Prepared by God Tophet is ordained of old he hath made it deep and large the pile thereof is fire and much wood the breath of the LORD like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it Isa. 3. 33. And if God have prepared it whose wisdom power justice wrath c. are infinite how dreadful is that Preparation No men Angels or Creatures can make such Preparation Prepared for the Devil and his Angels Oh what a dreadful preparation must that needs be What To be everlastingly racked with the Devil and his Angels the worst of all society To be everlastingly tormented in fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels What an aggravation will this be of these infernal fiery torments No torments in the world like these torments 3. And by whom art thou and shalt thou be thus dreadfully cursed By the glorious and living God in his Word Gal. 3. 10. And by the Lord Jesus Christ at the great day Mat. 25. 41. O dismal soul-damning Curse What Natural man so dying can escape it or endure it Whom God and Christ curseth they are cursed whom God and Christ blesseth they are blessed indeed 3. If thou livest and diest in thy sinful and wretched state of Nature Thou wilt be eternally shut out from God Christ and all the Blessed Saints and Angels unto the Devil his Angels and Reprobates from Heaven to Hell from light to darkness from joy to grief from mercy to misery from happiness to unhappiness from life to death from all good into a conflux of all evil Compare Mat. 18. 3. Ioh. 3. 3 5. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10. Gal. 5. 19 20 21. with Mat. 23. 33. Rev. 21. 8. Mat. 25. 41 46. II. That There 's weighty cause why these thoughts and Considerations should strike deep into thy heart and dwell there For 1. This Life is the only season and seed-time of grace for obtaining of salvation and preventing of damnation Behold now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6. 2. Now is the time of repenting turning to God believing in Christ of laying up for our selves treasures in Heaven c. Act. 17. 30. Eccl. 12. 1. Mat. 6. 20. Therefore to day if thou wilt hear his voice harden not thy heart Heb. 3. 7 8 15. Whatsoever thine hand findeth to do do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou gâ—est Eccl. 9. 10. As the Tree falls to Heaven or Hell so it will lye till the last day 2. This present life of thine which is the only seed-time of grace and salvation is most frail and short Thou hast here no continuing City happy wert thou didst thou by faith unfaigned seek one to come A City that bath foundations whose builder and maker is god Heb. 3. 13 14. with 11. 9 10. We are all strangers before God and sojourners as all our Fathers were 1 Chron. 29. 15. Man born of a woman is but short of dayes and full of trouble Job 14. 1. Mans Life is of no long computation at most in ordinary dispensation but 70 or 80 years Psal. 90. 10. And what 's that to eternity Thy Life is but a few years Job 16. 22. Moneths of number Job 14. 5. A fâ—w and evil dayes Gen. 47. 9. An Hirelings day which at most is but 12 hours Iob 14. 6. As nothing before God Surely every max at his best estate is altogether vanity Selah Psal. 39. 5. O with what pathetical similitudes doth the Holy Ghost represent the vanity and brevity of mans Life Mans Life here is but a vapour appearing and disappearing Iam. 4. 14. A wind that blows and goes Iob 7. 7. A flower that flourisheth and fades Psal. 103. 16 17. Iob. 14. 2. A fable or tale told almost as soon forgot as told Psal. 90. 9. A flood speedily flowing night and day never returning Psal 90. 5. A watchin the night but 3 hours long Psal. 90. 4. A sleep insensibly gone Psal. 90. 5. A shadow or show without substance and reality Iob. 14. 2. Psal. 39. 6. Such is thy Life O Natural man thy day spends apace thy night hastens wherein thou canst not work Up and be doing The journey to Heaven is a long and difficult way to fit thy self for Heaven is a great work Lose not an inch a moment of time lest it be too late This day is thy flourishing to morrow may be thy funeral So it was with that graceless fool Luk. 12. 20. This night thou sleepest in thy bed ere many nights come thou maist sleep in thy grave And then if thy heavenly work be not done thou art eternally undone 3. Thy Death is sure Heb. 9. 27. Iob 14. 5. 2 Sam. 14. 14. The dismal winter doth not more certainly pursue the summer and autumn the darksome night not more infallibly and speedily drive away the day then thine unexpected Death will thy momentany Life Thy Death is then most certain and most uncertain thing in the world most certain that it will come most uncertain when where how it will come upon thee Thy last day is concealed from thee that every day it may be expected by thee Be alwayes in readiness for God and Christ lest Death surprize thee and so thou be shut out with the 5 foolish virgins and the impenitent thief Mar. 25. 10 11 12. Luk. 23. 39 40 41. 4. Upon thy Death O Natural man Gods impartial judgement and infernal torments will immediately pass upon thy soul Heb. 9. 27. Luk. 16. 22 23 24. And upon both body and soul at the great day of the LORD Mat. 25. 41 46. 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. And Oh how intolerable incurable and undeterminable will they be as hath been intimated 5. Finally It were a thousand pities that thy precious and immortal soul O' Natural man should ever come into that place of torments For 1. Was not thy sould a spark of immortality which no mortals nor meer creatures can possibly kill and destroy Mat. 10. 28. 2. Was not thy soul in its first Creation the principal receptacle and subject of the blessed Image of God Gen. 1. 26 27. 3. Is not thy soul still the seat of all thy reason understanding sense motion strength beauty c. and the very rise and guide of thy whole body without which it is no better than a dead senseless helpless useless worthless organized lump of earth 4. Is not thy soul thy most precious jewel of more true worth and invaluable consequence to thee then any thing in the world then the whole world besides Christ who best knew the souls true value said What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul Mat. 16. 26. And wilt thou hazard this thy precious soul unto infernal torments for ever for a few rotten pleasures of sin for a season Now then O Natural man think seriously of all
all with all your Heart Soul Mind and might and that especially for his own sake love such as are begotten of God and true Christians indeed chiefly for Gods sake for Christs sake And see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently Especially endeavouring to help and further one another in the way to heaven 15. Finally Set your affection on things above not on things on the Earth For all the things on Earth are meer vanity and vexation of Spirit being vanity they are empty shadows and bubles that cannot continue that cannot satisfie but utterly disappoint you By their disappointment they become vexation of Spirit heaps of thorns and briars unto you But your true lasting and Soul-satisfying Treasures are above there 's your Crown your Kingdom your Glory your Eternal life your Eternal inheritance your Masters joy and pleasures at his right hand for Evermore there 's your sweetest and most glorious Saviour Jesus Christ at Gods right hand and there 's your God in Christ in whose immediate vision and compleat fruition the supream happiness of Heaven will consist for ever Have therefore your Conversation in Heaven though for a while your conversation be on Earth and look for your Saviour Jesus Christ from Heaven to change your vile bodies and make them like to his own glorious body Then there shall be no more Sin Sorrow Pain Curse or Death Then Christ will wipe all your Tears away Then your everlasting Jubilee will bâ—gin but shall never end O how should we love his appearing when all those things shall come to pass Make haste O beloved and be as the Hind or the Roe upon the Mountains of Spices Even so come Lord Jesus These things my beloved Children I have earnestly desired to recommend unto you in order to your Eternal Salvation hoping that some of you have a true Spiritual sense and relish of them already Now the God of all Grace imprint them indelibly upon the Tables of all your Hearts that you may still remember them and conform your selves unto them not onely while I am with you in this land of the living but also after I shall be taken from you by Natures dissolution and sleep in Jesus And let him bless you with all Spiritual blessings in heavenly-places in Christ for evermore Amen THE Natural MAN DIRECTED TO CHRIST A Premonition to the Natural Man reading the ensuing Directions WHoever thou art that unto this present hour remainest still in thy Natural State in the Old Adam unconverted unto God in CHRIST the last Adam or justly suspectest thy condition to be such and perusest these DIRECTIONS following Read and understand Vnderstand and Consider in thine Heart Consider and Believe the Scripture Truths therein propounded Believe and put in Practise the Scripture Rules therein recommended unto thee lest otherwise what thou readest and art convinc'd in Conscience to be thy Duty hereafter sting thine Heart Rise up in judgment against thee and condemn thee both when thy Death Approacheth and at the Great day when the Lord IESVS shall be revealed from Heaven with the Angels of his power in flaming Fire taking Vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord IESVS CHRIST 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. with Mat. 11. 20. to 25. and 12. 41 42. Directions tending to conduct the Natural Man to CHRIST I. Direction A Waken and rouz up thy Soul and Conscience O Sinful wretched natural Man seriously to consider and deeply to lay to heart How Sinful and miserable the State and Condition of all Mankind since the fall and of thine own Soul in particular is by Nature in the first Adam compare together Rom. 3. 9. to 21. 1 Cor. 2. 14. Rom. 8. 5 6 7 8. Tit. 3. 3. and 1. 15 16. Eph. 2. 1 2 3. 1. The Sinfulness of Natural man's State what Words can enough express what thoughts of Man can sufficiently conceive who can understand his Errors Psal. 19. 12. The heart is â—â—eeitful above all things and desperately wâ—â—ked who can know it I the LORD search the heart I try the Reins Jer. 17. 9 10. God alone who cannot sin eâ—actly knows man's Sinfulness From his word take a brief discovery of it The Sinfulness of the Natural man's condition Consists chiefly in these particulars viz. 1. In the guilt of Adam's first Sin Of Eating the forbidden fruit contrary to Gods express Command Gen. 2. 16 17. with Gen. 3. 6 7. Rom. 3. 9. 19. In which Eating Adam's 1 Unbelief of Gods word 2 Contempt of Gods command 3 Impious Consent of his most free-will 4 Proud aspiring to be as Gods knowing good and evil Gen. 3. 5. 5 Apostacy from God 6 Disobedience of the whole man and 7 Ruine of himself and all his posterity are comprehended This sin of Adam being the Common Parent and Root of all mankind as St. Augustine well notes then virtually and seminally in his loyns is imputed to and charged upon all his ordinary posterity even upon all mankind ordinarily propagated form him Rom 5. 12. 15 16 17 18 19. Act 17 26. â— Cor. 15. 21. 22. 45. 49. As Levi who received Tithes is said to â—ay Tithes in Abraham to Melchizedeck for that yet he was in the loyns of his Father Abraham when Melchizedeck met him Heb. 7. 9 10. So then in Adams eating the forbidden fruit all mankind did eat the forbidden fruit In Adam's Sinning all his posterity Sinned In Adam's disobeying all mankind disobeyed In Adam's falling all his postâ—rity sell In Adams dying all his Posterity dyed And thou amongst the rest And Therefore in this Sense thou wast a Sinner algrievous Sinner before thou wast born even from the foundation of the world O thou Natural man Think of this Lay this to Heart deeply was it a small matter for Adam and for thee and all Mankind in Adam thus to Sin Consider well the many and great Aggrevations of this first Sin of Man As 1. The Person who sinned 2. Condition and State wherein 3. Place where 4. Time when 5. Law against which 6. Object against whom 7. And finally The manifold and great Evils both of Sin and punishment ensuing thereupon all which I have elsewhere at large illustrated and then see if ever Sin was perpetrated in this world all things duly considered so Sinful Haynous Horrid inexcusable and damnable as this first Sin 2. In being wholly overwhelmed with Original Sin so as is thought it 's called by Augustin contracted from lapsed Adam by Natural Propagation Gen. 5. 3. Psal. 51. 5. Ioh. 3. 6. Iob. 14. 4. and 15. 14. This Original Sin Consists especially â— In the privation or loss 1 of Man's Primitive Integrity or Original Righteousness concreated with him Gen. 1. 26 27. and 3. 6 7 8. Eccles. 7. 29. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. 2 and of that sweet communion which
in his word hath directed you to walk Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts even all Sins against the first and second Table living soberly towards yourselves righteously towards man and godly towards the Lord in this present world Observe and keep all his Commandements Yield and present your selves both Souls and Bodies living Sacrifices unto him Whether you live live unto the Lord or whether you dye dye unto the Lord that whether you live or dye you may be the Lords So live and walk also as Christ hath given you an Example Walk as Christ walked Walk in love as Christ hath loved us and hath given himself for us a Sacrifice an offering unto God for a sweet smelling Savour Walk in Love towards Iesus Christ as to love him beyond Father Mother Sister Brother or your own dearest lives For he hath loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own blood Walk in all well doing as Christ went about doing good every where and imitate him also in innocent and patient suffering for well doing commitâ—ing your selves and your Cause to him that judgeth righteously for herein he hath left us an Example that we should follow his steps 7. Remember the Lords-day-Sabbath the first day of the week unto which the seventh-day-Sabbath was translated by the Authority of Christ as appears by the after observation of that day by the Apostles and Apostolical Churches to keep it holy This is the Princess and Queen of all dayes This is the Glory of all the week For As on this day our blessed Saviour Rose from the dead triumphing victoriously over Death Grave Sin and all our Spiritual Enemies and thereby assured us of our Spiritual and Corporeal Resurrection by him As on this day our Saviour vouchsafed many of his apparitions to his Disciples instructing them and giving them commandements concerning the Kingdom of God On this day the Holy Ghost was most miraculously poured forth upon the Apostles On this day the Apostles and primitive Churches held their solemn Assemblies for the publick worship of God This is the solemn Mart and Market day for furnishing our Souls with all manner of Spiritual and Heavenly Provisions This is that Solemn Season and sweet opportunity which Christ hath afforded and ordained for acquainting us with Himself and the Mysteries of his Kingdom for maintaining our Communion with him in his Ordinances for edifying and perfecting of us in all Spirituals And as in the time of the Old Testament The Sacrifices of the Sabbath-day were to be double to those on the week day So our Spiritual Sacrifices on the Lords-days are to be twice so much as on any other day of the week Especially in Prayer and thanksgiving in Reading the Scriptures in Hearing the word preached in Partaking the Lords Supper in Catechizing in Shewing Mercy to the poor c. that so the sacred tincture and impressions of this day may remain fresh and lively upon your hearts all the week following 8. Let every day of the week be managed by you in a Christian sort To that End Be sure to present unto the Lord your Morning and Evening-Sacrifice of prayer and praise to God continually as God of Old appointed a Morning and Evening Sacrifice for every day in the week Holy David and Daniel Prayed thrice in a day Every day open with God in the morning and shut with God in the Evening by some religious ejaculation or savourly meditation Read daily some portion of Holy Scripture to keep up your acquaintance with God with Iesus Christ and his Spirit and the mysteries of true Religion And then follow the lawful affairs of your honest particular Calling diligently and righteously 9. Do ye Remember your Creator in the days of your youth while the evil dayes of old age come not nor the years draw nigh when ye shall say we have no pleasure in them Gods Eminent Saints have sought the Lord betimes and addicted themselves unto Godliness while they were young As David that man after Gods own heart while he was but a Youth Josiah that Phaenix King of Iudah while he was yet young but sixteen years old began to seek after the God of David And Timothy so highly commended by the Apostle Paul knew the Holy Scriptures from a Child Gr. from his insancy God in the time of the Law called for the first ripe fruits of the field and the firstlings of the flock to be offered unto him to teach his people how acceptable the first-fruits of our youth and life are to God O how happy are they that bear the yoke of Christ in their youth Hereby the flower of their age is best improved Hereby thousands and ten-thousands of sins are prevented Hereby they gain the longer time for walking with God for growing in grace for doing of good for increasing of Spiritual Experiences for treasuring up of Evidences and assurances of their Salvation and of preparing themselves for Heaven and eternal Glory 10. Herein alwaies exercise your selves to have a Conscience void of offence both towards God and Man That so living in all good conscience before God This may be matter of singular comfort and rejoycing to you in your greatest afflictions and distresses the Testimony of your Consciences that in simplicity and godly sincerity you have had your Conversation in the world 11. Imploy and improve to the utmost all the Times and Talents wherewith the Lord hath intrusted you to his Glory your own or others Benefit That when the time of reckoning shall come he may both command you and richly reward you and not condemn and punish you with that wicked sloathful and improfitable Servant 12. Hold fast the Platt-form of Sound words in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus That so you may not be carryed aside with every wind of false doctrine but may be the Children of the Truth And to this End constantly retain in your Memories the Catechisme wherein you have been trayned up now a long time together For this is an excellent Brevial or Sum of the true Christian Religion very useful to direct you both in the Faith and Practice in the right wayes of God against error and iniquity 13. Stand not at a stay much less go backward in the affairs of Religion But still grown in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Take heed of backsliding Having put your hand to Christs plow Look not back For then you will be unfit for the Kingdome of God Be stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord Be faithful to the death and christ will give you a Crown of Life 14. Love God Father son and Holy Ghost over
not thou sanctifie the Sabbath-day when Scribes and Pharisees were so zealous against the breach and prophanation of the Sabbath Mat. 12. 1 2. Ioh. 5 16 18. Canst not thou humble thy self with fasting when Ahab did it 1 King 21. 27 28. When the Heathen City Nineveh did it Ionah 3. 5. to 10. When Pharisees did it often Luk. 18. 10. 11. c. 7. Finally Thou canst O natural man do much good perform many religious Exercises and Christian duties as our hearing reaped much Spiritual Benefit by the means of Grace What other meer Natural men have done thou maist do As 1. Thou maist give much Alms to the poor So did the carnal Pharisees Mat. 6. 1 2. So the blinded Papists 2. Thou maist show much kindness and favour to Gods people to Christians c. So did Cyrus to the Jews Ezra 1. 1 2. Artaxerxes to Ezra Ezra 7. 11. to 27. Ahashuerus to Mordecai and the Jews Esth. 6. and 7. and 8. and 9. and 10. So Maximinus the Emperour under Gods heavy judgements his bowels rotting innumerable worms crawling from him c. ceased his cruel persecutions of Christians and made a Law for their peace liberty and publick meetings 3. Thou maist have Gods faithful Ministers in high esteem maist reverence them and hear them gladly As Ioash did Iehoiadah 2 Chron. 24. 2 4 c. Herod did Iohn Baptist Mar. 6. 20. Simon Magus did Philip Act. 8. 13. And as the Officers of the chief Priests and Pharisees sent to take Christ were wonderfully taken with Christ Joh. 7. 32 45 46. 4 Thou maist desire the prayers of Gods Ministers and people for thee As Pharaoh desired the prayers of Moses and Aaron Exod. 9. 27 28. and 10. 16 17 18. King Ieroboam desired the prayers of the man of God for his withered hand 1 King 13. 4 6. And Simon Magus begg'd the prayers of Peter and the Apostles for himself that the evils feared might not come upon him Act. 28. 24. 5. Thou maist wish thy self in as happy a condition especially in death as Gods people So did Balaam Numb 23. 10. And maist not only wish but pray to God So did the Pharisees Mat. 6. 5. and 23. 14. Luk. 18. 10. 6. Thou maist profess the Christian Faith and Religion So did the five foolish Virgins who had lamps Mat. 25. 3 c. Simon Magus Act. 8. 13. Ananias and Saphira his Wife Act. 5. 1. to 11. And Iulian the Emperour for a season but afterwards became a woful Apostate and cruel persecutor of Christians Yea thou maist believe for a time as the Hearers resembled to the rocky or stony ground are said to do Luk. 8. 13. 7. Thou maist also proceed to practice and do many things As did Herod Mar. 6. 20. Nay what can a true Christian do but an hypocrite who is the Christians Ape may imitate it Yea the Natural man may seem to do with much zeal and affection The stony ground heard with joy Mat. 13. 20 21. How zealous seemed Ioash about repairing of the Temple 2 Chron. 24. 4 c. And Iehu in rooting out of Ahab's house and destroying of Baal's Idolatry out of Israel 2 King 10. 16 c. III. These things the Natural man may do and ought to do in order to his recovery out of his Natural state of sin and misery Thou therefore O Natural man if thou dost not these things which thou canst do and oughtst to do in order to thy recovery though neither these things nor any thing else which thou canst do is sufficient thou shalt justly perish in thy sinful and wretched state of Nature for evermore For 1. All these abilities which God hath furnished thee withall what are they but as so many Talents wherewith the Lord hath betrusted thee that thou shouldst imploy them to thy Lord and Master's honour and thine own eternal benefit Mat. 25. 14. to 31. Luk. 19. 12 13. Now Talents are not to be buried in the earth or hid in a Napkin 2. A day of account will certainly come when God will reckon with every one how they have imploy'd their talents Mat. 25. 19 c. and happy those souls that shall be able to give a good and clear account at that day 3. He that diligently and fruitfully imploys his talents received is in the ready way of having his talents and gifts augmented Mat. 25. 28 29. Mar. 4. 25. Mat. 13. 12. Luk. 8. 18. He that faithfully doth what he is able shall be enabled to do much more 4. If thou dost not in order to thy recovery what thou art able to do thou wilt be found willingly if not wilfully guilty of thine eternal perdition in thy Natural state of sin and misery Ezek 18. 31. and 33. 11. Ah! what a crying sin is murder Gen. 41. 10. What a roaring sin then is self-murder wilful self-murder both of body and soul for ever 5. Finally If thou dost not towards thy recovery what thou art able if thou improvest not thy talents what thou canst God will account thee an unprofitable a slothful and wicked servant will cause thy talent to be taken from the and thy self to be cast into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Mat. 25. 26 28 30. Now go O Natural man do to the utmost thou art able towards the rescuing of thy self from thy sinful and wretched state of Nature else thou'â—t be guilty of thine own eternal destruction And yet when thou hast done all thou art able all this will not fully and compleatly effect thy recovery VII Direction GReat cause thou hast then O Natural man upon all these foregoing Considerations deeply to humble thy self before the LORD for this thy sinful and wretched state of Nature wherein thou remainest even until this very day Luk. 15. 17 18 19 21. I. Hast thou not causes more then enough to humble thy self deeply before the Lord for this thy sinful and wretched state of Nature wherein thou still remainest For Consider 1. While thou art in this state of Nature thou art in the state of damnation Ioh. 3. 18 36. Eph. 2. 1 2 3. And thou art posting apace to the place of execution as fast as the wings of speedy time can carry thee And wilt thou go laughing to Hell Thou art condemned already Joh. 3. 18. And will any condemned malefactor go merrily to the place of execution Was it not Agag's folly to come in delicately to Samuel as if the bitterness of death had been past when he was presently to be hewed in pieces before the LORD 1 Sam. 15. 32 33. Art thou on the very pits brink of eternal perdition and but a small puff of breath betwixt thee and Hell and dost thou not tremble Doth not thine heart ake Is not thy soul round-beset with sorrow even unto death 2. While thou art un-humbled under this thy sinful and wretched state of Nature thou continuest an un-cured yea an unconvinced sinner 1. An un-cured
sinner For humiliation usually precedes and procures reformation As in Manasses 2 Chron. 33. 12. to 17. In the Prodigal Luk. 15. 17. to 22. In the penitent woman Luk. 7. 37 38 c. In Saul Act. 9. 6 c. In Peter's Hearers Act. 2. 37 c. And in most Bruising prepares for healing wounding for binding up Luk 4. 18. Burdening makes way for easing Mat. 11. 28. Godly sorrow works repentance not to be repented of 2 Cor. â— 10. 2. Yea an un-convinced sinner â—or humiliation as it makes way for reformation so it presupposeth a previous conviction So then conviction works humiliation humiliation inclines to reformation O do not thou still continue an un-cured sinner yea an un-convinced sinner by remaining an un-humbled sinner 3. Thine humiliation before the LORD for thy sinful and wretched condition will prove A grateful sacrifice to God A gainful exercise to thee 1. A grateful sacrifice to God The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Psal. 51. 17. See 2 Chron. 33. 12 13. and 15. 6 7. Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Mat. 5. 4. Bruised and broken hearts are fit cures for Christ Luk 4. 18. Isa. 61. 1 2. Yea when sinners lament and grieve for their sins Heaven is filled with joy Luk. 15. 7 10. Fletus peccatorum triumphus Angelorum Sinners tears are the very triumph of Angels 2. A gainful exercise to thee Humiliation for thy sinful state 1. Will help thee to a deeper sense of thy sinfulness and wretchedness As blots run abroad and appear far larger in wet paper 2. Will somewhat comfort thee in that thou beginnest to mourn for that wherein thou didst formerly rejoyce and to hate what thou didst formerly love c. 3. Will notably prepare thee to true repentance and recovery 2 Cor. 7. 10. II. But when thou humblest thy self before God for thy sinful and wretched Natural state humble thy self rightly viz. 1. Humble thy self secretly seriously and sincerely without hypocrisie Not as once Ahab of old did 1 King 21. 27 29. Nor as usually the hypocritical Pharisees were wont to do and after them the Papists in their fastings Mat. 6. 16. Only formally But as penitent Manasseh did 2. Chron. 33. 11 12. As the praying Publican did Luk 18. As the repenting Prodigal did Luk. 15. As the relenting Woman did Luk. 7. Cordially and really 2. Humble thy self unto deepest self-loathing and self abhorrency Consider the infinite holiness of God Isa. 6. 3. Hab. 1. 13. The wonderful purity and perfection of his Word Psal. 119. 140 96. And thine own extream sinfulness utterly repugnant unto both Rom. 5. 12. Psal. 51. 5. Ioh. 3. 6. Rom. 3. 9. to 19. Eph. 2. 1 2 3. And then loath thy self and even abhor thy self as in dust and ashes Ezek. 36. 31. Iob 42. 6. accounting thy self with humbled Paul chief of sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. 3. Humble thy self so for thy sins as to labour and be heavy laden with them and quite weary of them Mat. 11. 28. Be so pricked and wounded in heart for them as to cry out to Gods messengers Men and brethren what shall I do Act. 2. 36 37. Sirs what must I do to be saved Act. 16. 30. True humiliation for sin will make thee earnestly long and desire to be rid of sin 4. Humble thy self reformingly So as to repent and turn from thine iniquities unto God As did Manasseh 2 Chron. 33. 12 c. As did Saul Act. 9. 6 11 20. That 's right humiliation that works reformation That 's true godly-sorrow indeed that works repentance not to be repented of 2 Cor. 7. 10. 5. Humble thyself Continually till thy God exalt thee and lift thee up with Comfort and restore thee from thy Sinful and wretched state of Nature into an holy and happy state of Grace The Sinful woman never ceased hmbling herself at Christs feet and washing his feet with tears till Christ comforted her and told her that her Sins which were many were forgiven her Luk. 7. 47 48. The Prodigal ceased not confessing his sin and humbling himself for it to his Father as no more worthy to be called his Son till the father called for the best robe to be put upon him and expressed many other most affectionate acts of a most tender paternal love unto him Luk. 15. 21. to 25. VIII Direction HOwever thou art by Nature O Natural man in a most Sinful and wretched state and hast remained therein from thy very Birth unto this day for which thou hast cause to be abased to the very dust yet know thou for thy Comfort thy Case is not Desperate there is Hope in Israel concerning this God hath in this valley of Achor in this valley of trouble opened a door of Hope for thee and of his meeâ— love and mercy hath Revealed in his Covenant of Faith in Christ a way how thou mayst be recovered out of this thy sinful and wretched state of Nature into an Holy and Happy state of Grace and how all Gods Elect though lapsed in the first Adam may be restored in a second Adam Tit. 3. 4 5 6 7. Gal. 3. 21 22. Rom. 3. 20 21 22. 26 27. I shall Illustrate this further to thy singular encouragement and comfort O Natural man in certain distinct Positions viz. 1. The LORD God of the meer good pleasure of his will according to his eternal Purpose which he purposed in himself elected a certain number out of mankind unto himself to the Adoption of children that they should be holy and without blame before him in love to the praise of the Glory of his Grace Ephes. 1. 4 5 6. 2 Though the only wise and righteous God who can bring good out of cvil Else he could not suffer it to be permitted Adam the common Root of Mankind and in him as in his loins all mankind and among them all his elect to fall into Sin and misery for the greater manifestation of the surpassing glory of his Freedom Mercy and Justice towards mankind yet hath he not cast away his people whom he foreknew nor left his Elect to perish in that lapsed state but hath most graciously and wisely contrived a way how all his Elect shall be recovered out of this state of Sin and misery into a state of Holiness and Happiness for evermore Compare Mat. 10. 29. 30. Act. 2. 23. and 4. 27. with Gen. 3. 1. c. Rom. 5 12 13 14. Rom. 11. 2. Ephes. 1. 4. to 12. Col. 1. 19 20. 3. God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us was pleased to contrive lapsed man's Recovery out of the exceeding riches of his meer Grace and mercy Eph. 1. 3. to 12. and 2. 4 to 10. Nothing at all foreseen in lapsed man could move or encline God at all to Contrive his Restitution Eph. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 4 5 6 7. 4.