickly stifle this foolish imagination S. 17. Answ AS WELL HEREAFTER and why not as well now as then now thou mayst do it hereafer thou mayst not do it the present opportunity is safer if not better and would not a wise man chuse the safest and the best nay this present is the time thou once resolvest on when formerly thou didst resolve upon hereafter O how many hereafters are come and past already with thee sinner and yet hast thou still an hereafter to count upon shortly thou wilt not have a hereafter to reckon upon unless you mean to reform and repent in hell which is indeed the hereafter for a now delaying and lingering sinner but be perswaded to cast out that foolish thought and let not God and the necessities of thy soul have any more of that go and come again to morrow there hath been too much of that already And if you hope that sinners that have delayed longer then you have found true repentance at last S. 18. Pray consider 't is but a supposition S. 19. how can you tell that they have O 't is a question and a thousand to one whether any such presumptuous sinner that gave Gods grace and reformation the deniall so often ever found true repentance or acceptance If repentance and reformation were finish able in a day or hour or in a few sad words and sorrowing expressions then there were some more probability but untill that can be made clear which I am sure never yet could be to me that a late and death-bed repentance and wish of conversion was ever sound and saving after a vitious life I shall never hope it will availe for my self
if I seek an occasion to be foolish or embrace the several offers and occasions of sinning I shall easily and quickly fall but not so soon or with that facility rise again and how much safer and better is it to decline all engagements wherein I may sin then get loose and come off without a scar and a wound a reproch and a shame when once engaged therefore shun the occasions and companying with sin so shalt thou keep thy soul from many inconveniences which otherwise will render thy hopes of heaven more uncertain and thy sincerity of grace more suspected and pardon of former failings more doubtfull VI. Direction 6. When any lusts sinfull desires stir within thee S. 10. and move toward any sinfull act or any temptation from the devill the world or naughty men consent not to it flee from it to Christ the sanctuary of thy safety and withstand the temptation as a Christian should remember always thy baptismall vow and that thou art not free to do the will of the flesh thou art under covenant and the government of Christ to serve him and to exercise thy Christian warfare against all manner of sin to destroy as thou art able the kingdome of sin and Satan thou knowest not nor ownest any ruler nor forreigne power or jurisdiction but Christs I may not I must not suffer sin to reign over me while I live Eph. 5.11 I must have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness but must shun and reprove them all I am not my own I am bought with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 1 Pet. 1.18 Christ hath bought me and redeemed me from a vain conversation that I might serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life Luke 1.74 75. I dare not nor cannot with any colour of reason or conscience break my vow my covenant my trust and fidelity to comply with any temptation to sin though I might get any pleasure or emolument by sinning no not for the whole worlds riches or honours I must not deny my Master Christ to whom I am a sworn servant he is one that will maintain me and keep me and stick by me and give me heaven at last if I forsake him not and cast not off his yoke nor go back from my engagement he will never leave me nor cast me out if I never leave him nor turn Apostate as I shall do if I yeild to sins motions and consent to sins temptations and return to that filthy vomit of former sinfull practises remember always thy vow forget not thy obligations thy duty and thy Master Christ thy Saviour Lord Redeemer thy own soul and the last judgment and then this will both take thee off from thy sinfull course and preserve thee from falling again into the hand of temptation and practise of sin any more VII Direction 7. Call thy self every day to an account for what every day you do S. 11. whether you have omitted your duty or committed a sin and repent every day this is a work will prove advantagious if well performed for by this practise you will learn to know your self still better and better and amend more and more and you will be happy if Christ find you so doing when he calls you to account Besides S. 12. if you do this constantly and sincerely every day you shall have but a days sins to repent of and the same day you are a dying and then the last act of your repentance will be the completing of all the former acts of penitence and then onely will death-bed repentance be accounted of when it is the conclusion of a watchfull serious holy penitent life and the last act of that habituall grace but if all be left to the last day or minute and that which should have been done every day hath been put off to the last O what a burden of foul sins will lie then upon thee poor weak wretch if all be let alone till then Oh how canst thou think that God will pardon all thy sins upon the last minuts repentance when that last is thy first and last a sorry repentance it is indeed if it be but a little sorrow an expiring sigh and groan after an ages sinning and a vitious life Therefore now begin and continue till thy dying day to reckon with thy self every evening for what thou hast done the day and every morning for what thou hast acted in darknesse of night and what thou hast done foolishly repent and for what thou hast done well in the duties of sobriety chastity charity and piety rejoyce and give God thanks when thou hast fallen into or by a temptation be sorry and more watchfull for afterward and when upon examination you have found you have resisted and overcome a temptation and avoided a sin give God the praise of his assisting and preventing grace and likewise for thy consciencious tenderness that would not let thee commit a sin nor omit a duty VIII Direction 8. The next counsell I would have thee consent to follow is this S. 13. That you take heed in all the work of reformation of a shifting and deceitfull heart Jer. 4.9 The heart is deceitfull above all things and desperately wicked it will pretend one thing and do another there is much double-dealing it will seek evasions and find excuses to put off a duty but especially this of reall reformation thy heart will hold up fair shews with foul practises it will make many proffers and promises of repentance and amendment and if you trust your own heart you shall have nothing of it but promises and good purposes fâ—r afterward still I will repent hereafter and amend hereafter next week or next month or next year and yet delayeth still and will do so untill death and then it is too late Oh how often hath thy heart deceived and betrayed thee already to deferre untill a more convenient time how long hast thou been about to repent and reform and yet nothing done towards it but a company of promises and pretences and all this while instead of doing your necessary work you have added sin to sin and day unto day uttereth excuses and this day the heart saith to reformation go and come again to morrow and what is this but heaping up wrath and filling up the measure and adding more weight to the burden of sin and binding my self faster with the cords of my own twisting and rendring my bands more irrefragable and my guilt more damnable and yet thus it hath been with every man that trusteth a deceitfull heart and will be so with thee if thou admit of its excuses and lettest it alone to shift cog and deceive and to play such pranks as the heart of foolish inconsiderate man doth delight in Now if ever you will be serious and do any thing to purpose in the necessary business of thy eternal concernment S. 14. never give way to delay
be executed on thee and for ever must thou lie under it whether it be unto life or death salvation or damnation nor will there be any revocation or alteâ—â—ation of that unalterable decree Oh then how much doth it concern thee and every one that thou be sincerely wholly reformed in this world seeing thy everlasting making or marring depends upon it forasmuch as thy eternal weal or woe is determined and fixed according as thy heart and life is reformed or not reformed Do not therefore O Christian neglect the doing of that speedily which may put all out of doubt S. 2. and give thee a comfortable assurance that heaven shall be thy portion which thou mayst depend upon if thy heart be converted and thy ways amended and as sadly mayst thou sink in thy hopes of heaven if this be not fully wrought in thee O then let not any thing in the world make thee put off thy reformation or baffle thee out of thy duty or betray thee into vain hopes to be happy without it II. Motive 2. The next Motive to provoke thee to hasten thy reformation is this S. 3. that all the while you deferre it you lose your time and are doing that you must undoe again for the best of all that you do else are but trifles and toies and nothing at all to the purpose of true happiness and all this while you are making more work for tears lamentation and repentance and if ever you come to the happy state of conversion hereafter you will be much afflicted and troubled that you continued so long a fool and a wretch as you are all the while you put off and delay your amendment how bitter will it be to a devour soul to remember how long he continued at a distance from Christ how long he did live after the flesh and the world how many days and how much strength he spent in the service of sin how many excuses and delays he used Oh! he will beshrew himself to think how often he put off the kind intreaties of Christ and those many invications to holiness it will trouble thee if ever thou come to be converted that thou wert not converted sooner that God and religion had not thy heart and service long agoe that thou didst not yield and resign up thy self when first thou wast moved to it that sin had so much and Christ so little of thy will and affections O then dear soul deferre not any longer but do that with all speed which you have now a fair opportunity to perform that is forthwith to leave off your known sins and betake your selves to a sober serious holy life so will you prevent your own molestation and your own misery III. Motive 3. Let the danger and dreadfulness of an unconverted state move thee speedily to get out of it by all possible means S. 4. alas all the while I live unreformed I am under the curse of the Law and power of Satan a stave to lust and a son of perdition and if I chance to die in this estate my case and the already damned in hell will be the same they who died in their sins are miserable wretches and so shall I be as they are there is but a step between me and their sad condition and while I am on this side the grave in a sinning course following the motions of my lusts I am in a worse condition then the worst of creatures a toad in my ditch is better by much then a man in his sins unconverted unreformed And all the while I live in my sins I am unpardoned and am hastening to an eternity of misery I am in that broad way which leadeth straight on to destruction Oh then let my soul get quickly out of that way and from that state in which I walk in so much danger and which will most certainly carry me to the chambers of death and bring me under the eternall wrath of God IV. Motive 4. Let the consideration of the brevity and uncertainty of thy life move thee to hasten thy reformation S. 5. this night thy soul may be taken from thy body if not then within a very short time it must and it will be called to an account and oh what a sad day will it prove then when death opens the passage from a sinfull life to an endless misery when death puts an end to the pleasures of sin and gives a beginning to the pains of hell never to end Therefore if you mean to prevent the miseries of a dying sinner S. 6. you must destroy the sin ere you die and this requires your care and diligence your speed and quick dispatch Oh that you would be wise concerning your later end and leave not that to do at the last which can neither be well done nor accepted if it be put off till the last V. Motive 5. Another Motive to a speedy reformation let be S. 7. that none of thy most pleasurable sinfull practices are half so pleasing to thee a sinner as the ways of godliness and exercise of vertues are to the true convert reformation if it be sound and universall will prove the rarest delight and content in the world and be of excellent satisfaction to thee Pro 3.15 1 Tim. 4.8 1 Tim. 6.6 Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace and godliness with contentment is great gaine profitable to all things having the promise of this life and that which is to come No life can be compared to a godly life for pleasure profit and contentment how quiet is the conscience of a devout holy Christian how sweet his sleep how calm and serene is his spirit that is at peace with God! how doth he rejoyce in the Lord what a merry life doth he lead and goeth on his way cheerfully to his home to his inheritance to his joys in heaven which he hath in prospect and is at the end of his race how doth that soul triumph in his victories that is daily resisting temptations and slaying his corruption how sweetly doth he passe his time that spends it in communion with God and delights of heaven But 't is farre otherwise with a wicked man that serves the interest of sin and studies to gratifie and serve his lusts in sinful actings Oh what a many plots doth he lay and paines doth he take to bring about his sin and then what shifts must be make to hide to excuse to maintain his sin what a many perplexing gripes of conscience and often terrours hath a wicked man within himself and besides the bitterness in the end of sinfull actions what a toile and weariness it is in the exercise of it so that truly a man may say of sin WHAT A WEARINESS IT IS to what purpose is all this cost and losse of time and exhausting the spirits and after all what pleasure hath a man or what content can accrue to any man upon the