wert not blinde whither canst thou turn thy self but thou must see hell and damnation before thee and ready to devoure thee Sinner Oh Sir What shall I do to bee saved I tell thee how there is one way left thee to salvation and but one and my Text hath told it Endeavour to bee exceeding righteous in thy life and that is the way to life let thy love and faith to God and Christ Jesus let thy sincere obedience to all his Commands to the utmost that tou art able let thy thoughts thy words thy prayers thy alms speak thee a more righteous man or woman than the strictest Scribe and Pharisee that ever breathed upon the earth this this is the way to heaven If after all this thou art resolved to continue as thou art thy blood bee on thine own head I have discharged my duty Sinner Lord have mercy upon mee What a blinde wretch have I been thus to mistake my way and think I have been going to heaven when I now see plainly I am in the broad road to hell Well I thank God I am not yet swallowed up of that gulph Mercy hath hitherto kept mee out and I am resolved to abuse long-suffering mercy not an hour longer It is but leaving my drunken companions and my filthy Harlots and who would not leave them to gain the love of God and my blessed Saviour It is but leaving my lying swearing and turning my curses into prayers and blessings and what harm is there in prayers and bessings I am sure they will please my God better and trouble my conference less It is but loving my neighbour as my self but especially my God and Saviour with all my heart soul and strength and to account of gold and silver friends credit and my sins as dung and dross in a compare to them and I am sure that they are better than them all and so they deserve as much and more of love from mee It is but to pray praise and thank them for the offer of eternal life and to relye upon the blood of Jesus for pardon and acceptance and I am sure that Jesus Christ will prove my fastest friend Well my resolution is this God men and Angels shall see I am another man Heaven shall see mee more on my knees in my Closet it shall bee my next work when I have read out this book my Family shall see and hear mee more in reading and praying I and my house shall serve the Lord and all my neighbours shall see mee walk in those very wayes that I have formerly most prophanely laughed and scoffed at I know it will bee my turn now to bee scorned and derided by others yea some of my familiar drunken companions but what care I Christ suffered more for my sake and I remember holy Paul that was once a persecuter of honest hearted Christians was afterwards content to bee persecuted for being such an one himself But let them laugh on I am sure I am a dying man and if I keep on to follow Christ I shall shortly bee in heaven and then above their scorns where I am sure they will never come if they repent not and seek a righteousness above the Pharisees I have read what this righteousness is and now I will try it in my life there is no more time for talk I will up and do Caution Yea and do so thou Son or Daughter of God for so I dare call thee if thou holdest this resolution to the death Onely let mee caution thee 〈…〉 whilst thou art so set and resolved upon the work Remember that of thy Saviour Joh. 15.4 5. As the branch cannot bear fruit of it self except it abide in the Vine no more can yee except yee abide in mee I am the Vine yee are the branches hee that abideth in mee and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without mee yee can do nothing And so Phil. 2.13 For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure Again Rom. 8.26 Likewise the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for wee know not what wee should pray for as wee ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot bee uttered 1 Cor. 10.12 Let him that thinketh hee standeth take heed lest hee fall By these Texts I would put thee in minde of thine own weakness and self-insufficiency Set to the working out thy salvation with fear and trembling but look up to Christ thy treasury that hath a stock of grace and strength for thee to spend upon till death and to all eternity and now let mee intreat thee to form thy conclusion thus with the holy Apostle Philip. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth mee Thou mayest with Christ do wonders but without him just nothing Ask and thou shalt have seek and thou shalt finde knock and it shall bee opened And lastly I say unto thee Watch and pray lest thou enter into temptation Now the Lord bless thee and make thy root to spread on the Mountain of the Lord let his dews fall upon thee and give thee to flourish as a pleasant branch in the Vineyard of thy God Let not that curse come ever near thee It is a barren tree cut it down why cumbers it the ground but bee thou ever laden with fruit that death may finde thee mellow and ripe for Heaven A Postscript I Am sufficiently aware of what exceptions the more curious may make against the management of this small Discourse as 1 That I have observed a method somewhat too loose 2 That I have handled the Species before the Genus that is spoken to the nature of inherent righteousness without giving any account of righteousness in general 3 That I have scarce touched upon the other species of righteousness which lyes in the active and passive obedience of our Lord and Saviour 4 That I have not handled fully the nature of inherent righteousness that is the subject of the whole having neglected in a manner the explication of any of its affections And lastly that I have insisted too little on the Doctrinal part Answ It may bee some satisfaction to thee that I know my defects before thou tellest mee of them but thou must know 1 That I intended to have delivered my whole minde on this subject in one sheet to make it as little chargeable as I could 2 That I intended it for the meaner sort of my people whom by long observation I have found them to understand mee least when I think I speak best and most accurately 3 I do not conceive my method so loose as thou mayest imagine seeing I have all along kept close to the parts of the Text and if I mistake not they lye together in as good a posture as the nature of things in their dependency can well bear 4 And as to my speaking so little to the righteousness of the Saints as is treasured up in the active and suffering life and death of the Lord Jesus I reply thus 1 I have not wholly omitted it but have besprinkled the whole with blood that the attentive Reader may plainly see that I little dreamed that the purest inherent righteousness could bee meritorious 2 And I was bound to follow the intendments of the Text that points most directly at the righteousness of the souls and spirits of men that must act them in their lives 3 And I knew that it is this inward righteousness the common people I speak to see lesse need of and it is their ignorance of this which is the ordinary rock on which they split and it was my duty here to help to save them if I could If this will not satisfie thee I cannot help it I writ not to please all but to profit some if the Lord shall please to bless it to that end it will content mee though it doth not thee FINIS A Catalogue of some Books sold and Printed for Andrew Kembe at his Shop at St. Margarets Hill in Southwark A Vew of holy Scriptures by Mr. Hugh Broughton Fol. Ancient Funeral Monuments within the united Monarchy of Great Britain Ireland and the Islands adjacent their Founders and what eminent persons have been interred The Gospel-Covenant or the Covenant of Grace opened by Peter Buckly sometimes Fellow of Christs Colledge in Cambridge Gods holy minde in ten Words or ten Commands which hee himself uttered and taught his Disciples by Questions and Answers by the late learned and faithful Preacher Mr. Elton late Pastor of St. Mary Magdalen Bermondsy near London 4o. Arraignment of Errour by Doct. Samuel Bolton late Master of Christs Colledge in Cambridge Bounds of Christian Freedome The Exposition of the five first Chapters of Ezekiel with the other three parts 4o. All Mr. Henry Smiths Sermons gathered into one Volume with his Life ' and Picture Mr. Dod on the Commandments 4o. Military Discipline the exactest way or the young mans Artillery wherein is shewn the posture both of Musket and pike Whereunto is added the postures and use of the half Pike joyned with Musket by Col. Wil. Barriff The Art of Dialling or Court of Arts By S. M. Mr. Slater on the fourth of the Romans 4o. Also on the book of Malachy Dariotts Judgement of the Stars containing the whole Art of Astrology Hudsons Vindication of the Church Catholick visible and the priority thereof in regard of particular Churches Also an Addition or Postscript to the Church Catholick visible Mr. Cradicoâ—s Sermon preached at the Spittle 4o. The Guard to the Tree of Life by Dr. Samuel Bolton late Master of Christs Colledge in Cambridge Octavoes Mr. Goodwin on the Sacrament On Family Duties On the Sabbath Bradshaw on the Sacrament Mr. Ford of the singing of Psalms Bakers Arithmetick Mr. Tippin of Eternity Dr. Sibbs on Canticles Amesius upon the whole Book of Psalms the two Epistles of Peter Francis Spira School-Books Farnabies Phrases Farnaby on Seneca Farnaby on Juvenal and Persius Farnaby on Martial Farnabies Epigrams Greek Latine Dux Grammaticus by Mr. Clark Matropedius de conscribend is Epistolis Vigerius Idiotism Graecae Lingua Ovids Metamorphosis Grammatically translated by Mr. Brinsly
speaks more sadness than I have acquainted thee with 3 Lastly Consider this if thou wilt not resolve to live more righteously than ever any Pharisee did Assure thy self that Jesus Christ that shuts thee out of heaven shall shut thee up in Hell that tongue that pronounceth the righteous blessed shall pronounce thee cursed and hee that bids them enter into the joy of their Master shall command thee to descend into torments with the Devils there shalt thou receive the stroak of his iron rod that shall dash thee in peeces and bear the stroaks of his revengeful arm for thy abusing of his tender and long-suffering mercy There shalt thou feel the worrowings of an inraged conscience and suffer the tortures of devouring flame and this for ever and ever Reader If thou art obstinate deceive not thy self God will not bee mocked and in his punishing thee for sin hee will not seem to bee in jeast for as the Lord liveth and as thy soul liveth there is not a tittle of what I say but what is contained in thy Bible if I shew it thee to bee there thou wilt not sure question whether it bee true Read then and let thine own eyes bear witness Matth. 25.41 Then shall hee say unto them on the left hand Depart from mee yee cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Mark 9.47 And if thine eye offend thee that is thy sin as dear as thy eye hinder thee in the way to heaven pluck it out that is cast it away and leave that sin It is better for thee to enter into the Kingdome of God with one eye yea with no eye than having two eyes to bee cast into hell fire where their worm dyeth not and the fire is not quenched Rev. 21.8 but the fearful that is such as fear to part with sin and life and all for Christ and unbeleeving and abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters such are covetous men and all lyars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone this is the second death Rev. 20.10 And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of the fire and the brimstone where the Beast and the false Prophets are and shall bee tormented day and night for ever and ever 2. Thess 1.7 8. When the Lord Jesus shall bee revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall bee punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Now thou hast read all these Texts I cannot think thou wilt unsay them all thou hast the witness both of John and Paul and Christ himself I am sure their testimony will passe in the Court of Heaven and there it is and onely there that thou must take thy trial receive thy sentence and bee sent to this dreadful punishment what hast thou more to say The Sinners last Refuge I have here read sayest thou That there is no salvation without I live an exceeding righteous life it is plain Scripture I cannot deny it and surely my drunkenness my swearing lying whoreing neglect of praying reading do not speak mee an exceeding righteous man What shall I do shall I think my self in so miserable estate that if I dye before I change my life I must go to hell Oh I dare not what then to leave my sins I will not but how then shall I keep them if I do the Scripture is plain I cannot go to heaven truly I know not what to say but perhaps there may be some way to heaven that the Scripture doth not tell us of I resolve to venture it at least and I know I shall have many to bear mee company and thus I will satisfie my self and continue as I am Answ A poor shift Thou hopest God will finde a way to save thee that hee hath not revealed that is in plain English thus thou hopest that God hath told thee by Jesus Christ that except thou art more righteous than the Pharisees thou canst not bee saved yet hee intendeth the quite contrary and will save thee and others though thou livest more wickedly than ever the Pharisees did What is this but to put God the Father and Jesus Christ at variance and make them contradict each other yea to think so impudently of God that hee sent his onely Son into the world to deceive and cheat it in a company of untruths as this would bee one if it should ever bee as thou art bold to hope But I have somewhat in my Text still behinde that will spoil thy hopes and convince thee of this wicked imagination sayes my Text Yee shall in no case enter mark that in no case what do those three words mean Do they not plainly signifie that God hath shut up all other wayes to heaven or that there are no means left by which thou canst possibly scape the misery of the damned but onely this of becoming righteous 1 Perhaps thou thinkest to hide thy self in the Grave and to lurk close in the corner of that dark room But Fool never think of it for the doors of those chambers of death shall all flye open the Trumpet shall sound and thou amongst the rest shalt arise and stand up before him 2 Perhaps thou conceivest a way to escape by crying for mercy Ah sinner that will not do neither for then it will bee too late there is no room for repentance nor for mercy when thou hast once left this earth 3 What dost thou think to plead the blood of Christ It will bee answered by Christ that shed it that hee shed it only for the penitent beleeving godly sinner and thou art none of those 4 Dost thou think then to flye from the Justice of God the Son to the Mercy of God the Father and if thou shouldest I tell thee hee would send thee back again unto Christ his Son and with all acquaint thee that hee hath committed all Judgement to his Son and is resolved to spare none that his Childe Jesus will not save and thou art sure already of this that Christ his Son will save none but such whose righteousness hath exceeded that of the Pharisees Read my Text hath he not there said it and canst thou think that upon his Judgement-seat hee will deny this Sermon or this part of it that hee preached upon the earth Shall so great a Judge as Christ make a Law and publish it on the earth and then upon the Bench deny hee never said so or then repent it no no Sinner it is impossible hee should deny himself or his word Now Reader if thou bee a man or woman whose heart and life is not yet changed if thou hast not a righteousness above the Pharisees in what a sad case dost thou see thy self or at least thou mayest if thou
A Serious Exhortation TO AN Holy Life OR A Plea for the absolute necessity of Inherent Righteousness in those that hope to be saved By Tho. Wadsworth Preacher to the Church at Newington-Butts in Surrey Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with aâ—l men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. LONDON Printed by R. I. for Andrew Kembe at St. Margarets Hill in Southwark And are to bee sold under St. Margaâ—ets Church on New-Fishstreet Hill 1660. TO My poor Parishoners of Newington-Butts Whose souls are precious to my God and Saviour and I dare say to mee SIRS THe remembrance of the strange Providences of my God that were apparent in bringing mee to bee your Teacher and have bearn mee company ever since in the work of my Ministry amongst you makes mee think I was born and still continue in the Land of the living for your sakes for the service of your immortal souls to help forward your salvation from that consuming burning wrath that hangs over your heads till Christ bee formed in you and your naturâ—s changed from what is earthly and sensual to that which is divine This Exhortation to an Holy life I send you as being very confident that without it not one of you shall ever see the face of God but to your shame and confusion if I press it hard upon your consciences blame mee not for it is my full belief you must bee damned without is and my love and pitty to you constrains mee to do my best to prevent so sad a judgement If you wonder how I dare venture to speak so much to you in Print I tell you I dare do any thing for your sakes yea hazzard the reputation of my discretion rather than bee thought defective in my care to your never dying spirits It comes not seldome to my thoughts and lyeth not a little pressing on my spirits Ah what shall I do more for poor Newington to help them towards Heaven before I dye somewhat I have done already as many of you can bear mee witnesse when with prayers and tears not onely publickly but from one house to another I have beseeched you to bee reconciled unto God and it is my greatest grief I have found these six years since my coming amongst you that I have done no more but alas what shall I or what can I do more I would you could but tell mee shall I come and live in all your Families that I may bee continually present to instruct pray with comfort reprove and over-see you this is all impossible I am but one man and can no more multiply my presence than I can my persons or shall I daily follow you from house to house How can it bee my more publick work is great abroad and not small at home besides the care of a selected people lyes upon mee that presseth more than most men imagine except them that feel it and I am but a man and have but the strength of man subject to bodily infirmities with my brethren But however I shall promise to do my best in this kind as I have begun to supply the want of my constant presence with you I have sent you my whole heart in Print that it may speak to you when I am absent it is but little yet I intended it should have been less but it is well it is no more Do but you accept it as kindely as it is offered and improve it as faithfully as it was conscientiously penned and I shall desire no more being very confident it will then run and prosper Which is the thing that is most earnestly prayed for By him whom the Lord hath made your Teacher Tho. Wadsworth A serious Exhortation to an Holy Life OR A Plea for the absolute necessity of Inherent Righteousness in those that hope to bee saved Matth. 5.20 I say unto you That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heaven STay Reader Thou hast perused the Text and canst not but see that it concerns thy eternal life or death I prethee answer mee this one Question and then in the fear of God read on Reader Thou art a dying man or woman Tell mee when thy breath is gone thy eyes closed thy bell hath towled and thy body coffined up for the grave Then Then wouldest thou rather have thy soul in Heaven or Hell in joy or torment with God or Devils For Gods sake make a pause and give mee thine answer before thou dost proceed Tell mee art thou one that carest not whither thou goest or makest no matter whether it bee to heaven or hell Is either of them to thee indifferent And art thou resolved to persist in this indifferency If it bee so Sinner I advise thee throw down the book and as thou lovest thy soul read not a letter more For I so love and pitty thee as to those sorrows that within a few days nay a few hours thou must certainly endure that I am loath that this sheetshould help to wind thee up for Hell or any wayes conduce to increase thy pains or augment thy torments For know Sinner This is the nature of that Gospel of Christ which wee preach or write that it either softens or hardens It is a savour of life to life or of death to death to him that reads or hears it It will either prepare thee for Heaven or ripen thee for Hell for of that very Jesus by whom onely thou canst hope for salvation it was prophesied Luke 20.34 Behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel Reader perswade thy self of this That Jesus Christ and his written or preached Gospel if they prove not means to the raising thee from that state of sin and death wherein by nature thou liest they will prove the instruments of that fatal fall that thou shalt never recover to eternity and of this very nature are these lines thou art now perusing being I am confident according to the minde of God I say therefore again if thou art one that hast lived an unrighteous ungodly life and resolvest not to change I beseech thee cast by the book and do not read it for why should it do any thing to promote thy ruine But if thou are a man or woman that canst not dare to think of being damned but tremblest at the very name or thought of it if thou dost heartily desire when thou leavest this poor empty miserable world to exchange it for that full rich and glorious Kingdom of God above then come away and I will lead thee into the path of life and tell thee what a man or woman thou must bee and what a life thou mayest and must live if ever thou hopest to live in that desired and incomparably blessed inheritance of the Saints Hoping now I have got a serious attentive soul to speak to for such Reader I presume thouart let mee