not avail any Man unto Salvation but will render his Case much more dangerous if the main bent of his Heart and Affections is after his Covetousness his worldly and fleshly Lusts if his Life is blemished and polluted with practices diametrically opposite to the power essence and design of all true Religion If we will secure the Salvation of our Souls we must have and cherish a composedness and seriousness of Spirit in some measure suitable to the Nature Excellency and Weightiness of that we propound to our selves We must attend to and industriously prosecute that course of Life and Practice which hath some affinity with and bears some proportion to what we aim at We must be resolvedly diligent in the use of those Means God hath instituted for the furthering of us in it And if we refuse to walk in his way and follow the method he hath directed us to our Hope will certainly fail us and we shall be utterly without Excuse Salvation is not to be attained so easily as multitudes dream it is and as too many are enclined to flatter People it is All would be Saved and the greatest part would fain be saved in a way very little inconvenient and contradictory to their senual Lusts and Interests and then do too readily perswade themselves they may be Saved in such a way as is agreeable enough to their own extravagant Humours in such a way as they would like best and would pitch upon if they were to appoint the way themselves It is a great unhappiness that the Christian World hath been so long troubled with a sort of Persons who pretending they have a right to instruct others in the way to Heaven and Salvation have contributed very much both by their Discourses and Practices to reconcile the profession of Christianity to Men's Ungodly Lusts rather than to reconcile them they have pretended to take care of unto the truth and practice of that Religion they professed whose way to Salvation seems every jot as broad as that our Blessed Saviour cautioned People against assuring them it would lead unto Destruction Such Persons may justly be reputed Factors for the Prince of Darkness rather than Ambassadors and Ministers of that Sacred and Divine Person who came to destroy the works of the Devil and to save his People from their Sins Great Resolution and vigorous constant Diligence must be used by us in order to Salvation let Flattering Soul-destroyers say what they please to the contrary If we will be Saved and enter into Life we must keep God's Commandments we must mortifie our Lusts be crucified to the World and have the World crucified to us we must deny our selves and walk in a way contrary to those of this World who do lye in Wickedness and are governed by that Spirit which ruleth in the Children of Disobedience We must expect to meet with Difficulties and Oppositions and must resolvedly through Divine assistance encounter and vanquish them all We must have Grace and act it strenuously and with great seriousness and constancy use appointed Means for the strengthning encreasing and confirming of our Graces and perseveringly strive to improve and grow more and more in Knowledge Faith Hope Love and in all the parts of a truly Godly and Religious Life He who is the Author of eternal Salvation the only Saviour of Sinners did not acquaint them he loved most with any other way to Salvation but Repenting throughly of Sin believing in Him obeying his Laws and following his Example He did not give any Indulgence to Peoples Lusts nor did he countenance their Sloth He peremptorily required them to strive to enter in at the strait Gate Luke 13.24 He is positive that except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of God Matt. 5.20 He saith The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth Violence and the Violent take it by force Matt. 11.12 Yea he warns us against cheating our selves with false and groundless easy hopes and assures us with great earnestness and much solemnity that we will find our selves mistaken and deceived if we think to insist upon any specious pretences at the last day and will therefore content our selves with what falls short of doing the Will of his Father which is is in Heaven Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall I enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Many will say to me in that day Lord Lord have we not Prophesied in thy Name And in thy Name have cast out Devils And in thy Name done many wonderful Works And then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work Iniquity Matt. 7.21 22 23. His Apostles afterwards certified the People they must give diligence to make their Calling and Election sure if they would be sure not to miscarry and fail 2 Pet. 1.10 And that he is the Author of eternal Salvation only unto those who do obey him Heb. 5.9 With what shadow of Reason can you pretend to hope for Salvation if you will not credit him and his Apostles but continue regardless of what they have so vehemently affirmed indispensibly necessary to your being made meet to be partakers of the Inheritances of the Saints in Light Is it not most evident and plain that the precious Promises pertain only unto them who approve themselves resolvedly diligent in eschewing what is Evil and in perfecting of Holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 Is not this undoubtedly the great purport the main design and the principal business of the whole Gospel viz. To instruct direct oblige and assist us to deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts and to live Godly Righteously and Soberly in this present World that we may be disposed for everlasting Salvation in the next World Tit. 2.11 12. Was not this the course the Saints of Old took to make their Salvation sure Was it not from their having conscienciously followed this Method that they fetched their Evidences to prove they had a right to hope and look for Savation Was it not from this that they derived Comfort in their greatest Distresses and looked with satisfaction and joy to hereafter beyond time and days This is our rejoicing the Testimony of our Consciences that in Simplicity and Godly Sincerity we have had our Conversation in the World c. 2 Cor. 1.12 I have fought said St. Paul a good Fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge will give unto me at that day c. 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Ought we not now to be followers of them who through Faith and Patience are Inheritors of the faithful Promises Can any Man now pretend with any shew of Reason to expect Salvation so long as he continues Vicious and Immoral Supercilious and Careless Negligent
with all Saints the breadth and length and depth and height of his Love how should I abound in Admiring Praising Glorifying and giving Thanks unto him and to what a height would this sort of exercise raise my estimation of my Soul towards which this great this glorious this beneficent and most gracious Saviour hath manifested a Love which passeth Knowledge As the best and greatest Friend to Mankind hath in so stupendous a manner Testified his love to and thereby the real and extraordinary worth of Souls so the most envious inveterate and malicious Enemy to Human Race hath mightily fortified this Truth That the Soul of Man is exceeding precious by his indefatigable and unwearied attempts to destroy our Souls both in the ways of Subtilty and Violence We commonly acknowledge and bouldly affirm the Devil is our great Adversary and then we must likewise allow and grant that he designs to do us the greatest Mischief and what can that be but to prejudice and ruine that part of us which is undoubtedly of greatest value And can any thing be more apparent and manifest than that all his methods and assaults are levelled against our Souls What a Monster shall I appear if I make little or no account of this Soul for the ransoming of which the eternal Son of God laid down his most precious Life And for the ruining of which the Devil doth not spare any either of his Craft and Artifice or of his Strength and Industry Would the Prince of the Powers of the Air so sedulously contrive and plot be so very observant and constant upon his Watch make such diligent Search after and take so much pains as he doth to destroy our Souls if they were such inconsiderable worthless Trifles as we seem to reckon them We are careful of and do look accurately after those those things we really prize and of which we make a very great account And were we truly sensible of and duly affected with the worth the excellency the preciousness of our own Souls O! with what seriousness should we busie our selves to secure their Salvation Secondly Salvation is an inestimable Mercy and Privilege Salvation What a sweet delicious good word is this Take all the Letters in the World and join them together how you please you cannot frame a word that makes so comfortable and charming a Sound as this does Of all the expressions that can be named this is the most proper and the best accommodated to our State and Circumstances to our Case and Necessities We are in Misery our wants and dangers are greater than our Lips can utter Who so wretched and forlorn as Sinners and guilty Persons None certainly excepting them whose Condemnation is already Seal'd and ratified May such as we be Saved is it possible for us to obtain Salvation May our aggravated Transgressions the horrible Rebellion we have so long and so obstinately persisted in against the Holy God be Pardoned May we yet escape the terrible wrath that is coming apace upon the Wicked and Disobedient Is the door of Mercy still open May we yet be received into favour Most joyful tidings most comfortable and ravishing News Blesbe my Rock Exalted be the God of my Salvation Praise the Lord O my Soul and let all that is within me magnifie his Holy Name Thy loving kindness is better than Life O Lord I will praise thee as long as I Live Let all the Angels of God which excel in strength bless him Yea let all his works in all Places of his Dominion bless him Bless the Lord O my Soul Oh that Men would praise the Lord for his Goodness and for his wonderful Works to the Children of Men Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from Everlasting to Everlasting and let all the People say Amen Praise ye the Lord This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation That Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners of whom we may justly repute our selves the greatest Let that Message brought from Heaven by an Angel A Message every way worthy of such a Messenger be the chief subject of my Meditations And Oh that I might never think of it but with a Heart rightly affected towards it powerfully influenced by it and mightily enlarged in thankfulness and praise for it Fear not for behold I bring you good Tydings of great Joy which shall be to all People for unto you is Born this day in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord Luke 2.10 11. This Salvation is indeed a great and blessed word but how little do we know of that which it imports No created Being can comprehend and fully understand the Mercy Good and Privilege it signifies A Blessing is the less by its being such that any finite Being can reach and know its full Dimensions This is a Mercy and Benefit which deserves our loudest Praises our most solemn Acknowledgments and our silent Admiration We cannot possibly raise our estimation to its real Value It is so great the loftiest Expressions fall infinitely short of conveying to our Minds an adequate and exact conception of it How shall we then escape if we neglect so great Salvation Heb. 2.3 Our deliverances are incompleat whilst we are on Earth we are encompassed and surrounded here with such variety of dangers calamities and troubles we are no sooner rescued out of one but we feel our selves Arrested by another Disaster and are in all respects as uneasie and dissatisfied till freed from this as we were when mourning under the former Yea many times our very Deliverance proves but a step to a Relapse which sinks us deeper into the very same kind of Trouble and Disquietment we thought we had escaped We are Born to Trouble as the Sparks fly upward When one afflicting occurrence having gorg'd it self as we conceive leaves us we presently become a Booty to another or else the former returns with greater eagerness and preys on us with more unsatiable greediness and violence No sooner have we one Deliverance but we find we do as much need another We are not sure but whole Troops of Sorrows will seize on us and these so thick and close one after another they will not afford us one pleasant Interval Our Lives are at best chequered and our Deliverances in this World yield not a satisfaction of any long continuance But blessed be God the Lord Jesus being made perfect is become the Author of eternal Salvation unto all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 O! the blessedness of them who partake of this Salvation who are perfectly freed from every thing that ean offend and molest from the worst of Evils Sin and the next Temptations to it and from all the Sufferings Pains Diseases Doubts and Fears which here extort our Tears Complaints and Moans God shall wipe away all Tears from their Eyes and there shall be no more Death neither Sorrow nor Crying neither shall there be any more Pain for the former things
are passed away Rev. 21.4 How happy are they who are safe from and out of the reach of all those Torment and Curses to which Sin doth expose People and under which others must eternally roar who whilst others fry in unquenchable Flames and must be always tost on the Waves and Surges of the ever burning Lake endure none of their Anguish but are filled with a Joy which no Tongue can relate O the Honor to which they are advanced the Glory with which they are Crowned the Treasures they enjoy the Kingdoms they have received the Delights with which they are and will be everlastingly entertained Our Understandings and Minds are not capacious and wide enough to comprehend or conceive the great and excellent things that are conferred on them Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him 1 Cor. 2.9 Beloved now are we the Sons of God and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 In thy presence is fulness of Joy at thy right Hand are Pleasures for ever more Psal 16.11 As for me I will behold thy Face in Righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy Likeness Psal 17.15 Because thy loving Kindness is better than Life my Lips shall praise thee Thus will I praise thee while I Live I will lift up my Hands in thy Name My Soul shall be satisfied as with Marrow and Fatness and my Mouth shall praise thee with joyful Lips Psal 63.3 4 5. Can any thing be so desirable to me as when I die to have my precious Soul guarded and conveyed by holy and blessed Angels through the airy Regions unto Abraham's Bosom into the kindest Embraces of the holy amiable and loving Jesus And at the general Resurrection to have my Body raised Incorruptible and Glorious and every way disposed for and united to its happy Soul that they may be joint and eternal sharers in all those blessed Fruitions infinite Grace and Love will vouchsafe How happy shall I be if through Grace I arrive to be for ever with Christ What a glorious Change will then be wrought on me How wonderfully will all the Powers and Faculties of my Soul be advanced improved and enlarged How much more beautiful and capacious will they be made than now they are O the alteration that shall be made on me to my unconceivable Advantage when I shall shine as the Brightness of the Firmament as the Stars for Ever and Ever Dan. 12.3 Yea as the Sun in the Kingdom of my Father Mat. 13.43 When this vile Body shall be Changed and fashioned like unto the Glorious Body of My Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself Phil. 3.21 What account should I make of such a Privilege Honor and Felicity How should I prepare wait and long for this Great Holy and Glorious Change The word of that God who is faithful and true and cannot Lie affords us evident and full assurance that such a glorious and everlastingly happy State is prepared and may be obtained and it likewise certifies what manner of People they must be who shall be admitted to it The Lord Jesus the supream Judge of and great King over all will at the last Day say unto them on his right Hand Come ye blessed of my Father Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World Matt. 25.34 He will render to every Man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in Well-doing seek for Glory and Honor and Immortality Eternal Life Rom. 2.6 7. Henceforth saith St. Paul there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also who love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.8 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead to an Inheritance Incorruptible and Undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through Faith unto Salvation ready to be Revealed in the last Time 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. This Salvation comprehends all that is Great all that is Honorable all that is truly Delighting Good and Desirable O that we may all duly strive labour desire and long to be prepared for and brought to the actual possession of it What should we wish for on our own behalves if we have any love for our selves but that God himself the only satisfying good would be our Portion That we may have free Intimate full and everlasting Communion in the highest Heavens with the Father Son and Holy Spirit with glorious Angels and all the Saints above That we may come to the City of the living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first Born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant and to the Blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel Heb. 12.22 c. Can we desire and pant after any thing comparable to our beholding our Saviour's Glory and being for ever with him in his Kingdom where he Reigns in Glory Were we throughly perswaded of and did we in any measure esteem this Salvation as we ought for indeed we cannot prize it as it deserves what an happy Change should we presently perceive in our selves What a mighty power and efficacy should we feel it have on our Souls What a sweet and constraining influence should we find it shed abroad in our Hearts and Lives How strangely would it abate and take off our love and affection to this World It s Pomps its Pleasures its Vanities How much would it raise us above the Flatteries which have hitherto Deluded us How would it make us despise and contemn the painted Glories and empty Enjoyments which we have so unweariedly pursued and so passionately courted How indifferent should we be to Earthly things and how little impression would any Worldly Allurements make on us if we did steadily look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen 2 Cor. 4.18 And did we affectionately consider that the things which are seen are Temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal How would this engage us to animate us in and with what success and vigor would it carry us through all our Duties Would not our Conversation be in Heaven did we seriously look for our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ from thence to call and take
us along with him thither I press toward the the Mark for the Price of the high Calling of God in Christ Jesus if by any means I might attain unto the Resurrection of the Dead What support would this yield us With what patience would this possess our Souls Yea with what joy would this fill us in the greatest Tribulations Distresses and Persecutions we can possibly have occasion to encounter in our passage toward it We glory in the Tribulations also Rom. 5.3 For which cause we faint not but tho our outward Man perish the inward Man is renewed day by day for our light affliction which is but for a Moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory 2 Cor. 4.16 17. I reckon that the Sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in us Rom. 8.18 We read of those Heb. 10.24 who took joyfully the spoiling of their Goods knowing in themselves that they had in Heaven a better and an enduring Substance Yea how would this reconcile us to leave the World quite make us earnestly desire to Die and that the time may hasten apace when we may actually give up the Ghost and resign up our Spirits to Christ Having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Phil. 1.23 Who can conceive the thousandth yea the least part of the Happiness of the Spirits of Just Men made Perfect With what knowledge admiration and love shall we be filled when we are setled yonder in those bright and shining Thrones when we are joined to the Heavenly Choir and bear our part in the eternal Halelujahs and shall be ascribing Honor Glory and Praise to him that sitteth on Throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever With what raptures of Love Praise and Joy shall we be everlastingly entertained when we become Denizens of that glorious City of which the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb is the Temple where we shall see his Face and have his Name in our Fore-heads where there shall be no Night where we shall need no Candle neither light of the Sun for the Lord God will give us Light and we shall reign for ever and ever How incomprehensibly great and good are the things which God hath in store for them who heartily love and sincerely serve him seeing God will be pleased to admit such frail imperfect Mortals as we are to the full fruition of himself and his Christ surely there is nothing can deserve to be esteemed and called Blessedness but only this How can I prize and value how can I affect strive and long for any thing but this Salvation alone How am I transported with admiration and wonder yet these do fail me they flag they cannot mount high enough by thousands of Degrees Salvation is so transcendent O let my Love increase grow ripe ascend still higher and higher How would the Damned value this Salvation might they have but the least hopes of ever being admitted to it What esteem have the Saints above for it Yea how do sincere Believers here prize it especially when they have a lively vigorous sense of it St. Paul was positive that to Die would be his Gain Phil 1.21 Others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better Resurrection Heb. 11.35 O my stupid senseless Soul what ails thee that thou still liest grovelling here that thy motion is so slow O! for the strongest and most seraphick flights of Love for the Extasies of Passion now What art thou bereaved of all thy Powers Hast thou lost thy Nature Art thou Metamorphos'd and chang'd into a lifeless lump of Matter Rouze and awake exert and put forth all thy Strength Tho hitherto thou hast been deceived by Objects much too little and unsatisfying here 's that which calls for all thy Love thy Zeal thy Life Here is Salvation which much exceeds thy most extended thoughts and reach Here 's that which none could ever esteem according to the fulness of its worth the most glittering splendid worldly Triumphs are at best but poor deceitful treacherous and insipid Vanities all the Grandeur Pomp and Glories here do soon decay and wither do quickly dwindle into nothing but this Salvation is truly great and Glorious it is substantial durable and satisfying Most holy true and blessed Jesus thou hast expresly told us that in thy Father's House there are many Mansions Joh. 14.2.3 That thou art gone to prepare a place for thy faithful People And that thou wilt come again and receive them unto thy Self that where thou art there they may be also Thou Prayedst for them with most tender and earnest Affection when thou wast here And it is thy will and pleasure that thy Saints and Servants those whom the Father hath given thee shall be with thee where thou art that they may behold thy Glory Matt. 17.24 Thou dost not enjoin them any thing in order to their being Saved but what thou wilt enable them by thy Spirit to perform Nor any thing but what thou can'st make pleasing and delightful to them by the abundance of thy Grace O Lord I here absolutely resign my self to be guided by thy Counsel afterterwards receive me to Glory Whom have I in Heaven but thee There is none upon Earth I can desire besides thee Be thou the strength and the joy of my Heart and my portion for ever There is not any thing comparable to thy Salvation Lord take from me what thou wilt make me Poor and needy let me be Scorned and Despised let my Body be Sick and every part and Joynt of it Sore and in Pain let me be afflicted and Persecuted yea do with me what thou wilt so that thou wilt grant that Grace and Peace may be multiplied to me at present through the knowledge of thy self so that thou wilt be pleased that I may at last obtain the end of my Faith and Hope the Salvation of my Soul Thirdly No Person can with reason expect or hope his Soul shall be Saved who is not resolvedly diligent in that course God hath ordained and prescribed him for this purpose That customary slight and formal course with which too many content themselves will not suffice to secure their Salvation The best have too much reason to complain of themselves because they are so supine remiss and careless about a business of so great importance in it self and unto which the Holy and most Righteous God requires all should give a diligent Attendance This is the one Thing necessary which must be minded with the greatest seriousness whatever is Neglected All other Affairs and Businesses must give place to this if at any time they happen to interfere with it A few accidental thoughts of some flitting unconstant desires after Salvation a customary observation of some of the outward parts of Devotion an over-vehement heat for particular Modes of Worship speculative Opinions and doubtful Practices will
Meditate and think in any degree and yet believe you shall be able to vindicate your tenacious adhering to a Notion which Cancels all the Authority of God's Commands devests him of his Truth and Faithfulness and transforms his whole Revelation into a plain piece of Falshod and Imposture How wretchedly does Satan infatuate and befool you when he perswades you to put off your concerning your selves for the Salvation of your Souls to a more convenient Season And prevails with you to stifle efface and vanquish your present Convictions by pretending you may do it with a better Grace hereafter and that a riper and more mature Age will be much more proper for and agreeable to so Austere and Grave a Business Whom do you gratifie in neglecting to mind your Salvation but your worst and most mischievous Enemy And will you humor him when you cannot do it any other way than by running the most Dismal Risk and rendring your Salvation at least next to Impossible Can any time be so convenient for this Work as the present seeing the present is the only Season you can call your own Seeing you are not sure of more time to mind it in Seeing the present Season is the only time wherein you can truly hope to attend it with good Success Are you so destitute of Reason and good Sense as not to perceive that if you allow Satan to have such an ascendent over you as to wheedle you at this rate he will drill you on so long you will have no time at last to concern your selves for the Salvation of your Souls to any purpose Sirs what do you mean What is your Purpose What are you resolved on Sure you will not say you fully determin to destroy those precious Souls you are entrusted with and make an Experiment how much your abusing Divine Patience contemning infinite Mercy and despising the Riches of God's Grace will add to the Horror and Anguish of the Damned Oh! that you would seriously consider of Matters and shew your selves Men yea shew your selves what according to your Profession you should be Christians before the door of Hope be quite shut whilst there remains a possibility of escaping that Vengeance and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversaries Do you think you are able to contend with the Almighty Are you equal Matches for that God who is a Consuming Fire Can you with calm and serene Minds dwell with Everlasting Burnings Alas how soon may God begin to write against you Bitter things How soon can he throw your Consciences into Convnlsions and wound your Souls by causing the Invenomed Darts of his Fury to stick fast in them In what a case will you be When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming Fire taking vengeance on them who know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting Destructiou from the presence of the Lord and from the power of his Glory 2 Thess 1.7 8 9 What will you do when the Great and terrible day of the Lord shall come Whether will you then fly How will you then be able to appear before and look your incensed Judge in the Face What will you then plead for your selves Where do you think to hide your selves Rocks and Mountains cannot then conceal you What can screen you from irresistible Power How do you think you shall escape the effects of Impartial Justice Now consider this ye that forget God lest he tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Psal 50.22 But alas how difficultly are such People brought to consider the things which belong to their Peace What multitudes are there every where who have so habituated themselves to neglect their Salvation and to those courses which have the plainest tendency to ruin their Souls Everlastingly they have hardned themselves against all Reproof whose Consciences are so canteriz'd or seared they can hear the most dreadful threatnings Recorded in the Word of God and their Hearts not be moved or affected at all with them yea in express defiance of those Menaces can Bless themselves in their Iniquities What so strange and so amazing as that People should be in so forlorn a State and yet will not be prevailed with by any means to take notice of it They are sensible of Hunger Cold Sickness any Corporal wants and pains of troublesome Times worldly Losses unreasonable Weather c. But have no sense of their spiritual Wants and the great danger their Souls are in Tho they are under the wrath of God stand on the very brink of Hell and are not certain of being one Hour out of unquenchable Flames yet they are altogether unconcerned can Eat and Drink and Sleep and follow their Sports and worldly Businesses with Eagerness as if they were in no danger nor had any reason at all to be afraid There is a way that seemeth right unto a Man but the end thereof are the ways of Death Prov. 14.12 O that the carnally secure and presumptuous would ponder believe and faithfully apply this Scripture to themselves I do not only pity multitudes of ignorant poor People who mind nothing but a present Livelyhood but a great many who live in pomp have huge worldly Possessions do fair Deliciously every day bestow the most of their thoughts and the greatest portions of their time and their Wealth upon their Bodies which must in a little time be laid in the Grave and at last unless they come to be of another Mind and to alter their course in due time before they Die together with their miserable guilty neglected Souls be Tormented in Hell Fire for ever Fifthly It is very fit and meet that every one should make a serious strict and impartial Enquiry into himself whether he has been duly concerned for the Salvation of his own Soul or have hitherto been regardless of and neglected this most necessary and important Business Let us speedily set apart some portion of our time for this Work and employ our calmest and most penetrating Thoughts in searching out the State and Condition of our Souls In considering what we have been doing Whether we are going What will become of us if we should presently be Summoned to appear before God's Tribunal Whither we must be Sentenced to that unquenchable Fire which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels or to dwell with Christ in Glory Whether we shall see the Face of God with Comfort and Joy or have our Souls filled with Astonishment and Confusion Whether we shall hear those joyful Words Well done thou good and faithful Servant or that terrible Thunder Depart thou Cursed I know thee not thou wicked doer It doth behove us to enquire seriously and to get speedily a sound knowledge of the Estate of our Souls lest Death and Hell should surprize us Death and Judgment are hastning a pace and it will be too late to think of amending
Danger That he hath brought me to consider before my condition is absolutely past remedy O what Trouble and Sorrow have I been heaping on my self How bitter and gnawing now are all the things I counted pleasant How vile and contemptible are all the things for which I ventured my precious Soul There is nothing now can relieve and do me good nothing I can account precious but an Interest in Jesus Christ and pardoning Love through him O the Confusion I am in But I wish not that it were with me as in times past That my vain Presumption stupidity and insensibleness might again return No but O that I had sooner seen my Danger and sooner began my Retreat Here I lye on the very brink of Hell Had I made one step further I might have been among the Damned and yet I scarce know which way to turn O the proficiency others have made in the way to Heaven who had no more time nor outward Calls and Means than I had O the peace and comfort they have the Sweets with which their Souls are feasted O that I might love the Lord Christ in sincerity have an interest in his Merits a right to his precious Promises and that I may dutifully acknowledge his Authority walk in his Laws and know by experience what joy is to be found in Believing Well by Divine Assistance I will up and be doing I will not loyter any longer I now cast away with abhorrence and lay aside every weight and the Sin that hath so easily beset me Lord do thou enlarge my Heart and I will run the way of thy Commandments May I ever have my eye fixed on Jesus the Author and Finisher of a Believer's Faith To thee holy Jesus I flee for Refuge Help me to lay hold on the Hope thou hast set before me Secondly Humble your selves deeply before the Lord and offer unto him fervent earnest Supplications and Prayers to commiserate and deliver you No help can come but from Heaven and it must be fetched thence by hearty affectionate Cries and Entreaties Lay your selves therefore low before the Lord acknowledge your Sins with Godly Sorrow and Grief Rehearse before him your sad Estate the aggravating Circumstances of your Guilt your Fears your Guilt the dreadful Curses which hang over you how sensible you are of his Displeasure against Sin that you are not able to bear his Wrath and that nothing but Free-Grace can save and preserve you Justifie God in all his Laws and in all his Threats and in his executing of them Confess heartily thou art a Monument Monument of his Patience Break forth into affectionate Admiration that he hath born with thee so long whereas he might have caused his Vengeance to have overtaken thee long ago And then with strong Cries and Tears too if thou canst beseech him for his Mercy sake his name sake the Son of his love sake to pity Pardon help and sanctifie thee Consider what encouragement thou hast from these and the like Scriptures Psal 145.18 19. Psal 32.5 6. Psal 50.15 Matt. 7.7 c. Lord thou art Great Holy Just and Powerful none can set himself against thee and Prosper Thy purity and holiness is such thou canst not behold the least Iniquity with Approbation Thou hast declared thy Wrath against every Sin And in particular hast revealed thy Indignation against this and that and the other Wickedness and that thou wilt terribly avenge thy self of such Adversaries as live impenitently in them Lord I am the vile Wretch who have been guilty of these Transgressions I have lived a great while in them and have often repeated these acts of Hostility against thee O my Misery my Guilt my Wretchedness Whither shall I go What shall I do I cannot flee from thy Presence Where ever I am thy Arm can reach me I cannot bear thy Frowns thy Terrors make me afraid Damnation and Hell are the least I have deserved O the Light the Love the Means I have sinned against I have nothing to say for my self who shall plead for me Methinks I am now sinking Hell appears ready to swallow me up Just and Righteous art thou O God! No punishments are too great for so wicked so ungrateful so vile and obstinate a Wretch as I am In the very midst of my Fears and Anguish I cannot but wonder that the Sentence of Condemnation is not already pronounced against and executed on me O what long-suffering goodness hast thou manifested towards me the worst and greatest of Sinners Blessed be thy Name for thy Long-suffering Patience towards me Whither shall I now turn Will the holy God have Mercy on such a desperate Sinner To whom shall I go in these Straits Creatures cannot help me My Lusts and Sins have brought all this Misery upon me All will fail me unless the Lord will be pleased to look down in Mercy upon me And it is the Lord I have offended How shall I go to a provoked God! Yet all my hope must be from him To the Lord I will go I will lie at his Feet I will throw my self wholly upon his Mercy Lord I have heard that thou art Gracious Long-suffering slow to Wrath and of great Goodness Thou hast said so of thy self Thou hast the words of eternal Life There is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Thou hast contrived a way for the glorifying of thy Mercy in saving the greatest Sinners who truly repent and turn from the evil of their doings unto thee with all their Hearts Lord here behold a miserable mouring Sinner than whom none ever stood more in need of Mercy Extend thy wonderful Grace to me I come to thee in thy Son's Name I depend intirely on his Merits I plead with thee the only gracious Promises Sustain now a sinking Soul I loath and abhor my self O let thy Bowels ern over me Tho I stand on the brink of Hell let thy Grace prevent my falling into that Bottomless Pit Say unto this Soul Live May I who deserve to houl for ever under the dreadful testimonies of thy Displeasure be effectually delivered from Sin Guilt and Condemnation May I be Pardoned made Holy and sing forth the Praises of thy rich and abounding Grace to all Eternity Consider Isa 63.15 16. Thirdly If you take pains with your selves and faithfully perform what you have been advised to already you will easily perceive what is further necessary to be done by you to make secure the Salvation of your Souls and you will be disposed to urge upon your selves and improve such Counsel as shall be offered you and is manifestly pertinent to this purpose I will therefore propound the other Directions you are to observe altogether and only give you brief hints for your future Conduct leaving you to imprint them on your own Hearts by meditating on and expostulating with your selves about them till you feel they have their proper and due influence on your Souls and Lives You must then endeavour to