Laws and make his own terms with God can he dissolve the chains of darkness with a few death-bed tears and quench the flames of another world with them O foolish sinners who hath bewitched them with these deceitful dreams will heaven-gates fly open with the strength of a few dying groans will the mouth of hell be stopt with the bare lamentation of a sinner Are there such charms in some penitent words extorted from the fear of approaching misery that God himself is not able to resiâ—â— them Certainly there is no deceit more dangerous nor I fear more common in the world than for men to think that God is so easie to pardon sin that though they spend their lives in satisfying their lusts they shall make amends for all by a dying sorrow and a gasping repentance As though the unsaying what we had done or wishing we had done otherwise since we can do it no longer for that is the bottom of all putting off repentance to the last were abundant compensation to the justice of God for the affronts of his Majesty contempt of his Laws abuse of his Patience and all the large indictments of wilful and presumptuous sins which the whole course of our lives is charged with The supposal of which makes the whole design of Religion signify very little in the world Thus we have examined the foundations of a sinner's peace and found them very false and fallacious 2. We are now to shew that those things do accompany a sinner's course of life which certainly overthrow his peace which are these two 1. The reflections of his Mind 2. The violence of his Passions 1. The reflections of his Mind which he can neither hinder nor be pleased with No doubt if it were possible for him to deprive himself of the greatest excellency of his being it would be the first work he would do to break the glass which shews him his deformity For as our Saviour said Every one that doth evil hateth the light lest his deeds should be reproved not only the light without which discovers them but that light of conscience within which not only shines but burns too Hence proceeds that great uneasiness which a sinner feels within as often as he considers what he hath done amiss which we call the remorse of conscience and is the natural consequent of the violence a man offers to his reason in his evil actions It was thought a sufficient vindication of the innocency of two Brothers by the Roman Judges when they were accused for Parricide that although their Father was murthered in the same room where they lay and no other person was found on whom they could fasten the suspicion of it yet in the morning the door was open and they fast asleep For as the Orator saith No man can imagine that those who had broken all the Laws of God and nature by so great an act of wickedness could presently sleep upon it for they who do such things can neither rest without care nor breathe without fear We are not to believe saith he the fables of the Poets as though wicked men were haunted and terrified with the burning torches of the furies but every man's wickedness is the greatest terrour to himself and the evil thoughts which pursue wicked men are their constant and domestick furies It would be endless to repeat what force the more civil Heathens have given to conscience either way as to the peace which follows innocency and the disquiet which follows guilt Which they looked on as the great thing which governed the world Quâ sublatâ jacent omnia as the Orator speaks without which all things would be in great disorder for these punishments they are sure not to escape though they may do others and these they thought so great and weighty that upon this ground they vindicated divine providence as to the seeming prosperity of wicked men thinking it the most unreasonable thing in the world to call those persons happy who suffered under the severe lashes of their own consciences If there were such a force in the consciences of those who had nothing but the light of nature to direct them how much greater weight muâ—t there be when the terrours of the Lord are made known by himself and the wrath of God revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men I know that wicked men in the height of their debaucheries pretend to be above these things and are ready to laugh at them as the effects of a strong spleen and a weak brain but I appeal to their most sober thoughts when the streams of wine are evaporated and the intoxication of evil company is removed from them when in the deep and silent night they revolve in their minds the actions of the foregoing day what satisfaction they then take in all the sinful pleasures they have pursued so eagerly but especially when either their lusts have consumed their bodies or the vengeance of God hath overtaken them when death begins to seize upon their vitals and themselves not wholly stupified through the power of their sins or their disease let then if it were possible any repâ—esent the fears the horrour and astonishment which the consciences of wicked men labour under in remembrance of their evil actions How mean and poor would they leave themselves if with all their honours and riches they could purchase to themselves a reprieve from death and from the miseries which follow after it what would they then give for the comfort of a good conscience and the fruit of a holy righteous and sober life with what another sense of Religion do men whose minds are awakened speak then in comparison of what they did in the days of their mirth and jollity Neither is this to take them at the greatest disadvantage as some of them have been ready to say for I suppose their minds as clear then as at any time and so much the clearer because freed from the impediments of such freedom of their thoughts at another time for the same thoughts would have possessed them before only the pleasures and the hopes of life diverted their minds from them but now the nearness of the things they feared and the weight and consequence of them make them more diligently examine and impartially consider them But that demonstrates the great misery of a sinner's State that what cures the other greatest troubles of our life doth the most increase his which is the exercise of reason and consideration that allays the power of griefs that easeth the mind of vain fears that prevents many troubles and cures others that governs other passions and keeps them in their due bounds but this is it which of all things doth the most increase the trouble of a wicked man's mind for the more he considers the worse he finds his condition and while he finds his condition so bad he can never enjoy any peace in his mind 2. The violence of his
to be spoken by our Lord and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him God also bearing them witness by signs and wonders c. Wherein we have all the satisfaction which the minds of reasonable men could desire as to these things It might be justly expected that the messenger of so great news to the World should be no mean and ordinary person neither was he for the honour was as great in the person who brought it as the importance was in the thing it self No less than the Eternal Son of God came down from the Bosom of his Father to rectifie the mistakes of Mankind and not only to shew them the way to be happy but by the most powerful arguments to perswade them to be so Nay we find all the three persons of the Trinity here engaged in the great work of mans salvation it was first spoken by our Lord God also bearing them witness and that with divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost So that not only the first revelation was from God but the testimony to confirm that it was so was from him too there being never so clear an attestation of any divine truths as was of the Gospel From whence it follows that the foundation whereon our Faith stands is nothing short of a divine testimony which God gave to the truth of that revelation of his will so vain are the cavils of those who say we have nothing but meer probabilities for our Faith and do interpret that manner of proof which matters of fact are capable of in a sense derogatory to the firmness of our Christian Faith As tho' we made the Spirit of God a Paraclete or Advocate in the worst sense which might as well plead a bad as a good cause No we acknowledge that God himself did bear witness to that doctrine deliver'd by our Lord and that in a moâ—t signal and effectual manner for the conviction of the world by those demonâ—â—rations of a divine power which accompanied the first Preachers of salvation by the Gospel of Christ. So that here the Apostle briefly and clearly resolves our Faith if you ask Why we believe that great salvation which the Gospel ofâ—ers the anâ—wer is Because it was declared by our Lord who neither could nor woulâ— deceive us if it be asked How we know that this was delivered by our Lord he answers because this was the constant Doctrine of all his Disciples of those who constantly heard him and conversed with him But if you ask again how can we know that their testimony was infallible since they were but men he then resolves all into that that God bare witness to them by signs and wonders and divers miracles and gifts of the Holy Ghost And those persons whom these arguments will not convince none other will Who are we that should not think that sufficient which God himself thought so who are we that dare question the certainty of that which hath had the Broad Seal of Heaven to attest it Can any thing make it surer than God himself hath done and can there be any other way more effectual for that end than those demonstrations of a divine power and presence which the Apostles were acted by Those that cavil at this way of proof would have done so at any other if God had made choice of it and those who will cavil at any thing are resolved to be convinced by nothing and such are not fit to be discoursed with 4. Here are the most prevailing motives to perswade them to accept of these offers of salvation There are two passions which are the great hinges of Government viz. mens Hopes and Fears and therefore all Laws have had their sanctions suitable to these two in Rewards and Punishments now there was never any reward which gave greater encouragement to hope never any punishment which made fear more reasonable than those are which the Gospel proposes Will ever that man be good whom the hopes of Heaven will not make so or will ever that man leave his sins whom the fears of Hell will not make to do it What other arguments can we imagine should ever have that power and influence on mankind which these may be reasonably supposed to have Would you have God alter the methods of his Providence and give his rewards and punishments in this life but if so what exercise would there be of the patience forbearance and goodness of God towards wicked men must he do it as soon as ever men sin then he would never try whether they would repent and grow better or must he stay till they have come to such a height of sin then no persons would have cause to fear him but such who are arrived at that pitch of wickedness but how then should he punish them must it be by continuing their lives and making them miserable but let them live and they will sin yet further must it be by utterly destroying them that to persons who might have time to sin the mean while supposing annihilation were all to be fear'd would never have power enough to deter men from the height of their wickedness So that nothing but the misery of a life to come can be of force enough to make men fear God and regard themselves and this is that which the Gospel threatens to those that neglect their salvation which it sometimes calls everlasting fire sometimes the Worm that never dies sometimes the wrath to come sometimes everlasting destruction all enough to fill the minds of men with horror at the apprehension and what then will the undergoing it do Thence our Saviour reasonably bids men not fear them that can only kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell Thus the Gospel suggests the most proper object of fear to keep men from sin and as it doth that so it presents likewise the most desireable object of hope to encourage men to be good which is no less than a happiness that is easier to hope to enjoy than to comprehend a happiness infinitely above the most ambitious hopes and glories of this world wherein greatness is added to glory weight to greatness and eternity to them all therefore call'd a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Wherein the Joys shall be full and constant the perception clear and undisturbed the fruition with continual delight and continual desire Where there shall be no fears to disquiet no enemies to allarm no dangers to conquer nothing shall then be but an uninterrupted peace an unexpressible Joy and pleasures for evermore And what could be ever imagined more satisfactory to minds tired out with the vanities of this world than such a repose as that is What more agreeable to the minds and desires of good men than to be eased of this clog of flesh and to spend eternity with the fountain of all
Passions those a wicked man hath lost the command of or else he could never be a wicked man and whosoever is under the power of any unruly passion forfeits all his peace by it For what peace can ever be expected in such a State of violence and usurpation where the calm government of reason is cast off as an unnecessary burden and every passion under the pretence of liberty sets up for an arbitrary power Nay what confusion and disorder must needs follow where the powers of the mind which ought to keep all in order are themselves in subjection to their own slaves and none ever govern so ill as those which ought to obey How serene and quiet is the mind of a man where the superiour faculties preserve their just authority How composed is his temper how moderate his desires how well governed his fears But where once that authority is lost how extravagant is the rage of men how unruly their lusts how predominant their fears What peace had Xerxes in his mind when in stead of conquering his foolish passion he challenged Mount Athos into the field and no doubt would have run fast enough if he had seen it moving What pleasure was it to see that mighty Monarch whip the Sea in a rage as though the Waves had been under his discipline and would run the faster for the fear of his rod What harm had the hair of hâ—s head done to that man who pulled it off with the violence of his passion as though as the Philosopher told him baldness would asswage his grief Was ever Varus the nearer to restoring his Legions for Augustus knocking his head against the wall in a rage about the loss of them What injury did Neptune suffer when he displaced his image in the Circensian games because he had an ill Voyage at Sea What height of madness and folly did that modern Prince's rage betray him to who as the French Moralist saith having received a blow from heaven sware to be revenged on Almighty God and for ten years space forbid all publick exercise of devotion towards him I instance in these things to let us see there is nothing so ridiculous nothing so absurd nothing so irreligious but a violent passion may betray men to And if such things ever break forth into actions what may we conceive the inward disturbance is where the outward shew which usually dissembles the inward passion betrayed so much rage and disorder for where such flames break out what combustion may we conceive within But it is not only this kind of passion which is so great an enemy to the peace of a man's mind but when his desires are restless and his fears unconquerable and this is the case of every wicked man His lusts inflame him and the means he uses to quench them inrage them more his ambition grows greater as his honour doth and there is no hopes of a cure where the disease thrives under the remedy his love of riches is necessary to maintain his honour and feed his lusts and where passions so great so many so different all increase by being gratified what disturbance and confusion follows But supposing that vices in men may agree as the Devils in Hell do to the destruction of men's souls yet what security can a wicked man have against the power of his fears and we all know no passion disquiets more than that doth And how many sorts of fears possess a sinner's mind fears of disappointments â—ears of discovery and fears of punishmâ—nt but supposing he could master all the rest and the fears of punishment as to this life too yet the fears of that to come is sufficient to rob him of any peace in his mind and impossible to be overcome by him For no sound reason can be given against his fears but the strongest arguments in the world to confirm them Nay the greatest grounds of others comforts are the strongest â—oundations for his fears as the belief of a God and Providence and a life to come And what can give that man peace whom the very thoughts of the God of peace doth disturb so much That is the first kind of Peace we have shewed to be inconsistent with a course of wickedness which is the peace and tranquillity of a man 's own mind 2. Taking this peace for an outward peace and so these words not in respect of every person in particular and that peace which belongs to him as such but as they are joyned together in community so they imply that nothing undermines our civil peace and the prosperity of a nation so much as prevailing wickedness doth So that although mighty deliverances were given the people of the Jews in a very stâ—ange and unexpected manner when God raised up Cyrus his servant a man from whom no kindness was expected and made him the great instrument of setling the people in their land under their own lawful Princes and reâ—â—ored the true worship of God among them yet if they grew wanton in the days of their prosperity and forgat the God who delivered them they must expect a return of Calamities again upon them for there is no Peace saith my God to the wicked i. e. This is the method of his providence and the way he useth in governing the world while Religion and Vertue flourish among them they may hope for peace and prosperity but if those decay and sin and wickedness prevail no other arts imaginable will secure a lasting peace or an abiding tranquillity All other ways are but tricks and devices and there are many of them in the hearts of men but the Counsel of the Lord that shall stand against them all and that Counsel he hath declared himselâ— by the mouth of another Prophet At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation and concerning a Kingdom to build and to plant it if it do evil in my sight that it obey not my voice then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them Thus we find it was in this people of the Jews upon their first return from captivity they shewed some zeal towards the rebuilding the Temple and setling the worship of God there but this fit did not hold them long they soon fell back to their formeâ— sins and disobedience to the Laws of God upon this they brake out into greater schisms and factions in matters of Religion than ever were known among them before for then the Pharisees fell into a separation under a pretence of greater sanctity and severity of life and these by their shew of zeal gained a mighty interest among the people so great that the Princes stood in awe of them then the Sadducees who were most part Courtiers as Iosephus tells us out of opposition to the other looked on Religion as a meer political institution cried out against faction and popularity and questioned at least whether there were any Spirits or life to come And what peace
present advantage although they are sure in a very little time to lose both their Interest and the Principal too How many for the sake of the Honours and Preferments of this World are willing to do by their Consciences as the Indian did by his Letter lay them aside till their business be done and then expect to hear no more of them What poor and trifling things in this World do men continually venture their souls for As though all were clear gains which they could put off so dead a commodity as the Salvation of their Souls for How apt are such to applaud themselves for their own skill when meerly by a little swearing and lying and cheating things which cost them nothing but a few words they can defeat the designs of their Enemies and compass their own But how low is the rate of Souls fallen in the esteem of such persons as these are If they had not been of any greater value they had not been worth any ordinary man's much less the Son of God's laying down his life for the redemption of them Is this all the requital men make him for the travail of his Soul the wounds of his Body the bitterness of his Passion to squander away those Souls upon any trifling advantages of this world which he shed his most precious blood for the redemption of Whenever men are tempted to sin with the hopes of gain let them but consider how much they undervalue not only their own Souls but the eternal Son of God and all that he hath done and suffered for the sake of the Souls of men If there had been no greater worth in our Souls silver and gold would have been a sufficient price of redemption for them for if men lose their Souls for these things it is a sign they set a higher value upon them But God's justice was not to be bribed his wrath against sin was not to be appeased by the greatest riches of this World nothing but the inestimable blood of Christ would be accepted for the purchase of Souls and when they are so dearly bought must they be cast away upon such trifles as the riches and honours of this World are in comparison with them These are men who lose their Souls upon design but there are others so prodigal of them that they can play and sport them away or lose them only because it is the custom to do so With whom all the reasons and arguments in the world cannot prevail to leave off their sins if it once be accounted a â—ashion to commit them Yea so dangerous things are fashionable vices that some will seem to be worse than they are although few continue long Hypocritical in that way that they might not be out of the fashion and some will be sure to follow it if not out-do it though to the eternal ruine of their Souls But although all damn'd persons at the great day will be confounded and ashamed yet none will be more ridiculously miserable than such who go to Hell for fashion-sake What a strange account would this be at the dreadful day of judgment for any to plead for themselves that they knew that chastity temperance sobriety and devotion were things more pleasing to God but it was grown a Mode to be vicious and they had rather be damned thâ—n be out of the fashion The most charitable opinion we can have of such persons now is that they do not think they have any Souls at all for it is prodigious folly for men to believe they have Souls that are immortal and yet be so regardless of them Yet these who are vicious out of complyance are not the only persons who shew so little care of their Souls what shall we say to those who enjoying the good things of this life scarce ever do so much as think of another Who are very solicitous about every little mode of attire for their bodies and think no time long enough to be spent in the grand affairs of dressing and adorning their out-sides but from one end of the year to the other never spend one serious thought about eternity or the future state of their souls Their utmost contrivances are how to pass away their days with the greatest ease and pleasure to themselves and never consider what will become of their souls when they come to die Alas poor immortal souls are they become the only contemptible things men have about them All care is lâ—ttle enough with some for the body for the pampering and indulging of that and making provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof but any cure is thought too much for the soul and no time passes so heavily away as the hours of devotion do The very shew of Religion is looked on as a burden what then do they think of the practice of it The Devil himself shews a greater esâ—eem of the souls of men than such persons do for he hath been always very active and industrious in seeking their ruin but is ready enough to comply with all the inclinations of the body or mens designs in this world nay he makes the greatest use of these as the most powerful temptations for the ruin of their souls by all which it is evident that being our greatest enemy he aims only at the ruin of that which is of greatest value and consideration and that is the thing so much despised by wicked men viz. the soul. These do in effect tell the Devil he may spare his pains in tempting them they can do his work fast enough themselves and destroy their own souls without any help from him And if all men were so bent upon their own ruin the Devil would have so little to do that he must find out some other imployment besides that of tempting to divert himself with unless it be the greatest diversion of all to him to see men turned Devils to themselves But are the temptations of this world so infatuating that no reason or consideration can bring men to any care of or regard to their souls we have no ground to think so since there have been and I hope still are such who can despise the glittering vanities the riches and honours the pleasures and delights of this world when they stand in competition with the eternal happiness of their souls in a better world And that not out of a sullen humour or a morose temper or a discontented mind but from the most prudent weighing and ballancing the gain of this world and the loss of the soul together For what is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul or what shall he give in exchange for his soul. 3. Which is the last particular to represent the folly of losing the soul though it were for the gain of the whole world Which will appear by comparing the gain and the loss with each other in these Four things 1. The gain here proposed is at the best but possible to